Cairn Physical Therapy & Wellness

You may be wondering why we are talking about food allergies . . . we are Physical Therapists not Nutritionists or Gastrointestinal Physicians or Allergists. Here's why:  Food has a lot to do with injury recovery, healing, and tissue maintenance! Let's start with some definitions and physiology . . . The "Gut" means the gastrointestinal (GI) tract from the mouth to the large intestine.   "Gut Health" refers to the health of the entire system ~ the function and balance of the bacteria that work in the GI tract. For our purposes we will focus on just the intestinal component.  While the entirety of the gut plays important roles in turning food into nutrients, the small intestine is where the magic happens ~ digestion and absorption of fluid, nutrients, vitamins, etc.  Good Bacteria, normally present in your gut, helps with nutrient absorption, controlling bad bacteria and can even make vitamins (altho we should NOT rely on them for our daily supplements!) ...

SHAPE America (Society of Health and Physical Educators) started National Physical Education and Sport Week, (always the first week in May), as a celebration of the importance of physical education and health education. This Society exists "to advance professional practice and promote research related to health and physical education, physical activity, dance and sport". Their vision is to see "a nation where all children are prepared to lead healthy, physically active lives".   https://www.shapeamerica.org/about/default.aspx What does the physical education look like in your children's school?  How do you get your kids engaged physical fitness? Did you know that mental health is related to physical fitness? Over the last few decades we know that funding for physical education in public schools has dramatically declined. Luckily community sports programs have filled in the gap. These however are run by us ~ parents who love sports and want to share them with our...

  "May, more than any other month of the year, wants us to feel most alive." -  Fennel Hudson  This month there are many health observances we will touch on! National Physical Fitness and Sports Month  Mental Health Awareness Month National Physical Education and Sport Week (May 1–7)  Food Allergy Awareness Week (May 9–15) National Senior Health & Fitness Day 27th (its also Arthritis Awareness Month) For National Physical Fitness and Sports Month I am raising money for the California Physical Therapy Fund ~ it funds PT research so we can continue to advance our knowledge to best serve the community. I have pledges to walk 62 miles and practice 300 minutes of yoga this month. I would be honored with your support of a donation, you can donate here  https://bit.ly/RoxPTRes   Cairn Physical Therapy & Wellness is offering Free Fitness Assessments for 5 individuals ~ call 424-244-0575 to book yours before they are gone! Mental health is intertwi...

In April we celebrate so many things . . . Ramadan, Passover, Easter . . . National Occupational Therapy Month . . . and if you are in a drought stricken state like California we hope for some April Showers that bring May Flowers and relief to our parched soil!  At Cairn Physical Therapy & Wellness we are going to take this month to focus on our athletes ~ our student athletes, performing arts athletes and our weekend warriors!  Let's start with Student Athletes Generally, Student Athletes are define as any student of an educational institution that participates in sports for that institution. We at Cairn extend that definition to include those who participate in organized community and club team or individual sports. This includes the traditional school and community sports ~ football, basketball, baseball/softball, soccer, track and field ~ as well as the lesser known or geographically specific sports ~ lacrosse, waterpolo, hockey, cheer, and more. It also includes indiv...

This month we see the change of season. Winter turning to spring ~ frosty things begin to melt, days continue getting longer and we begin moving a little bit more! I have recently started hiking again (after my ankle rehab) and like all folks who start something new or level up on their exercise ~ I am noticing I need to spend some time conditioning for my hiking! I need to put a little spring in my step ;) There are a few types of conditioning exercises you can use to put a spring in your step: Aerobic endurance training ~ so you can exercise at moderate/high intensity for extended periods of time without tiring. Agility drills ~ so you can rapidly change directions with speed and accuracy. Plyometric training ~ so you can build muscle power. Aerobic/Endurance training is simply done by either continuing your regular activity for longer periods of time or by varying the type of aerobic exercise you are doing. Agility Drills address several important skills such as speed, balance, po...

In February we acknowledge Black History, Chinese New Year, Heart Health, Valentine's Day, and more. Let's start by talking about cardiovascular health. Have you resumed your normal aerobic exercise since the holidays? Have you started a new aerobic exercise? Have you forgotten what aerobic exercise is? ("Yes!" ~ me) Since having kids 22 years ago my cardio exercise has been spotty at best! I am not the “let’s go for a run” kinda gal. The only stationary cardio equipment I like is the elliptical. The things I love to do most require time and special equipment ~ hiking, dancing, kickboxing. Currently I am rehabbing an ankle injury and trying to get back to hiking ~ if you want to watch my progress you can find it on youtube! When we talk about cardiovascular health from a physical therapist perspective we are considering Your resting heart rate (RHR) Your oxygen saturation (O2 Sat) Your heart and lung exercise capacity Your Heart Rate Variability (HRV) There ar...

Hi there! Hope your January has been everything you have wanted and needed it to be! I wanted to take a moment to let you know where I am on my plans of action journey . . .  In my first post this year I wrote: My plans for the next few weeks include:  Walking my dog 3-5 times a week. Doing Yoga 3 times a week. Returning to my regular cleaning routine. Being consistent with my business plans. Buying, preparing and eating foods that nourish me! Well, here are my results: Walking my dog 3-5 times a week. not quite . . . only 2-3 times a week but that is better than zero! Unfortunately this was not entirely under my control. Kirby had some days in back pain and shoulder pain so I chose not to walk him and if any of you have pooches you know you cannot put on your tennis shoes (to walk yourself) and not take the dog! Kirby will walk regardless of pain and the PT in my says it's rest a massage time :) Doing Yoga 3 times a week. not exactly . . . I did yoga poses here and there for ...