Head to Toe Physical Therapy

Revving up for your run!

2012-05-15T16:02:22Z

With the warmer months rapidly approaching, those of us with at least one active bone in our bodies, sit at our desks waiting for the 5 o’clock inner alarm to ding, day dreaming of where the next outdoor adventure will take us. For some, it’s a tennis racket, round of golf, quality time in the garden or maybe a game of kickball. For many, springtime means the beginning of race season in New England. We run for personal goals, a commitment to wellness, or a stress relieving activity. No matter what the reason, in order to be successful at running we must be prepared!

Not only do we need to be mentally and physically ready, but we must also have the proper equipment (aka sneakers!) One of our employees recently signed up for her first 5k. Without any help from our PTs, she bought new spiffy sneakers to train for the occasion. Unfortunately, an uneducated shoe purchase led to pain and discomfort in her training efforts. Thankfully, she was able to trade the cool looking kicks for a pair that provides her with more stability (and still actually looks cute!), greatly reducing the pain she was feeling in her shins.

This may seem obvious, but just a reminder: we are all different! This includes the way we walk and run. Some people have feet that pronate while others supinate (flat feet vs. high arches). This greatly influences the type of sneaker that will be right for you.

So what do we recommend? Consult a professional- your physical therapist or an associate at a running shoe store. Either one of these professionals can watch you walk to determine your individual needs. Do you need a shoe with a lot of support? Do you need a lighter, more flexible shoe? Believe us; just a little bit of shoe education can be the difference between injury and success in whatever your running routine may be.

Skip the surgery, let a PT alleviate your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!

2012-04-06T17:34:51Z

Are you or do you think you may be one of the many Americans who suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? This is a painful, yet preventable and treatable condition when diagnosed. Take a moment to read the article below to see if you too could be suffering from CTS.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common condition of the wrist and hand that can affect the use of the whole arm. It is caused by pressure on the nerve at the base of the palm (median nerve). Because of the physical demands of using the wrist and arm, carpal tunnel syndrome is common and affects nearly 1 in 20 Americans. Fortunately for most people who develop CTS, physical therapy can prove to be a huge help in relieving pain and numbness, restoring use of the hand wrist and arm without the need for surgery.

The carpal tunnel is a narrow channel on the palm side of your wrist. The tunnel protects the median nerve and the tendons that bend your fingers. Pain is caused by crowding or pressure of this nerve leading to carpal tunnel syndrome. CTS is most prevalent in jobs that require a lot of movement of the fingers including any machinery type jobs with machinery that tends to vibrate. Although key-board work is often associated with CTS, it is more frequent in assembly type jobs.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome will often be diagnosed in combination with your physical therapist and primary care doctor. Once evaluated by your physical therapist, a plan of care will be developed. This can include:

Education regarding:

changing wrist positions (ie, avoiding prolonged bent wrist positions)
proper neck and upper back posture (ie, avoiding forward head or slouching)

safe use of sharp utensils, tools, or other implements, if sensory changes are identified

"stretch breaks" during your work or daily routine

Exercises to increase the strength of the muscles in your hand, fingers, and forearm—and in some cases, the trunk and postural back muscles

Stretching exercises to improve the flexibility of the wrist, hand, and fingers

Use of heat/cold treatments to relieve pain

Use of a night splint to reduce discomfort

Increasing the size of tool and utensil handles by adding extra material for a more comfortable grip

Anti-vibration gloves or anti-vibration wraps around tool handles, if vibration is a factor at your workplace

Of course, every individual is diagnosed and treated based on their individual symptoms and needs. At Head to Toe PT we pride ourselves on treating the individual, not just the injury, which means evaluating the whole body and lifestyle to determine what exactly could be causing your carpal tunnel flair-ups. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms described above, they can be treated by your PT. It is best to do so sooner rather than later to avoid painful surgery. Please contact Head to Toe PT or your primary care doctor to see how we can help you back to your pain free life!

*The majority of the above information is provided by the American Physical Therapy Association’s Move Forward web site. Please visit www.moveforwardpt.com for more information.

New Shoes, New you!

2012-02-27T21:18:00Z

Do you ever wonder how the way you walk affects your overall physical fitness? Believe it or not the right shoe and a little coaching on your stride could make all the difference in the world. I bet you would be suprise to see how the way you walk effects so many joint and muscle functions within your body. Please check out this article below from our friends at active.com and see how your stride could be improved!

If you are having problems with your walking posture, or something just doesn't feel quite right, give Head to Toe PT a call to see how we can help!

By Coach Al Lyman, CSCS, FMS, HKC • For Active.com

Many people think gait analysis is all about—and only about—someone watching you walk or run and evaluating your feet and your shoes. How many of you have done the following? A clerk in your local running store watches you jog, and suggests a pair of shoes that are more stable, or more neutral, or more cushioned, or are the type that "forces" you to land mid-foot. Voila! Your biomechanical problems are solved. This is what most people know and have come to accept as gait analysis.

Let’s examine the most common misconceptions about gait analysis, and create a real picture of what it is, what it isn’t, and how it can be helpful to you as an athlete. True gait analysis is not a generic exercise, but is a scientifically-based and technically-precise process. It is highly individualized, and reveals a lot about how you will hold up to training and, ultimately, perform.

What Is a Gait Analysis?

When we conduct a gait analysis, your feet are only one small piece of your biomechanical puzzle. What happens to your feet is merely part of a holistic, whole body, integrated movement pattern. Running, like most other whole-body activities (such as swimming or many field sports), is essentially a unique way of moving.When an athlete is analyzed statically, dynamically, and then running on the treadmill during a gait analysis, it serves to provide a unique, personal movement "map." That "map" reveals the programming of everything happening within your body—from kinesthetic awareness and habit, to individual levels of mobility, stability, flexibility, and functional strength. The analysis of all these different elements taken together is what creates a complete picture of a person’s gait. In essence, it is far more than just gait analysis. It is true "movement" analysis.

Gait analysis uncovers precisely how your body is moving. Every activity, even standing still, represents a unique movement pattern. That pattern is bred from your habits and lifestyle, as well as your body’s mobility, stability, flexibility and strength. Every action you take—running stride, pedal stroke, swim stroke, etc.—represents that unique movement pattern. If your movements include compensations (and they likely do), gait analysis can pinpoint the areas in the body where these losses of efficiency originate.

Athletes get into trouble when major compensation, which often leads to true dysfunction, continues for extended periods of time.

How Compensations Affect Your Gait

Compensations in the body lead to imbalance around the joints. The larger prime movers (hamstrings, glutes, quads, etc.) become less active, and end up contributing less than their fair share of the work in moving us around. The smaller/tiny stabilizing muscles are forced to step in (compensate) and do the work of the larger, more powerful prime movers. The stabilizers are taxed day in and day out, mile after mile. Over time they end up, in a word, fried. Shredded. The wear and tear on the stabilizers greatly compromises recovery and your ability to train consistently. In short, this scenario is an injury waiting to happen. We see it over and over again.

Discovering the inefficiencies and compensations unique to you is the power of what true gait analysis can reveal. Once uncovered, these inefficient and costly "energy leaks" that rob you of power and free speed can be addressed. This cannot be overstated: Improper, unbalanced movement limits your ultimate potential and puts you at an exponentially-increased risk of injury.

In short, gait analysis is about you, and your personal and unique way of moving. Unless the underlying causes of your dysfunctional movement patterns are addressed, your patterns won’t change, and, thus, the risk of injury won’t improve. Gait analysis is about looking at your entire body as a holistic organism—a single amazing unit. It goes far beyond an untrained eye watching you jog in a pair of sneakers.

Boosting the local economy, one PT clinic at a time

2012-02-09T17:09:26Z

Can you remember the last time you were watching the local or national news and there was NOT a mention of the troubling state of the economy? We certainly can’t. Unemployment is up, small town America is suffering and many Mom and Pop businesses are being forced to close their doors due to big box competitors. With such a big problem, it seems overwhelming to determine where to begin to try and solve it.

There are many ways to make an impact to our Nations economy, beginning at the local level. Buy local. Shop at the Mom and Pop businesses, visit your local farmers market and try to be conscious of where the items you are purchasing were made. If you can, why not buy something that was created in the state you live in? The money you spend will support local families and businesses allowing them to survive all while sustaining your local economy.

How does this fit into Physical Therapy you may be wondering? Just as there are Mom and Pop stores with big box store competitors, the same goes for physical therapy clinics. At Head to Toe Physical Therapy, we are a locally owned and operated outpatient physical therapy clinic. We are not affiliated with any medical providers and choose to support other area local businesses when good or services are needed. We try and do a small part to lend a hand in hopefully changing the economical environment surrounding us.

At a more grass-roots level, the result will begin to create itself through minimal changes in one’s lifestyle. Stop at your local coffee shop in the morning instead of a large corporately owned chain. Visit your local hardware store instead of one of its larger competitors. Ultimately these choices will not have a huge impact on your personal bottom line, but will have a great impact on the local business you choose to support and their overall survival.

If nothing more, we hope that this blog post will provoke a little thought in your purchasing habits. Though it seems like a huge mountain to climb, we can make a difference, one transaction at a time.

“Be the change that you want to see in the world” –Mahatma Gandhi

Professional space for lease

2012-01-19T20:26:46Z

Recently, the lower level build out within the Topsham clinic location has been completed! There are 3 professional office suites available for lease individually or as an entire unit.The space was created with the opportunity for health profession networking within the physical therapy clinic and throughout the office suites. This is the perfect opportunity to expand a practice for a massage therapist, chiropractor, aesthetician, occupational therapist or any type of health related profession. The space offers handicap accessability, storage, and ample paved parking places very close to the entrance. Please contact Jill at 725-4400 if you or someone you know would be interested in learning more or to view the space in person.

Shared entry/ waiting area

View of one room from within

Room from doorway

Possible set up for a massage therapist

The space is brand new, and looks even better in person. If you or anyone you know may be interested, call Jill to make an appointment to see the beautiful possibility awaiting you! 725-4400.

Winter has arrived!!

2012-01-04T21:23:42Z

    The below freezing temperatures lead us to believe that winter has finally arrived here in Maine! Usually you are one of two types of people throughout the winter months in the North East. You either love it or hate it. Not very often do you find someone who is somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. You love it or hate it, plain and simple.
     For many of us who "love it" and enjoy skiing, showshoeing, snowmobiling, sledding or any other "s" verb you can think of to describe snow activities, the sight of the first snowfall is invigorating! Of course, along with the beauty of perfect snowflakes falling from the sky, comes risk of suffering from many different types of winter related injuries.
    First and foremost; winter driving. As a physical therapy clinic, we are not going to teach nor give you pointers on how to drive in the snow, but we will say this: SLOW DOWN!!! If you have somewhere that is imperative you get to during a storm, please give yourself enough time to get where you are going and travel at a moderate pace. We see a number of patients at Head to Toe who have suffered injuries from automobile accidents, and we would love to see that number decrease. Nobody likes getting into an accident that could possibly have been prevented.
    Once you have gotten where you are going, try to be aware of your surroundings. One in three adults age 65 and older suffers from a fall each year, with this statistic greatly increasing throughout the winter months. If it has recently snowed or rained with falling temperatures, there is a good chance the ground is going to be slick. Walk lightly, take baby steps and use assistance whenever possible. Who cares if you "look silly", take charge of your risk of falling and don't become a statistic.
    Another danger in the winter months is hypothermia. Often people associate hypothermia with winter sports, or even have visions of people climbing Mt. Everest, but it can occur a lot easier than you may think. According to The Center for Disease Control: Hypothermia most commonly occurs at very cold environmental temperatures, but can occur at even cool temperatures (above 40 degrees) if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat or submersion in cold water. Hypothermia warning signs include shivering/ exhaustion, confusion/ fumbling hands, memory loss/ slurred speech or drowsiness. If you think you or someone you are with could be suffering from hypothermia, immediately take a temperature reading. If it is below 95 degrees seek medical attention at once! If symptoms are not extreme, get into a warm room and begin to warm the body with an electric blanket if possible. Remove any wet clothing and continue to stay warm and dry until internal body temperature increases to normal. Of course it is always advisable to seek medical attention even if you do not feel your symptoms were severe, its better to be safe than sorry.
  Along with the colder weather comes achy joints and pains not often felt in the summer months. Though we cannot change the weather, we can give you ways to cope with how it affects you. One major pain-saver in physical therapy use is aquatic therapy. Our pool is kept at 85 degrees, the warm temperature aids in moving stiff sore joints and to be honest, the warm pool just plain feels good in the winter months! If aquatic therapy is not your thing, we have many other land-based routines that will help ease the pain felt throughout winter months.
    Though winter is often an enjoyable time, it is more enjoyable if you use caution and are aware of winter injury risk factors. We hope everyone has a fun winter, and always remember Head to Toe PT is here for you if you need us!!

Pain Medication VS. Physical Therapy

2011-12-21T21:15:52Z

A very dear friend of mine recently developed a cyst like growth on her leg. Initially she dealt with it as most of us would, by conducting personal research on what it could possibly be and praying it would just go away! She did not have health insurance and was avoiding a visit to the doctor like the plague. After about a week, it had only worsened. She bit the bullet and went to see a doctor and was diagnosed with cellulitis. Because she was in severe pain and only had the option of waiting until the antibiotics did their magic to help her condition, the doctor prescribed her with pain medication. As someone who did not frequent the doctors’ office, pain medication is not something she has or would usually take, but in this case the pain was unbearable.

In hindsight, she wishes she had never taken the pain medication. It made her paranoid, have crazy dreams both while sleeping and awake, become temporarily depressed all while living in a fog while the meds were in her system. She took the pain medication over a 2 day period and felt it took a solid three days of not taking the medication before she somewhat felt like herself again.

For her condition, physical therapy was not an option to aide in her healing process. But for many others who take pain medication on a consistent basis to deal with chronic low back pain, neck pain, headaches or whatever the ailment may be, physical therapy is a treatment alternative.

According to the American Physical Therapy Association, physical therapists teach patients self-management skills and how to deal with pain in day-to-day life. They show people how to build up strength and improve range of motion, and how to make sensible decisions on how to avoid pain flare-ups. They teach the skills necessary to eliminate the pain and its triggers all together, rather than providing a mask for the pain (such as pain medication).

“Bodies are meant to move. Healthy joints and muscles need to go through their complete range of motion to prevent stiffness and soreness we often experience when being inactive,” says Patrice M. Winter, PT, MS, FAAOMPT. It’s a simple concept, but totally makes sense. For more information on how physical therapy can help your chronic pain, give us a call to see how we can help.

The next time you find yourself reaching for pain medication to alleviate your chronic low-back pain, take a moment to ask yourself: “Do I want to ease the pain through medication? Or take control of the problem through physical therapy?”

Holiday 2011 Newsletter and Contest!

2011-12-16T20:44:29Z

Happy Holidays Everyone! We hope that everyone has had the chance to finnish (or perhaps even start) their holiday shopping!

It has been a great year for us here at Head to Toe PT. Below you will find our 2011 holiday newsletter with information of all the "happenings" here at Head to Toe PT as well as a few changes. We hope you will take a moment to read it and please feel free to provide any feedback.

On the last page of the newsletter, you will find our contest. Once completed, drop it off at either Head to Toe PT location or mail to:
Head to Toe Physical Therapy
attn: Newsletter Contest
439 Lewiston Rd
Topsham, ME 04086
Please remember to include your contact information so we can get a-hold if you if you are the winner!!

As always, we would like to thank everyone for their continued support and referrals of friends and family. We hope everyone has a pleasant holiday and a great start to the 2012 season!

Holiday 2011 Newsletter

Don't shop 'til you Drop! But if you do, we can help!

2011-12-07T15:27:15Z

With the holiday season in full swing, the excitement of family gatherings and togetherness can often be overshadowed by physical pain and mental stress. While this period is often referred to as “the most wonderful time of the year”, you may not agree as you are baking that last apple pie at one o’clock in the morning. “The added demands of the holidays can stress the body, thus increasing your risk of injuries,” says APTA spokesperson and physical therapist E. Anne Reicherter, PT, DPT, PhD. “Using proper body mechanics can help prevent muscle and joint discomfort this holiday season.”

Here are a few simple tips to help make life easier during the holiday season.

Make time for yourself. Though it may seem obvious, yet unachievable, making time for relaxation in a hectic day can make all the difference in the world. Dim the lights, practice deep breathing techniques, take a warm bath or relaxing shower, gently stretch tired and sore muscles or take a stress relieving walk.

Lifting. Test an object’s weight before attempting to lift a heavy package or luggage. Keep the load close to your body when lifting. If back pain persists more than a few days or gets worse, seek help from your physical therapist or other health care provider.

Shopping without dropping. Distribute the weight from your shopping bags evenly on both sides of the body. Wear comfortable shoes while shopping. Make frequent trips to the car to drop off purchases. Plan your trip accordingly; make a list to avoid aimless wandering.

Baking or cooking. To allow for better posture with less bending over, be sure to choose a work surface that is an appropriate height. Stand on a padded surface. If you have a tile floor, purchase a non-slip rug or foam mat to stand on. Frequently perform gently movement exercises to keep the muscles in your neck and shoulders loose.

A full list of tips on ways to prevent holiday-induced neck, shoulder and back injuries, including some photos demonstrating proper lifting and carrying techniques can be found in the “consumer tips” section of APTA’s consumer website, www.moveforwardpt.com. With hope, by taking a moment to follow these few helpful tips you will not fall victim to holiday pain and stress!

*Information within this article was provided from the American Physical Therapy Association and should be considered as educational, not medical advice.

Do you facebook? We do!!

2011-11-16T15:36:39Z

    With all of the technology options this day in age, some are just learning about email, the world wide web (www) what a .com is etc. etc, how do we expect people to keep engaging and moving forward with formats such as Facebook and Twitter?
    Facebook for anyone who is not familiar with it (odds are if you are reading this blog post, you have probably heard of or currently use facebook) hosts a medium that allows people to connect with other people and businesses alike. Facebook is your own "social media" for lack of better terms, that gives you the freedom to engage with whomever you choose (as long as they accept your friend request) .
    From a business standpoint, facebook is great because of its popularity and ease of use for followers. It allows for constant contact of pictures, stories and interesting tidbits of information that might not otherwise be conveyed through traditional formats such as a web site or email.
    At Head to Toe Physical Therapy, we like facebook, because it allows us to connect with our Head to Toe community on a less formal basis. We enjoy posting pictures of our PT dogs Ollie and Bailey, quirky quotes that we put on our sign, and any community involvement such as our food drive or the American Heart Association Heart Walk.
If you facebook, and most likely you do, "like" our page! Head to Toe PT facebook

Balance Screenings and Open House- A Hit!

2011-10-31T19:58:37Z

Friday October 21st, we held our annual Balance Screenings at the Topsham clinic, this year though was extra special; after the balance screenings Head to Toe PT celebrated 5 years in business! The turn out for the event was great, with fun had by all!

Jess greeted everyone who attended.
Snacks were available after the screenings.

Ange, helping out with one of the screening stations.

Many raffle prizes were won, with the grand prize an hour massage with Casey Cyr, LMT!

Casey Cyr, LMT offering free massages for all balance screening attendants!

For anyone who missed the event and is concerned with an ache, pain or ailment, Head to Toe PT always offers free injury screenings. Please call either of our clinics (Topsham 725-4400 or Lewiston 784-3400) to set up your free screening today!

Jill, Karen and the entire staff of Head to Toe PT would like to thank everyone who attended the event and made the day extra special. It has been a great 5 years and we look forward to the next 5. Thanks Again!!

Head to Toe PT Hosts a Food Drive

2011-10-17T15:02:00Z

The leaves are full of bright colorful enjoyment, the air is crisp and fresh, fall is here in Maine and the beginning of the holiday season is upon us. While many Mainer's are fortunate enough to enjoy the holidays with friends and family, becoming delightfully over-stuffed on turkey and apple pie, a lot of people are not so lucky. Head to Toe PT will be teaming up with the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program to host a food drive beginning on October 18th. The food drive will have boxes at both Head to Toe locations and anyone who donates to the food drive will receive a free reusable grocery bag!

The Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program provides assistance to over 12oo families in the Brunswick, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Durham, Harpswell, Lisbon, Lisbon Falls and Topsham communities. Their dedicated 250 volunteers help to run the soup kitchen, food pantry and food bank all of which make enjoying a delicious meal possible, when times are tough.

Please join Head to Toe PT in our efforts to make many families lives a little brighter this holiday season by stopping by one of our locations (439 Lewiston Rd. Topsham or 1977 Lisbon Rd. Lewiston) to drop off your donation and receive your free reusable grocery bag. We thank you in advance for your generosity and thoughtfulness this holiday season!

Save the Date! October 21st

2011-09-29T14:27:18Z

Can you believe it has already been 5 years??!! Head to Toe PT will be celebrating 5 years of serving the Mid Coast and Central Maine communities by hosting an Open House on Friday, October 21st from 4-6pm at our Topsham location (439 Lewiston Rd). There will be free food, fun giveaways and lots of great company! If you have ever attended Head to Toe PT for therapy, are interested in doing so in the future, are curious about who we are, or already know you love us and just want to come hang out, this is sure to be a great time!

Also, on October 21st from 2-4pm in honor of National Physical Therapy month, Head to Toe PT will be offering free balance screenings. Did you know one in three adults age 65 and older suffers from a fall each year? Often times these falls can cause serious injury and in extreme cases, result in death. With proper education on personal risk factors, these falls can be easily prevented. Our balance screenings will consist of 5 stations testing different risk factors, with a personalized conclusion and "action plan" to decrease your risk factors. There will also be information to take home with info on how to make your home safer. During the balance screenings (2-4pm) Casey Cyr, LMT will be offering FREE chair massages!! Who dose not love a free massage!

We hope that you will be able to attend one or both of these events on Friday October 21st from 2-6pm. If you know of anyone endanger of suffering from a fall, please encourage them to attend our free balance screenings. This is a must attend event, we hope to see you there!

Sisters Wish Event- Saturday September 24th

2011-09-08T18:17:27Z

    For anyone who is not familiar with The Sisters Wish, they are a non-profit organization that grants "wishes" to terminally/ chronically ill young adults age 18-30 in the New England area. The Sisters Wish started from two sisters who experienced the loss of brother after a 20 year battle with Ewings Sarcoma, that he courageously endured from the ages of 4-24. Together, they have made a personal mission to take their grief and transform it into something positive. Their mission statement is to "provide terminally or chronically ill young adults with a wish that will in some way improve their quality of life."  Jill, one of the owners at Head to Toe PT, has been on the board of The Sisters Wish for several years and enjoys donating her time to a worth while cause.
    Some previous wishes granted by The Sisters Wish, range from a weekend get-away with family, a four-wheeler to enjoy with a loved one, and often many wishes are for practical items such as a dishwasher or new shower. Often times it is the every day items that are overlooked when battling an illness, and make all the difference in the world when received.
    Saturday September 24th, The Sisters Wish will be hosting "Bike for a Wish" held in Sanford, Maine. The event will consist of 2 bike rides, one 25 miles and one 50 miles beginning at 8 and 9:30 am with a "welcome back party" after the ride. The event begins and ends at Shaker Pond Ice Cream in South Sanford, with the unveiling of The Sisters Wish Ice Cream Flavor!
    The cost to participate in the event is $75 with all proceeds going toward the foundation. If you don't bike, but would still like to participate in the event, you may attend the welcome back party for the same event fee.
    If you are unable to attend or participate in the event, but would still like to donate to a great cause, please send donations to:
The Sisters Wish
C/O Amy Savin
10 Sabrina Lane
Springvale, ME 04083

For more event info: The Sisters Wish...Bike for a Wish
For more info on The Sisters Wish

We all know someone who has or currently is suffering from an illness. We hope that you will help, in any way that you can, to improve the quality of life of someone who is suffering.

Zip-Lining!!

2011-08-29T16:52:07Z

A few weeks ago, Jill and Karen were gracious enough to take most of the staff (Jackie we missed you!) away for two days of team bonding, relaxing and a little excitement zip-lining in Bethel Maine.

The Head to Toe PT staff spent Thursday afternoon and evening relaxing by the pool, playing a few "friendly" games of ping-pong (who knew we were so competitive?!) and enjoying a delicious dinner catered from Gourmet in a Pinch in Bethel Maine. Though we are only a small group, eight total employees between the two clinics, it was really fun to get to know each other better and on a more personal level.

Friday morning, the big event occurred, zip-lining!! Though a few of us were hesitant, we all "manned up" and zipped through the air on six different zip lines. The scenery was beautiful, the weather could not have been better and best of all, we all had fun enjoying this experience together!

For those of us not afraid of heights, we highly recommend this experience, whether you go with friends, family, co-workers or just one other person, zip-lining is not something you will soon forget!

Click on the link below for more info on zip-lining at Sunday River Resort
Sunday River

Did you know? You have the right to choose!

2011-08-16T14:22:17Z

In the state of Maine, you have the right to choose where you go for your physical therapy treatment. This seems like a simple concept right? Often times when a doctor suggests you utilize physical therapy treatment, they will suggest where you go for that treatment. Their suggestions is usually based on a number of factors....

1. Are they affiliated within a medical provider network where they are obligated to refer to a specific physical therapy clinic?
2. Where is the PT clinic located? If there is a clinic located within minutes from the patients house, convince is often a factor.
3. Does the clinic offer the specific type of physical therapy that the doctor sees as beneficial for treatment of the patients injury or ailment? For example, there is aquatic therapy, which is PT performed within a warm pool. Manual therapy, where the problem area is physically manipulated by the therapist. Even more segmented would be, pediatric PT, geriatric PT, sports injury PT, cardiovascular and pulmonary PT, and many more.
4. Plain and simple, has the doctor heard positive remarks about the clinic and do they believe in their treatment results? All doctors want their patients to get better, and will refer to a clinic that they believe this is going to be possible!

At Head to Toe PT, we offer many types of physical therapy treatments at the convenience of two locations in Topsham and Lewiston Maine. Head to Toe's PT's have over 50 years combined experience. At our Lewiston location, Head to Toe PT is located within the Health Club and Spa, allowing use of their exercise equipment and Aquatic therapy within their indoor pool. One of the therapists in the Lewiston location also specializes in Pediatric physical therapy, working with children of all ages, from newborns to pre-teens. Within our Topsham location, our therapists utilize their expertise in manual therapy, geriatric, neurological, orthopaedic, and work related conditions.

Read what some of our patients are saying about us:

“ I had therapy at another facility before and was not happy with them. Here I got the help I needed and in 2 months I have made so much progress I can’t believe the difference. Head to Toe staff are all great.” ~Ann L.

“I found everyone here very friendly and concerned. I’m very happy I chose Head to Toe instead of some other therapy place.” ~Arlene H

“This was a fun, friendly, professional office to visit. The entire staff shows sincerity that is rare in other offices. Appointments are on time which is great for those that have to take time from work. I highly recommend this office."

Whether you have chronic headaches, just had surgery, experience back or SI pain, have incurred a sports related injury or whatever the case may be, Head to Toe PT is dedicated to helping you back to wellness. If physical therapy is something you will endure in the future, we hope that you will choose Head to Toe Physical Therapy for all of your treatment needs.

American Heart Association Heart Walk

2011-08-10T14:54:39Z

The staff, family and friends of Head to Toe Physical Therapy will be participating in the American Heart Association Heart Walk. The walk will be held on September 18th in Auburn Maine along the riverwalk. Currently heart disease is the number one killer within the US; funds raised will benefit heart disease and stroke education and research in an effort to greatly reduce the number of individuals affected by heart disease.

At Head to Toe PT we believe strongly in healthy heart education. We see first hand on a daily basis the major affects of maintaining a healthy heart and the benefits of physical activity. Each and every employee of Head to Toe PT has had a friend or loved one who has been affected by the disease, it is our hope that our participation within the event will help educate individuals and save lives.

If you would like to help support and sponsor Head to Toe PT and the American Heart Association, please click on the link below to donate directly online.

Head to Toe PT- Heart Walk Donation

No donation amount is too small, if you would like to send a check , please make it out to: American Heart Association (Cash is also accepted) and mail to:

Head to Toe Physical Therapy
Attn: Heart Walk
439 Lewiston Rd
Topsham, ME 04086

We thank you for your support and look forward to making a difference in the fight against Heart Disease!

Welcome to the Blog of Head to Toe PT!

2011-08-02T19:10:06Z

Welcome to the blog of Head to Toe Physical Therapy! The creation of this blog is to share helpful thoughts, tips, photos and articles some pertaining to physical therapy directly and some that will hopefully just put a smile on your face. We hope that all who read our blog will enjoy its contents and hopefully learn a little bit more about the benefits of physical therapy and how it can fit into your life. If there is anything specifically you would like to learn more about or questions you may have, please do not hesitate to ask! We thank you and hope you enjoy what you read!