I am coming out of my slumber from this blog to share a website recommended to me.
With the high unemployment rate out there, find yourself a new job right here:
http://jooble-us.com/
seems simple enough to use.
This also goes to those of you who hate your jobs.
The worst thing someone can do is waste 40+ hours a week doing something they do not enjoy just for a paycheck.
I have been fortunate to love practicing PT.
If you enjoy doing it, its never work.
Stay tuned (not nearly as long as last time) for some updates on my latest moves.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Ke$ha Spine
Saw this in the latest Billboard magazine. Inspired by one of my favorite blogs, #Street Anatomy (link to a great Salvador Dali remake), enjoy.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Podcasts
In case you have not taken advantage of the many free podcasts that are available here are two of my favorites:
British Journal of Medicine
CrossFit Journal
Great for jogging and commuting!
Let me know if you have any recommendations, just leave them in the comments.
British Journal of Medicine
CrossFit Journal
Great for jogging and commuting!
Let me know if you have any recommendations, just leave them in the comments.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
I attended a very thorough talk last week given by Dr. Steven Lee of Lenox Hill Hospital on the topic of PRP.
His main points included the idea that the research is very far behind with very few high or even moderate level research studies to support the use of PRP. The amount of variables that can influence the outcome of this treatment are vast and thus limit the research potential. Despite this lack of research it can certainly be a welcome treatment for those who have failed other forms of conventional treatment for their tendonopathy (not tendonitis, please make sure you speak with a health care professional about the difference). Eccentric training of the affected tendon and cross friction massage which is a much cheaper alternative to PRP as far as re-creating an inflammatory process have some favorable research studies and are worth a "shot" before trying PRP.
I do get concerned when MDs site one research article and are selling the product: http://www.orthopedicsurgerynyc.com/137759/2011/05/31/platelet-rich-plasma-injections-for-tennis-elbow.html#comments
I have not met Dr. Stein but I invite him to discuss his criteria for choosing a candidate for PRP. I have left a comment on his blog and will look forward to his response and update this post as to the outcome of that conversation.
His main points included the idea that the research is very far behind with very few high or even moderate level research studies to support the use of PRP. The amount of variables that can influence the outcome of this treatment are vast and thus limit the research potential. Despite this lack of research it can certainly be a welcome treatment for those who have failed other forms of conventional treatment for their tendonopathy (not tendonitis, please make sure you speak with a health care professional about the difference). Eccentric training of the affected tendon and cross friction massage which is a much cheaper alternative to PRP as far as re-creating an inflammatory process have some favorable research studies and are worth a "shot" before trying PRP.
I do get concerned when MDs site one research article and are selling the product: http://www.orthopedicsurgerynyc.com/137759/2011/05/31/platelet-rich-plasma-injections-for-tennis-elbow.html#comments
I have not met Dr. Stein but I invite him to discuss his criteria for choosing a candidate for PRP. I have left a comment on his blog and will look forward to his response and update this post as to the outcome of that conversation.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
House
On the most recent episode of house
Dr.: "She is having a heart attack!"
Patient's Boyfriend: "That's impossible, she runs marathons"
Which leads me to where I have been hiding since my last post.
I have been in the process of starting my own CrossFit gym:
empirecitycrossfit.com
The quote regarding marathon runners connects to CrossFit not because all marathoners are at risk for heart disease, but they certainly are not free of it either as the boyfriend was implying, rather it has come to my attention that most people have gaps in their fitness. CrossFit is the most complete fitness approach I have seen to date and I have adopted it as part of my practice to help people reach their full potential in athletic performance.
If you are ever in NYC please come for a free trial class. See our website for schedule and details.
I hope to be continue to post here or back and forth with the CrossFit blog.
I also realize CrossFit is poorly understood (even worse than how physical therapy can often be perceived) thus, invite anyone to engage in a dialogue to foster the correct information about health and fitness becoming available.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Dr.: "She is having a heart attack!"
Patient's Boyfriend: "That's impossible, she runs marathons"
Which leads me to where I have been hiding since my last post.
I have been in the process of starting my own CrossFit gym:
empirecitycrossfit.com
The quote regarding marathon runners connects to CrossFit not because all marathoners are at risk for heart disease, but they certainly are not free of it either as the boyfriend was implying, rather it has come to my attention that most people have gaps in their fitness. CrossFit is the most complete fitness approach I have seen to date and I have adopted it as part of my practice to help people reach their full potential in athletic performance.
If you are ever in NYC please come for a free trial class. See our website for schedule and details.
I hope to be continue to post here or back and forth with the CrossFit blog.
I also realize CrossFit is poorly understood (even worse than how physical therapy can often be perceived) thus, invite anyone to engage in a dialogue to foster the correct information about health and fitness becoming available.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Monday, April 4, 2011
My Run Movie
http://www.myrunmovie.com/
I saw this the other night. Ticket sales went to benefit Livestrong.
It is fascinating when people push their bodies WAY past their "limits".
Back in 1996 there was a man who ran 75 marathons in 75 days from St. Paul, MN to Atlanta, GA. Very interesting documentary. You should all check it out.
I saw this the other night. Ticket sales went to benefit Livestrong.
It is fascinating when people push their bodies WAY past their "limits".
Back in 1996 there was a man who ran 75 marathons in 75 days from St. Paul, MN to Atlanta, GA. Very interesting documentary. You should all check it out.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Sports Injury Forum Interview
Take a listen to my interview w/Dr. DeFranco, would love to hear what you guys think!
It is under past archived shows under the date 3/20/11:
http://www.artistfirst.com/sportsinjuryforum.htm
It is under past archived shows under the date 3/20/11:
http://www.artistfirst.com/sportsinjuryforum.htm
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Find A Specialist in Your Area
Looking for a good Physical Therapist? If you can't come see me in NYC then here is a link to the American Board of Physical Therapist Specialties website that will allow you to search by city and specialty area which is a great start to finding the right fit for you.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
OnlineCollege.org Interview
Check out the interview I did with OnlineCollege.org here.
Hopefully it will give people a better understanding of Physical Therapy. Would love to hear any feedback you may have :)
It is an honor to be on the expert list along with Dr. Scott Ward, president of the APTA and author of Moving Forward (which has just moved over to the APTA website, and unfortunately is not letting me subscribe to their rss feed, step it up APTA!).
PS, I did my 2nd bikram yoga class this morning-->not smart to do it first thing after waking up.
Hopefully it will give people a better understanding of Physical Therapy. Would love to hear any feedback you may have :)
It is an honor to be on the expert list along with Dr. Scott Ward, president of the APTA and author of Moving Forward (which has just moved over to the APTA website, and unfortunately is not letting me subscribe to their rss feed, step it up APTA!).
PS, I did my 2nd bikram yoga class this morning-->not smart to do it first thing after waking up.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Nutrition
Was cooking this afternoon and got inspired to get you guys in on the nutrition talk.
I heard an interesting quote recently saying that the science of nutrition is today where surgery was in 1650, ouch. Many debates rage on about what is best for you and your body. Ultimately we need to balance what makes you happy as eating can be a very emotionally linked experience along with how the food will be fueling your body for life.
Any rules you guys like to follow when it comes to food?
I heard an interesting quote recently saying that the science of nutrition is today where surgery was in 1650, ouch. Many debates rage on about what is best for you and your body. Ultimately we need to balance what makes you happy as eating can be a very emotionally linked experience along with how the food will be fueling your body for life.
Any rules you guys like to follow when it comes to food?
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Bikram Yoga
Yesterday I had my first experience with taking a Bikram Yoga class. I found it to be a very interesting experience as I certainly was able to reach new ranges of motion not seen since the time I was a toddler most likely. For those not familiar, this is the form of yoga that is done in a heated environment to increase the therapeutic effect.
If you are going to consider this much physical activity in a heated environment please make sure to hydrate properly and be cleared by a medical professional of any cardiac issues as this can put a strain on your body.
I think, as with most classes that involve your body, your experience will be dependent on a few key things:
1) how prepared your body is for the work involved in the class
2) how the instructor presents the material and helps modify for those not yet ready for the full activity
3) how well the participant knows their own body and is able to steer clear of dangerous activities
3a is the one I have a problem with
In yesterdays class I did object to at least one motion which the instructor tried to convince me was a way to heal my knee. The pose known as utkatasana involved keeping the knees together while the feet were about 6 inches apart and getting into a squat. This invariably places you into an internal rotation/adduction of the femurs. Along with my history of an ACL reconstruction two years ago (which I did inform the instructor about), and my knowledge of the orthopaedic literature claiming this to be a fairly dangerous motion for the cartilage of any knee, I decided to skip that motion. It did not seem worth the risk of further damage to my knee.
that is a highly loaded knee - but she looks so happy...
Overall, I feel like I got a good workout and very good stretch of most of my body head to toe. I did modify a few other positions as I felt necessary. I did get into a good discussion following the class with a gentleman who was overweight and told me about a history of herniated/bulging discs in his back. He stated the first few times he did the class his symptoms seemed to get worse but as of that class he was starting to feel a little better. He also mentioned trying a little bit of physical therapy at some point that did a little to help.
My advice to him as it is to all humans is the following: It is important to try different physical challenges throughout our lives in order to foster improvements in fitness. If there is any issue with the body there are likely a variety of ways to improve the symptoms but very few ways usually to correct the underlying pathology and cause. Before embarking on any new challenge to the body it is important to consult with an expert in the musculoskeletal system. Who fits under the term expert in musculoskeletal health? I would say it comes down to licensed physical therapists and orthopaedic medical doctors. As a consumer to make sure you have a top individual in either of these two fields one way to differentiate the level of knowledge that individual has it to check for board certification in the area, in this case orthopaedics. While board certification is far from the only or best way to differentiate the quality of care you will receive, for most consumers prior to meeting the actual clinician it is probably one of the best ways.
So will I partake in more yoga classes? Most likely. They have given me a one week membership based on my attendance yesterday which I would like to utilize at least one or two times. I also plan to try some of the other disciplines of yoga. So far I have tried vinyasa, bikram and next up will be kundalini which a high school friend of mine teaches.
Go find your next new physical challenge!
If you are going to consider this much physical activity in a heated environment please make sure to hydrate properly and be cleared by a medical professional of any cardiac issues as this can put a strain on your body.
I think, as with most classes that involve your body, your experience will be dependent on a few key things:
1) how prepared your body is for the work involved in the class
2) how the instructor presents the material and helps modify for those not yet ready for the full activity
3) how well the participant knows their own body and is able to steer clear of dangerous activities
3a is the one I have a problem withIn yesterdays class I did object to at least one motion which the instructor tried to convince me was a way to heal my knee. The pose known as utkatasana involved keeping the knees together while the feet were about 6 inches apart and getting into a squat. This invariably places you into an internal rotation/adduction of the femurs. Along with my history of an ACL reconstruction two years ago (which I did inform the instructor about), and my knowledge of the orthopaedic literature claiming this to be a fairly dangerous motion for the cartilage of any knee, I decided to skip that motion. It did not seem worth the risk of further damage to my knee.
that is a highly loaded knee - but she looks so happy...Overall, I feel like I got a good workout and very good stretch of most of my body head to toe. I did modify a few other positions as I felt necessary. I did get into a good discussion following the class with a gentleman who was overweight and told me about a history of herniated/bulging discs in his back. He stated the first few times he did the class his symptoms seemed to get worse but as of that class he was starting to feel a little better. He also mentioned trying a little bit of physical therapy at some point that did a little to help.
My advice to him as it is to all humans is the following: It is important to try different physical challenges throughout our lives in order to foster improvements in fitness. If there is any issue with the body there are likely a variety of ways to improve the symptoms but very few ways usually to correct the underlying pathology and cause. Before embarking on any new challenge to the body it is important to consult with an expert in the musculoskeletal system. Who fits under the term expert in musculoskeletal health? I would say it comes down to licensed physical therapists and orthopaedic medical doctors. As a consumer to make sure you have a top individual in either of these two fields one way to differentiate the level of knowledge that individual has it to check for board certification in the area, in this case orthopaedics. While board certification is far from the only or best way to differentiate the quality of care you will receive, for most consumers prior to meeting the actual clinician it is probably one of the best ways.
So will I partake in more yoga classes? Most likely. They have given me a one week membership based on my attendance yesterday which I would like to utilize at least one or two times. I also plan to try some of the other disciplines of yoga. So far I have tried vinyasa, bikram and next up will be kundalini which a high school friend of mine teaches.
Go find your next new physical challenge!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Referral for Profit
If you would like to see how some doctor's value Physical Therapy services please watch this video. He begins to discuss PT the 8:25 mark. Athletic trainers and Chiropractors should not be charging CPT codes for PT services. The presenter is very excited about 60% of the South Carolina PT's being put out of business. Very good responses to the video in the link:
http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=64629
http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=64629
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Public Perception
Open question to everyone:
What is Physical Therapy/Physiotherapy?
Please respond in the comment section below...
What is Physical Therapy/Physiotherapy?
Please respond in the comment section below...
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Please sign
No matter where you fall in the spectrum of healthcare, from never been in the system to a physician, you should read over this petition and then SIGN IT!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stop-popts/
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stop-popts/
Sunday, February 27, 2011
MESH
Lisa Gansky: The future of business is the "mesh" | Video on TED.com
Great TED talk by Lisa Gansky, got me thinking: how can we "mesh" fitness?
It is very individualized but lets take a look at Crossfit.com
A community based fitness program on the international scale.
Although a little intimidating at first, it is scaleable to children, geriatrics and everyone in between thus allowing a great mesh.
Their philosophy is very transparent, organic, grassroots.
Is it a perfect system? No, but it is one of the best fitness strategies I have seen. But as with my previous post of building a foundation, there needs to be an individualized "ramp-up" program to make sure this like any other program is SAFE!
Go mesh and be healthy!
Great TED talk by Lisa Gansky, got me thinking: how can we "mesh" fitness?
It is very individualized but lets take a look at Crossfit.com
A community based fitness program on the international scale.
Although a little intimidating at first, it is scaleable to children, geriatrics and everyone in between thus allowing a great mesh.
Their philosophy is very transparent, organic, grassroots.
Is it a perfect system? No, but it is one of the best fitness strategies I have seen. But as with my previous post of building a foundation, there needs to be an individualized "ramp-up" program to make sure this like any other program is SAFE!
Go mesh and be healthy!
Creating a Foundation
Every step you take will put load on various joints in various ways. Every movement you make may be harming you! Should we not move at all? Of course not, we need to be moving all the time: motion is lotion...
We need to learn to move correctly
"Consult your healthcare provider before starting any exercise program"
Have you seen/heard that phrase before?
How many people do you know that actually did that?
People who decide to start working out should save a lot of time and resources by learning to do it correctly.
What is correct working out?
Here comes the philosophical debate.
What is fun and will keep you involved may be better than what may actually get you to be the healthiest/fittest which may not be as fun for you.
The idea of Evidence Based Practice has three components:
1. What the literature/research recommends
2. Practitioner experience/expertise and discretion
3. Patient/client values and preferences
This becomes difficult to sell on a large scale. A magazine such as Mens Health or a workout program like P90X can only be so successful because they most likely are pushing the 2nd piece of EBP (expertise) and sometimes even utilize some of the research but it is up to the patient/client to use their product. This is why to be most efficient and effective a one to one program becomes necessary. If we want to have a true utilization of EBP, to get closer to reaching our full potential of 'how to exercise properly' there should be a qualified professional working with the individual to continuously adapt a program. A goal of most top clinicians should be to foster independence with an exercise program so the individual can take control and be their own coach. The most critical part is that foundation building where we can utilize something like the SWOT method (as applied to the body). Identify weakness and threats to the body to help you reach your goals as expeditiously as possible, as safe as possible with long term (pronounced LIFETIME) insight.
We as a culture tend to be very reactive (I can't fit into my jeans anymore, I should go lose some weight OR my shoulder hurts to the point I cannot lift my arm to brush my hair NOW I should see a medical professional) while we should be proactive!
We tend to be short sighted while we need to look at the full spectrum of health and wellness.
I am going to lecture tomorrow to some high school football players and hope I can foster them to achieve/change their goals in the short and long terms.
We need to learn to move correctly
"Consult your healthcare provider before starting any exercise program"
Have you seen/heard that phrase before?
How many people do you know that actually did that?
People who decide to start working out should save a lot of time and resources by learning to do it correctly.
What is correct working out?
Here comes the philosophical debate.
What is fun and will keep you involved may be better than what may actually get you to be the healthiest/fittest which may not be as fun for you.
The idea of Evidence Based Practice has three components:
1. What the literature/research recommends
2. Practitioner experience/expertise and discretion
3. Patient/client values and preferences
This becomes difficult to sell on a large scale. A magazine such as Mens Health or a workout program like P90X can only be so successful because they most likely are pushing the 2nd piece of EBP (expertise) and sometimes even utilize some of the research but it is up to the patient/client to use their product. This is why to be most efficient and effective a one to one program becomes necessary. If we want to have a true utilization of EBP, to get closer to reaching our full potential of 'how to exercise properly' there should be a qualified professional working with the individual to continuously adapt a program. A goal of most top clinicians should be to foster independence with an exercise program so the individual can take control and be their own coach. The most critical part is that foundation building where we can utilize something like the SWOT method (as applied to the body). Identify weakness and threats to the body to help you reach your goals as expeditiously as possible, as safe as possible with long term (pronounced LIFETIME) insight.
We as a culture tend to be very reactive (I can't fit into my jeans anymore, I should go lose some weight OR my shoulder hurts to the point I cannot lift my arm to brush my hair NOW I should see a medical professional) while we should be proactive!
We tend to be short sighted while we need to look at the full spectrum of health and wellness.
I am going to lecture tomorrow to some high school football players and hope I can foster them to achieve/change their goals in the short and long terms.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Perspectives for Patients
Thank you JOSPT for another great feature!
In response to a recent reader survey they have added this fantastic feature that will "translate evidence into practice" by allowing patients to have access to the most up to date information in a lay format.
Click here to read more about this FREE feature for all!
Let's keep pushing this profession further!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
CSM 2011
As a student physical therapist I attended all 9 of the national meetings available from the APTA. Since attaining my doctorate in may 2008 this weekend is my first return to a national conference.
I think its a great event for so many reasons. However, it highlights where we are as a profession. The diversity of practice is the strength and weakness of our profession. There are 18 specialty sections and many special interest groups branching from each section, over 50 I would say.
I went to a great talk about branding yesterday. The top 100 image results in Google for the term "physical therapy" was discussed. 42 showed gait training while 4 were related to back specialist and 2 related to performance with a few others in between. I invite you to do this experiment and see how it matches your perception of PT. Perception is everything, no matter your skill level as clinicians.
"We are who Google says we are"
As much as I enjoy some gait training, I as a PT see performance as the bigger picture. We are lacking in the market that is fitness and we should be the top of the food chain as musculoskeletal experts. Selena from EIM has a great post about her takeaway from csm, I will try to link to it when I'm not on my Droid.
A lot of excitement about where we can go but also a lot of frustration for me because of where we are. Stay optimistic and keep moving forward is all I/we can do. Thank you APTA for pushing us forward and thank you EIM for pushing APTA.
I think its a great event for so many reasons. However, it highlights where we are as a profession. The diversity of practice is the strength and weakness of our profession. There are 18 specialty sections and many special interest groups branching from each section, over 50 I would say.
I went to a great talk about branding yesterday. The top 100 image results in Google for the term "physical therapy" was discussed. 42 showed gait training while 4 were related to back specialist and 2 related to performance with a few others in between. I invite you to do this experiment and see how it matches your perception of PT. Perception is everything, no matter your skill level as clinicians.
"We are who Google says we are"
As much as I enjoy some gait training, I as a PT see performance as the bigger picture. We are lacking in the market that is fitness and we should be the top of the food chain as musculoskeletal experts. Selena from EIM has a great post about her takeaway from csm, I will try to link to it when I'm not on my Droid.
A lot of excitement about where we can go but also a lot of frustration for me because of where we are. Stay optimistic and keep moving forward is all I/we can do. Thank you APTA for pushing us forward and thank you EIM for pushing APTA.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
NOLA
I am down here in new Orleans, mahony's for the po boys. Sat through day 1 of level 1 of the titleist performance institute. It is a system to help assess athletes that play golf to find movement patterns that may affect their golf game. A large emphasis is placed on the necessity for medical professionals, golf pros, and fitness trainers to work together. They use a lot of principles from the selective functional movement assessment which is a course I took back in august of last year (I like taking courses). So far I have some interesting ideas on how to use the content especially in new York city where golf fitness seems to be lacking, moreso than other types of fitness.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Body as Temple
Pardon the philosophical rant...
Ever since I have heard someone exclaim "My body is my temple!" it has stuck with me. I have tried to seek out the best things to put into my body and tried to invest in the right forms of movement so as to facilitate a healthy body. As important as it is to have peace of mind and spiritual well being it is also crucial to find balance and symmetry in your musculoskeletal system.
We like to indulge in our favorite desserts and comfort foods. Some even feel healthy because they go and do 40 minutes a day on the elliptical 5 times a week. What is fitness? How do you define it?
We are too reactive as a people, not enough proactive behavior. I postulate that a large part of this is from a lack of clear and concise information as to "the right answer". The push towards an "evidence based approach" in medicine and PT helps keep me busy reading up on the latest and greatest to offer the best advice/coaching/instruction.
We only get one body. The sooner we can get it on the right track the easier it will be down the line to "fix" any pathologies or imbalances. Change takes time to create both ways (for the better or for the worse). If you think it is too late for you, you are most likely wrong, there is always something that can be done to improve your condition from a musculoskeletal standpoint. Happiness is the ultimate goal in life, or at least should be. Would adding 5 minutes a day to stretch out (correctly) be a good investment in avoiding having to get a major orthopaedic surgery in a few years? Are you living for the now or for the long term? Do you take better care of your car than you do your body?
Change has to be organic. "You gotta want it" - all the cliches of the world stick around because they hold much truth, will you listen?
---end of pep talk
Go be healthy! If you do not know how to get healthy, ask an expert? Not sure who an expert is... ask me :)
Resolutions
Who made New Year's Resolutions?
Raise your hands...
Who has already, by the 18th day of the year, broken most if not all of their resolutions?
Am I a cynical New Yorker? You betcha...
Why did your resolution already fail? Did you make it reasonable, achievable, measurable? Are you too busy to get it accomplished? Would you rather not attempt it at all instead of try to set aside 5 minutes a day for your goals?
Let us make January 18th resolutions. Share with the class in the comments so you are now accountable and we can check back in a few weeks to see how you have progressed towards achieving the resolution.
I look forward to hearing from you all! Have a happy new, new year...
Raise your hands...
Who has already, by the 18th day of the year, broken most if not all of their resolutions?
Am I a cynical New Yorker? You betcha...
Why did your resolution already fail? Did you make it reasonable, achievable, measurable? Are you too busy to get it accomplished? Would you rather not attempt it at all instead of try to set aside 5 minutes a day for your goals?
Let us make January 18th resolutions. Share with the class in the comments so you are now accountable and we can check back in a few weeks to see how you have progressed towards achieving the resolution.
I look forward to hearing from you all! Have a happy new, new year...
Friday, January 7, 2011
Fundraising!
Happy New Year everybody!
I am participating in the Tour de Force and have a fundraising page setup. It is for a great cause. Please check out the information on the website and to donate just select "Babenko, Eugene" (that's me) under "Riders Name". Any and all donations are greatly appreciated.
http://www.tourdeforceny.com/sections/donation.asp
Stay healthy my friends.
I am participating in the Tour de Force and have a fundraising page setup. It is for a great cause. Please check out the information on the website and to donate just select "Babenko, Eugene" (that's me) under "Riders Name". Any and all donations are greatly appreciated.
http://www.tourdeforceny.com/sections/donation.asp
Stay healthy my friends.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
