McDonald Physical Therapy News
 
"Stronger Every Day"
 
June 2013
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Fran's Favorite Quotes

 "Take each day and relish each moment"

  

We could use your help as it is voting time for the South Bend Tribune's Readers' Choice Awards

 

With your support we have been the proud recipients of this award

 4 years running and are hoping to keep the streak going!

 

 

Please follow this link to cast your vote for McDonald Physical Therapy in the Favorite Physical Therapy Category.   

 

All voting is done online June 2nd-16th so please cast your vote soon!

 

Thank you for your efforts and for making McDonald Physical Therapy your therapy of choice!

          
Join the MPT team as we support the
August 3rd
Notre Dame Campus
  
(click on link
to register)

 

Hello to all our friends!     
  
Last month I spoke about the new Direct Access law which goes into effect on July 1, 2013. Beginning July 1st, you will be able to come into our clinic for a physical therapy consultation without having a referral from a physician.

Why is that helpful you may ask yourself? The answer is simple. In the past, we have treated many of you for injuries on your left or right sides. Time passes and you find yourself having similar pain on the opposite side. Typically you have called us to get you back to a pain free life and for the past 24 years we have had to ask you to go back to your physician. The typical response has been, why? We always had to quote the law and inform you that it was illegal to evaluate and treat a person without a physicians referral.

That no longer applies as of July 1, 2013! As of July 1st you can call us directly and we will schedule to get you in and back to a pain free life!

A quick example of the impact this will have happened recently. Two months ago a patient called to ask me if he should go in to get a rotator cuff repair. He informed me that he had just visited an orthopedic surgeon on a Wednesday and was set up for surgery on that following Friday.

Since I knew this person as a friend, I met him that night after work to hear his story and ask him to show me his shoulder capabilities. Following our meeting, he cancelled his surgery, got  a referral from his physician, was successfully treated here and  is now back to working in the yard and playing catch with his twelve year old daughter and 10 year old son!

The impact is enormous for all of Indiana, as now, we are just a phone call away from freeing you of unnecessary pain.

If you are having back, neck, shoulder, hip, or knee pain please call us and schedule an appointment after July 1st. We will be able to get you in within 24 hours and we will help you decrease your pain and get you back moving again with less worry. We might also refer you to a specialist if we think that's what you need, as your health and well being is our primary concern, always!

We are looking forward to working more closely with you than ever before!  
 
Enjoy! :)
Fran McDonald, PT, DPT

 

Why Stretching Is So Important 

 

Stretching and staying flexible is a good habit to adopt regardless of your age; and the sooner you establish the habit the better.

 

About the time we stop growing, in our early 20's, we start aging and the systems of our body start to change. For example, our bones become less dense and brittle. The ligaments and cartilage around the joints become less fluid filled and flexibile. Muscles are not as flexible and will become less so if not stretched.

 

One of the goals of physical therapy is to assist individuals in gaining or maintaining sufficient strength, mobility and efficiency in movement and function to enjoy life as we age. The body is best when it has full range of motion of all joints. Full strength is achieved only when there is full range of motion, which is obtained through stretching. Stretching warms up the body to perform at its best.

 

Those muscles and joints that are naturally stiffer in our 50s+ need to be warmed up in order to prevent injury.

In our 70s, balance can also be a challenge. Falls are a leading cause of disability in this age group. Maintaining range of motion and strength through stretching and flexibility is a very good preventative goal.

 

See a physical therapist to get started today on a program of exercise and activities to stay healthy and active throughout life!

 

-Move Forward PT

 
 
 
  
McDonald Physical Therapy
Summer Give-Away
You already rave about MPT to your friends and family.
Now you can earn a reward for it!
 
All summer long (May 28th-Aug 30th), when you refer a friend or a family member to McDonald Physical Therapy, we will give you a choice of the following prizes:
 
$25 Gift card  to Martin's Grocery Store
$25 Gift Card to Metro Run/Walk
$25 Gift Card to Ginger Valley Green House
$25 Gift Card to Starbucks Coffee
 
That's not all!!
Your name will then be entered to win a BIG CASH PRIZE to be drawn on September 3rd .