Be Strong and Limitless

June is when scoliosis gets the spotlight!

I want to take time to recognize the strength, knowledge and brilliance of what my patients have gained from scoliosis specific physical therapy.

Currently, I have patients ages 8-80 with scoliosis here at this clinic. It’s not a limiting diagnosis. I encourage my patients to continue their sport and activity and even try a different one once they have a firm understanding of their specific curve. Knowing the posture cues and incorporating Schroth breathing techniques are the keys to keeping your spine strong and pain free.

Many of my patients excel in volleyball, basketball, strength training, music, yoga,Pilates, running , swimming, gymnastics and karate. There are Olympians, musicians, actors, writers, and a multitude of professionals who have scoliosis and rise above and beyond their diagnosis.

So how is this different from traditional physical therapy?

Scoliosis-specific PT is a unique 3D treatment approach that helps to elongate, de-rotate and strengthen the scoliotic spine.

It goes beyond classic core exercises, as it is not a ‘one size fits all’ routine.

Which is why all of my patients get CUSTOMIZED exercises for their specific curve type that you can’t find while searching  the internet.

Here are the benefits of scoliosis specific physical therapy:

• Improved understanding of scoliosis prevention and curve progression
• Improved posture
• Reduced pain
• Increased strength and flexibility
• Improved body mechanics
• Improved breathing
• Improved endurance and tolerance to activities
• Enhanced cosmetic appearance
• Prevention (or delay) of surgery
• Empowerment and enhanced psychological outlook
• Improved bracing compliance/results
• Connection to others with scoliosis

Education and early detection are key to making positive and lasting changes in the scoliotic spine.

If you want to learn more about scoliosis then check out  Scoliosis Research Societyand find support in numerous Facebook groups, or at  Higgy Bears , Curvy Girls

Ever wonder what the sounds your joints make mean? 

Have you tried to sneak up, creep quietly about for a surprise or try to not wake anyone up? But then, ‘CRACK! POP!’ and the gig is up! That unsuspecting person is now FULLY aware that you are near since your creaking joints have given your whereabouts away…sigh.

Here’s a quick resource for joint sounds that are good, ok and bad based on the the article  Joint Sounds and How Ligaments Respond to Orthobiologics

Pops and Cracks: Generally, if the sounds come and go then these are GOOD sounds that a joint makes. As stated in the article above, ” pops and cracks are caused by nitrogen bubbles in joint fluid. ”

Crepitus: This sounds like ‘Rice Krispies’ being crushed and is an OK sign if you are pain free. Crepitus does indicate some level of arthritis is forming and that the joint cartilage is roughened or missing. This sound is most common at the knee cap.

What can you do to decrease this crepitus sound? DECREASE INFLAMMATION and start the healing process.

You can simply stop doing the activity that is causing the crepitus which is more than likely weight bearing. But if you can’t do that since it may be a job requirement, then you need to slow down the inflammatory process by wearing a brace, taking NSAIDS or Ibuprofen, Turmeric or tart cherry juice concentrate.

Clunk: This sound is a DEEP clunk and indicates joint instability which is BAD.

One reason this clunk sound may be happening is that a ligament or tendon is snapping over a joint. Done repetitively, the ligament or tendon will begin to shred and lose its strength.

Another reason for the clunk sound is that a bone is rotating off its axis on another bone. Imagine a tower of blocks and one of the blocks is askew or not lined up with the rest of the blocks. This can happen in the adult spine and is known as listhesis. Listhesis is a hyper mobile vertebrae in the spine most commonly seen in aged adult spines with scoliosis or spondylolisthesis.

What can you do to decrease or stop the clunk sound? STABILIZE the joint. Sometimes a brace can help or strength exercises. But if these don’t work, then it’s time to see your physical therapist and figure out a plan.

So there’s my quick guide to joint sounds: POP, CRACK, CREPITUS and CLUNK and what they may mean to you and your health.

Reach out via email, phone or schedule an appointment if you have any questions:

Contact Joy of Therapy with your questions

Core Strengthening in Sitting

In posture and especially scoliosis treatments, you need to work on the endurance of postural muscles, and then hold positions for a looooooonger period of time.

Here’s P doing a seated core strengthening exercise using the wall bars to help create resistance.

By knowing her postural cues, P is able to do sustained, controlled breathing and then can add resistance through her arms to build up core strength and stability.

This is just one of many positions that we do to train and strengthen the postural muscles along the spine.

The key is to then do some of these exercises EVERY DAY to make real, lasting changes in the spine!

Contact the clinic today if you or someone you know could benefit from learning how to strengthen their spine.

Submit your online inquiry here..

Backpack Check

As we skid into the final quarter of the school year, I would venture to guess that most of us aren’t checking our kid’s backpacks for fear of what actually may be in there! Most likely old food, crumpled up important notes, progress reports left unsigned, acorns, leaves, rocks or even slime in some cases.

Regardless of what is inside their backpack, take a moment to lift it up and check to see how heavy it has become over the school year. Books, notebooks and folders tend to accumulate, and then when you add a lunch, water bottle or a musical instrument, it can get quite heavy!

So what is too heavy for a backpack?

Good news is that has already been figured out for you! The research is here and published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapy:

PREVENTION AND REHABILITATION| Read VOLUME 25, P174-182, JANUARY 01, 2021

A study in India observed 20 boys aged 9-14 years old and analyzed how they walked while increasing the load in their backpacks in respect to their weight.

What they found was this: as the load in the backpack increased, they noted marked movement changes “in the child’s ankle, knee and hip joints. These changes were evident when the backpack load increased beyond 15% of their body weight.”

“Carrying heavy backpacks may result in cumulative trauma later in life due to biomechanical adaptations during gait.”

Bottom Line:

The ideal weight to carry a backpack WITHOUT having it alter their posture was LESS THAN 15% OF THEIR BODY WEIGHT.

Here’s a table to help you figure this out:

Get out the scale or just take a tug on the backpack and see if it falls into the range that fits for maintaining good posture.

Call, email or schedule your complimentary 20 minute posture consultation today. Schedule online here. 

Cupping is EXCELLENT to ease muscle strains and aches 

It’s one of my favorite ‘tools in the toolbox’ to help your muscles recover from aches and pain, and it’s something that you can do in the comfort of your own home in just 5 easy steps.

Why should you try cupping? It’s very helpful for anyone with hip, knee, low back, upper back and shoulder pain. And, with the magical combination of physical therapy and cupping, you, too, can get rid of muscle strains and perform better than ever.

Did you know that Michael Phelps, the amazing Olympic gold medalist swimmer, had cupping done on his body before he plunged into the pool for the Summer 2016 Olympics in Rio? It definitely helped his muscles reach their optimal potential and grab those gold medals!

A physical therapist uses cupping similar to how a musician tunes an instrument: the musician first needs to make sure that his/her instrument is in tune before setting out to play a song. Cupping is like ‘tuning’ the human body before it goes out to perform in the Olympics or simply to take a walk outside.

Cupping is an ancient Eastern medicine modality that has been around since 1500BC. This form of cupping involves heating cups made of glass, silicone or bamboo, and then placing it on the skin and leaving it there for 15 minutes. The redness is caused by tiny blood vessels ‘breaking’, but no worries, as the redness disappears within hours.

In the clinic here, a modified form of cupping is done by using silicone cups or a small sink plunger, and no heat.

The key difference with this form of cupping in physical therapy is that movement is used while the cups are on the skin.

By moving the body while cupping, it releases restrictions in soft tissue (skin, muscle, fat, ligament or tendon) instead of it being a passive modality (meaning that you don’t move).

All soft tissues in your body need to glide on one another like sheets of paper that can easily move between themselves. When there is a restriction or a ‘stickiness’, the tissues cannot move freely and get bound together. When that ‘stickiness’ or binding between tissues is unable to release by itself, it can cause a decrease in movement. Over time, true tissue restrictions occur limiting movement and causing muscle strain and pain. By freeing up the soft tissues off of one another, there is less pain and the muscles have the freedom to do whatever function is needed.

You can give cupping a try at home on yourself with just 5 simple steps:

1- Purchase a cupping set ( Highly recommend the Lure brand , economically priced below $30) see image with link to purchase

2- Apply vasoline oil or lotion to the rim

3- Squeeze the closed end of the cup and place the open end on the area of your body that needs it ( safest to use on large muscles or the knee cap ) . You may also use multiple cups along a muscle such as on the outer thigh for IT band pain.

 

4- While the cup is on, do a movement that helps to stretch the tissue under the cup (example: if the cup is on your upper back, then raise your hand up and down as if asking a question in class)

5- Remove the cup after 30 seconds or up to 1 minute and wipe the skin clean.

Now you’re ready to go toss a ball, swing a golf club, reach overhead to a shelf or swim for the Olympic gold medal!

Click on the image or link below to get your cupping set today and get rid of those annoying muscle aches and pains. https://www.amazon.com/Cupping-Therapy-Massage-Cellulite-Professional/dp/B00P86S3IM/ref=sr_1_8?crid=3VOB1LLIVDVH1&dchild=1&keywords=lure+cupping+therapy+sets&qid=1600976245&sprefix=lure%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-8

Do you have a child with scoliosis between the ages of 10-19 or are you a teenager yourself and aching to grow taller?

This time of life is a roller coaster filled with  both emotional and physical changes.

One of the changes teens are the most excited about is growing taller!

Studies have shown that puberty is starting younger but still lasting as long as it ever has…

• Girls typically finish most growth by age 17
• Boys typically finish most growth by age 19

4 Tips to help your child/teen get the most out of their growth spurt :

1. Monthly Height checks: Its time to get out your pencil and find a place in their room to measure  height. Consistent height checks during adolescence are KEY to keeping a check on the progression of their scoliotic curve. If you are finding a ‘jump’ in height from one month to the next, and your child/teen has scoliosis, or you are suspecting it: that is a sign that their scoliotic curve is changing. It may be decreasing but it also could be increasing. Please follow up with your pediatrician when you see this change. You may also contact our clinic for an evaluation and/or treatment session.
2. Calcium and vitamin D: These nutrients are vital to bone growth ! They can be found in foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, white beans, fish, foods fortified in vitamin D (cereals, OJ, and some dairy products), cheese . These ” 2 critical nutrients for bones:  Calcium is a crucial guiding block of bone tissue.  Vitamin D helps the body absorb and process calcium. Together these two nutrients are the cornerstone of healthy bones.”- How to Keep Your Bones Strong as They Age.
3. Sleep– 9-11 hours per night for kids ages 6-13 and 8-10 hours per night for teens ages 14-19. Sleep is ESSENTIAL for tissue growth and repair.
4. Daily exercise: Bones love weight bearing so go take a walk, run or skip in the park to help your bones grow strong and healthy

It is ideal for scoliosis check-in’s every 3-4 months with your physical therapist during your child/teen’s growth spurt

These physical therapy sessions include height and posture checks, review and progression of exercises, and access to exclusive online video content to help strengthen the spine.

If you are in need of a scoliosis check-in, then schedule your appointment today before the growth spurt ends and skeletal changes are more permanent.

Schedule your session today.

You have the ability to lower your back pain and blood pressure by learning where you need to breathe

Recent studies have linked back pain with increased blood pressure for a number of reasons, including stress, lifestyle, disease and genetics. But did you know that how you breathe also has a profound effect on both back pain and blood pressure?

Think of the middle of your body or trunk as a pressure regulator from your vocal cords, diaphragm and all the way down to your pelvic floor. It is like an unopened carbonated beverage of your choice, such as Coca-Cola , Pepsi or LaCroix. When that can of beverage is intact, there is an inherent pressure built up inside. Once you pop the top, the pressure releases and you can pour out your beverage into an icy glass and enjoy.  In other words, the pressure inside the can has now changed. Your blood pressure can do that too and how you breathe affects it, as well as genetic factors, cholesterol and disease.

Ideally you need to breathe proportionally in your upper chest, and lower abdominal cavity with the diaphragm in the middle helping to push the pressures up and down. But when you have too much of your breath focused in one of those areas, your blood pressure can increase or decrease. Over time, your muscles accommodate and work more or less in one of those areas, and your blood pressure can either increase or decrease beyond what is healthy for you for the long term.

In just 5 minutes in a physical therapy session with an emphasis on dynamic breathing with eccentric control,  my patients have been able to lower their systolic blood pressure by up to 20 mmHG!

Try this at home to find out where you breathe:

1. Use a measuring tape or any long tubing or band and wrap it around your chest underneath your arms
2. Take a big breath in and then let it all out and see how many cm/inches/ or estimate how much the tubing moved
3. Now wrap the measuring tape, tubing or band around the middle or your body or just under your ribs.
4. Repeat step 2
5. Finally wrap the measuring tape, tubing or band around the lower part of  your abdomen or at the umbilicus or belly button area.
6. Repeat step 2

Results:

• If your measurements were relatively the same at all 3 levels, then Congratulations! You are an even breather!”Keep calm and Carry on”
• If your measurements were highest in the upper chest, then you are a chest or neck breather and may want to focus on diaphragmatic breathing and getting your breath into your belly. This will help to lower your blood pressure and decrease neck as well as low back pain. Here’s your exercise: Blow into a party blowout or blow bubbles through a straw to begin to work your diaphragm and teach your body to breathe down there
• If your measurements were highest in the middle region, then you are a lateral breather and that is quite athletic and efficient! “Keep calm and carry on”
• If your measurements were highest in the belly region, then you probably don’t have a lot of low back pain, but you may have upper back or neck pain with some blood pressure issues. Try to focus on more diaphragmatic breathing and upper chest breathing. Add in pectoral muscle strengthening exercises like push ups, pec flys, and shoulder strengthening exercises.

*Reference and credit goes to: Mary Massery Breathing Continuing Education Courses.

Schedule your consultation either by Telehealth or in-person to find out how to get the most out of your breath today! 

Here are 3 options for you right now:

1. Do nothing and keep your fingers crossed that your curve doesn’t progress or your pain comes creeping back.
2. Keep up with your current exercises that were given to you the last time you came in for an in-person session and do them consistently.
3. Schedule your Telehealth session and get your spine straight and strong and prevent your symptoms from coming back or worsening.

Just out of curiosity, are you keeping up with your home exercises during this quarantine?

Are you wondering if you are doing your exercises correctly or are you even doing them at all? (gasp!)

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic things have changed drastically for all of our usual routines, work and school. You can’t go to your gym or to therapy like you were used to. But you do need to keep the progress that you made this past year in physical therapy. Don’t lose what you have already gained- you worked too hard this past year to let it go to waste! 

Just imagine how good you will feel after all of the COVID-19 pandemic passes and not only is your spine straighter, but you feel stronger and more confident rather than feeling like you lost all that you had gained!

Book your virtual appointment here

This has been a great teaching tool for the clients that have already taken advantage of this convenient option! I have been able to see what they have at home to add to or enhance their stretches that they had not considered.

Plus, I may even get to see a cameo appearance by one of your furry pets! It is a great way to stay connected and stay up-to-date with your therapy.

Your Telehealth appointment is now being offered at an affordable price that is less than in-person at the clinic.

30 minutes = $55

45 minutes = $75

1 hour= $100

How open minded are you with this as an alternative? Give it a try!

I am also creating a 45 minute online scoliosis group exercise class for females. Fill out this survey if this interests you and be the first to experience a brand-new exercise format!

Scoliosis Exercise Group interest survey

If you decide to give Telehealth a try, then you can keep the results you gained and keep feeling great!