// BLOG
Pink Ribbon Instructors – Meghan Pifko
March 31, 2011
Congratulations Meghan!
Meghan Pifko is our Pilates instructor who recently completed the Pink Ribbon Instructor Training Program offered by Doreen Puglisi, M.S. The course offered valuable information regarding the diagnosis, treatment, recovery, proper exercise guidelines, and protocols pertinent to women dealing with breast cancer.
The Pink Ribbon Program offers strength, self-esteem, and quality of life to breast cancer survivors. While exercise may be the last thing a patient feels like doing after breast cancer surgery, recent studies indicate a link between moderate physical exercise and improved quality of life for breast cancer survivors. The Pink Ribbon Program will help stretch and strengthen the shoulder, chest, back, and abdominal muscles, allowing women to regain full range of motion to those areas affected by breast cancer surgery. This program is suitable whether the patient’s surgery was recent or several years ago and accommodates all fitness levels. Meghan is excited to share the Pink Ribbon Program with breast cancer survivors.
1 of 82 in the US – Women’s Health Specialist
November 15, 2010
Lisa Johnson, Owner of Body In Balance, has earned the distinction of Board Certified Specialist in Women’s Health by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS). She is one of 82 in the country with this certification. Congratulations!
Lisa has earned this certification through her expertise and knowledge in the areas of:
- Pelvic Floor Dysfunctions (Pain & Incontinence)
- Breast Cancer related conditions
- Pre & Post Partum conditions
- Osteoporosis
Physical Therapy and Postnatal Depression
March 25, 2010
Emily Norman, Margaret Sherburn, Richard H. Osborne and Mary P. Galea
“Postnatal depression (PND) is a major health issue affecting up to 13% of all new mothers throughout the world, with most cases beginning in the first 3 months of the postnatal period.
A physical therapy exercise and health education program is effective in improving postnatal well-being and reducing the risk for postnatal depression (PND), according to a randomized controlled trial published in the March issue of Physical Therapy, (PTJ) the scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).”
For more information: http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Media&CONTENTID=70366&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm
Physical therapy can help men with prostate cancer maintain good quality of life
March 2, 2010
Regardless of treatment approach, physical therapy can help men with prostate cancer maintain good quality of life.
“Physical therapists can play an integral role in the rehabilitation of men following prostate cancer by implementing techniques aimed at strengthening the pelvic floor and trunk musculature while incorporating cardiovascular training to restore overall fitness and maximize the body’s own resources to battle the effects of cancer treatment,” says Lisa Johnson. “Trained in the evaluation and treatment of musculoskeletal dysfunctions, a physical therapist can identify imbalances of the pelvic floor muscles through manual and biofeedback-assisted assessment. These muscles can then be strengthened and retrained to restore urinary voiding control. Once a patient is able to perform PFM exercises correctly, these contractions can be incorporated into functional activities throughout the day.”
Studies suggest that pelvic floor muscles may contract more efficiently with a coordinated contraction of the lower abdominal muscles, which provide support to the anterior aspect of the pelvic girdle.“Patients can be progressed through a lower abdominal strengthening series, with coordinated PFM contractions,” Johnson says. “To maintain normal pelvic floor function, patients should be educated in these strengthening techniques, along with body mechanics, lifting techniques, and behavioral modifications to optimize pelvic girdle health.”Patients experiencing generalized weakness and fatigue should start with a fitness program geared toward exercising in a deconditioned state, Johnson observes.“Therapists can monitor the patient’s current physical status throughout treatment by reviewing the results of lab work to safely prescribe exercise intensity and duration without overtaxing the system,” she says. “They should also design an exercise program suited to a patient’s physical needs, lifestyle, and prior activity level.”
For more information: http://news.todayinpt.com/article/20090928/TODAYINPT0301/90927001
Yoga and pilates in the management of low back pain
February 16, 2010
Sorosky S, Stilp S, Akuthota V.
Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2008 Mar;1(1):39-47.
“Many interventions for the management of low back pain exist, however most have modest efficacy at best, and there are few with clearly demonstrated benefits once pain becomes chronic. Therapeutic exercise, on the other hand, does appear to have significant benefits for managing patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) in terms of decreasing pain and improving function.
Yoga and Pilates which have, both been gaining in popularity over the last decade are two mind–body exercise interventions that address both the physical and mental aspects of pain with core strengthening, flexibility, and relaxation. There has been a slow evolution of these nontraditional exercise regimens into treatment paradigms for LBP, although few studies examining their effects have been published. The following article will focus on the scientific and theoretical basis of using yoga and Pilates in the management of CLBP.”
For more information: http://www.springerlink.com/content/v1n7636174w47081
Now until 01/31/12
Lisa Johnson, Owner of Body In Balance, has earned the distinction of Board Certified Specialist in Women’s Health by the 