Nov 2024 Newsletter

A Guide to Holiday Health and Winter Wellness

The crisp air is back, that means the start of the holiday season is approaching and its a perfect time to focus on your wellness goals. Whether you're staying active outdoors or preparing for winter activities, now is the ideal moment to prioritize your health and keep your body in top shape! 

We’re talking all about holiday preparations—not just for your festivities, but for getting your body ready to stay strong and healthy through the season’s challenges! In this issue, we've got you covered on how to handle the impact of cold weather on your joints. We will see how Active Release or Trigger Point Therapies facilitates the natural endorphins (natural pain reliving chemicals in our body) and decompress joints via relaxation of muscle tension.

We didn't forget giving you golfers a review how to fix your lateral tennis elbow pain using Active Release Technique and a golf club strengthening series for you to fix it on your own. 

Joint Health in Colder Weather

How Cold Weather Impacts Your Joints

The cold weather affects joint health in several ways: when the temperatures drop, blood flow to the extremities decreases as your body works to keep vital organs warm, the oil to the body is called synovial fluid and can get more thick/slower to move into the joint spaces and can lead to stiffness and discomfort in the joints. Additionally, hot and cold temperature directly correlate with the barometric pressures indirectly reducing blood flow and normal joint glide/slide mechanics.  

If you've noticed your joints feeling achy in the morning more than in the afternoon it is probably a level of arthritis or the cold weather, and you're not alone. These seasonal challenges are common and with us all to some extent, but manageable with the right approach. 

Please try these everyday for 1 month and let us know if it helped.

Stretches and Warm-Up Exercises for Joint Health

Here are some simple movements to keep your joints oiled and pain-free:

Dynamic Arm Circles 5x

• Go full range of motion
• Emphasis full rotation (palm up as you go up and full palm rotation down when coming around the bottom of the arc. 
• Stay in a comfortable range or stop and contact us if it results in more pain. 

South African Hip Series

• Gently flatten back. 
• Walk knees wider than your hips until to feel hip tension.
• *If this hurts your knee bring your feet in some to achieve pain free or fully together to decrease the amount of stress that goes into the knee.

Spinal Roll Down 8-10x

• Start standing tall engage your abdominals. Slowly tuck your chin in and start rolling down trying to focus on each segment as you reach for the ground.
• Slowly start to unroll as you brace your core. Attempt to start from your pelvis as you make you way up tall.
• If it feels good attempt to do in two more directions by reaching right or left.

If these movements feel limited due to muscle tightness, you might benefit from Active Release. Visit us for hands-on treatment, or read below to learn how you can try this technique at home.

What is Active Release

Active Release Therapy (ART) is a powerful tool used by myofascial experts to alleviate tension in your tissues, preventing joint compression and promoting smoother movement. The goal is to decompress the joints by releasing muscle contractions, allowing them to move freely and fluidly without restrictions or "snags."

Join us as we explore how this technique taps into your body’s natural ability to heal itself and improve mobility, helping you move better and feel your best!

Active Technique on the Neck

Check out this video of a hands-on version of active release. 

In Physical Therapy, we often talk about how the body naturally works to protect and heal itself. One important part of this process involves the Golgi tendon organs (GTOs), specialized sensors located within our tendons. They play a critical role in monitoring muscle tension and helping regulate muscle contractions, preventing injury from overexertion.

When a muscle contracts or is stretched, the GTOs sense the tension and send signals to the brain and spinal cord. If the tension is too high and could lead to injury, the GTOs initiate a protective response, causing the muscle to relax. This feedback mechanism helps protect your muscles and tendons from damage during activities like lifting, stretching, or even regular daily movements.

So, how does this relate to Active Release(AR)? AR is a soft tissue treatment method that helps break up adhesions (scar tissue) and improve range of motion by targeting specific muscles and tendons. During AR, as the therapist applies pressure and guides your body through specific movements, the GTOs help facilitate muscle relaxation. The gentle pressure combined with active movement helps reset muscle tension, allowing the body to return to a healthier, more functional state.

By working in harmony with the GTOs, AR encourages proper muscle function, enhances flexibility, and can reduce pain caused by tight or overused muscles. It’s a perfect example of how modern techniques and the body’s natural mechanisms come together to promote healing and improve performance.

Struggling with muscle tightness, pain, or limited mobility? Active Release (AR) could be just what you need to regain comfortable movement. And if you need extra support, our team takes pride in providing hands-on, personalized manual therapy to help you feel your best. Come see us—we’re here to help!

Stay tuned for next time when we go over our top three self-care tips for relieving neck stiffness using AR!

The Line Up

What's Happening at Define PT

Halloween Costumes

In case you missed it, we dressed up for Halloween as part of our team-building fun and to show support for the "old-timers"!

SDTC 

SDTC has officially wrapped up, and John E had an impressive ride, managing to finish strong without experiencing any leg cramps!

CPR Training

At Define Physical Therapy, we believe in being ready for anything—even in an emergency. Last month, our entire team got CPR certified with Jake Shumate. Your safety is always our top priority!

Coming Up

Clinic is Closed for the Holidays

November 28th and 29th for Thanksgiving

December 25th and 26th for Christmas

January 1st for New Years

Christmas Party with Strive Omni Sport
We’re thrilled to share that we’ve recently begun sponsoring a local triathlete group, Strive Omni Sport, and this year marks their 10th anniversary! To celebrate, we’re teaming up to host a festive Christmas party filled with fun and excitement. We want to congratulate and thank Strive Omni Sport for their dedication and passion, and we look forward to celebrating this milestone together. Don’t miss this special event—it’s going to be a great time!