We at Therapeutic Associates in Tualatin hope that your holiday(s) are in full swing and that everyone is leading a healthy and happy lifestyle. We wanted to get in touch with you all to thank you for coming to us for your physical therapy needs over this last year. The clinic hopes to be more in touch with all of its patients in the upcoming year and is starting again with this newsletter.  Below you can find some pertinent info regarding our clinic, offerings and some tips on how to stay healthy this winter.  Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you or your community and we would love to help!

- Adam C. Wachter PT, MPT, CSCS, Clinic Director

As the leaves change and the winter nears, many northwest residents begin to get excited about the return of snow.  With this comes the return of all snow sports, including skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing and others. Some people may be winding down other sports such as running and cycling, while others may be getting into the holiday spirit.  Preparation is vital in staying healthy throughout the winter sports season

There are approximately 400,000 snow sport injuries that are treated at hospitals and doctor offices, not to mention the countless others who probably never sought treatment. With preparation, as is the idea with “offseason conditioning”, many of these injuries may be avoided. Nutrition, strength training and basic cardiovascular activity are all precursors to a good snow season.

Making sure that your body is physically prepared for the slopes and trails is the most important part of winter preparation. Hitting the moguls, jumps and even groomed trails is quite different than most of our summer activities. Give your body the correct training and time to prepare, and include interval training, light plyometric activities and these lower extremity strengthening activities (see below). Perform all of them in a circuit 2-4 times through depending on your conditioning. They will help to develop the basic strength needed for your reintroduction to the mountain and involve nothing more than an exercise ball. Do not forget to do some stretching prior to getting back in the car as well, as sitting for lengthy periods of time will tend to exacerbate how stiff and sore you will be post-activity.

When you get to the mountain, making sure that you warm up and out dynamically could keep those muscle strains at bay.  Some other tips are to make sure that you stay warm in the car, change in the lodge and layer correctly so you can stay warm in the cold weather.  Also, staying hydrated and keeping up with your nutrition throughout the day will help with your overall health and recovery.

Twice a month the staff here at the clinic reads and reviews journal articles in order to enhance our treatment of our patients. 

Please glance below to see the most recent information we reviewed, they are always interesting!

Authors:

Kathryn Zalewski, PT, PHD; Carlynn Alt, PT, PHD

Monna Arvinen-Barrow, PHD, CPsychol

Objective: To describe the stages of readiness for change and barriers to physical activity in older adults and to compare the barriers from a physical therapist’s perspective with that of older patients.

Results: Patients in the study were predominantly in the early stages of readiness for change. Physical therapists and patients identified willpower as the primary barrier to physical activity. Physical therapists identified fear of injury and lack of time as primary barriers for physical activity; whereas, patients identified willpower and social influence as primary barriers to remaining physical activity. The stage of change impacted patient’s perception of barriers such as social perception, lack of willpower, and lack of skill. Women had a tendency to rank fear of injury as a barrier more so than men.

Takeaway: Physical therapists should understand when to start looking for barriers and to understand the specifics of each barrier. Lastly, physical therapists need to instill confidence into their patients so they progress through the stages of readiness to change and eliminate barriers such as lack of skill.

Authors:

Karin Gravare Silbernagel, PT, ATC, PHD

Kay M.Crossley, BAppSc (Physio), PHD

Objective: To enhance the decision-making process in creating a return-to-sport program for patients with achilles tendinopathy that yields the lowest risk of reinjury.

Results: To prepare athletes for returning to sport, the extent of injury, the status of pain/symptoms, impairments from the injury, and the demands of the sport need to be considered in the decision-making process of the physical therapist. Patients may return to sport anywhere from 6 weeks to 1 year after the injury occurred. Currently, exercise is the most supported mode to facilitate healing, though more research needs to be done to understand the benefits of incorporating other modalities with exercise.

Takeaways: Different aspects of the patient’s injury and current status need to be addressed when creating and progressing through a return-to-sport program. Currently, exercise is the most supported to use for progressing through rehabilitation.

My name is Malinda Finnell, LaC, and I have lived in Oregon since 1995 and am raising my family in SW Portland. We love to enjoy the outdoors whether it’s hiking, or playing soccer. I spend lots of my time watching my boys on the soccer field and rooting for the Portland Timbers.

I have had the pleasure of working with the crew at Therapeutic Associates in Tualatin since last May. I love to witness the complementary actions of Physical Therapy and Acupuncture. Acupuncture can assist PT in providing pain relief for both chronic and acute conditions while you are on your path to getting better. Acupuncture also has the added benefit of helping your body heal by lowering stress response, balancing hormones, helping you sleep better, aiding digestion, increasing blood flow and much more. Are you apprehensive about the idea of needles? We can fit 18 of our needles in the point of a hypodermic needle! They are about the size of a hair or whisker. Most people feel that acupuncture is very relaxing and get a good nap in during treatment. Please take a look at this article to see how acupuncture can work for you. And feel free to follow my Facebook Page to get health tips, see articles about acupuncture and to book an appointment.

I feel so strongly that acupuncture is the right adjunct therapy for your PT sessions that I would love to offer you a free initial consultation and mini treatment. I take most health insurance and would love to check your benefits as many insurance companies now cover acupuncture! Feel free to call me at 503-867-5885 if you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment.  You can book with Jennifer and even line it up with your current PT appointment. I look forward to working with you!