Posts from — May 2008

Imagine visiting your orthopedic surgeon for an intestinal issue, or your dermatologist for an eye problem. As silly as this sounds did you ever think when someone suggested that you would benefit from Physical Therapy, which type of Physical Therapists would be most appropriate for you?? I wonder if people realize that just like MD s, Physical Therapists specialize too?? Physical Therapists may specialize according to age groups: pediatrics vs. geriatrics; injury type: sports injuries vs. work injuries or even physical setting; outpatient clinic, gym settings, hospital, nursing home, school, pool or even the patient’s home.

Luckily for the Sandpoint community there are many skilled Physical Therapists in town to choose from. Many of these therapists specialize in sports injuries. They may use modalities such as Ultrasound, Electric Stimulation, Interferential and Iontophoresis to promote pain relief, decrease inflammation and promote healing. Many do gait analysis to see if the knee pain is actually starting with a foot problem which may benefit from orthotics. Exercise equipment often helps their patients with strengthening. Home program of icing, stretching, and/or strengthening is often part of Physical Therapy during and after treatment has ended.

Some therapists specialize in treatment of children, sometimes via horses or Hippotherapy. Some therapists use the warm water providing Aquatic Therapy which is often helpful following total knee or hip replacement and soothing for patients with osteoarthritis. One therapist specializes in feet, making most of the custom orthotics in town. Home Health is a specialty area that provides in home therapy for patients that are temporarily home bound following joint replacement, stroke or recent discharge from the hospital or nursing home. The nursing homes also employ Physical Therapists to rehabilitate patients who are deconditioned due to age, have joint replacements or stroke.

Personally, I consider myself a manual therapist. This means I use only my hands to treat patients. I use no machines. I have spent my career of 21 years treating neck and back pain. I have taken well over 30 continuing education courses on the various treatment techniques related to the treatment of the spine. I have taken many courses on joint dysfunction which may be treated by mobilization, directly pushing up and down on the joint to decrease stiffness and pain by allowing the surrounding soft tissue to relax and improve joint lubrication by inviting synovial fluid. The Osteopathic approach I use isolates a dysfunctional joint then uses a slight contraction of the surrounding muscles to pull the joint back into proper alignment. I use CranioSacral Therapy for treatment of TMJ, headache, migraine and Vertigo. Visceral Manipulation is my current area of interest. This technique allows me to use a gentle pressure to release fascial restrictions or scar tissue around organs which may occur following surgery, trauma or infection. Theses patients may have abdominal or pelvic pain their physician has not been able to identify,or may have back pain due to restrictions in their abdominal or pelvic cavity. Women who have issues with organ prolapse or incontinence are greatly helped by Visceral Manipulation. I have never in my 21 years of practice taken a course on Stroke rehab, Pediatrics, Aquatics, or treatment of sports type injuries. These areas have never been of interest to me.

I encourage you to educate yourself the next time you are in need of Physical Therapy services. Ask your prospective therapist what their specialty area is, and how they would propose treating your type of problem. Always remember that we are trained to assess each patient and establish a treatment plan with functional goals. If you are not showing any progress within a reasonable period, 3-4 visits, you may not be seeing the right therapist.

Mary Boyd, MS, PT has a BS in Biology and Psychology, a BS in Physical Therapy and a MS in Health Education. She is the owner of Mountain View Physical Therapy and can be reached at 290-5575.

We lose over $300 billion a year in productivity due to stress. What we lose in quality of life is much harder to put a figure to.

We don’t know what we are missing in terms of lost opportunity costs. A work team that is burnt out is not likely to be the first to jump on a new opportunity or create one. A family who is stressed out that takes a vacation is likely to neither renew themselves nor fully allow themselves to enjoy their time together.

The stress response, as a survival mechanism, is a reactive response. Even chronic stress puts you in a place where you are reacting and not creating. If you just worked your second 60-hour week and your son has a soccer tournament through the weekend, do you think you will be fully present for it? Or maybe you and your partner are attempting to find the time to sit down and design your new house. You finally find the time, but you are exhausted – how creative will you be? How much fun will it be?

Stress tends to put you in a mode where you are attempting to just keep up and not mess up. You are more likely to be planning from a position of covering your butt versus creating what could be the next breakthrough.

Some Solutions

Don’t buy into stress . I am not saying deny it. You need to acknowledge it and its effect on you. However, you don’t need to accept a life ruled by stress. Often, you may find yourself in an environment where there is an assumption that this is the way we do it, a place where stress rules.

Stop focusing on what you don’t want - focus on what you do want . When you learn to ride a motorcycle, one of the first things you are taught is not to look where you don’t want to go, but look where you want to go. Your bike will follow your eyes. Your behavior follows your focus. If your main concern is simply survival, you will do just that. As your focus shifts to generating a full spectrum of success, your survival and your stress around it may handle itself.

Make a commitment to your health and success . Use the information and resources in www.stressedout.org to break out of the state you are in with stress. Being more productive is being less stressed. France is known as a laid back country. Not only do they drink their wine, they also have one of the shortest work weeks in all of the developed world. Yet, they are one of the most productive, more productive than the United States.

A huge step occurs when you set boundaries that yourself and others respect. Start saying “no” to what takes energy from you and “yes” to what gives you energy. Make a conscious decision about the long hours of work; don’t just do it because everyone else does it. Are you willing to work those long hours to be promoted? Is being the manager what your really want? Ask your head, and ask your heart.

Just as a cost in business needs to be balanced against income, so does stress needs to be balance by receiving rejuvenation. After your long and hard two weeks, your mind and body needs time to renew. It might mean vegging-out for the weekend or going fishing. Balance your expenditures with your rejuvenation.

Take the long view . I once had someone tell me that as he matured he would ask himself: When I am an old man sitting on my rocker on the porch – would I be glad I chose a particular decision?

Reducing stress is not reducing risk taking. It may be taking a different kind of risk. Take risks that allow you to be different and invest energy in areas that will produce long term gains in health, wealth and happiness.

Owen Marcus is our local Rolfer and a producer of www.StressedOut.org .

Last year I was blessed to be invited to Tasmania, Australia to teach healing classes and to offer private sessions. During that quiet retreat time half way around the world I entered into a process of deep reflection and received some wonderful insights about the art of forgiveness. They have truly blessed my life, and I would like to share them with you.
Many people look at forgiveness as the most selfless act one can do for another human being. From my view point it is totally for the benefit of the giver! When we hold on to resentment, anger, sadness, fear, or hatred it can literally weigh us down with negativity. We are unable to truly move forward into the future with peace and clarity of direction. Sometimes our physical health suffers as well, leaving us in chronic pain and discomfort. Then all of our actions seem to have a dark cloud over them. That is because our bodies, minds, and spirits are blocked by unresolved traumas from the past. The act of forgiveness releases those old thought patterns and emotions and clears the way for self healing and restoration.
So why do people hang on to these negative emotions? One reason is that they might feel they are right in the conflict, and therefore justified in their emotional reactions. Another reason is that they could feel that if they let go of the negativity they will somehow let go of the memory of the incident, and no one will know the wrong that was done to them. Or maybe they feel a sense of empowerment by keeping those negative reactions alive as the result of an apparently powerless situation. Whatever the case, those negative emotions only continue to harm the person thinking them. The other people involved probably have moved on with their lives, and don’t give it a second thought! Just remember, when you forgive another you will never forget the incident, but you will dramatically release your emotional attachment to it. It is like saying, “Okay, it happened. I will never forget. But I set myself free of this unbearable emotional burden I have been carrying around, so I can get on with my life.”
When you forgive, you set yourself free.
Many times people want to forgive but their minds hold them into unrelenting negative patterns. Forgiveness takes a change of action, and takes practice. I suggest you try writing a “poison pen letter” to those who have wronged you. You will never mail it to them, but it will be used as a process to let go of your emotional attachment surrounding the situation. Sit down with a pen and paper and write down all of your feelings that you have about the incident and the people involved. Let go of all stops. Use expletives if needed! The idea is to let loose of all the feelings that you have been holding on to and get them out. No one but you is going to see this letter, and you will probably feel whole a lot better afterwards. When you have finished writing and feel released, take the letter, tear it up and throw it away. Imagine all of those negative feelings dissolving, until you are free of them. This process may take a few times, but each act of release will be rewarded with greater insight into the situation, and finally, and act of forgiveness itself.
The more you release those negative emotions, the more you will know when it is time to forgive and let go. I suggest setting aside a quiet space for yourself to consciously begin the forgiveness process. Make sure you have no distractions, such as children, pets, or phone calls. Sit down and close your eyes. Take deep breaths and relax. Keep your feet flat on the ground. Imagine breathing in light through your nostrils, and breathing out all negativity through your mouth. Continue to do so for several breaths, and then just breathe normally through your nose. When you are ready, imagine calling to you the person or persons that have hurt you. Then look into their eyes, one by one. With your heart leading the way, tell them your feelings and that you forgive them and set them free. Imagine them turning around, and walking away towards the Light.
The next step in the forgiveness process is to call to you the person or persons that you have knowingly hurt or betrayed through your actions. Again, with your heart leading the way, look into their eyes one at a time and tell them that you are truly sorry and ask for forgiveness. Then let them go into the Light too. Keep doing this process until no one else comes to mind.
The last step in the process, and the most important, is to forgive yourself for any past actions. Sit with this for a while until you feel fully renewed. Then slowly open your eyes, and realize you are free to begin a new life without any emotional strings tying you down. Repeat this process as much as necessary.
As you become more adept at the Art of Forgiveness, you will notice that situations may arise that you can forgive right away. You will be able to release your anger, hatred, fears, resentments, or dissatisfactions much sooner that before. You may feel happier in your life, and ready to try new, creative endeavors. Old worries may seem to vanish, being replaced by more peace in your life. Remember, the more you practice forgiveness the easier it becomes. And good luck with your journey.

Ilani Kopiecki, BA, CMT & IET is a CranioSacral Therapist and Therapeutic Massage Practitioner here in Sandpoint. She maintains her practice at Stepping Stones Wellness Center.

Colds & flu are still going around. And with our exceptionally long winter, it is even more important for each of us to take special care. Since there is no established cure for the common cold, the best strategy is prevention. Below are some simple proactive steps we can take to protect ourselves from “the bug”:

Wash your hands often. Most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact with contaminated surfaces. Say, someone with the flu coughs or sneezes onto their hand, and then grabs the phone, or a glass or a doorknob. These germs can live on surfaces for hours - even weeks in some cases - just waiting to be passed onto the next person who uses those objects. So be sure to wash your hands, and wash them often.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue. Muffling coughs and sneezes with our bare hands is almost a reflex action. Unfortunately, it is also a common way to spread germs and viruses. Have facial tissues on hand. When you feel a cough or sneeze coming on, use a tissue. If none are available, use your upper sleeve or turn away from people near you and cough into the air.

Don’t touch your face. Cold and flu viruses enter the body through the eyes, nose or mouth. A person touches a contaminated surface then touches a part of their face. This is the primary method by which children catch colds, and a key way they pass them on to their parents.

Drink plenty of water. This is good advice any time of the year, but it becomes even more important during cold and flu season. Water flushes out the system, ridding the body of harmful toxins, and keeping the body well-hydrated. Drinking eight 8 ounce glasses of water per day is the typical recommendation in any case.

Get fresh air. A healthy dose of fresh air every day is important especially if you spend a lot of time indoors. Central heating units can dry out the mucous membranes of your eyes, nose and mouth making you vulnerable to cold and flu viruses. Also, colder weather means more people indoors. Consequently, this means more germs circulating in enclosed spaces.

Eat your veggies. Regular intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with improved health and reduced risk of major diseases. Fruits and vegetables - especially those with vibrant colors – are rich in antioxidants and other phytonutrients that can greatly support your immune system.

Do aerobic exercise regularly. Aerobic exercise gets the heart pumping, allowing for greater transfer of oxygen from your lungs to the blood. This helps bring nutrients to the rest of your body, helps eliminate toxins from cells and helps your immune system produce virus-killing antibodies. Aerobic exercise can be as simple as a nice brisk afternoon walk for 20 minutes.

Don’t smoke. Statistics show that heavy smokers succumb to more severe colds, more frequently than the rest of the population. Even second-hand smoke can compromise immune function. Smoke dries out your nasal passages and can affect your body’s ability to eliminate germs and viruses.

Limit alcohol consumption. Heavy alcohol use damages the liver, the body’s primary detoxifying organ. A compromised liver makes it more difficult for the body to eliminate harmful germs, viruses and other toxic materials. Consequently, heavy drinkers have a greater susceptibility to infections. Even moderate alcohols consumption can hinder immune function, as alcohol dehydrates the body.

Take time to relax. Unmanaged stress can weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to infection. Studies have demonstrated that regular practice of relaxation techniques can actually increase immuno-supportive cofactors in the bloodstream. Relaxation techniques take on various forms - meditation, yoga, visualization, just to name a few. Find a form that appeals to you and do it regularly.

By Mario Roxas, ND

It’s Wednesday night in Sandpoint. A lot of Sandpoint husbands and fathers aren’t home. So where are they? Drinking? Bowling? Watching “the game”? Nope. They’re gathering in houses and offices to enjoy the honor of being men.

For more than three years, a steadily-growing group of Sandpoint men have met every Wednesday night. The Sandpoint Men’s Group started with twelve men who wanted to recapture the camaraderie of youth, the feeling of relating to other men in a setting outside a bar or a baseball diamond. We all remembered the boyhood excitement of hanging out with our friends—the friends we looked forward to seeing, the friends we could count on to be there when we needed them, the friends who were honest with us, even with those hard truths.

With all the pressure these days, there’s not much opportunity to just be with our friends, where nothing is expected from us. We have roles to fill and responsibilities to meet for our work, our family, and even our friends. Don’t get me wrong: we chose these roles, and we enjoy them. But we need a place where we don’t have to perform, a place where we’re the only expectation is that we’ll just be ourselves.

What is in a meeting?

Letting go of my roles to “just be” was hard. There were a lot of things I needed to leave at the door, like my position in the community and my mask of being a professional. At Men’s Group meetings, I walk through the door simply as a man. A simple concept, but a challenging task. But in three years, I’ve learned to be the man I once dreamt of being.

As a kid, I imagined that a man was a person who possessed special qualities that I couldn’t see having. My father and other men seemed superhuman. I wondered how these men who once were boys became men. Conception was a mystery, but manhood was the mystery.

For decades, I was processing a belief that I was not one those men I saw as a boy. I felt cheated that I was not anointed into manhood. But I certainly was not going to admit that I was a fraud as a man. I joined the collective agreement: don’t question another man’s authenticity, and he won’t question mine.

But I let go of this agreement. I realized that my father and his friends were suffering the same fate I was. I understand how difficult it is to be a man. Through the pleasure of trusting them, my resentment and fear of other men transformed into compassion and empathy for them.

Men from the groups have experienced such powerful changes, their friends and family started to ask: “What have you been doing? You’re happier, you’re more fun to be with.” These men’s wives and partners wanted the same for themselves, so they started the Sandpoint Women’s Group.

The Sandpoint Men’s Group and the Sandpoint Women’s Group both support personal evolution. We’re working to evolve out of the boxes we placed ourselves in. We’re learning to just be ourselves.

We’re not therapy groups, and we have no religious affiliation or agenda. Participation in the groups is free. The groups meet weekly, following an agreed-upon protocol of confidentiality and honesty. But each man or woman determines his or her level of participation.

You are invited

If you’d like to learn more about the groups, you, your friends and family are invited to an open house on May 14^th at the Sandpoint Community Center from 6:30 to 8pm. You will meet many of the groups’ members and their families, have the chance to ask questions, and enjoy some food and drinks.

To learn more about the groups view our web sites: www.SandpointMensGroup.com and www.SandpointWomensGroup.com . If you’d like to talk to someone, please call Sandpoint Men’s Group at 946-4266.

————–

Owen Marcus is our local Rolfer and a founding member of the Sandpoint Men’s Group .