There are multiple guidelines that can be followed to help decrease the chances of getting a stroke. By knowing what your blood pressure is and working to reduce it (if it is too high) is extremely important. Also, knowing about and finding out if you have atrial fibrillation or in other words an abnormal heartbeat is a major factor since it causes blood to clot. Smoking is of course never good for you but to add to it’s list of negative effects is the fact that it doubles the risk of having a stroke by weakening the heart and causing arteries to clog. Another substance that has been shown to lead to stroke is alcohol. Drinking in moderation is okay but not drinking is better. Knowing your cholesterol levels and controlling it as well is another preventative measure. If you have diabetes or circulation problems then make sure they are treated properly. Finally, exercising and eating a healthy diet is one of the most important things someone can do. Maintaining a healthy weight, not eating a lot of salt or saturated fat and eating fruits and vegetables is one of best way to prevent a stroke.

Even after following these preventative ways, it is never 100% guaranteed you will not have a stroke so knowing the signs for yourself and others is always helpful. There are five areas including walk, talk, reach, see, and feel that can be looked at and asked about to know if someone is having a stroke. If they seem weak in one side and either veer, slump, or drag a foot on one side, it is a sign. If the way they talk is slurred, they don’t make sense, or their mouth droops, then it’s another major sign. Another thing to look at is if their reach is strong on both sides which can be tested but having them raise their arms, hold something, or squeeze your finger. Next, you can ask the person if there is in change in their vision such as things being blurry or seeing double. Finally, having a severe headache that is increased by light and noise is an indication of stroke. If you or someone else is experiencing these symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately.

If you are to experience a stroke then rehabilitation will be in order. Some of the activities you will have to go through include strengthening muscle strength and coordination, regaining range of motion, mobility training to be able to support your own weight and walk again, and learning to use the affected limb again. Physical therapy and rehab should start as soon as possible after a stroke to regain normal functioning.

If you come to find that you do have this shoulder joint problem, then there are some treatment options. Those who keep up with physical therapy can see great results and get back full range of motion. Physical therapy for frozen shoulder can include ice pack, exercises, electric stimulation, ultrasound and strengthening. There is also the option to have surgery to manipulate the shoulder and break up the scar tissue. Sometimes a cortisone injection into the shoulder is also used to reduce inflammation and reduce pain. After this surgery or injection, physical therapy or an exercise program is important so the shoulder fully heals and maintains mobility.

The most popular form of ‘thawing’ a frozen shoulder is to use a combination of mobility, strengthening, stretching, and massage to get rid of the pain and regain motion. You can be instructed on the correct exercises and movements by a physical therapist to ensure you do all of the motions correctly and do not further injure your shoulder.

Mobility: The joint in the shoulder can move in many directions and every motion affects other motions. Therefore being able to move that joint in all directions is essential to having a fully functional shoulder. There are some main motions that are usually worked when dealing with a frozen shoulder but making sure every natural direction can move is important.
Strengthening: Strength training should be done all around the shoulder joint. Using light weights and resistance bands will improve the movement. Once your shoulder has improved then adding more weight will strengthen your shoulder and help you from getting having reoccurring episodes of frozen shoulder in the future.
Stretching: With the large number of muscles that are connected to the shoulder, it is important to get all of them stretched in order to get full range of motion back. To stretch all the muscles and tendons surrounding the shoulder, different types of stretches need to be performed with stretching in multiple directions. A physical therapist can give instruction on how to ensure you stretch all the muscles and get the best results possible from these exercises.
Massage: Finally, massaging the muscles, tendons, skin and tissue around the shoulder is extremely helpful in healing. Massaging makes the tissue healthy and able to work better. Whether you do it yourself, or pay to have a massage you can work towards getting rid of tightness and pain.

Exercise boosts confidence and mood and reduces anxiety and depression. Exercise is able to decrease feelings of depression by releasing neurotransmitters and endorphins which can numb pain and improve your mood. Physical activity also creates a calming effect because of the increase in your body temperature. Another perk is that when you are exercising you are distracted from your negative thoughts and feelings of anxiety. Exerting all that energy to perform difficult tasks requires focus which means there is no room left to think about other negative things. Also, deciding to exercise and making goals can increase your confidence when you reach those targets and help you feel better about yourself.

There are many life threatening diseases that can be prevented or have a lessened severity by partaking in a regular exercise regimen. Problems such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and cancer are all not as likely to be as prevalent in people who do physical activities multiple times a week. The chances of developing Osteoporosis are also decreased because the strength training involved with exercise will increase bone density. Many heart related problems such as high blood pressure and blood lipid abnormalities can be helped by engaging in physical activity as part of your daily lifestyle. Finally, people who have HIV can have improved endurance and become stronger to fight off potential infections. Some of these diseases can be helped because exercise stimulates the growth of new blood vessels and pre-existing vessels and repairs damaged vessels.

Exercise also helps your everyday health and functioning by using up the calories taken in, maintaining blood sugar levels, and keeping your immune system strong. When exercising, the body’s organs circulate and supply blood, so burning off the excess calories and fats allow these functions to happen properly. These calories being used up also makes sure the levels of sugar in the blood stream is normal and the proper amount of insulin is produced. Exercise also allows the antibodies to move around in the body and kill any germs or foreign matters that can cause illness. Those who exercise also have a better quality of life in their later years. They are better able to do everything needed to live an independent life if they are more active and still able to walk, use the stairs and lift things.

If you are having trouble with any part of your body that prevents you from exercising and feeling these great benefits then consider seeing a physical therapist to get you back on track and able to exercise.

First of all, it is important to know and understand the two different types of injuries. There are acute injuries which usually cause a very intense pain but don’t last very long. This type of pain comes very suddenly and is usually a sharp pain. People are able to identify the cause of this pain easier because there is most likely some type of impact at the site of injury that starts the pain. The site has common signs of being tender, red, warm, and swelling. The second type is a chronic injury, which may not be as extreme of a pain and may happen on and off for an extended period of time. This type of pain is usually dull and sore instead of sharp and sudden. Chronic pain is usually the cause of overuse of the injured site or from ignoring an acute injury and not treating it.

Now that we have the types of possible injuries sorted out, we can identify how to treat it. For acute injuries, cold therapy or ice is best to reduce swelling and pain. Cold treatment causes the blood vessels to narrow which keeps the area from bleeding internally. Using ice can also be helpful on some chronic pain that flares up after exercise so that there is no further inflammation. If you do decide using ice is what best for your injury, then you should only ice for about 10 minutes at a time. You can ice multiple times a day but make sure the skin returns to normal temperature before icing again. There are a couple different forms of ice therapy that are effective such as an ice pack (made specifically for injuries), a bag of frozen vegetables (peas usually work best), or just ice from your freezer in a bag or wrapped in a thin towel.

On the other hand, if you are suffering from a chronic injury where there is no swelling then heat is the best option. Heat is good for relieving joint and muscle pain because it allows the joint to be more elastic, stimulates blood flow, and relaxes tight muscles. Since heat causes increased circulation and draws fluids into tissues it should not be used on acute injuries that are already swelled and sometimes internally bleeding. If heat is the right choice for your injury, then apply for no longer than 20 minutes and ensure beforehand that the source is not hot enough to burn your skin. The types of heat that work well are a hot wet towel, hot pack or heating pad.

Applying the correct treatment is important and if you use the wrong one then it could make an injury worse. Some chronic problems may need an alternation of heat and cold applications. You should of course not rely solely on ice or heat to treat an injury but should see a doctor or physical therapist to ensure it heals correctly.

First of all, physical therapy performs the all important task of alleviating pain. By reducing swelling and inflammation around the site of injury or surgery, this leads to healing and pain reduction. Physical therapists know all the best and newest ways to alleviate your specific pain not just currently but in the long term. While medicine can help in the short term for pain, it is physical therapy that actually heals you and rids the source of pain from your body.

Also, there are overall health benefits received by going to a physical therapist. Physical therapy strengthens the body and therefore helps you to not have another serious injury of the same type in the future. Many times people who need physical therapy have lost an ability to do some vital activity for their life. The exercises you are instructed to do will help you be able to do the things you could before your injury or surgery. When people have some type of injury it will most likely limit them being active, but physical therapy can enhance or maintain their muscle tone and strength. Physical therapy is similar to exercise so while you may not be as active you can still get those body releasing endorphins and help you feel better.

Going to a physical therapist provides you with someone who is well trained and professional. Physical therapists are able to personalize the stretching, strengthening and exercises you need to heal.  Also since they are professional and have done their fair share of schooling and they can give an abundant amount of information about your problem and how or why it occurred but most importantly how you can get better. People who go through physical therapy are given lots of tips and advice on how to limit the stress on their injuries. This information is not only helpful during the actual physical therapy but even after it is over.

Physical therapy can benefit many different people. It can help the elderly be more independent and able to take care of themselves, get athletes ready to perform in their sport again, help people with arthritis move their joints, children with cerebral palsy or spina bifida, rehabilitate those who have had neurological and cardiac problems, and help anyone who has had any type of injury or surgery.

Of course, to receive all of these benefits people must follow all of the instructions of their physical therapist. Trying to do some the movements and exercises on your own without consulting a therapist can lead to further injury. Physical therapists are always monitoring how you are doing and if any exercises need to be added or taken away, which is something you cannot access by yourself. With all of these benefits, why not give physical therapy a chance.

Physical therapy is utilized by so many different groups of people because everyone is prone to injury or having surgery on some part of their body that requires movement. High school athletes that hurt themselves during a game or practice, any job that requires being physical, professional athletes that have worn out their talented bodies, people who sit in an office or stand in front of a classroom but go on vacation and fall skiing or are a part of an adult sports club on the side, the elderly whose knees and hips haven’t fully held up and need to be replaced, etc. Many people will have to go through sessions of physical therapy in their lifetime, and some may have to go through multiple times for different problems or a reoccurrence of the same problem.

A surgeon may only perform a surgery for an hour but it could take up to a couple months of physical therapy to get better and heal. Losing the ability to do simple tasks you have done since you were a toddler can be extremely frustrating. Whether it is being able to pick up a spoon, put on a shirt, or walk across the room, physical therapists can help give you back what you lost and encourage you along the way. They are just as excited as you are when you are finally able to get back some normalcy in your life and they helped you get there. While the stretching and strengthening they require you to do can sometimes cause be painful, it is being administered by a trained professional and these now painful maneuvers will lead to healing. Asking someone to do something that can force them into tears can’t be easy, but once they see the results patients are great full.

Physical therapists are more than just doctors. Most people don’t see their doctors every week or a couple times a week for multiple months in a row. This usually means you get to become closer to them than doctors who you see periodically when you are sick. You are able to talk week to week about what is going on in each other’s lives and share exciting moments together. Also, while Doctors or surgeons do their best to explain a surgery or injury to you, they can’t fully give all the details or tell you about the recovery process like a physical therapist does. Doctors also don’t double as cheer leaders. When a physical therapist’s patient comes in, they are working to conquer a new ability or regain strength and encouragement and cheering is highly utilized.

However, before trying any of these pain relief approaches, always make it a point to consult with your doctor. Some alternative pain relief therapies may not be appropriate for you or may have serious side effects, even if they are of the non-pharmaceutical type. There are factors to be considered including medical condition as well as patient history before undergoing any treatment.

Bear in mind that not all available options are perfect alternative pain relief treatments. While a certain pain relief may work to some people, the same remedy may not work with others. There are some pain relievers that do not provide complete pain relief. You may have to try a number of different strategies and combine some of them before finding an acceptable level of pain relief. As with any treatment, there may also be risks and side effects.

Many people would do anything to find a relief for their pains. One of the advantages of trying out a number of alternative pain relief remedies is that you may find a pain relief treatment that works for you. Penney Cowan, executive director and founder of the American Chronic Pain Association advises pain sufferers to take an active part in their own rehabilitation. People should learn pain management and to know their role in how to regain control of their life in order to live with the pain which seems to have taken over.

While there is no specific cure to pain, physical therapy is very effective alternative pain relief and highly recommended. Hayes Wilson, MD, chief rheumatologist at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta and national medical adviser to the Arthritis Foundation, recommends physical therapy to almost all his patients because it teaches people how to take care of themselves. He believes in the cliché, “give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish, and feed him for life.”

Physical therapists are like fishing instructors who teach patients the self-management skills of pain management. Therapists encourage arthritis patients how to deal with pain in a day-to-day basis by showing them how to build up strength and improve range of motion, and how to make sensible decisions about activities to prevent arthritic flare-ups.

However, keep in mind that physical therapy is not intended to act as an elixir for pain, but rather, as an alternative pain relief treatment. In the case of patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis, which can take 10 to 15 years off a patient’s life, physical therapy serves only as a supplement to immune-modulating drugs. While physical therapy can help decrease inflammation in osteoarthritis, the condition could worsen if swelling isn’t fully addressed with the appropriate medicines.

How many times have you gone to sleep at night, swearing you’ll go to the gym in the morning, and then changing your mind just eight hours later because when you get up, you don’t feel like exercising?

While this can happen to the best of us, it doesn’t mean you should drop the ball altogether when it comes to staying fit. What people need to realize is that staying active and eating right are critical for long-term health and wellness — and that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The more you know about how your body responds to your lifestyle choices, the better you can customize a nutrition and exercise plan that is right for you. When you eat well, increase your level of physical activity, and
exercise at the proper intensity, you are informing your body that you want to burn a substantial amount of fuel. This translates to burning fat more efficiently for energy.

In other words, proper eating habits plus exercise equals fast metabolism, which, in turn gives you more energy throughout the day and allows you to do more physical work with less effort.

The true purpose of exercise is to send a repetitive message to the body asking for improvement in metabolism, strength, aerobic capacity and overall fitness and health. Each time you exercise, your body responds by upgrading its capabilities to burn fat throughout the day and night, Exercise doesn’t have to be intense to work for you, but it does need to be consistent.

I recommend engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise four times per week for 20 to 30 minutes per session, and resistance training four times per week for 20 to 25 minutes per session. This balanced approach provides a
one-two punch, incorporating aerobic exercise to burn fat and deliver more oxygen, and resistance training to increase lean body mass and burn more calories around the block.

Here’s a sample exercise program that may work for you:

* Warm Up — seven to eight minutes of light aerobic activity intended to increase blood flow and lubricate and warm-up your tendons and joints.

* Resistance Training — Train all major muscle groups. One to two sets of each exercise. Rest 45 seconds between sets.

* Aerobic Exercise — Pick two favorite activities, they could be jogging, rowing, biking or cross-country skiing, whatever fits your lifestyle. Perform 12 to 15 minutes of the first activity and continue with 10 minutes of the
second activity. Cool down during the last five minutes.

* Stretching — Wrap up your exercise session by stretching, breathing deeply, relaxing and meditating.

When starting an exercise program, it is important to have realistic expectations. Depending on your initial fitness level, you should expect the following changes early on.

* From one to eight weeks — Feel better and have more energy.

* From two to six months — Lose size and inches while becoming leaner. Clothes begin to fit more loosely. You are gaining muscle and losing fat.

* After six months — Start losing weight quite rapidly.

Once you make the commitment to exercise several times a week, don’t stop there. You should also change your diet and/or eating habits,’ says Zwiefel. Counting calories or calculating grams and percentages for certain nutrients is
impractical. Instead, I suggest these easy-to-follow guidelines:

* Eat several small meals (optimally four) and a couple of small snacks throughout the day

* Make sure every meal is balanced — incorporate palm-sized proteins like lean meats, fish, egg whites and dairy products, fist-sized portions of complex carbohydrates like whole-wheat bread and pasta, wild rice, multigrain cereal and potatoes, and fist-sized portions of vegetable and
fruits

* Limit your fat intake to only what’s necessary for adequate flavour

* Drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water throughout the day

* I also recommend that you take a multi-vitamin each day to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

I suppose that’s all I can think of for now. I should extend my thanks to a doctor friend of mine. Without him, I wouldn’t be able to write this article, or keep my sanity.

Enjoy life, we all deserve it.

* Improves circulation by increasing blood flow

* Improves range of motion

* Increases flexibility

* Reduces muscle tension

* May decrease the risk of injury during activity

* Reduces anxiety, fatigue and stress

* Prevents post-exercise muscle soreness

* Improves mental alertness

* Promotes better posture

* Puts your mind and body in sync

* Makes you feel better

So, unless you have a reason not to, add a stretch routine to your health calendar at least three times a week. To get the most out of your stretching, you should warm up first, target the major muscle groups, hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds, don’t bounce, focus on a pain-free stretch, and relax and breath freely.

Michelle Rieger
Aquatics Manager, Water Aerobics Instructor

Sara Vizer DPT
Specializing in Pediatrics and Aquatic Rehab

Abby Swope DPT
Specializing in Orthopedics and Aquatic Rehab