Hello.  I would like to introduce myself.  My name is Jonnie Hoffman, and I have been a Board-Certified Occupational Therapist for 52 years.  I am now semi-retired, and I am working at Synergy Physical Therapy and Wellness at 4115 Club Manor Drive in Pueblo, CO.  (719-568-9790).  I am concentrating on neuro-timing using the evidence-based treatment tool of Interactive Metronome.   You may be aware of Interactive Metronome and its use in treating children with learning difficulties.  I like the tool for working on neuro timing in the brain.  I bec ..read more

There comes a point in all of our lives in which we get an injury. That injury could be a simple muscle strain or a ligament sprain such as rolling an ankle; or the injury could be a sudden and sharp pain when lifting something heavy in your back and subsequent numbness and tingling down one leg or both legs; or an individual has had pain from arthritis for years in their hip or knee or shoulder that is not yet surgical; or a motor vehicle accident; or even an operation for various joints or tendons. In these instances, Physical Therapy is very beneficial. How so? Your Physical Therapist’s ..read more

Low back pain (LBP) has been shown to be one of the most common reasons to seek healthcare, lost work time among working-age adults, and the cause of disability. Childs et. al. (2015) found that combined direct and indirect costs for LBP are reported to be between $85 billion and $238 billion dollars. Since LBP has become so common, what are we doing when low back pain occurs? Most commonly people: Will “wait it out” in hopes their back pain will go away. Go to the Emergency Department. Go to their primary care provider.   Unfortunately, additional time without treatment has bee ..read more

Most people with diabetes don’t know it Click Here to Read the Article Prevention Information Click here to access resources from the CDC regarding diabetes prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/ The post Nearly three in 10 people with diabetes don’t know it appeared first on Synergy Physical Therapy & Wellness & Wellness ..read more

Shoes. Shoes. Shoes. Esculier et al (2015) define a minimalist shoe as: “Footwear providing minimal interference with the natural movement of the foot due to its high flexibility, low heel-to-toe drop, weight, and stack height, and the absence of motion control and stability devices.” The first litmus test that should run through our mind concerning any type of shoe is: are minimalist shoes comfortable for you? If so, all questions are solved. If not, then the goal is to find a shoe that is comfortable from 10 feet to 20+ miles. A previous post here mentioned that when it comes to shoes, COMF ..read more

Running shoe design and sales is a lucrative business. There is the belief that the more expensive the shoe the better it is for running. Others believe that shoes based on foot type (high arch, flat arch, normal) are important to prevent injury risk. What does the science say? You may hear the terms motion control, cushioned, and stability when shopping for shoes. –        Motion control shoes are generally geared toward those with low or flat arches to potentially control for excessive pronation (Knapik et al, 2009). –       ..read more

If you are suffering from pain (new or chronic), low energy, inflammation, injuries that won’t heal, muscle soreness, slow post workout recovery times, or anything that is keeping you from living your best life and performing at your highest potential, Whole Body Red Light Therapy at Synergy Physical Therapy & Wellness and Wellness may be for you! What it is Red light therapy is a technique that emits therapeutic wavelengths of red or near-red infrared light that penetrate into the body where they enhance cellular function, tissue healing and are thought to have many other health benefi ..read more

Patients who received physical therapy within the first 30 days of experiencing acute lower back pain had a lower chance of needing further medical services (imaging, injections, surgery, and doctor visits) than those who received PT later.  Referring patients suffering from low back pain to primary care: Impact on future health care costs and utilization The total medical cost of patients who received early physical therapy for lower back pain (within 14 days of onset) was $2736.23 less than those who received delayed physical therapy (early PT $1810.67, later PT $3661.78).  The p ..read more

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/ healthy_sleep.pdf Information about Sleep Disorders http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sleepdisorders.html NHLBI Diseases and Conditions Index – DCI This section includes articles about sleep disorders, tests, procedures, as well as videos, podcasts and Spanish-language articles. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/index.html Refer to Pain and Sleep References Patients with acute low back pain are more likely to have poor sleep quality than those with good sleep quality. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24782195 Patients suffering from neck pain ..read more

A medical researcher’s perspective on sugar. Here’s another presentation if you want to hear more from this researcher. Useful Links How To Limit Fat and Sugar Weight-control Information Network These are the common names for sugars added to foods: Sucrose (table Sugar) Sweetener made from corn Corn syrup with high-fructose Fruit-juice concentrates Nectars Raw sugar Malt syrup Maple syrup Sweeteners made from fructose Liquid fructose Honey Molasses Anhydrous dextrose Click here to see the range of motion exercises These exercises can be viewed online. Click here and type in ..read more