www.fyzical.com/poplar-and-highland-tn
FALL 2023
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Welcome
When your life is sidelined by an injury, dizziness, surgery, or a condition keeping you from doing what you love, we’re here to help you heal and feel your best.    
 
Our compassionate, highly skilled team is focused on helping you achieve your optimal health and wellness through our hands-on, personalized approach and a customized treatment plan just for you.
Highlight on Osteoarthritis
Arthritis is a condition that can be incredibly debilitating. It causes pain, inflammation, stiffness, limitation of movement, and can keep you from fully enjoying your life. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. It affects more women than men, and most OA patients are over 45.
However, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel! FYZICAL Poplar and Highland provides you with all the information and assistance you need to take control of your arthritis, putting you back in charge. Don’t let this condition keep you from doing all the activities that you love. We can help!
Explore more about osteoarthritis, along with hundreds of articles and videos in our patient education library www.fyzical.com/poplar-and-highland-tn
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Hoop Dreams
Minimize your risk from repetitive arm and leg movements
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About Our Practice
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Pack Your Bags and Go!
Parents should be mindful of the potential hazards of their child’s backpack
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Pumpkin & Lentil Soup
Packed with vitamins to boost the immune system, this soup will also keep your skin looking great
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Fitting in Fitness
Try our tips for fitting fitness into your busy day
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Inspiration
It’s not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that counts
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Back to Work
A premature return to work after injury can set you back
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Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
Not getting enough sleep puts you at risk of many health conditions
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Fun & Games
Young and old alike can exercise their minds and have a little fun!
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Jeremy Renner’s Recovery
A near-death incident left him with 30 broken bones and blunt chest trauma
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Boost Your Mental Performance with Exercise
Exercising for as little as 20 minutes per day can actually boost mental performance!
Your Health & Wellness
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HOOP DREAMS
Sometimes it may seem as if a basketball player can defy the laws of gravity with a cool dunk or jump shot. Almost everyone can remember Michael Jordan propelling himself through the air, as if he was climbing an invisible stairway, straight to the basket.
When was the last time you had your balance checked?
Balance plays an integral role in our everyday activities. No matter your age, balance can always be improved.
Even those without a balance disorder can suffer from balance-related injuries.
Try this quick exercise to see if your balance needs work.
Be sure to have a sturdy surface to grasp onto if you become unstable.
1. Start by standing with your feet close together.
2. Lift one leg off the ground and see if you can hold for 30 seconds.
3. Switch legs and try again.
Did you wobble or lose your balance?
If so, your balance needs work. Contact FYZICAL Poplar and Highland to schedule a fall risk screening.
However, regardless of how agile a basketball player may seem, it’s important to know — no one can fly — and it only looks incredible until you come falling back down to Earth!
Basketball is the most played sport in schools across the USA and Canada. James Naismith, a 31-year-old Canadian American graduate student who taught physical education, invented the sport in 1891 to keep his students active indoors over the winter months. The original hoops were actually baskets used for collecting peaches! The fun sport soon became popular in schools and colleges around the world.
Although part of basketball’s creation was due to it being less injurious than football and other team games, basketball injuries are still easy to get. This fast-paced game is based on repetitive arm and leg movements. Therefore, it’s important for you to know how to avoid suffering from injuries caused by repetitive motion at all costs.
 
Common injuries include ankle sprain and instability, achilles tendon problems, knee problems, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, mallet finger, and bicep tendonitis. Quite the list, but don’t let potential injury put you off this fun, healthy and sociable sport. Primarily, you must prepare yourself for the game you’re going to play. Whether you’re playing basketball on the street or you’re Center Court at Madison Square Gardens, it’s our goal to make sure you shoot more lay-ups and keep from being laid up with an injury.
Stretching is an essential part of successful basketball. A good stretching routine can help to minimize muscle imbalances, prevent injury, and improve your basketball performance. The best time to stretch is when your muscles are warm and relaxed! Basketball is a dynamic sport, so you’ll need both dynamic and static stretching. Dynamic stretches form part of your pre-game or pre-practice warm-up. Static stretches can be included at the end of your cool down or anytime to improve your overall fitness.
FYZICAL Poplar and Highland can advise you how to best minimize your risk of repetitive arm and leg movement injuries and keep you on the court.
Fall 2023
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Patient Success Story
Angela Gottesfeld, a mother, wife and school nurse, went to her doctor after weeks of back pain.    
 
Her appointment led to a rare diagnosis of Chondrosarcoma, cancer in the cartilage of her pelvis. During surgery, the doctors had to sacrifice Angela’s 1st and 2nd sacral nerves; Angela learned she may never have normal bladder or bowel function, and she may not be able to walk again.     
 
Through pure grit and determination, Angela is now not only walking, but aspires to run and play with her girls. “I felt defeated when I came to FYZICAL; during an earlier experience, a therapist said they didn’t know what to do with me. When I started PT with Jen, she helped focus my energy on accomplishing my day-to-day and week-to-week goals.    
 
When I pushed her to answer my questions, can I do this?  Will I be able to do that again? She had a wonderful answer, I don’t know, but we won’t get there until we try.”
Why Physical Therapy?
At FYZICAL, we understand that your pain is unique, and so your plan of care should be individually designed to help you achieve longer lasting, positive outcomes without medication or surgery.    
 
Your physical therapist is here to help you recover from injury, but also to help you begin your personal health and wellness journey.
WELLNESS
Wellness is the cornerstone of healthy living. At FYZICAL, our goal is to help you live a healthy, happy life, full of energy and free from pain.    
 
Meet with one of our physical therapists for a consultation to help you meet your wellness goals.
Orthopedic Therapy
Do you suffer from joint pain, muscle pain or weakness? FYZICAL’s therapists specialize in orthopedic care.    
 
With their guidance, you can accelerate your body’s natural healing process safely and get back on track to a pain-free life.
Balance Therapy
Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths and serious health problems in the United States.    
 
At FYZICAL, we can help you improve your gait and balance to decrease your risk of injury while increasing your confidence and independence.
Your Health & Wellness
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Or perhaps, you carry a backpack to work yourself? Wearing a backpack that’s too heavy or improperly proportioned can result in a number of adverse effects including neck pain, mid- and lower back pain, poor posture, headaches, and muscle strain.
Backpacks come in a variety of options, and many people use them as a way to express their own personal style. While backpacks are a great way to allow kids (and adults!) to express themselves, parents should be involved in selecting and packing these everyday accessories.
You or your child should wear both straps of the backpack to better distribute the weight. Wearing it on one shoulder is not cool! Parents should regularly check the weight and contents of their child’s backpack and follow the tips below to minimize the risk of injury.
Choosing a backpack:
  • Pick a backpack that is proportioned to the body. As a general rule, the width of the backpack should be approximately the same as the back and shoulders and should sit just below the shoulders and rest on top of the hips.
  • The backpack should have wide and padded shoulder straps; if you or your child carry a lot of weight, a waist belt may be a good idea as well.
  • The backpack should have adequate padding on the area that rests on the back.
Packing a backpack:
  • Try to minimize the weight in the backpack. Kids should be carrying no more than 10%-15% of their body weight in their backpack.
  • Plan ahead — don’t carry lots of equipment or pack too many heavy textbooks on the same day.
  • Pack heavier items, like textbooks, close to the body and in the bottom of the pack, and lighter items on top or further away from the body.
Are you sitting comfortably?
Another issue to be mindful of with your child returning to school, is the increased risk of strain and pain with time spent on a computer. Poor posture while working on a computer can lead to a variety of problems for both adults and children, including neck and shoulder pain, mid- and lower back pain, hand and wrist issues — including carpal tunnel syndrome — and eye strain. Kids are less likely to be aware of their positioning and time spent on the computer, so it’s essential that parents and teachers monitor them and make adjustments as needed.
PACK YOUR BAGS AND GO!
With the new school year quickly approaching, parents should be mindful of the potential hazards of their child’s backpack.
Fall 2023
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Finding Balance
Regardless of age, most people will experience some form of dizziness in their lifetime, which can be a disorientating and alarming experience.
There are many causes of dizziness, but it is often due to a problem with the vestibular system which is located in the inner ear. This system, combined with your vision and somatosensory system (the system responsible for your body’s sensations like feelings of touch, pain, movement, etc.), collectively help you maintain your balance and orient you to your surroundings.
Common dizziness symptoms included vertigo (spinning), imbalance, lightheadedness, motion sickness and behavioral dizziness such as a fear of falling or a fear of stimulating your dizziness symptoms.
At FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers, we know Balance is Core to Your Wellness, which is why we offer Balance and Vestibular Therapy to help you avoid injury, feel more confident on your feet, and help you Love Your Life.
FYZICAL'S THERAPISTS
Our PTs specialize in orthopedics, sports medicine, neurological rehabilitation, manual therapy, and balance therapy.    
 
Our holistic approach allows our therapists to evaluate your whole body so the root cause of your health challenges can be uncovered.
Pumpkin & Lentil Soup
Nothing says fall quite like a pumpkin! Bypass the sugar-laden pumpkin pies and lattes, and instead cozy up with this warm, creamy soup. Packed with vitamins to boost the immune system, this soup will also keep your skin looking great. Serves 4.
You will need:
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 onions
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 pound 12 ounces of pumpkin flesh (save the seeds!)
  • 3.5 ounces dried lentils (we like red)
  • Thyme leaves to taste (fresh or dried)
  • 35 ounces vegetable stock
  • 1.8 ounces sour cream or crème fraiche
  • Pinch of salt and sugar
What to do:
  1. Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions until soft.
  2. Add and simmer for 30 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, wash and dry the pumpkin seeds.
  4. Fry them in a little oil until they start jumping!
  5. Stir a sprinkle of salt and sugar through the seeds.
  6. Blend the sour cream into the soup until smooth.
  7. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and thyme, and enjoy!
Your Health & Wellness
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“It’s not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that counts.” – Zig Ziglar
We’re all faced with setbacks on the road to achieving our goals, but we have to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and keep on going.
However, if you’ve had a fall that you didn’t bounce back from (or any other injury!) FYZICAL Poplar and Highland is happy to help you.
Fall 2023
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Most employers will have been in touch with you a few times while you were off, but whether they have or not, you’ll need to have a meeting before you return to give them the lowdown on your recovery. Both parties need to plan your safe and effective return to work.
You should plan to discuss what adjustments you may need at work to enable you to return. It might be possible for your employer to give you a phased return to work, easing you in gently, with reduced hours for a while.
Depending on your injury or condition, it might be necessary to change your work duties to suit your change in abilities. Keep talking to your employer as you recover, as your needs may change. Also try to give them an idea of the number of medical appointments you may need to attend, giving them as much notice as you can.
Health is Health
If the reason you’ve been off work for a while is because of your mental health, you might be even more concerned about going back to work. Maybe you’re worried about what people will think of you or how you’ll cope. Rest assured that most people find that returning to work actually helps their mental health, provided a medical professional has said you’re ok to return.
Remember, health is health, whether it’s physical or mental. Of course, any injury or condition will vary from person to person, but the principles of returning to work are similar whether you’ve been off due to your physical or mental health.
Reasonable adjustments you might like to discuss with your employer before returning may include any recommendations your medical professional has made — possible changes to working hours if medication might make you drowsy at certain times of the day, or an agreement on extra quiet breaks to be taken when needed.
So, whatever the reason you’ve been off work for a while, we hope that with the help of medical professionals, you can return to work safely and soon be building better financial security, making or rekindling friendships, and feeling good about yourself and your work. If you need any advice or help with your physical condition before or during your return to work, the Physical Therapists at FYZICAL Poplar and Highland will be happy to help you.
Back to Work?
If you’ve been off work for a while with a physical injury or condition, returning to work can be daunting but can also be an important step in your recovery, both physically and mentally.
It’s important to follow the advice of a medical professional and return to work when you’re ready, as a premature return could set you back in your recovery.
 
Unemployed?
If you’ve been out of work, unemployed for a while due to physical or mental illness, it can be worth discussing with your medical professional whether there are any particular support or services available where you live to help you back to work. Before you return, think about what’s right for you and your health. What kind of work would you like to do? What kind of support or adjustments would enable you to do it? How will your finances be affected? What hours would suit you?
Returning to full-time work is not the only option. Part-time work, working from home, or volunteering are popular ways of getting back into work whether you’ve been off for a few months or a few years. With volunteering, helping others is great for taking your mind off your own problems, and can help boost your selfesteem, while building up skills to help you secure a paid job when you’re ready.
Your Health & Wellness
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Unfortunately, many people skimp on sleep for various reasons including work and family demands — or even to watch TV or to scroll on their phones. Not getting enough sleep puts you at risk of many health conditions including high blood pressure, obesity, coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, mental health disorders, and may even contribute to early death! A lack of sleep for one night can have negative effects the next day; you’ll likely feel sleepy, be less productive at work, be in a bad mood, and you’re even more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident. You might also have noticed how you’re more likely to reach for the sugary snacks and caffeine the day after a poor night’s sleep in an attempt to boost your energy.
The amount of sleep you need for good health fluctuates depending on your age:
  • School-aged children 6 to 12 years need 9 to 11 hours per night.
  • Teenagers 13 to 18 years need 8 to 10 hours per night.
  • Adults 18+ years need 7 to 9 hours per night.
While the amount of sleep you get is important, it’s essential that your sleep is good quality.
You might be wondering, how do I know if I’m getting enough quality sleep? Signs of poor sleep quality include excessive tiredness after sleeping for a full night, repeatedly waking up throughout the night, and snoring and/or gasping for air, which may suggest that you have a sleeping disorder.
The Dream Factory
To enjoy quality sleep, it’s important that you adjust your sleep routine to encourage better sleep. Try the following tips to improve your sleep habits:
Consistency is key – aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, including weekends.
Relax – engage in a relaxing non screen-based activity shortly before bed, a relaxing bath, reading, etc., which can help your brain and body relax and promote better sleep.
Set up a cozy sleeping environment – ensure that your room is quiet, dark and at a comfortable temperature.
Ditch the gadgets – remove all electronic devices, including cell phones, laptops, and TV from your bedroom. In particular, refrain from screen time 60 minutes before you want to go to sleep, as the blue light emitted is known to stimulate the brain making sleep more difficult.
Limit food and drinks – avoid eating large meals, and limit caffeine and alcohol use for 2 to 3 hours before bed.
Exercise – engage in physical activity throughout the day, however, avoid vigorous exercise for 2 to 3 hours before bed.
Signs of poor sleep quality include excessive tiredness after sleeping for a full night, repeatedly waking up throughout the night, and snoring and/or gasping for air, which may suggest that you have a sleeping disorder.
Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
Sleep is a vital component of our health and well-being. While all of the key functions of sleep have not yet been fully uncovered, we do know that sleep plays an important role in tissue healing, memory, motivation, mood, judgement, perception of events, weight regulation, and brain health.
Fall 2023
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Healthy Donuts
Think “fun foods” are unhealthy or just for kids? Think again! These apple donuts are too good not to share with the whole family! Packed with protein and fiber, this recipe makes 3 donuts.
You will need:
  • An apple
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
  • 1 tablespoon dried coconut
  • Handful chopped nuts (we like almonds)
  • Handful dried fruit (we like raisins)
What to do:
  1. Slice off the top and bottom of the apple.
  2. Slice the rest of the apple into 3 slices.
  3. Cut the center from each slice (use an apple corer if you have one).
  4. Spread peanut butter on each slice.
  5. Sprinkle over the coconut, nuts, and dried fruit.
  6. Eat right away!
Fall Bucket List
Easy Sudoku
Exercise that grey matter! Complete the Sudoku puzzle so that each and every row, column, and region contains the numbers one through four only once.
Prevent a Fall this Fall
Falls, especially for older adults, can have a significant impact on health. The good news is you can prevent falls by making some simple changes in your home and lifestyle. Start by getting your eyesight tested, as poor eyesight can alter your depth perception and peripheral vision of objects. Always be cognizant of alcohol consumption as it impairs the balance system, especially in unfamiliar surroundings or where there is low or poor lighting such as parties or uneven surfaces such as grass.
Around your home, be sure to quickly mop up slippery spills. Remove clutter, frayed and unnecessary scatter rugs and trailing wires, and make sure your home is well lit. When you get up at night for that bathroom trip, take the time to turn on a light or have a night light plugged in, motion sensor lights are now a great option too.
If you have stairs, have lighting at the top and bottom of the stairs. Push ottomans out of the way to clear a walking path in your family room.
Take care of yourself by not walking in slippery socks, keeping your feet healthy, and not wearing long flowing clothes that might trip you. Next, visit FYZICAL Poplar and Highland to have your balance checked, and for advice on strength and balance training, to suit you and your abilities.
These simple changes can make a world of difference in preventing a fall this fall, giving you the confidence you need to enjoy the season!
How many will you check off?
✔  Climb a tree
✔  Make leaf art
✔  Go for a bike ride
✔  Relax in the bathtub
✔  Learn something new
✔  Try a new soup recipe
✔  Catch a falling leaf
✔  Go on a hike
✔  Visit the library
✔  Carve a pumpkin
✔  Kick a pile of leaves
✔  Get cozy in front of a log
     fire
✔  Volunteer for something
✔  Eat a candy apple
✔  Cook over a bonfire
Your Health & Wellness
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IT’S QUIZ TIME!
What have you learned from our magazine? Time for a quick quiz!
What’s the most common form of arthritis?
  1. Osteoarthritis
  2. Rheumatoid arthritis
  3. Psoriatic arthritis
How many hours of sleep do school-aged children need each night?
  1. At least 12 hours
  2. 7 – 8 hours
  3. 9 – 11 hours
What’s the most played sport in schools across the USA and Canada?
  1. Football
  2. Basketball
  3. Lacrosse
To boost mental performance, how long should you exercise each day?
  1. As little as 20 minutes
  2. At least an hour
  3. Only 5 – 10 minutes
How can you spend less time on electronic devices?
  1. Turn off app notifications
  2. Read a real paper book
  3. Set screen-time limits
  4. All of the above
Wearing a backpack that’s too heavy
or improperly proportioned can cause:
  1. Headaches
  2. Poor posture
  3. Back pain
“Physical Therapy Sunday” for Jeremy Renner
Marvel actor Jeremy Renner recently took to Instagram to give fans an update on his recovery, following a near-death incident with a snowplow over the winter, which left him with over 30 broken bones and blunt chest trauma.
Jeremy had gone to retrieve his very large snowplow, weighing over 14,330 pounds, to help a family member whose car was stuck in the snow. However, the snowplow began to roll on its own, so Jeremy tried to hop into the vehicle to stop it from moving. This was when tragedy struck, with the snowplow running him over.
Although his serious injuries mean a long recovery time, it looks like Jeremy’s putting in the work to get himself fighting fit once more, and staying as positive as ever, following his surgeries. He posted a picture of special exercise equipment online, with the caption “Physical therapy Sunday”.
If you’ve ever had an injury, Jeremy’s story might resonate with you, particularly his recognition of goals having to change suddenly — “Morning workouts, resolutions all changed…”. The support of family and friends during times of need, such as following an injury, cannot be underestimated, and it sounds like Jeremy has plenty of loving support. Posting a picture of himself undergoing Physical Therapy, Jeremy said, “These 30 plus broken bones will mend, grow stronger, just like the love and bond with family and friends deepens”.
FYZICAL Poplar and Highland wishes Jeremy well in his continued recovery. If you’ve suffered a broken bone, FYZICAL Poplar and Highland can help, regardless of how it happened. After the broken bone has been set at the hospital, or surgery performed for more serious breaks, our professional Physical Therapists can help you.
Even while still in a cast, Physical Therapy can help you with learning how to walk with a device, such as crutches, as necessary. It’s tricky if you’ve not done it before, but we’ll help you learn how to safely get in and out of a car, and even use stairs, with crutches. We can also help you carefully and appropriately mobilize the areas around the injury, such as with hand exercises when your arm is in a cast. Once any cast is removed, we can work with you to create a treatment strategy to help you recover fully, regaining full range of motion, strength, and mobility.
Fall 2023
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FYZICAL Poplar and Highland
3477 Poplar Avenue,
Memphis, TN, 38111
901-347-0687
 
www.fyzical.com/poplar-and-highland-tn
Disconnect
So, you’ve set yourself some fabulous health and wellness goals but can’t find the time to pursue them? Chances are that your smartphone is sabotaging your efforts! FYZICAL Poplar and Highland are big fans of all the pluses that smartphones bring — from connecting us to friends and family, to tracking our fitness goals. However, hours a day spent scrolling isn’t going to get that goal smashed!
You don’t need to go completely “off grid”. Simply cutting back on smartphone screen-time will have you connecting with what really matters to you. Our top tips? Turn off notifications from your apps. Without that notification noise or pop-up, you’ll pick up your phone much less often. Regarding apps, do you really need so many?! Get rid of little-used or time-sapping apps, and set time limits on the ones you use most. Reading books and magazines on your phone? Go oldschool and rediscover the simple pleasures of real paper books and magazines. (Keep reading this magazine, of course!)
Boost Your Mental Performance With Exercise
Have you ever wondered whether exercise could do more than just help you stay in shape or improve your physical health? Exercising for as little as 20 minutes per day can actually boost mental performance!
Doing aerobic exercise such as cycling, swimming, or walking, at a moderate intensity followed by a cool-down session has been shown to improve cognitive functions such as concentration, memory, and functional capacity (which refers to the ability to effectively complete activities).
Exercise “lights up” specific areas of the brain related to the ability to mentally focus. This is especially helpful for performing
challenging activities such as learning a new sport. Exercise also leads to the release of neurotransmitters and proteins that are responsible for the growth and protection of cells in the brain. Exercise improves blood flow to the brain as well, which immediately boosts your ability to concentrate and mentally focus. It’s a win-win!
Moving throughout your day is important to improve your mental health, as sitting for long periods of time has been found to be related to depression and cognitive impairment. Regular exercise also helps improve self-esteem, heightens mood, and increases independence — all of which can boost mental performance.
Got a speech or presentation coming up? Exercising for 20 minutes beforehand can improve performance! Similarly, going for a brisk walk before taking a test enhances activity in regions of the brain that can help you concentrate and ignore noisy distractions.
Staying physically active throughout adulthood also plays an important role in preventing cognitive problems such as dementia. Likewise, older people who are inactive and experiencing cognitive difficulties such as memory loss or trouble concentrating can experience enhanced mental performance by beginning to exercise regularly. If aerobic exercise can’t be performed due to an injury, strength training and yoga have been shown to improve mental health and performance as well.
If a current or previous injury is hindering you from exercising regularly or you want to avoid further injury by making sure that the proper form and techniques are being used, our trained professionals can provide you with advice regarding Physical Therapy approaches and strength training methods. We can also help you find strategies to keep you moving throughout your day.
FYZICAL Poplar and Highland would be happy to assess your current physical state and create a program tailored specifically to your needs and goals. Call us to make an appointment or to ask any questions you may have.