Do upper extremity warm ups prior to gardening.

1. Fold your hands together and turn your palms away from your body as you extend your arms forward. You should feel a stretch all the way from your shoulders to your fingers.
2. Fold your hand together and turn your palms away from your body, but this time, extend your arms overhead. You should feel a stretch in your upper torso and shoulders to hand.
3. Place your hand just above the back of the elbow and gently push your elbows across your chest toward the opposite shoulder.
4. Raise one arm overhead. Bend the elbow. Place the opposite hand on the bent elbow and gently push the elbow back further. This is a stretch for the triceps. Stretch both right and left arms.
5. Extend an arm in front of you, making sure the elbow is completely straight. With your palm down, take the opposite hand and bend the wrist downward. Then turn the palm up and stretch the wrist backwards. This stretches the forearm and wrist muscles.

Wear gloves at all times.

Keep your hands and arms covered.

Take a break every hour or switch to another activity.

Store your tools to prevent accidents.

Use a tool when digging into unfamiliar or new areas.

Store your tools to prevent accidents.

Complete regular tool maintenance.

Use well designed tools.

Avoid awkward motions.

Plan ahead.

Half of the time, it may be related to positional vertigo or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).

What is BPPV?

Positional vertigo or BPPV is thought to be due to small crystals of calcium which have collected in a part of the inner ear, often called “ear rocks.” The “ear rocks” move into the inner ear due to aging or a previous fall. Movement of these “ear rocks” can cause a person to feel like the room is spinning when they change positions. Most often, this happens when reaching down to the floor, up in to a cabi­net or when rolling or sitting up in bed. This vertigo can cause a person to fall and result in serious injury.

How is the diagnosis of BPPV made and how is it treated?

Your physician can make the diagnosis based on your history, findings on physical examina­tion and sometimes on the results on inner ear and hearing tests.

Physical therapy can be a part of BPPV treatment. There are a number of effective treatments Tidewater Physical Therapy uses for BPPV. These treatments or maneuvers are intended to move the “ear rocks” out of the sensitive part of the ear to a less sensitive location. Please see your doctor and ask to be referred to Tidewater Physical Therapy.

Practice proper posture throughout the day. Place notes or colored dots around your home and/or office to remind you to sit up and stand properly. Wear reading glasses instead of bifocals when working at the computer to prevent improper positioning of the neck.

When talking on the telephone maintain your head in an upright position. If needed, invest in a head set.

ALWAYS remember to assume the resting jaw position: teeth slightly apart, tongue relaxed, and lips together. Your lower teeth should rarely touch your upper teeth. This is especially important when you are tense or nervous.

Avoid clenching your teeth when you swallow.

Learn to stifle your yawns. You can do this by placing your tongue against the roof of your mouth and holding it there firmly as you yawn. Do not open your mouth any wider than your tongue against the roof of your mouth will allow.

Avoid biting fingernails on your lower lip. Do not chew on pens of pencils. Do not thrust/jut your jaw forward.

Eat softer foods. Cook your vegetables and saved bagels and popcorn for rare treats. Cut apples, pears, bananas, etc… into small pieces with a knife. Do not eat corn-on-the-cob. Maintain proper posture when eating. Avoid large bites and hard, chewy foods.

Chew on both sides of your mouth. If this is difficult try chewing one fork full on the left, then the next fork full on the right.

If you use gum as a breath freshener chew it for 2-3 minutes. Do not chew for extended periods of time.

Sleep on your back or side, but be sure your lower jaw is not being pressed into the pillow. Do not sleep on your stomach.

Do not rest your lower jaw on your hand(s) or cup your chin.

If your jaw is popping or clicking, stop what you are doing. Use your exercises and proper posture to correct the problem. Learn to control your stress level. Take a few deep breaths, roll your shoulders, and check to see that your teeth are apart and facial muscles are relaxed.

If you suffer from orofacial pain or temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), you may benefit from physical therapy. Physical therapy can be a conservative, first-line option for managing pain, or help with the healing process during the post-operative period. Tidewater Physical Therapy offers a progressive approach that can be used by itself or as an adjunct to treatment. Consult your dentist or oral surgeon to see if you can benefit from physical therapy.

Need to reduce stress on your jaw? Consider the following tips.

1. Take small bites to eliminate opening your mouth extremely wide.
2. Choose foods that do not require a lot of chewing.
3. Bite softly into foods.
4. Incorporate soft foods into your diet. While baby food is a great option, it’s not your only choice. Consider the following: Eggs; grits, oatmeal or cream of wheat; puddings; pastries, rolls and bread; cooked vegetables and potatoes; pasta; meat loaf or other prepared ground meats; small pieces of fish; cheese; a
5. Avoid the following foods: gum, popcorn, chewy and hard candy, steak, pizza, crusty breads and bagels, chips, nuts, ice, processed meats like jerky, pepperoni and salami, and raw fruits and vegetables.

If you suffer from orofacial pain or temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), you may benefit from physical therapy. Physical therapy can be a conservative, first-line option for managing pain, or help with the healing process during the post-operative period. Tidewater Physical Therapy offers a progressive approach that can be used by itself or as an adjunct to treatment. Consult your dentist or oral surgeon to see if you can benefit from physical therapy.

But when a patient take the time to write a thank you note, or compose a moving thank you poem, we become speechless.

Written below is ODE TO THE ROAD, a poem written for the Tidewater Physical Therapy, Inc.’s Gloucester Courthouse Clinic, which is building  a new, larger clinic and Performance Center, scheduled to open this summer.

The road, Rte. 17, between here and my home

Has weekly been traveled, and I did not roam.

Ten miles added up to more than I knew (2106)

So now comes the time to tell you adieu!

From the gals at the desk who kept all things straight,

even if someone forgot the right date,

To those who kept me on track…

Dear Pamela and Natalie who “stretched” my back!

And dear Jen, Matt, Lindsey and Brandi,

And Carey and those whom I saw just in passin’

You all made this a “moving experience” for me!

And for what it’s worth, it was worth the fee!

As nearby walls go up and the parking lot appears

I know your focus is shifting gears

I have seen the progress and I wish you the best

I may come back to visit but just as a guest!

With the running season coming to a close, why not take the next few months to figure out your running pace? Most running articles and training programs suggest that you run  a 5k pace or 10k pace during training runs. However, they do little to help you figure out what exactly that entails. A search online might yield a pace calculator, but most require you to have run a race prior to determining your speed. Below is a clear cut way to determine your race pace that can be performed indoors on a treadmill or outside on a track. 

How to calculate your race pace:

• Warm up for 1/2 mile at an easy pace
• Run 1 mile at a moderate to moderately hard tempo
• Cool down for 1/2 mile at an easy pace

The time it took you to run the mile is what matters. This is what we will be using to determine your running pace. So let’s calculate someone’s 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon, and marathon pace using a 9 min mile. 

5k training pace:

• 9:00 min mile add 33 seconds – 9:33 minute mile

10k training pace:

• 9:00 min mile x 1.15 – 10:21 minute mile

1/2 Marathon training pace: 

• 9:00 min mile x 1.2 – 12:42 minute mile                 

Marathon training pace: 

• 9:00 min mile x 1.3 – 13:42 minute mile

Why spend time to figure out your race pace? By calculating your running speed, you can train more effectively for any upcoming event and make the most of your training. Knowing your running tempo keeps you from charging off too fast at the start.  It keeps you honest and helps you achieve your goals.

To stay on track while performing your training runs, you can use a running watch enabled with a GPS feature.  You might try Nike+ Sportwatch, Garmin Forerunner, Polar RS300X or Timex Ironman Run Trainer to name a few. If you have an iPhone, try the free MapMyRun app. Training this way allows you to maintain an even pace and limits your risk for injury. By training properly you can live life stronger everyday.

*Matthew Ammons, DPT practices at Tidewater Physical Therapy’s Redmill clinic in Virginia Beach, where he is also the Clinical Director. 

Ask your physician if you may benefit from an evaluation by a physical therapist.  A physical therapist can assess whether or not you may be at risk for a fall due to changes often associated with aging, including:

• Loss of strength;
• General deconditioning that may be related to a chronic disease like COPD or cancer;
• Dizziness due to deterioration of the inner ear (vestibular dysfunction); or
• Poor balance because of a compromised nervous system that causes decreased proprioception or peripheral neuropathy.

Your physical therapist will design an individualized program specific to your needs to help decrease your risk of falling.

This physical therapy educational piece was provided by Karen Kovacs, the Clinical Director of Tidewater Physical Therapy’s Gloucester Point location.

Your physical therapy sessions will include a hands-on component that may include soft or joint tissue mobilization, neuromuscular re-education, gait training, wound care, or compression bandaging. 

A physical therapist will also create an exercise program with some things to do at home to specifically address the underlying movement impairment. 

We also may include a modality, such as electrical stimulation, ultrasound, moist heat or ice. These assist with promoting muscle relaxation, soft tissue healing, muscle re-education or pain relief. Most treatment sessions last about one hour.

This physical therapy educational piece was provided by Karen Kovacs, the Clinical Director of Tidewater Physical Therapy’s Gloucester Point location.

A physical therapist will assess your posture, movement patterns, muscle performance, flexibility, and joint accessory motion. 

Basically, they’ll have you move in different ways, watching for key things to help identify the underlying cause of your symptons, rather than just the source of pain or discomfort.

Likely, the underlying problem is the result of a pattern of movement being impaired, causing tissue trauma and pain. 

Your physical therapist will work with you to set short and long term functional goals and discuss plans to monitor your progress. The first visit will take about an hour. 

You should wear loose fitting clothes so that the body part you are being seen for can be examined. 

This physical therapy educational piece was provided by Karen Kovacs, the Clinical Director of Tidewater Physical Therapy’s Gloucester Point location.

The “core” refers to the muscles that lie deep within the torso. They include the pelvis, hip, abdominal and spine muscles. The muscles of the core hold the body stable and balanced during activity. 

Physical therapists integrate core training in the treatment of many medical conditions including low back, hip and knee pain.

Low back or hip pain can sometimes be caused when the leg muscles pull on the pelvis or spine before the “core” muscles get a chance to stabilize the body.

Core training teaches you how to coordinate using those muscles so that your spine stays stabilized during daily tasks as well as sport-specific activities.   

When your “core” is stabilized, you can move more efficiently and less stress is placed on the joints in the spine, hip, knee, and even ankle.

Ask your doctor if you may benefit from core training by a licensed physical therapist.

This physical therapy educational piece was provided by Karen Kovacs, the Clinical Director of Tidewater Physical Therapy’s Gloucester Point location.