Your Mother Was Right - Posture is Important!!

Your Mother Was Right - Posture is Important!

What is good posture anyway and why is it so important? Many of our mothers would scold us to “sit up straight” or “don’t slouch”…she was right! Basically, posture refers to the body's alignment and positioning with respect to the ever-present 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. An architect has to take these same laws of gravity and weight distribution into account when he or she designs a building. And, like a building with a poor foundation a body with poor posture is less resistant to the strains and stresses we experience over the months, years and decades of life.

When doctors or therapists look at someone's posture they generally first look at the alignment of the weight bearing joints in standing. Ideally, from a back view the spine should have no lateral curvature and the legs should be symmetrical without undue angulation at the knees or ankles. From a side view, the spine should form a smooth S-shaped curve, bisected by an imaginary plumb line dropped from the apex of the head through the center of gravity of the body. This same plumb line should pass through the tip of the shoulder, the center of the hip joint and ankle joint and slightly behind the knee joint. With this ideal alignment, the body weight is balanced over the spine and lower extremity joints requiring minimum muscular effort. This alignment also evenly distributes pressure on the intervertebral discs and avoids excessive stress on the ligaments.

The sitting position is where most of us get into trouble with poor postural habits. This is especially true when driving or using a computer. As we focus on the activity in front of us we tend to protrude the head and neck forward. Because the body follows the head, the thoracic and lumbar spine tends to round forward as well. When this occurs, the weight of the head and upper body is no longer balanced over the spinal column but instead must be supported by increased muscular energy and placing spinal ligaments on stretch. Over time, this leads to fatigue and eventually even pain in the neck and upper back. Shoulders rounded forward which occurs for example when your car seat is too far away from the steering wheel further contributes to this pattern of imbalance. Ideally then, the S-shaped curvature of the spine that is characteristic of good standing posture should be maintained in sitting as well. This is best accomplished by sitting all the way back in a straight-backed chair and placing a folded towel or small pillow in the arch of the low back.

Sitting and standing with proper postural alignment will allow one to work more efficiently with less fatigue and strain on your body's ligaments and muscles. Being aware of good posture is the first step to breaking old poor postural habits and reducing stress and strain on your spine. By putting this knowledge into practice, one can prevent the structural anatomical changes that can develop if poor posture is left uncorrected for many years. So to repeat an old adage you may also have heard from your mother: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Thanks Mom!

Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants Needed!!

We are hiring!!

Therapy Concepts has been a leader in rehabilitation care, education and community service to the Kansas City area for over 20 years. Our facility is a Medicare certified rehabilitation agency dedicated to the treatment of patients who experience chronic health challenges, acute disabling injuries or illness. See our facebook page for a list of our unique specialized rehab programs.

Our new offices are located in Overland Park. Therapy Concepts serves the rehabilitation needs of the Kansas City metro area as well as multiple surrounding counties. We are increasing our team to include the skills of physical therapists and assistants, nutritional counselors, and licensed professional counselors. We provide a unique resource unlike any other in the community. Since 1989, our exceptional therapeutic outcomes have increased options for physicians looking for resources for their patients. Come learn and grow with this growing team of specialists!

Want to join and bring your area of expertise to our team? Contact us today for an interview at 913-438-8000.

Benefits:
To attract and retain the best professionals, we offer a competitive benefits package that includes medical insurance, continuing education, and much more.

License or Certification:

Must have current state license or certification.

Manual Therapy training or certification is recommended.

CPR certification preferred unless otherwise required by facility policy.

Salary and hours (FT/PT) is negotiable and commensurate with experience

An Equal Employment Opportunity
Therapy Concepts is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Call 913-438-8000 for an appointment or fax resume to 913-438-8008

Email: director@therapyconcepts.net
6801 West 107th Street
Overland Park, Kansas 66212

Please come and share with us next Tuesday, February 23rd, as Lori Lober presents Isagenix!!!

www.isagenix.com/us/en/home.

Overcoming Chronic Pain

Overcoming Chronic Pain

Acute pain is normal. It alerts a person to injury. But chronic pain is different. Chronic pain persists; pain signals keep firing in the body for weeks, months, or even years.

An initial injury might be the cause for chronic pain, such as an infection or arthritis, but many people have chronic pain without past injury or illness.

Chronic pain might be a headache, lower back pain, cancer pain, arthritis pain, neurogenic pain caused by damage to the nervous system, or psychogenic pain not caused by disease or injury.

People with chronic pain often compare their lives to roller-coaster rides. There are good days, followed by bad days… some worse than others. Pain rarely stays at an even level — it fluctuates. Pain has no boundaries; when one part of the body is in pain, the whole body reacts. Often times pain can become such a “normal” part of their life, it is hard to describe or pinpoint when and where it begins.

Pain may cause someone to cut back on activities and social interactions, to a loss of physical strength, dependency on medications and increased isolation. It’s a combination of events that can lead to depression. A vicious cycle is created when physical, social and emotional deterioration leads to more pain.

If you or someone you car about is suffering from chronic pain, please contact us to review integrative options that may be covered by insurance. We also may be able to find resources within our community.

Treatments Options for Chronic Pain

Chronic pain, for most people, is permanent. They have learned to live with it. Knowing the pain’s cause brings no relief. Doctors tell many patients suffering with chronic pain to simply learn to manage and live with it. This often sounds uncaring and hopeless at first, but unfortunately is a reality in many cases.

It’s important for a patient to learn about chronic pain, take medications wisely, and find a doctor who treats pain seriously and with empathy. Each patient should take control of his pain management and not become dependent on a physician.

Exercise is important even when a person is generally healthy. It becomes imperative when recovering from an illness or injury or suffering with chronic pain or illness.

Thermal therapies (hot packs, ice, cold compresses, contrast baths) are examples of passive treatments a physical therapist will use to help reduce a patient’s pain. Both help reduce muscle spasm and inflammation.

Medications, acupuncture, electrical stimulation, brain stimulation and surgery are some chronic-pain treatments. Some doctors use placebos, which sometimes reduce or eliminate pain.

Psychotherapy, relaxation and medication therapies, biofeedback, and behavior modification may also be used to treat chronic pain.

Integrative Therapy Concepts provides these and several unique therapeutic interventions which can help reduce the severity and duration of pain. While we may not be able to relieve or eradicate the condition or cause, we have been successful in many cases through our integrative approach.

Our Integrative Approach

Integrative Therapy Concepts provides several therapeutic interventions which can help reduce the severity and duration of pain. While we may not be able to relieve or eradicate the condition or cause, we have been successful in many cases through our integrative approach.

Our therapist’s goals for these patients are: relief from pain; decreased impairment; improved function; minimized disability; and self-management education.

Pain management is the primary objective of a therapeutic exercise program. It can help a person sleep more comfortably, function more successfully, and remain physically active.

Stretching and strengthening exercises designed to restore or maintain physical function or counter disease are called rehabilitative exercises. Following periods of disuse, muscle mass and tone decrease, tendons constrict, and joints become more stiff and painful. Rehabilitative exercises work to counteract this weakened state by stretching, strengthening, and restoring mobility to problem areas.

Manual therapies can greatly reduce and relieve adhesions, scars, muscle tension and many other symptoms that are the cause or result of chronic pain. These can include trigger point therapy, shiatsu, myofascial release, deep tissue massage, cranial sacral therapy and many others.

Pain reducing agents or steroids delivered through the skin, in a non-invasive method called iontophoresis, produce an anti-inflammatory effect in the area of pain. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) unit uses electrical stimulation to inhibit pain by overriding pain signals before they are sent to the brain.

Our Integrative Approach (continued)

Ultrasound can work as a form of deep heating in which sound waves applied to the skin penetrate into the soft tissues. This is especially useful in relieving acute episodes of pain and may enhance tissue healing.

Physical therapists use exercise methods to actively treat pain. When rehabilitative exercises are followed regularly, they can do wonders to stop pain. Communication between patient and physical therapist is important to ensure the best possible exercise program.

Proper nutrition is required in the process of learning to manage pain. Our dietitian sees each patient as a part of our initial assessment. This initial assessment is provided complementary to help us devise the best possible program for your successful outcomes.

Visualization and guided imagery is also very effective in pain management. Stress associated with chronic pain has proven to heighten the severity of pain.

People need to pace activities and exercise so that they gradually build up strength and mobility. Patients should also use proper body mechanics when bending, lifting, or reaching to avoid making the condition worse. Physical therapy includes guidance in these areas.

Physical therapists are knowledgeable in which passive or active treatments work best for the different types of pain. They’ll work closely with a patient to develop the best possible exercise regimen, and will follow each patient through the routine to ensure success

Many people can be helped if they understand the causes of chronic pain and the steps that can be taken to undo what chronic pain has done. Scientists have said that advances in neuroscience will lead to more and better treatments for chronic pain.

Our team of therapists, nutritional counselors, support groups and advisory board are prepared to provide options and information that can be useful in your search to manage chronic pain.

Breathing for Stress Reduction and Improved Healing

"Practicing regular, mindful breathing can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders.
- Andrew Weil, M.D.

ince breathing is something we can control and regulate, it is a useful tool for achieving a relaxed and clear state of mind. I recommend three breathing exercises to help relax and reduce stress: The Stimulating Breath, The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise (also called the Relaxing Breath), and Breath Counting. Try each and see how they affect your stress and anxiety levels.

Exercise 1:

The Stimulating Breath (also called the Bellows Breath)

The Stimulating Breath is adapted from a yogic breathing technique. Its aim is to raise vital energy and increase alertness.

 Inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed but relaxed. Your breaths in and out should be equal in duration, but as short as possible. This is a noisy breathing exercise.

 Try for three in-and-out breath cycles per second. This produces a quick movement of the diaphragm, suggesting a bellows. Breathe normally after each cycle.

 Do not do for more than 15 seconds on your first try. Each time you practice the Stimulating Breath, you can increase your time by five seconds or so, until you reach a full minute.

If done properly, you may feel invigorated, comparable to the heightened awareness you feel after a good workout. You should feel the effort at the back of the neck, the diaphragm, the chest and the abdomen. Try this breathing exercise the next time you need an energy boost and feel yourself reaching for a cup of coffee.

Exercise 2:

The 4-7-8 (or Relaxing Breath) Exercise

This exercise is utterly simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. Although you can do the exercise in any position, sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

• Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.

• Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.

• Hold your breath for a count of seven.

• Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.

• This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Note that you always inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly through your mouth. The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time. Exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation. The absolute time you spend on each phase is not important; the ratio of 4:7:8 is important. If you have trouble holding your breath, speed the exercise up but keep to the ratio of 4:7:8 for the three phases. With practice you can slow it all down and get used to inhaling and exhaling more and more deeply.

This exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. Unlike tranquilizing drugs, which are often effective when you first take them but then lose their power over time, this exercise is subtle when you first try it but gains in power with repetition and practice. Do it at least twice a day. You cannot do it too frequently. Do not do more than four breaths at one time for the first month of practice. Later, if you wish, you can extend it to eight breaths. If you feel a little lightheaded when you first breathe this way, do not be concerned; it will pass.

Once you develop this technique by practicing it every day, it will be a very useful tool that you will always have with you. Use it whenever anything upsetting happens - before you react. Use it whenever you are aware of internal tension. Use it to help you fall asleep. This exercise cannot be recommended too highly. Everyone can benefit from it.

Exercise 3:

Breath Counting

If you want to get a feel for this challenging work, try your hand at breath counting, a deceptively simple technique much used in Zen practice. Sit in a comfortable position with the spine straight and head inclined slightly forward. Gently close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Then let the breath come naturally without trying to influence it. Ideally, it will be quiet and slow, but depth and rhythm may vary. To begin the exercise, count "one" to yourself as you exhale. The next time you exhale, count "two," and so on up to "five." Then begin a new cycle, counting "one" on the next exhalation. Never count higher than "five," and count only when you exhale. You will know your attention has wandered when you find yourself up to "eight," "12," even "19." Try to do 10 minutes of this form of meditation.