You know that regular exercise is crucial to living a healthy lifestyle. The CDC recommends adults aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity a week–about 22 minutes a day, so you don’t have to toil away in the gym for hours. But hitting those numbers can still be a challenge, especially if you struggle with persistent pain or limited mobility.
That’s where physical therapy at ElmTree comes in. We’re movement experts who understand all the impairments in your musculoskeletal system that can keep you from living the active, healthy lifestyle you crave. From pain management to maximizing your athletic performance, we’ll help you meet your exercise goals.
Here are just a few of the ways we can help you get healthier. Ready to get started? Call our clinic today!
Happy New Year from Elm Tree Physical Therapy & Wellness!
Patient Success
“I’m so thankful ElmTree Physical Therapy opened a location in Hamlin. After a freak fall and surgery I needed PT on my ankle/leg. They have a great team of people who are working to get me back up and moving. They’re professional caring folks who really want the best outcome for you. If you need PT I highly recommend going to see Frank, Brianna and Tina. You will be glad you did!” -E.J.
We Can Reduce Pain and Restore Mobility
Many orthopedic conditions and injuries can make regular exercise feel difficult (if not impossible). Osteoarthritis, herniated discs, tennis elbow–all can make you feel like it’s easier just to sit this one out. In reality, though, all these conditions (and others) benefit from regular exercise.
Dealing with persistent pain or limited mobility? Our physical therapists offer several options for pain relief, including several manual therapy techniques, such as soft tissue manipulation, joint mobilization, or myofascial release. We use these techniques as the first step in preparing your body for regular movement.
We’ll also show you targeted, tailored exercises to reduce pain in the affected area. Joint pain often stems from muscular imbalances or postural impairments that stress the impacted joint, leading to discomfort and setting you up for more serious injuries. Strength training will help reduce your pain and get you moving again.
We Can Let You Know If You’re At Risk for an Injury
Did you know you don’t have to wait until you’re in pain to visit the team at ElmTree? We’re in the business of preventing injuries, not just treating them–and we can help you enter into a new workout plan without fear!
Our comprehensive physical evaluations test the following:
- Muscle strength and endurance
- Overall mobility
- Biomechanics, which looks at how your body’s systems work together to get you moving
- Balance and fall risk
- Posture
- Walking patterns
- Functional movements that you might perform for work, hobbies, or recreation
During the screens, we’ll look for potential impairments that might cause injuries down the line and suggest corrections to address them–before they become a problem.
For example, let’s say that you want to take up running after some time away. During your assessment, we notice that you tend to bend forward at the waist when jogging. This habit means that every time your foot hits the ground, you cause more impact in your feet than necessary, which could, eventually, lead to an injury.
By catching the form mistake now–and working with our physical therapists to correct it–you lower your chances of suffering a knee injury (which could prevent you from exercising altogether).
We Can Help You Exercise with Confidence
Starting a new exercise program for the first time–or restarting one after some time away–can be deeply intimidating. You don’t know which exercises you should do. You have no idea if you’re performing movements correctly. You’re not even sure what types of exercise you would enjoy.
Our physical therapists can help with all these concerns and more. We can suggest an exercise program that suits your abilities, interests, and goals and work with you one-on-one to guide you through any unfamiliar movements or equipment. We can also suggest movement or activity modifications if something’s too difficult and offer reassurance that even small changes can have a big impact.
Our team doesn’t just help beginners, either. As you progress, you may find yourself plateauing or struggling with certain aspects of your performance. Our therapists can get to the bottom of things and develop a performance improvement plan so you can see the results you’re looking for.
Start the Journey to An Active Lifestyle Today!
No matter your needs, the physical therapists at ElmTree will help you get active in a way that works for you. Call us to schedule your initial consultation!
Employee of the Month
This Month’s employee of the month is Mitchell!! Mitchell was elected by his coworkers for his outstanding jokes and great personality as well as his ability to adapt and go with the flow. Mitchell frequently changes his schedule and rearranges to make accommodations for patients to get their appointments in!! He has been with ElmTree only a short amount of time, but we sure do love him! Congrats Mitchell!
Never been to PT before and nervous about the environment?? That’s okay and totally normal! You can now virtually tour our facilities!
Around the Clinic
Happy Graduation to Anna!
Anna came in with pain in her Achilles due to being a cross country runner! It was very important to Anna to get her back out on the course and in the gym. Our therapists worked with her for many weeks in her recovery, and Anna was finally discharged and is now able to return to the gym and running. After a lot of education and tools given to her, Anna feels comfortable managing any aches or pains on her own if they do occur. Overall she left feeling really good!! Congrats Anna, hard work pays off!
1 on 1 training packages & pricing
1 session: $50
4 sessions: $185
6 sessions: $275
8 sessions: $360
10 sessions $450
5 Tips for Shoveling Snow
Are you the type of person who dreads the snow? Does the thought of shoveling snow make you groan? You’re not alone. Shoveling snow can be a real pain in the neck– literally! Luckily, there are a few tricks you can use to make this chore more manageable. Check out these 5 tips for snow shoveling down below.
- Warm-up first: You may not think of snow shoveling as a strenuous activity that requires a warm-up, but it is! Getting outside with the shovel before taking a second to warm up your tight and cold muscles increases your chances of injury. Your warm-up doesn’t need to be complicated; something as simple as a brisk walk or a couple of dynamic stretches is enough to help your body prepare for the task ahead.
- Choose the right gear: Low back pain from shoveling snow can be exacerbated by improper equipment. Make sure you have access to both an ergonomic shovel and boots with great traction. The last thing you want is to slip and fall!
- Use proper technique: Do you know the proper technique for shoveling snow? Keeping your back straight and leading with the hips instead of the lower back is essential. Ensure that your chest is pushed out and pointing forward. And most importantly, when you lift, rely on your leg muscles with a soft bend in the knee.
- Take breaks: While it may be tempting to finish shoveling your driveway in one go, failing to pace yourself is how you get injured. Try spreading out the work you have to do over multiple days instead.
- Push the snow, don’t lift: It’s much easier on your body to push piles of snow down to the street than it is to carry heavy loads out of your way. Invest in a shovel specifically designed for pushing snow.