Pain is an unpleasant sensation that we usually associate with injury or tissue damage, but can actually be present in the absence of tissue damage. Pain can be acute or chronic. Acute pain lasts for a short time – up to 12 weeks. It is a warning that tissue damage has occurred or may occur, […]
The weather is warming up, it’s time to get the garden in order, or begin that project or maybe you’ve decided it’s time to get into shape. If you aren’t ready for a big increase in activity or movement you may feel it the next day in the form of soreness or pain. Is there […]
Gardening is a popular pastime in the NEK, but doing it incorrectly can lead to back pain, joint aches, and muscle strains. Gardening can also be difficult for people with health conditions that limit movement (such as arthritis) or cause fatigue. But with a few easy strategies, gardening can be a pleasurable and safe activity […]
Occupational Therapy focuses on helping you take part in the activities you need to do each day. Your “occupation” is the activity that “occupies your time”. Learning, being able to do things by yourself, using your hand after an injury, are all “occupations” and participating in them is important to maintain your health and wellness. […]
Healthy Tips for Each Decade- 50s and Beyond This week we continue our theme of how to stay healthy through the decades. 5 Tips for 50s: See the world, and exercise, too. Traveling for work or pleasure shouldn’t derail your healthy habits. Physical therapists can suggest exercises you can do on the go, anywhere. Bone […]
This is a list of tips from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) on how to stay active and healthy through the decades. Tips for 20s: Be active 30 minutes per day to make it a habit for life. Regular exercise in the present is a great way to keep serious health issues such as […]
We’d like to offer some tips for our moms, dads and caregivers on protecting your back as you are caring for infants. Meal Time for Your Infant Moms and dads both can enjoy feeding time with their infant. But even a young baby can quickly get heavy causing strain on your neck and shoulders. Here […]
You have two bones in your forearm, the radius and the ulna, which connect the elbow to the wrist. The radius is the most frequently broken bone in the arm. A distal radius “ray-dee-us” fracture is a break just before the wrist joint. The fracture is considered simple if the bone is broken in only […]
North Country Hospital will be offering a FREE educational session “Knowing Your Knees” on February 27, 2018 from 11:00 am – noon at Barton Area Senior Services, presented by physical therapists. All are welcome and no preregistration is necessary. This week we’d like to give an introduction to your knees. The knee must be able […]
This Vermont winter has been exceptionally cold and windy. Some of us may have come inside and noticed that an area of our skin is red or white and cold to the touch. Often we wonder… do I have frostbite? Here are some things to consider. Frostbite injuries occur when the body skin and underlying […]
North Country Hospital will offer a FREE educational session “ALL ABOUT THE HIP” on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 from 11:00 am – 12:00 noon at the Barton Senior Center, 17 Village Square in Barton, presented by physical therapists. All are welcome. Please come prepared to do some light activity. This week we’d like to give […]
Some of us still make New Year’s Resolutions. Sometimes they stick, sometimes they don’t. There is quite a bit of information that changing a habit can take 21-30 days. Of course, the key is how to stick to that change. And the difference between 21 days and 30 days can seem like a long time […]
Seasonal Affective Disorder (depressive symptoms triggered by seasonal changes; for example: “winter blues”) and feelings of depression can occur especially during the winter months. To manage the holiday blues, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) suggests the following: 1. Open your home. If it is difficult to get out of your home to visit others, […]
One of the trends discussed in relation to staying healthy these days is how sitting for too long can affect our overall health and even decrease or life expectancy. In 2010 researchers identified a link between sitting for too long, such as at a desk job, and diseases the cardiac system (heart), diabetes, and stroke. […]
October 26, Thursday 1:00pm-2:00pm, there will be a FREE Balance Bootcamp session at the North Country Hospital Wellness Center on 1734 Crawford Road, starting at 1:00pm. North Country Hospital PTs will present information on the importance of maintaining your balance and exercises to help you stay balanced. To register please call 334-5566, or go to […]
Physical Therapy Month was established by the American Physical Therapy Association to recognize the contribution that physical therapists and physical therapist assistants make in improving the lives of people through movement and activity. PT’s can make a big difference in helping people recover well from an accident or injury, build strength and endurance, and improve […]
Carrying Your Child While Saving Your Back We all like to snuggle and care for our young children. But those 5 to 40 extra pounds can lead to an aching back if we don’t take care of ourselves. Here are a few tips to save your back but love your child: • Squat down to […]
This week we are continuing our discussion of balance and risks to falling, and why it is important to work on preventing falls. The following information is from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of their Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries (STEADI) program: Tips to help prevent falls: • Talk […]
Few of us haven’t at least tried playing one of the many video games available. They can be played on consoles, computers, tablets and phones. Unfortunately they can lead to injuries of the hand, wrist and elbow due to how we hold the device, our posture, and how long we are on the device. The […]
Does Your Work Fit You? Ergonomics (ergo-nom-ics) is the science of addressing the physical, social, and environmental factors that help a person do their job as efficiently and safely as possible. It is making sure the work fits the worker. Occupational Therapists work to assess and observe the person, the task and the environment. By […]
Back to school can be an enjoyable and exciting time of year. Whether it’s a student’s first year of Kindergarten or last year in high school, there are many important things to think about. School supplies are always helpful and make for a great start to the school year, however there are also some important […]
As Physical Therapists (PTs) we find discussing balance and risks of falling to be challenging. Our patients, particularly our patients over 65 or so, don’t like to discuss falling. As PTs we have been told by some of our patients, families and our colleagues in the health care field, not to use the word fall, […]
Most people know the term arthritis, which means inflammation of a joint. There is one particular type of arthritis called osteoarthritis, or OA. This is the most common type of arthritis and means an actual break down or deterioration of a joint. This sounds scary, but it is very common as the joints affected are […]
Pain that occurs on the bottom of the foot particularly near the heel can really slow you down. The name for this condition is plantar fasciitis (Plan-tar fasch-e-itis). The fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs from you heel to the ball, or front of your foot. It can become irritated and inflamed. […]
When we are in pain, it is hard to think about anything else. Physical Therapists (PT) are experienced with helping their patients handle pain. Whether the pain is from an acute injury, meaning something that just happened such as a sports related injury, a fall, or an injury that occurs when working. Pain can come […]
