HUM, PAINT, PET…

February 21, 2012 By | Leave a Comment

Happy Valentine’s Day!  (BELATED!) We hope 2012 has kicked-off with a bang and that Valentine’s brought  a lot of love to you, your family,  & friends.  We are excited to share 2 bits
with you today!

First, we have recently changed our DBA to “Fluidity Integrative Therapy” (FIT).  With our 4 year anniversary around the corner we continue to focus our vision & passion on quality care by implementing  our specialty of Integrative Manual Therapy with other advanced forms of therapy including yoga & postural restoration-based therapeutic exercise.  With our goal of treating clients as a whole, by integrating all systems of the body, our new name personifies more effectively our vision for quality care…it just “FITs” us. :)

Second, how does “pumping up the volume,”  playing in a little paint or petting a furry friend sound for therapy?  Pretty fun, huh?  And actually can be very effective.  Music, art, and animals have continued to wow us in research with the health & wellness benefits that accompany them.

Who doesn’t like to PUMP UP THE VOLUME once in awhile while driving home from work or picking up your kids from practice?!  Music has been shown to: enhance pain & stress management, optimize energy & relaxation, boost mood & immunity, and more.  Music therapy is continuing to grow and yes, hitting Hampton Roads.   Tidewater Arts Outreach (TAO) is an organization that uses music to enhance quality of life in many different settings ranging from nursing homes to hospitals.  Whether getting involved with organizations like TAO or just turning up the radio, music can truly be a healing tool.

And what about taking up a paint brush?  No, you don’t have to be the next Monet to reap benefits from activating that creative side of the brain.  Child or adult, engaging in art activities have been shown to be beneficial.  Art therapy encourages self-exploration & bringing clarity to ones life as well as assist with  social skills.  It has also been beneficial for those with more serious mental disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), cancer, and more.  Whether art therapy is guided by an art therapist or you choose isolated “creative” moments there is therapeutic value in art.

And of course my favorite…pet therapy. :)   Whether you are a pet owner or have had pets visit your facility the benefits of pets range from physical to psychological and include: decrease risk of depression, lower blood pressure in stressful situations, elevate mood, decrease pain, enhance recovery & survival post trauma to name a few.  Pet therapy can also reach & benefit a wide spectrum of people ranging from a child with a learning disorder to a senior struggling with Alzheimer’s.  We are proud to have, Justice, our therapy dog.  He is 120 pounds of love, energy, and absolute personality. :)   He is currently volunteering in the Wounded Warriors/Paws for Healing project apart of the Norfolk Navy Base and looks forward to reaching out this year to libraries, nursing homes, and child abuse programs.  He also is a huge contributor to our clinic as  can be seen by all the belly rubs and treats our clients bring him…hard life.  :)   He truly brings a sense of joy to the practice.

So don’t be shy…we won’t make fun of you dancing in your car, drawing a stick figure or talking “baby talk” to a dog…it’s all good when it is GREAT in healing.

To your health,

Jennifer
 

Filed Under: Blog

Pull Out the Big Guns…PREVENTION!

February 1, 2012 By | Leave a Comment

Happy 2012!  Can you believe it? I remember when Prince’s song “…party like it’s 1999…” seemed forever away!  Well, the song may be gone and past but our need to live life with vigor, laughter, and yes, a little partying has not. :)

For many of you committing to being healthier this year is at the fore front but the process  getting there can be a little daunting.  However, with health care changes still looming your best bet IS  to stay out of the doctor’s office…PREVENTION is KEY!

No need to spend hours trying to stay healthy.  A recipe of FOUR, 10-minute choices will give you an opportunity to feel good…no, GREAT.  :)

1. 10 minutes of any cardio activity, 3x/week has been shown to decrease risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression and improve energy, clarity, & much more…just 10 MINUTES!!

2. 10 minutes of meditative breathing daily helps manage stress, improve body awareness, optimize body systems function to name a few.  Yes, learning to RELAX can be very hard in our busy world but when practiced daily it can become a GREAT habit.  Speaking to your therapist and/or yoga instructor can get you started on learning how to center & ground your body…just 10 MINUTES!

3. 10 minute phone call to your physical therapist, acupuncturist, or other skilled professional.  You don’t live in a bubble.  All of us build up restrictions & dysfunctions throughout the year.  Setting up quarterly (4x/year) maintenance sessions for body work with your therapist can keep pain from spiraling and limiting your life style…just 10 MINUTES!

4. 10 minute phone call to a nutritionist/food specialist is vital.  Not giving your body good food is like going to battle without a shield & sword!  Healthy eating habits gives all the same benefits as above.  But it is not just about eating “healthier.”  Curtailing a plan for your unique body’s needs/physiology  (past medical history, food allergies, metabolism, blood type, current medication, etc)) is key.  Making an appointment will get you on the right path for YOU and keep you from getting frustrated…and more importantly feeling great.

5.  BONUS CHOICE!  10 minutes of journal writing a day is an amazing thing and can give you many of the same health benefits as above.  No structure, no particular topic…just you and a pen.  You can go from brain FOG to brain CLARITY.

So.  It is time to pull out the big guns!  Just 4 small choices.  Life is about choices and sometimes the smallest ones make the biggest difference.  I think you ARE important enough to feel GREAT.  And when you feel great, you effect those around you in an even greater way.  :)

Don’t wait…no excuses…live a great life now…it is already so unbelievably short.

To Your Health…

Jennifer

Filed Under: Blog

Integrative Physical Therapy

March 15, 2011 By | Leave a Comment

So what makes our practice so unique and effective? We believe physical therapy is an amazing form of facilitating healing and optimizing overall health. We, like any other field of medicine, have advanced our skills and knowledge to not only address a broader range of diagnoses but also to optimize healing and overall health. Integrative physical therapy addresses ALL systems of the body. By combining standard physical therapy with a more advanced form of physical therapy we plan on providing you with what you want the most…TO FEEL GOOD!

So long story longer…

We are a dynamic and progressive out-patient physical therapy practice. Taking a more advanced & innovative approach to healing we implement the most up-to-date techniques. The “niche” of our practice includes the implementation of integrative manual therapy in conjunction with functional orthopedics and postural restoration exercises. Providing a combination of structural and functional rehabilitation will maximize healing & function, improve overall wellness & quality of life as well as aid in prevention of future pain & dysfunction. The hands on approach taken in all areas of rehabilitation provide the environment to reach the highest potential of each individual’s body… a more “FLUID” you.

Filed Under: Blog, Integrative Physical Therapy

Headaches

March 15, 2011 By | Leave a Comment

Many people suffer from debilitating headaches daily. From migraine and stress headaches to allergy and “TMJ” headaches, you may often think medication may be the only relief and even that is not guaranteed. We do have other answers that won’t keep you in bed with the headaches any longer!

Many headache based symptoms can be due to the same reasons you have other pains throughout the body…joint stiffness, muscle spasm, swelling, decrease circulation and bone malalignment can happen at the cranium (head) and neck too! We address these issues  like we would any other area of the body. After assessing and finding the dysfunctional tissues we would than combine integrative manual therapy with functional and postural & breathing restoration exercises to enhance overall symptom relief.

Please realize headaches also can have many outside factors that contribute such as high/ constant stress or food/environmental allergies to name two. We will assist & support efforts to manage stress more effectively as well as connect you with appropriate nutritionists to effectively target & manage allergies.

Headaches do not have to control you! By creating a more balanced and symmetrical body you can get rid of headaches AND have a more “FLUID” you…

Filed Under: Blog, Headaches

Sports Injuries

March 15, 2011 By | Leave a Comment

Sports medicine physical therapy has been around for years as an avenue to help treat sport-related injuries. Being a former athlete I understand the desire of many athletes to not only get back onto the playing field faster but return to prior level of athletic prowess. With the demand of higher athletic skill rising and the young kids training harder than ever at a younger age, injuries are becoming more significant and frequent.

Unfortunately, our “old school” physical therapy does not seem to be as effective as it was 20 years ago. Our athletes are more comprehensive than ever and the pressure to return to sport even greater. The good news is we have stepped-up our game to meet the needs of these athletes.

At Fluidity Physical Therapy we perform an evaluation that is sport-specific. We analyze movements that the athlete may perform frequently (ie. throwing, hitting, running) and find where their potential problem may be.  In addition, a full-body assessment is performed as it is often observed that many athletes’ major problems are not at the site of pain. For example, a volleyball player may have chronic shoulder pain not because of weakness of the shoulder but because of no range-of-motion/flexiblity of the back…her shoulder in essence is doing all the work because her back is not contributing as it should to allow optimal hitting.

After a thorough evaluation is performed a plan is made that will most likely incorporate manual treatment to create better alignment & symmetry through the body as well as exercises to maintain this symmetry. We follow-up with more sport-specific rehab has the athlete heals. The combination of manual therapy along with exercises has given the athletes we have treated results that get them back on the field better than ever. And isn’t that what we all want?! :)

Filed Under: Blog, Sports Injuries

Women & Men’s Health

March 15, 2011 By | Leave a Comment

Women’s health issues has been addressed and treated for quite some time in physical therapy. Many women may have heard of “pelvic floor” rehab and “kegel” type exercises for bowel & bladder incontinence. Pelvic floor physical therapy has been a wonderful and effective tool to address this issue. Like any other field, however, we have continued to expand our ability to treat other women and now men’s health issues.

These advances in physical therapy allow us now to treat: pelvic pain due to endometriosis or fibroid cysts, post-operative pelvic pain (ie. hysterectomy), low back pain due to pregnancy, infertility, and more. We have also advanced our skills to  incorporate men’s health issues such as incontinence, pelvic pain post-operatively (ie. prostectomy), and ED.

The “integrative” systems approach to evaluation and treatment has been one of those advances that helps facilitate tissue healing with Fluidity fully implementing this approach. The integrative manual therapy combined with specific exercises unique to you will allow you further healing in ways that medication or surgery may have failed you or provided little relief.

Making the first appointment for conditions like these can cause anxiety & fear as these are very personal diagnoses. The first step is the hardest but I encourage you to do so. The results can be profound. Please to hesitate to call if you would like to speak to a therapist before receiving care.

Filed Under: Blog, Women & Men's Health

IBS/Reflux

March 15, 2011 By | Leave a Comment

“IBS” or irritable bowel syndrome is becoming more of a common household word for a variety of reasons.  Environmental toxins, changes in farming and processing of food, food allergies, and high stress are just to name a few of the influences.

IBS effects the gut  or “gastrointestinal tract” by causing inflammation/swelling of the tissue.   Unfortunately, when uncontrolled, it can not only cause significant pain but also can impede the ability for the body to effectively absorb nutrients from food and filter toxins from the body.   Think of it as going into battle without a shield and sword.  Without your gastrointestinal system working well, you cannot effectively protect, heal, or develop other systems of the body.

Although IBS may be the most “popular” gut diagnosis there are many others such as reflux, ulcers, and colitis that give rise to pain.  No matter what gut issue you may have we can help!  Visceral mobilization is one of several manual therapy techniques we may implement to address your gastrointestinal dysfunction.  We also work closely with nutritionists to address your specific needs and optimize a more healthier way of eating.

And just an aside…your gut stores the neurotransmitter serotonin…the “mood elevator.”  When your gut is healthier you will feel happier!  Who doesn’t want that. :)

Filed Under: Blog, IBS/Reflux

Chronic Pain

March 15, 2011 By | Leave a Comment

Probably one of the first things you may think about when you think of chronic pain is back pain…you would be correct in thinking so! Back pain is the #1 orthopedic reason people seek a physician. If not effectively treated it can often lead to chronic pain with ultimate decrease in function and changes in lifestyle.

There are, however, many other sources of chronic pain ranging from but not limited to: systemic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis; neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis or parkinson’s; neurovascular trauma such stroke or traumatic brain injury; repeated trauma to a region of the body such as sports injuries; multiple systems trauma such as from an auto accident.

No matter where your chronic pain may originate from we can help! Chronic pain often involves many tissues & systems of the body. Our “integrative” systems approach to an evaluation implements comprehensive assessment tools with the ultimate goal of finding primary and secondary sources of pain. From there a comprehensive treatment plan is formed with implementation of integrative manual therapy, functional & postural restoration exercises unique to you. It is often the case that we access nutritionists, chronic pain specialists, and other alternative care specialists to aid in healing for chronic pain cases.

Overall body wellness is key in chronic pain cases with Fluidity making full efforts to optimize function & maximize outcome.

Filed Under: Blog, Chronic Pain

Short But Sweet

April 12, 2010 By | Leave a Comment

A majority of us have a lot of free time on our hands and are anxiously awaiting someone to give us something to do… okay, back up… Now the first comment may not be true at all and the last thing we have time for is 3 hours of exercise let alone 1 hour. But you CAN get a lot of things you want from exercise and more with a lot less than an hour.

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Body Awareness – It Matters

December 14, 2009 By | Leave a Comment

Our fall series on optimizing overall health began last month with nutrition. Hopefully you have been able to take a few steps in this area of health…remember, a little goes a long way and if you need help we are only a phone call away! And just like nutrition, small amounts of exercise & movement when done the right way can go a long way.

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