by jsurdej | Oct 5, 2016 | Physical Therapy News
(ProActive Sports Rehab offers a weekly column promoting health, fitness and physical therapy. Please be sure to check back each week for a new topic!)
Temperatures may be dropping, but just because swimsuit season is over doesn’t mean it’s time to let your fitness regimen fall by the wayside. Keeping active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important year-round, so stay on track as the weather cools with these tips and tricks.
1. With cooler temps comes the temptation to indulge in comfort foods. Remember that it’s OK to satisfy those cravings but keep portions in control.
2. From the start of school to the kickoff of new sporting seasons, fall is a time of fresh beginnings. Get your own start on a healthier lifestyle by kicking unhealthy habits such as smoking.
3. Make the most of these last few months to enjoy seasonal fruits and vegetables. Try new recipes featuring options such as apples, pears, pumpkin and squash to enjoy the natural goodness of fresh produce and add some variety to your typical diet.
4. Colder weather may bring relief from the heat, but it also brings cold and flu season fast on its heels. Practice good hygiene and wash your hands often to minimize your exposure to germs and illness.
5. Commit to a workout routine. Whether that means investing in the proper home workout equipment to have at home or securing a gym membership (or a combination of the two), pledge to make time for a workout most, if not all, days of the week.
6. Set a good example for the youngest members of your family by finding ways to get the whole crew involved. Take a walk or bike ride, or organize a game of backyard ball to get those feel-good endorphins going.
7. Poor sleep not only drags you down, it can raise your risk for numerous medical problems. Set a bedtime that allows you plenty of rest and stick to it. Also eliminate as many factors as possible that can disrupt your sleep, such as the TV, music and lights
— Family Features
ProActive Sports Rehab, with offices in Hamburg and West Seneca, offers one-on-one physical therapy and rehabilitation services. For more information, please visit https://proactivesportsrehab.com or call 674-9600 (West Seneca office) or 648-8700 (Hamburg office). You can also follow ProActive Sports Rehab on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProActiveSportsRehab for frequent updates.
by jsurdej | Sep 28, 2016 | Physical Therapy News
(ProActive Sports Rehab offers a weekly column promoting health, fitness and physical therapy. Please be sure to check back each week for a new topic!)
Like so many other causes and professions, physical therapy has its own month to be recognized, and that month happens to be October. But what is physical therapy, and what can you expect when you enter a physical therapy office?
Jeff Kirchmyer, co-owner of ProActive Sports Rehab in West Seneca and Hamburg along with fellow physical therapist Anthony Goode, offers the following explanation.
“Physical therapy is a proven, evidence-based approach to managing or eliminating pain, improve mobility and strength, and return the patient to a normal level of function,” said Kirchmyer. “In many cases it can also help patients avoid surgery and return to work, sports, activities and their normal lifestyle much more quickly.”
Upon visiting a physical therapy office for the very first time, the patient will be examined by a licensed physical therapist who will then develop an individualized treatment plan, depending on the patient’s health problem. Physical therapists typically treat patients suffering from chronic or acute pain, or abnormalities due to sprains, strains, tears and fractures. PTs also frequently treat spinal and back-related conditions, tendinitis, overuse injuries, vertigo and more.
In addition to office visits, physical therapy patients are typically given a home exercise program to help speed their recovery.
“A good physical therapy office will take a team approach, keeping open the lines of communication between the physical therapist, patient and the patient’s primary physician,” Kirchmyer added. “The ultimate goal is to achieve patient independence and return the patient to a normal level of function.”
ProActive Sports Rehab, with offices in Hamburg and West Seneca, offers one-on-one physical therapy and rehabilitation services. For more information, please call 674-9600 (West Seneca office) or 648-8700 (Hamburg office). You can also follow ProActive Sports Rehab on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProActiveSportsRehab for frequent updates.
by jsurdej | Sep 21, 2016 | Physical Therapy News
(ProActive Sports Rehab offers a weekly column promoting health, fitness and physical therapy. Please be sure to check back each week for a new topic!)
A survey conducted by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) studied seven of the most common myths about physical therapy. While the demand for physical therapists continues to rise and many consumers are experiencing the transformative effects of physical therapy, some misconceptions persist. APTA is debunking some of the most common ones to better enable consumers to take charge of their health and improve their overall fitness, mobility and quality of life.
Following are seven of the most common myths about physical therapy, followed by corresponding facts:
Myth: I need a physician’s referral to see a physical therapist.
Fact: The survey revealed 70 percent of people think a referral or prescription is required for evaluation by a physical therapist. However, all 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC) allow patients to be evaluated by a physical therapist without a physician’s prior referral.
Myth: Physical therapy is painful.
Fact: Physical therapists seek to minimize pain and discomfort — even if it is chronic or long-term. They work within your pain threshold to help you heal, and restore movement and function. The survey found that 71 percent of people who have never visited a physical therapist think physical therapy is painful. That percentage significantly decreased, however, among patients who had visited a physical therapist within the past year.
Myth: Physical therapy is only for injuries and accidents.
Fact: Physical therapists do a lot more than just stretch or strengthen weak muscles after an injury or surgery. As experts in the way the body moves, they are skilled at evaluating and diagnosing potential problems before they lead to more serious injuries or disabling conditions. Physical therapists help people of all ages and abilities reduce pain, improve or restore mobility, and stay active and fit throughout life.
Myth: Any health care professional can perform physical therapy.
Fact: Although the survey found that 42 percent of consumers are aware that physical therapy can be performed only by a licensed physical therapist, 37 percent still believe that other health care professionals can provide physical therapy. While physical therapists and other health care professionals may perform some treatments that seem similar, physical therapy can be provided only by licensed physical therapists.
Myth: Physical therapy isn’t covered by insurance.
Fact: Most insurance policies cover some form of physical therapy. Beyond insurance coverage, physical therapy has shown to reduce costs by helping people avoid unnecessary imaging scans, surgery and prescription drugs. Physical therapy can also lower costs by helping patients avoid falls or by addressing conditions before they become chronic.
Myth: Surgery is my only option.
Fact: In many cases, physical therapy has been shown to be as effective as surgery in treating a wide range of conditions — from rotator cuff tears and degenerative disk disease to meniscal tears and some forms of knee osteoarthritis. The study found that people who recently have seen a physical therapist know this to be true, with 79 percent believing that physical therapy can be a viable alternative to surgery.
Myth: I can do physical therapy myself.
Fact: The goal of physical therapy is to educate the patient on successful self-care. To accomplish this, however, the expert care and guidance of a licensed physical therapist is required. Your physical therapist’s specialized education and clinical expertise, combined with the latest available evidence and treatment techniques, are critical to evaluating and diagnosing your condition and developing an individualized plan of care.
— American Physical Therapy Association
ProActive Sports Rehab, with offices in Hamburg and West Seneca, offers one-on-one physical therapy and rehabilitation services. For more information, please call 674-9600 (West Seneca office) or 648-8700 (Hamburg office). You can also follow ProActive Sports Rehab on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProActiveSportsRehab for frequent updates.
by jsurdej | Sep 14, 2016 | Physical Therapy News
(ProActive Sports Rehab offers a weekly column promoting health, fitness and physical therapy. Please be sure to check back each week for a new topic!)
A majority of American adults expect to be living independently at age 80, yet roughly half expect to lose strength and flexibility with age, according to a survey conducted by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
Those seemingly contradictory beliefs, and other findings from a consumer survey of more than 1,000 adults commissioned by APTA suggest that Americans have a lot to learn about healthy aging.
Americans are conflicted on aging
Survey respondents seemed to be resigned to physical decline (51 percent expect to lose strength and 49 percent expect to lose flexibility as they age despite optimism about their future mobility and independence (68 percent expect they will still be able to engage in the same type of physical activities at 65 and older, and 59 percent expect to be living independently at home at age 80).
Americans are also conflicted about when the effects of aging begin, with younger respondents expecting to see signs begin when people reach their 40s and 50s, while 53 percent of all respondents believe people start to notice signs of aging in their 60s or older.
Aging effects can be slowed
Experiencing some effects of aging is inevitable, but physical therapists want people to know that many of the symptoms and conditions associated with aging are not always a matter of bad luck, and improvements can be made even at an advanced age.
"So many patients first come to physical therapy believing they have no choice — that they can’t avoid difficult surgeries or dependence on prescription drugs as they get older," said APTA spokeswoman Alice Bell, PT, DPT, GCS. "These patients are genuinely amazed to see how conditions like low back pain, arthritis, diabetes — even bladder leakage — can be managed or even reversed with physical therapist treatment."
A physical therapist can help
Physical therapists, who are movement system experts, can help adults stay strong and remain independent, enabling the kind of lifestyle survey respondents hope for, despite widespread beliefs that the negative effects of aging are unavoidable. For instance, research shows that an appropriate exercise program can improve muscle strength and physical function in one’s 60s, 70s, and even 80s and older.
Bell added that physical therapists are uniquely qualified to prescribe the most effective exercise regimen, which may help individuals avoid painful, costly procedures like hip and knee replacements that require months of recovery.
— American Physical Therapy Association
ProActive Sports Rehab, with offices in Hamburg and West Seneca, offers one-on-one physical therapy and rehabilitation services. For more information, please call 674-9600 (West Seneca office) or 648-8700 (Hamburg office). You can also follow ProActive Sports Rehab on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProActiveSportsRehab for frequent updates.
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