Step up for prevention
Recently, a dear friend of our family had another reoccurrence with a type of women's cancer where she had to have some more of her lymph nodes removed. We were in town visiting and I thought I would get her set up with some compression wraps, compression shorts and stockings. …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Four steps for breast cancer
Recently, a charming young woman named Sally came in to my office after having a mastectomy. She was sporting a cute hat and said that she had just finished chemo and was on her way to radiation oncology. She said she had surgery over eight months ago, and she wondered …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Slow down and take a breath
There I was, clicking into a pair of demo skis at the show with my husband, and then poling away to the quad, when I realized I was breathing way too hard. I was surprised. I had been training hard this last month, I had worked out everyday, and I …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Road blocks
We live on a road that is narrow and winding, with no guardrails, and not a lot of room for error when you are driving. There is little to no space to go around something if something gets in your way. We share the road with turkeys, deer, elk, moose …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Love the one you're with
Whew! Over three weeks are under our belt in the new year, and I keep wondering how all of you are doing with your healthy lifestyle choices? Our Look Better Naked program is in full swing, and I have to admit the first few weeks were quite a challenge. I …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Progress, not perfection
Discipline is described as the ability to obey the rules or a code of behavior. It is the practice of training people, or teaching them direction, order and regulations. It is a way to control aspects of our life that might get out of control. If you forget your keys …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Vis Medicatrix Naturae
Victoria Sweet was a physician in the world of modern medicine in San Francisco, but in her book, God's Hotel, she discovered that premodern medicine had some very important concepts when it came to the power of the body to heal itself. The body appeared to have this natural force …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Mulligan, anyone?
Golfing in Arizona one year with family and friends, I spent sometime declaring a few mulligans as I worked my way around the beautiful golf course. It might have been the desert air, or the fact I hadn't golfed in way too long, but we spent some time in the …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
'Twas the night before
When I was little, I loved the magic of the poem "The Night Before Christmas." My parents had a well-worn book that had beautiful illustrated pictures, and they would read it to me each Christmas season. As soon as I could read it myself, I would slowly read each page …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Look better naked: 90 days
The alarm rings and its dark out and raining like crazy. The bed is cozy and warm, and who feels like making good choices today? Should I get up early and exercise and take the time to choose good food for the day, or roll over and sleep 30 more …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
Stress be gone
You will never be good at it unless you practice it. I know you have heard that before when you use to play the piano in middle school and when you learned a new swimming stroke in the summer. But did you know you are able to learn new skills …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO
Believe in miracles
Miracles are all around us. Some are big and some are small. Some seem like your heart just grew a million sizes in one moment, just like the "Grinch." Some are just tiny wonders, like the melting of your heart when you see the joy of your family all together …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO
Eight ways for holiday health
I just love this time of year with all of its traditions and festivities. I love to visit with all my family and friends and celebrate another year together. I especially love all the good food, treats, and last minute invitations for fun activities. Along with all that action, my …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO
The knees have it
The snow season is fast approaching and it's time to get ready. We have about four weeks before the snow should be flying, and you will need your knees to be in tip-top shape to be able to do their job for you this season. Your knees are the shock …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO
Need sleep? Stretch before bed
All day you are on the move, rushing here and there and working to get everything done. You sit at your desk too long, drive in the car too long, and never really exercise as long as you would like to. Then comes the moment you roll into bed, and …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
What if I could?
Daniel Pink is the author of multiple bestsellers, and in his new book "To Sell Is Human," Pink believes you and I are in the business of moving others everyday. You might think you don't sell anything, but you do. Everyday, you and I are selling something: at work, home …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Are you at risk?
I always thought the old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" was true, and now I really think that is the case. Two weeks ago at the Race for the Cure, we had the opportunity to test the antioxidant levels of a lot of our community that stopped …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Techno health
As a physical therapist, the technological advances that are occurring in the marketplace for our health fascinate me. So much information is now available to us; with all the information, we should have the power to change our health outcomes, right?
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Race time
This weekend I was at the Race for the Cure Coeur d'Alene, where I met and saw a sea of beautiful people (mostly in pink) who are survivors, along with their devoted families and amazing friends. There were 1400 people signed up for the race this year and a new …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Two weeks
A couple of months ago, a beautiful woman came into my office, wondering why she had been referred to physical therapy after she started radiation therapy. She had a partial mastectomy with axillary lymph nodes removed three months before, and had already had chemotherapy. She felt pressure in her arm …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
The visit
The long-awaited visit is finally here. Now, what exactly was I supposed to ask the doctor?
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Jump start
Labor Day is past and school has started, and the fall schedules are here. Summer had its "go with the flow" vibe, which was great, but now it is time to get down to business with your health.
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The power of the squat
I went on a mission trip to Nepal for a month when I was an Adjunct Professor at Loma Linda University in the School of Physical Therapy. They wanted us to establish a physical therapy clinic at a hospital in Benepi. In Nepal, everywhere you go, you see people squatting: …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Swim for it, Morris!
Every summer from sixth to eleventh grade, I went to summer camp for a week at a beautiful lake in southern Virginia called Smith Mountain Lake. It was a special place for lots of reasons, but the best reason was that was where I learned to waterski. I thought it …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Protect the feet
Football is here, and two-a-days are in full swing. And, it's time to protect your feet. It's hot and your feet take a beating in the heat. Normal cleats do not have enough support in their insoles for such wear and tear, and blisters, turf toe and plantar fascial irritation …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Figure eight
I always thought the hula-hoop was a fun thing to do when I was a kid, along with hopscotch and jump rope competitions in our neighborhood and at school. We would play for hours and would always have a new twist to the game. I never remember being sore or …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Power up!
Just a few days ago, one of my patients came into my office and emphatically reported that her Osteopenia and Osteoporosis scores had significantly improved over the past year, and she and her doctor were very excited. She was no longer at high risk and couldn't believe the progress she …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Strengthen your 'Achilles hips'
Fabulous legs, that is what all of my lady athletes have this summer! They have "buns of steel" and great looking calf muscles. They all wonder why they have such developed booties and I tell them because that is where all their power comes from and if you don't have …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Policy
I was an adjunct professor at Loma Linda University in the School of Physical Therapy in 1990. I was teaching Kinesiology when President George Bush signed a bill into law called the American Disability Act (ADA). The ADA was established to provide a clear and comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
What you say and do
Years ago, I was at Home Depot at a free class for kids to make birdhouses. It was a Saturday morning and we all needed an adventure. Well, three boys under eight years old, Home Depot and a free class seemed like a good idea at the time. Needless to …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Tape it !
I know you all have seen it, that crazy colored tape that athletes all over the country are wearing. I know this week we will see it at the Ironman here in Coeur d'Alene. However, what some of you may not realize is that it's not just for athletes. In …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Goals: Make your health a priority
Months ago, we talked about our goals for the New Year at our house with our family, and in our office. One main goal was to make a move to get our health near the top of the list of our priorities every day of the week. This, of course, …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Are your supplements working for you?
Sometimes you feel desperate about your health. You have been training hard for months and everything seemed to be going well, but suddenly for the past few days, you just feel worn out. So you rush to the health food store and buy some supplements that you read about in …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Change it up
Some things are just hard to explain. Even to the people who know you the best. When a physical trauma happens, it affects you in so many ways and usually you are never the same. The more severe the trauma and the physical loss, the more emotional changes usually occur. …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Who has your back?
So often it's taken for granted, this intricate, delicate group of bones called the spine. We use it every day, all day long and really think little of it until suddenly something goes wrong and we are hurting. Your spine is part of the skeletal system, and it needs the …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Spring projects
I don't know what it is about spring but when it comes, everyone around here seems bound and determined that the hibernation of the winter is over and they are ready to get some work done. They are stacking slash piles, cleaning outside windows, putting in patios, cleaning out their …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The heart matters
Sometimes you have one of those weeks where it just seems you hear such similar stories from so many people that you wonder what it all means. This last week was one of those weeks. It seemed that every time I turned around, I was talking to someone about issues …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
'Tommy John'
Oh the spring! You can't love the spring without loving baseball at least not where I grew up in Maryland. Baseball was the Washington Senators and watching Frank Howard hit home runs. We piled in my Dad's Sunbeam Tiger and headed out to the game. There is nothing like the …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Always on the go
I know it's not something we want to talk about, but sometimes post-surgery, after having a baby, or as we age, we might have trouble with bladder control. Maybe you are trying to get discharged from the hospital after surgery, laughing with your friends, or trying to climb the steps …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Hop Along Cassidy
I don't know about you, but sometimes the things you set out to do in life are not in reality what you end up doing. Sometimes you think you are just out for a leisurely stroll and suddenly you're on a trail that just isn't what you planned for in …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Looking good!
I grew up on the East coast, in Maryland, on the Mason Dixon line. We lived on the border of the southern life, and the traditions were strong. No white shoes or white pants before Easter. No open-toed shoes before the heat of the summer. Only dresses with hats, gloves …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The heart matters
Sometimes you have one of those weeks where it just seems you hear such similar stories from so many people, you wonder what it all means. This last week was one of those weeks. It seemed that every time I turned around, I was talking to someone about issues of …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
24 hours
Twenty-four hours is a long time for fasting, but I made it. I fasted last week for 24 hours for the first time and I couldn't believe I could actually do it.
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
What color are you?
Just like a blood pressure cuff shows us the health of your vascular system and the little oximeter on your finger tells us information about your O2 Sat rate, the new Biophotonic scanner gives us information about how healthy you are you're your nutritional intake. The scanner uses an array …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
How healthy are you?
Years ago I trained with an internal medicine physician in Seattle. He had a practice where he cared for a lot of patients with complicated musculoskeletal issues and autoimmune diseases. One of the things he taught me as a physical therapist was to pay close attention to what patients were …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Dole out the exercises
I was talking this weekend with my son and clinical intern from last summer who was visiting, and my son all of a sudden turned to us and said, "You physical therapists dole out exercises like a doctor hands out medicine. Is that what you do every day?" We both …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
You have to sleep to play
We all have occasional nights of it. You toss and turn and just can't get comfortable sleeping. As long as it happens just here and there, you can live with it. But it's when it goes on for nights in a row and you are up every two hours looking …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Twice in a day
Colorado is a skier's paradise, and last week I had the fun of skiing with my husband for two days in their great mountains. As part of his business every year, we have the opportunity to demo the new line of skis, boots and accessories coming out for the next …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Hurry up and wait!
Last January, on a single-digit Friday night, I was on my way home from work when my youngest son called and asked if I could help him with something he forgot to do. As always with your kids, you think really, why didn't you do that on your way home? …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Two weeks
A couple of months ago, a beautiful woman came into my office, wondering why she was referred to physical therapy after she started radiation therapy. She had a partial mastectomy with axillary lymph nodes removed three months before and had already had chemotherapy. She felt pressure in her arm, with …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Let's get started
Expectations are just a part of life. The new year started and already this week, I have heard people saying they dropped the ball on their expectations for their health. They forgot their tennis shoes to walk at lunch with their co-worker, they ate too many foods that were rich …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
It's time
When I was 12, I had a beautiful horse named Dealer. He was chestnut in color, with four white socks and a white bolt across his forehead. His official name was Sir Winston, and he had been a show horse before he was mine. He stood 16 hands high and …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
New year, new choices
How many hours a week do you spend at work? And how many hours a week do you spend doing leisure activities? When you add those hours together, how many of them do you spend sitting?
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Seven healthy holiday habits
Breathe deep - Christmas is here! All of the going, doing and bustling about is done. Now you can just enjoy the day and the rest of the season with the people you love, and some that maybe you are just learning to love. You see, we are relational beings …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
12 days of Christmas
FA LA LA and HO HO HO, 'tis the season for great joy, right? Not stress, presents, no working out, money talks and families fussing. How should we spend this holiday season? I say the 12 days of Christmas need to be easier, not more complicated, tailored to your family's …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
Breast reconstruction: Yes or No?
There was no way to explain it other than the sheer joy of finally being whole, as a woman named Margaret raced into my office and promptly showed my staff her finished reconstruction. She was laughing and talking a mile a minute and we stood in awe as she explained …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO
Traditions
The holidays are surrounded by many traditions, both spoken and unspoken. Families often have many traditions at this time of year, too. Some of them we like and others we would like to change.
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO
Thankfulness
The holidays are here and the turkey needs its stuffing, the braciole needs to be rolled, and the pies need to be baked. The yummy foods, thoughts of family and friends, and the rush of it all can stack our plate too high and make our to-do list too long …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO
Who are you thankful for?
This past Friday night, I watched my son play his heart out in the snow at his football game. I sat in the stands and was thankful for his good health and his determination to play.
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO
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