Avoid Holiday Injuries

Physical Therapy is about health and wellness, and as experts on injury prevention, we care about your safety during the holidays! Decorating the house, participating in annual traditions, and the careless excitement of celebrating are essential to the energy of the season; however, danger is lurking. Broken bones from falling off ladders and intense football games, and injuries from intoxicated behaviors leave you hurting long after the tree comes down. Here are a few tips to injury prevention during the holidays according to ABC News Medical Team:

• Don't leave home unless you have to - the roadways are filled with drunk drivers
• Don't drive drunk!
• Keep decorations safe for children
• Ask an expert to handle high, dangerous lighting of the house
• Keep a sense of humor

If you do find yourself on your back, fallen from a tall ladder, don't wait to seek medical attention. Rehabilitate with physical therapists like First Colony's who will help get you back to your festivities quickly and safely. Happy Holidays!

Therapy for Your Body, A Chance to Regain Your Life!

Physical therapy (PT) is vital to your health. Here's a quick overview of how physical therapists in private practice can help, and why you should consider adding PT into your health and wellness routine.

Physical therapists utilize special techniques to increase your movement, reduce pain, restore function or even prevent disability - without the costs of surgery or medication! Physical therapists help you avoid the extensive financial, time, and emotional costs of hospital stays and pharmacy bills. In many cases, insurance will aid the expenses of treatments.

Trained PT pros, like those at First Colony Aquatic and Rehab Center, help you heal and rehabilitate using personalized therapy. Your therapist works with you to create the appropriate exercise program to get your body back to its highest potential. Physical therapists at First Colony have extensive knowledge of how your body works and apply all those smarts to help you feel your best.

Still have questions? Visit http://www.moveforwardpt.com/faq/ or call First Colony at 281-325-0188 today!

Women at Risk for Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition that decreases bone density and puts victims at a higher risk for fractures. The most common places for fractures are the spine, wrist or hip. 

Your bones are the building blocks of your body. Osteoporosis, which affects women more commonly than men, weakens the infrastructure. Learning how to prevent it is just the tool you need. Physical therapy is your ticket to stronger bones and injury prevention. Our PT's can educate you today about building bone mass early in life to prevent osteoporosis!

If you have already sustained a fracture because of weak bones, physical therapy aids rehabilitation for mobility, strength and function areas affected by the break. Following a fracture, physical therapy reduces your chances of similar injuries in the future. 

Here are a few osteoporosis prevention tips recommended by the National Osteoporosis Foundation:

• Get your daily recommended amount of calcium and vitamin D
• Engage in regular weight-bearing exercise
• Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol
• Talk to your healthcare provider about bone health
• When appropriate, have a bone density test and take medication

The physical therapists at First Colony want you to function at your highest level of ability no matter your bone density! To learn more about osteoporosis and physical therapy, visit http://www.womenshealthapta.org/pdfs/Osteoporosis.pdf

Your Body: The Human Machine, and Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the science of interaction between your body and its working environment to decrease the risks of injury and illness due to work life (http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article1425.html).



According to the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma, approximately 70% of U.S. workers sit while on the job. Even while sitting, you are at risk for pain or injury. Ergonomics is the answer to keeping your body healthy so you can offer your best performance in the workplace. The goals of Ergonomics are to decrease your risk of injury, enhance productivity and improve the quality of your work.

While sitting at your desk, practice these tips to prevent pain:

• Use a supportive lumbar curve for your lower back.
• Position yourself for minimal bend at the wrist.
• Set your feet flat on the floor or footrest.
• Keep the area behind your knee from touching the seat.

For more tips and exercises to keep your body feeling its best during a hard day's work, visit http://www.nismat.org/ptcor/ergo Still not feeling up to par? Make an appointment at First Colony Aquatic & Rehabilitation today!

Swing, Drive and Putt...injury free.

Learning how to tee off the healthy way is a hole in one. 

Over a two-year period, 60% of golf professionals and 40% of amateurs suffered either a traumatic or overuse injury while golfing (The American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine).

The best game played is a healthy one. Whether pro, rookie, or somewhere in between, a perfect swing can be affected by a strain in the back or an odd twist of the wrist or elbow. Stay on the green and out of the clubhouse. Here are two words for you: mobilize and stabilize.

Stabilize: Start at the core

1. A stronger core means a more balanced stance and swing
2. Practice leg lifts and planks to build up the muscles

Mobilize: Get Movin'

1. Learn proper technique and movement to protect against pain and injury
2. Work on hip rotation and flexibility

Physical therapists can be your best coaches.

Check out these great exercises from the Mayo Clinic.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/golf-stretches/SM00089

Mayo Clinic offers more tips to boost you're "A" game.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/golf/HO00075/METHOD=print

Age is Only A Number

Physical therapy is one secret to staying young. Whether suffering an injury, healing from surgery, or simply preventing future physical complications, physical therapy helps fight against aches and pains, no matter what age.

The American Physical Therapy Association states:
Physical therapy intervention may prevent lifelong disability and restore the highest level of functioning.

How does physical therapy help you feel young?

• Emphasis on core strengthening and stability at all ages to maintain your ability to perform daily activities - lifting, cleaning, yard work
• Source of information to understand changes that come with age
• Option to regain lost abilities or develop new ones

Some symptoms that come with age:

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Arthritis
• Coordination and balance dysfunction
• Osteoporosis
• Sarcopenia: a condition of age-related loss of muscle mass and strength (Sarcopenia is often found in combination with osteoporosis.)

What can you do now?

1. Get flexible - Increase or maintain range of motion.
2. Build muscle - Increase muscle density and metabolism.
3. Improve balance - Prevent falls and use proper posture when sitting, walking and standing.
4. Stay active - give your body attention no matter what age.

Learn more about how physical therapy can help anti-aging, specifically osteoporosis with this article from the APTA. http://www.scribd.com/doc/13500748/What-You-Need-to-Know-About-Osteoporosis-Apta

The Dangers of Gardening: Can a Lawnmower Endanger Your Health?

According to the Ergonomics Society, active gardening caused 87,000 injuries in 2004.

Main culprits of pain:

1. Lawnmowers

2. Flowerpots

3. Pruners

4. Spades

5. Electric hedge trimmers

How do you maintain a beautiful garden and still protect your joints?

Just like any workout, warm up, stretch, and cool down. These are essential to protect your muscles from strain. Gardening engages all your muscles and it's important they all receive attention. Learn how to lift, dig, and pull correctly. Seed your knowledge and keep yourself safe the next time you "hit the dirt".

Our physical therapists here at 1st Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation can teach you the "healthy how" of gardening. Here are a few "buds" of wisdom:

• Put your legs into it. When lifting and carrying, it's important to bend your knees and use your legs instead of your back.


• Keep it light and strong. Choose lightweight, long handle forks, spades and hoes.


• Choose the proper bed. Plant in raised beds, pots, and containers to avoid bending over.


• Hydrate and take a break. Drink lots of water and take time to rest once in awhile.

You can always visit us at First Colony Aquatic and Rehabilitation Center. We'll help you make that garden grow, the healthy way.

Join us on Facebook and Twitter: 1stColonyPT for daily health tips and updates.

Shin Splints: A Stressful Situation
Why do we get shin splints?

Tight muscles that have been overstretched and overstressed below the knee and above the ankle cause shin splints. Your muscle can get inflamed and cause you pain when you run and walk on hard surfaces, wear poor-fitting shoes, run uphill or have tight calf muscles.

Three solutions to give your shins a break

1. Heat it up then stretch it out
a. Take a walk or light jog to warm up your muscles
b. Use stretches to loosen up the body

2.Put on your new shoes
a.Find shoes that fit your body’s mechanics
b.Make sure the shoes position your shins, ankles, and feet to take the impact of your workout or daily activities
c.Speak with your physical therapist to find the best shoes for your feet

3.Take it slowly and know when to rest
a.Increase intensity of your workouts gradually
b.Stop to rest when you feel the pain start

To learn more, check out this link.

Become our fan on facebook and twitter: 1stColonyPT for daily health tips and updates