Our bones are subjected to various stressors each and every day; however, as we age, our bones become softer and less adaptable to these stressors. Nutrition, exercise, general health, the environment, as well as stress, can all play a huge part in our overall bone health. Tests such as a bone density test are used by physicians to determine the health of your bones. Having an advanced loss of bone density can lead to a diagnosis of Osteoporosis, a potentially debilitating disease.

The Centers For Disease Control, states that 10% of women over 50 years old have some level of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis, in its advancing stages, can lead to loss of height, postural change, bone fractures, increased risk for falls, and severe pain.  Research has shown that with proper nutrition and exercise the progression of this disease can be slowed and, in some cases, reversed.

South County Physical Therapy, Inc. (SCPT) has a unique and innovative program which addresses all components of health and wellness related to Osteoporosis. To learn your risk factors for osteoporosis, schedule an appointment at one of SCPT’s area offices to visit one of our trained therapists. A physical therapist will conduct a complete physical assessment which evaluates your posture, balance, strength, and flexibility. Along with obtaining a detailed health history, you will be asked to complete the MEEKS Pre-Assessment Tool, which will detail your risk factors for osteoporosis. Make today the day to take care of your health and your bones!

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At SCPT, we utilize the physical properties of water to help reduce pain, deload sore joints and get you moving. Exercising in water maneuvers more muscles than any other exercise medium.

The buoyancy of water moves  the postural muscles (which  are utilized predominantly in the maintenance of body posture against gravity) to keep you  upright and steady, gives assistance to weak muscles and painful joints, and allows for control of the amount of stress placed on weight-bearing structures.

The hydrostatic pressure (the pressure which is exerted on a portion of a column of water as a result of the weight of the fluid above it) of water helps to decrease edema (the build up of fluid in the bodily tissues or a body cavity), allows equal resistance to all muscle groups being worked, and keeps continuously active fixator muscles (muscles which act as a stabilizer of one part of the body during movement).

The temperature of our therapeutic pool is maintained at 94 degrees, which allows for increased blood flow, decreased inflammation and joint stiffness, relaxation, relief of pain, and muscle spasms.

Aquatic PT is helpful in treating decreased range of motion and strength, pain with movement against gravity, poor coordination, and gait problems.

We have had great success treating patients who have had back and neck injuries, joint replacements/injuries, sports injuries and neurological problems with aquatic therapy.

For more information or to schedule an appointment for evaluation for aquatic therapy, please contact our Auburn office at 508-832-2628.

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South County Physical Therapy’s Westborough office staff hope Boston Marathon runners stop by for 15 minutes after completing their 26.2 miles.

The Oak Street office will offer free 15-minute injury assessments — “a complimentary, quick meeting with one of our physical therapists” — to anyone bringing their Boston Marathon bib in before Memorial Day, Executive Director Eric Cardin said Wednesday.

The physical therapist will ask the runner for a short history, and to describe their training program, he said. The physical therapist will “write up the injury assessment and send it with the runner to the doctor,” he said.

Read more: Westborough PT Office Hopes Boston Marathoners Stop By

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For Immediate Release: March 22, 2013

Contact Information:
Eric Cardin, Executive Director, (508) 366-7899

CHARLTON _ South County Physical Therapy, Inc. (SCPT) has opened a new clinic space in Charlton. SCPT Executive Director Eric Cardin said the new 3,000 sq. ft. space will be home to therapists who specialize in manual therapy, the Graston Technique (a therapeutic method for diagnosing and treating disorders of the skeletal muscles and related connective tissue) functional movement screens, athletic performance evaluations, sports rehabilitation, and geriatric care.

Cardin, along with Assistant Director Grant Pattee, will oversee the facility that offers three private treatment rooms and floor space that is five times bigger than the former SCPT location.

“Increasing the size of our facility gives us the ability to service more patients and gives more flexibility to our existing clients, while offering the same compassionate, individualized expert care,” Cardin said. “Our number one goal is to always provide our patients with quality, personalized, rehabilitative care in an environment that is safe, comfortable and compassionate.”

At SCPT’s former Charlton location, located at SIMS Fitness, SCPT offered SIMS Fitness members a complimentary Injury Prevention and Injury Assessment screening. According to Cardin, this offer will continue in the new location.

SCPT offers six locations throughout Central Massachusetts that include Auburn, Charlton, Millbury, two locations in Westborough, and Worcester.

“We offer many different treatment techniques to our patients, designed for each person’s unique treatment needs. We encourage all our patients to take a very active role in their recovery and our therapists tailor each patient’s treatment program to their individual goals, working to get them on the road to recovery,” Cardin added.

For more information on SCPT, visit www. southcountypt.com.

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1. Use ice, over the low back area that hurts. Apply ice for 15 minutes at a time, and repeat once an hour. You can use ice for several days, to weeks. After the first 72 hours, alternate heat for 15 minutes, nothing for 45 minutes, then ice for 15 minutes.
2. Use an anti-inflammatory such as Ibuprofen, if allowed by your doctor. Aleve is another popular anti-inflammatory medication that can be used as directed. If you are not sure how, or if you should take any medication, call your primary care doctor and discuss it with him/her.
3. Use a resting position to keep your spine in a neutral position. It may be necessary to use the side-lying position, as taught by your PT, or position yourself lying on your back, with your feet resting on a chair seat or stool. Use these positions intermittently, with standing and walking around for a few minutes at a time, for the first two days as needed.
4. Use a proper sitting positioning, again, as taught by your PT. Remember to get the pelvis positioned in neutral. (Remember to  use  a rolled towel for support.)
5. If your back is in spasm, you may need a muscle relaxant. You will need to call your primary doctor and discuss this with him/her.
6. “Resting” for a day or two, alternating between positions detailed in question #3, and walking or standing may be helpful.  Complete bed rest is NOT helpful.
7. AVOID SLUMPED SITTING. (Slouched posture with a rounded back.)
8. If symptoms last more than two to three days, contact your primary care physician.
9. Begin PAIN FREE gentle movement/stretching exercises as soon as possible. Even while your back is still hurting, you can experiment with gentle, slow, controlled movements to see if your back can tolerate the movement. If this increases pain, STOP. If it does not increase pain, you can continue and progress the exercises.

If pain is going down one or more leg, which is called sciatica, you may find that side-lying on the opposite side of the painful leg is most comfortable. Use pillows between your legs to further relieve the pain. Gently try to rotate your top shoulder backwards, to relieve pressure on the nerve root. If this increases the pain, do not rotate backwards.

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Oncology rehabilitation encompasses a variety of post-cancer care concerns which afflict many people.  Traditionally, a patient was not sent to physical therapy unless they had problems with swelling or lymphedema, leaving a large number of people with other negative effects and without any options for treatment. There are a number of symptoms, such as loss of joint motion, adherent scar tissue, balance, and gait-related disorders, cancer-related fatigue, and chronic pain which may not be addressed after the main cancer treatments have been completed. As physical therapists with a background in oncology, we are the perfect professionals to help improve and enhance survivorship outcomes. In a 2004 article published by the Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association, studies concluded that cancer-related fatigue was either successfully prevented or reduced to all patients who underwent oncology-based physical therapy for a graded exercise program (Watson et al).  Exercise as an intervention for Cancer Related Fatigue. Watson, T., Mock, V.  Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association.  Pg. 742. Volume 84, Number 8. August 2004

Additional studies are emerging on physical therapy’s benefits on many of the health concerns mentioned above. These will continue to be investigated and researched, as the unique needs of our growing population of survivors are addressed.

We strive to consider every person’s unique needs and impairments. Having the research and appropriate training, we are able to provide greater treatment for the oncology population. Our main goal is aimed at restoring a patient’s level of function and overall quality of life. With the launch of SCPT’s specialized oncology rehabilitation program in Westborough, we are excited to now be able to offer such services to the community.

Please feel free to email me directly with any questions you may have about our program.

Jennifer Goyette, MSPT, CLT, STAR certified
jgoyette@sc-pt.com
Director of Oncology Rehabilitation

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Statistics show that it is highly likely I would have torn my opposite ACL within a few years.  More recent research has shown that female athletes are 5% more likely to suffer an ACL tear due to hormonal, genetic, structural, and physical factors. Of this, the only aspect we have control over is the physical factor or decreased strength.

There are times when an ACL injury cannot be prevented, such as when a football player is hit from the side during an illegal tackle. But we can reduce our risk by making our hamstrings as strong as our quads, training ourselves to jump, hop, bound and land correctly, include a proper warm-up before any activity, and keeping ourselves flexible to allow proper movement.  We need to progress gradually and to keep at it for life. ACL Injury Prevention Is Just Good Training.

Twenty years later, I have never injured my other ACL.  Although I have days when my knee aches or feels like it’s rotated, I am able to do more now than ever.  I credit this to my physical therapists, who taught me ways to get strong and reduce my risk.  Discussing ACL injury prevention and a strength training program with one of the expert physical therapists at South County Physical Therapy, Inc. is the best way to prevent an ACL injury. Here’s hoping for some great snow and a fantastic, injury-free ski season!

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January 4, 2013
WESTBOROUGH _ South County Physical Therapy, Inc. will be one of over 25 local vendors participating in the 8^th Annual Local Business Health and Wellness Expo on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013 at the Westboro Tennis & Swim Club (WTSC). The Expo is being held from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and is free. The first 200 people through the doors will receive a door prize.

“This is the sixth time we have attended the Health and Wellness Expo,” said South County Physical Therapy, Inc.’s Assistant Executive Director, Eric Cardin. “Each year we are able to visit with amazing people. It’s a real pleasure to have the community meet our therapists and learn about our services first-hand.”

Since the Expo’s inception, thousands of people from the community looking for ways to start the New Year on a healthier note have attended.

For over 25 years, South County Physical Therapy, Inc. has provided orthopedic physical therapy care, rehabilitation for the weekend and competitive athlete, injured worker, post-surgical patient, complex pain patient, and general orthopedic patient.

“Learning how to care for yourself when an injury or illness befalls you is one of the ways South County Physical Therapy, Inc. can help you to maintain a healthy life,” Cardin said.

Along with other local vendors, attendees will be able to enter a WTSC raffle for a chance to win a free one year WTSC membership, as well as additional raffles and offers.

“Attending the Expo is a great way to start off your New Year in a healthy way,” Cardin added.

South County Physical Therapy, Inc. is dedicated to providing patients with quality, personalized rehabilitative care in an environment that is safe, comfortable and compassionate. For more information, visit www.southcountypt.com.

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Six South County Physical Therapy physical therapists are certified in the Survivorship Training and Rehabilitation Program developed by local physician Julie Silver, a breast cancer survivor.

A Westborough physical therapy firm is becoming known for its work with cancer patients.

Six South County Physical Therapy physical therapists are certified in the Survivorship Training and Rehabilitation Program developed by local physician Julie Silver, a breast cancer survivor.

Read more: Physical Therapy Firm Helps Cancer Patients

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Knowing your foot type and/or how your foot functions are important aspects of purchasing sneakers. How do you find out your foot type or how your foot is functioning? The easy way is to perform the Wet Test, www. runnersworld.com, but this isn’t necessarily a fool proof test. The best way to determine your foot type is to see a foot specialist at South County Physical Therapy. A foot specialist will take your measurements, assess your walking and running biomechanics, and give you a personalized footwear prescription. The foot specialist will educate you on the best sneakers option for your feet, and determine the most important features for your sneakers.

New sneakers should be purchased according to use/mileage. Serious runners change sneakers every three to four months; recreational runners every six months; and for general use, they should be changed every year. If you buy multiple pairs of new sneakers, never save one pair until the other pair wears out. Sneakers which sit in a closet and are unused can age. If you have multiple pairs, alternate them every other day or week. This will not only provide longevity to the sneakers, but even more importantly, will provide the proper support/cushion to meet your needs.

Sneakers are like tires on a car. When the tires wear out, we purchase new ones and get an alignment, so that the tires last. Your sneakers are your tires. Remember, you only have one pair of feet, so give them the best and take great care of them.

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