A case for PAIN PREVENTION

Why prevent pain? Why do you need to take the time to think about how to prevent pain? You are busy, and you have important things on your to-do list.

First, now is the time to think about pain. Think about it before it happens. If you think through every movement and every activity, you can prevent accidents, injuries and therefore prevent pain. You can prevent pain now, which will also prevent pain later in life. If you injure your knee playing soccer at age 20, you may end up with arthritis in that knee when you are 40. If you practice poor posture now, you will end up with back or neck pain in the future. If you are sedentary now, you may not be able to walk later.

Many accidents can truly be avoided. Have you ever been in a car accident? Think back to that day and how it all happened. Were you at fault? If so, is there something you could have done differently? Were you driving too fast or talking on the phone or trying to quiet the screaming kids in the back seat?

Think of the last time you hurt yourself. How did it happen? If you could rewind time, could you have done anything to prevent the pain? I propose that most injuries are preventable because I have worked with so many patients with preventable injuries over the years. So before you become my next patient, think ahead and practice pain prevention today!

PAIN PREVENTION in the Christmas story

1. Joseph practicing his carpentry (with good technique).
2. The wise men walking a long way from the East.
3. The shepherds hurrying to see baby Jesus.
4. Mary and Joseph walking/riding to Bethlehem for the census.
5. All the visitors squatting or kneeling down to see Jesus in the manger (with their backs straight :)
6. The shepherds stretching their necks by looking up at the angels.
7. The wise men stretching by looking up at the star over the stable.

Please add to the list if you can think of any others! Merry Christmas!

ABC's of PAIN PREVENTION

This was my 2-year-old's idea, when I asked him what to blog about today.

Always Be Cautious (especially when lifting).
Do Everything with a safety Focus.
Get out of the House and Into shape!
Jump into preventive medicine/wellness!
Keep your body moving.
Look for More Nutrition.
Over-exaggerate Proper body mechanics (even when your spouse teases you).
Quit making excuses.
Eat Right most of the time.
Splurge on occasion without feeling guilty.
Think like a PT!!!
U can have a more Vibrant body: With more eXercise!
Yoga, pilates and Zumba are great tools to improve your health!

Healthier Dessert Options

Keeping your weight down is one of the best ways to prevent pain in your future! It helps to decrease wear and tear on your back and joints. So here are some ideas for tasty desserts that are a little healthier than usual.

1. Serve your favorite berries with some low-fat whipped topping and a graham cracker on the side.
2. Bake your cake mix using applesauce instead of oil. Instead of frosting, mix low-fat whipped topping with pudding mix (pistachio is my flavor of choice) and crushed pineapple. Be sure to fold in the whipped topping last.
3. Oatmeal raisin cookies made with margarine instead of butter.
4. Hot chocolate made with skim milk.
5. Make a parfait with fresh fruit and low-fat yogurt.
6. Top a few animal crackers with peanut butter and some sprinkles.
7. Pudding made with low-fat milk.
8. Cut out some calories from your pies by not eating the crust (I don't like pastry crust much anyways).
9. Make a fruit dip by mixing low-fat cream cheese with a little powdered sugar.
10. Homemade trail mix with dried fruit, granola, nuts, cereal, and/or a few chocolate chips.