Beat the Heat
Lets talk about working out in the heat… What’s the new sound of the summer? Air conditioners turning on! No doubt about it, it has been a hot and extended summer. And with hotter temperatures comes concerns about hydration. Water is as important to exercise as stretching, if not more so. Without water, our muscles cannot recover properly, and we even run the risk of some serious adverse effects such as dizziness, passing out, and even heat stroke in severe cases. So how should we be hydrating? Well lets defer to the experts at the CDC and use their tried and true hydration tips for before, during, and after working out in the heat. (more information at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/userfiles/works/pdfs/2017-126.pdf) Before a workout My old cross-country coach used to say “if you are feeling thirsty, you are already too late.” Unfortunately, our systems for thirst and dehydration are a bit “delayed” shall…
Top 20% in Patient Satisfaction
Renaissance Home Health has earned the 2022 SHPBestTM “Superior Performer” Patient Satisfaction Award Exton, PA, August 30, 2023 – Renaissance Home Health (RHH) has been recognized by Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) as a “Superior Performer” for achieving an overall patient satisfaction score that ranked in the top 20% of all eligible SHP clients for the 2022 calendar year. The annual SHPBest™ award program was created to acknowledge home health agencies that consistently provide high quality service to their patients. The 2022 award recipients were determined by reviewing and ranking the overall satisfaction score for around 2,500 home health providers. With the largest HHCAHPS benchmark in the nation, SHP is in a unique position to identify and recognize organizations that have made patient satisfaction a priority and have been rewarded for their efforts with high marks on the HHCAHPS survey. “SHP is proud to present the SHPBest awards to our top-performing customers. We…
Returning from an Injury
Lets talk about getting back into exercise after an injury… Recently, I suffered an injury to my right shoulder that prevented me from doing my normal exercise routine for about a month. It took about a month to have enough function to return to where I feel safe and capable of returning to upper body exercise which truthfully felt like a daunting task. However, through using the principles below, I was able to safely and gradually return to my normal routine. About 4 weeks ago I suffered a training accident that resulted in a compression injury to my right shoulder (think falling straight onto your shoulder). Luckily, I was able to get an appointment with an orthopedic specialist the next day. They ruled out any major damage to the shoulder and cleared me to start exercising to my tolerance. This was a huge relief, but now I have to answer…
One-On-One Physical Therapy
1 to 1 Care. It should be standard for all medical practices. After all, when you go to a doctor’s office, you’re not in a room with 3 other people each describing what brings you into the office. So why shouldn’t the rest of your medical care be the same.
That’s where we are changing the game at Full Range Physical Therapy. WE bring individual care to injury rehabilitation, and WE lead by example. By scheduling at one of our clinic…
Active Spring Tips
Warmer weather and longer days are finally here! It’s time to get outside and enjoy that much needed sunshine. Whether you’re going for a long walk, taking out that bicycle that’s in the corner of your garage, or starting to prep your garden beds for a summer bloom, try these helpful tips to help stay injury free! #1: Start Slow The new warm weather tends to make us want to spend as much time outside as possible, be it walking, running, cycling, gardening, or even swimming. While it’s important to get your daily dose of sunshine, it’s even more important to prevent injury. The best thing you can do is start slow and listen to your body. It’s normal to feel aches and pains, but consistent pain that does not go away can be a sign that you may be doing too much. Start SLOW and and take periodic rests!…
Posture Attack
Did you know back and neck pain impact most people? Some worse than others, of course. But for most of us, it starts out with minor aches that happen when we least expect it! Maybe sitting at your computer, like I am doing now. Maybe picking up a crumb from the floor. Then, that ache hangs around for a bit longer than welcome! Good news! You can do some simple things to help prevent or control these aches and pain! Keep reading for 3 simple tips! #1: Pay Attention To Your Posture! Many times a slouched posture can be the underlying reason for aches and pains! Setting a timer or reminder to check your posture throughout the day can save your neck and back. Our bodies are designed with a system of support. When we slouch forward toward a screen, slide our hips forward in a chair, or lean to…
Make Vertigo, Vertigone!
To understand vertigo the most important thing to be able to understand the anatomy of the vestibular system. This system consists of three semicircular canals located in the inner ear on the right and left side of your head. This is why vertigo is commonly referred to as an “inner ear issue.” Within these canals are a system of hairs, fluid, and crystals. As we rotate our head, these three structures work simultaneously to let your head know where it is in space. For example, if we turn our head to the left, the fluid within our vestibular system on the left and right will activate the hairs and crystals and let your brain know that you are turning to the left. As you can guess, when this system doesn’t work properly, it can lead to some nasty side effects that are debilitating to living a healthy lifestyle. It’s important…
BJJ: Ankle Sprains
Hello everyone, and welcome to our second blog post about injury management and jiu jitsu. Today’s post will focus on ligament injuries, their occurrence, diagnosis, and recovery. Here’s the sitch (that’s what the cool kids say… right?): You’re rolling at the end of practice, and unfortunately you get caught in a submission, for the sake of this story let’s say it’s a straight ankle lock. You’re convinced you can tough out the submission and find a way out. Only too late do you realize you need to tap out in order to prevent a serious injury. Now you’ve left practice, and the adrenaline has worn off only to find that your ankle is in severe painand it hurts to put weight into your foot. Well, what’s likely happened is you’ve suffered a sprain to your ankle. For the sake of this blog, we will assume that you have gone to…
BJJ: Start Your Training Right
Hello everybody, my name is Dr. Josh Hammaker, PT, DPT. I am a physical therapist at Full Range Physical Therapy in West Chester and I am a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (I am pictured on the right). This will be the first of a series of blog posts related to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and injury management. My hope is that through these blog posts, I can combine my 20 years of grappling experience through wrestling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with my background as a physical therapist to provide helpful information on improving your health while performing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). For the first post of this series, I will discuss the importance of performing exercises before training or activity to improve your mobility and flexibility. In BJJ, you can often find yourself in awkward positions that place stress on your body. One of the best ways we can…
Top 5% in Patient Satisfaction
Renaissance Home Health has earned the 2021 SHPBestTM “Premier Performer” Patient Satisfaction Award Exton, PA, July 22, 2022 – Renaissance Home Health (RHH) has been recognized by Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) as a “Premier Performer” for achieving an overall patient satisfaction score that ranked in the top 5% of all eligible SHP clients for the 2021 calendar year. The annual SHPBest™ award program was created to acknowledge home health agencies that consistently provide high quality service to their patients. The 2021 award recipients were determined by reviewing and ranking the overall satisfaction score for around 5000 home health providers. With the largest HHCAHPS benchmark in the nation, SHP is in a unique position to identify and recognize organizations that have made patient satisfaction a priority and have been rewarded for their efforts with high marks on the HHCAHPS survey. “SHP is proud to present the SHPBest awards to our top-performing customers. We commend…