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Managing Painful Arthritis with Exercise

Approximately 350 million people worldwide have arthritis. Arthritis is a condition defined by painful
inflammation and stiffness of the joints. Exercise may be the last thing on a person’s mind when suffering
from arthritis. But exercise is absolutely crucial. A person may think exercise will aggravate their joint
pain and stiffness, but that’s not the case. Lack of exercise can actually make your joints even more
painful and stiff.

Exercise can:

• Strengthen the muscles around your joints
• Help you maintain bone strength
• Give you more energy to get through the day
• Help you control your weight
• Enhance your quality of life
• Improve your balance

Keeping muscles and surrounding tissue strong is crucial to maintaining support for your bones.
Not exercising weakens those supporting muscles, creating more stress on your joints. Exercise is
considered the most effective non-drug treatment for reducing pain and improving movement in patients.

How Therapy Can Help!
Although exercise is extremely important in managing arthritis symptoms, it may be hard to get started
and to maintain an exercise program. Overcoming the hurdles of pain, exhaustion, or boredom can be
very difficult, especially on your own. A physical or occupational therapist can help you to overcome
these hurdles and gain success in maintaining your exercise routine.

Physical therapists evaluate your needs and teach you how to exercise appropriately for joint mobility,
muscle strength and fitness. Physical therapists can also recommend exercises for you to do on your
own. These exercises might include; range-of-motion exercises, aerobic exercise and strength training.
Occupational therapists can also help by teaching you how to protect and reduce stress on your joints
while exercising and performing daily tasks. Talk to your doctor today about the benefits of both
physical and occupational therapy for your arthritis needs!

Sources: Arthritis Foundation

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Understanding the Impact of Aging on Communication

Communication is an important life skill that connects us to those around us. The ability to communicate effectively is important at any age, but for older adults it can be absolutely vital. Older adults need to be able to successfully describe what they need in order to avoid emergency situations. Speech Therapy can be a valuable tool for adults struggling with communication.

As people age, normal changes occur in their speech, language, memory, and swallowing. Vocal cords can become less elastic and larynx muscles can weaken, making it difficult to talk in a manner they are accustomed to. In addition to speech issues associated with normal aging, older adults may experience complications with communication or swallowing due to their heightened risk of dementia, Parkinson’s
disease, or stroke.

Common Signs of Communication Barriers

At Healthcare Therapy Services our Speech-Language Pathologists can assist in differentiating between normal aging and disordered communication or swallowing function. We also provide vital services to those who have communication, cognitive, or swallowing impairments following illness, trauma, or disease.

MAY IS BETTER HEARING & SPEECH MONTH
Each May, Better Hearing & Speech Month (BHSM) provides an opportunity to raise awareness about communication disorders and the role Speech Therapists play in providing life-altering treatment.

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Occupational Therapy’s Role in Dementia Care

Dementia is a result of damage to the brain, resulting in impaired brain function and cognition. The onset of dementia is gradual and can progress over several years. Alzheimer’s disease, which makes up 60% – 80% of dementia cases, primarily affects people over 65 years of age. Common signs of dementia include; decreased short-term memory, decreased problem solving skills, decreased perceptual skills, and personality changes. Read more

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After a Joint Replacement – Therapy’s Role in Recovery

These days, damaged joints can be safely removed and replaced with new ones via a surgical procedure known as joint replacement surgery. Joint replacements are a fairly common procedure with more than 1 million patients in the U.S. undergoing joint replacement surgery every year.

The functionality of joints can be affected by a number of factors, including injuries, arthritis, and various other chronic diseases. In more than a few cases, joint damage may be the result of extreme wear and tear. Replacing damaged joints can improve mobility, alleviate pain and discomfort and enable patients to feel and move much better. Read more

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Antioxidant Rich Foods Promote Healthy Aging

Heart disease causes more deaths in the United States than cancer, AIDs and car accidents combined. It is the leading cause of death for both men and women, claiming the lives of almost two people per minute. Keeping our hearts healthy is important and can be done with regular doctor visits, regular exercise and having a well balanced diet, filled with antioxidant rich foods to help avoid free radical damage. Read more

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National Glaucoma Month

Did You Know?
Over 3 million Americans have glaucoma but only half know they have it.
Glaucoma can cause blindness if left untreated.

 

Glaucoma and How It Affects Vision

Glaucoma is caused by high intraocular pressure (high pressure of fluid inside the eye) and can decrease vision without warning. Glaucoma is one of the most common illnesses affecting the optic nerve. The optic nerve’s job is to transfer visual information to the brain, so when high intraocular pressure occurs, the optic nerve compresses, causing cells to die and vision to permanently decline. Read more

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Staying Active During Winter

Staying active during the winter months can be challenging. The days get shorter, the nights get longer and well… it’s COLD! Although it may be tempting to curl up on your couch, it’s important to keep your exercise routine alive. The advantages to regular exercise far outweigh hibernating all winter. Also, did you know exercise can also boost your mood? Exercise helps keep those ‘winter blues’ away and increases your energy level so you can get more restful sleep at night.

Tips For Staying Active During Winter

Even if you don’t have a workout planned for the day, try to think of some way to be active. Here are some
examples of planned and unplanned ways to stay active:

Inside:

  • Walk the mall. Since most malls open before their shops do, you can get your walking workout in while doing some window shopping.
  • Visit a health club. Choose a gym that’s convenient and ask staff how to use the equipment when unsure.
  • Join a class or sports league. Workingout with others is a helpful way to keep us motivated. With a little research, you can find classes/teams through community organizations, health clubs and other groups.

At Home:

  • Try a workout DVD. You could buy, rent or borrow. Scouring the internet for workouts suitable for you can help keep your routines fresh, too.
  • Create a home gym. This can be as simple as weights and bands, or if space and funds allow, you can invest in some practical, enjoyable and easy-to-use exercise equipment.
  • Keep cleaning. Sweeping, vacuuming and scrubbing can burn more calories than you may think.

Outside:

  • Play in the snow. Building a snowman is a fun, simple way to get moving.
  • Walking. You can continue your normal routine if you wear the proper attire. Pay attention to your
    extremities, too. Exercising pulls blood to your core and away from extremities, including those areas
    most susceptible to frostbite: fingers, toes and ears. Be sure to keep these areas covered, as well as your head, since that’s where most of our body heat escapes.

Safety Tips

Daytime: Remember your sunscreen. Snow reflects the sun’s rays, making sunburn possible even in the winter.
Nighttime: Wear a reflective outer layer. If the surface of the ground is uneven due to weather conditions, choose footwear with enough traction to prevent falls.

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November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

According to the Alzheimer Society, almost 40 percent of people over the age of 65 experience some form of memory loss. When there is no underlying medical condition causing this memory loss, it is known as “age-associated memory impairment,” which is considered a part of the normal aging process. Read more

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Exercise for Your Mind, Body and Soul!

Your body was designed to move and WANTS you to exercise! The good news is that beginning an exercise program at any age has many benefits. Read more

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Functional Performance and Care Plan Quality Measure: MDS Section GG

In October 2016, all skilled nursing facilities will be submitting a new admission and discharge MDS for all Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. The purpose of the new admission and discharge assessments is to gather information for the quality reporting program (QRP). Specifically, there is a new MDS Section GG that required for only your Med A patients at admission and discharge. No other payers are included in this quality measure. Read more

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