Safe Cycling

As the temperature rises we see more and more people outside on their bicycles. Cycling is a great activity for exercise and fun, but like any other physical activity, there is a chance for injury. From proper stretching and equipment, there are a few different things you should be aware of before getting on your bicycle.

Stretching will help to improve your cycling performance and protect you from injury. While cycling is a popular recreational activity, you also have to think of it as a workout, and stretching before working out is important for your safety. A common form of stretching before cycling includes leg swings. Leg swings are exactly what they sound like. Just hold on to your bicycle seat, pick up the outside leg, hold it straight, and swing it forward and backward. Do this 10 times. You can then face your bike and swing your leg from side to side. This stretches your outer hip, thigh muscles and groin muscles.

Equipment is crucial when it comes to cycling.The helmet is one of the most important things to consider. Your helmet should be sturdy and safe. Look for a shell casing and try it on to make sure it’s the proper fit. Next is feet. It’s true that cycling is the most common during warm weather, but wearing sandals or flip flops should be avoided. It’s best to wear sneakers. By wearing sneakers your feet will be protected and there is less of a chance of your feet getting caught in the peddles or chains. The seat is also important to consider. A comfortable and shock absorbent cushion can make all the difference.

Along with safety equipment, it’s also a good idea to make sure your clothing makes it easier for you to be seen. If possible, wear white or any bright color, especially when it’s dark outside. You can also choose to wear a reflective vest.

Doing some stretches and wearing the equipment recommended will help you remain safe while riding your bicycle. If you have any questions about proper stretching for cycling or have sustained a cycling injury call Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare PC to schedule an appointment. Make sure you’re getting the most out of your cycling experience!

Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare PC offers the very best physical therapy in Ontario County. We treat all your wants and needs with our trusted and experienced Physical Therapists and staff. To begin to feel pain and stress free, start your Physical Therapy journey today and schedule your evaluation by calling (585) 396-1400.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common reasons for heel pain. Plantar Fasciitis involves a thick band of tissue that lies on the bottom of your foot called the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia connects your heel bone to your toes and supports the arch of your foot. When there is strain on the tissue it gets weak, swollen and inflamed. This then results in pain when you stand or walk on it. The pain is commonly experienced when you first wake up and takes those first steps in the morning.

Plantar fasciitis is more likely to happen when you wear shoes that don’t fit well, have high arched feet or flat feet, you are on your feet for a long period of time, or your feet roll inward too much when you walk. The most common symptom is a stabbing pain at the bottom of your foot near your heel.

Ignoring any signs of plantar fasciitis may leave you with chronic heel pain that comes into play during everyday activities. You may change the way you walk when dealing with plantar fasciitis to try and decrease any pain, but this may also develop foot, knee, hip or back problems.

Consult with your physical therapist to get the best treatment plan for you and your specific condition. Your physical therapist will use their hands to relax the tissues in your lower leg and feet and teach you exercise to loosen the plantar fascia and strengthen lower leg muscles which in turn will stabilize your heel and ankle. Some other advice your physical therapist may give you is to wear an athletic strapping to the bottom of your foot for support.

Aside from physical therapy, make sure you give your feet a rest. Cut down on the activities that usually make your feet hurt and try not to walk on hard surfaces. Also, maybe try and get a new pair of sneakers. This could be one of the key reasons why you are in so much pain.

Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare PC offers the very best physical therapy in Ontario County. We treat all your wants and needs with our trusted and experienced Physical Therapists and staff. To begin to feel pain and stress free, start your Physical Therapy journey today and schedule your evaluation by calling (585) 396-1400.

How Physical Therapy Can Help Sciatica

Did you know that the sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body? Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is irritated. This is a painful condition, but it can be treated with physical therapy. Strengthening, stretching and aerobic conditioning are the main types of exercises used to help heal the pain sciatica causes. The movements of these exercises cause the exchange of nutrients and fluids in the spinal discs. The movement helps to relieve the pressure that runs from the lower spine and down the back of the thigh to the legs and feet.

There are two different types physical therapy treatments when it comes to sciatica, passive and active. To prepare the body for the necessary exercises, the passive treatments are used. This can include deep tissue massages, hot and cold therapies and ultrasound. These treatments are used for relaxation purposes. Once your body is relaxed, the active treatments can be applied.

The active treatment portion includes exercises that are fit to your health and history. The best exercises are the ones that can externally rotate the hip. Examples of exercises that do this are the Figure 4 Stretch and the Pigeon Stretch. Both of these exercises rotate the hips and give you the good stretch that you need. Your physical therapist will choose the exercise program that will best help your condition.

Common causes of sciatica include lumbar herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, isthmic spondylolisthesis, lumbar spinal stenosis, piriformis syndrome, and sacroiliac joint dysfunction. The underlying medical cause will affect what your physical therapist decides to do. Seeing a physical therapist is the best thing to do to reduce the sciatica pain you’re feeling now and to prevent future pain. Exercise and movement will help sciatica pain better than resting!

Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare PC offers the very best physical therapy in Ontario County. We treat all your wants and needs with our trusted and experienced Physical Therapists and staff. To begin to feel pain and stress free, start your Physical Therapy journey today and schedule your evaluation by calling (585) 396-1400.

Stress Awareness Month Has Arrived

April is home to a lot of great things! The spring weather, baseball season and Easter, but one thing you may not have known is that it’s home to National Stress Awareness Month! Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. It is something that we all have dealt with and will continue to deal with throughout the rest of our lives.  We all battle stress because it can stem from anything from work, school, family, friends, or anything imaginable.

We as individuals living in one of the most hardworking nations in the world cannot avoid stress. However, there are ways we can cope with stress and find happiness. One of the most important steps to cope with stress is to recognize its presence. Identify stressors and attempt to eliminate them as best as possible.

Here are some ways to help cope with your stress:

• Avoid Procrastination. Putting off tasks till the last minute will only leave you feeling overwhelmed when you finally attempt to get the task done. Manage your time accordingly, and you will avoid a panic attack when it comes time to do your task.
• Be Punctual and Organized. These two go hand in hand because if you continuously run late, then you leave yourself vulnerable for a stressful panic to get to where you need to be on time. Being disorganized is the cause of the being late. Prepare your clothes, food and all you need for work, school or wherever you need to be the night before; you will be more stress free upon waking up and leaving in the morning.
• Quietness. Be sure to find quiet time in your life where you can relax, listen to soothing music, watch an enjoyable show or even relax in a room with no noise while breathing and taking your mind off your worries.
• Exercise. Exercising is one of the best things you can to alleviate stress. Whether it’s going to the gym or working on in your living room. A half hour to an hour of working out is great for the mind and also is great for your body!
• Perspective. Putting your life into perspective is very important. Try to think of all the important and wonderful things in your life. Instead of repeatedly listing all of our worries in your head, think about all the positives of your life. Think about family, your friends and your most happy moments. Thinking logically can save you from massive amounts of stress.
• Help others. ALthough it sounds contradicting to your desire for a less busier life, helping others makes you feel good about yourself and takes away stress as it takes your mind off your own problems.

Besides these coping mechanisms, there are a bunch of other ways that you could handle your stress. The main goal is to not let the stress get you too much and control your life. It is normal to get stressed, and it is almost impossible to avoid it all together, but making yourself and others aware of the problem is the first step to feeling free and secure, so stop worrying and start getting help!

Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare PC offers the very best physical therapy in Ontario County. We treat all your wants and needs with our trusted and experienced Physical Therapists and staff. To begin to feel pain and stress free, start your Physical Therapy journey today and schedule your evaluation by calling (585) 396-1400.

Physical Therapy Will Help Improve Your Golf Game

Do you love to play golf, but find yourself in pain? There is now a solution. Physical therapy will help you perform better on the golf course as well as feel pain-free. With physical therapy, you will begin to notice a great deal of improvement in your golf game and overall health.

There are many factors that lead to golf players feeling aches and pains in their bodies. For many golfers, their injuries stem from their mechanics. A golf related injury may be a pre-existing neck, back, wrist, hand shoulder or elbow injury. However, it may also be due to poor body mechanics, muscle tightness, or joint restriction.

How can physical therapy help? Physical therapists can help the golfer learn proper biomechanics and body movement. The exercises that you will conduct will help you achieve consistency with your golf swing, and eliminate pain from an existing injury.

Physical therapists will attempt to improve your flexibility, especially in your hips and shoulders because those two parts of the body are used the most during your follow through and backswing. Physical therapists will also improve your strength of your core and limb and work with you to increase your mobility. Increasing your mobility of your joints such as your shoulders, neck, back, and elbow helps prevent limitations on your swing. Physical therapy will greatly improve your balance in order to ensure a great follow through. A clean, balanced swing will help you avoid injuries to your hip, abdominal and hip musculature. These will all improve with simple stretches and exercises that your therapist will teach you. Once you learn the proper forms, you will be able to practice them with or without your physical therapists.

By working with a physical therapists, you will notice improvements quickly, and will begin to play golf with proper technique without thinking about it. Your perfect swing and follow through will become natural and a lot more safe. After all, although it is not a contact-sport, it is still a sport where you are putting your body at risk. Anytime you are moving your body unnaturally, you are susceptible to injury. But, with a little help from physical therapy, your health will go a long way.

Zoe Fackelman, a physical therapist with Lake Country Physical Therapy and Sportscare, has been an avid golfer since the age of 14. She has long known the aches and pains that accompany the sport. If you want to learn how to prepare your body to increase distance on your shots and drop shots and decrease your chance of injury call Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare today!

Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare PC offers the very best physical therapy in Ontario County. We treat all your wants and needs with our trusted and experienced Physical Therapists and staff. To begin to feel pain and stress free, start your Physical Therapy journey today and schedule your evaluation by calling (585) 396-1400.

Tennis Elbow

With the beautiful weather just starting to appear, that means one thing: spring sports! Spring is the time to get outside and get that fresh air that you have been missing all winter. A great spring sport that many are excited to play is tennis. But don’t just go reaching for your racquet just yet. Tennis elbow is a very serious condition that affects around 50 percent of tennis players. And it’s not just tennis players who suffer from it. Any other sports that use racquets are also victims and even some occupations. People who are employed as a painter, carpenter or anyone who lifts a lot can also develop tennis elbow. But there are things that you can do to prevent this from ruining your spring.

• Get in shape- Don’t just go join the next tournament without a little training first. Make sure that you are healthy enough to be playing and always warm up before practicing.
• Strengthen- The overuse of your muscles will cause great strain if they are not strong enough. It is extremely important to strengthen your arms, shoulders and back to take some of the tension off of your elbow.
• Get the right equipment: Using the right racquet for your size and strength is extremely important. You also want to make sure that the grip on the racquet is soft enough to provide a cushioning effect.
• Talk to your Physical Therapist-If you have any signs of discomfort while playing talk to your PT right away! It is important to catch the problem before it turns into a bigger one.

Don’t let an injury keep you from doing what you love this spring! Did you know that you do not need a referral to come to Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare, P.C.? Direct Access is an enactment, which allows patients to be evaluated and treated by a licensed physical therapist, for up to 10 treatment sessions OR 30 days (whichever occurs first), without a referral/prescription from their physicians.

Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare PC offers the very best physical therapy in Ontario County. We treat all your wants and needs with our trusted and experienced Physical Therapists and staff. To begin to feel pain and stress free, start your Physical Therapy journey today and schedule your evaluation by calling (585) 396-1400.

Get Your Taste-buds Ready for Spring!

Get Your Taste-buds Ready for Spring!

by lakecountrypt, March 17, 2015

It’s the month of March. That means it’s National Nutrition Month and that spring is right around the corner! The best way to celebrate these two occasions is by trying some healthy spring recipes that are nutritious enough to make during National Nutrition Month. Don’t worry, they’re also very delicious and as colorful as the flowers that are soon to bloom. These recipes will contain fruits and vegetables that are best during spring.

When you think of spring, don’t you think of fresh strawberries? Strawberries have many health benefits. They are an excellent source of vitamin C, as well as an immunity booster. The vitamin C also plays a major role in eye health. Along with vitamin C, strawberries contain antioxidants and phytochemicals that help to reduce inflammation in joints that may result in arthritis, and possibly lead to heart disease.

Try this recipe with a friend for Strawberry Arugula Salad:

Servings: 2

Ingredients Needed:

• 2 cups of torn fresh arugula
• ¾ cup of fresh strawberries cut in quarters

• ¼ cup of sliced almonds
• ¼ cup of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 2 tablespoons of chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of thawed orange juice concentrate
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• 1 ½ teaspoons of grated orange peel
• ⅛ teaspoon of ground ginger

Directions:

1) Blend the first five ingredients into your salad bowl.

2) Whisk the oil, vinegar, orange juice concentrate, orange peel, and ginger in a                  smaller bowl.

3) Pour the small bowl of contents over your salad. Toss the salad gently to ensure it is fully coated.

4) Enjoy!

Peas are another popular spring ingredient! How about some Spring Pea Soup? It even has spring in the name. Your family is sure to love this because it’s creamy, delicious and green like spring. Peas also have many health benefits. Peas are beneficial for weight management, a cup of peas is less than 100 calories. They are also great for blood sugar regulation. Their high fiber and protein help to slow down how fast sugars are digested. Peas are filled with vitamin B1 and folate, B2, B3, and B6. These vitamins reduce the body’s homocysteine levels and reduce the risk for heart disease. Get in on these benefits and make some pea soup!

Servings: 6

Ingredients Needed:

• 6 cups of chicken broth
• 2 cups of cubed peeled potatoes
• 2 cups of fresh or frozen peas (thawed)
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of minced chives

Directions:

1) Saute potatoes in butter in a large sauce pan until lightly browned.

2) Stir in broth and bring to a boil.

3) Lower the heat, cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

4) Add peas and cook them for 5-8 minutes.

5) Let it cool for a moment.

6) Use a blender to process the soup in batches.

7) Return all contents to the pan and heat. Sprinkle chives over the pan.

8) Enjoy!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/seasonal-recipes/spring-recipes