Why Seeing Many Different Practitioners Isn't Getting You The Results You Want

 Pain can make us do things we never thought we’d do. It may drive us to take painkillers every few hours, turn to ice/cold packs in frustration, or kick us into high gear in the gym or our yoga classes. It may even lead some of us to turn to injections. The bottom line is that pain has a way of turning the world upside down; it can push people into the arms of the strangest ‘cures’ just so that they may be rid of the discomfort and daily agony. But, how often do those solutions and cures really work? If you’re dealing with terrible, debilitating pain, how well is that downward facing dog really coping with treating the issue? My bet is…not very well.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with trying different things and seeing different types of practitioners. In fact, chiropractors, yogis, Pilates coaches, acupuncturists, and even gymnast instructors, all serve an important purpose. Here’s the thing, though: the therapies and activities they offer can only be positive additions to your life if they are done in conjunction with a therapy that tackles the root cause of the problem.

Let me explain. When we sign on to the latest rock climbing expedition, or grit our teeth as we ease into the lotus position, our back pain remains lingering in the background. Similarly, if we pop a few painkillers and sit on the sofa for a couple of hours, that certainly doesn’t mean the pain is gone. On the contrary! All it really means is that you’ve gained a little temporary relief from a permanent, heartbreaking situation.

And I’m afraid to say that the activities you may take for granted- walking, hiking, dancing, and even swimming – could be potentially high-risk ones for those who suffer from back pain.

You see, if the root cause of the problem isn’t diagnosed, how can you possibly be sure that partaking in those activities won’t aggravate the problem even more?

The truth is, the problem isn’t necessary abseiling in your local gymnasium, or trying that new aerial acrobatics class – the problem is that the root cause of your problem hasn’t been diagnosed. If you see practitioners based on the fact that you think you ought to move more, ought to stretch more, or ought to be poked and prodded more, then the treatment you get just won’t work.

Here’s why: if the root cause of the problem isn’t correctly diagnosed and treated accordingly, nothing you do will make a real, lasting impact. If, however, you do get the root cause diagnosed and treated according, your new found love for hiking, rowing, or Thai massage, will only be a bonus.

So, let me be clear. Different activities and different therapies do serve their purpose, but the reason you’ve probably not seen many results from your yoga retreat in Napa, or your acupuncture party last week, is that the root cause of your pain remains a mystery. People are very, very good at making pain disappear for a little while, but unless you are a qualified, hands-on professional, treating pain safely and permanently, then positive, lasting result are few and far between.

Now, I know you’re thinking that your friend down the road told you her sciatica was playing up and that you’ve probably got it, too. Maybe your other friend at the pharmacy’s husband recently had surgery and now seems to know all there is to know about back pain. It may even be that you, yourself, have researched pain in your knee, back, neck or shoulder, and are now confident in your ability to self-diagnose. Well, accepting advice off the cuff, and even trusting in YouTube, may cause you some problems down the line… the body is incredibly complex and works via an intricate ballet of balance, coordination, muscle tension, and overall posture. At the end of the day, the chances are that you may not successfully diagnose the root cause of the problem or treat it accordingly, thereby putting yourself smack-bang in the middle of potential further damage, frustration, and pain.

Perhaps, however, you’ve gone to see many different medical doctors, and the advice/treatments you’ve been given haven’t really gotten you too much further than your friend’s from the pharmacy. This can be incredibly frustrating. The thing is, GP’s and other doctors often don’t have enough time to truly diagnose and treat your issue with care. This is not because they don’t want to do it; rather, it means that the system doesn’t afford them that luxury. You haven’t been getting results it may be because you’ve not been able to get the quality treatment and diagnoses you deserve.

Alright, so what do I mean by diagnosing the problem, and surely your local Pilates teacher, acupuncturist, or chiropractor could do that, right? Well, no, not unless he/she is also a qualified, hands-on physical therapist. The thing is, diagnosing the root cause of the problem takes a lot of knowledge, skill, and inherent understanding of the human body. All too often, practitioners make the mistake of diagnosing the wrong problem, thereby prescribing the entirely wrong therapies. With a physical therapist, this doesn’t happen.

I know this because physical therapy stands apart from other therapies in the fact that its practitioners pay particular attention to movement and overall bodily function. They also spend time doing so. Physical therapy is not about pain management… it’s about pain eradication.

It’s also about more than that, in fact. Physical therapy aims to rid you of your pain – yes, of course – but for physical therapists, that’s just one part of the journey. Unlike painkillers and ice/hot packs, physical therapy aims to give you the tools to maintain a pain-free life. This can really only be achieved when the root cause of the problem is diagnosed and treated correctly.

In other words, physical therapy ensures that you are equipped to tackle aerial acrobatics, tightrope walking, synchronized swimming, and tadpole fishing with absolute confidence – you face minimal risk simply because you took the right steps at the right time; physical therapy shows you how.

So, if you’re tired of being in pain, trying too many different therapies and practitioners, and still not getting any real, lasting results, then it’s time to get in touch. We’re happy to answer all your questions about how physical therapy can help you, right now. Pain shouldn’t be the norm – get the right answers, the right treatment, and the right form of treatment, today.

Nutrition and Inflammation: The Do's and Don't's of a Healthy Active Lifestyle

Have you ever woken up to a headache, pain, and a thirst you can’t seem to slake? Nope, I’m not really talking about the after effects of a big night out… I’m referring more to the effects felt after a big take out! All too often, people underestimate the extraordinary power of food when it comes to their health, fitness, and general wellbeing. If you think pain and nutrition aren’t interlinked, well, you’d be very wrong. Similarly, if you think there isn’t a direct causal effect between your BigMac and some fatigue and back ache, well, you’d be wrong again! What we ingest is as important as how we workout, sleep, and maintain mental wellbeing. There’s a reason the Greek philosopher Hipprocates explained that ‘food is thy medicine and medicine is thy food’. Food matters, not only for your body, but for your mind and quality of life, too. In this post, then, we look at what the wrong foods really do to your body, why inflammation can be problematic, and what you can eat to make it balance back out. Ready? Let’s jump in?

First off, it’s important to start with why certain foods are bad for your health and a pain-free lifestyle. No, it’s not simply about the sugar and fat content, although that is, of course, important. Obesity is a big issue globally, and cutting down on harmful macronutrients such as these can go a long way to altering this. Here, though, I want to focus on inflammation itself, as it is inflammation that – more often than not – contributes directly to pain. Please know that obesity is often associated with inflammation, too, so the two are definitely not mutually exclusive.

 

What is inflammation, then? And how is it related to nutrient intake? Well, in essence, inflammation is a response by your immune system designed to fight infection – white blood cells rush to the area in question and combat the danger. However, if there is too much inflammation in the body… well, things can go awry fairly quickly. Your muscles get confused, white blood cells run amok, and your immune system becomes less capable of fighting actual danger – instead, it focusses on combatting the wrong things. And guess what? Inflammation can really cause you pain!

 

So, what induces and perpetuates inflammation? Though not limited solely to this, the intake of harmful inflammatory foods may do precisely that. Eating certain foods can increase the inflammation in your body, thereby opening yourself up to injury, infection, and a general decline in activity and energy. Doesn’t sound all that good, right? Luckily, there’s a very good way of avoiding this... stop eating inflammatory foods!

 

What are they? Well, here are a couple you may be familiar with:

 

·         Cow’s Milk and Dairy Products

·         Eggs

·         Tree nuts

·         Peanuts

·         Shellfish

·         Wheat

·         Soy

·         Fish

 

Now, if your favorite food is sushi followed by ice cream, don’t be too concerned! The idea is to be consistent in the way you approach your food choices. Don’t completely cut out nuts or eggs, for example – these foods are actually good for you in many ways. What you do need to be aware of, though, is that your body may be communicating how these foods affect it: are you experiencing a production of phlegm after drinking milk? Do you feel tired after consuming eggs? Do peanuts cause a rash? It’s very important to listen to your body and to limit those foods that may cause more harm than good. Remember, when you aren’t at your healthiest, you open the door for injury and immobility, both of which can set your health and mobility back greatly.

 

Enough of what you can’t eat, though… what should you be eating? In the war against inflammation, some foods may well combat it to greater effect than others. Eating foods that combat inflammation goes a long way to increasing energy levels, reducing down-time, and contributing to your overall heath. Eating them can even reduce the existence of free radicals in the body, that is, those cells that directly influence the production of cancer cells in the system! So, including some of these healthy and delicious foods into your diet may well go a long way to keeping you out of the hospital bay:

 

·         Fruits and vegetables

·         Healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids 

·         Walnuts

·         Flax seed

·         Chia seed

·         Hemp seed

 

In fact, eating fewer anti-inflammatory foods may actually be as simple as steering away from the processed foods isle and roaming down the fruit and vegetable isles instead. Eat with vibrancy, as the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties of foods are highest in those that display the most vivid colors. Try your hand as something new – purple cabbage with butternut squash fritters, anyone?

 

You don’t need to be vegan to be healthy, but reducing inflammatory foods may well place you in good stead for healthful aging and a happy, mobile, pain free life. Remember, what you put into your body is, ultimately, what you will be able to cash out. Are the yellow arches going to fuel you better than a homemade stew with beans and some grass-fed beef? I don’t think so.

 

As you start to make healthful decisions for your life, remember to reach out to a physical therapist for some information on what to eat, how to start getting active safely, and how to assess and treat any current aches or pains you’re experiencing. To ascertain whether you’re currently living with inflammation, it’s important to speak to a professional physical therapist for the best advice.

 

Thankfully, inflammation can be combatted with a healthy lifestyle – and that includes drinking enough water, by the way! Dehydration exacerbates inflammation, so be sure to drink upwards of 64 ounces of water a day.

 

Tackle pain by taking a closer look at the foods you eat – ditch the pizza for some roasted beetroot and goat cheese, and try your hand at making some anti-inflammatory inspired meals this weekend. The biggest changes are made by changing the smallest things. Avoid pain, live a healthier life, and get active simply by reducing inflammation in your system… one recipe at a time. What are you waiting for?  

Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed/certified nutritionist.  I am a knowledgeable physical therapist with expert understanding of the physiological processes of how the body works and it's influences on it.

A New Year's Resolution That Will Last

If you’re like me, then you’re still in a daze – rubbing your eyes, stepping out of the last 2 years like a sleepwalker. The last 2 years have gone by in a strange blur – many working from home, the emotional highs and lows, the elections, the pandemic, living each week as if it was Groundhog's week… where did the time go? Equally, too, like me you’re probably thinking of ways to make 2022 better than what the last couple of years have brought us – and no, I don’t mean knitting a sweater or learning a new language or picking up a new hobby.  I mean ways for you to get healthy, happy, and living the life you dream of! I’d like to help you with that, and so that’s why this post is all about making the right decisions for your health, for achieving the pain free life you deserve, and for making lasting resolutions that extend beyond January second. This year is going to be great, so let’s chat about how exactly you can live your best life, right now.

For many of you reading this, pain is a daily, ongoing struggle – you wake up in pain, go to sleep in pain, and trundle through daily activities just waiting for the next opportunity to close your eyes. What kind of a life is that? Certainly not the one I know you deserve. Whether you’re struggling with back, neck, knee, shoulder, or even sciatica related pain, things need to change. The decisions you’ve made throughout 2021 – and potentially the years before – have failed you – something has to change.  The old saying, "if what you are doing isn't working, try something else."

Let’s look back on your pain journey… my guess is you may have taken far too many painkillers, spent a lot of time on the sofa, lost time with your loved ones, found yourself getting more and more depressed, and generally folding in on yourself under the pain, the pandemic, and external stresses exacerbated by your daily discomfort. Perhaps you never got the answers you needed, as doctors only pointed you towards medications and potential surgeries. Maybe you feel unmotivated and have given in to the pain as though it is age related or ‘runs in the family’. None of that is working, is it? And none of it is what you want. Luckily, things can change.

Let’s talk about physical therapy for a moment. Now, hang on – if you’ve heard about it, or maybe even tried it but haven’t had success, please don’t just stop reading. You might not have had the best physical therapist, or perhaps you didn’t get the right regime to suit you. The truth is, physical therapy remains the most effective, safe, and lasting way of eradicating pain. There are many reasons why physical therapy is so effective, so let’s run through a few of them:

 

    Physical Therapy treats the root cause of the pain.

Yes, that’s right. While painkillers mask the root cause, massages give temporary relief for a few hours, and surgery may actually make matters worse, physical therapy finds the root cause safely, treats it meticulously, and focuses on the eradication of pain as a happy bonus to solving the problem itself.

 Physical therapy is about you.

Have you ever been to a massage parlor? As relaxing as it is, the masseuse doesn’t really focus on you as an individual, does he/she? Your back or shoulder is the same as the next person’s, and your pain isn’t really a focal point. Sadly, doctors sometimes act similarly – your back pain exhibits the same markers as Susan’s, Brandon’s, and Mark’s… so it must be the same, right? Wrong. Physical therapy always focuses on your pain as distinctly yours, and on your issue as a unique one. Each individual is different, thus each physical therapy application ought to be so. And that’s exactly why physical therapy succeeds in treating the problem – you are not just a number.

The treatment outlasts the clinic.

Unlike doctors’ appointments, for example, physical therapy extends beyond the treatment you receive in the clinic. Qualified, hands-on physical therapists will supply with you a tailor made exercise and stretch program that you can do at home. In other words, a permanently pain free life is something physical therapy can offer – you are supplied with the tools to maintain the quality of life you deserve.

 Physical therapy teaches you to move.

The funny thing about physical therapy is that it teaches you so much about your body. In the treatment of your pain’s root cause, physical therapy starts teaching you about the ways in which you ought to sit, stand, walk, stretch, and even sleep! Imagine how differently you’ll approach the world around you when you know how to move effectively and pain free?  

 Freedom from pain.

Physical therapy actually offers you so much more than temporary relief from your pain. Unlike painkillers that supply you with a few hours of drowsy relief, physical therapy can give you your life back. Picking up your grandkids, playing golf, and hiking can all be back on the cards – physical therapy is not about short terms solutions, rather, it’s about long term answers. It’s about freedom.

It’s difficult making decisions for your health, especially when they may be out of your comfort zone or when they require you to delve into the root cause of the pain, but making those choices will have incredible, long-lasting positive effects on your life. I understand you may be scared or skeptical, but the reality is that none of the decisions you have made until this point have worked – it’s time for a change.

If you make only a single New Year’s Resolution this year, let it be to become pain free. And if that is your choice, make sure you turn to physical therapy. Whether you’ve tried it before, or have never even heard of it, it’s time to give it a real go. You need the right physical therapist, and we’re here to help. No pharmaceuticals, no hassle, no fear – just freedom from pain and access to the quality of life you know you deserve. It’s time to find the right physical therapist for you so that you can make the start of 2022 a strong foundation for the rest of your pain-free life. Why not contact us to get started? We look forward to hearing from you!