Tag Archive for: New Hampshire

Could your Hamstring Strain Actually be a Back Problem?

/in , , /by

Have you ever strained your hamstring but the pain just doesn’t go away?

It’s been months since you first started hurting, you can’t actually remember how you injured it (it just started aching one day), you’ve been stretching and massaging it diligently, yet your hamstring still hurts.

This happened to a recent client of ours (“Sandy”).

Sandy was a runner and regular gym goer, who one day noticed an ache in her hamstring. She assumed she had just overdone it working out. She rested it a few days and the pain went away, but when she tried to get back to running she couldn’t. Her hamstring pain came right back. Thinking she hadn’t let it heal enough, she went back to resting it, but this time, decided to add some massage and stretching to her routine. 

A few weeks later… you guessed it… Sandy still couldn’t run.

She also noticed the pain in her hamstring started to feel “different.” It was becoming more deep and achy and started to hurt all the time instead of only when she tried to exert it. It even hurt when she sat for too long. She still couldn’t run and was starting to get worried. Her doctor told her it was just a “strain” and that she had to let it heal. The problem was that it wasn’t healing. Several months had now gone by and she was running out of exercises and stretches to try that would “let it heal.”

Luckily, Sandy attended our recent back pain and sciatica class and realized that the pain in her hamstring might not be a strain at all. 

And her instincts were right! Let me explain.

When you truly strain a muscle, it means you have done damage to your muscle tissue. Although it’s possible to have chronic problems from a strain that isn’t rehabilitated properly, strains typically do in fact heal. Once the inflammation from the tissue damage goes away, and you start doing the proper stretching and strengthening, your muscle eventually gets back to normal. Until a muscle strain is fully healed, it will typically be aggravated if you accidentally over-stretch it or exert it. But you usually don’t feel anything when you’re resting the muscle. In Sandy’s case, her hamstring was starting to feel worse when she was resting — the longer she sat, the worse she felt. Your hamstring is completely relaxed when you are sitting, so something wasn’t adding up.

This was the first sign we were likely dealing with something other than a “hamstring strain.” The second sign was that we could take her pain away by moving her back! Yes, you heard that right.

By moving and stretching her back in a specific way, we were able to significantly relieve the pain in her hamstring.

The reason her hamstring was actually hurting was because a nerve had been aggravated in her back. The nerve was causing pain to radiate into her thigh. That’s why it hurt when she sat for too long and it’s why she couldn’t tolerate any running. Sitting puts more stretch and pressure on the nerves in your back, and running puts a lot of compression through your back. Generally speaking, nerves don’t like to be stretched, especially aggravated nerves, and they don’t like to be compressed if they are aggravated either. By stretching her back in a very specific way, we were able to relieve the pressure from the nerve that was giving Sandy her “hamstring strain.” This confirmed that she was indeed having a back problem.

Has anything like this ever happened to you?

If you’ve got pain anywhere in your buttocks, hip, thigh, or leg that isn’t going away — especially if you’ve done your due diligence and tried all the “right things” — it’s possible you could have a back problem causing this pain instead. These types of back problems are easily missed if you don’t know how to accurately assess them and it won’t be picked up by an MRI or X-ray. The best way to figure this out is through specialized movement testing, like we did with Sandy. 

We talked all about this in our recent back pain and sciatica class. If you want access to the recording, just call our office: 603-380-7902. If you want to take the next step and meet us in person — you can schedule a FREE Discovery Session with one of our specialists right here! 

The Location of Your Pain may NOT be its Source…

/in , , , /by

One of the most confusing topics we deal with in our practice is pain. And there’s lots of advice out there on what to do about it…

Should you rest or move? Apply heat or ice? See a doctor or let it go away on its own?

Before you can even think about a solution to your pain, you must first accurately determine where it’s coming from. If you have pain in your knee, but it’s actually coming from your back, the best knee treatment in the world is not going to fix it.

Inaccurate diagnosis of pain is a BIG reason why so many people suffer longer than they need to, and undergo unnecessary surgeries.

You must accurately determine the source of your pain for treatment to be effective, and the location of your pain alone is not a reliable way to do that.

For example, I’ve seen people in my office with what they think is unrelenting tennis elbow, only to find out it was actually a problem in their neck causing it. I’ve seen people disappointed after a failed knee surgery, because the problem was never in their knee and actually coming from their back.

Isolated extremity pain (knees, elbows, shoulders) is one of the most misdiagnosed problems we see in our office.

A recent study by Richard Rosedale, et al. in the Journal of Manipulative Therapy investigated this – and it was found that over 40% of people suffering from isolated extremity pain actually had a spinal source of symptoms.

In other words, their extremity pain was actually coming from their neck or back.

I can’t tell you how many times we’ve seen folks with unexplained shoulder pain lasting months or years get better as soon as we begin treating their neck, even though they never had neck pain.

Same for knees…

It’s possible to have knee pain that is caused by your back, without ever hurting your back!

Confused? I don’t blame you.

But more importantly, how do you figure out the source of your pain when it’s not always where you’re feeling it?

As already mentioned, the most common place for this to happen is with extremities. If you’ve got shoulder, elbow, knee or foot pain – and you don’t ever recall a specific injury to it – you MUST consider that it could be coming from your spine.

There’s a 44% chance that it is!

Where this gets really confusing is that typically your doctor will order an MRI when you’ve got isolated knee or shoulder pain that won’t go away. And if you’re over 40 years old, the MRI will almost always show “something” – a torn rotator cuff, torn meniscus, arthritis, or wear and tear.

Remember that these are normal signs of aging in everyone, and may not be the cause of your pain.

If you haven’t already had your spine checked properly as a possible source, you can’t rely on these findings (or the location of your pain) as an accurate diagnosis. That is how people end up having surgeries they don’t really need.

Whenever someone comes into our office with isolated extremity pain, we don’t even look at it without an exam of their neck and back first.

By moving your spine repeatedly, and in certain directions, we can often produce – or take away – the pain you’re feeling in your knee or shoulder.

Why?

Because if the pain in your extremity is caused by a pinched or aggravated nerve, moving your spine around is going to influence that, and tell us where the source really is.

An MRI and X-ray won’t be able to determine this for you with certainty – because sometimes your nerve only gets irritated when you move a certain way – or when you’re in a certain position. Since MRI’s and X-rays can’t see what’s going on while you’re moving, you can’t rely on those tests alone to tell you exactly where your pain is coming from.

If you’ve had pain in one of your extremities for a while now, and it’s not going away, it’s possible you’ve missed the source.

That source could be your spine.

And if you’re considering some kind of surgery or procedure, you definitely want to rule that out first.

Specialized movement exams like we do in our office are one of the most reliable ways to figure this out. If you’ve had unexplained pain in your knee or shoulder that isn’t going away, CLICK HERE to request a Free Discovery Session with one of our specialists.

Tight Hamstrings: a Case Study

/in , /by

If you’ve ever felt tightness in your hamstrings, the typical advice you get from friends, family, and even well-meaning health and wellness professionals is to stretch them.

Well… if it’s just your hamstring that’s actually tight then this might be good advice to follow.

But what if it’s something else?

If you accidentally stretch a hamstring that feels “tight” due to a back problem – there is a very good chance you’ll make your condition worse.

This exact scenario happened to a recent client of ours (we’ll call him “Jack”) who came to us with what he thought was a “hamstring strain.”

Jack had been stretching and stretching his hamstrings – which he had been told to do by his chiropractor – but he wasn’t feeling any looser. In fact, his hamstring even started to hurt the more he stretched, so he thought maybe he caused himself a strain.

Was he doing too many stretches? Or perhaps doing them incorrectly?

He made the smart decision to call us for help and came in for an examination.

And the first thing we asked him was…

“Where is your pain?”

Jack pointed to the back of his leg, but when he started describing his symptoms… it turned out they actually started in his butt, traveled down the back of his thigh, and stopped at his knee. But on occasion he’d also feel the tightness in his calf. And since doing all that hamstring stretching, he was even starting to feel pain!

Lesson number 1:

Your hamstring starts at your ischial tuberosity – otherwise known as your “sit bone” – and extends down to just below your knee. Since muscles and joints can’t actually refer symptoms (only nerves and sometimes fascia can do that), feeling pain or tightness anywhere other than your actual hamstring is the very first clue you could be dealing with something other than a hamstring problem.

Since Jack was feeling symptoms in his butt and also down into his calf, we knew immediately that “hamstring strain” was NOT Jack’s problem.

The next step was to figure out where his tightness was coming from.

Lesson number 2:

Since he’d been stretching for several weeks already and was starting to feel more problems in his leg – the likely explanation was that it was coming from his back.

While yesm over-stretching can make you sore, and yes, stretching incorrectly can cause you discomfort… that wasn’t the case with Jack. He was still feeling tight, and now on top of that he was dealing with pain.

All signs were pointing to a problem in his back.

Well now that we had our theory – it was time to test it!

After performing several movement tests with Jack’s back, we were able to produce the exact same tightness AND pain he had been feeling in his leg. And with some different movement tests we were actually able to ELIMINATE his symptoms temporarily.

Since moving his spine in certain directions was responsible for both turning “on” AND turning “off” his leg symptoms, we were able to confirm that he had a back problem – not a hamstring problem.

Pretty cool – right?

Jack thought so… but more importantly… he was glad to finally have some answers! Finally, he had a plan to move forward.

  1. He stopped stretching his hamstring.
  2. He started doing a different – and properly prescribed movement instead – that was designed to eliminate the symptoms in his leg.

We’ll of course need to continue working with Jack to make sure that his leg symptoms not only go away – but that they stay gone. Part of the process will be teaching Jack how to do this on his own in case the problem ever comes back again.

Sadly, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a case like Jack’s in my office.

Lucky for Jack, he came to us early on – when his symptoms were mild. Basically, the nerves in Jack’s spine were starting to get irritated, and the result was a “tight” feeling in his hamstring. Nerves don’t like to be stretched, so Jack was actually making his problem worse by stretching and he didn’t even know it. Had he not gotten this addressed – the tightness in his leg could have progressed into full blown sciatica!

If you have any kind of ache or pain that isn’t going away on it’s own with natural movement or stretching – don’t try to figure it out on your own.

And as you learned from Jack’s case – not all movements are created equal. It’s possible you could look up a stretch on Google or YouTube and actually make yourself worse!

Don’t guess… TEST 🙂

And when it comes to pain during movement or certain activities – let the movement experts be the ones to test you and figure it out. All you have to do is click here to schedule a FREE, no-obligation consultation with one of our specialists! These Discovery Sessions are your chance to determine where your pain, tightness, or stiffness may be coming from and if we’re the right people to help fix it.

Back Surgery

Can you get rid of Back Pain with Exercise?

/in , , , /by

With small group fitness, Pilates studios such as our own, and many gyms reopening again on June 1st, people are itching to get back into their exercise routines. In our last post, we talked about tips and considerations on things you can do to ensure your body is ready to go back, especially after weeks of quarantine.

But many folks I speak with have had back pain for years, long before quarantine. So many people have tried weekly massage, daily stretching and foam rolling, and every exercise under the sun — only to find that their back pain ALWAYS comes back.

Research has confirmed many times over that exercise is the best “treatment” for back pain.

While prescription medication, steroid injections, and even surgery may be more successful at getting your back pain gone quickly — a proper exercise routine beats these things out every time. Outcomes are either the same, or better, when you choose exercise over those procedures. It’s why in our business, we focus on empowering you through movement — instead of pills or procedures! If a long-term solution is what you’re looking for, and you want to end the merry-go-round of your back pain always returning, then proper exercise is the best route hands down.

Sounds simple, right? Why then, do four out of five people continue to suffer from debilitating back pain?

It’s because not all back pain is created equal, and neither is exercise. The tricky part is that for most back pain, any kind of movement is going to make you feel better. Our bodies are designed to move and not sit still. It’s why you wake up feeling stiff and painful, and better after you’ve moved around for about an hour. Movement brings blood flow to our muscles and joints, and exercise spreads pain-reducing endorphins throughout our body. But more often than not, the pain comes back the next day, or in come cases, feels worse two or three days later. And the frustrating part is that you never know exactly what you did — so you just rinse and repeat — hoping the next day it finally “works”.

Exercise DOES work to help your back pain, just like the research says, but it needs to be specific.

Skill and coordination also matter. One exercise can act like a miracle for one person’s back pain, while it aggravates another’s. I see this all the time in my office. The nuances come down to cues, tiny little tweaks, or sometimes you need a different exercise all together for your particular body.

Back pain is not cookie-cutter, and your exercise prescription shouldn’t be either. You don’t want to go on for years just managing your back pain when you could actually get rid of it entirely with the right movement strategy.

As you enter back into the world of fitness, take note of how your body and especially your back is feeling. The correct exercise routine is going to make you feel better, and STAY better. You’ll notice continued progress, and you won’t have to foam roll and stretch every single day to manage your back pain. The wrong exercise routine will make you feel worse, often several days or months later, and the worst part is you won’t be sure where it came from.

If this sounds familiar, or you find this back pain cycle starts happening to you when you return to the gym, feel free to give us a call. You can talk to a specialist for free and find out if your exercise routine is sufficient for your type of back pain.

sitting

Persistent neck pain and tired of not getting answers?

/in /by

Have you been dealing with annoying, on and off neck pain for a while now? Have you tried treating shoulder pain with no real results? Are you frustrated with empty answers?

Or maybe you know someone else who is dealing with this?

Over 30% of people report they have neck pain. Of those, 50% will continue to have problems without any real answers or solutions.

When clients come to us with neck pain, often they’ve already tried several approaches without success. But the real issue I see is that everyone they’ve seen up to that point has failed to give them a full and accurate diagnosis.

Without an accurate diagnosis, treatment fails.

It’s not surprising. The true cause (or causes) of neck pain can be easily missed by many, and is sometimes difficult to diagnose.

Why?

There are a few reasons…

  1. The anatomy of your neck, unlike the rest of your spine, is fairly intricate. Not only does this require special care and accuracy when it comes to examining your neck, it makes it easy for someone who is not expertly trained to miss things.
  2. Shoulder pain is very often confused with neck pain. What I mean is, it’s possible to only feel pain in your shoulder, but the real source of the problem is your neck. If you’ve ever been treated for a “shoulder problem” and it hasn’t gotten any better (or maybe it got worse!), there’s a good chance you were misdiagnosed.
  3. Your core strength has a lot to do with how well your neck functions. When it comes to neck pain – or any problem for that matter – a holistic approach is always best and the most thorough. Sometimes your neck pain can be a “symptom” of a root cause somewhere else. Many times I’ve seen people come in having suffered from neck pain for years – and once we properly strengthen their core or other areas of their body – their neck pain starts to finally improve.

These are just a few of the most common reasons I’ve seen, over the years, of why the true source of your neck pain can get missed. And guess what… if the true cause of your pain is missed… then you won’t get consistent relief or a full recovery.

Check out our free neck report here or request a time to speak with one of our specialists here.

What is Dry Needling?

/in /by

At CJ Physical Therapy and Pilates, our goal is to help you live a pain-free life without pain pills or invasive procedures.

Trigger Point Dry Needling is one of several strategies we use to treat muscles that are extremely tense and in spasm. The spasm causes the muscle to be in constant tension which reduces blood flow, decreases oxygen, and can produce fibrotic unhealthy tissue over time (scarring). When a physical therapist inserts the very thin acupuncture needle (dry needle) into a knotted up muscle, it creates a local twitch reflex. Research shows that this not only relaxes the muscle, it breaks up the pain cycle by improving blood flow and oxygen to the muscle. This whole process helps to reduce and normalize inflammation in the area to promote healing. However, dry needling is not necessary for everyone, so it’s important that you know what it is and when it can be used to improve your health! Here’s our advice when it comes to pursuing dry needling treatment.

Work with a physical therapist to use dry needling in conjunction with movement based rehabilitation.

Dry needling can work wonders to relax your muscles. However, they’re just going to get tense and damaged again if you don’t learn how to use them properly and address any movement dysfunction that may be occurring. You don’t want to think of it as a quick fix! Dry needling is just the first step for some individuals who aren’t able to begin a physical therapy or movement regimen without first breaking up the pain cycles in the muscles that are prohibiting healthy movement. Dry needling serves as a “helper” to relax those muscles – and should be integrated with physical therapy treatment and strengthening activities such as Pilates.

Don’t be afraid of trying dry needling!

It can be uncomfortable for some people, but others say they feel no pain at all. It’s not dangerous and has lasting positive effects when used in conjunction with hands-on physical therapy under the direction of a specialist. Furthermore, our clients love it:

“After two back surgeries in my 20s and a new hip at 58, I figured I was lucky just to be walking. Dry needling has transformed the way I move. I’m more flexible. My walking stride has more length and I can stand longer.” – John

Do you have questions about dry needling? Want to see what a specialty physical therapy practice can do for you? We offer FREE Discovery Sessions right here in Portsmouth that give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have! It’s a completely free, no-obligation appointment that will give you all the information you need to make the BEST decision for YOUR health. All you have to do is fill out this quick form, and we’ll be in touch!

knees

Happy Halloween! Spooky Noises coming from your Knees?

/in , /by

“What are those cracks and noises coming from my knees? Is there something wrong??”

Our clients come in with this question all the time. They usually feel nervous and fearful that the noises they hear may indicate something more serious is going on within the joint. Is there damage occurring whenever they hear this sound? Do they need to avoid activities that provoke these symptoms? Will they need to rely on pain pills and surgeries in order to maintain their mobility if their joints deteriorate? 

Crepitus refers to these clicking, popping, and creaking sounds that a large portion of the population experience on a regular basis.  This phenomenon can occur at any joint, but is most commonly reported in the knees, shoulders, ankles, hips, and spine. 

Although these noises often don’t produce any pain, they can cause anxiety. Individuals start to develop their own beliefs about what is going on, and ultimately alter their behavior to avoid these cracking or popping sensations.

What causes these noises?

Many structural factors can contribute to joint noises.  Some of the most common are:

  • Tendons rubbing along bony prominences (bumps on bones)
  • Nitrogen bubbles popping due to pressure changes within the joint
  • Small labral or meniscus tears that get caught or pinched as we move

However, we don’t have the luxury of utilizing x-ray goggles during our examinations.  This means that we often cannot be certain of exactly which structures are creating these sounds.  What we do know is they aren’t a reason to be highly concerned as long as they aren’t associated with pain or swelling in the affected joint.  

How can I prevent it from getting worse?

The best way  to prevent these symptoms is to keep moving!! Motion is lotion. Regular movement throughout the day allows our joints to lubricate themselves, kind of like applying WD-40 to a creaky door hinge.  Additionally, it’s important to keep the muscles surrounding your knees strong and balanced. This helps to offload the forces through the joint, which limits “typical” wear and tear on cartilage and bony structures.

What if I’m noticing pain or inflammation in the joint that’s making these noises?

If you have a specifically noisy joint that’s also painful or swollen, it’s best to come in for a formal examination with a physical therapist – ideally someone who specializes in movement mechanics.  We train you in correct, healthy movement that both relieves your body of pain in the short term and protects it from further damage in the long term.

If finding the solution to your problem is something you’re interested in, you can come in for a free Discovery Session at our practice in Portsmouth, NH! All you have to do is fill out this brief form here and we’ll contact you. Discovery Sessions are great for people who want to talk with a specialist about what might be causing their problem, and we’ll help you figure out what the next best steps are.  Our goal is to give you all the information you need so that you can make the best decision for your health – without any obligation or commitment.

We also know not everyone is ready to commit to regular physical therapy appointments, and that’s why we offer free health and posture classes!  These events are for people in our community who want really valuable, expert information about movement, pain, and overall wellness. We know it’s confusing out there with all of the information floating around on Google and Facebook, and this is a valuable first step towards getting some answers for your problem.

Hopefully you found this information helpful, and the only thing scaring you this Halloween will be haunted houses instead of the noises coming from your joints!

PS – If you found this information helpful, please share this with a friend or on your Facebook feed.

Is Running Bad for Your Knees when you’re Over 50?

/in , /by

Is Running Bad for Your Knees when you’re Over 50?

This is a question we get asked a lot — especially by patients at our specialized physical therapy practice in Portsmouth, New Hampshire — who are getting older and worried that they won’t be able to keep running into their 50s and 60’s.

The short answer? No!

If you experience knee pain when you run, it’s not that you’ve “aged out” of the sport! It’s probably just a biomechanical issue that can be fixed with proper education and strengthening (best offered by a specialist physical therapist).

In fact, research supports that running may actually be GOOD for your knees!

Here are some factors that could be responsible for knee pain when you run:

1) Poor ankle mobility

Ankle mobility affects the way force hits your foot, which can in turn impact your knee. According to Trail Runner Magazine, “if your ankle can’t move adequately, then excess forces are shifted up to the knee. The knee may be forced to flex, and/or rotate, and/or tilt more than it should. This may result in loads that the tissues of the knee can’t handle.”
A physical therapist can help you improve ankle mobility in order to prevent long term damage to the joints, tendons, and ligaments of your knees. This might be especially important for you if you’ve ever sprained or twisted an ankle in the past!

2) Weakness

There’s a widely perpetuated myth out there that runners don’t need to strength train. That’s simply not true! Adding strength training to your running regimen makes it way less likely that you’ll suffer an injury. When it comes to protecting your knees, developing strong lower limb muscles is critical. The hamstring and quadriceps groups play a crucial role in stabilizing the patella, otherwise known as the kneecap. Running is an extremely repetitive action and consequently requires durability and endurance from your joints — something that is lost quickly when you neglect strength training.

3) Unstable core

It may seem like running is all in the legs, but in reality, every physical action begins at the core. You derive all your power, speed, and stamina from your core muscles, and if they are weak, all your joints suffer — especially your knees. A stable core is key for maintaining balance and rhythm. It also keeps your weight distributed between your legs and prevents undue stress from resting on your knees.
Our favorite way to improve core strength is Pilates! If you are a runner but think you could benefit from a stronger core (let’s be honest, we all could), consider giving it a try — for FREE.

4) Running form

It doesn’t matter if you’re a marathon runner or an occasional jogger — running form is important. It determines where and how the impact of every step is distributed throughout your body. If your body mechanics are compromised — for instance, you’re dragging your feet or running with your shoulders tense and shrugged — you’re more likely to suffer from chronic knee pain, or even experience a serious injury. Work with a movement specialist – like the PT’s in our office – to analyze your form and help you be more efficient when you run.

Running is good for you at any age, if you do it right!

Research shows running can actually slow knee arthritis. According to an article published by Outside Online, “animal models show that exercise promotes cartilage thickening and protects its stretchy properties… instead of wearing down your bearings, running may grease them. That’s key, because cartilage thinning and the loss of elasticity are both prominent causes of osteoarthritis.”

Want to make sure you’re running right? Get in touch!

If you are local to the Seacoast region and considering physical therapy in Portsmouth, NH – you can schedule a FREE Discovery Session if you have chronic knee pain (or any type of pain) to talk about what you’re dealing with and figure out the course of action that works best for you.

You’ll get the opportunity to tell one of my specialists everything that’s been going on with you, and determine for yourself if we’re the best people to help you. It’s a completely free, no-obligation appointment that will give you all the information you need to make the BEST decision for YOUR health – whether that’s working with us or not!

Looking for more information on Knee Pain? – Download our free guide “7 Ways to Stop Knee Pain” HERE.

Dr. Carrie Jose, Physical Therapist and Pilates expert, owns CJ Physical Therapy & Pilates in Portsmouth and writes for Seacoast Media Group.  To get in touch, email her at [email protected].

Setting Goals for the New Year: Part Four — Small Goals That Get You to Big Goals

/in , , , /by

You’ve reached the final installment of our goal-setting series, which means you’re in great shape to start the New Year off right! So far, we’ve talked about addressing the obstacles between you now and where you want to be in a year, choosing a long term goal, and breaking that long term goal into a series of short term goals. The final step is making sure you can achieve each of those smaller goals!

The key to success is specificity.

Specificity is a key theme across this whole series. If your goals aren’t precise and clearly defined, you have little chance of actually achieving them. So assign a specific time frame to each of your short term goals. If you want to start Pilates, then give yourself a deadline to check the website for class offerings, a deadline to sign up, and mark your calendar with the dates of each class. Clearly define the location where your goal takes place (for example, our Pilates studio at the office in Portsmouth) and the specific hours that you need to devote to it each week.

You can apply the same process to any goal. Maybe you want to cut down on your TV watching hours or learn how to cook. Once you’ve set your short term goals (such as watching less than 10 hours of TV per week for an entire month, or enrolling in a cooking class), define the specific time, location, duration, and steps that go into each short term goal.

physcial_therapists_best_in_portsmouth_11

A Pilates class at our office in Portsmouth!

Support your success with an accountability team!

Along with specificity, accountability is another important theme in goal setting. Identifying and communicating with people who are willing and able to keep you focused can make a huge difference in motivation. Your accountability team can be anyone who will hold you accountable for the things you really need to be doing, redirect your focus if you’re pouring all your energy into less crucial tasks, see things you’re not seeing, and sometimes to simply give you the thumbs up (or down).

If you have any health-related goals, a physical therapist can be a great addition to your accountability team.

Don’t work with people who simply put bandaids on the problem in the form of drugs or quick fixes. Work with someone who is willing to dig in and find a real solution, support you along the way, and hold you accountable for the time and energy that you need to invest in your health as well!

If you’re interested in adding a specialist physical therapist (and/or Pilates instructor) to your accountability team, you can reach out anytime or even request a time to talk to one of our specialists for FREE.

Share your progress with people who care!

As you embark on the journey of a new year, don’t forget to share your progress in reaching your goals! At CJPT & Pilates, we’d LOVE to hear what you’re doing to better your health in 2019. Keep us updated on Facebook and Instagram so that we can be your personal cheering section all year long!

Setting Goals for the New Year: Part Two — Choosing a Long Term Goal

/in , , , /by

In the first part of this series, we focused on the precursor to goal setting — identifying a specific obstacle that’s getting in your way. The next step is determining a specific, measurable, long term goal.

One way to come up with a long term goal is by asking yourself, “where do I want to be a year from now?”

What do you want to be different about your life this time next year? If you identified an issue that is negatively affecting your life right now — such as chronic low back pain or being overweight — you can turn your desire to resolve that issue into a long term goal. For example, your goal could be to weigh 25 pounds less by December of 2019. Or maybe your knee has been bothering you for a few years, and your goal is to be able to go skiing again without pain. You could decide to run a 5k next Thanksgiving or simply want to be able to pick up your grandkids. The examples are endless, but the point is that it’s your goal. It’s specific to your desires and involves overcoming a specific obstacle in your life.

Setting a long term goal will provide a purposeful context for your day-to-day choices.

Once you’ve set a specific goal and shared it with your accountability team, you’ll be able to use it to guide your everyday actions. For example, eating healthy would have the purpose of helping you achieve your weight loss goal, as would participating in a Pilates class. Going to physical therapy would be helping you fix your body mechanics and relieve your back pain. In each example, the action in question (proper nutrition, Pilates, physical therapy) is undeniably good for you — but we rarely do things just because it’s objectively good for our bodies. We want to feel good, look good, and avoid pain. Having a specific long term goal will help you apply those healthy choices to a larger purpose and context — which will hopefully serve to motivate you as well.

Now, how do you stay focused?

The first step is writing your goal down on paper. Not in the notes on your phone, not just keeping a vague memory in your head — write it down. Then, post that paper somewhere you’ll see it every day. It could be your bathroom mirror, your bedroom door, your car dashboard — anywhere that forces the goal to become a part of your day. If you haven’t yet established an accountability team, read our post about gathering a group of trusted individuals (including your PT!) who can help you stay focused and motivated. Then, share your goal with them, and ask that they check up on you periodically to see how your progress is going. Finally, stay tuned for our next post in this series, where we’ll talk about breaking your long term goal into a set of smaller, more manageable short term goals.

In the meantime, check out our website and see how you can get a head start on a healthier New Year. We’re launching our signature Pilates 101 program next week and spots will fill fast, so sign up here to get on our early bird/pre-enrollment list! If you’re age 40+ and improving your core strength is part of your goal setting – then this program is perfect for you – especially if you’re also dealing with back pain.

If you have any questions about physical therapy, pilates, accountability, and/or goal setting, don’t hesitate to reach out or leave us a note on our Facebook page!