Stay Active for a Healthier & Happier Life

Research suggests nearly 60% of adults aged 65+ spend more than four hours per day sitting or being sedentary. Finding ways to incorporate movement and regular physical activity into your daily routine is essential to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Simple lifestyle changes like taking short walks, engaging in light exercises, or pursuing hobbies that involve movement can help combat the negative effects of sedentary behavior and promote overall health.

 

Therapy Can Help Older Adults Stay Active
Physical and occupational therapy can help older adults become more active and maintain or improve their overall physical function. Therapy can ease pain associated with sitting too much, address postural issues, and create strategies to get you moving more and sitting less.

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Back Pain

Back pain can be debilitating and significantly impact your quality of life. In fact, a study from Georgetown University titled Chronic Back Pain reported that adults with chronic back pain were less active and often limited their social activities.

Anyone can have back pain, but here are some common risk factors:

    • Getting older – your spine becomes more fragile
    • Poor physical fitness
    • Being overweight puts extra stress on your back
    • Poor posture like hunching over
    • Inappropriate lifting techniques such as using your back and not your legs
    • Smoking decreases blood flow and increases the risk of osteoporosis

If you have back pain, there are many treatment options available. Acute back pain can often resolve on its own with rest or ibuprofen. However, some people may require additional treatment including hot or cold therapies, exercise, physical therapy, medicine, injections, or surgery.

How Can Therapy Help?

Physical therapy treatment is focused on reducing pain as well as therapeutic exercises to strengthen muscles and improve flexibility and range of motion. Occupational therapists work to assess how pain may be impacting your desired activities and quality of life. They can teach you skills and strategies to manage your pain so it interferes less with your daily life.
If you are suffering from back pain, talk with your doctor about treatment options and ask about physical or occupational therapy. Being proactive will help you get your pain under control.

Sources: mayoclinic.org, georgetown.edu

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Peripheral Neuropathy – Managing Your Pain

Did You Know?

An estimated 30 million people in the U.S. suffer from some form of peripheral neuropathy.
Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is not a single disease. It’s a general term for a series of disorders that result from damage to the body’s peripheral nervous system. PN occurs when nerves are damaged or destroyed and can’t send messages from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, skin and other parts of the body. PN often causes weakness, numbness and pain, usually in your hands and feet.

Can have no symptoms, but people may experience…

  • Burning, tingling or sharp pain in the back, face, foot, hands, or thigh
  • Muscle weakness and cramping
  • Sensation of pins and needles
  • Poor balance, slow reflexes

 

Tips for Self-Managing Your Pain:

  • Maintain a well-balanced diet
  • Avoid exposure to toxins
  • Exercise and stretch often
  • Take vitamin supplements
  • Buy shoes with shock absorbers and cushioned socks
  • Limit or avoid alcohol
  • Drink lots of water to improve circulation
  • Talk with your doctor about prescription drug options

 

How Can Therapy Help?

There are many options available for treating peripheral neuropathy. The most effective ones address the underlying cause. Most often, the focus of treatment is on symptom control. Some people are helped by physical, occupational and speech therapy.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Improve Motor Skills  |  Regain Sense of Independence  |  Enhance Recovery & Outcome  |  Prevent Secondary  |  Complications  |  Restore Confidence & Happiness

PHYSICAL THERAPY
Prevent Long-term Pain  |  Improve & Gain  |  Full Range of Motion  |  Increase Ability to Move & Perform Activities  |  Relieve Muscle Tension  |  Electrical Stimulation for Pain Management

SPEECH THERAPY
Prevent Loss of Facial  Muscle Control  |  Improve Swallowing & Speech Capabilities  |  Enhance Ability to Express Thoughts & Feelings  |  Relieve Emotional Tension Caused by Physical Issues or Mental Stress

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Heart Health & Rehabilitation

Heart disease is the number one killer on the planet.  At some point you, or someone you know, will have a heart disease diagnosis and might even possibly suffer a heart attack.  When this happens it is one of the most frightening things to happen in a person’s life. Read more

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