Many thanks to Samantha Schmidt, one of our star physical therapists at Alpine Physical Therapy, for recounting this fantastic story of success experienced by one of her patients who was previously hampered by years and years of low back pain.

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When Tami  first came to Alpine Physical Therapy in April 2010, she had been a member at the Peak Health and Wellness Center for quite some time. Yet she wasn’t using her membership because her body hurt, especially her low back.  She had a 20-year battle with intermittent low back pain, and it seemed that every time she tried to get a fresh start with exercise, her back pain would limit her progress and foil her commitment.  Tami related how her low back pain not only limited her exercise but led to increased weight gain over the years.  She came to Alpine with the goal of getting control of her low back pain and learning how to safely return to fitness.

Over  a span of six months, Tami was able to resume mat Pilates classes at the Peak, started  in a yoga classes, and got vigilant about watching her daily calorie intake.  By the time she returned to her doctor for her annual physical, she’d lost 40 pounds, was half an inch taller, and dropped three pant sizes. Best of all, she’d gotten her back pain under control!

Tami now attends a group fitness class at the Peak at least four times a week, sees a massage therapists at the Spa at the Peak without guilt, and enjoys the benefits of investing in semi-private Pilates reformer classes at the Peak Studio.  Tami still returns to Alpine Physical Therapy for a tune up now and then, but she knows it’s what she needs to do to keep on a steady track to a healthier young life.

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Tami’s success is a testament that back pain needn’t halt your dream to get back to a healthier you in 2012.
For more information on how the physical therapists at Alpine Physical Therapy can help you, visit our clinic website by clicking here.

Many thanks to Linsey Olson, one of our stars at Alpine Physical Therapy, for submitting this success story about one of her patients, Debbie.

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I recently treated a dear patient of mine, Debbie, for her second total knee replacement. Prior to this, I’d seen her multiple times for rehabilitation from her past knee surgeries.

She progressed well in her physical therapy at Alpine. But soon we came to a crossroads in her rehabilitation. I could discharge her from physical therapy and have here continue with her home program on an independent basis. Or she could start to advance her exercises at the Peak Health and Wellness Center. This second option created its own concerns.

She admitted to having had a membership for a long while but had not used it since signing up due to her intimidation of the gym atmosphere (She didn’t even have a swipe card activated for this reason).

Knowing that the Peak is the least intimidating fitness center I have encountered, I quickly introduced her to the desk staff, retrieved a swipe card, introduced her to our many classes and equipment, and showed her the opportunities that await her as a member.

Currently, she is involved in the Wellness Program at Alpine with consistent check-ins as to her weight loss journey, cardiovascular fitness, and overall positive lifestyle changes. I am proud to say I have ‘caught’ Debbie working out at the Peak as often as I am here (yikes)! She has returned to playing racquet sports that she hadn’t dreamed of ever returning to.

As a physical therapist, this is one of my greatest accomplishments: PERMANENTLY changing someone’s life. Debbie now has both the tools AND motivation to improve her physical, mental, and emotional fitness.
Way to go Debbie!
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In the words of the tag line of the Peak Health and Wellness Center, “Fitness is a journey, not a destination.”

Discomfort and other symptoms at work is a warning sign to seek information, advice, and help sooner than later. I could write pages on the subject. Over 2o years as a physical therapist, I have a keen interest in helping workers feel better and actually have a life at the end of the work week.

​Rather than having you take time to read the ins and outs of how to help yourself prevent these problems at work, I encourage you to sit in on my video wherein I discuss the ins and outs of the topic. In it, I lay out very clearly the potential problem, why it can happen to you, and what you can do to prevent problems . . . problems that continue to negatively impact peoples’ health and wellbeing over the course of a lifetime.

​For more information on this topic, be sure to visit my clinic website by clicking here.

These are typical symptoms:

• Onset of neck soreness by the end of the day.
• Significant pain and stiffness in the back of the neck and shoulders for 2 to 3 days afterward.
• Headaches in the base of the skull that may wrap around your head.
• Your head may feel heavy and be difficult to hold up.
• You may feel extra tired.

Here’s a starting point to help yourself:

• Apply Ice! Yes, it is cold outside, so put a heating pad on your tummy while you ice your neck for 20 to 60 minutes 3 to 5 times per day.
• Wear a scarf firmly around your neck to give your muscles a chance to relax and not have to work so hard to hold your head up. (It’s winter, so nobody will notice.)

Start gentle movements in your neck:

• Nod: Pretend there is a stick going through your ears. This forms an axis. Gently nod your head around the stick. You can do this lying down, but don’t lift your head off the pillow. Use only small movements.
• Neck rotation:  While lying down with your head and neck supported and with extra good posture, gently rotate your head from one side to the other. Avoid pushing into pain.

Use good posture, because everything heals better when you’re in a good position. Pay extra special attention to your posture while doing these exercises:

• Shoulder blade squeezes:  Squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat 2 sets of 10, and do them 2 to 3 times per day.
• Standing rows:  With band or very light resistance on a cable machine, pull your arms back to a position where your elbow is at 90 degrees at your side. Don’t let your shoulders hunch up. Repeat 3 sets of 10, and do them daily.

If these things don’t help, and you’re not feeling better within a few weeks, then I recommend physical therapy so you can get an individualized program.

Tell your doctor and physical therapist if you experience the following:

• Numbness or tingling in your face, hands, or feet.
• Changes in your vision (double, blurry) or speech (slurred).
• Lightheadedness, dizziness, loss of consciousness, or nausea.
• Changes in bowel or bladder function.
• Coordination problems (dropping things, bumping into walls).
• Ringing in your ears.

For more information on whiplash, click here.
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS and DRIVE SAFELY!

You’ve made some tremendous fitness gains this year. Smart decision! Resultantly, you’re 25 pounds lighter. You’re tight. You’re lean.

But the pain and swelling in front of your elbow that started two months ago hasn’t let up. In fact, it’s worsened.

Gotta push through. Gotta burn fat. Gotta reach that pivotal fitness point.

Stop and rest it? Nonsense! Not after working this hard and getting this far.

Whoa! Hold it for a sec. You’re smart. After all, look at the decisions you’ve made and the transformation you’ve experienced. Can’t stop now, right?

Think again.

Look. I’ll be the first to congratulate you on your decision to optimize your health and figure. I love to hear about successes like yours. However, you’re facing a greater challenge if you choose not to allow time for healing.

From the sounds of it, you might possibly have a brachialis muscle contusion compounded by overuse. If this is the case, you may wish to consider ways to stay active in fat burning and muscle development but without putting strain on the wrist and elbow flexor muscles.

If you don’t rest the area, you may be heading for bigger problems. First, the area will NOT heal, and will likely only worsen. The scar tissue that is forming is weaker than normal tissue. If you continually strain the new and immature scar, you’ll further weaken the area, prolonging recovery.

Second, you may also be at risk for developing myositis ossificans in the injured brachialis muscle, which is basically bone that gets laid down within the injured muscle tissue. Not good! If you think you’ve got a problem now, think for a moment about being completely sidelined by having a muscle that may become basically non-functional.

You are  an intelligent person (given your choice to transform your health and figure). You’re also smart enough to know that the area must be given a chance to heal.

Here are some potential choices you may wish to consider in order to selectively rest your elbow and wrist flexor muscles.

1. Opt for high intensity workouts that tax major lower extremity muscle groups (see www.AlpinePTmissoula.com and click on Intensity Interval Training in the “Health Information” section). That way, you can accomplish your workout goals while giving your elbow needed rest.

2. Consider purchasing a pair of Flexolate workout straps (developed by fitness guru and local Missoulian, Terry Baldwin). Go to: www.flexsolate.com. With the straps, you might be able to sneak in workouts that focus on the triceps and lat muscles, while avoiding heavy gripping , wrist flexion, and elbow flexion.

3. Get a reality check. Book the next available flight to Costa Rica for at least 6 weeks. While there, you must hold all eating and drinking utensils in your other hand. Make sure to lather up with sunscreen every morning and then lie down at the beach on one of four sides for at least an hour in each position.

Get it? I know you do. You’re smart.

For more information on the aches and pains that may be hampering your workouts, recreation, or sport, be sure to visit our clinic website at www.AlpinePTmissoula.com.

What do you get when you add one burpee everyday for 100 days? First of all, what the heck is a burpee?

To begin, stand tall and then jump horizontally onto the ground onto your hands, using your arms to slow your fall. After your chest meets the ground, quickly push up with your arms, pulling your legs fully under you. Then jump up and clap your hands as your feet leave the ground.

(To see a quick video of a person doing a burpee, click here.)

That’s one. Ready to do another one?

Now that you’ve done one today, you merely need to add one (for a total of two) tomorrow, three the next day, and so on . . .  up to 100.

This is known in some circles as the “100 day burpee challenge.”

When you’ve added one burpee a day for 100 days, you will end up doing 5,050 burpees. Interestingly, the half way point in terms of volume occurs on day 72. That means that for the last 28 days you end up doing as many burpees as you did from day one to day 72. Wild.

I did my first burpee challenge back in 2009. Notably, when I got up to about 85, I went to China for a couple weeks. While in Kunming, China, the burpees were super hard to do because Kunming is at about 8,000 feet above sea level. You can hardly catch your breath enough to string about 20 burpees together.

However, you’ll never guess where I was on day 100. Hong Kong! Doing 100 burpees at sea level is almost enjoyable. Well, not really. But it was way easier to string a lot of burpees together while doing them at sea level.

Earlier this year, four people started a 100 day burpee challenge. Two of us will complete our 100th day this coming Saturday. We only made one change in the burpee challenge this year, and it was my bright idea. Our goal was to do each day’s amount of burpees unbroken, meaning without stopping. Yeouch! Now that we’re in the high 90s per day, we’re sort of wishing we hadn’t set that as a goal.

Why would anyone want to do a 100 day burpee challenge? Boredom? Insanity? I still haven’t figured that out. I did find that my conditioning levels are at a new and higher level. My physique has changed markedly too. Along with greater definition in my arms and legs, my abs and torso are much more defined than they were nearly 100 days ago. And if anyone asks me to jump down and get up quickly 100 times, well, I can pretty much do that too!

Heck, you don’t have to do the burpee challenge, but you may want to throw some burpees into your workout to kick up the heat now and again.
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I’ll post again once I determine that I didn’t die while attempting to do 100 unbroken burpees this coming Saturday, the final day of this burpee challenge!