What is Therapeutic Exercise, and why I LOVE it so much!

January 9, 2020 Megan Kelly

There are many interventions a physical therapist uses to treat patients. Manual care, soft tissue work, muscle relaxation techniques, PNF, postural training, and good old therapeutic exercise. All of these interventions are used to help restore function to the body. If you have gone to physical therapy before and were given exercises to do at home, those in hand are the therapeutic exercises that the physical therapist picked out for you based on your diagnosis and how you were presenting during your treatment session.

According to the APTA (American Physical Therapy Association), they define therapeutic exercise as “the systematic performance or execution of planned physical movements or activities intended to enable the patient to remediate or prevent impairments of body functions and structures, enhance activities and participation, reduce risk, optimize overall health, and enhance fitness and well-being. Therapeutic exercise may include aerobic and endurance conditioning and reconditioning; agility training; body mechanics training; breathing exercises; coordination exercises; developmental activities training; muscle lengthening; movement pattern training; neuromotor development activities training; neuromuscular education or reeducation; perceptual training; range of motion exercises and soft tissue stretching; relaxation exercises; and strength, power, and endurance exercises.”

Physical Therapists select and prescribe therapeutic exercise based on examination findings to enhance overall well being. Exercises are implemented to improve breathing, increase muscle strength, power, and endurance, enhance postural control and relaxation, and improve sensory awareness, balance, and posture.

Therapeutic exercise is so much! And a trained eye that understands what movement should look like and what needs to be working and not working is so important. Physical Therapists have spent hours and hours in the classroom and in clinical training learning and practicing this to treat future patients. Continued education after graduation is also a requirement to advance skills and possibly specialize in different areas of the practice.

I personally have had the opportunity to work with various pieces of Pilates equipment to guide patients with therapeutic exercise. From seniors to pediatrics, rotator cuffs to low back pain, surfers to college athletes I have treated a variety of patients with all different sorts of diagnoses. My personal favorite thing to teach is breath work and deep core engagement. Breathe work and core engagement are fundamental skills to all movement, and if I can get you to breathe and engage properly then I can get you to move properly. The Pilates equipment allows for different exercises to be modified in range of difficulty from beginner to advanced and anything in between. Intensity and difficulty can be increased over time as the body adapts and grows stronger and more connected.

Most people who have experienced mainstream Physical Therapy see the PT for about 20 minutes and then an aid or assistant for the rest you of the time. That stinks! As a Physical Therapist I have worked in those environments and I hated it. I felt like I was missing out on the best part of treating. So, I look the leap and started my own private practice. I treat individual patients for the full time and I will never look back. It’s no one-size fits all or mill type practice. Each session is individually designed with that sole patient in mind. I not only love this way of treating, but my patients do as well. They get a full 60 minutes to go over everything and get thorough thoughtful care. It’s a win-win.

I currently work out of the ESO studio in Newport Beach where I also teach 2 classes a week. (“The Body” Mobility + Movement, Tuesday 7:30 am + Thursday 5:15pm). The ESO studio has beautiful equipment from Balanced Body and includes the reformer, tower, core align, wunda chairs, ladder barrel, MOTR’s, and so much more.

In order to provide patients with excellent, thorough, and unique care, I am not contracted with insurance companies. Therefore, I am considered "out of network" for physical therapy benefits. I provide you with a detailed bill (Super Bill), which you will then submit to your insurance company for direct reimbursement. I am happy to assist patients with this process.

Megan Kelly is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and holds a Masters in Holistic Nutrition. She currently treats out of the ESO studio in Newport Beach where she treats patients and clients with manual physical therapy, Pilates, Yoga, holistic nutrition, and lifestyle changes to sustain a happy and healthy life.

A Holistic approach to Cleansing and Detoxifying in 2020….

January 3, 2020 Megan Kelly

Everyday on its own, the body naturally detoxifies and cleanses. The organs of detoxification work together everyday to rid the body of waste. Over time drinking, poor food quality, use of toxic skin care products, and lack of exercise can all put a toll on the organs of detoxification. While getting rid of alcohol and sugary drinks as well as processed foods are great starts to a whole body cleanse or detoxification, we should also think about what we need to add to nourish our organs of detoxification.

As you read though this blog post there are many things to eliminate as well as add during a whole body cleanse. Nothing needs to be extreme or ridged. Consistency and being open during a time of detoxifying is best. There are many lifestyle changes and new habits and behaviors that need to be made during a cleanse, so being gentle with yourself and how your approach cleansing is important. Towards the end of the blog post there is a guide on how to approach cleansing so it’s not harsh or restrictive.

But first, lets learn a little bit about the organs of detoxification….

The organs that are in charge of detoxifying and cleansing

1. The skin: Sometimes called ‘the third kidney’. A lot of toxins come out through perspiration and in dead skin cells that flake off. Alternatively a lot of toxins also go in through the skin though different toiletry products and cosmetics

How to Cleanse/Nourish:

· Dry brushing

· Oil massage

· Purge of toxic products that come in contact with the skin

· Scrubs

· Masks

· Healthy exercise that promotes sweat

· steam rooms and saunas

2. The lungs: The organ of breath. The respiratory rhythm consists of 14 inhales and exhales per minute, about 600 million times in a lifetime. The air we take into our lungs is fuel for energy. The lungs, bronchial tubes, nose, and windpipe, are our first defenses against pollution in the air.. Smoking is the fastest way to get toxins into the body. Detox the lungs with breathes of fresh air, exercise, and stretches/movements that open the chest

How to Cleanse/Nourish:

· Nasya Oil

· Breathe Work

· Steams

· Neti Pot

· Manual therapy around the rib cage and thoracic spine

3. The kidneys: The management of water in our body. The human body is 70% water and the kidneys are in charge of maintaining that level and distributing it around the body every day. They keep watch over sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and bicarbonate levels.

How to Cleanse/Nourish:

· Move, exercise, and sweat.

· Hydrate.

· Monitor intake of animal protein, dairy, salt, and alcohol.

· Include supportive foods like papaya, potatoes, spinach, endive, zucchini, apples, and grapefruit

· Include supportive herbal teas include thyme, rosemary, and cherry stems.

4. The Colon: Also known as the large Intestines or the ileum. The large intestines breaks down the rest of the left over food from the small intestines, transforms it into liquid and then into solid waste. The colon filters a lot of water and therefore needs a lot of water to do its job.

How to Cleanse/Nourish:

· Stay hydrated

· Healthy Exercise

· Breathe

· Visceral/Manual therapy

· Include Fermented foods

· Chew food slowly

· Eating organic and staying clear of pesticides.

· Eat fiber rich foods.

5. The liver: Your first line of defense against toxins is your liver, which acts like a filter in preventing toxic substances contained in foods from passing into your blood stream. Whenever we consume anything in excess, the liver kicks into go mode and starts breaking things down. The liver produces bile, which is needed to digest fat and to absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K.

How to cleanse/Nourish:

· Sweat, Sauna/Steam room

· Limit over the counter medications

· Limit alcohol and sulfites

· Hydrate

· Chew slowly and mindfully

· Consume grapefruit juice, dandelion greens, radish, fennel, and lettuce. Limit dairy and meats.

· Consume CCF Tea (Cumin, Coriander, Fennel)

10 Basic Steps to get you on the path of a Healthy Cleanse

1. Clear out the Fake and Replace with Real Foods

-Most packaged foods are processed.

- Replace fast food and packaged foods with homemade simple meals

- Get back to basics with local food from farmers and local artisan food makers

-Consume more greens and plant-based foods

2. Choose foods that are of their Whole Form

-When reading nutrition information, turn to ingredients list first. If there are things on there you are not familiar with, ditch it.

-Look for minimal ingredients that are non-GMO and Organic

Simple Groceries to have at home to cook meals:

· Organic Protein (Chicken, Fish, Tofu, Tempeh, Eggs, Lentils, Legumes, Wild Seafood)

· Complex Carbohydrates (Starchy: Bananas, Potatoes, Carrots, Yams, Lentils, Chickpeas… Non-Starchy: Brussels Sprouts, Dark Leafy Greens, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Zucchini, Lettuce, Asparagus, Tomatoes, Celery, Cucumber etc.)

· Grains (Quinoa, Brown Rice, Buckwheat, Oats, Millet)

· Cooking Oils (Avocado, Coconut, Olive oil. Ghee, Toasted Sesame)

· Spices and Fresh Herbs!!!!

· Yogurts dairy or vegan friendly

· Binders (Nut milks, Coconut milk)

· Nuts and seeds. Fall Guide: Almonds, Pistachios, Cashews

· Seasonal Produce

3. When choosing Fruits and Vegetables

- Choose Organic or Farm Fresh

- Shop local farmers markets for seasonal veggies that will most likely contain superior nutrient content

- Check out the “Clean 13” and the “Dirty Dozen” visit www.ewg.org

- Fall/Winter Harvest includes: Avocados, beets, Brussels sprouts, carrots, chives, onions, pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, dates, figs, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, limes, mangoes, oranges.

4. Ditch the Sugar

- Start by getting rid of all processed sugars then progress to eliminating more natural sugars including maple, honey, stevia, coconut sugar and cane sugar

- Limit fruits in the beginning to decrease stress on the bodies system.

- If craving some sweets try low glycemic fruits like blueberries, raspberries, or green apples.

5. Eat plenty of Fat

- Fat is essential for energy, metabolism, growth, brain and organ function, hormone health, and tissue healing.

- Stick with more unsaturated fats like avocados, coconut, olive oil, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and flax seeds.

- Consume more Omega 3 Fatty Acids over Omega 6: Omega 3 Fatty acids include Fresh Water fish including Salmon, Mackerel, and Rainbow Trout, Eggs, Flax Seeds and Oil. .

6. Hydration

- Drinking plenty of purified water

- Adding bone broth is not only hydrating but the broth is very nutrient dense providing nourishment for the body during a cleanse

- Juicing is a great way to hydrate and consume easily absorbable nutrients, Try Celery, Cucumber, Ginger and Lemon

- Drinking herbal teas is a great way to cleanse certain organs of the body. Milk thistle, Dandelion, Turmeric, Ginger, CCF Tea (cumin, coriander, Fennel)

7. Short Elimination of Grains and Gluten

- Even if you are not sensitive to gluten or other grains these foods still tax the digestive system and can cause stress

- Start with eliminating all gluten containing grains and then from there eliminating grains that are gluten free like brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and oats

- Looking up recipes that are “Paleo” are easy ways to find meals that eliminate grains of both gluten and non-gluten origin

8. Gentle Sweating and movement

- Gentle movement can help assist the body in getting rid of toxins and promote movement of fascia, tissue, and bowel movements all while stimulating the body.

- Infrared sauna heat increases your blood circulation and stimulates the sweat glands, releasing built up toxins in the body 7x more than traditional sweating. If you are new to this, start slow with a lower temperature and sitting time.

9. Rest and Restore

- While cleansing you may feel tired, moody, fatigued or weak.

- Take the time to rest longer, take naps, perform breathe work, or attend restorative yoga classes

- Legs up the wall is a lovely pose to do at home for circulation and stimulation of the lymphatic system.

10. Nourishing warm Meals

- During winter we can lean towards oily nourishing foods that are high in protein and fat that are brought to life with warming spices and served hot.

- Starting the day with cooked grains like oatmeal, tapioca, cream of rice or buckwheat, and adding stewed apples and pears sautéed in cinnamon, cardamom, and ghee.

- Lunch and dinner can include steamed vegetables, hearty grains, soups, and stews that are grounding and moisturizing.

- Be mindful of minimizing light, cooling, and drying foods like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts, leafy greens, white potatoes, crackers, millet, popcorn, beans, and dried fruit. You can eat these foods but eat them in moderation and make sure they are soaked, well cooked, and served with hydrating oil like ghee.

- Drinking room temperature/ warm water or liquids is suggested. Avoid ice or chilled liquids.

How to approach your cleanse or detox in phases

Phase I: Get rid of all the Crap!

-Ditch any processed foods, fake sugar, packaged or frozen meals, alcohol, white bread, pastas.

-Enjoy gluten free grains like quinoa, brown rice, and buckwheat

- Use Honey and Pure Maple Syrup as a sugar alternative

-Rotate poor quality dairy out of the diet and use Organic whole milk or Raw dairy

-Try this for 1-2 weeks and see how you feel

Phase II: A little more detail

- After your first phase of detoxing and cleansing you can now start to refine and make more changes to your diet.

- Start eliminating gluten free grains

- Ditch honey and pure maple

- Eliminate dairy

- Continue to keep out alcohol

- Try this for a week at least and see how you feel with this added portion of the detox and if your body feels any different

Phase III: Reintroduction

This phase is all about finding out what feels good and what doesn’t in the body. Start with re-introducing the things you eliminated in Phase II, one at a time, back into the diet. Truly see if you can handle dairy, brown rice, honey etc. Phase III is all about learning what your body likes and what is doesn’t like. From there you can make decisions on what to consume on a daily basis, what to avoid, and possibly what to limit.

In good health,

Megan Kelly

*** Please consult your treating physician before changing your diet, especially if you are pregnant or nursing. These are recommendations not prescribed by a doctor.

The Deep Truth of the Skin...

December 19, 2019 Megan Kelly

The skin is the truth teller to our internal health. When our skin is glowing, vibrant, clear and moist we can bet that internally the body is in balance. But when the skin appears dry, clogged, red, inflamed or fiery we can predict that internally there may be some imbalances, inflammation, and poorly working systems. That’s why healing your skin goes way deeper than surface level.

Conditions like acne have a root cause, or a fundamental reason for their occurrence. Treating that root cause is important for long-term success. Root causes may include hormonal imbalances, poor blood sugar regulation, an impaired gut, nutrient deficiencies, stress, and decreased function of the organs involved in detoxification and excretion.

Hormones:

Balancing hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and androgens are directly related to the wellness of your skin. High amounts of androgens and poorly balanced estrogen and progesterone are correlated to increased sebum production and also may enlarge sebaceous glands. This causes clogging of pores, inflammation of the skin, and possibly cysts. What you eat, what you put on your skin, and the daily pollution you are exposed to impacts the health of these hormones and in turn your skin.

Another hormone that’s very important to keep balanced is insulin. Insulin is released from the pancreas in response to glucose in the blood stream after we eat. When we eat a healthy balanced diet with fiber, fat, complex carbohydrates, vegetables, and protein we keep insulin balanced. On the other hand, when we eat processed foods, sugary foods, white flour, and processed oils, insulin release increases and over time can cause a chronic sensitivity. Insulin has been shown to also increase sebum production, clog pores, and increase acne.

The Organs of Detoxification:

Liver function is especially important when it comes to healthy hormone balance. The liver works to metabolize and excretes hormones. When the liver is not working well, estrogen, progesterone, and androgens can get backed up into the system and as we learned from before can cause clogged pores and inflammation. Eating a healthy diet with a good amount of fiber and water is key as well as decreasing consumption or alcohol, fried fatty food, and sugar. Other organs that are in charge of excretion and detoxification are the kidneys, colon, skin and the lymphatic system. These organs work together to rid the body of the toxic waste that builds up on an everyday basis. When one of these systems is not working up to par, we can see symptoms arise in the skin in the form of inflammation and acne.

A pillar in holistic healing is prevention, but with prevention we need to have more awareness of subtle messages from the body that things may be out of balance. A simple headache or a minor breakout along the jaw line can be messages that something is out of balance in the liver or the kidneys. When healing the body from a holistic approach, listening to these messages and giving gentle care can be all the help you need to prevent a full acne breakout or migraines that last for days.

When the organs of detoxification are compromised we don’t have to wait for them to be failing in order to intervene. Simple practices like sipping tea can be supportive and nourishing to the body while helping in detoxification and aid in healthy elimination. If the liver is compromised you can sip on Dandelion root and CCF tea (Cumin, Coriander, and Fennel). Gentle sweating and drinking enough water through out the day should help support the kidneys and colon. Dry brushing is another great practice to adopt to help improve circulation and keep the lymphatic system running optimally. Dry Brushing is simple 2-minute practice to perform before showering. You gently make strokes along the skin to help improve circulation and movement of fluid in the body. This is a short video that explains some more benefits and how to effectively dry brush.

https://blog.primallypure.com/video-tutorial-dry-brushing-how-to-benefits/?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=Social

The Gut and Absorption:

Nutrient absorption is also important for the maintence of healthy skin and the prevention of acne. The gut is its own ecosystem with billions of bacteria that are involved in so many aspects of our health. We are slowly learning its importance when it comes to our immune health, mood and mental health, digestion, hormone health, and yes our skin health. Healthy clear skin requires a certain amount of zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, B Vitamins and Omega 3 Fatty acids. If we have a compromised gut then we may not be absorbing these nutrients that are necessary for our skin to stay glowing and fresh. Some of the ways the gut can be negatively affected include over-use of antibiotics, poor diet, too much sugar, poor sleep, poor stress management, exposure to pesticides, excessive drinking, and/or poor drinking water quality.

Where to start:

When the skin presents with inflammation and possibly acne we have to start digging deeper to figure out the root cause. Could a breakout be related to hormones, poor food choice, lack of sleep or too much stress? Or could it possibly be a combination of it all? As a Holistic Nutritionist I usually recommend to start by checking in with your diet. Adopting a diet that is mostly clean and made up of dark leafy greens, starchy vegetables, fruits, complex carbohydrates, quality proteins, and good fat is necessary. But do note that even some good healthy foods can actually trigger acne and inflammation of the skin.

Taking care of your body is an inside job, and listening to the messages your body gives you is a great start to taking care of yourself. When symptoms like acne occur, take it as a time to go inward and connect to your self on a deeper level. Consulting with a doctor, nutritionist, esthetician, or other health care practitioners can be of great help to get you on the right path to healing.

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Art from Broken isn’t Bad….