Approximately 25% of American adults have experienced knee pain at some point, affecting the function of the knee. In fact, prevalence of knee pain has increased over the past 20 years, causing many to experience difficulty performing activities such as walking, rising from a chair, climbing stairs, or playing sports.  The good news, however, is that physical therapists are specially trained to help diagnose and treat knee pain, enabling many individuals return to their normal activities without pain or limitation. 

What Type of Pain?
If you are experiencing knee pain, it is important to determine if the pain is acute, sub-acute, or chronic in nature. This can help guide proper diagnosis and treatment.  

• Acute Pain is usually the most severe and occurs 1-7 days after injury. 
• Sub-acute pain occurs from 2-6 weeks after injury.
• Chronic knee pain is pain lasting greater than 8-12 weeks. 

If you develop acute knee pain, immediately follow the R.I.C.E. principle. R.I.C.E. stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. After a few days of R.I.C.E., you can begin using the leg, only gently. If pain persists for more than 2-3 weeks, however, it's time to visit a doctor or physical therapist to rule out any major problem and ensure proper diagnosis and management.
Where Does It Hurt?
Knee pain can occur suddenly for no apparent reason or develop slowly as the result of repetitive trauma. Knee pain occurs in different parts of the knee, depending on what structures in the knee are involved. Below is a general breakdown of the areas in which knee pain may occur and the structures of the knee that may be involved:

• Anterior knee pain, also referred to as patellofemoral pain, is pain around the kneecap (patella) in front of the knee, caused when the kneecap shifts out of position. This condition often affects younger females, and may be due to overuse injury. Pain often occurs when performing activities like squats or stair-climbing.
• Lateral knee pain is pain that occurs on the outside of the knee. It is a type of overuse injury that commonly occurs in runners when the tendon called the iliotibial band (ITB) becomes irritated. Pain is often felt when performing activities such as climbing stairs, or when walking or running.
• Medial knee pain is pain that occurs along the inside of the knee when the MCL or the medial meniscus become irritated due to direct injury or overuse. Pain is felt when squatting, walking up or down an incline, or going down stairs.
• Pain caused by a ligament tear may result from a direct blow to the knee, or when twisting or pivoting the knee while the foot is planted on the ground. Immediate pain and swelling typically occur, and the knee may feel unstable—like it will "give out"—when an individual attempts to put weight on the involved leg.
• Pain caused by osteoarthritis may occur anywhere in the knee where cartilage has broken down. This type of knee pain may begin as mild and progressively worsen. It can become increasingly difficult to walk long distances, fully bend and straighten the knee, climb stairs, or squat to sit in a chair. The knee also may swell intermittently with increased activity.

How Can a Physical Therapist Help?
After a focused examination has been completed, your physical therapist can work with you to start the correct treatment.  Based on the findings of your evaluation, your PT will develop a customized rehabilitation program to ensure a safe return to your desired activities. Some general treatment techniques may include:

• Pain management. Your physical therapist may provide treatments using different "modalities" such as ice, heat, ultrasound, or electrical stimulation to help decrease pain and swelling.
• Manual therapy. Your therapist will apply manual (hands-on) therapy to gently guide movement of the knee area to restore joint and tissue mobility.
• Therapeutic exercises. Your physical therapist will prescribe specific strengthening, flexibility, and endurance exercises to address your specific needs and goals.
• Functional exercises. You will learn individualized exercises designed to help you return to your home, work, and sport activities. These also may include balance and coordination exercises.
• Self-care instruction. Your physical therapist will teach you ways to manage your pain at home, and design a safe and effective home-exercise program based on your specific condition, which you can continue long after your formal physical therapy sessions have ended. You also will learn how to avoid placing unnecessary forces on the knee during your daily activities for years to come.

The knee is a major joint in the body that is needed for most activities.  Experiencing pain can limit one or all of these activities.  By working with your physical therapist and keeping the knee joint mobile and strong, problems with knee pain may be avoided, and your mobility can be maintained.  If you are experiencing knee pain, don't wait to get the relief you need.  Call us today to get started on your journey back to health!  

As fall is (finally) in full swing, we can now sense the excitement of all that autumn brings: beautiful changing leaves, football season, hay rides, bonfires, and all things pumpkin! Even the fresh, crisp air is rejuvenating, refreshing our souls after the exhausting heat of summer.

Similarly, the autumn of life is a strange mixture of nostalgia, blessings, and potential. It yields the harvest of seeds we’ve sown throughout life and braces us for colder days to come. When life’s autumn arrives, we look back and better understand the way God led us. It’s a good transition time.

Did you know “Autumn” only occurs once in the Bible? In Jude 1:12, false teachers are compared to “autumn trees without fruit,” implying that autumn should be a fruitful season, the most abundant of the year. This bears the question: how can we take advantage of the “autumn of life”?

First, we can acknowlege the unchanging nature of God. The seasons come and go, and there's a lot of unwelcome change in our world: moral and societal change, as weak as personal change - children leaving home, the passing of dear friends, and the slow, steady decline in our vitality and health. But amid all the changes, one thing never changes—our eternal God. “LORD, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Psalm 90:1-2). The world may fade, the stars may fall, the seasons may change, and winter may come. But the God who has been our help in ages past is our hope for years to come. In Him, we have permanence, stability, joy unshakable, and life unending.

Secondly, we can rest in the divine foresight of God. We’ve all suffered setbacks along the way. BUT we still have hope, as God promised, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten. . . . You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God” (Joel 2:25-26). Our omniscient Savior knows the end from the beginning, and He will bless whatever is yielded to Him. Focus on His foreknowledge, providence, and sovereignty.

Lastly, we can focus on the wonderful blessings of God: family, friends, strength, shelter, provision, opportunities to serve, more time to pray and study His Word, and eternal life still to come. It's during life’s autumn that we have a richer perspective and can count more blessings than ever before. During autumn, we all know that winter lies ahead, but we also know that, when winter comes, spring isn't far behind! ​

We hope you are able to savor all that autumn has to offer this year!!

October is finally here, bringing with it the first signs of Fall, pumpkin flavored treats, and most importantly: National Physical Therapy Month. Since its inauguration by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) in 1981, National PT Month has been a great opportunity to celebrate all PT professionals as well as recognize the transformative power of physical therapy. PTs and PTAs help restore and improve motion in many people’s lives. This year, APTA hopes to raise awareness about the risk of opioids and all the ways physical therapy can help with pain management. 

The theme for this year’s PT Month is #ChoosePT. This campaign hopes to let people know about the dangers of opioid use and promote PT as a safe alternative. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging health care providers to reduce the use of opioids in in favor of safer options, like physical therapy. Some of the potential side effects to opioid use are depression, overdose, and addiction. There are also possible withdrawal symptoms when stopping use. Because of these risks the CDC guidelines state, experts agreed that opioids should not be considered first-line or routine therapy for chronic pain

How is The Smith Clinic is Celebrating Physical Therapy Month?
The Smith Clinic is celebrating PT Month by periodically featuring our amazing PTs and their teams. We are also doing a service project, so be sure check out our social media so you can participate!

For more information on National Physical Therapy Month, visit https://www.moveforwardpt.com/Default.aspx.  

Please let us introduce you to: Candice Lancaster! A newly licensed PT, Candace is on of our newest additions to the clinic! 

When asked why she chose a career in PT, Candice explained saying, "I was choosing my major at a time of transition for PT’s and wasn’t able to go the long haul to earn my Doctorate. At that time, I knew I liked helping people and was torn between PT and Psychology. Psych won by default. As a special education teacher, my students received PT, and I realized that’s what I really wanted to be doing. I’m proof that it’s never too late to continue your education and pursue you dreams!"

Candice was born in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and has lived in Utah, California, Arizona, Texas, Mississippi & Tennessee. She was raised in Memphis, however, so she is technically a “Memphian”. When asked about her favorite thing about Memphis, Candice stated, "...our beautiful parks and trails! I love to take my fitness family outdoors for PiYo at the park and our bike trails are amazing both paved and off road." 

Before PT school, Candice was a middle school special education teacher for the self-contained classroom, in addition to being a fitness instructor at the YMCA for 5 years. When she is not at work, she still enjoys photography, writing poetry, drawing & painting. When her father was alive, Candice and he would mail each other letters containing poetry and art.

​Upon asking about her experience working at The Smith Clinic thus far, Candice stated, "I tell everyone that I am spoiled working here. The atmosphere is one that I’ve not experienced in another clinic. Their values align with mine and I’ve always felt like an asset instead of a minion, so to speak."
You are a wonderful addition to our staff, Candice, and we are so grateful to have you!!!

With busy fall schedules and cooler temps (hopefully) on the way, it will soon be the perfect time to pull out that Crock Pot and throw together some warm, easy dinners! There are so many versatile and healthy ways to prepare dinner in the slow cooker, making your weeknights easier and less stressful.   This recipe in particular is one that we think you'll love, as it takes a family favorite (who doesn't love lasagna?!) and turns it into a soup.  Give it a try and let us know what you think!



Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
Prep Time 5 minutes
 Cook Time 8 hours
 Total Time 8 hours 5 minutes
 Servings 8 (1.5 cup servings)

Ingredients

• 1 lb. extra lean ground beef cooked and drained
• 24 oz jar of marinara sauce
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 3 red bell peppers seeded and chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 1 14.5 ounce can petite-diced tomatoes, NOT drained
• 7 “No Boil” lasagna noodles 6 ounces, broken into bite-sized pieces
• Shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses for topping

Instructions

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a slow cooker (beef through tomatoes).
2. Cover, and cook on “low” for about 8 hours.
3. When there are about 30 minutes remaining in the cooking time, add lasagna noodle pieces to the pot. Stir, cover, and continue to cook for the remaining 30 minutes (or until pasta is tender).
4. Garnish with cheese and serve. Enjoy!

​
*Recipe by www.theseasonedmom.com

*Picture courtesy of www.spendwithpennies.com

With school back in session, it's likely you're repeatedly moving your child's backpack after he or she drops it at the door.  If that's the case, does it feel like it contains 40 pounds of rocks?  Maybe you've noticed your child struggling to put it on, bending forward while carrying it, or complaining of tingling or numbness.  If you've been concerned about the effects that extra weight might have on your child's still-growing body, your instincts are spot on.

When a heavy backpack is incorrectly placed on the shoulders, the weight's force can pull a child backward and, to compensate, the child might bend forward at the hips or arch the back. This can make the spine compress unnaturally, leading to shoulder, neck, and back pain.  Additionally, kids who wear their backpacks over just one shoulder may end up leaning to one side to offset the extra weight. They might develop lower and upper back pain and strain their shoulders and neck.

While we wait for solutions like digital textbooks to become widespread, here are several things you can do to lighten your child's load:

• Less weight is always better.  Use the bathroom scale to check that a pack isn't over 10% to 15% of your child's body weight (for example, the backpack of a child who weighs 80 pounds shouldn't weigh more than 8 to 12 pounds).  
• Make sure kids use both shoulder straps and tighten the straps enough for the backpack to fit closely to the body. The pack should rest evenly in the middle of the back and not sag down to the buttocks. 
• Encourage kids to use their locker or desk often throughout the day instead of carrying the entire day's worth of books in the backpack.  Make sure kids don't tote unnecessary items — laptops, cellphones, and video games can add extra pounds to a pack.  
• Encourage kids to bring home only the books needed for homework or studying each night.
• Picking up the backpack the right way can help kids avoid back injuries. As with any heavy weight, they should bend at the knees and grab the pack with both hands when lifting a backpack to the shoulders.
• Use all of the backpack's compartments, putting heavier items, such as textbooks, closest to the center of the back.

When selecting a backpack, look for:

• a lightweight pack: get one that doesn't add a lot of weight to your child's load; for example, leather packs look cool, but they weigh more than canvas backpacks
• the correct size: never wider or longer than your child's torso and never hanging more than 4 inches below the waist
• two wide, padded shoulder straps: straps that are too narrow can dig into shoulders
• a padded back: it not only provides increased comfort, but also protects kids from being poked by sharp objects or edges (pencils, rulers, notebooks, etc.) inside the pack
• a waist belt: this helps to distribute the weight more evenly across the body
• multiple compartments: to help distribute the weight throughout the pack.

What About Backpacks on Wheels?  They are so common these days, they're almost cool. But, the ACA is not giving them a strong endorsement.  Rolling backpacks should be used "cautiously and on a limited basis by only those students who are not physically able to carry a backpack," the ACA website reads. Why? They clutter school corridors, replacing a potential back injury hazard with a tripping hazard.

Despite their potential problems, backpacks are great when used properly.  Just remember: a roomy backpack may seem like a good idea, but the more space there is to fill, the more likely your child will fill it.  Help your child determine what is absolutely necessary to carry. If it's not essential, leave it at home.  Also, make sure your child uses both straps when carrying the backpack. Most importantly, If your child has back pain or numbness or weakness in the arms or legs, please don't ignore the symptoms.  Call us today...as always, we are here to help!