By MiKayla Christensen, PT, DPT, MTC, Physical Therapy Doctor-prescribed opioids are appropriate in some cases, but they just mask the pain —and opioid risks include depression, overdose, and addiction, plus withdrawal symptoms when stopping use. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention recommend physical therapy as a safe and effective alternative to addictive opioids for...
By MiKayla Christensen, PT, DPT, MTC, Physical Therapy Did you know that physical therapy is a safe and effective alternative to opioids for treatment of chronic pain conditions? The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) uses the month of October to encourage others to learn about the multiple ways physical therapists can help manage pain. As physical therapists,...
Today is National School Backpack Awareness Day. Over 23,000 people a year go to the emergency room because of injuries related to backpacks and book bags! It is reported that 55 percent of students carry a backpack heavier than the recommended guideline of 10 percent of the child’s body weight. Watch our video for a brief...
Glacial Ridge Health System is hosting a free seminar for area residents with impairments to their speech and large motor skills due to Parkinson’s disease or other neurological disorders. The purpose of the seminar is to provide people with these conditions and their family with information on treatments that are available to help them stay...
By Jessica S., Starbuck The night of June 1st, 2018 was incredible, not only for me and my family, but it got a standing ovation and brought teachers and people in the audience to tears. I walked across the stage at my high school graduation. It was a goal I had been working hard at...
By Tammy Vig, OTD, OTR/L, CLT, Occupational Therapy Occupational therapy practitioners enable people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health, and prevent – or live better with – an injury, illness, or disability. Occupational therapy involves more than what you may think including many specialty services. Did you know that...
By Gustave L. Mellgren, M.D., Family Medicine with Obstetrics Sound familiar to you or someone you know? If so, you are not alone. Chronic knee pain affects 25% of adults. Arthritis is the most common cause of knee pain that limits people from activities they want to do or which keeps their body healthy. Staying...
Angela Redepenning, Physical Therapist at Glacial Ridge Health System, is now a CSMT “certified spinal manual therapist.” To attain this certification Angela completed a year of coursework, tests, and hands-on training specifically targeted at evaluation and treatment of the spine. You may be thinking – “What is a spinal ‘manual’ therapist?” This means she has...
