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Blue Hills Sports & Spine's Monthly Newsletter
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How Is Your Fitness?
There are a number factors that can affect your fitness level. We are not talking about fitness to be able to finish a triathlon, we are talking fitness for your life. Do you have the mobility and strength to do your regular daily activities without pain or excessive fatigue. There are a few simple tests you can try at home to see how "fit" you are. The American Physical Therapy Association has developed a quick survey that asks a few questions and then directs you through a few simple tests to try. Once you plug in your answers you will get your own "Fit Factor". Additionally they give some tips and recommendations based on your answers. To take the survey, click the image above. You can take the survey without signing up, or sharing any other information other than the simple answers to help gauge your fitness. Give it a try! If the results show that you may need some help in a few areas, come on in and see us. PT isn't just for when you are injured!
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The Benefits Of Early PT When Suffering From Neck Pain.
A recent study, published in
BMC Health Services Research
, looked at health care utilization over 1 year among 308 patients who presented with neck pain. The patients were divided into 3 groups:
- An "early" group that consulted a PT within 14 days after initial health care provider consultation.
- A "delayed" group that received a PT consultation between 15 and 90 days after initial health care provider consultation.
- A "late" group that waited from between 91 and 364 days to consult with a PT.
The study tracked rates of spinal injections, opioid prescription, imaging (MRIs, X-rays, and CT scans), and overall health care costs at the 1-year mark, analyzing data for each group.
What were the findings?
- Overall, 35% of patients in the study received spinal injections at some point but the both the delayed group and late group were close to 6 times more likely to receive the treatment compared with the early group.
- Opioids were prescribed to 62.7% of all patients. However, when broken down by early, delayed, and late groupings, the late group was estimated to be almost 3 times more likely to receive an opioid prescription than the early group.
- When it came to imaging, the delayed and late groups were more than 4 times as likely to receive an MRI and nearly 3 times as likely to receive an x-ray compared with the early group.
- At the end of 1 year, the average adjusted total health care cost for the early group was $1,853-about $1,000 less than the cost for the delayed group ($2,917) and less than half the cost associated with the late group, which averaged $4,026.
Just some more good reasons why you should be looking to "Get PT 1st" when you have neck pain. Don't wait to come see us. Not only can we help reduce your pain and get you back to doing things you want to, we can also save you thousands of dollars!
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Resolve To Improve Your Flexibility In 2019!
So many of the patients that we see could have potentially avoided a trip to come see us if they only did a little bit of flexibility work. You don't need to stretch everyday to improve your mobility, but doing some stretching once or twice a week on some key muscle groups can really help out. To point you in the right direction, we have put together a good general stretching program for you to try out. If you are recovering from an injury or have other health related issues that concern you, don't jump right into this program. This is just a good general stretching program for those who want to get a little bit looser. It won't replace a custom program designed specifically for you by one of our therapists. If you feel that your mobility isn't what it used to be and it's keeping you from doing things that you want to, that is a perfect excuse to come in and see us and get pointed in the right direction.
Click here for the PDF version of the program, or
click here to be taken to our portal where you can view videos of each of the stretches.
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The content of this newsletter, such as graphics, images, text and all other materials, is provided for reference and educational purposes only. The content is not meant to be complete or exhaustive or to be applicable to any specific individual's medical condition. It is not an attempt to practice medicine or provide specific medical advice, and it should not be used to make a diagnosis or to replace or overrule a qualified health care provider's judgment. The content in this newsletter is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with a qualified and licensed medical care provider and follow their advice without delay regardless of anything read on this website.
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