Dive into winter with Physical Therapy Month

October is a month of change. The leaves shift from green to vibrant yellows and oranges and the air turns crisp. As the days shorten, our bodies respond by going into hibernation mode. Well, wake up! October is National Physical Therapy Month. It's a great time to gear up and get into prime condition for winter sports and activities. It's also the perfect time to take care of nagging injuries that might worsen with the chill of the long winter nights ahead.

Physical therapy focuses on improving quality of life in many forms. After an injury or surgery, seeing a physical therapist maximizes healing potential and helps your body recover range of motion. This is probably the most common reason people seek the help of a qualified physical therapist.

In an active community like Sandpoint, skiing, mountain biking, water-skiing and horseback riding are activities that many of us enjoy. But as a result, many of us suffer from broken bones, ligament injuries, rotator cuff tears and sprains. Often, either after surgery or simply as a rehabilitation measure, our doctor prescribes us a number of visits with a physical therapist. The physical therapist works with us to relieve pain and regain range of motion so we can get back on the horse (or skis, as the case may be).

A physical therapist can also help someone training in a sports program by teaching proper body mechanics to help increase endurance, speed and strength. Believe it or not, there is a right way and a wrong way to exercise. "Body mechanics" is the term for the efficient and bio-mechanically correct use of our bodies. By learning the correct way to lift weights, run, or even throw a baseball, we can help to improve our game or just look better at the gym.

It's not just athletes who can benefit from the use of proper posture and body mechanics. Whether we are sitting at our desks in the workplace or walking through a supermarket, we should pay attention to our posture. Everyday activities such as vacuuming or shoveling snow can do serious damage if we don't use our bodies correctly.

Many of us wouldn't have a clue how to improve our body mechanics and that's where a physical therapist comes in. They can help us devise an individualized plan by assessing our walk, stance, and the way we sit. Improving posture can do more than just make us look taller and more confident (though these are definite bonuses) it can help eliminate the tension and physical stress that we put on our bodies every day by not practicing correct body mechanics.

Losing weight can seem like an uphill battle. Most of us know that you can't diet alone — we need exercise. But many of us are too intimidated to start an exercise regime. Or we may have chronic pain problems or old injuries that keep us from exercising. A physical therapist can work with us to develop a safe, comfortable exercise plan that can be taken to the gym or even to the living room sofa, depending on comfort and activity levels.

As we age, many of us live with chronic joint pain. But, there's often relief in the weightlessness that we feel when we are in water. Aquatic therapy can help alleviate chronic joint pain from arthritis or fibromyalgia by eliminating the stress of gravity on our bodies. While in water, a PT patient can work on range of motion, flexibility and strengthening of joints that might otherwise resist. Getting in shape can lessen the risk of slipping or falling and help minimize injury when we do.

People don't usually associate physical therapy with neurological disorders because it's almost a contradiction in terms. With therapy however, many neurological conditions can be treated to increase independence and quality of life. People who have strokes, cerebral palsy or brain and spinal cord injuries may have difficulty with balance, mobility and walking. Physical therapists can work with them to regain lost mobility and teach new techniques for self-care.

These are just a few of the many ways physical therapists can help us whether we're at a clinic, the hospital or at home. Physical therapists are not miracle workers, but they work hard to help us help ourselves.

For National Physical Therapy Month, Bonner General Hospital would like to thank our patients and get to know new ones. Please join us for a patient appreciation celebration on Thursday, Oct. 6, or Monday, Oct. 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.