AMPT Rehab

The beginning of May means the beginning of Stroke Awareness Month! A stroke occurs when the arteries to the brain become blocked or burst, resulting in decreased oxygen and blood to the brain. It is important that strokes are recognized and treated quickly to decrease lasting effects and damage, so be sure to act F.A.S.T. and be aware of the following signs and symptoms!

- Facial drooping, numbness, or weakness
- Arm numbness or weakness with sudden onset
- Speech difficulty or slurring
- Sudden trouble walking or seeing
- Sudden onset of severe headache
- Sudden confusion

For more information on what strokes are, prevention, and care following, visit stroke.org.

Sleep has many different affects on the body from helping to form and solidify memories, make creative connections between pieces of information gained throughout the day, and helping the body recover from both physical and psychological stresses placed on it.

A few of the many ways sleep can reduce stress are:

- Decreasing the level of fight-or-flight hormones such as cortisol
- Regulating the immune system and improving your immunity to outside pathogens
- Processing memories and emotions from the day to allow for better understanding and future sress response
- Elimitating toxic protein build-up in the brain that is associated with decreased cognitive function and dementia
- Improves learning and problem solving by storing and enforcing newly learned material and making connections with previous knowledge
- Allowing muscles and body systems to recover from daily demands and eliminate waste and by-product for improved overall function

Be sure to get enough shut eye tonight and begin your journey to decreasing stress!

Help us welcome our newest team member at AMPT is Michael Pile PT, DPT, MSPT, OCS!

Since obtaining his Master of Science in Physical Therapy from Texas Women's University, he has gone on to complete his Doctorate in Orthopedics and Manual Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine and become a board certified orthopedic physical therapist with over 20 years of experience.

His early passion for strength training led him to become a competitive body builder and personal trainer before pursuing his career in physical therapy and has helped him build a treatment style that empowers, educates, and motivates patients to achieve their best results possible. Practicing what he preaches, Michael performs his own regular routine of stretching, strengthening, and cardiovascular conditioning combined with mindfullness and meditation for a all-inclusive approach to health and wellness.

He enjoys bicycling, swimming, scuba diving, hiking, snowboarding, and spending time with his family- ensuring he stays active in his downtime as well!

Give us a call today to get started with our team members and get back to your pain-free and active life!

Deep breathing is an important tool for resetting our nervous system and decreasing stress signals to the body. Check out these links for more information on how the breath can activate our rest and recovery system as well as in-depth breathing techniques to help you recover and decrease stress today!

https://www.apta.org/fit-for-practice/restoration/deep-breath

https://www.apta.org/fit-for-practice/movement/breather-stress-busting-exercises

Regular physical activity is helpful in reducing stress and improving overall health. However, we know that getting enough physical activity can be hard to maintain. Here's some helpful tips to make sure you keep moving!

- Start small. Begin with 10-15 minutes of activity and increase as your activity becomes more routine.
- Put it on your schedule. If you block time for it, you're more likely to participate instead of putting it off.
- Find an activity that excites you! You don't have to run or lift weights to move your body. Take a walk or dance around the house to get your heart rate up!
- Grab a friend or join a class to create community and accountability.
- Don't follow a no-pain, no-gain rule. If your activity is painful decrease the intensity to allow your body recovery time and allow it to adjust to the stress it's undergoing. If the pain continues, talk with your doctor and physical therapist regarding proper rehabilitation.

Stress comes in many shapes and sizes and affects all of us differently. Check out this stress screening from Mental Health America to better determine your level of stress and begin to create helpful habits today!

https://mhanational.org/get-involved/stress-screener

The Preserve is currently without power and will be closed today until further notice. If you need to reach out regarding scheduling for the week, please call or text (281) 816-7731.

April is Stress Awareness Month! Stress can affect the body in many ways including but not limited to:

- increasing blood pressure and sugar
- decreasing immune function
- decreasing sleep quality
- causing tightness in muscles leading to pain, headaches, and body aches

The good news is there are many different stress management techniques that are free and easy to implement- including physical activity! This month we'll be sharing resources and tips to help you become more aware of and better manage your stress to get you feeling and moving better!

Head, shoulders, knees, and toes- we treat all of those! Call us today to start with one of our therapists and begin your journey toward pain-free living once again!

Physical therapy can help with improving flexibility, strength, balance and pain from head to toe. If you've been experiencing pain or weakness in your daily activities, give us a call or visit our website to learn how our team members can help you now!

Sleep plays an important part in of our body's ability to function in many aspects such as memory, healing, and physical recovery from daily demands. Some helpful tips to getting a better night's sleep include:

- Participating in regular physical activity
- Increasing exposure to light
- Limiting caffeine and alcohol intake
- Creating a sleep schedule and bedtime routine

Call us today to learn how our physical therapists can help you get back to a regular activity routine and improve your sleep!

Don't let pain keep you from enjoying warmer temperatures and outdoor activities! Call us or visit our website today to get started with one of our team members on your individualized treatment plan.

Today we bring to you our next introduction of 2023- our Clinic Director and Physical Therapist Assistant, Madison Kirst!

Since graduating with her PTA degree from Blinn College in 2019, Madison has pursued continuing education and certifications in manual therapy and pelvic floor rehabilitation to provide better care and intervention for various orthopedic and chronic ailments.

She is the epitome of self-healing and broadband therapy and strives to provide her patients a more active way of living. Her positive attiude and mindset offer so much enthusiams to AMPT and its patients alike. Her smile and laugh brighten up the room as she takes on the challenges of Advancing Movement with Physical Therapy.

Just as she encourages her patients to do, Madison lives an active personal and family life. She is a runner and, along with her dog Ginger, she trains for half marathons and enjoys spending her free time baking, traveling, and venturing into the great outdoors.

Give us a call us today to get started with our team members and get back to your pain-free and active life!

Take Valentine's Day to heart this year and get back to the life you love!

Call us today to schedule your first appointment and begin your personalized treatment plan with one of our therapists.

Get moving this heart month!

Regular exercise has many benefits including improving your heart health. Only have 5 minutes? Start there!

For more information on the benefits of physical activity, check out https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart/physical-activity/benefits or call us today to learn how our team at AMPT Rehab can help get you moving and living better!

February is American Heart Month! 1 in every 3 deaths in the United States are related to cardiovascular disease. Check out some of these tips to improve your heart health and decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease.

- Aim for 150 minutes of physical activity each week
- Learn and maintain good stress management techniques
- Visit your doctor for accurate blood pressure and cholesterol measures and keep any medications up-to-date

For more information and resources on how you can reduce your risk, visit https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart-healthy-living.

New year, less pain!

Call us or visit our website to request an appointment to get started with one of our therapists and make the most of your new year!

amptrehab.com

Good morning, world!

What better way to start this new year than with clinic introductions! Today we're kicking it off with a smile to you and introducing our "face of AMPT"- Grace Suarez!

Grace is our office administrator, and it brings us great pleasure to have such a vibrant addition to our staff. Aside from being good at what she does, Grace is very family oriented and brings this comfort and concern to all.

It has been an absolute delight learning all of her family traditions and she has fit right in with our own family here at AMPT. Our patients are drawn to her welcoming attitude as well as her concern for their utmost well-being. She never fails to go the extra mile for each and every person who enters our clinic- a value we strive for.

Your care is her- and our- main priority to get and keep you moving forward in every day life in your own unique way.

May this new year bring with it health and happiness to all!

Physical therapy can be so much more than just post-surgical care!

Other benefits from physical therapy include:

- Reducing or eliminating pain.
- Avoiding surgery.
- Improving strength, mobility, and balance.
- Improving sport performance.
- Decreasing risk of injury.

If you feel you could benefit from physical therapy services, call us today!

Don't let pain keep you from enjoying this holiday season! Call us today to get started!

Happy Thanksgiving! We are so thankful for all of our patients and their families.

Thank you for choosing to be a part of the AMPT family!

November 14 is World Diabetes Day! The number of people diagnosed with diabetes is expected rise to 643 million by 2030 but with prevention such as proper diet, medication, and exercise, this number could be reduced.

If pain is keeping you from getting moving again, call us today to schedule your first appointment.

To learn more about diabetes and how you can begin prevention or seek treatment visit the World Diabetes Day page at https://worlddiabetesday.org/ or the American Diabetes Association at https://diabetes.org/.

Don't let pain keep you from getting outdoors and enjoying the cooler weather! Call us or visit our website today to schedule your first appointment!

www.amptrehab.com

Hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween!