I’M GRATEFUL to live in the USA with our freedom, opportunity, and security. I loved growing up in Rutland, VT, a white and blue collar mix, with a cultural diversity of Italians, Irish, Polish and New Englanders. I’m drawn to the topography and climate of New England and I enjoy living here. The Upper Valley is a wonderful mixture of Vermont and New Hampshire: The pastoral small-town community feel of Vermont and the spirit of the Live Free or Die state reminding me to stand for what I believe in.
I’m grateful for our home in Lebanon where we raised our family. There are good schools for the kids, trails to walk on, safe places, and citizen organizations that support and look after those in need of a hand up. We take care of our own.
I’m grateful for our organization. Every day I get the opportunity to work with a team of really bright, positive people, and our mission is to help others. I’m so impressed about what we have accomplished, not only as a company, but as a community.
In our community, we each have our own unique viewpoints, but it is collectively that we have an ability and a potential to accomplish great things. My wish is that we can see and admire the things that make each of us uniquely different but revel in working together in common purposes. Together, we can accomplish great things for a rich and vibrant community.
PT, DPT
Doctorate
Welcome Katie Simanson, PT, DPT, to Cioffredi & Associates in Lebanon! Specializing in working with orthopedic and neurological diagnoses, her mission in the health care field is to make rehabilitative services easily accessible to the community. Katie has extensive experience with diverse patient populations and pain conditions through her clinical experience, service work, and research that lends her a more complete approach to patient care. In particular, her treatment approach emphasizes the necessity of movement as medicine to make an impact on functional abilities. With the ultimate goal of improving their overall wellness, Katie enjoys working one-onone with patients to troubleshoot and address their unique pain condition.
New Englanders know: shoveling snow is a remarkably strenuous activity! In our clinic, we see many folks each season with injuries, particularly after the first few snows as they get back to it after the “offseason.” That’s why this is the time to start thinking smart and thinking ahead with a plan. Start by surveying what areas you are going to need to clear throughout the season. How much of it can you regularly manage with just you and your shovel? Are you limited on time or have a medical condition that would limit your ability to comfortably shovel? If so, consider options for snow blowing, either yourself or through a service, to move the majority of the snow. If you are going to tackle it all between you and your shovel though, we have some tips and tricks to keep you moving.
• Warm up: Prepare your muscles and get your heart pumping by moving and stretching.
• Use the Right Tools: Snow conditions vary. They may be best handled with different shovels or tools. See our guide for recommendations.
• Push first: Leg muscles are designed for power; our backs, not so much. Push the snow when you can, generating power from your legs and using your forward momentum, and move it as close to the disposal location as you can.
• Lifting/Throwing Mechanics: Squat down and lift the snow, again using your legs to generate power instead of your back. Stepping in the direction you are moving the snow reduces the amount of twisting that can cause additional stress.
• Know Your Limits: Take frequent breaks and drink plenty of water.
-Mike Diehn at the Grantham Clinic
Here in New England, the snow comes at us in all types, so it’s a good idea to have at least two types of shovels on hand. We recommend having a flatter scooping shovel to cut through deep or dense drifts (like the ones created by a snow plow) and a more rounded pushing shovel for scooping up and transporting looser snow. With that in mind, here are our picks:
Always push first to reduce lifting and throwing heavy loads “Sleigh” shovels have a large capacity, glide easily over the ground, and can even be pushed up over small/medium snow banks
Ergonomic handles reduce the strain on your back.
A sharp bend in the shaft reduces the need to bend over and prevents you from lifting heavy scoops which, while frustrating, is generally better for your back.
Two handles keeps you more upright and helps redistribute and balance weight between your hands. Purchase built in or as an attachment to your favorite!
Innovative electric snow shovels can do much of the work for you
While not as powerful as larger, gas-operated snow blowers counterparts, electric shovels are more affordable, operate off the same powerpacks that run your power tools, and can still pack a punch!
Store your shovels where it’s cold. Snow sticks to a warm shovel and adds strain to the job. If you have trouble with a sticky shovel, try a light coating of cooking spray on the blade.
“My recovery (from total knee replacement) was extremely arduous... I was beginning to feel hopeless in that my cycling abilities (MTB, road and gravel) would be greatly diminished, and for two years, it was. That my ability to ski, hard, would also be affected. But from the get-go, right after surgery, the team at Cioffredi was nothing short of awesome. Kate, in particular, served as a guide and coach in my recovery. She was patient, accommodating and incredibly knowledgeable about orthopedic issues, ultimately pushing and challenging me to get back to 100 percent plus! As a professional ski instructor and avid cyclist, I’m better than I’ve been in memorable history, skiing with greater balance and full range of motion, the likes of which I have not experienced in over a decade...maybe two. Having had A LOT of orthopedic-related issues due to a very active lifestyle, this was and has been my best experience in working a physical therapy team. Kate and the team at Cioffredi are simply the best!”
-John Caceres“As a yoga teacher, I really rely on my body. In my mind, it just made sense to do PT [for my hip pain] even if I eventually would need surgery, because you still want to be strong going in and discover any deficits in that area that might have caused the problem in the first place... And now I’ve gained a lot of strength and confidence! I feel very supported and I feel hopeful, which is such a huge part of the healing process. “ -Lisa Gleeson
“I arrived with a sore left arm from an old injury. Julianna worked with me to find stretching and strengthening exercises. She also used the NEUBIE which seemed to make a big difference. After a few weeks, the pain that had bothered me for about a year faded away. To Julianna this may have been “All in a day’s work.” To me, it was miraculous! Thank you!”
-Sue Kruse
“Howard has done a wonderful job of restoring my physical abilities and confidence... My goal was to find my baseline and seek preventive measures to deal with my aging body. I feel he has given me the tools to do this and feel optimistic about resuming all my former activities, respecting certain boundaries, and feeling confident about navigating my future. This is huge. I can now feel 75 years young (vs. old).
I am extremely grateful for his knowledge, advice, cheerleading, and healing powers. It has been a body/mind journey for me. Living strong!”
-Judy Carmasin
Judy was in pain and afraid to injure herself further due to sciatica and osteoperosis. After graduating from PT, Judy is exercising and lifting with the Cioffredi Personal Training Program
After spraining her LCL while playing soccer, Sarah Belk works with Performance PT, Nick Franssen to get back in time for basketball season. She is being recruited by multiple colleges and is hoping to make an impact!
After experiencing a ruptured patellar tendon, life and activity as I knew it, came to an abrupt halt. After undergoing skillful surgery, I began the long and daunting process of rehabilitating from my injury. Kate, Neil, and the team at Cioffredi provided me the guidance, education, encouragement, and tools needed to recover from my injury. I have been delighted with my rapid return to an active lifestyle and have continued to incorporate the exercises provided to me into my ongoing training routine. I am tremendously grateful to the team at Cioffredi for affording me the opportunity to overcome, and get back to action! -David K.
is different, but there is a
- Ellen Quinn
“People work their whole life to get to retirement and by the time they do, they can’t even enjoy it. I kept falling down and breaking stuff. Between covid and a back injury this year, I had been so sedentary for so long and I couldn’t do anything. It was really affecting me doing the things I love.”
“Now I don’t hurt at all! I’ve been going out kayaking with my husband. It’s incredible. Before, I could only go out for an hour. But last week I went out all morning. My poor husband went home and had a nap and I went home and gardened! I couldn’t believe how much better I felt. I could really just do it without thinking about it.”
“My goal is to just keep getting stronger. My doctor wants me to lose weight, but honestly, I just want to feel really good... My advice? Don’t wait until your 66!”
Ellen does back squats for the first time in her life and is working up to pushups!