It seems that quite a few people in my life have gone through loss - some very tragic like an accident or suicide and some somewhat expected due to aging or a terminal illness. I have experienced loss recently as well when my father-in-law passed away.

When someone loses a loved one there is a lot of immediate activity between the day of their passing and the day of the funeral. After the funeral, people tend to move forward and the family of the loved one who passed may or may not move forward right away. Besides grieving and emotions surrounding the loss, there are legal and financial issues that must be taken care of. It can be a very emotionally, mentally, and physically draining time. It is definitely one of life’s greatest stressors.

If you have experienced loss, I encourage you to talk about it. Lean on trusted family and friends. Talk with your pastor. Seek a licensed professional counselor if you need help through the grief process. Spend some quiet time reflecting...

Now that you have learned about the One Big Thing called INSURANCE that likes to dictate how you receive your physical therapy care so you can feel better, get in the way of you and your physical therapist deciding what is best for you, and refuse to pay a fair value for services delivered, I hope you can appreciate why I decided to change the game so you and and I could both WIN.

Throughout my 20+ years as a PT, I’ve created and developed the Feel Better Faster Formula to care for My People. I’ve already had this formula on my website and have created videos talking about it. The Feel Better Faster Formula guides you through the following steps to help you WIN!

1. Decrease pain and tightness
2. Improve the way you move
3. Feel stronger and more balanced
4. Get back to doing what you need to do
5. Get back to doing what you want to do

This part is not new. What IS new is that as of May 20th, 2019 I will be moving all services online. This means you will have access to...

Yesterday, I shared how many hours I had to work to meet the demands of insurance requirements. I loved working with my patients but the documentation on the electronic medical record for 3 hours every night was killing me.

I literally went to work at 7:15 AM and left at 5:45 PM. I ate dinner with my girls then they went to bed. From 8-11 PM, I finished my patient notes. My husband sometimes got home from 2nd shift and went to bed before I did!

When I had that intestinal cancer scare in October 2014, for 10 days I thought I was going to die at a young age and leave my kids motherless. It was scary stuff and re-prioritized my thinking. In June 2015, I resigned and opened my physical therapy practice that didn’t take insurance. Do you know that it took 6 months of being home more frequently with my girls for my littlest girl to hug me?

Now she hugs me all the time and it’s the best feeling ever.

Did I make the right decision to resign and start my own practice?

...

Yesterday, I shared that I became a PT because I was allergic to cats!

Even though my dream of becoming a veterinarian was crushed by swollen eyes and tomato-paste colored skin, I was excited to be a Physical Therapist. I wanted to help people get back to doing what they love. I enjoyed using my skills and teaching people how to walk again, how to run again, how to play their sport again, or how to play with their grandchildren again.

Being a physical therapist is super rewarding. I get the privilege to impact people’s lives in a very positive way that is often life-changing for them...and me too. I love my people - yes, they are patients or clients - but to me they are My People. I want to take care of My People!

Here’s the thing, though. PT school did not prepare me. They failed to teach me One Big Thing!

They failed to share that I couldn’t just treat My People and help them get better. They forgot to tell me that this One Big Thing would:

• Limit the time My...

You may know me as a physical therapist but what you probably don’t know is that I got into physical therapy because I wanted to be a veterinarian!

Huh?

That’s right! I wanted to be a veterinarian since I was 5 years old. I volunteered at a veterinary clinic when I was 15 and then when I turned 16, they hired me as a “Vet Tech”. I cleaned cages, walked dogs, observed surgery, and gave diabetic injections to cats. I worked as a Vet Tech all through high school and then my freshman year in college, I developed a severe allergy to cats. I always had a “sensitivity” with watery eyes but at this point, my skin was turning red like a tomato and my eyes were swelling shut! I switched my major from Pre-Veterinary Medicine to Pre-Med and hated it!. I loved sports so I switched my major again to Sports Medicine and travelled with the sports teams as a student athletic trainer. Being on the road for almost my entire Junior year showed me that I really...

Wouldn’t it be scary if you were trying to exercise to improve your health and your exercise program was the wrong program for you?

That’s right – you could have started the wrong workout or you could have been doing the wrong exercises for years and not even know it.

Read on or Watch this video now to learn how to exercise properly:

Click here to watch video

Here’s how I know this happens:

First, there are thousands of exercises out there on the internet, in magazines, in blogs, etc. – the problem is that not all exercises are good for everyone. There is no “one size fits all” approach for exercise. If we are honest with each other, not everyone can do every exercise out there. In fact, you can get seriously hurt by trying an exercise that you just flat out are not ready for or not physically capable of doing.

Second, you could be doing an exercise that is right for you but you are doing it wrong. You aren’t strong...

Do you remember playing sports as a kid?

Even if you didn’t play for a school team, you probably played hopscotch or kickball, rode your bike, shot some hoops, swam in a lake, and the list could go on and on.

Kids used to be more active. Unfortunately, now it is estimated that 33% of kids born in the year 2000 or later will suffer with an obesity-related health problem like diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, osteoarthritis, or even cancer.

It is recommended that kids ages 6-17 years old participate in 60 minutes of play every day. Unfortunately, up to 43% of kids today do not meet this recommendation.

Why Are Youth Sports So Important?

Kids who participate in high school sports are:

• More likely to remain physically active and 1/10 less likely to experience obesity
• Less likely to smoke, use drugs, and carry weapons
• Tend to develop better peer-to-peer relationships, experience higher self-esteem, demonstrate better attachment to adults, enjoy a closer sense of family, and...

Are you among the millions of Americans who have high aspirations for how you’ll spend the extra time during your post-retirement years? Whether you plan to travel the world, pick up fly fishing, spend more time woodworking or sign up for a golf league, your physical fitness level will be a factor.

A 2010 study suggests that the fitness declines we typically attribute to advancing age are largely caused by living sedentary lifestyles—which are on the rise due to the prominence of desk jobs in the workplace and activity-limiting personal technologies including smart phones and voice-activated remote controls in the home. Still, this runs contrary to the widely held belief that any declines in our physical abilities are caused solely by biological aging. Do we really have control over how active we’ll be in our “golden years”?

In a word, absolutely. The study—which examined 900,000 running times of marathon and half-marathon...

How many times have you attended a holiday party and left with your feet and back aching?

Have you ever said, “Why does it hurt when I stand to talk to people?”

Well, look no further than down to your feet.

That’s right… look down at your shoes.

Ladies, Are You Wearing High Heels?

Guess what? Those high heels that looked so bedazzling are killing your feet and back.

If the toe of your high heels is pointy, then your feet are getting squeezed together and pinching the nerves in your feet… OUCH!

Those high heels are most likely causing your pelvis to rotate forward and increasing the stress on your low back.

All of this sounds like no fun and can be a recipe for a very long night.

Is it any wonder so many ladies end up kicking off their high heels the first chance they get?

And Men, Are You Wearing Hard Wooden Soles In Your Dress Shoes?

Yes, those are pretty uncomfortable too – especially if they offer no arch support. Your feet are basically...

Do you know how your physical health compares to others?

Welcome to Fit Factor!

Huh? What is Fit Factor?

It’s a FREE survey created by The Private Practice Section of the American Physical Therapy Association that helps you learn how your physical health compares.

Knowing your Fit Factor score will help you understand the areas of health you are successful in and the areas of health that need a little improvement.

Plus, you can receive immediate helpful tips to make improvements right away!

Just click the survey link below to get started – it’s that simple. You can create an account or sign in as a guest.

https://www.fitfactorsurvey.org/fit-factor/

To Your Best Health,

Dr. Jeanette

If you have questions, comments, or concerns about your Fit Factor Score, please don’t hesitate to request a FREE telephone consultation with Dr. Jeanette to learn how to improve your score, and more importantly, your overall health.