Jane's Freedom after Decades of Pain

 

My client Jane, an active 69 year old, loves taking care of her grandkids, along with her husband of almost 50 years, Bob. Recently, keeping up with the kiddos has been more and more challenging as Jane's hip was giving her constant grief. Jane was in a car accident 40 years ago and needed surgery on her knee. She said she has "never been the same since." Recovery was slow because her kids were young at the time and her rehab was put on the back burner. She worked as a Surgical Tech and was on her feet for long hours. Even though she was able to push through it, she experienced pain daily. First it started in her knee, then she got Plantar Fasciitis in her foot. A few years later, the symptoms crept up into her hip where the pain has stayed for the past 30 years.  Now, Jane's hip pain wakes her up at night and she feels it with every step she takes. Jane has to ride in the cart along with Bob instead of golfing with him. She is only able to stand long enough to make meals but not to clean up afterward, as she had been able to do for years (Bob does not like dish duty!). Jane even loses sleep over the thought of not being able to dance with Bob at their 50th Anniversary celebration coming up at the end of October.  Over the years, Jane tried traditional PT, Chiropractic, and Water Exercise classes with only a bit of relief. She was tired from not sleeping well, frustrated, and sad that she was starting to miss out on activities she loves best with her husband and grandkids.  Jane came to see me in May after her neighbor referred her.  She told Jane, "Emily does things differently. I don't know how she does it, but it works!!" Jane and Bob came in for the Complimentary Consultation together. I was confident that I could help her feel like herself again.  Within 2 months, she had relief! Jane was able to get down and up from the floor again with her grandkids, and she and Bob had even played a few rounds of 9 holes with little pain. Jane admitted she was most surprised by something she thought would never change. She was shocked that her knee could straighten all the way in such a short period of time. Jane and Bob invited me to their Anniversary celebration at the end of October and I am looking forward to watching them dance together.  Jane's story is typical for people who are committed to their appointments and home exercises.  If you or someone you love have been dealing with chronic pain or tightness that doesn't seem to lessen with exercise or other therapies, there is hope for you. You can find freedom from the pain once and for all!  (Written September 2020)

5 Daily Habits of Healthy, Independent Seniors

 

Last week, a sweet 98 year old woman really impressed me!! I was called by her son, a long term client of mine, to do a home visit and assess her back pain due to a recent fall. Mary was amazing!! She still lives by herself and doesn't take ANY medication!! She's able to maintain some independence and has caregivers come into her home to help her with hygiene, dressing, and home care activities. I was impressed at how well she is still moving around with her walker, despite having some intermittent back pain. This experience got me thinking about what types of daily habits it takes to live a long, healthy and independent life. Keep reading if you are a senior, know one, or plan to be one someday!!  Movement is Medicine When I asked Mary if we could do some "exercises" to help alleviate her back pain she said "I don't like exercise." When I rephrased it and asked, "Can we try some "movements" together?" she smiled right away and said "YES!" Even I don't LOVE the idea of exercising, per say. But "Movement" seems like a less intense activity and less challenging than lifting weights, doing squats, and lunges. (Those are great movements, but not necessarily appropriate for a senior who doesn't love exercise.) We kept things basic and performed some gentle body movements while seated and standing. Her daughter-in-law and I moved her dining room table slightly so she can do laps around the table with her walker when her caregivers are present. She enjoyed moving and it actually made her back feel better.  Daily movement habits could include practicing yoga, walking, biking, swimming, weight lifting, taking exercise classes, gardening, or doing laps around your dining room table. Movement helps to get our blood pumping to bring oxygen to our tissues and organs, as well as pumping our lymphatic system to remove waste materials out of our body. Movement is some of the best natural medicine available to keep your body healthy for decades!! Be sure to get your daily dose.  Balance is Key Unfortunately, the reason for Mary's home visit is that she took a fall, which is a common occurrence among the elderly population. She took this fall like a champ, but that is not always the case with seniors. Sometimes a fall can be the "beginning of the end," especially if someone breaks a hip, as it is difficult to make a full recovery. Balance reactions decline as we age, so it is important to incorporate daily activities to maintain or improve our balance. Doing simple activities like calf raises (rising up onto your toes), standing on one leg, performing side steps, and marching in place can challenge your balance. These are all easy to do while standing behind a dining room chair or near a counter so you can use your hands for support. These can also be performed without holding on if your balance allows. Just be sure to keep yourself safe! By incorporating balance activities into your daily routine, you too can maintain your health and independence as long as possible.  Hydrate for Health Water is the elixir of life! All of our cells and organs require these essential molecules (hydrogen and oxygen) to perform their many functions to keep us alive and well throughout our lifetime. Water not only helps to keep skin soft and supple, but it also helps to digest our food and move our bowels, which is a function that can become sluggish as we age. Healthy water intake is recommended as "twice your body weight in ounces per day." A slice of cucumber, lemon, or orange in your glass or water bottle could be just the simple addition you need to make drinking water more palatable. It's like having a little party in your water, and the nutrients in fruit can help you absorb and assimilate the water molecules even better! When your cells and whole body function and move at their optimal levels, your health and independence will follow!  Don't Wait As much as our bodies are amazing and capable of healing themselves even in our senior years, some issues are better left up to the professionals! Mary's son contacted me soon after her fall because of her back pain complaints rather than waiting weeks and weeks to see if things got better on their own. By being proactive with your health maintenance and any concerns that arise, it is much easier to overcome injuries or imbalances than if you wait until you are miserable to seek professional help. My senior clients who are in the "Maintenance" Mode of their care plan with me are committed to their regular monthly "tune-up" sessions as they feel the benefit of each session and how they all contribute to keeping their mobility at its best. Sure, we can always schedule a session when pain issues are acute or flared up, but I'm not gonna lie...it is much easier to keep people functioning well than it is to do "damage control" therapy. By staying in-tune with your movement abilities and body sensations on a daily basis, you are sure to maintain your health and independence much more easily!    Laughter is the Best Medicine "One minute of anger can weaken the immune system for 4-5 hours. One minute of laughter can BOOST the immune system for 24 hours!" This quote recently came across my internet feed and although it shocked me initially, it actually makes sense. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Mary's home visit was the laughter we shared. She was pleasant the whole time, despite having some pain when she transferred from standing to sitting, but we shared some good laughs together. I'm confident that her positive attitude and sense of humor are 2 of the main reasons she has made it to 98 years old and is still going strong, despite all the ups and downs that each decade can bring. Smiling and laughing do so much good for our heart, soul, immune system and our mental health state. Be sure to prioritize reading, watching programs, and sharing time with the people in your life who fill your spirit, make you smile and laugh, and warm your heart! Keeping your sense of humor is sure to help you stay healthy and vibrant for years to come.  As always, I'm here to help keep your body functioning efficiently to stay healthy and independent for as long as I possibly can! (Written June 2020)

How a 72 Year Old Ditched Her Cane, and Her Pain

 How A 72-Year-Old Ditched Her Cane—And Her Pain 

Mary felt like an “old lady." An active retiree, she found she was no longer able to participate in her chosen daily activities. Embarrassed that she walked with a limp and needed a cane to get around, she began turning down social invitations. She was frustrated with how stiff and tight her body was during any movement.

Most aging adults would gladly take a drink from the fountain of youth if it were ever offered to them. They would give anything to be able to get out of bed easily each morning and move freely throughout the day; to do all of the things they could do in their youth without pain, such as play with their grandchildren, go on vacations, exercise, participate in recreational activities and enjoy sex with their partners—and to look and feel fit, toned and attractive. Unfortunately, being able to move freely to enjoy life’s pleasures can become more difficult as time goes by. Arthritis, scar tissue from previous injuries or surgeries, old traumas and cumulative stress all wreak havoc on the human body. Although pain, tightness, and progressive difficulty performing everyday activities are often considered a “normal” part of the aging process, it’s not normal at all.

For the past 20 years, people suffering with pain, tightness and limited movements have been able to find relief and resolution of acute and chronic issues through a unique assessment and treatment approach called Muscle Activation Techniques, also known as MAT. The sports world is more familiar with MAT due to its successes in aiding athletes. In a 2016 Sports Illustrated article, U.S. Women’s National Team and Seattle Reign goalkeeper Hope Solo and her strength-and-conditioning coach discussed how they’re using MAT to improve Solo’s balance in order to fine-tune her athletic performance. In 2015, numerous professional athletes were interviewed by The Washington Times about how effective this treatment approach has been in helping them recover faster and “resolve injuries that cannot be healed through conventional rehabilitation.” As with athletes, MAT provides hope and healing to aging adults who have been told that surgery wasn’t an option, that nothing could be done to help them, and that they have to learn to live with the pain. 

Mary’s sister referred her to a local MAT specialist to help resolve her chronic lower back and foot pain. Over the years, Mary had already been through a few rounds of traditional physical therapy, and had also tried chiropractic, acupuncture and other alternative treatments, but she was still left wanting more relief. 

Through the holistic Muscle Activation Techniques approach, a key missing piece of the healing puzzle is discovered and resolved. Instead of releasing tightness, or “knots”, in muscles to alleviate uncomfortable sensations, MAT specifically targets the root of the problem: muscle weakness. Muscle weakness, which is caused by stress, trauma, or overuse, is the inability of a muscle to contract efficiently to support the body. Instead, the body uses “compensations” to keep moving forward despite weakness, but these movement compensations are not as efficient, and eventually lead to unstable posture and alignment, bone degeneration, dysfunctional movement patterns and energy drains on the body—all symptoms that most people equate with the normal aging process. By activating weak muscles, MAT resolves the need for movement compensations and restores muscle activity required for healthy movement, allowing full healing to occur. 

Mary’s MAT specialist discovered that Mary’s hip mobility was locked up. By using hands-on techniques and gentle exercises to activate a few muscles associated with the limited movement, Mary’s hip range-of-motion improved significantly. After her treatment, she stood up and noticed a huge reduction in both her back and foot pain. By activating her hip muscles, Mary’s pelvis was in a more balanced alignment, which took pressure off her lower back. By being able to use her hip muscles more efficiently, the weight-bearing forces were distributed evenly throughout her legs, taking pressure off of her sore foot. Within a few weeks, Mary no longer walked with a cane and she had resumed her favorite activities again. 

MAT may not be able to “turn back the clock”, but by simply improving the way the muscles work to support the body, aging adults can become stronger, feel more flexible and fluid with their everyday movements, and return to the activities they enjoy. Life should be lived to the fullest, and MAT can help this happen naturally. 

Physical Therapist Emily Yenor is Mary’s MAT specialist, and the owner of 1212 Bodyworks in Brookfield, WI. She offers a complimentary consultation to those interested in discovering how to help their body move and feel its best. To learn more, call 414-405-3956, email 1212BodyWorks@gmail.com, or visit 1212BodyWorks.com. To read referenced articles, visit Tinyurl.com/y4jt9qjf and Tinyurl.com/y2xxy5mr.

(Article published in Natural Awakenings magazine September 2019. Click here for full article and magazine edition)