NEWSLETTERMarch, 2018 Featured in this issue:
Physical Therapy and the OlympicsThe Winter Olympic Games are intense, for spectators and athletes alike. It’s heartbreaking to see an athlete suffer an injury that can eliminate them from a contest for which they have spent years training. Just as athletes specialize in certain events, there are physical therapists who focus on working with athletes in a particular sport or discipline. There is a lot of injury prevention training that comes into play in the years leading up to the event, especially in the ramping-up period just before the games where the physical therapist's emphasis is on flexibility, strength and technique. During the olympic events, the physical therapist's schedule starts around 5:30 - 6 a.m., and goes until 11:30 p.m. or midnight treating new injuries or rehabbing old injuries. Whether that’s a certain kind of taping, massage, stretching, icing, joint mobilization or manipulation for the pelvis or their spine, physical therapists are there to provide whatever services the athlete needs when they need it. After the event, there is a continued need for support from a physical therapist if the athlete has been injured. But even if the competition goes as planned, athletes will require their own recovery plan. Behind every Olympic athlete is a great physical therapist! AFPT's Unofficial Olympic Team 2018Many athletes train their entire lives to compete in the Olympics. Ours don't. The truth is, the AFPT athletes qualify by having engaged in (or, at minimum, attempted) the individual sport one or more times during their lifetime. Special exceptions were made for certain teams/team members, and we also tweaked our events a little to accomodate similar sports. The AFPT Olympic team is a completely made up team, there's no real competition, and the points don't matter. But the individual stories are priceless! We are happy to announce that all of our team members brought home the gold because they displayed team spirit and the courage to volunteer themselves, putting their stories out there for questions, smiles and laughs from peers and patients alike for weeks to come. Be sure to congratulate all of our medalists for their dedication to winter fitness and fun! Doug Wallop, AFPT Mens Snowboarding TeamDoug leads our team in experience. He has been snowboarding for well over 20 years and his favorite place to snowboard is in the mountains of Colorado, on fresh powder. Doug attributes his compassion and empathy for patients to a serious accident he had while snowboarding seven years ago, resulting in an extremely aggressive five month rehab program that incorporated both land and aquatic-based physical therapy, gym workouts and massage therapy. Look for a video on our Facebook page of Doug snowboarding! Ann Wallop, AFPT Womens Skii TeamWhile Ann prefers warm weather sports, winter sports tend to bring her family together. When asked to pick her favorite winter sport for our olympic team, Ann chose skiing, a winter sport she has been participating in since high school. Most of her training has been on the slopes in the state of Pennsylvania, but last spring, she got the opportunity to ski in both Austria and Switzerland. Debbie Topp, AFPT Figure SkatingTeamDebbie's love for skating started in her pre-teen years, where she began not on a rink, but on single blades on the frozen local Magothy River. While self-taught and drawing on her gymnastic and springboard diving background, Debbie perfected her speed skating, backward and forward crossovers and spins. Debbie has since retired from skating, but emerged from retirement to join our AFPT Winter Olympics for a whole lot of fun! Chelsea Williams, AFPT Women's Ski TeamChelsea officially started skiing around age 7, took a 15 year hiatus, then got back on the slopes! She loves skiing and typically skis locally, but she has also been skiing several times in Ludlow, Vermont. Chelsea and her co-pumpkins, Holly & Courtney, recently took a day trip to Roundtop Mountain Resort for some fun and intense training for the AFPT qualifying events. Holly Newquist, AFPT Women's Ski TeamHolly recently made her ski debut at Roundtop Mountain Resort in Pennyslvania. She admits she's not much for winter sports, preferring marathon running at Disney World, but she gave it a shot and enjoyed it. She trained with Courtney Hodges, another AFPT team member, on the beginner's slope, and they made it down the big hill together safely. Way to go Holly! Check it off the bucket list! Courtney Hodges, AFPT Women's Ski TeamCourtney also recently made her skiing debut on Roundtop Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania. She trained alongside Holly Newquist on the beginner's slope, and they made it safely down the big hill. Holly says, "Courtney was a natural." Rumor has it that the AFPT trio (Chelsea, Holly and Courtney) had a blast qualifying for the AFPT Winter Olympic team! Photo Disclaimer: Not Mike Mike Wells, Mens Ski & Figure Skating TeamMike has been ice skating many times, and received a few EXTRA points because he actually got officially engaged to his wife on the ice! He tried to get additional points for loving the movie Blades of Glory, but we really couldn't count that. Mike is also a skiier, but had no real proof in pictures. Because we love him, we qualified him for both teams anyway. Jillian Fichman, AFPT Bobsled TeamJillian trained for the AFPT "Bobsled" team at Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland. Her initial “training run” lasted approximtely 15 seconds before the “pilot” of the bobsled broke down in tears. Obviously,the pressure of the Olympics was just too much. Still, she was just too cute in her snowsuit not to make the AFPT team! Joy Lewis, Team Manager/Score KeeperWhile Joy will admit that she absolutely hates winter, she did love sledding on big hills as a young child, and frequented the Herbert Wells Ice Rink in College Park as a teen. Joy also begrudgingly participated in snowboarding, tubing, and sledding with her daughter on a few occasions, but she never really fell in love with any winter sport! Like a bear, she hibernates in winter, preferring to watch from the window while sitting by the fireplace and drinking hot cocoa. Hey, someone has to manage the team and keep scores! Daylight Saving Time 2018 in Maryland will begin at 2:00 AM on Sunday, March 11!Spring Equinox 2018 in Northern Hemisphere will be at 12:15 PM on Tuesday, March 20!ALL THINGS IRISH?
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, millions of Americans get their Irish on and partake in all sorts of seemingly Irish practices. They sing “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” and drink Guinness-infused concoctions with colorful names. Heck, some even start the day off with a bowl of magically delicious Lucky Charms because, you know, there’s a leprechaun on the box and all. We hate to it break to you, but many St. Patrick’s Day mainstays are pure Americanized folly, including the following: Shamrock Shake Killian’s Irish Red Lucky Charms Female Leprechauns “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” Irish Car Bomb Bennigan’s, Beef O’Brady’s, Tilted Kilt “St. Patty’s Day” Green Beer St Patrick’s Day in AnnapolisMarch 11, 2018, 1:00 p.m. Historic Annapolis, MD The parade celebrates the Irish holiday with an afternoon of family fun featuring more than 90 floats with participation by many local organizations. Proceeds for all events go to Warrior Events in 2018. Parade Route: Line up at Amos Garrett Blvd. or their designated side-street depending on their position/order of the parade, make a right turn onto West Street, travel clockwise (the wrong way) around Church Circle and out Main Street, travel down Main Street towards Randall/Compromise Circle, travel clockwise (the wrong way) around Randall/Compromise Circle, and exit the traffic circle via Randall Street. Parking and Staging: Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts is the staging area. Parking will be restricted in many areas and parking in residential areas is not suggested. Instead, park in Park Place Garage or Knighton Garage for $10 all day and take the FREE Circulator down to City Dock. Other City Parking garages include Gott's and Hillman. Irish Soda BreadAs befitting many of the best breads in the world – Irish Soda Bread is a traditional product of a poor country. It was made with only the most basic of ingredients: flour, baking soda (used as a leavening agent instead of yeast), soured milk to moisten and activate the soda, and salt. Before baking, a cross was cut on the top with a knife to ward off the devil and protect the household. From the earliest times, bread-making was an integral part of daily life in almost every home. Families lived in isolated farmhouses where most kitchens had only open hearths, not ovens, so the breads that developed were baked on griddles or in large three-legged black iron pots over fragrant turf fires. This method resulted in a loaf that was tender and dense, with a slight sour tang and a hard crust. Being quite perishable, it was made every 2-3 days and eaten with the main meal, not as dessert. The Importance of Good PosturePosture refers to the body's alignment and positioning with respect to the force of gravity. Whether we are standing, sitting or lying down, gravity exerts a force on our joints, ligaments and muscles. Good posture entails distributing the force of gravity through our body so no one structure is overstressed. Being aware of good posture is the first step to breaking old poor postural habits and reducing stress and strain on your spine. Good posture helps us keep bones and joints in correct alignment so that our muscles are used correctly, decreasing the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in degenerative arthritis and joint pain. It also reduces the stress on the ligaments holding the joints together, minimizing the likelihood of injury. A good posture allows muscles to work more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy and, therefore, preventing muscle fatigue. It also helps prevent muscle strain, overuse disorders, and even back and muscular pain. Correct posture is a simple but very important way to keep the many intricate structures in the back and spine healthy. Back support is especially important for people who spend many hours sitting in an office chair or standing throughout the day. Not maintaining good posture and adequate back support can add strain to muscles and put stress on the spine. Over time, the stress of poor posture can change the anatomical characteristics of the spine, leading to the possibility of constricted blood vessels and nerves. Sitting and standing with proper postural alignment will allow one to work more efficiently with less fatigue and strain on the body's ligaments and muscles. So do what your mama told ya and “Sit Up Straight!" |