Don’t Let Your Back Suffer This Holiday Season
Lower back pain can be an unwelcome intruder, especially during the busy holiday season, when you should be enjoying festivities, not nursing a sore back. Understanding how our physical therapists can help you manage and alleviate this pain is essential. Here’s a step-by-step guide on what to expect when seeking treatment for lower back pain that appears without a clear cause.
The Gradual Onset of Pain
Imagine you begin to notice a nagging pain in your lower back. At first, it seems trivial – perhaps a little sore after a long car ride or something ordinary like doing the dishes. However, as days pass, the pain persists and even intensifies.
Simple actions like sitting for long periods, standing up from a chair, or bending over become challenging and painful. The discomfort might even disrupt your sleep, making finding a comfortable position almost impossible.
The Role of Physical Therapy
When you decide enough is enough, call Prevail Physical Therapy Services and let one of our physical therapists help you find lasting relief. We’ll work to identify the root cause of your pain, give you the tools to manage your pain, and help you understand how to treat your lower back pain.
Comprehensive Evaluation
The journey to relief starts with a comprehensive evaluation. This step is critical for our therapist to understand your specific situation.
- Patient History: This includes discussing your daily routines, any significant changes in your activities, and your medical history.
- Physical Examination: The therapist examines your posture and spinal alignment and looks for any visible signs of imbalance or discomfort.
- Detailed Movement Screen: Our therapist conducts a detailed movement screen, vital in pinpointing the exact movements that trigger your pain.
- Analyzing Movement Patterns: This includes assessing how you sit, stand up, and bend and identifying positions or movements that exacerbate your pain.
Identifying the Root Cause
By synthesizing information from your history, physical exam, and movement analysis, our therapist can identify potential causes of your pain. It could result from poor posture, prolonged sitting, a lack of physical activity, or even weak core muscles.
Personalized Treatment Program
Based on the findings, a personalized treatment program is developed to address your specific needs.
Pain Management Strategies:
Initially, the focus is on alleviating your immediate pain through targeted stretching and manual therapy techniques.
Core Strengthening:
A key element of your recovery will be strengthening your core muscles, providing better support for your lower back.
Improving Mobility:
Exercises are introduced to address any limitations or restrictions to enhance the mobility of your back, hip, and pelvis joints and surrounding muscles.
Educational Component:
Understanding the mechanics of your back pain is crucial for long-term management and prevention. You’ll learn about how certain activities impact your back and strategies to prevent future pain.
Take the First Step Toward a Pain-Free Holiday
If you’re struggling with lower back pain, now is the time to act. Reach out to our Prevail Physical Therapy Services team and embark on a personalized journey to recovery. Don’t let back pain hold you back from enjoying the holiday season. Contact us today and move towards a healthier, more comfortable future!
Join Prevail PT in Supporting Hopelink This Holiday Season!
At Prevail Physical Therapy, we believe in giving back to our community, and this season, we’re proud to host a food drive benefiting Hopelink in Shoreline!
Hopelink provides food, housing, transportation, and family services to help our neighbors in need build stability and self-sufficiency. Together, we can make a meaningful difference for local families facing food insecurity.
We’ll be collecting non-perishable food donations in our clinic leading up to our first delivery on November 17th, and continuing a second round of collections through December, with a final donation on December 19th.
How you can help:
- Bring non-perishable food items to the clinic during your next visit
- Share this drive with friends and family – every contribution counts!
To learn more about Hopelink and their mission, visit hopelink.org.
Together, let’s make this season a little brighter for our Shoreline community!
Our Patients Get Great Results
“This place is the best. I have tons of joint issues and the people at Prevail have been so helpful. Also, the staff are so friendly as well. The place is great for super athletes and those of us just trying to stay active.”
– Anjali A.
Innovative Approaches to Physical Wellness this Thanksgiving Season
Thanksgiving is more than just a day of feasting; it’s a time to come together and celebrate what we’re thankful for. While traditional advice often emphasizes the basics, let’s elevate your approach to physical well-being this season with these cutting-edge tips:
- Dynamic Warm-Up Before the Turkey Trot: If you’re planning a Thanksgiving morning run or family games, forget old-school stretching. Use a dynamic warm-up to prep your muscles and boost your range of motion.
- Text Neck Prevention: As we catch up on social media or text friends and family Thanksgiving wishes, “text neck” can be a real issue. Counteract this by sitting tall or not at all and doing neck stretches every hour.
- Mindfulness Through Movement: Instead of sitting to meditate or relax, try combining mindfulness with gentle movements like Tai Chi or a light stroll through the neighborhood.
Embrace your health by prioritizing your physical and mental well-being to ensure you have the best Thanksgiving yet! 🦃
Discover the Healing Power of Focused Shockwave Therapy
If you’ve been living with ongoing pain or a nagging injury that just won’t heal, Focused Shockwave Therapy (FSWT) could be a game changer. This safe, non-invasive treatment uses high-energy sound waves called “shockwaves” to stimulate your body’s natural healing process and speed up recovery.
During a short in-clinic session, your therapist applies a small amount of gel to the treatment area and uses a handheld device to deliver targeted pulses to the injured tissues. These pulses increase blood flow, boost cell activity, and promote the formation of new blood vessels, all essential steps in repairing muscles, tendons, and joints.
FSWT has been shown to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and encourage tissue regeneration at a cellular level. It’s particularly effective for conditions like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, tennis elbow, rotator cuff pain, and chronic muscle or joint injuries.
Many patients describe the sensation during treatment as a deep ache or pressure that fades quickly afterward. While mild soreness or redness can occur, these effects typically subside within a day or two. Most patients begin noticing improvements in pain and mobility within a few weeks, with optimal results developing over 4-12 weeks as the tissues continue to heal.
You can resume most daily activities immediately after treatment, just avoid strenuous exercise, icing, or anti-inflammatory medications for a few days to allow your body’s natural healing response to work at its best.
If pain has been holding you back, Focused Shockwave Therapy at Prevail Physical Therapy could help you recover faster, move better, and return to doing what you love.
November Word Scramble
nrbareycr
tfuisngf
ouoarncpic
iamylf
drapea
altkunhf
Answer Key
cranberry
stuffing
cornucopia
family
parade
thankful
Use Your Benefits Before They Expire!
The end of the year is the perfect time to make the most of your insurance benefits! If you’ve already met your deductible, your physical therapy visits – and even custom orthotics – could be covered at little to no cost before your plan renews.
Many patients use this time to finish their treatment plan, check in on their progress, or finally address that nagging pain they’ve been putting off. It’s also an ideal time to get fitted for custom orthotics, which can help correct imbalances, relieve foot and joint pain, and improve how you move every day.
Don’t let your 2025 benefits go to waste! Our team at Prevail Physical Therapy is here to help you feel your best heading into the new year.
Appointments fill quickly at year-end, call today to schedule your visit or orthotic fitting before your benefits reset!
Exercise of the Month
STANDING LUMBAR SELF TRACTION
Stand in front of a sturdy counter or bench about waist height. Place your hands firmly on the surface and slowly bend your knees slightly while leaning your weight into your arms. Allow your hips to drop downward, feeling a gentle stretch and decompression in your lower back. Hold the position briefly, then return to standing.
3 Sets, 30-Second Hold. (Materials needed: counter or bench)
Come Back to Physical Therapy at Prevail!
Feeling pain or slowed down? Come back to Prevail Physical Therapy for a personalized plan to get you strong, pain-free, and moving again!
Tell Your Story!
Had a great experience at Prevail Physical Therapy? We’d love to hear from you! Share your review and help others discover the care and support we offer.
Meet Our New Provider:
Dr. Morgan Sterling, PT, DPT
We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Morgan Sterling to the Prevail team! Morgan joins us with a strong background in treating orthopedics, chronic pain, hypermobility, concussion, and dizziness.
Originally from Ohio, the Bay Area, and Tucson, Arizona, Morgan completed his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Northern Arizona University in 2021. Following that, he had worked in a community health center setting, treating a wide variety of patients and conditions — from athletes recovering from injury to individuals managing chronic or complex pain. Morgan has since joined the Prevail Team this October!
Morgan has a special interest in helping athletes, hikers, runners, and weightlifters, as well as patients recovering from dizziness and concussion. He has completed additional training in manual therapy, orthopedic diagnosis and treatment, dizziness and concussion management, hypermobility, and chronic pain education.
Outside of the clinic, Morgan enjoys running, hiking, tennis, volleyball, playing guitar, traveling (most recently exploring Mexico City!), and spending time with family and friends.
We’re excited for our patients to get to know Morgan and to benefit from his compassionate, movement-centered approach to care. ¡Además, él habla español!
Welcome to the team, Morgan!
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Quick & Easy Healthy Recipe
Sheet Pan Crispy Mashed Potatoes
Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, these Sheet Pan Crispy Mashed Potatoes are the ultimate comfort food side dish. They’re simple to make, deliciously golden, and perfect for bringing a little extra crunch to your dinner table!
Ingredients:
- 5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Fit a wire rack in a sheet pan.
Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water by at least 1 inch. Heavily salt the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue to boil until the potatoes can be easily smashed with the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then shake the colander as hard as you can without losing any of the potatoes until they are roughed up and craggy. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared sheet pan and let dry for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the vegetable oil onto a separate sheet pan and heat in the oven for 10 minutes.
Carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven and transfer the potatoes to the hot oil (carefully, as the oil might splatter a bit). Gently mash the potatoes with the back of a spoon until they fill most of the sheet pan, then season with 1 tablespoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Scatter the butter over top of the potatoes.
Bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are turning golden brown, about 45 minutes. Toss the potatoes and continue to bake until the bottoms are golden brown and the tops are golden brown in a few places, another 50 to 55 minutes.
Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the chives.
Thank You for Subscribing to Prevail Physical Therapy
Refer a Friend
Our purpose at Prevail Physical Therapy is to leave a greater impact on the community around us. In order to achieve our goal we want to change as many lives as possible as we become a beacon of positivity in our community.
Meet Our Team
Bruk Ballenger
PT, DPT
Sam Kidder
PT, DPT
Rachel Krieder
PT, DPT
Keagan Tice
PT, DPT
Adam Waggoner
PT, DPT
Stephanie Dunagan
Office Manager
Vanessa N.
Client Services Coordinator
