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Physical therapists practice new techniques
K. Kelli Richardson, a physical therapist with 24 years of experience, recently attended a two-day conference in Livingston presented by Steven P. Ferdig of Chapman University in Orange, Calif.
The conference, entitled “The Cervical Spine: Mobility versus Stability,” covered 15 neck mobilization techniques for the neck, upper back, shoulders, chest and face, including the jaw, a site of pain about which many physical therapy patients complain.
At the conference, participants learned how to assess movement to determine specifically in the cervical spine what the range of movement - or lack thereof - is in the patient. The assessment techniques they learned contributed to physical therapists’ treatment plans and may alleviate suffering patients with chronic neck pain.
Ms. Richardson, who holds a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from the University of California at North Ridge, previously practiced physical therapy at a Pasadena, Calif., hospital for 12 years, owned her own practice in California and has been practicing for 10 years with Lance Hendricks, owner of Montana Physical Therapy, 2370 Ave. C, in Billings.
Mr. Hendricks, who holds a master’s degree in physical therapy, said, “There is new hope for neck pain. Many patients come to us 15 years after a car accident and they still have pain. They tell us, ‘I went to physical therapy and did exercises, but it still hurts.’”
Full story of new physical therapy techniques at Billings News
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Cardiac Rehab Works with LVAD
A ventricular assist device (VAD) is no barrier to effective exercise rehabilitation, several small studies agreed.
Stationary bike, weight training, walking, and even gymnastics boosted strength and respiratory capacity in one 41-patient cohort reported here at the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation's EuroPRevent meeting.
An inpatient program of stationary cycling and calisthenics also raised functional and respiratory capacity in a 15-patient study, while another 15-patient study presented at the same conference session showed similar changes after device implantation with little in the way of adverse events.
"The key message is we can train those patients like every other chronic heart failure patient," Michel Lamotte, MSc, of Erasme Hospital in Brussels, Belgium, told MedPage Today. "They can recover to arrive at transplantation in a good state."
Full story of cardiac rehab at Medpage Today
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Diet, exercise can be keys to relieving chronic knee pain
Knee pain, or osteoarthritis of the knee, can be a debilitating and life-altering condition for many.
However, diet, especially related to maintaining a proper weight, and exercise play critical roles in treating osteoarthritis of the knee and other weight-bearing joints.
About 60 percent of adults in this country are overweight and 30 percent are obese. Those numbers continue to rise, and we know that obesity is a definite risk factor for developing osteoarthritis. We also know that heavier patients often have more pain associated with arthritis.
If an arthritic patient is overweight, we encourage that person to lose weight and adopt a non-impact exercise program; activities such as swimming, walking, bicycling or using an elliptical trainer can be well tolerated while helping to burn calories and maintain joint motion. Low-resistance strength training can also be helpful.
There are many programs available through our local YMCA, health clubs and rehabilitation / physical therapy departments that can help patients get on the “right track.” The key to success, however, is commitment and perseverance. Often working with a personal trainer or being part of an exercise / weight loss accountability group can help a person to “stay the course.” If followed, he or she may experience less pain and improved outcome in combination with other treatment modalities.
Full story of chronic knee pain health at Germantown Now
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Flex CEUs: New Courses for April
Headaches - Overview of Diagnosis, Classification, and Treatment
This course is based on information written and published by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the United States’ leading supporter of research on disorders of the brain and nervous system. This course will provide an overview of diagnoses and classification of headaches including primary and secondary causes. Discussion of headaches in children will be addressed along with ways to cope and treat headaches.
Thumb Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis - Effectiveness of Manual Therapy and Exercise
This course examines effective management strategies for improving pain and function in patients with Carpometacarpal (CMC) joint osteoarthritis. Many patients with upper extremity arthritis undergo surgical intervention with varied levels of benefit. Alternative strategies, such as manual therapy and exercise programming have found effective in treating pain in this patient population. We will review the details and effectiveness of these strategies.
For more information on these and many more, visit Flex CEUs
Yoga’s physical, mental benefits touted
Don Ammon took up yoga 15 years ago as a way to combat the anxiety he felt as a result of his multiple sclerosis.
He didn't anticipate getting a physical benefit as well.
Ammon, who was diagnosed with MS in 1991 and said he “was limping around with an AFO (ankle-foot orthotic) by 1995,” no longer needs the brace.
He credits yoga.
“It's helped with focus and balance,” said Ammon, 49, of Monroeville. “I was able to strengthen the whole right side of my body. I'm more flexible, (and) I'm stronger now than I was then.”
Ammon said his last MS flare-up occurred in 2005, although he still deals with numbness in his hands and feet.
Dr. Betsy Blazek-O'Neill, medical director of the integrated medical program in Allegheny General alHospital, said Ammon's isn't an isolated case. She said yoga can benefit many people, no matter their age or condition.
Full story of yoga benefits at Trib Live
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Coplon: Weight loss opens door to new knees
Chuck Young’s knees had been deteriorating for years. By the time he went in for a surgery consult in March of 2012, Young had no cartilage left in either knee. Bone on bone. They had to be replaced.
As Young’s primary care physician, we already had been talking about his knees. We’d also been talking about his weight and how it might be a problem for the surgery. So when Young sat down with Dr. Greg Koski, his Kaiser Permanente orthopedic surgeon, the 62-year-old received some harsh (but not surprising) news.
“He said he wouldn’t operate on my knees unless I lost weight,” Young said. “He said I needed to lose at least 40 pounds.”
Young, a Medicaid systems analyst for the Department of Human Services, had watched his weight creep up to 338 pounds in the two years since a mysterious blood disorder and a pair of surgeries for carpal tunnel syndrome had kept him off his bicycle. Young had once weighed 220 pounds and was an active cyclist with the Salem Bike Club who rode to and from work. Now his obesity was standing in the way of him getting the new knees he needed to stay active and enjoy his upcoming retirement.
Full story of weight loss and knees at Statesman Journal
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Walking Could Help Ease Lower Back Pain, Study Finds
Relief from back pain could be as simple as taking a stroll, a new study suggests.
A recent study suggests that a simple regime of daily walking may aid individuals with lower back pain. This is especially relevant research for people who suffer from lower back pain and turn to pricy rehabilitation facilities.
Dr. Michal Katz-Leurer from Tel Aviv University’s Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine and colleague Ilana Shnayderman, a graduate student at the Department of Physical Therapy and a practicing physiotherapist at Maccabi Health Care, published their findings in the journal Clinical Rehabilitation.
The study included 52 sedentary patients with chronic pain in their lower backs. The participants were between ages 18 and 65 and answered questionnaires to assess the degree of pain they each experienced, their feelings of disability, walking endurance, muscle endurance and how often they avoided everyday activities.
Full story of easing back pain at Huffington Post
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Osteoarthritis:The importance moving correctly
"You must strengthen your leg muscles" is what people with osteoarthritis are often told, and they are encouraged to do strength training and go for long walks. But that sort of exercise is not what they primarily need, according to Eva Ageberg.
“If a person limps when she walks in order to reduce pain in the knee, going for walks won’t help. It just consolidates an incorrect pattern of movement and does not reduce pain over the long term”, she says.
Eva Ageberg, a senior lecturer in physiotherapy, is interested in what is known as neuromuscular training. This aims to get the patient to “relearn” the signals between the brain, the joints and the muscles that have been disturbed by a knee injury or by osteoarthritis. The training starts with everyday functions such as going up and down stairs or getting up from a chair. These are simple movements for those who have healthy bones, but not for those who have pain in their joints.
Full story of osteoarthritis and movement at Health Canal
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Yoga: How We Serve Women in Recovery
This is an interview with Lynda Ferrara, and it didn't happen over night. So much was going on in her personal life: a recovering addict herself, addiction continues to affect her family today just as it has for many generations. Both her parents were alcoholics. Her father died from the disease when he was 44; her mother is still alive and sober. Now married for the third time to another recovering addict, Lynda's first husband died from addiction at the age of 42. Her second husband died of alcoholism and cancer last year at age 55. Lynda's adult children continue to struggle.
"My family history is one of the reasons that service is so much a part of my life," said Lynda. "I told my yoga teacher recently that without the connection to my practice, which allows me to give back to the universe, I sometimes feels like my fear could swallow me whole.
Rob: What got you started doing direct yoga service work?
My service career started when I got clean in the rooms of a 12-step fellowship 24 years ago. It was, and still is, the foundation of my recovery and life. I discovered yoga when I was 42 years old. I met Penni Feiner at Naturally Yoga in Glen Rock, N.J., where I did my teacher training and currently teach yoga for beginners. Penni and I became fast friends. I got involved with Kula for Karma doing fundraising work. From time to time, I would accompany Penni when she taught at a facility in Newark, N.J. called Integrity House, where 20 or so women trying to get clean from drug addiction would gather for a yoga class. The bond I felt with the girls happened instantly.
Full story of yoga and recovery at Huffington Post
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Exercise helps relax from holiday stress
As holiday crunch time fills your schedule, experts have advised not to give up your exercise.
“When times get crazy, the thing people give up is exercise, and that’s the key thing a person needs. When a person is excitable from stress, the burst of energy that you get from exercise can help burn the adrenaline off and calm you down,” Erica Christ, RD, CDE, an exercise physiologist at Greenwich Hospital’s Weight Loss and Diabetes Center, said.
“Exercise allows you time to focus, and gives you a sense of mindfulness that makes the other pieces of your life fall into place,” Christ added.
Physical activity also stimulates the neurotransmitter dopamine, which has been linked to post-exercise mood improvement more effectively than antidepressant medications.
It’s commonly understood that physical activity is an essential part of any overall health plan.
Full story of relaxing from holiday stress at Daily News & Analysis
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