Physical Therapy for Arthritis Pain.

We know a lot of people suffer from Arthritis Pain and wanted to post an article that we thought would offer a few more solutions than just medicine. You can read the entire article at Everyday Health.com.

“Managing arthritis pain often means using a combination of treatments, including medications, exercise, hot and cold therapy, and any number of physical therapy options. While there’s no cure for arthritis, joint pain and other arthritis pain symptoms can often be managed successfully with a combination of therapies.”

Types of Physical Therapies Used to Treat Arthritis:

Physical therapy. This is a commonly recommended treatment for arthritis pain because it really helps. Physical therapy works to strengthen joints that have been weakened by damage and inflammation. Physical therapy exercises can help reduce joint pain and stiffness, as well as improve range of motion, making you more mobile.
Occupational therapy. This is another form of therapy that teaches patients how to manage arthritis pain, and work around it to achieve a higher level of mobility and comfort. An occupational therapist can show you how to best protect your joints from strain and damage that can lead to more joint pain. There are certain activities and positions, for instance, that are known to worsen arthritis pain, and in occupational therapy, you’ll learn what those are and how to avoid them while engaging in your usual everyday activities.
TENS therapy. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, is a physical therapy method that uses small pulses of electricity to target areas of arthritis pain. Electrodes are placed on the skin covering the painful joint, and low levels of electricity are passed into the joint, temporarily relieving pain. The procedure can be performed by a physical therapist, other medical professionals, or even using TENS equipment at home.
Diathermy. This form of heat therapy uses ultrasound, radio or microwaves, or electrical currents to heat the tissue inside painful joints. The heat kills damaged cells that cause joint pain, easing your arthritis symptoms.
Massage. A massage therapist can help you to manage arthritis pain by massaging, kneading, and rubbing muscles and joints to boost blood circulation to the painful areas. (Poor blood circulation can contribute to joint pain.

Vernon Encore Athlete of the Month, Collin Carruth.

Congratulations to the Vernon Encore Athlete of the Month, Collin Carruth! Collin is a Junior, multi-sport athlete at Sulligent High School. He plays football, baseball, and basketball for the Blue Devils and has been playing on their varsity teams for 4 years now. He wears jersey #70 in football, #14 in baseball, and #21 in basketball. His sports awards consist of Best Offensive Lineman and NMMC Player of the Week for football, and Defensive player of the Year for baseball. He has a 4.0 GPA and hopes to play college football while majoring in accounting. Collin is the son of Brent and Michelle Carruth.

Keep up the good work, Collin!

Winfield Encore Athlete of the Month, Hannah Birdsong.

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Congratulations to the Winfield Encore Athlete of the Month, Hannah Birdsong! Hannah is a sophomore athlete at Winfield City High School. She has been a member of the Lady Pirates Volleyball team for a year and wears jersey number 4. Hannah has a 4.0 GPA and plans to attend UNA to major in English. She is the daughter of Lona and Todd Birdsong. Keep up the good work, Hannah!

Diamondhead Encore Athlete of the Month, Josh Ladner.

Congratulations to the Diamondhead Encore Athlete of the Month, Josh Ladner! Josh is a Senior athlete at Hancock High School and has played varsity sports for 4 years now. He is on the Hawks Football team and wore jersey number 65 this past season. He is the son of Debbie Ladner. Keep up the good work Josh, good luck after graduation!

Tuscan Avenue Encore Athlete of the Month, Caroline Lumpkin.

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Congratulations to the Tuscan Avenue Encore Athlete of the Month, Caroline Lumpkin! Caroline is an Junior athlete at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, MS. She is a member of the Lady Crusaders Basketball team and you can find her on the court wearing jersey number 23. Their team recently won the 2015 MACJC Undefeated State Championship and we are so proud of them! Caroline is a Education major and currently has a 3.5 GPA. She is the daughter of Adrian and Shannon Lumpkin. Keep up the good work Caroline!

Hayden Encore Athletes of the Month, Brantly Bonds and Sam Knowlton.

Congratulations to the Hayden Encore Athletes of the Month, Brantly Bonds and Sam Knowlton! Both Brantly and Sam are multi-sport athletes from Corner High School in Dora, AL.

Brantly Bonds is a freshman and has been a member of the Lady Yellow Jackets Basketball and Softball teams for 1 year. She wears the jersey #3 in basketball and jersey #8 in softball. Brantly has a 4.0 GPA and plans to play college softball while pursuing a degree in Orthodontics. She is the daughter of Brandon and Kim Bonds.

Sam Knowlton is a Sophomore and has played Varsity Basketball and Baseball for 2 years now. You can find him on the court wearing jersey #14 this season. Sam has a 4.17 GPA and plans to pursue a college degree in Pharmacy after high school. He is the son of Will and Jennifer Knowlton.

Arab Encore Athlete of the Month, Branden Mendez.

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Congratulations to the Arab Encore Athlete of the Month, Branden Mendez! Branden is a multi-sport, Freshman athlete at Brindlee Mountain High School in Guntersville, AL. He has been on the varsity Cross Country team for 1 year, the Track and Field Team for 2 years, and has now started playing on the the Lions Varsity Basketball team. You will be able to find him on the court wearing the jersey number 40 this season. Branden has also won the All Country Cross Country award during his sports career. He is the son of Alfredo and Blanca Ruiz.

Tuscaloosa Encore Athlete of the Month, T’Antre Spence.

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Congratulations to the Tuscaloosa Encore Athlete of the Month, T’Antre Spence! T’Antre is a senior athlete at Hale County High School. He has been on the Varsity football team for 5 years now and wears the jersey number 70. T’Antre’s sports awards consist of the 2x Upfront award, Come to Work award and the All Rivals award. He currently has a 3.4 GPA and plans to attend college to become a Sports Athletic Director. T’Antre is the son of Latonya Spence.

Keep up the good work, T’Antre!

Oak Grove Encore Athlete of the Month, Kourtney Brown.

Congratulations to the Oak Grove Encore Athlete of the Month, Kourtney Brown! Kourtney is a 8th grade athlete at Oak Grove high school. She has been a member of the varsity Basketball and Volleyball teams for 2 years now and wears the jersey #32, #1, and #10. Kourtney’s future plans are to attend the University of Tennessee or Baylor and major in Physical Therapy or Athletic Training. She is the daughter of Kim and Carol Brown.

Mr. Gates’ Success Story: Speech Therapy

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Mr. Gates’ Success Story

Ocean Springs Neurosciences Therapist: Stephanie Stensland MS, CCC-SLP

Mr. Gates’ responses to questions:

(Stephanie): Can you tell us about what helped you get to this point?

(Mr. Gates): “My exercises had a whole lot to do with it, my Therabite machine and then tasting food got me ambitious to try hard. I was frightened to eat food and scared that I would choke. But I’m now building confidence and eating more. I thank God for helping me out and sending me to the right people.”

(Stephanie): What’s your advice for others going through swallowing problems associated with head and neck cancer?

(Mr. Gates): When you’re feeling your lowest, stick to your exercises and remember your goals. It makes a difference. You’ve got to invest in yourself and know you can do this thing. I still have my times where I have to clean out my mouth and start over, but I always remember my goals.”

Stephanie’s perspective:

Mr. Gates is the perfect example of a patient who has been consistent to come to therapy, comply with swallowing strategies and complete his home exercises. In July 2013, Mr. Gates was diagnosed with head and neck cancer, requiring chemo, radiation, jaw reconstruction and a feeding tube. He was given doctor’s orders to go “NPO” (nothing by mouth) since he was silently aspirating and at risk for aspiration pneumonia. Since then, Mr. Gates has had an ongoing journey of dysphagia therapy. This November, Mr. Gates’ hard work paid off when he was able to pass his swallow study. He has used a combination of approaches to acquire his success: Choosing appropriate consistencies of food, using the supraglottic swallow strategy, following aspiration precautions and gradually increasing the amount of food he consumes on a week to week basis. Treatment involved several types of oral and pharyngeal strengthening exercises, range of motion exercises, manual therapy to help manage stiff scar tissue, use of the Therabite tool, diet changes (starting with purees and honey thick liquids and working up to mechanical soft and thin liquids) and use of the supraglottic swallow strategy. Mr. Gates continues to use his PEG tube for optimal nutrition, but has been able to safely sample all of his home cooking. We are so excited that Mr. Gates is able to eat just in time for the holidays!