MS

William Carey University’s Encore Athlete of the Month, Maren Hasselbusch.

Congratulations to the Encore Athlete of the Month from William Carey University, Maren Hasselbusch! Maren is a 21 year old, sophomore at William Carey University majoring in Health, Physical Education, and Fitness, and minoring in Business. She is a transfer student from Germany, where she went to high school in Petershagen. Her plans are to finish her Bachelor of Science degree here in the US, and then return to Germany. Maren is a member of the WCU Crusaders women’s soccer team, who won their first ever Southern States Athletic Conference Championship last fall. Good Luck during your season, Maren, and keep up the good work!

Leakesville Encore Athlete of the Month, Keanu Franks.

Congratulations to the Leaksville Clinic Encore Athlete of the Month, Keanu Franks! Keanu is a senior at Greene County high school in Leakesville, MS and is a member of the football and basketball teams. He was awarded Player of the Game in basketball vs. Perry Central last December and is a 3 time Player of the Week. Keanu is the son of Karen Walker.

Good luck the rest of your senior football and basketball seasons, Keanu!

Classmates, to friends, to Business Partners: The story of Encore Rehabilitation, Inc.

University of South Alabama Graduating Class of 1980

Under the partnership of Paul G. Henderson, PT and Paige B. Plash, PT, Encore Rehab was founded in 1981 and delivers the best rehabilitation services to thousands of patients daily in locations throughout Alabama and Mississippi. Encore Rehab is an employee-focused company with a tremendous team of dedicated and experienced employees who understand the many environments in which a therapist can provide treatment. Through the company’s specialized divisions, Encore Rehab provides rehabilitation services of unsurpassed quality that help patients return to a healthier lifestyle.

Encore Photo Contest Winners!

Encore had a company wide photo contest last week and we wanted to share the beauty of these photos with you! The objective was to capture a landmark that best represents the town the photographer was from.
The winners are as follows:
1) Brett Ferguson, LPTA – Muscle Shoals Bridge

2) Emily Perez, OT – Winter Fountain

3) Beth Farris- Fayette Courthouse

Physical Therapy Benefits For Back Pain

After an episode of low back pain has lasted between two and six weeks, or if there are frequent recurrences of low back pain, it is reasonable to consider back pain exercises and physical therapy for back treatment. (Some spine specialists consider back exercise and physical therapy sooner, particularly if the pain is severe.) In general, the goals of back pain exercises and physical therapy are to decrease back pain, increase function, and provide education on a maintenance program to prevent further recurrences.

Passive Physical Therapy – Modalities

There are many different forms of physical therapy. Acutely, the therapist may focus on decreasing pain with passive physical therapy (modalities). These are considered passive therapies because they are done to the patient. Examples of modalities include:

Heat/ice packs
TENS units
Iontophoresis
Ultrasound

Active Physical Therapy – Back Pain Exercises

In addition to passive therapies, active physical therapy (exercise) is also necessary to rehabilitate the spine. Generally, a patient’s back exercise program should encompass a combination of the following:

Stretching for back pain exercise
Strengthening for back pain exercise
Low-impact aerobic conditioning

Even patients with a very busy schedule should be able to maintain a moderate back pain exercise regimen that encompasses stretching, strengthening, and aerobic conditioning. These exercises suffice as physical therapy for back pain relief.

Stretching for back pain exercises. Almost every individual who has suffered from low back pain should stretch their hamstring muscles once or twice daily. Simple hamstring stretching does not take much time, although it can be difficult to remember, especially if there is little or no pain. Therefore, hamstring stretching exercises are best done at the same time every day so it becomes part of a person’s daily routine.
Strengthening for back pain exercise. To strengthen the back muscles, 15-20 minutes of dynamic lumbar stabilization or other prescribed exercises should be done every other day.
Low-impact aerobic conditioning. Low impact aerobics (such as walking, bicycling or swimming) should be done for 30-40 minutes three times weekly, on alternate days from the strengthening exercises.

Source: Ullrich, P. F. (1999, 9 8). Physical therapy benefits for back pain. Retrieved from http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/physical-therapy/physical-therapy-benefits-back-pain