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  • Poor Balance is Not Normal in Older Adults!

    I'm here to tell you that there's nothing normal and nothing natural about having poor balance or falls as you get older. There's nothing normal, there's nothing natural about a guaranteed level of weakness just because you're 70 or 80 years old. There's nothing normal or natural about saying that pain is automatic as an older adult. Those things are simply false. When older adults are told those things and they are already struggling with balance problems or movement issues, how do you think that makes them feel? Hopeless? 😞 In our youth, we play! When we're younger, our bodies are constantly in motion. We're jumping, we're running, we're tumbling, we're rolling, we're turning quickly, we're at high speeds. We're doing all these things that you see children do. As you get older and older, your 20s and your 30s are probably still involving a lot of movement, a lot of work activity that involves physical motion. Your body during those times is in a high level of practice. 🏃‍♂️💨🤸‍♀️ But essentially what I'm trying to say to you is that when our bodies are younger, our activity level keeps us in shape. It keeps our balance systems calibrated correctly so that we don't lose our balance and fall. It keeps our muscles in great shape so that we have the strength and endurance to do what we need to do. As we get older, our activity level is moved more towards the requirements of adulthood, which sometimes aren't that fun. But if you think about how your life has changed over time, your movement patterns have changed drastically. That change is often the reason that people end up having struggles when they get older. 🔄👴🏽🔄 So let's think about the balance system. Let's think about this group of systems in your body that the whole design for that system is to make sure that you don't fall. When you're a young person and you're running and tumbling and rolling and twisting and turning, that balance system is constantly practicing, just like anybody who goes to a soccer practice, a basketball practice, piano lesson, anybody that practices drawing or painting or singing. All of those things keep those particular systems in tiptop shape so they're prepared for anything. 🧠💡🔧 But the balance system, as we get older, is not tested or challenged, and there's not as much practice. We typically walk in a forward pattern, we don't move quickly. There's rarely a need as an older adult to move quickly. We're not turning quickly, we're not rolling, we're not tumbling. So the balance system naturally calibrates at a much lower level. When that system does not practice high-level responses and activities on a regular basis, it's not prepared for when a high-level response is needed. 🚶‍♂️🔄🧘‍♀️ So even though as adults we reduce our activity quite a bit, if we're not exercising a lot and we're not walking at high speeds or running or jumping and things like that as we did in our younger years, there are still circumstances where that high-level balance is required and it's not available to you as it was when you were younger. For instance, if your normal life consists of spending a lot of time sitting, and you're an older adult and you don't go out often and you move slowly, and then all of a sudden you have to go out and step down a curb outside, that's a higher-level balance activity that your system may not be ready for. Or let's say you're walking on grass because you have to get from point A to point B outside. That's a high-level balance activity that your system may not be ready for. 🚶‍♀️🌿🏞 The same happens with weakness. Our strength and our endurance are maintained through that play and that high-level activity as a younger person. Older people have a natural tendency for their muscles to get weaker, but their weakness that affects their daily life and their mobility does not come only because of old age-related changes in the muscle. It comes from reduced activity. So if an older adult has to walk further than their average daily walk, they're going to struggle. If they have to go up and down the stairs more often than they normally would, there's going to be a big struggle. 🏋️‍♀️💪🚶‍♂️ So when people tell you as an older adult that the reason you're struggling is because you're older, 70, 80, 90, it's absolutely false. There's always something. And most people that I see as a licensed physical therapist have problems more associated with the fact that they don't move the way they did as they were younger and their body is not practicing doing things at a high level like they want to. And then people tell you that it's natural and normal and you just have to take it easy. 😡🛑😤 So what are you supposed to do? You're stuck. You're feeling bad with your balance. You may be falling. You may have weakness that is very frustrating. You're afraid to go out with friends and family. And then on top of that, people tell you that, "Well, it's natural and you just have to take it easy." That can only make things worse because you're just going to reduce your activity level even further. 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♀️ My experience guarantees number one, that the reason you're struggling is not always because you're older. Number two, the reason you're struggling can be reversed in many, many cases, and we're going to teach you how to do that on this channel. So if you've made it to the end of this channel, my hope, honestly, is to spread these videos like wildfire to reach anybody who can benefit from it. There's going to be more content so that you understand as an older adult what you can achieve. And there's going to be more content to actually how to do that through strategies and exercise and education on your lifestyle to reverse some of the struggles that you're having. 📈💡🎓 www.achievarehab.com info@achievarehab.com 888-929-7677

  • Reduce Fall Risk in Your Home...Here's How!!

    So within the home, there's a few things that you can do, especially if you're a senior or if you're a family member of a senior who is living alone and is alone a lot of times. Let's make sure that we optimize some of the things in our home. You want to make sure that you get your medications checked. Side effects of medications can be drowsiness, dizziness. You want to make sure that there's not medications that are interacting with each other to cause those symptoms that will elevate your fall risk. The second one is always get your vision checked regularly. Make sure that your vision is as good as it possibly can be, whether you need glasses or not. Get your vision checked because vision is absolutely essential for your balance. It's one-third of our body's balance system in terms of how it helps you stay up and active and mobile. The other thing relative to that is you want to make sure that you keep your house very well-lit. A lot of people will fall in the nighttime when they have to get up and go to the bathroom because it's dark. So it leads back to that vision. If your vision is not as good as it possibly can be and the lights are out, you're taking away one-third of your body's balance systems in terms of the sensations it requires to help you keep steady. The next thing is, look around your house: throw rugs, cords that are running across the floor, any kind of object that's on the floor, narrow pathways. Those kinds of things can be disastrous with people who may not catch their balance if they lose it. If you're fortunate enough to have good balance, throw rugs aren't a big deal. You trip on the throw rug, and you'll catch yourself. But as you get older, that reaction might be much slower if you don't work on your balance regulary. The other thing that you can do is exercise safely. Exercise is extremely valuable. The better shape your body is in, the better your balance is going to react. It's like keeping your car fine-tuned all year round. You gotta keep your body in shape. Exercise, exercise, exercise. If you're sitting a lot throughout your day, don't let it happen. Get up and move around. Take a walk every half-hour in the home and get your lungs moving, get your muscles moving, get a little bit tired with that. It will keep your body working at its optimum level. More balance tips here: https://www.achievarehab.com/ Go to the website and download our book full of tips to help you have better balance. In all, if you do have balance issues, you need physical therapy. Bottom line...the only thing that helps people with balance problems is physical therapy. AND!! It works...let us help you!

  • Walking Faster Means You'll Live Longer....

    🏃‍♂️🍎 The healthier you're going to live and the longer you're going to live can be connected to the measurements. 📏💪 This is one of my five measures that can give you a great deal of information for the rest of your life and can help you map your actions to help you live healthier for longer. So what I want you to do with these is some of them you can just generally check in on yourself, some of them you can be specific, and if you keep track of these on a regular basis let's say every month or every 3 months or every 6 months, you can compare any changes that are showing. If changes on the bad side, meaning your measurements got worse, if you're seeing those over a one or a three or six-month period of time, you have to implement something to improve. 📆📈 The second measure that we want to talk about is your speed of walking. 🚶‍♂️ The slower you walk, the more likely you are to have poor mobility, strength, cardiac issues, bone density issues. The faster you walk, the more likely you are to have less of those issues and the more likely you are to have a good health span and a longer life as you keep that pace up. 🏃‍♀️💨 So how do we measure it? Simply measure 20 ft. 📏 You can do it with a measuring stick, you can do it with a tape measure, you can simply walk one foot in the other to kind of make it as close as you possibly can get to 20 ft. Have a starting line and a Finishing Line. 🏁⏱️ You're going to take a stopwatch, you're going to take your phone, whatever method you can do to count the amount of time it takes you to walk that distance. 📱⌛ You can have somebody help you to do the timing, that works out really well. When you take your first step, you start measuring with the clock, when you pass the line at 20 ft, you stop measuring with the clock. 🕰️ Then what you're going to do is take 20 divided by the number that you get on your phone, on your stopwatch, okay? That will give you your speed in feet per second. 🚶‍♂️➗⏩ So if it takes you 20 seconds to walk 20 ft, 20 divided by 20 equals 1. It means you're walking 1 ft per second. You want to walk your normal speed, you don't want to rush it or walk too slowly because you want to have an accurate representation of what your everyday normal walking looks like and how fast it is. 🚶‍♀️⏲️ Now there are norms here, normal numbers that across testing have shown to be sort of averages. Good averages 3.3 to 4.9 feet per second is sort of an average for older adults. If you can walk faster than 4.9 ft per second, that's better. 📊👟 That's more indicative that your health and your mobility and your longevity are in a good hands, a good position. If you are walking slower than 3.3 ft per second, if it's considerably much less than that, your risk of falling is higher, your strength is going to be obviously lower, your ability to do the things you want to do is going to be less likely to occur. 📉🚫 So again, take that number, mark it down, and compare it every 3 months or 6 months to see where you're at and what you need to do because you may need some training to improve that and improve your overall system. 📝🔄 They are very connected to your overall health, extremely connected. The better somebody moves, the healthier they are. The better somebody moves, the healthier they are. The better somebody moves, the less likely they are to need medicine. The better somebody moves, the less likely they are to go to the hospital. The better somebody moves, the less likely they are to need pain medications or injections or anything like that. 🌟💊💉 So on the Movement Approach Youtube Channel, we are trying to prove to you through research that is done that functional movement and the ability to move connect to your overall health. And your overall health and well-being will allow you to live longer and live happier and a more fruitful life, doing the things that you want to and need to do as you get older. 🧠💪👵 And the bottom line and the foundation is exercise. 🏋️‍♂️💓 So I invite you to check all the other videos on this site. If you felt that this was beneficial, please share it, share it with family, share it with friends, education for people that you love is extremely important, so that they know things like this going forward to help them live a better life. 📚👨‍👩‍ www.achievarehab.com info@achievarehab.com 888-929-7677

  • Back Pain or Sciatica? What's the Difference?

    According to the American Physical Therapy Association, back pain is the most commonly reported pain across the nation, and one out of every four Americans has experienced back pain in the past three months. Back pain usually results from an injury or strain, however, it can sometimes be difficult to determine if the discomfort you are experiencing is general back pain or sciatica. Sciatica, a specific type of back pain caused by a nerve issue, is extremely common. Whether you are suffering from general back pain or sciatica, working with a physical therapist can help relieve the discomfort in your back and restore your health. Physical therapy may even eliminate your need for harmful painkilling drugs, such as opioids, or an invasive surgical procedure. If you are experiencing back pain, Contact Us Today at 1-888-929-7677 for help in Schuylkill or Luzerne Counties, PA. Our skilled physical therapists will create an individualized treatment regimen for you, focusing around your recovery. What’s the difference between general back pain and sciatica? Back pain “Back pain” is a term that can be caused by an array of different conditions. For example, you may experience back pain due to poor posture, a motor vehicle accident, or a lifting injury. The treatment plan that your physical therapist sets up for you, will depend on how you developed the back pain, in addition to its exact location and your past medical history. Back pain can be described as acute, meaning it is short-term, or chronic, meaning it is long-term (typically lasting for three months or longer.) The pain you experience can be rooted in your back muscles or the bones in your spine. Sciatica Sciatica is a specific type of back pain that is reported as being highly uncomfortable. However, it is also fortunately very simple to diagnose. People with sciatica experience pain along their sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in your body. The sciatic nerve begins at your lower back and then splits at the base of your spine to extend further down to your buttocks, legs, and finally to the bottom of each foot. The sciatic nerve can become “pinched,” which causes a “shooting,” “stinging,” or “burning” sensation in your lower back, buttocks, legs, or feet. How do back pain and sciatica develop? General back pain typically develops as the result of an injury. This can be due to repetitive straining motions, such as leaning down multiple times throughout the day to pick up a toddler, or a more serious, sudden trauma, such as a motor vehicle accident. Underlying conditions, such as herniated discs, can also cause immense pain and can lead to sciatica. Degenerative disc disease is a common condition resulting in back pain, which can be caused by poor posture or obesity. Those with this condition typically report dull, aching pains in their lower back. Sciatica’s technical name is “lumbar radiculopathy.” People who develop this condition are generally between the ages of 30 and 50. Many different types of injuries can cause the development of sciatica, including arthritis, bone spurs, or any other injury that impacts the sciatic nerve. This may include a sports-related collision, a harsh fall, or something that occurs gradually over time through overuse, repetition, or general “wear and tear.” Seek help for back pain and sciatica through physical therapy: Back pain and sciatica are both completely treatable through physical therapy. Your physical therapist will create a treatment plan for you that is dependent upon your diagnosis. The early stages of your physical therapy treatments will focus on pain relief, which may include ice and heat therapies, manual therapy, light exercises, or posture improvement. And the best part is our physical therapists are ready to provide in-home physical therapy to you so that you can get back to the activities that you love. Once you begin to improve, your physical therapist will expand on your exercises and stretches, focusing on increasing your strength and range of motion. These are all improvements that will naturally bring you confidence to play with your grandchildren again, or go for walks or out to dinner with family and friends without pain. If you are suffering from sciatica, your physical therapist will implement specific leg stretches into your treatment plan to loosen the sciatic nerve. The overall goal of physical therapy for back pain and sciatica is to bring back your quality of life by alleviate pain, improve range of motion, and strengthen the body so you can get back to doing your normal daily activities without worrying about pain or discomfort. If you are experiencing back pain or sciatica, contact Achieva Rehabilitation to schedule an evaluation with one of our physical therapists. You'll be happy to know that our In-Home Physical Therapy Program is a better way to deliver PT...it's often much more valuable than going to a PT clinic. No matter how severe the pain may be, we will help you get on the road to recovery as quickly as possible. Click HERE To Speak With Our Back Pain / Sciatica Specialist on The Phone

  • Dizziness - Get me off of this ride!!!

    Dizzines ranks second only to pain in patient complaints at physician visits. Here's a little secret about me....I LOVE patients that are dizzy!!! Well, most patients that are dizzy. There are different types of dizziness and many ways that the symptom is described. Lightheadedness, haziness, foggy, cloudy, blurry, vertigo, spining and on and on. I once had a patient who described it as "squirrelly." When I say I LOVE patients that are dizzy, it is because physical therapy can have a profound impact on this debilitating feeling that can really be a scare and limit the activity level of those suffering. We will discuss one particular type of dizziness below, but, most types of dizziness respond VERY WELL to PT. The best kind of dizziness for me is the worst kind of dizziness for the patient...at least in terms of the severity of the sensation. True vertigo is caused by nystagmus, which is essentially repeated contraction of eye muscles that shouldn't be working together at the same time. My dizziness is caused by my eye muscles? In the type of dizziness that I will speak about here, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV, the eye muscles are heavily involved. See below...this is nystagmus. There are eye muscles that move the eye side to side and eye muscles that move the eye up and down and eye muscles that have a rotary effect...they turn the eye clockwise or counter-clockwise. These eye muscles are connected to the inner ear. WHY?? One of the jobs of the inner ear is to make sure your eyes can stay focused while your head moves. Try this..stare at your TV, or a book, or computer, and move your head side to side and up and down. You are still able to maintain your gaze fixed while your head is moving...that's because the inner ear is telling your eye muscles how to react to the movement of your head so that the eye essentially can stay in place relative to the head. Picture a hula-hoop filled with fluid AND rocks. If you turn the hula hoop, the fluid inside naturally moves. The rocks move as well...BUT!!...not at the same speed or direction necessarily because they are heavier than the water. The inner ear is similar. When not stricken with BPPV, when you move your head, fluid moves in the Semicircular Canals and sensory nerves are stimulated inside the canal...this nerve stimulation is what manages the contraction or relaxation of the eye muscles. In another section of the inner ear, there are "rocks" or otoconia, which serve a physiological purpose. For one reason or another, illness, bump on head, some of those "rocks" get dislodged and move into the Semicircular Canal (Hula Hoop). Now, when you move your head a certain way, the eye muscles get the stimulation that they should be getting from the fluid movement, but, they ALSO get a different stimulation from the "rocks" or "crystals" and pairs of eye muscles work together to move the eye in a way it wasn't designed to move. The result is NYSTAGMUS. That eye movement, as seen above, is what causes the nauseating feeling that the world is spinning around you. BPPV lasts less than a minute and is usually felt while getting up and down from bed, rolling in bed, bending over, or looking up to the ceiling. Lightheadedness and nausea may remain a bit longer than the vertigo. How scary is that feeling? How often is someone going to want to replicate the movement that brought it on? It's a terrible feeling, especially if the reason is unknown. I'm not saying that all vertigo is BPPV..certainly not, but, certain physical therapists have been fortunate enough to learn how to determine that. Here is the part I LOVE! BPPV can be cured in a high majority of cases in just about TEN MINUTES!!!! A therapist will take a complete history, perform a few tests to confirm the diagnosis, and implement a treatment...the results are pretty amazing! That is why I LOVE patients who are dizzy...it's very exciting to ease someones worries in such a short span of time. Let's get you off of that ride so you can get back to life!!! Call for a FREE CONSULTATION 1-888-929-7677

  • Could Your Low Back Pain be SI Joint Related?

    What in thee world is that crazy language? Did you say SI Joint? This is a little known joint in the small of your back that people may have never heard of but could be the root cause of your back pain...We've seen many people's lives turned upside down, not being able to enjoy the activities that they love because of their pain, but, not knowing how it can be helped. The SI joint is better known as the Sacroiliac Joint and you know it as the little hard bump on both sides of your low back..that bony bump on each side is your SI joint. If you don’t know the source of your lower back pain, consider your sacroiliac (SI) joint a possible suspect. Even though many people have never heard of it, estimates say that dysfunction of the SI joint is responsible for 15% to 30% of lower back pain cases. The sacroiliac joint(s) can become a source of pain back and leg pain when there is either too much or too little movement in the joints. Inflammation of the sacroiliac joint (sacroiliitis) can also produce pelvic pain and stiffness. What is an SI joint? The SI joint is where your pelvis connects to the bottom of your spine (sacrum). You have one of these joints on each side. SI joints are sturdy and withstand tremendous pressure. They support the weight of your upper body, acting as shock absorbers when energy transfers between your upper body and your pelvis and legs. These joints also support your range of motion when you bend at the hips or twist. Every time you get up from a seat or walk upstairs, you’re putting stress on your SI joints. Daily activities wear down these joints over time. If the joints move too much (or too little), it can lead to pain. What SI joint pain feels like SI joint problems can be characterized by these symptoms: Dull, aching pain on one side of your lower back. Lower back pain that worsens with certain movements, such as getting in and out of a car, bending down, and getting out of bed in the morning. Pain that radiates down behind your upper leg, similar to sciatica. Pain that feels like it’s coming from your hips. Pain caused by SI joint dysfunction can occur on both sides of your body, even though it’s more common to have pain on just one side. Another fact to keep in mind: SI Joint dysfunction is more common in young and middle-aged women. Women who are pregnant or have recently given birth may be more susceptible to SI joint pain What SI joint pain doesn’t feel like Pain caused by SI joint dysfunction doesn’t commonly show these characteristics: Pain that radiates down the leg below the knee. Weakness or numbness in your lower body. If you exhibit these symptoms, your SI joint is not likely the source of pain. How to check for SI joint dysfunction It is recommended you visit a physical therapist to see if you have SI joint dysfunction. Typically they apply gentle pressure using various techniques. These tests may include: Sacral thrust test. Pressure is applied to the back of your hips while you lie face down on a table. Distraction test. Pressure is applied to the front of your hips while you lie face up on a table. FABER test. You lie on your back with one leg straight and the other leg bent, its ankle resting on your straight leg’s thigh. (In this position, your body may look like a figure “4.”) Pressure is applied by gently pushing your bent knee down and out. If these tests reproduce your pain, it may signal SI joint dysfunction. SI joint dysfunction can’t be pinpointed by imaging diagnostics, such as an x-ray or MRI. At Achieva Rehab, SI joint dysfunction can lead to rotation of the pelvis in very short amounts, but, this can cause great pain. We love SI joint rotations because they are fairly easy to manage. Take advantage of our FREE Phone Assessment with our Specialist to see how our brand of Physical Therapy can help you. Get back to being independent and active in your community without pills, injections, or constantly going to the doctor. Click HERE to Arrange Your FREE Phone Assessment.

  • Ice or Heat? Plus! Make Your Own Ice or Hot Packs.

    Our patients in our Physical Therapy Program often ask us whether they should use ice or heat for their particular conditions. When deciding on which of these thermal modalities to use, here are some rules and guidelines, which if followed, will reduce the risk of adverse effects or further injury and provide for the most effective way of using these therapies. Among the many different physiological effects that ice and heat have on a tissue, there are basically 2 that make the most difference. These are vasoconstriction and vasodialation. Simply put, ice results in a narrowing of the local blood vessels (vasoconstriction), while heat will increase the vessels’ diameter (vasodilation). It is because of this main difference that the use of these modalities will vary. While both help to reduce pain, they should be used at the right time and in the correct manner or adverse results may occur. The general rule is that if the injury is acute (72 hours or less) or if there is inflammation in the tissue, then ice is the treatment of choice. By the same token, if there is no inflammation and if the condition is in a subacute or chronic stage (3 days to several weeks after an injury), then heat may prove to be more beneficial. When applying ice, one should take caution NOT to apply the ice pack directly to the skin as there would be a risk of frostbite. There should always be one layer of a damp towel or T-shirt placed between the ice pack and the skin.The proper way to use ice therapy is to multiple, back-to-back applications by applying the ice pack for 10-15 minutes (longer than this, and it can have the opposite effect, vasodilation, which would be not ideal), leaving off for one hour, and reapplying it again. Best results are obtained when this is repeated at least 3-4 hours immediately after an injury. To prevent tissue damage, it is important to be sure that the tissue temperature has returned to normal before applying ice to the area again. When using ice therapy you can expect the tissue to feel cold, followed by a burning sensation that will in a short time turn into an ache and will finally begin to feel numb. The main benefit of this will be a reduction in pain, spasm and swelling. When using heat, once again, prolonged exposure should be avoided. The therapeutic benefit of heat is best achieved by 30 minute applications with an hour in between to allow the tissue temperature to normalize. Heat therapy should never be used in bed as the risk of burns increase if one falls sleep during application resulting in prolonged exposure. The benefit is increased circulation along with reduction of pain and spasm. Since ice reduces blood flow to the tissue, it is important to remember NOT to use ice when a condition has reached a sub-acute or chronic state. This will result in a slowing of the healing process as the tissue is deprived of oxygen and nutrients. There is a third method of application called “contrast therapy” and it is considered to be superior to using ice or heat alone. This is once again used after the acute inflammation has subsided and its benefit is in its ability to rapidly flush the tissue with blood. Heat will bring in increased blood flow and with it comes increased oxygen and nutrients and ice will cause the blood to rapidly leave the tissue and take the waste and pain producing elements away. This will aid in increasing tissue repair and hence improve speed of recovery. When using contrast therapy, heat is applied first and last and ice is alternated. The time application ratio is usually 3 to one (3 minutes of heat followed immediately with one minute of ice). This should be repeated for approximately 20 minutes and repeated every hour. Following these simple guidelines will help in better outcomes when managing your injuries and will reduce the risk of adverse effects. Make Your Own Heat and Ice Packs Homemade gel ice packs What you need: 1 quart or 1 gallon plastic freezer bags (depending on how large you want the cold pack) 2 cups water1 cup rubbing alcohol (70%) Instructions: Fill the plastic freezer bag with 1 cup of rubbing alcohol and 2 cups of water.Try to get as much air out of the freezer bag before sealing it shut.Place the bag and its contents inside a second freezer bag to contain any leakage.Leave the bag in the freezer for at least an hour.When it's ready, place a towel between the gel pack and bare skin to avoid burning the skin. As an alternative to rubbing alcohol you may simply use dish soap, which has a gel-like consistency and will also freeze/retain the cold. Another way to apply ice to your painful back is by freezing water in a Styrofoam cup, and then asking someone to rub on the painful area of your back to reduce inflammation. Homemade moist heat packs There are two types of heat therapy: dry and moist. Moist heat packs are less dehydrating to the skin than dry heat. They also allow heat to absorb better into the skin and may relieve pain faster. What you need: Cloth container (sock, small pillow case, fabric) 4-6 cups of filling (such as uncooked rice, flaxseed, buckwheat, oatmeal) Needle and thread (optional, but recommended) Instructions: Fill your cloth container with the filling.Tie or sew the container shut.Microwave container for 1-3 minutes. Follow the use instructions above. Thanks for checking this out. If you are having pain, take the next step and set up a FREE Phone Assessment with one of our Specialists. Follow the link below. Click HERE to Arrange Your FREE Phone Assessment

  • Find The Right Physical Therapist...Don't Worry About The Rest!

    We can't emphasize this enough. Thee absolute most essential aspect of your recovery is finding the right physical therapist. Most people think of cost first. When you look at all your options, most people think that going In-Network is the best because it is the cheapest route generally. The problem with this thought process is that you will end up traveling to a physical therapy clinic only to be a number...you may see the actual Physical Therapist for 15 minutes and then work on things with an aide while the PT goes and does another 15 minutes with another client. That's just not enough time. Imagine going to your lawyer's office and you walk in and there are three other client's there speaking with your lawyer about different problems...that's not effective!! At Achieva Rehabilitation, we believe in the power of the Grandma Standard. We will treat you with the same attention that we would use with our own grandmothers. We believe so deeply in our In-Home PT Program because you can't get One-on-One dedicated attention in a clinic...it just won't happen. And sometimes, in order to be able to provide that level of service, In-Network benefits is not the best choice. Learn more below... Did you know that with Direct Access, you don’t need a doctor’s referral to go to physical therapy? Although Direct Access Laws vary a bit from state to state, you can see a physical therapist without a referral with most insurance groups. The hard part now is finding a physical therapist that meets both your treatment and pocketbook goals. If you have insurance, the first thought that probably comes to mind is looking through a list of physical therapy providers who are in your network. Although cost is an important consideration when looking for the right physical therapist, you first need to find the right physical therapy clinic for your recovery goals—then figure out the right payment options to fit with your needs. Start Mapping It Out: Finding Programs That Fit Your Physical Therapy Needs When researching various physical therapy programs, look for quality programs with good reviews. Find out how much physical therapy treatment time is spent one-on-one with the PT or PTA. During your physical therapy treatment process, it’s key to receive manual therapy, a hands-on approach to physical therapy, from a licensed physical therapist and the proper education around your condition to avoid re-injury. If the majority of your physical therapy treatment is spent doing exercises with an aide, that is a red flag. Finally, look for programs that offer post-physical therapy wellness and health services if you want the opportunity to continue beyond your treatment timeline. In-Network: Going Down a Familiar Trail When you find a physical therapy program that your insurance lists as being in-network, what that means is the program has a contract with your insurance company. The program has negotiated a lower price for the their services—the insurance company pays a specific fraction of the bill and you pay the rest (i.e. your copay). Going in-network for physical therapy may come with caveats in terms of what types of physical therapy treatment you can get. Some only approve physical therapy insurance for a certain amount of visits, ranging from 6 to 60 per year while others only approve coverage if you have an illness that’s led to a specific loss of function. If you haven’t used any medical services this year, you will have to pay out-of-pocket for physical therapy and other medical services until your deductible has been met. If you’ve met your deductible for the year, that’s perfect. Overall, don’t feel obligated to go the in-network route if you can’t find an in-network physical therapy program that offers one-on-one treatments with a therapist—you do have other options. Out-Of-Network: Unfamiliar Territory? Most insurance companies have out-of-network benefits if you decide not to go with one of their in-network providers. If you’ve never used these benefits before, maneuvering through it may seem daunting, but it’s very similar to using your in-network benefits. Your physical therapy program will bill insurance for your physical therapy treatment, same as in-network, and your insurance company will still pay a portion of the cost. Similar to in-network, they may only cover a certain amount per year. The only difference is that the program doesn’t have a specific contract with your health plan. Therefore, the price of the program’s services aren’t previously negotiated. When compared to in-network, you may pay a slightly higher percentage of the total cost. But often, out-of-network benefits cover 60 to 80 percent of treatment costs. What’s compelling is that, depending on your physical therapy treatment, this may not be a whole lot different than if you had in-network benefits. You can ask a the physical therapist you’re interested in to help you breakdown your specific physical therapy benefits so you can decide which treatment plan works best. If you’re expecting physical therapy treatment that’s a bit more specialized or you simply want to make sure that you’ll have the opportunity to have highly effective, one-on-one treatments with a therapist, going out-of-network might be right for you if you can’t find an in-network provider that fits your needs. With out-of-network benefits, you may be paying a bit more out-of-pocket, but you’ll also get the quality of service you want and need. Depending on the treatment, going out-of-network may also result in less visits and time needed for recovery and an overall smaller expense. Cash-Pay: No Detours Needed For those who don’t have out-of-network benefits, insurance at all, or have high deductibles, paying directly is always an option. All the benefits of going out-of-network apply to paying directly. There are no third parties since you’re entering into a contract with the clinic itself. Most PT programs may offer a bundled discount if you decide to go the cash-pay route, which may benefit those without physical therapy insurance, insurance in general, or high-deductibles. With cash-pay, you’ll have no constraints when it comes to any methods or services that you need with your physical therapy treatment course; it all comes down to you. If you’ve heard about a high-quality physical therapy program, and aren’t covered for, you might decide to go the cash-pay route. End Of The Journey What is the main takeaway? To align your goals with your needs. It really comes down to your physical therapy treatment and which insurance or payment path works for you. Don’t be shy— feel free to ask your friends for any physical therapy program recommendations in your area. Google physical therapy in your area to see who has the highest patient satisfaction. Don’t feel limited when it comes to finding the right physical therapy program for your treatment. Find the right path for your health goals. Please click HERE if you have questions...we would love to HELP you into the world of the Grandma Standard

  • Why You Must Take Your Balance Seriously!

    I must admit that I'm a numbers guy. Numbers don't lie. Statistics don't lie. And that's why we need to bring you this very concise video with some statistics that should scare you if you or a loved one are having problems with your balance. Please watch and think seriously about how important it is to have good balance. If this information scares you, our aim hit the mark. I think it takes that level of realization that you need to do something to prevent something catastrophic. The good news is that specialized physical therapy like the programs we have with Achieva Rehabilitation are extremely effective in counteracting these numbers. Physical Therapy for balance problems and fall risk works amazingly well...and we specialize in it. I am offering you a FREE Phone Call with Our Specialist so that we can discover together if our brand of therapy is the right fit for your balance needs. This also applies to people who have dizziness as the two are often inter-related. Below is the link to sign up for our FREE Call...please don't hesitate to take advantage of this call. Click HERE To Arrange Your FREE Call Or if you are anxious to get more information quickly, give us a call or text us at this number: 1-888-929-7677

  • We Hear You...Just Like We Hear This Song...

    Physical Therapy...not one of the most well-understood professions in healthcare. The majority of people have gone to a family doctor..they know what to expect. Most people have had personal experience or have had family or friends who have needed an orthopedic doctor...they know what goes on there. Obstetrician...enough said...we've all been born. Neurologist, Gastroenterologist, Podiatrist, Dermatologist, Nurse...all very well understood and you know what you are getting with each of them. At least to a degree that doesn't cause a host of questions to arise. But, what does a Physical Therapist actually do? Most people see a crowded gym where someone has some sort of rubber band around their leg laying on a table or someone walking on a treadmill with a Crest-approved smile for the promo picture with the PT standing at their side attentively. Cookie-cutter PT is NOT PT! How do I see our brand of Physical Therapy at Achieva Rehab? Perhaps I can make you understand by listening to this song. The people that we work with are, in one form or another are crying out, and we are responding to their call for "Help". You see, our brand of Physical Therapy at Achieva Rehab "helps" people who are struggling to remain active and independent. We "help" them improve their balance so they don't have to worry about falling. We "help" them get rid of their dizziness or vertigo so they aren't petrified by the thought of that feeling running their lives. We "help" them get strong enough to be independent and active in their own homes when they think they are too old to get better because someone told them the very same thing...they are too old. We "help" people who are suffering with Parkinson's Disease or Multiple Sclerosis gain the confidence to get back out to dinner with family or out for a simple walk without the fear of embarrassment or freezing and not being able to walk safely. We "help" people! Plain and simple. So, the next time you are skeptical about physical therapy because you just don't know what physical therapy is or you don't know anyone who had physical therapy, just know that Achieva Rehabilitation is here to "help" you live the life that you want to live. Whether you are struggling with pain, dizziness, vertigo, poor balance, musculoskeletal problems, post surgical needs from joint replacement, or neurological conditions that affect your independence...we've got a toolbox that helps build long-lasting results so you can be happy! "Help! I need somebody. Help! Not just anybody". That's right...not just anybody! Achieva Rehab...we will "help" you if you find yourself identifiying with people we talked about above. 1-888-929-7677 FREE First Session of Online PT > For more details, visit: www.achievarehab.com/online-pt

  • Can Nutrition Make A BIG Difference for People with Parkinson's Disease...Part 1

    A BIG ole YES! is the correct answer. Let's start with the fact that science continues to learn more and more about the impact of gut health on a great deal of conditions in the human body. We've learned that treating your digestive system like a shiny new toy is extremely important. Yet, most of the American public chooses food because it satisfies the taste buds rather than fueling the incredibly complex machine that we live in...the human body. An old friend of mine by the name of Hippocrates once said "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." So, let's start with hydration. First and foremost – Hydration is necessary. You can’t get proper nutrients into your cells without proper hydration. Think of a glass of water as a stream that takes a kayak full of nutrition to your cells. You can’t make digestive enzymes or hormones…even if you eat properly, the nutrients are not properly making it into your body. And hormone problems can lead to anxiety and depression and the root problem with people with Parkinson's is their lack of Dopamine, a hormone. Dopamine needs a kayak and a river to get moving people!! Electrical signals in your brain are much less efficient at reaching their destination if not hydrated. And thus, movement is not optimized. Toxins build in your body that can’t be flushed out causing cells to be unhealthy! Start your day with a glass of water as this is the time of day where your body is housing its highest concentration of toxins and is most dehydrated. Avoid Coffee, Tea, Soda and Alcohol... in excess. These can have a diuretic and dehydrating effect. Try to stick with one cup of coffee or tea in the morning (after your class of water, of course). Soda has no place in a healthy diet as it is full of toxic chemicals and inflammation producing sugars but if you are going to indulge do it very infrequently. For a more beneficial carbonated beverage, try LiveSoda. Check out our FREE Report with 15 Tips to use to fight back at Parkinson's Disease. https://www.achievarehab.com/pdbook Be good!

  • Can Nutrition Make A BIG Difference for People with Parkinson's Disease...Part 2

    So, if you read part one, you are planning to get hydration more involved in your day because you now know the scientifically proven need for water to be flowing like a river throughout your body. Great job! Now on to the more global, generalized part of this series. I've touched on this in prior blogs but if you have been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, I want you to look around for a club and perhaps a pelt from a sabertooth tiger as your significant other squats down to start a fire to cook your newly caught "lunch." Yes, I want you to eat like a caveman! You see, 200k years ago (and even today in modern primitive tribes such as the Hadza in Tanzania), mankind existed on a diet of pure nature, organic foods. Heck, the term organic is floated around so much these days but it just basically means that it is pure food from the earth. They at wild lean meats, fish, green leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, and honey. This diet had a perfectly balanced ratio of good essential fatty acids (Omega 3) to bad (Omega 6) to which the human body is best calibrated. So what? Well, if you look at the research, these tribes don't have obesity, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's. And they don't have Parkinson's Disease! Contrast that with the "American" diet which is generally filled with Omega 6 Fatty Acids, which is pro-inflammatory, meaning it makes any boo-boo that you have anywhere inside or outside of your body more hurty! Sugar, food additives, carbohydrates, processed foods, vegetable oils...these foods are cheap and the opposite of the fuel that your body needs...they are damaging to your cells. As we go along in this series ( I don't know how long it will be btw...a lot to say!), the general diet patterns noted above will be broken down into smaller bites..punny! The bottom line is that I want you to learn all the tricks to fighting PD and living a vibrant life even in the face of this daunting diagnosis. Check out my FREE Report. https://www.achievarehab.com/pdbook Be good!

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