Pilates Postural Restoration Style — Level I

Postural Restoration Pilates combines Joseph Pilates understanding of the importance of core control, with a Postural Restoration understanding of human positional tendencies that cause us problems.  The combination of these two approaches results in a targeted, effective, power packed workout that activates those muscles and patterns of movements we tend to neglect from too much sitting, driving, traffic, meetings, taxes, etc. (too much stress!!!) and not enough breathing and recovery from all of these.  Give your body a workout that helps to heal and balance your body, rather than adding more stress to it.

Beginning May 1, 2013

Wednesdays, 6:00 — 7:00 pm

The cost for an 8 class series is $140

(exercise mats are required and will be available for purchase at Advance Physical Therapy)

Classes will be lead by Beth Elder

Beth Elder is a NASM & ACE Certified Personal Trainer

and PCC Pilates Certified Instructor

“Beth Elder is an outstanding Pilates instructor. I give her my highest recommendation. She always has a smile, an infectious laugh and a varied lesson plan. I turned 60 this year and am more physically fit than since I was in high school. Much of this is due to a strong core that I have developed in Beth’s Pilates class. Again, I give her my highest recommendation.” 

— Anne Brashear

REGISTER TODAY
by calling Advance Physical Therapy

919.932.7266

Helping to answer the tough questions about athletic performance:

Why does an athlete have an injury?  Why can’t an athlete move to the left as easy as they do to the right?  Why can’t an athlete get low to a ball?

This year’s PRI Interdisciplinary Integration Symposium provided answers for these questions and gave the clinicians at APT more insight into helping area athletes on and off the field.  Many great speakers presented over the two days.  Each of  them are top tier professionals in their areas.  The line up included: (follow the hyperlink to learn more about each speaker)
•   Key note speaker: Mike Arthur, CSCS is the director of Strength and Conditioning for the University of Nebraska,
•    Ken Crenshaw: the head Athletic Trainer for the Major League Baseball team, Arizona Diamondbacks,
•    Dr. Heidi Wise, OD, FCOVD: a neuro-optometrist and co-founder of PRI Vision,
•    John Cook: head coach for the University of Nebraska’s women’s volleyball team,
•    Kris Berg EdD: studies exercise induced asthma and physiologic responses to exercise,
•    Eric Cressey, MA, CSCS: works with high performance athletes including MLB players,
•    Andrew Marchesi MPT, FAFS: Nike Golf Performance Specialist, NG360.
•    And of course Ron Hruska: founder of the Postural Restoration Institute.

The common thread to all of these speakers was how each uses Postural Restoration to understand, improve and maintain Athletic Performance.  Because athletics can promote imbalances in muscle development and body movement, Postural Restoration helps athletes re-establish reciprocal mobility through the thorax, spine and pelvis;  A baseball pitcher who pitches 100 balls per night will demonstrate these performance induced imbalances.  Imbalances will show up as under performance on the field or court as  difficulty moving to one side more than the other, being unable to get low to a ball or as an injury.  Additionally an athlete may have visual influences that are contributing to under performance during the sport.  How well an athlete can see in the central and peripheral visual fields, their perception of distance and depth and the speed at which they can process visual information all affect their performance.

An athlete that works with a Postural Restoration minded physical therapist, strength conditioning coach, personal trainer or athletic trainer can be sure that they are getting the best in assessing and treating these patterns which can adversely affect performance or contribute to injury.

Durham Bulls Could Be Better

No matter your sport, sports performance is an area that is continually challenging and exciting from a rehabilitation perspective.  Last weekend 4 of our clinicians here at Advance Physical Therapy went to Lincoln Nebraska to attend a Sports Performance Enhancement seminar at the Postural Restoration Institute.

When the core of the body is well positioned through an empowered system of breathing, and balanced movement, then all the “parts” that attach (for example – the poor arms and shoulders in the Durham Bulls pitcher seen above) can work from an ideal place.  When an athlete wants to improve performance or heal a new or nagging problem, we can help them identify patterns of movement, breathing and body position that may be holding them back.

Finding her core!

It is quite gratifying to see a skater able to glide on a left outside skate blade with ease for the first time (ask me to tell you about the balloon), to see vertical leap quickly improve, or runners able to resolve nagging knee or hip pain,

…….. and of course, we’ll be happy to help the Bulls as well!

Advance Physical Therapy Global Outreach

Lisa Mangino, PT and Pediatric Specialist at Advance Physical Therapy, is headed to Guatemala at the end of April. As part of the UNC Physical Therapy School’s Global Outreach Program, she will join 7 other PT’s and 15 of their physical therapy students on a 10 day trip to Antigua. The mission of the trip is to educate the local clinicians in ways to prevent disability, and to improve wellness in children and adults. Ideas, philosophies and a focus on functional movement and independence will be shared. It also serves as an extraordinary environment in which to provide clinical education to current PT students. And she is so excited to see what they will teach her! No doubt it will be a perspective-changing and inspiring experience. Stay tuned for pictures from the adventure!

Postural Restoration Pilates Class — Level I

Postural Restoration Pilates combines Joseph Pilates understanding of the importance of core control, with a Postural Restoration understanding of human positional tendencies that cause us problems.  The combination of these two approaches results in a targeted, effective, power packed workout that activates those muscles and patterns of movements we tend to neglect from too much sitting, driving, traffic, meetings, taxes, etc. (too much stress!!!) and not enough breathing and recovery from all of these.  Give your body a workout that helps to heal and balance your body, rather than adding more stress to it.

Beginning May 1, 2013

Wednesdays, 6:00 — 7:00 pm

The cost for an 8 class series is $140

(exercise mats are required and will be available for purchase at Advance Physical Therapy)

Classes will be lead by Beth Elder

Beth Elder is a NASM & ACE Certified Personal Trainer

and PCC Pilates Certified Instructor

“Beth Elder is an outstanding Pilates instructor. I give her my highest recommendation. She always has a smile, an infectious laugh and a varied lesson plan. I turned 60 this year and am more physically fit than since I was in high school. Much of this is due to a strong core that I have developed in Beth’s Pilates class. Again, I give her my highest recommendation.” 

— Anne Brashear

REGISTER TODAY
by calling Advance Physical Therapy

919.932.7266

Study Finds Physical Therapy Just as Effective as Surgery in Patients with a Torn Meniscus and Arthritis of the Knee

Alexandria, VA, March 21, 2013 — A New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) study showing that physical therapy is just as effective as surgery in patients with meniscal tears and arthritis of the knee should encourage many health care providers to reconsider their practices in the management of this common injury, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

The study, published March 19, showed no significant differences in functional improvement after 6 months between patients who underwent surgery with postoperative physical therapy and those who received standardized physical therapy alone.

“This study demonstrates what physical therapists have long known,” explained APTA President Paul A. Rockar Jr, PT, DPT, MS. “Surgery may not always be the best first course of action. A physical therapist, in many cases, can help patients avoid the often unnecessary risks and expenses of surgery. This study should help change practice in the management of symptomatic meniscal tears in patients with knee osteoarthritis.”

According to lead physical therapist for the trial and American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) member Clare Safran-Norton, PT, PhD, OCS, “our findings suggest that a course of physical therapy in this patient population may be a good first choice since there were no group differences at 6 months and 12 months in this trial. These findings should help surgeons, physicians, physical therapists, and patients in decision-making regarding their treatment options.”

Researchers at 7 major universities and orthopedic surgery centers around the country studied 351 patients aged 45 years or older who had a meniscal tear and mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis of the knee. Patients were randomly assigned to groups who received either surgery and postoperative physical therapy or standardized physical therapy. Within 6-12 months, patients who had physical therapy alone showed similar improvement in functional status and pain as those who had undergone arthroscopic partial meniscectomy surgery.

According to an accompanying editorial in NEJM,“millions of people are being exposed to potential risks associated with a treatment [surgery] that may or may not offer specific benefit, and the costs are substantial.” Physical therapist and APTA member Mary Ann Wilmarth, PT, DPT, MS, OCS, MTC, Cert MDT, chief of physical therapy at Harvard University, said, “Physical therapists are experts in improving mobility and restoring motion. The individualized treatment approach is very important in the early phases of rehabilitation in order to achieve desired functional outcomes and avoid setbacks or complications.”

For more on this study visit: www.apta.org.

*Did you know you can see your physical therapist without a doctors’ referral in the state of North Carolina?

*Physician referral required for patients covered under Medicare or Medicaid