Why Physical Therapy Is Personal Care for The Whole You
When you’re living with pain or injury, it doesn’t only impact the affected body part. A sprained ankle can keep you from walking your dog. Back pain can make it harder to meet your friends for lunch.
That’s why we at Rising Sun Physical Therapy believe physical therapy should be about so much more than treating one painful body part.
With October being National Physical Therapy Month, our team is celebrating a whole-person approach to PT care. We don’t just want to know what your symptoms are; we want to know how they’re affecting your life so we can create treatment plans that help you get back to doing the things that make your life yours.
To explore what our process looks like, we want to share three different stories (all names have been changed) to illustrate all the different forms that individualized care can take.
From “Can I?” to “I Can”: Three Stories of Moving Forward
One of the biggest misconceptions about sciatica is that it is a diagnosis. In reality, sciatica is a symptom caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve, which can result from a variety of conditions.
Your sciatic nerve begins in your lower back, travels through your buttocks, and continues down each leg to your foot. Like all nerves, it sends messages that control movement and sensation. But when something irritates the nerve, particularly the nerve root in the lower back, those messages become disrupted, and you’ll start to experience pain, numbness, or tingling all along the path of the nerve.
Those sensations are what the term “sciatica” actually refers to.
Ashley: “I Want to Trust My Back Again.”
Ashley had always been a bit of a gym rat–at least, until nagging back pain in her lower back made her cautious in the weight room. At first, she switched to the cardio machines, but it wasn’t long before she found herself avoiding workouts entirely out of fear of triggering another flare-up.
Ashley’s primary goal wasn’t pain relief. She just wanted to get back to her regular workout routine.
To that end, we incorporated one-on-one Pilates sessions into her broader care plan. While we also utilized manual therapy and other traditional PT techniques, Pilates offered a way for Ashley to work on controlled movement, muscle coordination, and body awareness–three areas that had been lacking in her workout routine. The one-on-one sessions also allowed us to adjust her movements as needed.
It wasn’t long before Ashley felt much more confident in her back’s ability to see her through a full workout.
Elena: “I Thought I Just Had to Live With It.”
After having a baby, Elena began experiencing bladder leakage at inopportune moments, like laughing with her husband at the dinner table or in the middle of her cardio classes. She had heard this was a common result of pregnancy and assumed she would just have to live with it.
But then another new mom recommended that she try out pelvic floor physical therapy, which directly targets the pelvic muscles that support the pelvic organs and contribute to bladder and bowel control.
As is common after pregnancy, Elena’s pelvic floor muscles were not providing the support and coordination they once had. Fortunately, pelvic floor PT is an excellent way to help improve urinary incontinence, and our team created a customized plan for Elena centered around pelvic floor muscle training, breathing, coordination, and functional movement.
Elena was thrilled to find a welcoming, supportive environment where she could discuss her symptoms without judgment. She was also thrilled when her leakage dramatically decreased after a few months of targeted care.
Exercise of the Month
HIP SLIDES
(Hips, Core)
Start in a tall kneeling position with both knees on the floor and your hands resting on your hips. Shift your hips slowly to one side as if you’re trying to reach your hip toward your heel, then return to center. Repeat on the other side, moving in a smooth, controlled motion.
3 Sets, 10 Reps (each side). (Materials needed: floor mat)
Michael: “PT Helped Me Recover After Cancer Treatment.”
As it does for many people, cancer treatment had taken a toll on Michael. He had beaten his diagnosis, but the treatment had left him with fatigue and weakness that made it harder to get back to his day-to-day life.
Michael’s doctor recommended that he try physical therapy, which surprised Michael at first; he didn’t associate PT with cancer recovery. However, our team developed a personalized, progressive plan that helped Michael rebuild his strength, mobility, and endurance at his own pace.
We evaluated his needs and started him with exercises he could perform safely, then slowly increased intensity as he improved. Instead of pushing through exhaustion, Michael learned how to increase activity progressively and work toward goals that mattered to him.
It wasn’t long before Michael had enough energy and confidence to participate more fully in his life.
Your Care Should Start With You
Ashley, Elena, and Michael all had different concerns, so their treatment plans looked different, too. And that’s how it should be!
At Rising Sun Physical Therapy, we believe good physical therapy starts with seeing and hearing the person in front of us. Your goals and experiences matter, and so your care should reflect both.
This National Physical Therapy Month, give yourself permission to expect more from your care. You deserve a team that listens, looks at the bigger picture, and helps you work toward a healthier, more active life.
Ready to see what personalized, whole-person physical therapy can do for you? Contact Rising Sun Physical Therapy today to schedule an appointment.
Easy Ways to Stay Active Even on Busy Days
Everyone knows that being active is important for health and wellness, but some days, finding extra time for movement just isn’t realistic. Between work, errands, family, and everything else demanding your attention, even a short workout can feel difficult to fit in.
The good news? Movement doesn’t have to happen at the gym to count. Incorporating small amounts of activity throughout the day can go a long way toward supporting mobility, circulation, strength, and overall health.
Five Simple Ways to Add More Movement To Your Day
1. Make phone calls mobile.
2. Put frequently used items farther away.
3. Take the long way inside.
4. Move while something else happens.
5. Give yourself a movement cue.
Small Choices Add Up
There is no one right way to stay active. What matters is finding movement that fits your body, abilities, and routine–and working to weave it into your day.
And if you’d like more tips, don’t hesitate to reach out to the team at Rising Sun Physical Therapy!
Could Movement Be The Medicine?
Many people complete physical therapy and wonder: Now what?
Aurras Waves offers a weekly space to continue the journey through movement, music, and body awareness. This 5Rhythms® practice supports stress reduction, nervous system regulation, mobility, adaptability, and a deeper connection with yourself.
No dance experience needed. Just bring your body.
Thursdays • 7:00–8:30 PM
Joe Goode Annex • San Francisco
Move. Listen. Heal.
I’m Bettina-Kira Neumann—physical therapist, somatic practitioner, and 5Rhythms® teacher. I created Aurras as a way to extend the healing work beyond the clinic and into real life.
Healthy Recipe: Miracle Red Juice
Ingredients
- 2 large beets
- 4 long carrots
- 2 apples
- 6 celery stalks
- 2 limes or lemons
- 2 inches of ginger
Instructions
Prepare beets, carrots, apples, celery, limes (or lemons) and ginger by chopping into smaller pieces before placing into a juicer. As the skin of a beet is packed with antioxidants and nutrients, it is recommended to leave the skin on the beet. Beet skin and lemon peel (if using) have strong flavors, so you could also prepare half with skin and half peeled to adjust to the flavor, or simply peel all if preferred. Apples can be any color or variety. Do not peel the ginger, which you will add to taste as ginger can be spicy. After all ingredients are added to the juicer, blend until juiced and smooth. Drink juice as soon as possible to obtain all benefits of the antioxidants and nutrients. Miracle Red Juice can be absorbed more easily on an empty stomach. Drink one glass every other day or as needed.
You Deserve to Wake Up in Comfort
Whether you’re ready to take the first step toward recovery or looking for support with an old injury that’s still holding you back, Rising Sun Physical Therapy is here to help. Reach out today, and let’s create a personalized plan to help you move better, feel stronger, and get back to doing what you love.
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507908
