PHYSICAL THERAPY | Marge Kalfon

Don’t Let Chronic Pain Hold You Back From Enjoying Warmer Weather

31 Mar 2019

Spring is officially upon us. Here in the Washington DC area and Northern Virginia region, this is a time of year in which people want to be more active and spend more time outdoors. It is also a time in which people gravitate toward a little spring cleaning – internally and externally. Earlier this year I wrote an article about the importance of getting routine maintenance for your body similar to how you schedule maintenance to be performed on your vehicle. Life situations happen throughout the course of a year, and how you handle your response to these situations can have an impact on your health. For instance, how you.

What is Cranial Sacral Therapy? How Can it Help You With Pain Relief?

15 Mar 2019

According to the National Headache Foundation, over 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches, and 28 million suffer from migraines. Headaches and migraines are often triggered by stress, which is the cause of 75% of all physician visits in the U.S. Poor sleep can also result in headaches and migraines as well. While many medications are out there to help relieve headache symptoms, alternative treatments also exist. Cranial sacral therapy tends to be one of those treatments. What is Cranial Sacral Therapy? Cranial sacral therapy, also sometimes referred to as craniosacral therapy or CST, is a non-invasive and gentle form of bodywork that addresses the bones of the head, spinal.

Tips On Preventing Arthritis From Becoming a Crippling Chronic Pain Disorder

28 Feb 2019

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability among adults in the U.S. By conservative estimates, roughly 54 million adults have doctor-diagnosed arthritis with osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) leading the pack. While you can’t always prevent arthritis, there are recommended best practices you can incorporate to help prevent arthritis from becoming a chronic pain disorder down the road. Some of these best practices can even be used to help alleviate pain as well. Diet, exercise, and posture are three, in particular, I’d like to go over today. Diet Let’s tackle diet first. I classify foods as either being inflammatory or anti-inflammatory. Certain foods can trigger a.

Why Quality Sleep is the Key to “Never Ending” Recovery

14 Feb 2019

Elite athletes are known to take good care of their bodies. Good nutrition and training play a big part on how well they perform and recover. However, what many people do not know is that quality sleep also plays a major role in how well an athlete performs. And with good nutrition and training added to the mix, athletes can recover faster (including from injuries), and prolong their athletic careers. LeBron James, Serena Williams, and Tom Brady are classic examples of athletes who continue to dominate with the aid of good nutrition, training, and quality sleep. And sleep also plays a critical role in their recovery process as well. You.

If you get routine maintenance done to your vehicle, then why not for your body?

28 Jan 2019

Similar to getting routine maintenance on your vehicle, routine maintenance for your body is important to help improve life longevity. This is especially true as life situations throughout a calendar year can throw a curveball and cause chronic stress. And if left untreated, chronic stress can take a major toll – emotionally and physically. As I’ve written before, 75% of all physician visits are stress related. Routine stress, such as pressures of work, school, or other daily responsibilities can wear you down. Stress brought on by a sudden negative change, such as a divorce, illness, or losing a job can also take a huge toll. And so can traumatic stress.

2019 Best Practices to Help Reduce Stress and Overcome Chronic Pain

14 Jan 2019

The start of a new year can be an exciting and challenging time. For many, this is a time of year to begin focusing more on goals – personally and professionally. This is also a time of year in which many people begin implementing healthier lifestyle habits to reduce stress and prevent or overcome chronic pain. Since I’ve written a lot on the topics of stress and chronic pain in 2018, I figured I’d do a quick recap featuring some of my most popular articles on these subjects. These can be used as a valuable resource guide to help you get an excellent jump start to a healthier you in.

Poor Posture May Be The Cause Of Your Chronic Pain – Here’s How to Fix That

28 Dec 2018

It’s no secret that American’s have a poor posture problem. A simple Google search will produce plenty of articles on this topic. However, what many people may not know is that poor posture can lead to all sorts of long-term issues, including chronic pain. If you think about it, this makes sense. A typical day for an office worker often involves hunching over a computer for 8-12 hours. Then at home, more slouching may take place while couch-surfing for a television program or movie to watch. Not sitting correctly can be detrimental to your lungs and abdominal organs. And when your lungs are compressed, it makes it difficult to breathe..

Top Inflammatory Foods to Avoid and Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Incorporate For a Healthier You

14 Dec 2018

Depending on your situation, inflammation can either be good or bad. When your body is sick or injured, inflammation is your body’s natural way of protecting itself. Inflammation can also stimulate healing and defend itself from foreign invaders. However, when it comes to chronic inflammation in your body, this can be harmful. Chronic inflammation is linked to all sorts of health disorders such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, and many chronic pain disorders. What’s interesting to note, however, is that the foods and beverages you consume can have a big impact on inflammation. I’ll share some of the foods to avoid that can cause inflammation along with foods that.

Tis the Season for Sugar Intake to Skyrocket – Tips to Enjoy a Healthier You

28 Nov 2018

The holiday season is here. For some people, this can be a season of joy whereas for others it can be the opposite. However, one thing in common for many people this time of year is the rise in food intake and the amount of sugar we put in our bodies. According to the American Heart Association, the average American adult consumes 22 teaspoons of “added” sugar per day! This far exceeds the recommended guideline of six teaspoons per day for women and nine for men. And for many people, these numbers can skyrocket during the holiday season. Sugar, sugar – it’s in just about everything! Food manufacturers have done.

Do You Suffer From Chronic Pain? These Alternative Treatments May Be What You Need

14 Nov 2018

Millions of people suffer from chronic pain. Some of the more common chronic pain complaints include lower back pain, severe headache or migraine pain, neck pain, and facial aches or pains. In a previous article, I wrote about back pain and how this is a common problem that doesn’t have to be a common part of living. In the article, I discussed how safer alternative treatment options such as visceral manipulation therapy can be used to reduce or eliminate pain and inflammation while helping to improve your overall function and repair your tissue. Visceral manipulation is an extremely gentle manual therapy and it is designed to release restrictions and unhealthy.

Can Essential Oils Be Used to Improve Overall Wellness?

28 Oct 2018

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has become more and more popular over the past few decades, and essential oils have played a big part. But what exactly are essential oils? How are they used and why should you use them? I will dissect the answers to these questions in this article, but first, let’s go over a brief history lesson of essential oils. Essential Oils History For thousands of years, essential oils have been used across many ancient cultures for health and medicinal purposes. In fact, the use and effectiveness of essential oils are well-documented in ancient texts, archeology, and literature across the globe. Many of these sources describe the.

Yoga and Physical Therapy – Like Avocado and Toast?

23 May 2018

Avocado is quite the healthy food craze these days, and for a good reason! Have you tried avocado toast? Not bad, huh? Many food pairings go well together – good and bad. But what about wellness pairings to overcome chronic pain? We don’t often hear about these pairings unless it has to do with medications, which can create adverse side effects and long-term health issues. However, one wellness pairing that doesn’t seem to get talked about a lot is yoga combined with physical therapy. As a regular reader here, you know that I am passionate about physical therapy, especially visceral manipulation therapy, cranial sacral therapy, soft tissue mobilization, and joint.

Chronic Pain Can Be Avoided With Proper Nutrition and a Healthy Gut

26 Apr 2018

In recent articles, I talk about ways in which you can treat chronic pain versus managing it with medications, and why this is important. Chronic pain is a big issue, especially here in the U.S. An estimated 100 million Americans live with chronic pain, and these numbers are expected to grow in coming years. Why are more and more Americans suffering from chronic pain at alarming rates? There are several factors such as environment, stress, injury, or illness. However, one culprit that is often overlooked is diet, and how nutrition can mitigate or prevent a chronic disorder from occurring down the road. Chronic Pain and Poor Nutrition Whether you are.

3 Mistakes to Avoid When Needing to Heal From Pain

11 Apr 2018

While chronic pain is an unfortunate widespread issue in the U.S., what you may not know is the exact reason why you are experiencing the pain. It is easy to drown out pain or to medicate to temporarily alleviate the symptoms. However, going this route can create many long-term health problems, which can also cost you in financially, physically, and emotionally in the long-run. Below are three common mistakes to avoid when needing to heal from chronic pain: Poor Posture Poor posture is harmful to your body. This is especially true when it comes to poor posture in the sitting position as this can be detrimental to your lungs and.

Experiencing Joint Pain? Joint Mobilization Can Help

28 Mar 2018

Whether it’s acute or chronic, joint pain is common among adults in the U.S. Joint pain can be caused by an injury, such as a sprain or a strain. Sometimes an injury or inflammation of a joint can cause bursitis or tendinitis. Other times joint pain may be a sign of arthritis. Athletes, for example, can develop osteoarthritis from the demands they put on their bodies which can cause wear and tear on the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is also a big issue for many adults. RA is a disease of the immune system that sparks inflammation in the body and harms the joints. Conventional doctors typically prescribe medications for.

Attention Joint Pain Sufferers – Soft Tissue Mobilization May Be Right For You

14 Mar 2018

Did you know that the human body is made up of 70% soft tissue? Soft tissue includes tendons, ligaments, fascia, skin, fat, fibrous tissues, and synovial membranes, along with muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. Injuries to the soft tissue are common. Over 14 million outpatient visits in the U.S. each year are a result of soft tissue and skin conditions. Soft tissue injuries often occur when muscles are abnormally tense. Muscles work by tensing, contracting and then relaxing. If they do not relax completely, problems can arise, which includes: Pain Muscle weakness Misalignment of your skeletal system A restricted range of motion Soft tissue injuries can also occur due to.

Do You Suffer from Back Pain? Visceral Manipulation Therapy Can Help

28 Feb 2018

Did you know that an estimated 31 million Americans experience back pain? According to the Global Burden of Disease, back pain is the single leading cause of disability. Back pain is also one of the most common reasons for missed work resulting in a staggering $50 billion each year spent by Americans to treat the pain. Check out the below infographic on more alarming back pain statistics courtesy of TheGoodBody.com. Back pain is a common problem, but it doesn’t have to be a common part of everyday living. There are safe alternative treatment options available that focus on treating the root cause of your chronic or acute back pain versus medication.

Experiencing Stress? Here’s How You Can Eliminate Stress With Fewer Side Effects

14 Feb 2018

Many Americans suffer from moderate to high stress. Whether its money, work, family responsibilities, or health concerns, if stress is left untreated, it can become chronic. And chronic stress can lead to all sorts of long-term health issues. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), chronic stress is linked to the six leading causes of death: Heart diseases Cancer Lung ailments Accidents Cirrhosis of the liver Suicide Moreover, 75% of all physician visits are stress related. So, how do you eliminate stress? Before I share some tips on how you can best mitigate and overcome stress, I would like to point out a few things you shouldn’t do when trying.

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