May the Fourth Be With You,

It's Almost May!

Hi ,

Summer is finally on its way. The days are longer, the weather is warm, and allergies are in the air. With Summer being just around the corner, some of us are planning our vacations, road trips, and BBQs. While most of us love the sunshine, many with arthritis experience worsening symptoms as the weather warms up. What causes this to happen?

One theory suggests that barometric pressure and pressure changes outside can cause joints to be more sensitive to pain. When the pressure changes, your joints will often feel tighter and stiff, which can lead to pain and swelling. If you are experiencing an increase in pain, know that you are not alone.

Some things you can do to improve any pain you have this summer are:

- Stay active. Doing gentle exercises and walking will help reduce the pain you may be experiencing.
- Stay hydrated. It's important to stay hydrated because water helps keep cartilage soft and smooth, but when dehydrated, the cartilage becomes stiff when dehydrated.
- Minimize your salt intake. Tying into drinking more water, eating too much salt dehydrates you. If you aren't drinking enough water to make up for eating too much salt, try cutting back on the salt instead. Salt can also make the body retain more water which leads to swelling, which is no good.
- Schedule an appointment with your physical therapist. If you've tried the above and are still in pain, come on in for a physical therapy session. No one should live in pain so let's conquer this pain you're experiencing together. To schedule your appointment, give us a call at (973) 400-3730.

Laser Therapy- What the Heck is That?

You may be wondering what laser therapy is. Laser therapy might sound like something straight out of Star Trek, but the science behind it is very much real. Laser therapy is a low-intensity laser therapy that helps stimulate healing while using low levels of light to do so. During the procedure, different wavelengths of light are applied to the targeted area.

The body tissues then absorb the light, and the red-infrared light causes a reaction in the area that is being treated. The cells that are damaged then respond with a physiological reaction that promotes regeneration and healing!

Laser therapy is totally painless and typically only takes a few minutes. Laser therapy is used to treat bursitis, tennis elbow, neck pain, back pain, muscle strains, knee pain and can also be used to reduce swelling and promote healing in the joints and soft tissue.

More and more physical therapy clinics are starting to utilize laser therapy because it can be a very effective treatment for the right candidate. In addition to PT clinics, a lot of vets' offices utilize laser therapy to help pets with chronic pain!

Our Marketing Specialist, Bojana, actually had laser therapy done on her dog, Kiki, for Kiki's arthritis! Kiki was diagnosed with arthritis in her knees and hips. She had laser therapy to help reduce swelling in her hips and knees, and the laser therapy did wonders for her.

If you think laser therapy might be a good fit for you, give us a call and schedule your laser session.