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 […]
No matter how old we are or what we do for a living, we are always using our hands… Our hands are a very important part of our body! Did you know? • We have 27 bones in our hands? • Our hands are controlled by 3 different nerves? • There are at least 123 […]
What is that bump on my foot? Do you have a large bump at the base of your first toe? Does it get painful at times? Is it difficult to find shoes that fit? That bump is called a bunion (bun-yun). Bunions tend to occur more often in women and as we age. What causes […]
Approximately 30 million Americans are affected by hearing loss. Hearing loss can develop at any age and may be caused by many different factors. Some causes of hearing loss include: Aging – Humans begin to lose their hearing at age 20, but it is often not noticeable until between the ages of 55 and 65. […]
Driving a vehicle represents freedom and independence for most people. Many of us remember the day we passed our driving license exam and what excitement we felt, being able to drive on our own. Particularly those of us who live in rural areas, such as the NEK, it is hard to get anywhere without wheels! […]
May is Better Speech and Hearing Month Speech is the verbal means of communicating. When a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice, then he or she may have a Speech Disorder. This also includes disorders of the voice and stuttering. Language is made […]
Did you know that the profession of OT (Occupational Therapy) is turning 100 years old in 2017? The profession of OT originated when wounded soldiers were bedridden and caregivers realized that keeping their patient’s hands and mind busy had many positive outcomes for them. The basis of occupational therapy was to use meaningful activities for […]
Apps for kids that help hand, vision and writing skills: As parents know, kids love cell phones and electronic notebooks such as IPads or Kindles. Here are some apps that can encourage various skills so they can learn something along with playing on their devices! For hand skills: • Dexteria: hand and finger exercises. • […]
What are Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s elbow? • Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, involves pain around the elbow, primarily at the bony area of the outer elbow (known as the lateral epicondyle). Sometimes it is even tender to the touch. • Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is a similar condition in which the bony area […]
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 pick up your child keeping he or she […]
Arthritis is a common complaint of pain for many. It can affect many joints of the body. This week the focus is on arthritis in one specific area, the thumb. What is thumb arthritis? A very common form of arthritis happens at the base of the thumb. This joint is very mobile and is prone […]
Shoveling snow might seem like a simple task, and often, we think nothing of it. It’s just something that needs to be done after a snowfall. However, the task becomes a bit more daunting when you’re dealing with an injury or weakness. In truth, it’s a complex task that requires use of the legs, arms […]
Do you have diabetes? If so, one of the most important things that you can do, besides keep your blood sugar under control, is to take care of your feet. 60-70% of patients with diabetes have nerve damage which can cause foot and leg numbness. This is one of the biggest risk factors in developing […]
Early motor development is important for children to be able to participate in more refined skills as they get older. Hand skills are needed to be able to feed, dress, bathe, groom and participate in daily tasks (including school). It is important to help children interact with the world through play and exploration. Limit motorized […]
Do you have headaches, neck pain, jaw, back or shoulder pain? It may be due, in part, to having poor posture. This is something that can easily be addressed with a few tips and exercises and should help decrease pain or discomfort. Do you sit slouched in your chair, rounding your upper back or your […]
North Country Hospital is hosting a PT Month celebration in the main lobby from 11-3p.m. on Thursday, October 13th. This is a free event open to hospital employees as well as the community. Physical Therapy Month was established by the American Physical Therapy Association to recognize the contribution that physical therapists and physical therapist assistants […]
