[re+think]

Tight hip flexors are everywhere.  But, especially for older adults and people with neurologic disorders, tightness in the hip flexors can really influence movement.  I have had clients who improve their gait speed after a good hip flexor stretch! Most people comment that they can move much more smoothly and with longer strides.  Or, even better, without back pain.   Below are 3 different ways to stretch the hip flexors and between the three of these, you should find one that is doable and feels like a good deep stretch.  Try them out just before you get moving and notice how your movement improves!   Standing hip flexor stretch- -a good one to do on the go, before a walk or other standing exercise. Kneeling hip flexor stretch.  This is my personal favorite because it isolates the muscle so well--less room for cheating. Lying down hip flexor stretch.  This version is great if it is difficult to get in the other po...

For the first time this year, the OT Association of California had a float in the Rose Parade. Did you know that occupational therapists have been helping people regain their lives for 100 years?  On this Centennial celebration of OT, we thought it was the perfect time to bring one of our expert OTs to the blog and have her explain a little bit about how OT can change your life.    5 simple ways OT can change your life: Increase independence-OT is individualized and addresses all areas of your daily life that you are having difficulty with.   We can work on everything from buttoning your shirt and tying your shoes to getting in and out of the car with ease. Develop new strategies-Learn new and effective ways to perform every day tasks, such as a new dressing technique to save time and energy. OT can also recommend adaptive devices to assist you in every way. Improve cognitive skills-In our everyday life, we are constantly multi-tasking. OT will help you t...

Physical Therapists—Your Movement Experts Did you know that physical therapists (PTs) are the experts of human movement?   If you are a PT—you know it!   If you are a client in our practice you know it because we are constantly videotaping and watching how you move.    But, perhaps not everyone is aware of our area of expertise.      In fact, when the California Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association surveyed the public—the word movement never once came   up! I just spent two and half  days in DC with 100 of the most expert of experts (I really was kind of star struck) discussing movement, why we are the experts and how we communicate this to others.   I have left feeling very excited about movement and want to share a few ideas about what makes PTs unique in this area: 1) We listen When we meet a client we are skillfully able to listen to your description of the problem you are having in life (ie—maybe you t...

Exercise is a powerful tool that has been shown in numerous studies to delay the progression of Parkinson’s disease and to even improve existing symptoms. As more research is performed and more sophisticated tools are used to analyze the effects of exercise, it is becoming more and more evident that everyone with PD should be exercising!   In an attempt to help spread the word on the benefits of exercise, we will be presenting a series of blogs that go into detail on this topic. In this initial discussion, we will introduce the top 10 reasons why individuals with Parkinson’s disease should exercise and elaborate on the #1 REASON for individuals to exercise.   Stay tuned to the upcoming blogs as we will be going into more detail and presenting the latest research regarding these 10 benefits of exercise! Here are the TOP 10 reasons why everyone with PD should get moving… 10. Exercise helps your muscles and joints loosen up so you can Move Better 9. Exercise...