2 Hands Physical Therapy

Finally caught up!

2011-03-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been 9 weeks since my surgery and I finally feel slightly caught up. Days on crutches can really slow you down. My exercise rountine had totally changed and I was always conscious of how many times I had to get in and out of the car and how few stops I could make with the kids and work. I limited my time on the ice to avoid falling. I really had to slow down and now, I finally can speed up again. I can walk without crutches or brace, I can go up and down stairs normally, and I can actually ride my bike. Thankfully, the past few weeks have passed by fast and I keep getting better. Sometimes I actually forget that my knee is injured. My biggest problem is no twisting and I just need to be careful. I met my goal of walking(fairly normally) to hit the sandy florida beaches soon. So, I have the most personalized experience for ACL rehabiliation. Now, I can attest to post op knee pain, shoulder pain and C-section pain. I feel so much more rounded in my patient care, and completely understand the concept of post op pain. Now, I do know it gets better and you can live your life again after you put in your "healing time".

Bone pain is a 10/10

2011-01-16T17:50:00.000-08:00

So, I do not like to take pain meds they make me sick, but I can tell you that with 4 drillings into my bones, I am learning to appreciate the pain meds. Feeling "loopy" is good. I have walked all of 200 feet in the past 4 days, the couch has new shape to it and my back hurts, too. Okay, so what I know is that they replaced my ACL and took out some cartilage, other than that, whatever the doctor told me, I forgot. I think myn c sections and shoulder surgeries were so much easier. NOW, if I can keep the pain controled and get out of the house, my days are looking better. I have lost all the tone in my quad and its only been 17 days. I have lots of work to do soon.

Pain is no fun!

2011-01-14T11:38:00.000-08:00

Well, I now know sometimes it is smart to take the pain meds as ordered. Rough first night after surgery. I usually get really nausedated from pain meds, so I tried to avoid them and that was a big mistake. Today, packed in ice and elevated with pain meds on board is much better. My leg feels dead and very swollen, like my knee cap is going to pop off. I have moved off the couch about 4 times in the past 24 hours. I love my couch today. Next, bon bons and Oprah reruns.

My First Ever Knee Injury

2011-01-11T13:20:00.000-08:00

Well, this New Year's Eve, I had my first ever knee injury skiing. I just fell backwards, gently while standing still and tore my ACL. So, ski season is done and now, my newest adventure will be rehabilitation of my knee after surgery this Thursday. I have been working hard to have full mobility going into surgery, knowing full well, it will be swollen again and limited by Friday. So, I plan to blog on my rehab and how bad of a patient I might be. This will be an interesting experience. Just getting around on crutches in the snow is so much fun. Do you realize even with handicap parking that the walk into the Kroc center is a huge task? I felt like I needed a wheelchair last week.

Now, helping kids put on ski boots and walking narrow paths down hills with snow is just another challenge I have conquered. This week I start over again after surgery, but at least my knee will have something holding it together.

Rehab rules for me. ICE, ICE, ICE, and more ICE. Elevate and rest for a few days!! My husband reminded me that patience is a virtue again yesterday.

Be nice to your feet!

2010-05-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

With all this warm weather, I see lots of flip flops.Yikes. Some people might as well be walking barefoot on the cncrete. Please do yourself and your kids a favor and at least shop for some flip flops that have some arch support. There are plenty of brands now making flip flops with some arch. Make sure there is some rigidity in the flip flop so that it does not twist much along the length of it.

I sell a product that has a great arch with good cushioning and heel control. There are lots of different styles and colors for your summer attire. They cost between $60 and $75 with shipping and they have a 30 day guarantee and they will last a few seasons.

If you need orthotic support for your sneakers or dress shoes ,I can help with that, too. If you have falling arches, foot pain or really high arches, I have a 3D scanner that can easily size you for an orthotic. And my costs are really reasonable, too. Call me at 661-7167 to have happy feet!

Interesting link to yahoo

2010-03-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

I feel like somebody has finally heard me. Yahoo posted a statement about sheepskin boots-- http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/experts-debate-dangers-of-wearing-popular-sheepskin-boots-1164424/ and actually stated how bad they are for your feet. No support, slipping around inside the boot is causing foot problems. Let's talk cheap flip flops. Spring is here and the flip flop craze is on. They have no support, break down easily and do not protect your feet at all. These flip flop feet must hurt alot. If you watch the crowds, they slip off the inside of these unsupported creations. They might as well be walking on the concrete. There are actually flip flop style shoes that do have support for your feet. They may cost $40 to $50 but they last a lot longer and actually give your precious feet some support. These are the only feet you have to walk on for the rest of your life and you should take care of them.
I am a big supporter of orthotics and good shoe wear. I have equipment in my office to design the right orthotic for your feet. If you or anyone you know has flat feet, it is time to make a new surface to walk on (orthotics) so you can live a pain free life.
It is really important to catch flat feet in children by about age 6 or 7 so that we can correct an alignment issue as they are growing.
If you have any questions about feet, please call me at 208-661-7167. Have a great day and please, take care of your feet.

Postural Weakness

2010-02-24T23:16:00.000-08:00

I was sitting here watching the Olympics tonight, thinking of what to write about and realized that my neck is tired from sitting here reading emails and facebook. Your posture while working on the computer can make or break your day. Your neck and upper back muscles have to hold up that 15 pound bowling ball. If you are not keeping these muscles strong with some simple exercises, you may suffer from chronic neck and upper back pain. Those muscles hold your head high and above your shoulder girdle. Any forward positioning of your head puts extra stress on your neck and upper back muscles. Those muscles are then working overtime all day and then they may hurt.
Another problem is the way you may view your computer screen with glasses. There are many types of lenses and the way you read through the lenses may effect your neck postures. Occasionally, I have recommended my neck patients to get a different pair of glasses for just computer work because the progressive lenses they have cause them to shear their head forward on their neck causing pain.
If you have had chronic neck, upper back, shoulder pain and even headaches,it is good to correct your work station to reduce the stresses on these areas. Still, if you have adapted to these postures, you may have shortened muscle tissue that can not self correct your posture. At this point, you may benefit from physical therapy to lengthen these muscles and restore the joint mobility you may have lost in the cervical joints. A good postural strengthening program is a very important part of reducing postural weakness and head and neck pain. If you every have any questions, I can be reached at (208)661-7167 PST.

The trouble with ski poles

2010-02-08T10:33:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, I thought I was going to have to treat myself today, not sure how I can reach the side of my hip very easily. Dale, my husband and friends Rick and Anita were busting up when I got my pole stuck under my ski while I was standing still and toppled over onto my hip with my head down hill on a slight grade. OUCH!! Good thing I wear a helmet. So, the moral of the story is do not step on the basket of your ski pole while standing still and try to move downhill. How I can treat my bruised hip is another story for a physical therapist that does lots of manual therapy.

Flat feet???

2010-01-26T17:00:00.001-08:00

In search of kids with flat feet. If you have a child that has incredibly flat feet and they complain of foot, ankle, or knee pain, you should consider having a me look at them. As they grow, there is a good time to catch this problem before is causes other biomechanical dysfunctions at the knee and ankle. Naturally, children have flat feet, but over time, they should grow a nice arch and their achilles tendon should be straight up and down, not pulled to one side or the other. If you know a child like this, please call me at 208-661-7167. Thank you for taking care of your little ones feet.

Ask Questions???

2010-01-21T09:29:00.000-08:00

Please start to tell me what topics you would like information on in regards to your aches and pains. That way I can direct my blog to my followers needs. Thank you for following my blog. cathy

Are You Afraid to Exercise this New Year?

2010-01-03T22:21:00.000-08:00

Well, this is my first blog. Knowing where to start is a challenge, so I thought I would address the standard New Year's Resolution of getting more exercise.

Are you one of the 80 percent of the adult population that has suffered from low back pain in their lifetime? Are you sitting behind your desk dreading your New Year's resolution because you are afraid that your low back pain with act up?
The New Year is here and there is no time like the present to think about your fitness and how it can help your low back pain. Exercise can reduce stress, improve circulation and ultimately help you maintain a heathly weight. If you are carrying around a spare tire, you are putting extra stress on your low back. The larger the distance betweeen your spine and your navel, the greater the lever arm that puts undo forces on your lumbar spine. By reducing this distance, you can greatly reduce low back pain.

If you have low back pain and you want to exercise, it is important to think about how you use your stomach muscles to reduce certain forces cause low back stresses. Core strengthening, lumbar stability exercises and motor contol patterning are all important when you are starting a fitness program. If you can keep good motor contolof your trunk muscles while exercising, you are less likely to have more low back pain and you can reap the benefits of exercise.

The position of your back during exercise is very important. Maintaining what physical therapist's call "pelvic neutral" can be the key to helping you during your fitness routine. Every person's "pelvic neutral" is different. Every person's low back pain story is different. Physical Therapist's understand the anatomy of the spine and the forces that are placed on your body specifically and how to reduce those forces with prescribed exercises.

If you have any questions about my first blog or need more information about low back pain contact Cathy Gephart PT, OCS owner of 2 Hands Physical Therapy. I specializes in individualized hands-on treatment for any musculo-skeletal condition,post operative rehabilitation, and medical massage. My contact phone number is (208)661-7167.