ptspin
by Shayne Narro
use your head – avoid exhaustion
and injury
It’s that time of year again, and summer injuries
are all the buzz in healthcare. There are more
recreational injuries, more heat illnesses and more
bumps and bruises. Lucas Quebedeaux, DPT, shared
his insight on protecting against summer injuries.
Head trauma is often the most concerning injury,
and summer activities leave us more at risk. Even
late afternoon showers cause slips and falls as well as
accidents that lead to head trauma, neck pain and
cervical spine injuries.
More often than not, simply going to physical
therapy after these events is the key to healing.
Sometimes, however, there are situations in which
physicians may have to take control, or a specialized
neurological physical therapy clinic may be the best
place for the patient to ensure proper care.
In every case of head trauma, it is important to
examine the symptoms of the issue. These can lead to
musculoskeletal injury diagnosis, like those associated
with neck or spine pain, or show evidence of a
concussion or concussion-like injury. Either way, the
main goal is to get the patient back to his/her normal
daily routine with proper attention to healing along
the way.
Loss of balance is one of the symptoms of head
trauma that is often the most noticeable and could be
most dangerous symptom, leading to further injury.
Regaining the confi dence to walk or run can be an
obstacle, but this is why physical therapists want to
strengthen certain areas of the body. Proper therapy
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is in order to achieve maximum outcomes, so it is
important to consult medical professionals during
recovery from head, neck or back injuries.
“We want to strengthen the shoulders, to provide
relief of the neck pain that the patient is probably
enduring due to most head trauma cases,” says
Quebedeaux of Ponchatoula Therapy. “The utilization
of such techniques as dry needling can provide acute
relief to these areas until strengthened.”
Improving posture is the next step, according to
Quebedeaux, and this may be the most important
step to improve balance and cure other symptoms
such as headaches or trouble sleeping. Simply having
the proper posture can relieve the body of many aches
and pains on a day to day basis.
It’s hot and miserable outside pretty much every
day around this time of the year. The most important
element between the weather and physical therapy is
patient education.
Many times patients are overworking themselves
and coming into the offi ce fatigued and exhausted.
This is when we ask our patients if they have been
drinking enough water, stretching, or taking breaks.
Normally, the answer is no to all three of those
questions if they end up to our offi ce. Patients need
to train themselves to properly stretch before summer
activities while hydrating and taking breaks. They also
should use proper safety equipment. Just these simple
practices may lead to a safer and happier summer
season.