Today marks history. We broke ground on our brand new 4,000 square foot clinic, Alpine Physical Therapy North.

Alpine Physical Therapy North

Getting this project underway today puts us on track to open our new facility on December 1st, 2010!

Owner, Brent Dodge states: “Call it ground breaking. I like to think of it more like drawing a line in the sand. Developing our very own commercial building in north Missoula speaks volumes of our commitment to the health and fitness of our community. It says we’re here for the long haul.”

Located at 2965 Stockyard Road in the North Reserve Business Center, we’re a stone’s throw from Johnny Carino’s. Watch for future issues of our blog to include brief status reports of the building’s progress.

For more information on our company, take a moment to visit the About Us page on our clinic website by clicking here.

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Alpine Physical Therapy’s co-ed recreational league soccer team made it into the tourney, which starts August 12. Notably, we are the second place seed.

Get this! The team’s center-mid and captain, Carey Schmidt, reports that the first place seed, the Imitators, was handed their only loss of the season by none other than Alpine! Carey adds:

“We know we have what it takes to win it all. Unfortunately, attrition is taking its toll. Several injuries and late summer vacations will leave the team short-handed for the tourney.  One thing is for certain; we will try our best and have fun in the process.”

Go Alpine!

Can Alpine keep their streak alive, or will they be sent home early?  You’ll have to wait and see! Go Alpine!

Sometimes, basic treatments aren’t adequate for some types of headaches. That’s when advanced physical therapy approaches should be considered.

Brent Dodge, nationally certified orthopedic and manual therapy specialist, defines various types of headaches and treatments, along with advanced techniques to abolish them.

To schedule an appointment with Brent at our south location, please call 251-2323.

Yesterday, I introduced ways to improve awareness regarding work injuries. Let’s shift gears in this segment and hit on some possible solutions.

Awareness is key. Knowing the causes of work injuries, and in particular, overuse type injuries, is an important first step toward improving worker fitness and health. Keeping you injury free is a worthy goal. But helping you move toward that goal has its benefits too, such as improving comfort at work, having more energy after work, and improving the quality and performance of the work (and play) you do.

Second, consider the idea of fatigue. If for example you are entering data at a keyboard, you may at times notice that the muscles of your forearms or hands are becoming fatigued. In those instances, fatigue is a major warning sign! If you continually move through the fatigue phase and don’t allow the tissues of your body to rest, you’re increasing the likelihood of developing an overuse condition. Refer back to yesterday’s blog on the causes I outlined.

That’s why I educate workers in the 20/20 rule. Taking 20 seconds every 20 minutes to breathe, rest, stretch, or move is a huge step you can take to reduce overuse type injuries. Simply breathe deeply for 20 seconds. Roll your shoulders. Stretch your back. Do something, anything. . . other than continuing to work through fatigue. The 20/20 rule is designed to keep your tissues from getting overworked, to the point that fatigue gives way to discomfort, and then discomfort gives way to pain. That’s a slippery slope you want to avoid. And to help you with this, I encourage you to check out a helpful site that can remind you to take these small, helpful breaks. It’s RSI guard.

Here are a couple other ideas to consider:

1. Establish proper work place ergonomics, such as alignment, work heights, seating, lighting, sound.
2. Use stress reduction strategies.
3. Recognize and report symptoms early in an attempt to avoid working through pain and problems.

Again, for more information on this topic, I invite you to read the document on my clinic website called “A Patient’s Guide to Cumulative Trauma Disorder.” Click here to view the document.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a group of painful disorders of muscles, tendons, and nerves. Carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, thoracic outlet syndrome, and tension neck syndrome are examples. Another commonly used  term for conditions in this category is  Cumulative Trauma Disorder.

Work activities which are frequent and repetitive, or activities done with awkward postures are possible causes of these disorders and may be painful during work or at rest.

You may have also heard of RSI , which stands for Repetitive Stress Injuries. It’s an umbrella term for occupational overuse, which includes problems like carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as tendinitis of the hands and wrist. However, repetition is just one contributing factor to WMSDs. Typically, there are several factors that are at play and that together may lead to a WMSD.

Body Position – Awkward and especially static postures or body positions are a risk factor.

Repetition – When the work activity is continued in spite of the developing fatigue, injuries occur.

Force – Even small forces can add up and cause problems., especially when repetitive movements are at play. For example, turning a tool with even moderate forces can be problematic when it’s done over and over

Pace of work – The pace at which you do your work determines the amount of time available for rest and recovery between tasks. The faster the pace, the less time is available and the higher the risk for WMSD. Assembly lines and quota symptoms push the envelope of timing and speed, creating increased stress levels and pushing workers dangerously toward the risk of a WMSD. People who free lance often push themselves with grueling hours and work loads.  For them “Time is Money!”

How do WMSDs occur?

WMSDs do not happen as a result of a single accident or injury. Rather, they develop gradually as a result of repeated trauma. Excessive stretching of muscles and tendons can cause injuries that only last a short time. But repeated episodes of stretching causing tissue inflammation can lead to long-lasting injury or WMSDs.

WMSDs include three types of injuries:

• Muscle injury – Lactic acid may build up  in the muscles leading to actual injury to muscles.
• Tendon injury – Fibrous buildup in the sheaths around tendons can lead to a problem with tenosynovitis.
• Nerve injury – Swelling around a nerve can create compression on the nerve, as can happen with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Please stay tuned for Work-Injury Awareness: Part Two, Possible Solutions. I’ll outline helpful tips and solutions in an upcoming blog.

And for more information on this topic, I invite you to read the document on my clinic website called “A Patient’s Guide to Cumulative Trauma Disorder.” Click here to view the document.