Category: Health and Wellness

Three reasons you need to start a regular stretching routine
If there’s one thing that you can count on a physical therapist introducing into every session, it’s stretching. Yes, building strength and endurance is important. But whether you’re an athlete or someone coping with the aches and pains of arthritis, increasing your flexibility through stretching is crucial. Read on to learn more about some of the top benefits of stretching.
1. Reducing pain
Arthritis is one of the most common causes of chronic pain among Americans. Treating the pain of arthritis is a huge reason to start stretching. Focusing on treating the painful joint can help reduce your pain, but we sometimes forget the sheer interconnectedness of our bodies.

For instance, people with hip osteoarthritis can benefit from exercises that target other parts of the lower body. Physical therapists often use stretches and strengthening exercises on the quads, glutes and hamstrings. One reason for this is that such exercises can help realign the joint. A medical study even shows that exercises can reduce hip pain by more than 30%.
1. Enhancing athletic performance
Another reason to start stretching is it can improve athletic performance. If you’re an athlete, you know that the more conditioning your joints, ligaments and muscles get, the greater your advantage in your sport.

Bodybuilders can recover from their reps more quickly by stretching tightened muscles as a cool-down. Golfers can get a longer reach by increasing range of motion through the hips and shoulders. Swimmers can keep their strokes even by doing shoulder and arm stretches prior to getting in the pool. There are few competitive sports for which stretching doesn’t offer an advantage.
1. Preventing injuries
Injury prevention is yet another reason you should start stretching regularly. There’s a certain amount of debate in the sports world about the degree to which pre- or post-workout stretching protects you from injury. But few people deny those stretches can contribute to injury prevention.

A tense, shortened muscle is often an injury waiting to happen because it doesn’t work at peak performance. When you stretch, you’re also increasing your range of motion. Additionally, your balance can also improve. All these factors can prevent you from making the types of moves that lead to injury. This includes moves like coming down too hard on one foot or twisting your back further than you should to compensate for a tight shoulder.

Find stretches that are effective for you at Panther Physical Therapy

Looking for more reasons to start stretching? Our physical therapists at Panther Physical Therapy are ready and willing to help you develop an individualized stretching program. We offer free screenings that can identify weak or overly tight muscles. Our team can then build you a personalized therapy program to address them that can include stretching and strengthening exercises.

Can’t make it into one of our therapy clinics? No problem! Our team offers several therapy services you can use without leaving home, including virtual therapy and at-home care. You can even start getting our help without first obtaining a doctor’s referral.

Contact our team today for more information about our helpful therapy services or to schedule your free screening.
August 2, 2020
Five reasons you should start stretching today
When you have pain and stiffness that limits your ability to enjoy your daily life, it’s time to start including stretching in your routine. Stretching helps the muscles, ligaments and tendons become more flexible and strong. This helps to improve your range of motion and reduce pressure off your joints.

Stretching is an important part of most physical therapy treatments, but if it’s safe for you to do so, you can always stretch on your own in your free time as well. Take a look below at five reasons you should start stretching today.

1. Stretching improves your range of motion

Stiff muscles and soft tissue limit how far you can bend or flex your joints. This can affect your ability to accomplish simple tasks like changing clothes or taking a shower. Stretching every day can help improve your flexibility so that simple tasks remain simple.

2. Stretching helps reduce pain

It’s easy to forget just how interconnected different parts of our bodies are. Those of us who suffer from joint pain might think the pain is isolated to the joints themselves. However, stiff and weak muscles increase pressure on your joints, which is often the source of joint pain for many people.

Stretching can help improve strength and flexibility to reduce pressure off your joints. This helps to reduce your pain so you can focus on enjoying your life.

3. Stretching helps with athletic performance

Athletes need every advantage they can get to push themselves harder to outshine the competition. Stretching before every training session and competition helps limber up your muscles for physical activity, so you can push yourself harder. Stretching after training or competition also helps the muscles reenter a more relaxed state without straining themselves, so you can stay fit enough to compete another day.

4. Stretching helps prevent injuries

Stretching before physical activity not only helps to improve the performance of your muscles, but it also helps to reduce your chances of injury. Stiff and cool muscles are more prone to overstretching and tearing during physical activity. Stretching helps prepare the muscles for activity so they are less prone to injury.

5. Stretching helps improve circulation

Tight muscles can restrict how much oxygen gets delivered throughout your body. Stretching helps them become more flexible and better able to absorb oxygen and nutrients.

Stretching also helps increase your blood flow to your joints and throughout your body. Good circulation is key to your overall health, from brain functions to healthy skin.

Let our physical therapists at Franklin help you manage pain and prevent injuries

Stretching on your own is just the surface of maintaining your physical health. At Franklin Rehabilitation, our team can work closely with you to identify conditions or injuries that may be causing you pain, stiffness and other issues. We can help you address these issues by guiding you through a personalized treatment routine that will likely include stretching as well as:
- Therapeutic exercise
- Hands-on therapy
- Posture guidance
- Patient education and more
Are you ready to learn more about treating your aches and pains with physical therapy? You can begin physical therapy without getting a doctor’s referral. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
August 2, 2020
Advent Physical Therapy Announces New Clinic in Hudsonville, Michigan

Hudsonville, MI – July 6, 2020 – Advent Physical Therapy (AdventPT.com), a service of Mercy Health and Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, is pleased to announce the opening of their new outpatient rehabilitation clinic in Hudsonville, Michigan. The new location is part of several health provider groups and services, bringing quality care and convenience to the West Michigan community. This new facility is in Jamestown Square, and includes a large rehabilitation space with upgraded therapeutic equipment for patients. The clinic offers complimentary pain screenings with immediate availability and same day or next day appointments for patients.

“We are thrilled to open our fifteenth Advent Physical Therapy clinic with Alliance Physical Therapy Partners and Mercy Health,” said Kenneth Arends, Director of Clinical Operations for Advent Physical Therapy. “The new clinic is opening in response to a high demand from patients and physicians for our outstanding patient service and exceptional clinical outcomes.”

Kenneth Arends PT, MSPT, Cert. MDT has been named Director of Clinical Operations and brings many years of experience in orthopedic and outpatient care. Kenneth received his Master of Science in Physical Therapy from Grand Valley State University. He brings over 20 years of experience as a physical therapist with special interest in sports injury rehabilitation, post surgical care, balance and fall prevention, vertigo treatment, and TMJ Dysfunction and pain relief.

With the addition of the Hudsonville location, Advent now operates 15 convenient outpatient clinics near you in the Greater Grand Rapids area.

All are invited to join in celebration at the upcoming Advent Physical Therapy Hudsonville open house on July 30 between 4:30 and 6 pm. In partnership with Grand Rapids Succulents, there will be a pop up succulent shop, sweet treats, and complimentary pain screenings performed. The Hudsonville Area Chamber of Commerce will facilitate a ribbon cutting ceremony.

About Alliance Physical Therapy Partners LLC

Alliance Physical Therapy Partners is an affiliate of GPB Capital focused on acquiring private physical therapy practices across the U.S. to provide practice owners the opportunity to expand their footprint while receiving operational guidance and financial support. The Alliance Physical Therapy Partners team includes former private practice owners, direct marketing professionals and operations experts who have experience running and growing successful healthcare organizations. For more information, visit www.allianceptp.com.

July 9, 2020
Three leading causes of sports injuries
A sports injury is something that every person may suffer at some point in their athletic career. In fact, it’s estimated that 8.6 million Americans are injured while playing sports or doing other recreational activities every year.

Every sport has some risk involved, and this is true for athletes of all levels. A professional athlete can suffer a muscle strain or ligament sprain just as easily as a high school athlete or an amateur. However, there are three leading causes of sports injuries that you can avoid with a little effort.
1. Failure to properly warm up
It’s not realistic to expect our bodies to go from zero to maximum effort without risking a muscle strain. Countless baseball players who have pulled a hamstring running to first base can attest to this. It’s important to give the body a chance to warm up and prepare itself for giving maximum effort. Just a few minutes is all it takes to reduce your sports injury risk drastically.

Excellent warmup exercises that can help you avoid this cause of sports injuries include:
- Walking
- Static stretching
- Performing jumping jacks or jumping rope
- Lightly practicing sports movements
1. Playing through muscle fatigue
Your competitive edge or desire to tough it out may keep you from calling a timeout or requesting a sub to come in, which can be another cause of sports injuries. However, several studies have indicated that sports injury risk goes up as the body begins to tire and the muscles fatigue. You may want to break through your next fitness plateau by playing through being tired, but there is a point of diminishing returns.

Eventually, this fatigue affects your form and technique, which makes you more susceptible to turning an ankle or tearing a ligament. Listen to your body to know when it may be time to take a break and keep yourself from getting injured.
1. Failure to properly cool down
Just as going from zero to 100 is not advisable, going from total effort back to rest can also increase your risk of a sports injury. Failure to properly cool down can cause blood to pool in large muscles, causing swelling and inflammation. Lactic acid also builds up, which lowers the pH of your body and makes your muscles work less effectively. Much like warming up, just a few minutes of walking or stretching after playing a sport can help reduce your injury risk.

Panther Physical Therapy can help you reduce your risk of sports injuries

Are you concerned that these or other issues might cause you to develop a sports injury? Our team of physical therapists at Panther Physical therapy can help you find ways to reduce your injury risk. We offer free screenings that can pinpoint weak muscles, training problems and other issues that can lead to a sports injury. Our team can also build you a personalized therapy plan to tackle such issues.

In addition to in-clinic physical therapy, we offer virtual care and at-home therapy services that can help you get the therapy you need without leaving your home. You also won’t have to go to your doctor to get a referral before you begin using any of our therapy services.

Ready to start using our help to reduce your sports injury risk? Contact us today for more information about how we can assist you or to schedule your initial appointment.
July 8, 2020
Five simple ways to stay more active

Work is too busy. I’m too tired. The family activity schedule is so crazy. Most people can find plenty of excuses to avoid working out.

Studies show that approximately 79% of Americans don’t get enough exercise to maintain good health. However, you don’t necessarily have to go to the gym or go for a run to increase your activity level. Here are five simple ways you can stay more active:

1. Don’t take the shortest or easiest route

Speed is usually the name of the game in your busy life. However, taking more time to walk can be an easy way to stay more active. You can park at the far end of the lot so that you have to push a cart or carry a bag a greater distance. When you’re at work, you can choose to take the stairs — unless you’re running late for a meeting!

2. Use steps to “pay” for your lunch

No, we don’t think you can pay for your lunch in steps. What we mean is you can pretend any walking you do at lunchtime is the fee you’re paying to eat lunch. You can pay this fee by skipping the cafeteria in favor of a healthy eatery down the street if you’re working. Or, you can walk outside for 10 to 20 minutes before returning to your brown-bag lunch. People who are retired or working from home can walk to the nearby grocery store to gather the ingredients for lunch. All these options are easy ways to stay more active.

3. Switch to a standing desk

It’s amazing how much healthier simply standing in place is, compared to sitting, but it’s also a simple way to stay more active. For one thing, you burn more calories while standing up. You might also find yourself hunching less, and this can help reduce neck pain and headaches. Standing for part of the workday can also boost fitness by keeping blood sugar more steady after a meal and by encouraging more movement overall.

4. Have a chore session every day

Doing a 20- or 30-minute chore session a day can add up to a cleaner, more organized space. It also gives you a simple way to stay more active. You can certainly get a lot of toys put away during that time. A daily chore session is also a great time to mop a floor or weed the herb garden. After all, even these commonplace tasks can help burn calories and build up your muscles.

5. Go see a physical therapist

Most people might think that physical therapy is simply intended to address the aches and pains that keep you from pursuing an active lifestyle. They can, but physical therapy sessions can also be a workout in themselves. The therapeutic exercises included in many therapy sessions can help you meet your weekly cardio and/or endurance goals.

Your physical therapist is also a great resource for giving you tips on how to stay more active. He or she can go over what a normal day looks like for you and offer advice on how to make it a more active one. If chronic pain is an issue, your physical therapist can show you specific moves that you can do without increasing your pain.

Want to find out what other benefits physical therapy from Peak Performance can offer? Contact us today for more information about our services or to schedule an initial appointment.

July 4, 2020
Five simple ways you can stay active
Too many of us have an all-or-nothing attitude when it comes to staying fit. This attitude makes it very easy to find excuses not to stay active. We’re too “slammed” at work for the gym. Our kids’ activities are keeping us in the car — and off the jogging path — for long hours.

These are just a few of the excuses you might have found yourself using. The all-or-nothing attitude could also be one reason that almost 80% of Americans don’t get enough exercise to maintain optimum health. Yet there are five simple elements you can add into your daily life that truly can help you get and stay more active.
1. Consider a standing desk
Getting a standing desk is one simple way to get more active. How do standing desks help? It’s amazing how much healthier simply standing in place is compared to sitting. For one thing, you burn more calories. You’ll also hunch less, which means that neck and shoulder pain can be reduced. Standing can also boost fitness in significant ways by keeping blood sugar more steady after a meal and by encouraging more movement overall.
1. Fool yourself into running errands
Taking opportunities to run simple errands can be a great way to stay more active. For instance, you can try using a smaller glass for your water. This means that you’ll have to return to the water cooler or kitchen more often to fill it and move more in the process.

Likewise, you can make going down the hall to borrow a stapler a separate trip from going upstairs to ask someone in HR about your vacation schedule. If our fitness tracking apps and devices have taught us anything, it’s that a hundred extra steps here and there really do add up over the course of the day!
1. Use fitness benefits as an incentive to do chores
Just 20 or 30 minutes of chores a day can add up to a cleaner, more organized space. This time frame also makes short chore periods perfect for staying active. Experts estimate that about 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day can help maintain and improve health.

You can certainly get a lot of toys into baskets during that time. It’s also possible to mop a floor or weed the herb garden in that short span of time. So, if you remember that these tasks also burn calories and build up your muscle strength, it may help you feel more like tackling them.
1. Keep exercise equipment handy
A fourth simple way to stay active is to keep some exercise equipment handy in certain places. You could stash a yoga mat or 5-pound weights under your bed. You might try hanging resistance bands on a hook in the kitchen. That way, you’ll be far more likely to do a few reps while watching TV or waiting for food to cook!
1. Don’t leave physical therapy out of your plan
Physical therapy is a way to address the aches and pains that keep you from staying active. In addition, many physical therapy sessions are a workout in themselves, which helps you meet your weekly cardio and/or endurance goals.

A physical therapist is also a great resource for tips on tweaking your daily habits. He or she can go over what a normal day looks like for you and offer advice on how to make it a more active one. If chronic pain is an issue, your therapist can also show you specific moves that can help reduce your physical challenges.

Excel Sports & Physical Therapy can help you find ways to stay active

Looking for a physical therapist that can help you learn how to stay more active? Our Excel Sports & Physical Therapy team is primed to help you. We offer free screenings that can help pinpoint issues that might be hindering your ability to be active. Our team also excels at building personalized therapy plans intended to help improve your ability to move and stay active.

Not wanting to go out for your physical therapy? Our team can help bring physical therapy to you. We’re currently offering virtual care and at-home therapy that can help you get therapy from our experienced physical therapists without setting foot outside of your home.

Don’t wait to start getting our help with your injuries and medical issues that are affecting your activity levels. Contact our team today for more information about how we can help you or to schedule your initial appointment.
July 4, 2020
Why you should be treating arthritis pain without the meds
Osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis. Gout. Psoriatic arthritis. There are many different types of arthritis that could be making your movements painful.

Arthritis is a catchall term used to describe more than 100 different kinds of joint pain and joint disease. The broadness of this category is likely one reason that more than 54 million Americans suffer from some type of arthritis. Arthritis medications and pain medicines are often the first line of defense against arthritis symptoms. However, they can cause some nasty side effects. If you’re looking for a treatment for arthritis that helps you go without medicines, consider using physical therapy.

Why you should be trying to treat arthritis pain without medications

There are many reasons that you should be trying to treat your arthritis pain without meds. One of the biggest reasons is that the meds used for arthritis often have serious side effects. Depending on the type of arthritis you have, doctors may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids or antirheumatic drugs. All these medications carry a risk of side effects.

Some of the common side effects these medicines can cause are:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Rashes
- Dizziness
Taking meds to battle arthritis symptoms can also increase your risk of developing other serious health conditions. Many patients taking arthritis meds are at higher risk of:
- Blood clots
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Cataracts
- Osteoporosis
Ready to improve your arthritis symptoms without taking more meds? Excel Sports & Physical Therapy is here to help you!

Physical therapy can be an effective option for treating arthritis symptoms without medication. One medical study reports that it helped hip osteoarthritis patients reduce their pain by more than 30% after 12 weeks. Our team at Excel Sports & Physical Therapy is committed to helping you get great results from your arthritis therapy. We’ll start by performing a free screening of your arthritic joint(s). This gives our team the chance to learn exactly how arthritis is affecting you. Next, our therapy specialists will design a personalized arthritis therapy plan to fit your specific needs.

Things keeping you at home? No problem! Our team is currently offering virtual care and at-home therapy that can help you, and both services are intended to help you get high-quality therapy without even leaving your home.

Are you ready to start getting our help with your arthritis treatment? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule a free screening.
July 3, 2020
How the food you eat causes pain
It might come as a surprise to some people, but what you put in your mouth can make your aches and pains worse. As the old saying goes, “You are what you eat.”

There are many foods that can cause inflammation and actually result in chronic pain. Eating a healthier diet can help you feel better, without those nagging aches and pains. One vital part of working out a diet that doesn’t cause inflammation or pain is knowing which foods to say no to.

Foods that can cause your pain and inflammation to increase

While it may be difficult to resist sodas, chocolate bars, pastries, and desserts, it’s smart to just say no. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, processed sugars release inflammatory messengers. The messengers are known as cytokines. To be on the safe side, avoid any ingredients that end in “ose.” That includes the sugars sucrose and fructose. If you’re seeking to eat fewer foods that can cause pain, you should also consider reducing your intake of:
- Saturated fats — processed meats (pepperoni), fried chicken, fast foods
- Full-fat dairy products
- Refined carbohydrates — white rice, white bread, pizza dough
- Red meat
- Trans fats — fast foods, frozen meals, snack foods
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG) — soy sauce, salad dressings, canned soups, packaged deli meats
Foods that can cause your inflammation and pain to decrease

Just making better food choices can put you on the road to reduced pain and less need to rely on medications. Another plus to eating better is that you just may wind up losing a few of those stubborn pounds. So, the next time you feel a nagging ache, do some thinking about what you’re putting in your mouth, and consider eating foods that can fight the cytokines that cause inflammation and pain, such as:
- Water
- Greek yogurt
- Leafy green vegetables — kale, spinach
- Carrots
- Citrus fruits — oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit
- Raw nuts — almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts
- Berries — blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries
- Herbs and spices — ginger, turmeric, cumin, rosemary, garlic
Need more help than just not eating foods that cause pain? Visit Continuum Wellness

Eating an anti-inflammatory diet can be one facet of your treatment plan, but another facet of your plan should be physical therapy. Our team at Continuum Wellness can construct a personalized therapy plan to complement your anti-inflammatory diet. We also offer free screenings that are intended to reveal the specific source of your symptoms.

Our team can even help you get effective therapy from home. This is possible thanks to our at-home therapy and virtual care services, and you can even use any of our high-quality therapy services without first going to your doctor to get a referral.

Are you ready to take the next step to start treating the source of your pain? Contact our team today for more information about how we can help or to schedule your free screening.
July 2, 2020
Physical therapy-based treatment options for your arthritis pain
Joint pain. Stiffness in your joints. Difficulty walking or playing with your grandkids. These are just some of the effects arthritis can commonly have.

For the more than 54 million Americans who have arthritis, physical therapy can be an excellent option. Using physical therapy to treat arthritis might not be a new suggestion for you. Physical therapy has been a respected treatment option for decades, and it’s known for helping joint pain and stiffness.

You may have resisted trying this treatment option because the idea of putting yourself through painful exercises is not an appealing one. Yet physical therapists can make those moves much less grueling than you might think. Physical therapy is not meant to be painful. More importantly, three types of physical therapy for arthritis pain exist that you may not even be aware of.
1. Learning new ways to get around
Occupational therapy is a type of physical therapy that has several applications for arthritis patients with pain. For example, your physical therapist can use it to help you find new ways to accomplish your daily tasks without pain. In addition, these specialists can identify body positions, along with non-ergonomic work setups, that contribute to pain.

Your therapist can also help you find ingenious workarounds for many of the moves that increase aching in joints that you might never have guessed. Some of these workarounds include better ways to:
- Go up and down the stairs
- Empty the dishwasher
- Hold and play with your grandchildren
- Grab objects without bending over
1. Helping you find ways to lose weight
Physical therapists can help patients figure out how to manage and lose weight, which is a key goal of physical therapy for arthritis pain. There are many people who are carrying around a few extra pounds. In fact, it’s estimated that 39 million of the adults with arthritis are also overweight.

Losing some of this extra weight can greatly benefit patients with arthritis. Even just a small decrease in weight can have huge effects since 1 pound of extra weight equates to 4 pounds of added pressure on your joints. This means that losing just 5 pounds could reduce the pressure on your joints by about 20 pounds.
1. Revealing helpful exercises
What you may think of as “traditional” physical therapy can also do a world of good for arthritis pain. Gentle exercises, which you can also do at home, can help you limber up your stiffened joints and muscles. Research has shown that physical therapy exercises helped hip osteoarthritis patients reduce their pain by more than 30%.

Such exercises can also help to:
- Strengthen surrounding muscles for better joint support
- Increase joint range of motion
- Improve your ability to do normal daily tasks
Excel Sports & Physical Therapy offers treatment for arthritis pain

Looking for effective physical therapy for arthritis pain? Our team at Excel Sports & Physical Therapy is ready and willing to help you. We offer free screenings designed to reveal how arthritis is affecting you and what type of arthritis you’re dealing with. Our team can use this data to build you an individualized therapy plan, which can help reduce your pain and stiffness. We’re even currently offering at-home therapy and virtual care services to help you get therapy from home.

Contact our team today for more information about our arthritis therapy services or to schedule your initial appointment.
July 2, 2020
How can I prepare for surgery naturally?
The number of answers to this question is much larger than you might think. However, many people might think that taking their prescribed medication is the only step they need to take to prepare for surgery.

Preparing for surgery naturally can involve taking a variety of steps. The steps you should take can depend on the surgery you’re having and other factors. However, there are four steps in particular that can help most surgical patients prepare for surgery naturally.

Four effective steps for preparing for surgery naturally

Figuring out how you should prepare for surgery naturally might involve talking to medical professionals. You should discuss natural preparation options with your primary care doctor. It’s also a good idea to discuss them with your surgeon. Additionally, you may want to consult a physical therapist prior to surgery.

Speaking to these medical professionals can help you narrow down which natural surgery prep steps are right for you. Four of the steps your medical team might suggest that you take include:
1. Increasing your pre-surgery calcium intake — Calcium is a nutrient that helps build and maintain bones. It’s also involved in muscle contraction. Many doctors recommend getting more calcium before surgery, especially if it will involve bones. The Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) typically recommends increasing pre-surgery calcium intake to 1,500 milligrams per day.
1. Quitting smoking — Research has shown that smokers are more likely to have post-surgical issues. Danish studies reported that 28% of people who didn’t quit smoking before surgery had wound healing issues. In comparison, only 9% of patients who stopped smoking several weeks before surgery had wound healing problems.
1. Eating plenty of protein — Proteins are the building blocks for most types of body tissue. Healing tissues that have been damaged during surgery requires lots of proteins. You can help your body stock up on protein by eating enough of it before surgery. Some doctors recommend eating six to 12 ounces of protein daily prior to a surgical procedure.
1. Attending pre-surgical rehab sessions — Pre-surgical rehab, or pre-hab, from a physical therapist can have multiple benefits for surgical patients. Research shows that just one or two pre-hab sessions decreased the need for post-surgical care by 29% in patients who had a knee or hip replacement. The same study reports that patients who used pre-hab also saved more than $1,200 in the health care costs related to their surgery.
Prepare for surgery naturally with pre-hab at Continuum Wellness

Looking for pre-hab that can help you prepare for surgery naturally? Look no further than our physical therapy team at Continuum Wellness. We can perform a free screening for you, which is designed to reveal the pre-surgical issues you’re dealing with. Then our team can construct an individualized pre-hab plan designed to fit your needs.

Worried about exposing yourself to COVID-19 before surgery? Our team can help reduce your exposure risk. We can do so because we’re currently offering virtual care sessions and at-home therapy appointments. These services are intended to allow you to get the physical therapy you need right in your own home.

Don’t wait until after surgery to start your physical therapy at Continuum Wellness. Contact our team today for more information about our pre-surgical rehab service or to schedule your initial appointment.
June 6, 2020
Check out these tips for improving balance for seniors
It’s a fact of life. The body starts to deteriorate as we grow older. It can be harder to hear and see, and it can be much harder to balance when moving around.

Problems with maintaining your balance can be dangerous if you’re a senior. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 3 million seniors are treated for fall injuries every year. Falls are also reported to be the cause of more than 95% of hip fractures. Physical therapists can offer seniors many tips intended to improve balance and reduce fall risk.

Three tips focused on improving balance for seniors

A physical therapist can be a great resource for seniors focused on improving their balance. They can assess your joints and muscles, which can reveal issues affecting your balance. These specialists can also build you an individualized therapy plan intended to improve your balance.

In addition, a therapy specialist can offer you helpful general tips for balance improvement. Some of these tips include:
1. Not keeping balance issues to yourself — It’s hard to find help for balance problems if you haven’t told anyone else that you have them, and not telling people about a balance issue isn’t all that uncommon for seniors. The CDC estimates that 25% of seniors fall every year but fewer than half of these people let their doctor know about their fall. Telling your doctor or therapist about a fall or balance issue allows them to help you find ways to tackle these issues.
1. Getting your vision checked — Vision is an important part of your ability to balance. Unfortunately, your eyes tend to get worse at judging distances and seeing objects and surfaces clearly as you age. In turn, this can make it difficult to maintain your balance. One study reports that seniors with poor distance acuity are 2.3 times more likely to have an injury-causing fall. Getting regular eye checkups can help ensure that you have good vision and help improve your balance.
1. Attending physical therapy — Physical therapy plans can help seniors improve their balance. They’ve also been shown to reduce the risk of falling. One medical study revealed that balance training reduced falls leading to a serious injury by 43%.
Seniors can find help improving their balance at SOL Physical Therapy

Are you a senior who is looking for help improving your balance? Our SOL Physical Therapy team has just the help you’re searching for. Our specialists offer free screenings that can pinpoint issues that are affecting your balance. Using this information, we can then build you a personalized balance training program designed to improve your balance.

We even offer services that are intended to reduce your risk of COVID-19 exposure. These services include virtual care sessions. You can also take advantage of any of our services without having to get a doctor’s referral.

Take the next step to start getting our help with your balance issues. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
June 4, 2020
Four tips from a physical therapist on how to get rid of a kink in your neck
We’ve all woken up with a “kink” in our neck after sleeping in a strange position or in a different bed. For most people, this passes after a short period of time and with minimal treatment, typically resulting in nothing more than a minor inconvenience. For others, though, these pains can become a recurring issue that starts to become a drain on quality of life, even if they’re relatively minor.

In these cases, it can be beneficial to work with a professional such as a physical therapist. In addition to providing helpful tips to improve your biomechanics, a qualified therapist can also identify warning signs that could potentially lead to simple “kinks in the neck” worsening to more serious neck pain.

Here are four treatment goals you and your therapist can work toward for neck pain relief

Talking to a physical therapist is a great way to take a proactive approach and stop minor neck pain from becoming worse. A therapist can perform an examination of your neck, including your biomechanics and posture, to identify the underlying sources of the kink in your neck. Here are some of the goals a therapist may discuss with you regarding overcoming minor cases of neck pain:
1. Improve your posture — Through posture training, you can learn to more evenly distribute the stress your neck withstands on a daily basis.
2. Strengthen your neck — By performing targeted therapeutic exercises, you can make your neck more resilient and injury resistant.
3. Increase your range of motion — With stretching and manual therapy, a therapist can help you develop a more flexible neck.
4. Make lifestyle changes — From reducing time staring at your phone to using a more supportive pillow when you sleep, small changes in your routine and ergonomics can make a difference.
By taking active steps to improve the health of your neck and reduce the pressure you place on it, you may be surprised at how quickly you see a reduced frequency of neck pain episodes.

Our experts can provide sound advice

When you come to Specialists in Sports and Orthopedic Rehabilitation for neck pain relief, we’ll perform a detailed assessment and discuss the treatment and prevention strategies that are right for you. Take control of your pain and don’t let even minor aches, stiffness and kinks run your life.

Contact us today and schedule your initial appointment with one of our caring and experienced therapists.
March 8, 2020