{"id":60613,"date":"2012-12-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-12-04T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news-draft\/uncategorized\/uri-physical-therapist-offers-advice-on-how-to-avoid-holiday-aches\/"},"modified":"2012-12-04T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2012-12-04T00:00:00","slug":"uri-physical-therapist-offers-advice-on-how-to-avoid-holiday-aches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2012\/12\/uri-physical-therapist-offers-advice-on-how-to-avoid-holiday-aches\/","title":{"rendered":"溏心vlog免费B站 physical therapist offers advice on how to avoid holiday aches"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\tKINGSTON, Dec. 4, 2012 \u2014 A mountain of snow is behaving badly on your front steps. You can grab a shovel and go at it like a frenzied ditch digger. Or you can heed the advice of 溏心vlog免费B站 physical therapist John McLinden: baby scoops, even if it takes all day.<\/p>\n


\nYour back will thank you.<\/p>\n


\nThe holidays are upon us, and that means snowy mornings (cross fingers), marathon shopping trips, long hours on your feet baking mince pie, and perilous journeys up a ladder to trim the Blue Spruce that you cut down without wearing a back brace. Tsk. Tsk.<\/p>\n


\nIf you take precautions, you can avoid a trip to the emergency room or an unwanted afternoon in repose, says McLinden, a clinical assistant professor of physical therapy in the College of Human Science and Services.<\/p>\n


\n\u201cLet\u2019s make a resolution to stay safe during the holiday season by being mindful of our bodies,\u201d he says. \u201cIt can be a stressful time physically and emotionally, but your body doesn\u2019t have to suffer. I\u2019ve got tips to keep you fit.\u201d<\/p>\n


\nCooking and baking are fun during mistletoe and menorah season, but also tough on the neck, shoulders and back. Standing for long hours, says McLinden, can create unbearable spasms that derail your day.<\/p>\n


\nThe kitchen counter should be level with your hips. McLinden suggests raising the counter\u2019s height with a butcher block periodically to force changes in posture. Also, try standing on a rug or other padded surface, instead of a hard tile floor.<\/p>\n


\nWhile cutting and mixing, he advises putting one foot on a small stepstool or on the edge of an open kitchen cabinet to shift weight off the lower back. Give each leg a turn in prop-up mode.<\/p>\n


\nHoliday shopping can also be physically grueling. Make sure you\u2019re wearing comfortable shoes. \u201cAvoid the heels,\u201d says McLinden. Leave your \u201cbeach bag\u201d purse at home; it\u2019s too heavy. A wallet will suffice. <\/p>\n


\nShare the wealth. If you have four shopping bags, carry two in each hand. Do not lift \u201cbig ticket\u201d items like TVs, pong-pong tables, or battery-operated Jeeps for toddlers. Don\u2019t be embarrassed to ask for help. <\/p>\n


\nIf you do lift, use your knees and legs. Avoid bending at the waist. Always keep items close to your chest. \u201cThe farther away something gets from you,\u201d says McLinden, \u201cthe more pressure there is on your lower back.\u201d<\/p>\n


\nSnow is pretty, but doesn\u2019t melt magically after a morning cup of Joe. Shoveling injuries can be prevented with common sense. Don\u2019t overload the shovel. Avoid twisting motions. Use an ergonomic shovel, with a bent shaft. Take breaks to keep from over exerting yourself. \u201cIt\u2019s about pacing,\u201d McLinden says.<\/p>\n


\nIf anxiety sets in at a holiday bash with boorish Uncle Harry from Kansas, McLinden recommends doing a few stretches in a quiet place: \u201cStraight up, back down, stretch the hamstrings, and then do it again.\u201d<\/p>\n


\nDeep breathing, a long walk among the elms, and good posture also reduce stress, he says.<\/p>\n


\nMcLinden\u2019s skills \u2014 and humor \u2014 are in demand on campus, where he runs the Physical Therapy clinic at Independence Square. He\u2019s the go-to guy for many 溏心vlog免费B站 professors, students, and staff workers dealing with \u201cpostural issues.\u201d Lower back pain is the most common ailment, caused mostly by sitting in front of a computer all day. <\/p>\n


\n\u201cI\u2019m over 70, but I play basketball regularly,\u201d says Alfred Killilea, professor emeritus of political science and a guard for MW12, a team of current and retired professors he plays with Mondays and Wednesdays at a Tootell gym. \u201cIt seems like our whole group visits John.\u201d <\/p>\n


\nNancy Kelley, assistant dean of the College of Human Science and Services, went to see McLinden after both hips were replaced last year. Hundreds of squats later, she\u2019s fully recovered, thanks to the clinic\u2019s high-tech equipment and McLinden\u2019s strength conditioning, gently implemented.<\/p>\n


\n\u201cHe knows the absolute latest of what\u2019s going on in the field,\u201d she says. \u201cHe also has such a great way of dealing with people. He puts you at ease, so you don\u2019t mind being there for an hour. In fact, you actually enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laughter and music are encouraged and valued in McLinden\u2019s clinic. \u201cI am guaranteed a belly laugh every time I go in,\u201d says Michaela Mooney, assistant dean in the College of Nursing. She\u2019s been his patient since the mid-1990s, most recently after knee surgery.<\/p>\n


\n\u201cHe treats everyone, no matter what age, gender or stature, with the same welcoming smile,\u201d says Mooney. \u201cThere\u2019s no one you could trust more. And there\u2019s always great music playing.\u201d<\/p>\n


\nNo, not \u201cJingle Bells.\u201d He\u2019s a Classic rock and Motown fan. His favorite tune during side shuffles across the exercise floor is \u201cAin\u2019t Too Proud To Beg\u201d by The Temptations. <\/p>\n


\nFor more information about a pain-free holiday, e-mail McLinden at elvis1122@aol.com or call him at 401-874-2006. He can also be reached through his business, Liberty Physical Therapy, at 401-722-0012.<\/p>\n


\nPictured above: John McLinden, clinical assistant professor of physical therapy at 溏心vlog免费B站, and his patient, Michaela Mooney, assistant dean in the College of Nursing.

\n溏心vlog免费B站 Marketing & Communications photo by Michael Salerno Photography.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KINGSTON, Dec. 4, 2012 \u2014 A mountain of snow is behaving badly on your front steps. You can grab a shovel and go at it like a frenzied ditch digger. Or you can heed the advice of 溏心vlog免费B站 physical therapist John McLinden: baby scoops, even if it takes all day. Your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":60616,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60613"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60613\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}