RecoverRx Performance and Recovery BlogThis blog is dedicated to all things from recovery to performance. Our industry expert Physical Therapists provide evidence based information and opinions educating our readers on how to optimize their health in order to be able to overcome injuries and live the life they were meant to live!
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 This time of year is marked by so many feelings and experiences. From joyful celebrations to memorable traditions, the weeks leading up to the New Year certainly keep people busy, and oftentimes healthy habits are the first things to get dropped when plates get too full. Despite so much focus on festive gatherings, many people find themselves feeling less than merry and more stressed during December than they do the rest of the year. Targeting January 1st as the day to reset and focus on health is tempting, but there’s really no time like December to incorporate small but impactful strategies to help you feel your best and minimize holiday stress in the process. Here are three easy ways to prioritize you and your mental health this month: 1. Exercise daily. According to Mayo Clinic, exercise has proven health benefits when it comes to destressing. First, it may help increase the production of your brain's feel-good neurotransmitters called endorphins. Sometimes referred to as a “runner’s high”, this effect can be triggered not just by running, but even by a walk outdoors or a game of paddle tennis. Exercise can also be a moving form of meditation, as it often requires you to engage in an activity that is repetitive and focus on the task at hand instead of worrying about all the holiday gifts you still need to purchase. Physical activity can also help complete your body’s stress cycle, or fight-or-flight response, resulting in your cardiovascular, digestive, and immune systems getting a boost of protection. Finally, regular exercise has been linked to improvement in sleep, which is often disrupted by stress and anxiety. 2. Practice gratitude. Dr. Robert Emmons, a scientific expert on gratitude, confirms that people who have a regular gratitude practice are happier, healthier, and can cope with stress and anxiety better than people who don’t. You don’t need anything formal or fancy to reap the stress-busting benefits of a gratitude practice, but if you’re not sure where to start, consider simply pausing and reflecting the next time you find yourself worrying, and ask yourself, “What opportunities do I currently have that I am grateful for?”, “What did I get to experience in the last month that brought me joy?”, or “What has someone done recently that helped me?” If you prefer a practice that is a little more tangible, you could keep a gratitude journal and write down three things you are grateful for each night before bed. 3. Set Boundaries with your Calendar Schedules can fill up quickly this time of year, so it’s important to take inventory of your family’s calendar and keep expectations reasonable. Every family is different, so discuss with yours how many activities or events feel good to participate in each week or weekend, and then prioritize obligations with your boundaries in mind. By giving yourself some down time each week, you will be better able to rest and recharge before the next family event comes around, which will prevent your stress level from becoming overwhelming. Plus, you might even end up starting some low-key family traditions without even leaving home.  While stress may be an expected part of your holiday experience, it doesn’t have to be. By taking small steps to care for your body and mind, you can start a new tradition of feeling well from the inside out this holiday season. Whether it’s endorphin-filled exercise, a new habit of gratitude, or setting boundaries with your social calendar, put yourself at the top of your priority list this month, and get ready to start the New Year feeling less stressed and more energized! Learn more about how exercise can help eliminate and prevent stress in Dr. Sarah's Curiosity Corner:
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By Dr. Sarah Greenwell, PT, DPT, CSMPT As a physical therapist, I cannot prescribe medications. However, as a Doctor of PT, I am here today to prescribe a daily dose of M.E.D.S. But not the kind that comes in a pill. The MEDS I am talking about are: Mindfulness Exercise Diet Sleep  Most people come to physical therapy because of pain. Or because they cannot workout or participate in life the way they want. But along with strengthening muscles and mobilizing joints, many of these issues can be significantly improved with a healthy and daily dose of Mindfulness, Exercise, Diet, and Sleep. And along with improving joint and muscle pain, daily M.E.D.S. can help improve stress, anxiety, lack of energy/motivation, poor mood, and upset stomach. Let’s quickly break these down. Mindfulness: is achieved by focusing on the present moment, accepting your thoughts and feelings, and being able to focus on what you CAN control. Instead of mindlessly going through the motions of your day, take time to think about what your goals are for the day. In the morning, ask yourself: What do you want to accomplish or what do you have to do to overcome the day’s challenges? Or in the evening, reflect on what went well, what didn’t, and what can you learn from today to make tomorrow better. Don’t focus on the obstacles. Focus on the progress. Progress gives you purpose, energy, passion, enthusiasm, joy, gratitude, and hope for the now and the future.  Exercise: It is recommended that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense exercise per week. But if you are not there yet, start with something. Make it a daily routine to do at least 20 minutes of physical activity. Try to include a mix of flexibility, strength training, and cardiovascular exercise. A daily walk or a beginner yoga session is one place to start getting your body moving. We are learning more about the protective effects of muscle mass and strength on lifelong health and aging while maintaining an active and Independent lifestyle. So make sure to pick up some weights a few times a week. If you need any help or guidance, shoot us a message or give us a call today! 331-253-2426  Diet: We are not talking about a short-term weight loss strategy. Rather, your diet is the way you fuel your body to perform. Although it can be confusing and conflicting in today’s world to know what is healthy, most nutritionists would agree that if it is a plant – eat it; if it was made in a plant – don’t. Try to stick to food in its more natural form and with ingredients that are found in nature. And although added sugars may taste good, they do not provide your body with nutrition. Instead, they add inches to our waistline and increase inflammation in our gut and skeletal system.  Sleep: Adults need 8-9 hours each night to function at our best (and kids need even more)
Any less, and our bodies struggle to repair tissue, store memories, support immune function, and fight fatigue. Napping and caffeine do not replace the need for consistent quality sleep. The physical and emotional stress that we put our bodies through during the day needs a full night of rest to recover and prepare for the next day. So instead of an ‘apple a day to keep the doctor away,’ try to take your M.E.D.S daily, and reach out to us if you have any questions or would like some trusted resources on any of these topics! David Bokermann, PT, DPT, C-PS Fitness challenges have been around for countless years, but have been gaining popularity in the age of social media with a large part of the population sharing their stories and results of such challenges. As the team at RecoverRx is committed to personal health and wellness, Dr. Luke, Dr. Sarah and myself, Dr. David, have decided to give this latest fitness challenge a shot. The 75 Hard challenge is a self improvement plan created by Andy Frisella, the CEO of 1st Phorm supplements. The challenge lasts 75 days and consists of completion of 5 daily tasks.
 As part of this blog, I will interview both Dr. Luke and Dr. Sarah about their individual journeys to check in with their progress, discuss any wins, and analyze any pitfalls. But first, I will begin with my take away being 2 weeks into the challenge. First, for the nutrition component- I elected to focus on my personal habits and not follow a restrictive diet. The nutrition plan I am following is having to have a fruit or vegetable at every meal. May not seem like much, but with 3 kids at home and different early and late shifts at work, it has been easy in the past to grab something convenient versus healthy. In addition, in order to address my specific habits, I have also challenged myself to not eat any potato chips during the challenge, which is my guilty pleasure. Not going to lie, that has been harder than the water. For the fitness component, completing both workouts is definitely a challenge. I am very lucky in that I literally work in a gym, so I can rather easily get in at least 1 workout at work over lunch. To get the 2nd one in, I got back to my Peloton routine early in the morning or after the kids' bedtime. To accommodate for my family’s needs, we do go on a 15-30 minute walk on most nights I am home which I am counting towards my outside time and part of my 45 minute workout. To also get in the outside component, I have made it a point to get out of the office and walk for short periods to help bridge the gap if I haven't hit my 2 45 minute workouts. The fresh air has been great. As a PT, I am acutely aware of the consequences of muscle soreness and the need for recovery. It is never fun to be limping around for a couple days or have trouble bending forward because your body is so tight from overworking, so I have been adding in sessions of yoga and whole body recovery sessions. The gallon of water was a little tough for the first 5-6 days, but now I have hit my stride and have been finishing the requirement before 8 o’clock. The goal being don’t wait until the end of the day so you are not getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. My advice though is to get the largest bottle you can get and carry it around with you wherever you go. I purchased a 64 ounce bottle from Aldi that hasn't really left my side. Reading at night has been an inconsistent activity over the past couple of years that is really enjoyable but sometimes hard to get in daily. I enjoy the night-time task and look forward to gaining some knowledge on topics that interest me. I am currently reading “The Subtle Art of not giving a F*!$,” which has had some interesting thought provoking ideas. On the daily picture taking, I elected to do a weekly picture and weekly weigh-in instead of the daily picture of progress. I don't feel like I am missing out or changing the parameters but wanted to do what makes the most sense for me. If you are interested in doing the 75 hard challenge yourself, leave a comment or ask a question below. Keep an eye out for the follow up interviews with Dr. Luke and Dr. Sarah in the next couple of weeks. By Dr. Sarah Greenwell, PT, DPT, CSMPT As clinicians, we should be saying “how”, not “no.” How many times have I heard a patient tell me that they can never do ‘x’ again?
When that patient was told never to kneel again, she refused to practice getting up and down from the ground with me in my clinic because she would not put weight on her knee in a half kneel position – even for the 10 second transition (and with hand support on a table). The surgery happened over 10 years ago; and she was now at a point where her balance was not good and she was afraid of falling. I was trying to show her in a controlled environment how to get up if the worst were to happen (sometimes the fear of falling is equally the fear of not being able to get back up). Or the 65 y.o. patient who was told never to lift anything over 20 lbs... His 3-year-old grandson was 34 lbs and wanted to run into Papa’s arms. Rather than being taught to strengthen his core and learn good lifting mechanics, Papa just reminded the little guy that grandpa has a bad back and will settle for a high five. In a world where the Paralympics continue to show us how resilient the mind and body are and how the once inconceivable are not only attained but gold medalists -why are we so willing to accept no as an answer?  As physical therapists, I would hope that my colleagues, as well as other professionals, start realizing the impact that what we say can have on an individual’s self-identity and future ambitions. The body is so amazing and was designed with the capacity to heal itself. Tissues heal. Chronic pain is usually brought on by an overactive nervous system that may have been conditioned under stress, conflicting medical opinions, fear of imaging results, ongoing legal battles, growing medical bills, and family pressures. Not always. Some things do result in life-long tissue damage- but this is more rare than we are led to believe. As PTs, our goals are to
3. If severe trauma or a progressive condition causes a true inability to resume prior function at your previous capacity, then it is our job to show you modifications or tools to continue to allow you to perform within your current abilities. So.. to help preserve the longevity of a total knee replacement, you shouldn’t garden on your knees for 30 minutes at a time. But, you could use a low bench, planters, or a raised garden bed. If you had your knees replaced early so you can be more interactive with your grandkids, then use your knees to help lower and raise yourself from the ground to play with the legos. If you are a runner who used to run 5 miles each morning to help improve mental focus for the workday ahead; or at the end of the day to help relieve anxiety -being told not not to run feels like give up the best mental health practice of the day. Some fractures are linked to increased risk for developing osteoarthritis, but what is the health risk from not exercising, losing the mental support of a running club, and turning to more passive stress relievers at the end of a long day (high sugary foods, alcohol, TV). Instead, maybe you start with a 2 mile hike in the morning and a 1 mile jog at the end of the day. If your shoulder has a torn labrum, it might be irritated throwing consecutively for 20 minutes at a time. But you can start with 5-minute intervals while building up strength in your rotator cuff and doing daily mobility practices to make sure your shoulder moves freely without stressing the internal structures. Or you can be the batter and let your son practice fielding and running the ball back. Yes, your back might have a herniated disc. It might have more than one. But does it hurt all the time, or is it just fear of reinjury holding you back? Were you told you will need major surgery if you ever hurt it again? What if I told you that some disc herniations get reabsorbed over time (Altun & Yuksel, 2017). Your deep abdominal muscles and spinal stabilizer muscles act like a weight belt at the gym. Instead of preventing abdominal hernias, when working properly, they support the internal spinal column and allow you to lift with very little risk of injury.
So if you have ever been told no, and you are sick of sitting on the sidelines in the game of life, I hope you can find a PT that tells you “how” instead. Hint: you can come see us anytime at RecoverRx Performance Physical Therapy, where our motto is:  Reference: Lumbar herniated disc: spontaneous regression. Idiris Altun and Kasım Zafer Yüksel. Korean J Pain. 2017 Jan; 30(1): 44–50.
Thanks for reading! Dr. Sarah Email me if you have any questions about how we can get you back the things you love! sarah@recoverrxpt.com By: Dr. David BokermannHappy 2022 All! I love the feeling of a new year; it gives us all something to look forward to by way of celebration, reflection of the past and hope for the future. It gives us a chance to pause and reflect on things accomplished and areas we would like to see improved. This is the time of year for New Year's resolutions. I have tried, like many others, to make personal new year's resolutions, but they never seem to stick. Last year my resolution was to keep it simple- everyday do 50 push ups and a 50 second plank. I thought the simple nature would help me achieve it but my desire waned after 3 weeks and I just didn’t do it one day, thinking I would catch up the next day. 2-3 days went by and then a week and poof my resolution was busted. I would occasionally think about picking it back up but never was fully committed so it never came to fruition. That is what my blog is focused on this month. How can we capture this new year energy and create healthy sustainable habits for a lifetime not a week or a month. In April 2021, one of my patients told me I had to listen to this podcast because it was right up my alley- simple and effective health advice. My patient was right, I loved the podcast and bought the book. It is called Feel Better in 5, Your Daily Plan to Feel Great for Life by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee. He laid out why new years resolutions typically fail within the first weeks even with the best intentions. The concept for healthy sustainable habits was 3 fold: 1. Focus on the journey not the destination 2. Good health works the same as bad health 2. Perform short 5 minute health snacks every day for: Your Body, Your Mind and Your Heart The Journey Change your life by changing the journey concept rang very true for me as a healthcare provider and a human always interested in self-improvement. The journey versus destination concept is relatable to my last blog on headaches. Take for example, you are suffering from headaches for several years, so you seek care from a physician. The doctor hears your symptoms, who listens to your story and provides you with medication for your pain. As we know there are many influences to your headache which need to be addressed specifically. The medication fixes the destination of a headache symptom but may not address the lengthy journey of other factors of poor sleep, diet, stress, financial worry, anxiety or depression. The short quick 5-minute habit changes of a daily routine may impact the journey better to fully resolve your headaches by addressing the causes of the headaches. Good Health Vs Bad Health In understanding habit change, it is imperative to realize that small everyday activities influence our overall health. Thinking of doing 15 minutes of good healthy habits may seem daunting but imagine the opposite effect of engaging in 15 minutes of bad health habits. What if you were asked to eat chocolate cream filled donuts for 5 minutes straight non-stop, then 5 minutes straight of smoking as many cigarettes as you can followed by 5 minutes straight of chugging a 2 liter of soda pop. Imagine how you would feel after doing that every day. How sluggish, weak and irritated would you be after 1 week, after 1 month after 2-3 years. Good health works the same as bad health- 5 minutes of a stretching routine, 5 minutes of meditation and 5 minutes re-connecting with an old friend. Positive influence over time can lead to the development of sustainable habits that are geared for long terms effects. 5 minute health snacks: 15 minutes to change your life Think back to my New Years Resolution of 50 push ups every day. Why did it not work out? I set it out to be simple in hopes of keeping it going for long term success but 3 weeks in and I had stopped. After reading this book, I was able to see that I was missing 2/3s of my health influences- my mind and my heart. Maybe I didn’t do my push ups because I wasn’t managing my stress appropriately or I was anxious over life decisions or was worried about raising our kids during a pandemic. I only had a plan to get my body into shape but I now realize my mind and heart have a significant influence over my habits and my health. Planning for 2022, utilizing these 3 concepts from the feel better in 5 book, I have a new approach that encompasses all aspects of my health- mind, body and heart. I plan on working on the ABCs of life, every day.
If you are interested in delving deeper into sustainable health habits, please check out Dr. Chatterjee’s book or the Iron Strong Podcast for tips and advice on creating long lasting health.
Here's to a Healthy 2022! Thanks for checking back in to the blog. It's been about a month since my last post, and I've had a lot going on including starting a podcast (The Iron Strong Podcast). If you haven't checked it out, do so now! We're talking about optimizing health through performance, fitness, recovery, and mindset. We have already put out 3 great episodes already.
The podcast topic brings me in to my blog topic today "Consuming vs Doing." This is a hot topic right now, and one I have been wanting to touch on. Have you ever had someone brag about reading 1 book a day for a year, but are never able to implement the ideas from the book due to moving on to the new content (yep, it happens). There are many reasons we consume content at scale. "Consuming content" can feel like your are accomplishing something, and at times is a good thing but, it is a much easier route, than performing something consistently to solve a problem. In today's world, with the infinite amount of information on the web and consistent stream of information coming from "experts" around the globe, we are inundated with suggestions of what we "should be" doing to fix specific ailments, what diets to perform, what to do with our money, how to start a business etc.... As you all know this can be paralyzing at times and lead to inaction due to "Fear of Doing The Wrong Thing" or even worse sometimes is "Giving up on the process to Early." Has anyone ever spent hours researching Google Reviews about something like the right massage tool, and then not purchased it, only to go back several days later to research further? This is all driven by Fear of selecting the wrong one based on others suggestions |
AuthorsDr. Luke Greenwell, Dr. David Bokermann, Dr. Sarah Greenwell, & Dr. Ariel Sernek are Performance Based Physical Therapists with extensive backgrounds in treating the injured athlete. At RecoverRx, they are passionate about returning people to the sports & activities they love. Check out more about them by visiting our About Us page. Categories
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