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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Wednesday, November 7, 2012
MEDICAL INSIGHT
Keeping your family active important during winter By ROXIE RODGERS DINSTEL
system, just move. Dancing, housework and climbing stairs all help everyone stay fit and don’t require extra room or gear. Dance along with your kids to some good music. They’ll have so much fun they’ll forget to make fun of your moves. Try marching, hopping, pumping your arms — whatever you can dream up. • If you are going to play inside, provide gear that won’t hurt anyone. Encourage active play with balls for throwing and rolling. Be sure Please see ACTIVE, Page 16
Teresa Butler, DPT DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY Willow Physical Therapy In the Medical Dental Arts Building 1919 Lathrop Street, Suite 222 Fairbanks, AK 99701 (907) 456-5990
Physical Therapy for the Chronic Wound As we age the body declines. Our skin loses its elasticity and becomes easier to tear while decreased mobility limits our ability to care for our skin. Compounding medical issues affects our skin and blood supply leading to breakdown of tissue. These and other problems set the stage for wounds to occur and also contribute to the inability for wounds to heal in a timely manner. In general, the geriatric population tends to have a greater risk for ulcers of the leg. There are four basic ulcers that are found on the lower leg and foot: Neurotropic (diabetic), pressure, venous stasis, and arterial ulcers. Ulcers of the leg and foot will often take weeks and sometimes years to heal. Wounds which fail to heal within 2-3 months are typically classified as chronic. Many factors contribute to the healing process of wounds. Patients who have a history of smoking, diabetes, and heart disease will often experience slower wound healing due to damage of capillaries which supply blood to the area. Other factors such as regular irritation to the area, infection, and poor nutrition will also affect the rate of wound healing. Treatments of wounds should include a team of medical professionals including your doctor, nurse and, if needed, a physical therapist. This team will evaluate the patient and determine the causes of the wound and barriers to healing. With medical guidance, you may be able to perform your own wound care. If that is not enough, a skilled physical therapist can assist. A physical therapist can provide direct care including selection and application of specialized dressings and debridement (the process of removing nonviable tissue which impedes healing.) Preventative measures can be taken to reduce the risk of development of a wound. Controlling and managing blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, diabetes, and other medical conditions to create a healthier body is the first and foremost step. Orthotic shoes, regular inspection and cleaning of the feet in patients with diabetes will help to prevent initial injuries to the skin which may progress into a chronic wound. Physical Therapists who treat wounds can be found online at apta.org.
Our thanks to Teresa Butler for contributing this column. The article is intended to be strictly informational.
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ways to keep your family active: • Seek out indoor places Shorter days and colder to encourage movement. Go weather might make you want walking at the Big Dipper to retreat to the house until or climb some stairs either spring, but it is important at home or in a public place. that kids (and adults) stay Take a swim at one of our active throughout the year. local pools or seek out a basEven though winter weather ketball court to shoot a few can be a powerful inducement hoops. for kids to play video games, • If you are stuck at home, watch TV and just generally be active. Play active Wii hibernate, it is important to or Kinect games, such as make the effort to stay active. bowling, golf or other sports Researchers believe chilgames. The dance games are dren burn about half as many another way to increase activcalories in the winter as they ity. do in the summer. Fitness • If you don’t have a game experts believe that while children tend to eat more in the winter, the larger problem is a decrease in activity. Keeping kids active — the sort of movement that gets a heart rate up — is crucial year-round. Children should be active at least 60 minutes most days, but it doesn’t have to be all at one time. It can be performed in increments as small as five or 10 minutes. Parents should lead by example and be more active themselves. Kids will be more active if parents join them. Also, it must be fun, so pushups and sit-ups probably won’t work. We live in the most beautiful place in the world, but it gets cold up here. By dressing correctly, children can continue to get outside on all except the coldest of days. Dress children in layers, with warm boots, gloves and hats, and they can venture outside each day. Think about family activities like sledding, skiing, building snowmen (or snow forts) and throwing snowballs. It is important not only for the family to get exercise, but also the pets. Bundle up and take a nice long walk with the dog. We all need a dose of sunshine, particularly during the winter to fight depression. If it is too cold to get outside, here are some additional
Submitted by Contributing Community Author