People have strong opinions as to whether or not running is actually beneficial to our health. The phrase “Running is hard on your knees” is a favorite that we all have heard more than a few times (I heard it yesterday in fact). We know running has tons of global health benefits like reducing stress, decreasing depression, and weight loss, and that it is great for our heart, lungs, and brains, but what about for our joints?

After hearing this feedback over and over, I have decided to do something about it- implement a pre-surgical class series to fill this information void! This series of classes are called “prep talks” and are focused around answering the questions people commonly have, so that they can head into surgery equipped with information, or decide to give alternatives to surgery a try if they haven’t already.

Some people who get BPPV will have a resolution of their condition, only to have it return months later.  In my experience these people often report BPPV coming back perhaps every 6 months or every 12 months.  This return of symptoms in a cyclical manner may be caused by chronically low vitamin D.  Why is this?

In addition to the fun factor, according to a 25 year study with a thousands of participants (The Copenhagen City Heart study) there is a correlation between participating in racket sports, and increased life expectancy. More specifically they found that, versus the sedentary group, those who played tennis had an increase in life expectancy by 9.7 years and badminton by 6.2 years. Of note “health club activities” only added 1.5 years by comparison.

Arriving just in time for the new year, Bespoke is now the proud owner of the *best pilates reformer on the planet. With this addition, the clinic is now fully outfitted, and my vision has been completely realized (at least for now)!

What is a pilates reformer you may ask? It’s a piece of exercise equipment that uses springs and a rolling carriage to make a movement easier, or add challenge to a movement. Because of this versatility, I love it as a way to help my clients achieve their goals while keeping their comfort top of mind.

Dr. Gray, the lead author of this study, told Medscape, "We found an obvious dose-response relationship between anticholinergic drug use and risk of developing dementia: the higher the usage, the greater the risk.” Dr Gray continues that, “The pharmacist or doctor may not even know. Education on this issue is key, and both the public and doctors need to be encouraged to use alternative treatments where possible."

Question: Do I really have crystals in my ears?

Answer: We don’t actually have “crystals” in our ear, but we do have tiny pieces of calcium carbonate (sand) in our inner ears that are commonly referred to as “crystals,” Bonus info: Technically speaking, these are called “otoconia.”

When it comes to muscles, both length and strength are both important. When trying to improve muscle length or overall flexibility, here are some of the most common mistakes I see in my practice:

We are Moving- Downtown Bespoke Physical Therapy Office Opening August 1!

If someone has an issue that isn’t in my wheelhouse (for example someone who is experiencing incontinence, has had a traumatic brain injury, is experiencing TMJ dysfunction), I would much rather refer them to a local colleague than cross my fingers that what I am recommending helps. This doesn’t help my numbers in the short term, but in the long term building trust is far more valuable than pushing everyone into my door.

The following week, Angela returned and both she and her husband exclaimed that, for the first time in over 40 years she was able to now lay down without severe dizziness… or any dizziness at all for that matter! We both are overjoyed that she gave it a shot, and may have both even gotten a little teary-eyed in our elation.

We all have a reflex (the Vestibulo Occular Reflex or VOR) that keeps the eyes focused on their target regardless of how one’s head moves around. Sometimes this reflex can be impaired which is referred to as vestibulopathy.