by Howard Gerber on January 3, 2012
Physical therapists are heroes and villains in the story of recovery. At first, they are the villains of the story because they make the patient hurt more. The patient has dutifully been “taking it easy” for a bit after their surgery or accident and they have begun to feel a smidge better. Then they are suddenly being asked to bend, stretch, and move in ways that make the pain come back tenfold. This is, of course, a necessary component in healing and regaining full motion – but it still hurts. Usually it isn’t too terribly hard to motivate a patient to come back for their therapy appointments during this initial stage because it is all too obvious that they desperately need help to get back to their pre-injury state. However, motivating the patient to complete their exercises at home can be quite the challenge. The task of motivation becomes even more challenging once the initial phase of therapy is over and the time for maintenance begins. [continue reading…]
by Howard Gerber on December 29, 2011
Seasonal affective disorder is aptly referred to as SAD, because the people suffering from the disorder often diagnose themselves as being simply sad at first. While there are variations of seasonal affective disorder that affect people during the spring and summer, most cases begin sometime in the fall and last throughout the winter with symptoms finally subsiding in the spring. [continue reading…]
by Howard Gerber on December 27, 2011
A stability ball is one of the few physical therapy tools that look more like a game than a device of torture, at least from the perspective of the patient. The balls come in a variety of colors and sizes and are likely to remind patients of toys from childhood. They can be a great introduction to physical therapy because they are less intimidating and the exercises can seem more fun. This is true for both adults and children, both can benefit from the use of a stability ball. As any health practitioner knows, success largely depends on attitude. Use the stability ball to improve your patient’s attitude and watch the results follow. [continue reading…]
by Howard Gerber on December 20, 2011
While it may not be true that suicide increases around the holiday season, it is true that many people do experience what has become known as holiday blues. This may be because people are more aware of their feelings at this time of the year or because their expectations of happiness are higher during the holidays and so they feel like they are sadder than they “should” be. Regardless, the triggers for these feelings seem to be similar regardless of the patient and many of the non-medical treatment options are viable for most patients as well. Of course it is important to remember that not all patients who feel depressed will have these “holiday blues” and may be in need of more intense treatment. [continue reading…]
by Howard Gerber on December 15, 2011
As soon as Thanksgiving begins to peek around the corner at the beginning of November, students begin dreaming of their long awaited winter holiday. Two to three weeks away from school to play with toys, watch television and hang out with friends sounds like a dream after the months of slaving away in a classroom. Once December arrives, it can be almost impossible to keep students grounded in school work. One way to do this is to explore the winter holidays from an academic and cultural point of view. This is especially useful in helping to take the mystery out of holidays or holiday traditions of some of the ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) students in the school. [continue reading…]
by Howard Gerber on December 13, 2011
National Hand Washing Awareness Week was December 4-10 this year. This was a health holiday every business and school can get behind and support. No matter what your profession, you can help spread the message throughout the year that will benefit all of your clients, patients, or students as well as their families and your entire community. [continue reading…]
by Howard Gerber on December 8, 2011
During our fast paced lives, it is easy to forget that we all have something to be grateful for. Not simply the material possessions we enjoy, but the little things we may not even consider on a daily basis such as being able to see the leaves changing colors, listening to the holiday music, smelling pumpkin pies baking, or enjoying a Thanksgiving meal with our friends and family. Students especially need to be reminded how privileged they are simply to be able to attend schools and have the ability to learn. [continue reading…]