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Why You Should Take Time to Focus on Your Health

The United States spends more money by a wide margin than any other country on health care.  Our health care system is set up to keep us from dying, not thriving.  Our average life span barely makes it in the top 30 when compared to other nations.  As it stands now, the American health care system is poorly equipped to help us maximize our health span.  Health span is defined as a period of time in which a person is generally healthy and free from serious disease.

Health care costs in America continue to increase without actual positive change in our health status as consumers.  It is imperative that we take a leadership role in our own health care by continuing to be proactive.  Part of being proactive is learning how to care for and manage common non-life threatening injuries and illnesses.  The medical system is not designed to help you to maximize your health and well-being.  It is designed to prevent you from dying and to maximize profits for the corporatocracy that controls our health care system.  It is imperative that we manage our health by learning how to self-treat non-life threatening and non-emergent injuries and illnesses.  Continue reading to discover the 6 reasons Why You Should Take Time to Focus on Your Health.

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How Should You Measure Your Health?

In January, we’re overloaded with so many weight loss messages, that even the most confident of us can feel under pressure to lose weight…And those of us who may not even need to lose a few pounds, question if they should be trying to or not.  So a lot of us end up logging into our Amazon accounts and buying a brand new set of scales to keep ourselves on track or dusting off the old scales and putting them to good use again.  However, being healthy is ultimately about feeling healthy – and has very little to with the number on the scale.  Discover a better way to measure your health by assessing your energy levels, sleep, mood, and overall skin appearance. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the scales don’t have their place – they do, especially if you’re tracking your weight-loss progress.  However, spending too much time focusing on the number can discourage you.  Often times when you think you’ve dropped weight after a strict diet and sticking to your exercise plan, you discover you haven’t lost as much as you thought you have or you don’t see the number you were hoping to see (which can be for many different reasons by the way!)

So if you dread stepping on the scale, instead of getting disheartened by what you weigh, why not resolve to monitor your health and fitness in a more positive light during 2019?  Here are a few ways you can track your progress after putting those bathroom scales to the side – I use these ways to measure my health, too, and I’ve never felt better!

Let’s start with the most noticeable one – your energy levels.  Taking note of whether you feel sluggish or full of energy and vitality can be a good indicator of your overall health.

Chances are if you’re eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, and exercising daily, you’ll be feeling the benefits.  You’ll feel more alert, have a better night’s sleep, and won’t feel that ‘afternoon slump’ so many of us suffer from.

If sluggishness is a problem for you, then be sure to avoid afternoon caffeine, sugar, and/or stimulants.  Instead, you may find that a paleo and keto friendly afternoon low calorie snack can help lift you through the rest of the day.  The goal should always be to eat natural focusing on low calorie nutrient dense foods.

My favorite way to add greens and protein in general are supplements called ENERGYbits® and RECOVERYbits®.  They are made from organically grown NON GMO spirulina algae or chlorella algae.  Spirulina algae (found in the ENERGYbits®) have a high concentration of plant-based protein (64%).  It also contains 40 vitamins and minerals including iron, nitric oxide, Omega-3, and all of the B vitamins.  The natural B vitamins and nitric oxide are an excellent energy boost and works well as a pre-workout supplement.  Chlorella (the primary ingredient in RECOVERYbits®) is high in protein.  It also has detoxing properties and an impressive micronutrient profile.

Because of their overall nutritional profile I now consider spirulina and chlorella algae a top rehabilitation and recovery supplement.  I recommend taking 30-45 of these small tablets per serving.  One typically swallows them whole, but you can chew them.

In full disclosure, I am now an affiliate for ENERGYbits®.  I signed up primarily to get the same 20% discount I can offer you.  You can only purchase them online, so when you check out, just enter discount code PTAdvisor for 20% off all products.

Next, let’s talk about sleep.  We spend close to a third of our lives doing it, and when we get enough of it – we feel great!  It’s a fact that we need sleep for our physical, mental, and emotional health.  The number of hours you sleep is important, but the quality of sleep is just as important.  One needs a good ratio of deep sleep to light sleep in order to optimize health.

If you’re unable to get a good night’s sleep, it could be a sign that you’re not experiencing peak health and fitness.  Cutting down on alcohol and stimulants (like cigarettes and caffeine) before bed should help you drift off easier as well as making time for other healthy habits before you switch the lights off.

On average, we need six to eight hours of sleep each day.  The harder you train, the more rest you need to insure proper recovery.  If you’re exercising a lot and potentially approaching a state of overtraining, sleep quality tends to decline.  Consider napping daily.  Many of the country’s top collegiate athletic centers are adding special napping or quiet rooms to their large training centers as more and more trainers realize sleep is critical for recovery.

Recovery from severe injury as well as hard and prolonged training can deplete one’s body of much needed minerals and macro nutrients.  Most of us are deficient in the amount of magnesium we consume on a regular basis.  Magnesium is a critical nutrient that not only helps to reduce muscle soreness, but also helps you to get a better night of rest.  I choose to take a magnesium supplement nightly before bed.  Mag Glycinate in its oral form is the most highly absorbable.  Otherwise, eat foods, such as spinach, artichokes, and dates, which are higher in magnesium.  (Please speak with your physician before starting any new supplementation protocol.)

How we start our day, is just as important as how we end it.  What about mood?  Your mood is closely linked to healthy eating and fueling your body.

If you’re in a good mood, that’s great!  It can be a reflection of good health.  On the other hand, if you’re feeling a little low or you’ve got a short fuse, this can be a sign that it’s time to make some lifestyle changes.

Losing your temper can happen when your blood sugar is low, so eating balanced meals is the key.  Again, I have found that algae can be an easy low calorie way to insure adequate protein which can help stabilize blood sugar levels.  On average, try to eat less processed foods and simple carbohydrates.  This will improve blood sugar regulation which often times can improve your mood.  Proper blood sugar regulation is also critical to healthy aging.  Also, adding more exercise into your week can help as movement releases those feel-good chemicals.

How your skin looks can also be a good reflection of what’s going on inside your body – especially as it’s the biggest organ in the body.  With hundreds of different skin problems, there’s multiple signs that your skin can indicate you’re not experiencing peak health.  Two of the most common signs are paleness and itchy skin.  So pay attention to how radiant (or not so radiant) your skin looks, and switch up your lifestyle habits if need be.

At the end of the day the most important question to ask yourself is:  “What are your real goals?”  What do you want?  (Not what you’ve been told to want.)

The scales don’t measure how strong you’re becoming, how much better you feel, if you can walk the stairs without losing your breath or if you can play with your grandkids for hours.  Don’t let the number on the scale rule your life and how you feel.  Judge your progress by ‘health’ instead, and you’ll learn how to listen to your body and your efforts will pay off!

If you have a question that you would like featured in an upcoming blog post, please comment below or submit your question to contact@thePhysicalTherapyAdvisor.com.  In case you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list and join our community on Facebook by liking The Physical Therapy Advisor!

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7 Strategies to Renew Your Health in 2019

I often hear others comment, “It’s too late to make a change now.  I’m too old!”  Worse yet, so many people actually believe that, but I don’t!  I believe that it is never too late to change.  You are never too old or out of shape to make improvements and renew your life.  Being healthy and aging well is not a single choice to be made once and then never re-visited.  It is a series of constant choices that add up to a way of living and constant renewal.

Aging well encompasses all of the following aspects of our being: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.  It also includes the community around us.  This year, choose to make small consistent choices to renew these areas of your life.  This will make all of the difference in aging well.  Each person’s physical journey as he/she ages is different.  Taking consistent and appropriate action now can vastly change future outcomes.  Continue Reading

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My Top 3 Most Popular Posts of 2018!

As 2018 comes to a close, more and more people are realizing the value of taking control of their health care and personal well-being.  In today’s health care environment, we all need to learn how to treat common aches and pains proactively instead of reactively.  We must get to the root of the issue instead of placing a Band-Aid over it.  We must realize that our individual health is our responsibility.  We cannot rely on others to make decisions for us.  Our present health care system in America is not designed to help you optimize your health–that is your job!   

The purpose of The Physical Therapy Advisor is to help people like you to take control of your health and to save money by learning how to safely self-treat and manage common musculoskeletal, neurological, and mobility related conditions safely and effectively.

My Top 3 Most Popular Posts of 2018:

  1. Does Kinesiological Tape Really Work? – You will learn what can you use Kinesiological tape for and how exactly it works.  You’ll discover why it’s best used in combination with other interventions (such as manual therapy based techniques and exercise).
  2. How to Use an Exercise Ball to Improve Posture and Treat Shoulder, Neck, and Back Pain – Poor posture (due to poor thoracic mobility) and poor scapular muscle strength are often major contributors to neck, shoulder, and upper back pain.  In this video post, I demonstrate how to perform I’s, T’s, and Y’s exercises on an exercise ball in order to address lower and mid trapezius and scapula muscle weakness.
  3. How to Prevent Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) – You will discover why Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) not only impedes your immediate performance, but it also substantially increases your risk of injury.  Implement these recommended prevention strategies in order to avoid OTS while keeping your training at a high level.  Also, be sure to check out my book, Preventing and Treating Overtraining Syndrome.

2018 has been an exciting year!  Thank you for supporting The Physical Therapy Advisor!  I look forward to serving you in 2019!  If you have a question that you would like featured in an upcoming blog post, please comment below or submit your question to contact@thePhysicalTherapyAdvisor.com.  In case you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list and join our community on Facebook by liking The Physical Therapy Advisor!

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How to Properly Perform I’s, T’s, and Y’s Exercises

The purpose of I’s, T’s, and Y’s exercises on an exercise ball is to address lower and mid trapezius and scapula muscle weakness and to generally activate the posterior chain (including the lumbar spine extensors).  Poor posture due to poor thoracic mobility and poor scapular muscle strength are often major contributors to neck, shoulder, and upper back pain.  Poor lumbar extensor strength is linked to low back pain.

I’s, T’s, and Y’s exercises on an exercise ball can be helpful in treating the following: 

  • Poor posture
  • Shoulder pain
  • Cervical pain
  • Headaches
  • Thoracic pain
  • Upper and lower back pain

Begin by performing the I’s, T’s, and Y’s exercises on a Thera-Band Exercise Ball.  Please refer to I’s, T’s, and Y’s Exercises for step-by-step instructions.  Start slowly without resistance.  Keep your chin tucked and head aligned with the body.

Version One:  Move your arms slowly up and down in each position of I, T, and Y.

Version Two:  Hold each position for the specified time.

To increase the difficulty for either version, add a 1-3 pound weight in each hand.  These exercises shouldn’t cause any pain in your neck, shoulder or upper/lower back. 

When this exercise is performed correctly, it engages and strengthens many critical muscles that help control many of our most common postures and movement patterns.  A slouched posture with a forward head and rounded shoulders can be associated with many common pain syndromes including:  neck pain and headaches; upper back pain; and shoulder pain.

It’s important to try to keep the proper postural alignment with your shoulders under your ears, and the shoulder blades set in a back and down position.  This is particularly important when performing any activity while using the shoulder.  This series of exercises can help to strengthen the important muscles that can help you maintain proper postural alignment.

Be sure to check out my video post, How to Use an Exercise Ball to Improve Posture and Treat Shoulder, Neck, and Back Pain, in which I demonstrate how to perform I’s, T’s, and Y’s exercises on an exercise ball in order to address lower and mid trapezius and scapula muscle weakness.

When performing these exercises, it is important to understand that they should never be painful.  You may feel a mild to moderate discomfort because the exercises are difficult, but if you are experiencing pain (particularly, the pain you are trying to treat) please discontinue the exercise and speak to your physical therapist.

Have you tried the I’s, T’s, and Y’s exercises on an exercise ball before?  If so, what has your experience been like?  Please leave your comments below.

If you have a question that you would like featured in an upcoming blog post, please comment below or submit your question to contact@thePhysicalTherapyAdvisor.com.  Be sure to join our growing community on Facebook by liking The Physical Therapy Advisor!

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Neck Pain and Headaches? Work Your Core?!

You may have heard that if you suffer from low back pain (LBP) that you need to work your “core” muscles, but what if you suffer from neck pain (cervicogenic pain) and/or headaches?  Well then yes, you would need to work the core muscles of the neck.  Like the lumbar spine, the neck also has a group of core muscles that are specifically designed to insure proper cervical segmental stability and to maintain proper head posture.  When weakness and dysfunction are present within this group of muscles, there is often ongoing neck pain that can lead to headaches.

Muscles of the cervical neck “core” include the deep neck flexors and deep neck extensors.  Most people don’t know the names or how to spell these rarely talked about muscles.  For those who like the nitty gritty details, the deep neck flexor muscles include the longus colli and longus capitis.  The deep neck extensor muscles include the multifidus and the semispinalis cervicis.  The sub occipital muscles (including the rectus capitus posterior major and minor) and the obliquus capitus superior and inferior also play a role in cervical stability.  These muscles as a group make up the core muscles for the cervical spine.

When classifying muscles, and especially the cervical muscles, it can be useful to think of them conceptually as global movers and local stabilizers. 

Global movers are involved in the generation of torque and produce movement.  They function more like a light switch, either moving your head or not.  When dysfunctional, there are spasms, pain, and a restricted range of movement.

Local stabilizers are the deeper muscles that control segmental movement and neutral positioning of a joint and the head.  Their activity is tonic (always on).  It’s like a light switch that is always on, but with a dimmer controlling the intensity.  Local stabilizers operate at much lower levels of contraction for long periods of time.  Dysfunction in the local muscles results in the inhibition of muscle function, delayed timing or recruitment of when the muscle is stabilizing which causes loss of segmental control and poor cervical vertebral joint positioning.  This is often associated with chronic neck pain and headaches as well as muscle spasms in some of the larger muscles (such as the upper trapezius) as it attempts to compensate for the underlying muscle inhibition.

The neck presents a unique challenge of both mobility and muscularly speaking.  It requires intricate muscular control to balance the weight of the head in space.  The neck also moves the head through a large range of motion available; all while positioning it accurately to allow us to use our senses (sight, smell, hearing, and taste) most effectively.

Mobility and stability are both vitally important to how the neck functions.  This is why the deep segmental stabilizing muscles are extremely important.  These deep core muscles (also known as the “inner unit”) have been shown to weaken in the presence of neck pain or injury regardless of the cause.  As part of a compensation pattern, one will often find that the prime mover muscles at the front of the neck, called the SCM (sternocleidomastoid muscle), become overactive trying to protect the neck.

Unfortunately, this creates excessive shear and compression forces on the neck which brings the head forward into the poking chin posture.  This dysfunction pattern tends to persist even when the pain subsides unless properly retrained.  This may explain why so many people experience recurrent episodes of neck pain.  Discover why it’s important to insure proper cervical core strength in order to not only alleviate neck pain and headaches, but also to prevent them from reoccurring.

Most of the time neck pain is mechanical in nature.  This means that there is a structural or mechanical issue affecting proper motion in the neck leading to either neck pain or headaches.  Since the trigger is mechanical (starting or worsening with certain movements), it can just as easily be reduced or eliminated if the correct movements can be initiated.  Mechanical neck pain is often experienced as cervical pain, headache pain or other correlated pain patterns in your upper back and down your arms (even to your fingers).

Neck Pain (Cervicogenic Pain) Symptoms include:

  • Pain in the front of your head, behind your eyes or side of your head.
  • Pain which begins from your neck that extends between your shoulder blades and upper shoulders.
  • Pain which is exacerbated or changed by certain neck movements or neck positions.
  • Pain which is triggered by pressure applied to the upper part of the neck near the base of the skull (known as the sub occipital area) or in the upper trapezius area.
  • Pain down one or both arms.  It can be felt as far as your fingers.
  • Stiff neck.
  • Altered or blurred vision as well as nausea, vomiting, and/or dizziness.

Potential Causes for Cervicogenic Headaches

There are plenty of reasons why one might develop neck/cervical derangements or dysfunction.  Examples include: motor vehicle accidents; sports; falls; sleeping on a poorly fitted pillow; poor posture; and carrying items that are too heavy (such as a backpack).  Chronically sustained non-symmetrical postures, stress, and a sedentary lifestyle are also potential causes.

The actual pain generating structures of the neck (listed below) vary wildly and can be difficult to pinpoint.

  • Nerve related injury or pain
  • Muscle spasms
  • Trigger points
  • Facet joint dysfunction
  • Cervical mal-alignments
  • Cervical disc issues
  • Postural dysfunction

Cervicogenic pain and headaches tend to be more common in women than men.  In general, women experience this due to minor anatomical differences.  Men tend to have muscular necks. Women tend to have longer more slender necks with less muscle to provide support to the head (meaning that there is less muscle strength for support).

Treatment for Neck Pain (Cervicogenic Pain) and Headache Pain

Research suggests the most effective management of neck pain conditions include both manual therapy (hands-on mobilization) and manipulation with specific exercises.  If you have to choose one or the other, I find that a correctly designed and implemented exercise program to be the most effective over the long term.

The first step to designing a treatment plan is by identifying a pattern to the pain.

Which head motions change or alter your neck or headache pain?  Does the pain get worse or does it improve when you turn your head?  What happens when you look up, look down, slouch or sit up straight?  What happens when you repeat this movement?

Determine how your pain responds.  This is also known as establishing a directional preference.  You might be moving in the wrong direction if the pain spreads away from the spine and down into the upper back or arm.  Stop that particular movement, and try the opposite direction.

In my experience, most episodes of cervical pain and headaches tend to respond better to cervical extension biased movements and improvements in posture.  Gaining extension in the thoracic spine is also critical to treatment.

In order to determine if extension biased (cervical retraction or extension) movements help you, I recommend starting with this exercise (as shown below).  Sit up straight, and retract your chin straight back.  Repeat 10-20 times.

Carefully monitor symptoms for peripheralization or centralization.  The rule of thumb for movement:  If the pain worsens by spreading peripherally down the arm into the hands, fingers, shoulder blade/upper back or the headache gets worse, then the condition is worsening (peripheralizing).  Stop that activity.  If the pain centralizes and returns back toward the cervical spine, and the headache pain improves (even if the pain in the neck worsens slightly), then keep moving as the condition is actually improving.

If you are unable to help or change the pain in any way, then you may need assistance from a medical provider.  For a thorough discussion and an excellent treatment resource, please refer to Treat Your Own Neck  by Robin A. McKenzie.

Once you have determined a directional preference, then you can focus on the deep core and stabilizer muscles.  For my initial neck core strengthening exercises, please refer to Deep Neck Flexion Exercises.

Once you’re able to engage the deep neck flexors, you can next progress into strengthening your scapulothoracic and postural muscles.  Be sure you are engaging the deep neck flexors during these exercises to insure proper stability of the neck.

For the I’s, T’s, and Y’s exercises (as shown below), work up to holding each position for 30 seconds.  Repeat 3 times.  Keeping the correct posture and deep cervical flexor muscles engaged during this exercise is critical to engaging the full core of the neck.

Other Treatments for Neck Pain (Cervicogenic Pain) and Headache Pain:

  • Focus on your posture.  Poor posture is the bane of modern society.  The most common example of poor posture is a forward head with rounded shoulders.  This causes excessive muscular tension throughout the cervical spine, upper trapezius region, and mid-thoracic area.  Over time, this leads to muscle weakness and dysfunction in the cervical spine and upper thoracic area.  Proper posture allows for the optimal alignment of your spine.  Neurologically speaking, this allows for your muscles to down regulate by reducing tension.  Poor posture is almost always associated with muscle knots and trigger points.  My Top 8 Stretches to Eliminate Neck, Upper Back, and Shoulder Pain is a downloadable .pdf file with my recommended stretches using foam roller exercises to address posture.  These simple exercises (with complete instructions and photos) will help you to improve poor posture and can be performed at home.

DOWNLOAD NOW: My Top 8 Stretches to Eliminate Neck, Upper Back, and Shoulder Pain

  • Manual Therapy.  An osteopathic physician, physical therapist or chiropractor can use manual therapy techniques.  This includes joint mobilization and manipulation which can be beneficial in reducing pain and addressing some of the mechanical causes.  However, manual therapy is a passive treatment.  For long term treatment and prevention, an active approach needs to be taken.  I would encourage you to perform proper exercises to insure that you have adequate cervical and upper thoracic strength and mobility.  Also, address any precipitating factors (such as poor posture).
  • Massage.  Although massage can be a form of manual therapy, it can also be thought of as separate intervention.  There are many types of body workers that can utilize many different forms of massage or manual treatments.  Many trigger points and muscle spasms will refer pain into the head (which causes the headache).  It’s important to actively and physically address the muscle tension.  This is the time to contact a massage therapist, body worker, physical therapist, athletic trainer or friend who is skillful in body work or massage to relieve the area in spasm.  The specific massage technique to use will vary according to your preference.  Massage techniques range from a light relaxing massage to a deep tissue massage or utilization of acupressure points.  This can also be an effective prevention strategy.
  • Other self-mobilization tools.  Many times, a friend or massage therapist isn’t available to assist when you need the help the most.  A foam roller cannot effective reach places in the upper back or arms, so other self-mobilization tools may be necessary.  You can get creative and use a tennis ball or golf ball, but I like a specific tool called the Thera Cane Massager.  This tool allows you to apply direct pressure to a spasming muscle.  When held for a long enough period of time, the Thera Cane Massager will usually cause the muscle spasms to release and provide much needed pain relief!
  • Topical agents.  Many topical agents can help to decrease and eliminate muscle spasms.  They can also mediate the pain response helping to reduce neck pain or headache pain.  You can apply a small amount of topical agent directly over the pain area if it’s accessible and not near your eyes.  (Please use common sense).  You may find that one product works better than another.  Some of my favorite products in my medicine cabinet include:  Biofreeze Pain Relieving Gel, Arnica Rub (Arnica Montana, an herbal rub), and topical magnesium.
  • Magnesium bath.  The combination of warm water with magnesium is very soothing and relaxing.  Magnesium is known to help decrease muscle pain and soreness.  Options include:  Epsoak Epson Salt and Ancient Minerals Magnesium Bath Flakes.  I find that the magnesium flakes work better, but they are significantly more expensive than Epson salt.
  • Acupuncture.  I am personally a big fan of acupuncture.  It is very useful in treating all kinds of medical conditions.  It can be particularly effective in treating headaches, muscle trigger points, muscle cramps, spasms, and pain as it addresses the issues on multiple layers.  Acupuncture directly stimulates the muscle by affecting the nervous system response to the muscle while producing a general sense of well-being and relaxation.
  • Medications.  Medications can be an effective short term solution to headache pain, but I strongly encourage you to transition off of medications over time.  In some cases, prescription medications may be used initially to help you tolerate the pain as you work toward prevention.  Please speak to your physician regarding prescription options.
  • Speak with your Physical Therapist (PT) or Physician (MD or DO).  If you are suffering with neck pain and headaches, there are options.  Please speak to your medical provider to determine if other causes are contributing to the problem.  Physical therapy is very effective treatment for those suffering with neck pain and headaches.  The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) offers wonderful resources to help find a physical therapist in your area.  In most states, you can seek physical therapy advice without a medical doctor’s referral (although it may be a good idea to hear your physician’s opinion as well).

Don’t give up hope!  Neck pain and headaches can be difficult to manage, but with proper care, most of the pain can be cured or effectively managed.  Begin by implementing one or two of these treatment tips, then assess how well they worked for you.  If the technique helped, continue with it then implement another strategy.

If you suffer from neck pain and headaches, which treatments have worked the best for you?  Please share below. 

If you have a question that you would like featured in an upcoming blog post, please comment below or submit your question to contact@thePhysicalTherapyAdvisor.com.  Be sure to join our growing community on Facebook by liking The Physical Therapy Advisor!

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My Top 10 Anti-Aging Tips

The science of aging and how to age gracefully and successfully continues to evolve, and the results are amazing.  The accepted norm for an aging adult is crumbling before our eyes!  This is such a wonderful time to grow older!  Many age-related declines can be counteracted with exercise, diet, and lifestyle modifications.  What are my top 10 anti-aging tips?  Let’s get started!  Continue Reading

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How to Self-Treat Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome

Tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS), sometimes called jogger’s foot, is a relatively common cause of pain along the inside (medial) portion of your ankle.  TTS can be a repetitive strain injury or an entrapment (compression) type injury.

The tarsal tunnel is a fibrous tunnel that is not structurally flexible.  There is limited room for swelling inside the tunnel.  This can cause nerves and blood vessels to be “entrapped” and lead to pain and other symptoms.

TTS is often caused by repeated pressure that results in damage on the posterior tibial nerve.  Similar to carpel tunnel in the hand, the tarsal tunnel is located just below the medial malleolus (the large bump to the inside of the ankle).  Basically, the tibial nerve branches off of the sciatic nerve and travels down the inside of the leg.  It eventually runs through the tarsal tunnel, which is a narrow passageway inside your ankle that is bound by bone and soft tissue called a retinaculum.  Continue Reading

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Friendship is the Key to Avoiding Heart Disease

Astonishingly, over 735,000 Americans have a heart attack every year.  With heart disease being the #1 killer in western countries, including the United States, with over 17 million people dying every year due to heart disease worldwide.  Most heart attacks are preventable and most risk factors for cardiovascular disease are preventable.

Even more astonishing is that loneliness is associated with a 29% increased risk of having a heart attack and a 32% increased risk of having a cerebral vascular accident (CVA), also known as a stroke, according to a review of studies published online by the journal Heart (April 18, 2016).

This research validates the importance of friendship in living a long and meaningful life.  Many argue that a sense of belonging and purpose combined with a strong social support system will have more influence on the aging process than more traditionally thought of factors such as diet, weight control, and exercise.  Continue Reading

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Why Physical Therapy is a Key Component to Aging Well

As a leading authority on aging well, I would like to share with you a few of my latest featured articles on how physical therapy can help you to stay active and healthy and improve your quality of life so that you can avoid costly medical expenses and medications which are fraught with side effects.

Why Physical Therapy is a Key Component to Aging Well:

In this featured article in the Seniors BlueBook, you’ll learn why physical therapy can help with healthy aging by improving health span and assisting in a more successful aging process.

https://issuu.com/seniorsbluebook/docs/sbb_idaho1018/86

Discover how to improve your health span and age successfully with these three simple exercises for balance and strength as featured on Smart Strategies for Successful Living.

http://www.agegracefullyamerica.com/how-physical-therapy-can-help-you-age-well/

In this featured article for PT-Helper, you’ll discover how a Physical Therapist (PT) can help you improve, restore or maintain your ability to move and function in your daily life while improving all aspects of your health.

http://pt-helper.blogspot.com/2018/07/how-you-can-benefit-from-physical.html

If you’re interested in learning more about how physical therapy can help you to age successfully and improve your health span, be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list and YouTube channel as well as join our community on Facebook by liking The Physical Therapy Advisor!