Workplace Wellness

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Greetings! I hope you are all enjoying the Indian Days of Summer! I am excited to share the following story with you as it's truly the reason I love coming to "work" each and everyday!

I recently had a youthful 74 year old woman walk into our clinic, worried about the possibility of back surgery. She had some back pain, but her greater concern was the weakness in her legs. She was worried about falling. She felt like her knees were giving out and thought this was coming from her back.

During our examination her back didn't seem to be causing her weakness at all! I measured her leg strength and she was extremely weak. She could only push 20 pounds on one of her legs and 40 on the other. She looked puzzled when I told her I thought it could just be that she was getting weaker and needed to work on her leg strength.

Studies have shown (most of us may not realize) when we reach 65 years old we lose about 1.5% of our strength annually. We actually begin losing our strength at 1% beginning at the age of 30. Over time, my patient had lost too much strength. She started noticing the weakness when she tried walking downstairs and her legs almost gave out.

The good news, she got on an exercise program and can now leg press 100 pounds on each leg. She is still working on her strength, as her goal is her body weight of 125 pounds. She had never been one to exercise and was always intimidated with the thought of going to a place to "workout". However, she is so excited with her new found energy, strength and less physically straining life. As of last week, she is still enjoying her weekly visits and exercising on her own! She truly believes she has been given a new lease on life! She thinks her strength has helped her be more engaging with her kids and grandchildren. She feels younger at 74 years old than she did at 64 years old as she thinks she had been struggling more than she originally cared to admit to herself.

It is because of people like this that I have loved my career for over 33 years. I love seeing people regain their zest for life! If you are finding life a bit more difficult because of weakness or discomfort, please come in and let us examine you and try to help you regain YOUR zest for life!

Enjoy!

Fran

Health Information

Workplace Wellness

Working at a computer work station all day can take a toll on the body. Repetitive activities and lack of mobility can contribute to aches, pains, and eventual injuries.

Sitting at a desk while using the keyboard for hours on a day to day basis can result in poor circulation to joints and muscles, it can also create an imbalance in strength and flexibility of certain muscles, and muscle strain. These issues can be easily remedied by taking frequent short breaks, or "micro breaks," throughout your day

Get out of your chair several times a day and move around-even for 30 seconds
Roll your shoulders backwards
Turn your head side to side
Stretch out your forearms and your legs

Additionally, specific guidelines for your work station can help maximize your comfort and safety.

Your chair should have the following:

Wheels (5 for better mobility)
The ability to twist freely on its base
Adjustable height
Adjustable arm rests that will allow you to sit close to your desk
Lumbar support
Seat base that adjusts to a comfortable angle and allows you to sit up straight

The position of the keyboard is critical:

The keyboard should be at a height that allows you to have your forearms slightly below a horizontal line-or your elbows at slightly more than a 90 degree angle.
You should be able to slide your knees under the keyboard tray or desk.
Avoid reaching for the keyboard by extending your arms or raising your shoulders.
Try to avoid having the keyboard on top of your desk. That is too high for almost everyone-unless you can raise your seat. The elbow angle is the best test of keyboard position.

The position of your computer monitor is important:

The monitor should be directly in front of you.
The top of the monitor should be at your eye level, and at a distance where you can see it clearly without squinting, or leaning forward or backward.
If you need glasses for reading, you may need to have a special pair for use at your computer to avoid tipping your head backward to see through bi-focals or other types of reading glasses.

How can a physical therapist help?

Many physical therapists are experts at modifying work stations to increase efficiency and prevent or relieve pain. Additionally, if you are experiencing pain that isn't relieved by modifications to your work station, you should see a physical therapist who can help develop a treatment plan to relieve your pain and improve your mobility.

** article from moveforwardpt.com

MPT News & Happenings

Thank you to the Michiana Community for selecting McDonald PT "Best Local Physical Therapy" 8 years in a row!!! We are so grateful that you have entrusted us with your healthcare for over 27 years!

Fran's Favorite Quotes

"Magic is something you make!"

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McDonald Physical Therapy
574-233-5754
fran@mcdonaldpt.com
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