NEWSLETTERMay, 2018Featured in this issue:
Gardening Without Injury!from the American Physical Therapy Association "Many gardeners injure themselves because they don’t view gardening as a workout," says APTA spokesperson Mary Ann Wilmarth, PT, DPT. "Gardening is a strenuous activity and it is very easy for people to overdo it, especially for seniors or those who have pre-existing conditions, limited mobility or who are normally inactive." Common gardening tasks, such as digging, planting, weeding, mulching and raking can cause stress and strain on muscles and joints, primarily in the shoulders, back, neck and knees. APTA recommends the following tips to minimize the risk of injury:
PHYSICAL THERAPIST SPOTLIGHT:Doug Wallop, PTPractice Owner, Physical Therapist, Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner Doug was born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland and was exposed to medicine at an early age, as numerous family members were in the medical profession. Doug's father was a radiologist who practiced for four years at Anne Arundel Medical Center before opening a private practice at North Arundel Hospital where he worked for 30 years. Doug is a third generation physical therapist in the family. His grandfather and uncle were both physical therapists in Philadelphia. Doug became interested in physical therapy because he felt it would allow him to provide critical guidance to individuals during the rehabilitation process and to help them overcome their particular challenges in getting back to full function. He loved the dynamic nature of the field and enjoyed the uniqueness of each patient. Doug received his Physical Therapy degree in 1989 at Thomas Jefferson University where he met his wife, Ann. They opened Annapolis Family Physical Therapy in 1993 and will be celebrating 25 years in business in November. Doug loves spending time with his family and friends. He enjoys all outdoor activities, but especially boating, paddleboarding, wakeboarding and snowboarding. Doug is an avid sailor and has been racing sailboats on the Chesapeake Bay for over 40 years. He currently races a J 30, Cannonball during the sailing season. When asked about retirement, Doug says his plan is to sail, travel and do medically- related volunteer work and to never fully retire. He loves this work too much! The Importance of Performing your Home Exercise ProgramDuring Active TreatmentOne of the biggest components of success in physical therapy is the home exercise program, or HEP. Considering the average physical therapy visit is roughly 60 minutes fpr 2-3 times per week, your home program is instrumental in reinforcing what we work on between visits to help speed your recovery. The home exercise program will most likely be prescribed on the first or second day of treatment and be geared toward your goals and the treatment that will make you feel and/or move better. For example, if the radiating symptoms from your low back lessened after treatment on your back, your therapist will send you home with an activity to reinforce that movement on day one. Your therapist will take time to teach you the exercise, check to be sure you understand them, and provide detailed instructions that also include frequency, duration, and number of sets and reps so you know what is expected of you between visits. As you improve and physical therapy treatment progresses, the HEP will too. Your HEP needs to be updated to reflect your progress. Don’t hesitate to ask your therapist if your HEP is still appropriate and what you should continue to do, stop, or add to your program. Staying motivated and adhering to your HEP can be difficult sometimes, but it will speed your pain relief or return to function. Discharge PlanningWhen we determine that you are ready to become independent in the management of your condition, we will begin discharge planning for you with a specific home exercise program to help you maintain the current therapeutic benefit from physical therapy. It is important to make sure you continue with some sort of HEP in order to prevent recurrence! Our goal at AFPT is to build lifetime partnerships with our patients. We offer you the tools to maintain a state of wellness for prevention and management of your condition following discharge. We will be also always be there for you in the event of symptom exacerbation or if something else should occur that needs attention. That's our pledge of building lifetime partnerships with our patients. May is Arthritis Awareness MonthArthritis is one of the most widespread health conditions in the United States. It affects about one in four adults overall. That’s over 54 million men and women. To recognize this toll on Americans’ health, CDC, the Arthritis Foundation and other partners observe Arthritis Awareness Month in May. What Is Arthritis?Arthritis is very common, but is not well understood. Actually, “arthritis” is not a single disease; it is an informal way of referring to joint pain or joint disease. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions. People of all ages, sexes and races can and do have arthritis, and it is the leading cause of disability in America. More than 50 million adults and 300,000 children have some type of arthritis. It is most common among women, and occurs more frequently as people get older. Common arthritis joint symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion. Symptoms may come and go. They can be mild, moderate or severe. They may stay about the same for years, but may progress or get worse over time. Severe arthritis can result in chronic pain, and an inability to do daily activities and make it difficult to walk or climb stairs. Arthritis can cause permanent joint changes. These changes may be visible, such as knobby finger joints, but often the damage can only be seen on X-ray. Some types of arthritis also affect the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys and skin, as well as the joints. There are different types of arthritis: Degenerative ArthritisOsteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. When the cartilage – the slick, cushioning surface on the ends of bones – wears away, bone rubs against bone, causing pain, swelling and stiffness. Over time, joints can lose strength and pain may become chronic. Risk factors include excess weight, family history, age and previous injury (an anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, tear, for example). When the joint symptoms of osteoarthritis are mild or moderate, they can be managed with physical therapy through:
If joint symptoms are severe, causing limited mobility and affecting quality of life, some of the above management strategies may be helpful, but joint replacement may be necessary. Inflammatory ArthritisA healthy immune system is protective. It generates internal inflammation to get rid of infection and prevent disease. However, the immune system can go awry, mistakenly attacking the joints with uncontrolled inflammation. This could potentially cause joint erosion and may damage internal organs, eyes and other parts of the body. Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis are examples of inflammatory arthritis. Researchers believe that a combination of genetics and environmental factors can trigger autoimmunity. Smoking is an example of an environmental risk factor that can trigger rheumatoid arthritis in people with certain genes. With autoimmune and inflammatory types of arthritis, early diagnosis and aggressive treatment is critical. Slowing disease activity can help minimize or even prevent permanent joint damage. Remission is the goal and may be achieved through the use of one or more medications known as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). The goal of treatment is to reduce pain, improve function, and prevent further joint damage. Infectious ArthritisA bacterium, virus or fungus can enter the joint and trigger inflammation. Examples of organisms that can infect joints are salmonella and shigella (food poisoning or contamination), chlamydia and gonorrhea (sexually transmitted diseases) and hepatitis C (a blood-to-blood infection, often through shared needles or transfusions). In many cases, timely treatment with antibiotics may clear the joint infection, but sometimes the arthritis becomes chronic. Metabolic ArthritisUric acid is formed as the body breaks down purines, a substance found in human cells and in many foods. Some people have high levels of uric acid because they naturally produce more than is needed or the body can’t get rid of the uric acid quickly enough. In some people, the uric acid builds up and forms needle-like crystals in the joint, resulting in sudden spikes of extreme joint pain, or a gout attack. Gout can come and go in episodes or, if uric acid levels aren’t reduced, it can become chronic, causing ongoing pain and disability. 2018 Walk to Cure Arthritis |