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Have you woken up with a stiff neck, began to get headaches after working at your computer, or had to reach for painkillers to ease your neck pain? If so, we have put together this blog which tells you how to cure neck pain fast! Why Do I Have Neck Pain?Neck pain can be caused by a number of things, but an increasingly common cause is people spending a lot of time staring down – whether that’s at a computer screen at work, driving, reading or looking at their smartphones. All these activities have the same effect, and day by day, certain muscles in your neck become weak, the neck becomes misaligned and it can feel stiff because it no longer moves freely. This stiffness also usually coincides with neck pain. Add on top of this potentially sleeping with your neck in a poor position, and you are creating lots of stress on the neck muscles which results in neck pain that won’t go away, and neck pain that keeps getting worse. Finally, there are specific trauma-related incidents such as car incidents, falls or sporting injuries that can cause neck pain which can trigger long term neck pain that lasts for months, or even years. How To Cure Neck Pain Fast Without PainkillersIf you want to know how to cure neck pain fast, the first thing to consider is the severity and nature of the neck pain. If you are experiencing neck pain which is extremely painful, you suffer from other symptoms such as loss of consciousness, pins and needles, numbness, weakness, or a cold arm, you should seek medical advice immediately rather than trying to self-treat or wait for any upcoming appointments that you may have. If you aren’t suffering with the above, then there are some simple, but effective home remedies to cure neck pain fast without painkillers. How To Cure Neck Pain Fast Using Ice And HeatA fast way to cure neck pain is to alternate using ice and heat. Ice works by lowering blood flow to the area which can reduce swelling and inflammation. Heat works by stimulating blood flow to the area. This strategy can be a really effective way to cure neck pain that is caused by a strained, or torn neck muscle. As general advice, we would recommend applying heat or ice for 20 minutes at a time, a few times a day. When using ice or heat packs, or even a bag of frozen peas ensure that the source of ice or heat is not directly touching your skin. How To Cure Neck Pain Fast Using StretchesAnother way to cure neck pain fast is to use certain stretches such as shoulder rolls, shoulder blade squeezes, and head rotations. However, the best stretches to do will depend on your specific neck injury so we would recommend speaking to our team who can create a tailored stretching plan for you, which enables you to cure neck pain fast and avoid it coming back in future. As general advice, the stretches should be very gentle and slow, avoid sudden movements and over-stretching which may cause more damage to the affected area which slows recovery and increases pain. How To Cure Neck Pain Fast By Avoiding Activities That Created The PainIn the short term, avoiding the specific activities that caused, or contributed to the problem can be a fast way to cure neck pain. This gives the affected area time to recover. How long to avoid specific activities, like heavy lifting, sports, and driving long distance will vary depending on the severity of your neck pain, but our team can ensure you recover much faster through a variety of solutions which may include massage, dry needling, stretching and exercises. With our holistic approach to your overall goal, our goal is to help you recover from neck injuries and re-introduce the activities – we don’t tell you to stop doing the things you love if they are the cause of the pain. Instead, we can work with you so that you can do the things you love, without having to suffer with the current consequences (neck pain in this scenario). How To Cure Neck Pain Fast By Better Sleeping Habits
Firstly, ensuring that you have a firm mattress means that your body, from your hips, shoulders and into your neck and head is in natural alignment. If you have a particularly soft mattress, this can contribute to neck pain because your body is resting in an unnatural position for a long time.
Finally, it is generally better to sleep on your back, or your side, compared to sleeping on your stomach. If you sleep on your stomach, it is likely that your neck will be twisted to one side, and being in this position for hours at a time over night can create a lot of stiffness and discomfort in the morning. How To Cure Neck Pain Fast By Good PostureThis is more of a preventative tip, but if poor posture is the reason for your neck pain, then improving how you walk, sit and move can cure neck pain fast. When you are sitting at your desk, driving, or on the sofa reading a book or watching TV, try to avoid slouching and periodically think about how you are positioned.  Is your head pushed forward? Are your shoulders slouched over? Are your hips, shoulders and head in alignment or are they uneven? (for example, is your right hip raised up, your left shoulder dropped and your neck leaning forward?) By correcting your posture, you can relieve pressure on overworked neck muscles which can contribute to neck pain that won’t go away. Another often overlooked cause of neck pain is carrying heavy items such as bags, children, or grandchildren on one side. Over time, this places much greater stress on one side of the body and to protect itself, your posture will change to help with the load. Unfortunately, this can be a cause of neck pain so try to switch the shoulder you carry your bag on, and which side you carry your children/grandchildren. How To Cure Neck Pain Fast Using MassageThe final tip we have to cure neck pain fast is to get massages regularly which can loosen and stretch tight and overworked neck muscles that are contributing to the regular neck pain you are suffering with. Massage also helps by increasing blood flow to the area, and is a great way to speed up the recovery time from a neck strain. It is important to seek professional help if you are suffering with neck pain – sure, it might be tempting to ask your partner to massage your neck and this might provide some short term relief, but as they are not trained in this area, it could actually make the neck pain and stiffness worse. Massage is an important part of the healing process at Blue Wave. When To Get Help To Cure Neck PainWith neck pain, you may find that without any help, pain gradually reduces within a few days and it may heal itself within a week or two.
However, if it doesn’t go away, the pain or stiffness gets worse, or the problem keeps returning, then it’s likely that you will need some expert help to cure neck pain. If you are in the “suffered with neck pain for weeks, and it’s not getting any better” group, then our team is here to help. At Blue Wave Physical Therapy & Wellness, we have worked with many patients that experience neck pain without resorting to strong painkillers or injections. To find out more, we offer complimentary Discovery Visit Consultations, where you can speak to a member of our team, ask any questions that you have, and find out what’s stopping you from getting the life you want. We also have free, downloadable reports for people with neck and shoulder pain where you can learn how to ease annoying, daily, irritating neck and shoulder pain naturally – before it gets any worse… Suffering with annoying knee pain when walking, finding it harder and harder to do the weekly shop, and missing out on weekend strolls around or festivals? Knee pain is an extremely common problem for people over 50, and we understand how frustrating it can be. A lot of patients visit our clinics after seeing their GP and being told to take painkillers and rest, or that it’s just something that they will have to live with as they age… But what if you don’t want to rely on painkillers, and you don’t want to miss out on spending quality time with your friends and family in your retirement because of nagging knee pain? That’s where we can help… In this blog article we will cover:
 The Most Common Causes of Knee Pain When Walking Knee pain when walking can be caused by many reasons, but generally the pain will fall into two categories:
Fast Knee Pain Relief There are some simple things you can do for fast knee pain relief that don’t involve reaching for the painkillers. When you are suffering with knee pain, especially stiffness, the application of heat can be incredibly beneficial – Use a heat pack to the affected knee for 15-20 minutes which should reduce stiffness, and will likely provide fast knee pain relief. If you are having sharp pain with each step or swelling in the joint, and ice pack to the front and/or back of the knee for 10 min should decrease pain. Another important thing to remember is that pain behind the knee when walking will be made worse, and occur more often if you go through long periods of inactivity – so an effective tip can be to keep active (during the day, and throughout the week). For example, try to avoid sitting for long periods of time each day and aim to move every hour if you find that knee pain and stiffness is a problem for you. If you feel like you need to increase your activity level, we recommend doing this gradually which will help avoid making the problem worse. Finally, there are a number of exercises which can be very powerful at reducing knee pain, and minimizing the severity and frequency in future… Quick And Easy At-Home Exercise If You Suffer With Knee Pain When Walking Watch Catherine demonstrate a quick and easy at-home exercise that you can do if you suffer with knee pain when walking. This exercise is very safe for people of all ages, and helps to stretch tight muscles, and loosen stiff joints which should reduce discomfort behind the knee.
If your condition or injury is relatively minor, then applying the advice of keeping active, and regularly exercising may be enough to strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee, and avoid the knee becoming stiff and painless. However, if your condition or injury is more severe and the discomfort is getting worse, you may benefit from some more advanced pain relief techniques, and more specific exercise tailored to your individual needs… Start Your Journey To A Life Without Knee Pain If you realize that your knee pain is only getting worse, and you are missing out on creating treasured memories with your friends and family and you want expert help for your knee pain in the New Orleans area, take advantage of a FREE taster consultation today. A taster consultation is the first step to a happier, healthier and more active life so click the link below to arrange your Free Discovery Visit! Aging Adult. What does that even mean? We often hear “I just turned 40 and now I’m falling apart” or “I just turned 50 and…” or “I just turned 60 and….” What age did you start having those thoughts?
Many adults don’t understand the control they have over how they age. We think aches, pains, and loss of independence as a normal part of aging, right? NO! Although it is normal to expect physical changes with aging, there is so much you can do to take control of your life. Regular physical activity and exercise helps everyone (even over 50!) improve mental and physical health, both of which will help you maintain your independence as you age. Here are 5 reasons for staying active as aging adults… · Weight Control: We all know that exercise helps people of all ages maintain or lose body weight. But did you know, our metabolism naturally slows with age, especially after menopause, making exercise doubly important to maintain weight. Exercise should be a combination of cardio and strength training workouts to develop muscle mass, and in turn, increase metabolism and burn more calories to promote weight control. · Cardiovascular Circulation Frequent physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease and enhances your cardiovascular health. Adding a mix of cardio and strength training will give you an added boost of energy that will improve your heart health overall. Of course, underlying heart conditions and hereditary diseases will not go away as a result of exercising, but appropriately dosed exercise will help you keep those heart conditions from affecting your daily life. · Balance and Stability/Fall Prevention Older adults are at a higher risk of falls, but they are preventable! Exercise improves strength and flexibility, which in turn, improves balance and coordination. Falls can be costly in both medical bills and in changes of lifestyle, so anything that helps avoid them in the first place is critical. · Emotional Well Being: The mental health benefits of exercise are nearly endless. Exercise produces endorphins (the “feel good” hormone), which act as a stress reliever and leaves you feeling happy and satisfied. In addition, exercise has been linked to improving sleep, which is especially important for older adults who often suffer from insomnia and disrupted sleep patterns. Exercise is shown to help fight depression and reduce stress when those muscle generated mood boosters become active. · Bone and Joint Health Regular activity builds healthy bones and helps maintain bone strength, especially after menopause. Exercise works on bones much like it works on muscles — by making them stronger through the forces placed upon it. When you exercise regularly, your bone adapts by building more cells and becomes denser. Getting older doesn’t have to mean abandoning the activities or workouts you have enjoyed over the years, but it does mean adjusting your workout routine to your body. If injuries or joint pains cause fear about exercise, we recommend talking with a physical therapist to help you find a fitness plan that suits your body to prevent injuries or make them worse. Does all of this sound overwhelming? Don’t know where to start? Do you want to learn more about staying Fit after 50? Join us for a Lunch & Learn to hear all about staying Fit after 50! TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29th Copeland Tower Living 11:30 am ****Must reserve a spot! Email laura@bluewavept.com to do so! Last week we presented our “Keep on Your Feet” balance presentation to a great group of seniors. But what was most interesting to me was the non-seniors who were there and came to me afterwards saying.. “I learned so much” and “I didn’t know that falls were so complicated.” So I thought, we need to start talking about balance and risk of falls to all active adults. It can happen to you too!
A few facts about falls according to the Center of Disease Control Data…
Behind all these "fall facts" is a change in lifestyle and loss of independence that occurs with a fall. Recently, I had a client (in her 50’s) who tripped and fell at the gas station, fracturing her elbow, requiring surgery and a cast. She is now completely reliant on her husband for basic care, she can not drive herself to work and now must figure out how to continue working remotely. Almost the same story about my dad who years ago tripped at the car dealership when just getting an oil change. Elbow fracture, surgery, dependence on my mom for basic hygiene. But what happens to you if you do not have family at home who can assist? What if you are the caregiver for your spouse, parents, or young children? We want to avoid falls at all ages! t What Conditions Make You More Likely to Fall? Research has identified many conditions that contribute to falling. These are called risk factors. Many risk factors can be changed or modified to help prevent falls. They include:
Address Your Risk Factors!
How Can Balance Training Help? Balance is controlled by 3 systems in our bodies:
Over time, with age, injury, disease, or poor nutrition, any of these systems can become less efficient or even not work at all. Luckily, we have THREE systems, so when one is not working effectively, we can train the others to become more efficient for compensation. Physical Therapist are experts in determining which systems need to be trained and improved. And the MOST IMPORTANT factor with all three balance systems is that you must have good muscle strength and coordination for your body to respond to all the messages. To keep on your feet, you MUST exercise regularly. Not sure where to start with balance training or regular exercise? We can help! A quick consultation with our staff will allow us to determine what you need to address first and how to get started with a group balance class, individual Physical therapy, group fitness, or setting up a program for you to do at home.  While your annual physical by your primary care physician is very important, is not specifically catered to your musculoskeletal system. Physical therapists are experts in biomechanical assessments of the body. Whether you are in pain or not, we can help make sure that you have no underlying issues that might stop you from doing the activities you are passionate about.
Maybe you’ve had physical therapy before and want to ensure you’re doing your exercises correctly and everything is in working order. Maybe you are getting ready to start working out or training and want to make sure your joints and muscles are in good condition. Maybe you’re having knee pain when you swing your golf club. Your annual PT check-up will help you address any issues in advance so you don’t have to stop your activity and come see us for physical therapy. During your yearly PT checkup, we’ll screen your general body and joint range of motion, flexibility and strength, and perform more specific assessments as needed based on your screen results. If necessary, we’ll provide a corrective exercise program, activity modifications, or recommend a round of PT or massage therapy. An annual PT check-up truly is preventative maintenance for your musculoskeletal system. Your check-up is completely individualized and customized to you and your daily activities and goals. WHEN SHOULD I CONSIDER GETTING A PHYSICAL THERAPY CHECKUP?•
BENEFITS OF ANNUAL PHYSICAL THERAPY CHECK-UP Physical therapy should be a part of your annual check-up. A licensed physical therapist will closely examine nerve, muscle, skeletal, cardiovascular, and pulmonary systems through a holistic approach.
 Best ways to manage knee pain
Knee pain is often the result of arthritis in the tibiofemoral joint or patellofemoral joint. The best ways to manage arthritis in knees are keep them moving in a pain free manner, support the knee from the ground up, and strengthen. Pain free activity allows the knee to activate the synovial fluid, the viscous fluid that reduces friction in the joint. Finding activities that are pain-free is the key. If walking is not painful, it is an option. If walking is painful, then bicycling, walking, and exercising in water that is chest deep are great options. Supporting the knee from the ground up includes utilizing custom orthotics like Foot Levelers brand that provide stability and proper alignment, soft braces made of ace or neoprene material can also improve proprioception and stability. Strengthening the truck, hip, knee, and ankle will take some of the pressure off the knee joint. Some of the hip muscles also go through the knee joint, making hip strengthening essential for knee stability.  Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints
Gardening is pleasurable and can be a good form of exercise. To stay healthy while gardening, warm up before you start and use good body mechanics. You will want to limit the load you have to lift and carry. Taking frequent breaks from strenuous activities and from awkward postures will help prevent back, neck, knee and arm injuries that can occur after gardening. Gardening is a physical activity that utilizes major muscle groups in your back and legs in postures that strain our muscles and joints so warming those muscles up will make you less likely to get injured. A 5-minute walk or riding a bike followed by gentle stretches will get your back and muscles ready for gardening. The number one injury associated with gardening is low back pain. Check the weight of the load prior to lifting and break down heavier items, like bags of soil/mulch, into smaller containers to reduce the weight of being lifted and carried. Use a wheelbarrow or other mechanical aid to make the task more manageable. Take a walk or do a standing activity after prolonged lifting or bending activities to place your back in a neutral/upright position after being strained. Avoid prolonged sitting after bending or lifting activities. Taking a walk after doing gardening activities is a great way to bring blood flow back to your back and leg muscles, improving your ability to recover from the strenuous or prolonged activity safely. Your knees are utilized a lot while gardening to squat and kneel. Prevent inflammation in the knees by using a foam kneeling pad or portable kneeler and change positions frequently. Use ice or a cold pack after gardening if you experience discomfort. Your hands perform a lot of repetitive and gripping motions while gardening. Decrease repetitive fine motor motions of pinching and pulling with the thumb and index finger. Try using a tool to remove some of the weeds and alternate using the right and left hand to break up repetitive stress. Keep your wrist in a straight position (in line with your forearm) while gripping tools and while pulling weeds and lifting or pushing/pulling. Your shoulders and elbows get a good workout while gardening. Work below shoulder level whenever possible by using a ladder and limit elevated work to 5-minutes or less. Take a break or perform a different activity for several minutes prior to returning to the more challenging elevated work. When possible, work with the forearms in a neutral position (thumbs up) with your wrists straight (in line with your forearm) when pushing, pulling, and grasping. This decreases tension required for the arm muscles and tendons. Gardening can help you stay active and strong if performed safely. Warm up and cool down by walking or performing active standing activities or exercises before and after gardening. Decrease the amount of weight you need to lift and carry by placing a portion of the load in another container and use a wheelbarrow or other mechanical aide to assist with moving heavy loads. Take frequent breaks from strenuous or difficult activities to give your muscles and joints time to recover prior to returning to those activities. Avoid prolonged sitting after gardening. Use a cold pack on joints or your back if you feel any strain or pain after gardening.  Over the past two months, many people I know have gotten COVID, even two in my own household. Luckily, most people are recovering quickly, but what happens when symptoms persist over 4 weeks? Throughout the pandemic, health care providers have recognized that some people continue to have symptoms long past the initial infection. These symptoms are now recognized by many names, Post-COVID Syndrome, Long COVID, Long Haulers, PASC (Post Acute Sequalea SARS- CoV-2). Research shows that about 10% of people between ages 18-49 who have COVID -19 get Long COVID. Those odds go up for those over 70 and those with other underlying medical conditions or those who were hospitalized for COVID. Symptoms after acute COVID-19 are highly variable and wide ranging. The most commonly reported symptoms include (but are not limited to) the following:
Treatment for Long COVID involves a multidisciplinary approach from your health care providers, including physical therapists. What Can Physical Therapists Do To Help Long COVID?
PEM - Post Exerctional MalaiseFatigue from Long COVID is variable day to day. Some days energy levels are good, and the person is active and productive during the day. Then after a good day (and possible overexertion) the next few days (or even a month)may present with disabling fatigue. This leads to frustration, not knowing which each day will bring. Our society, work and home expectations lead people to push through the fatigue, ignoring their bodies, until they physically just can't do it anymore and present with other complications. These symptoms have been labeled as Post Exertional Malaise (PEM), and it can be caused by not just physical, but also mental activities. Post-exertional symptom exacerbation is a feature of the inability to produce sufficient energy on demand. PEM has been a symptom that has been long identified with other chronic disorders such as Epstein Barr Virus, MS, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. One technique that has been used by those suffering from PEM is labeled "Stop, Rest, Pace".
If you or someone you love is suffering from symptoms of Long COVID or Post-Exertional Malaise, reach out and talk to one of our physical therapist to get expert advice and direction on recovery. A patient came into the clinic last week limping with knee pain and asked:
"I've had this knee pain for a few weeks now, I'm not sure what I've done to it but I've tried taking paracetamol and that didn't help. I was trying to rest it so that it wouldn't hurt, but whenever I stood up and started moving, it hurt again so I had to sit down. Now I'm wearing a brace to see if that helps, but I can still feel the pain when I take it off. Is there anything else I can do to get rid of the pain?" I know how frustrating it can be when you're not sure what you've done to hurt your knee, and even more frustrating when everything you're trying to do to get rid of the pain - doesn't do a thing to make it feel any better. Everyone always thinks and hopes that there will be a "quick fix" to their problem. And because we see people confused, fed-up and even skeptical about what can be done to help with their knee pain, I wanted to address this idea of "quick fixes" for your knees - or for any joint problem, whether it's your knees, back, neck, wherever, and tell you why they're no good. With that said here's the 3 most common "Quick Fixes" that people THINK ease their knee pain, but that actually do the opposite: 1. Reaching for Painkillers When you're in pain, let’s face it, one of the easiest things to do is reach for the painkillers to "kill" the pain, quick. It's also unfortunately the first option that your Doctor or GP will give you to help your knee pain. But the thing is painkillers won't get to the root cause of your problem and actually do anything to fix it - they just mask the pain instead, which doesn't help anyone. And at the end of the day, that pain will still be there when the painkillers wear off. So it's better to do something to fix your pain long-term instead. 2.) Resting When pain strikes, it's very tempting to do nothing but rest "in case the pain gets worse", which means many people end up laying on the sofa watching their favorite TV shows... But when it comes to knee pain, 'rest' actually means to not do 'too much'. If you rest too much (A.K. not move much at all), your joints will become stiff and tight, which can make your knees feel even more achy when you try to move them. To actually help your knee, you could go swimming, go for a light walk, yoga or go for a cycle - basically any low impact exercise will help keep you moving and not place any added pressure on your knees. And lastly... 3.) Wearing a Support Things like knee supports should ONLY be used as a last minute resort. Wearing a support on your knee on a daily basis to try and ease the pain is actually masking the pain and creating an even bigger problem! The best way I can explain it is to imagine you have a broken leg or arm and you have a cast put on. After 6 weeks or so, when the cast is taken off, the muscles underneath are weak - it's exactly the same as wearing a support everyday. Because it supports your joint, it takes the pressure off your muscles, but doing this everyday will make your muscles lazy which will make them weaker. Once you take off that support because it's eased the pain, there's a very strong chance it could come back quicker and worse than before! So there you have it, 3 'quick fixes' that people think ease their knee pain, but do the opposite! Painkillers, rest, and wearing a support. When it comes to your joints, these quick fixes are not the way forward to fix your problem long-term If you want more information to recover from knee trouble, you can book a Discovery Visit with us to find out how to really help with the pain and not just mask it. We only have limited availability, so to make sure you secure your Discovery session in time, give us a call on: 504-313-6502, and if you know anyone who is suffering at the moment and they could benefit from this, pass our number their way to help put an end to it, quick. During the holidays we often find ourselves standing for long periods of time while cooking, shopping, or going to parties. If you aren’t used to standing for long periods your low back may feel tight or stiff, sometimes nagging for the rest of the day. Do not fear! This is a common problem and it is estimated that 80% of our population suffers from back pain at some point in their life. We want to share some possible causes, a few tips to prevent this from happening and some stretches to help relieve the pain when it does. Postural Stress and Muscle FatiguePostural Stress - In standing, the pelvis pushes or drops forward, increasing the curve in the lower back and thus increasing the pressure on the spine and the surrounding muscles. The increased pressure on your spine can make the lower back muscles tighten and go into spasm and cause pain. Muscle Fatigue - Without good core/abdominal muscle strength AND endurance to offset the load on the spine during prolonged standing, the muscle spasm or pinching of the nerves will occur sooner and may be more intense. People who are overweight may be at increased risk for muscle fatigue while standing for long periods. Common Underlying Spinal ChangesIf your body and spine has any underlying degenerative changes, pressure on the nerves may be increased and pain may be more intense with postural stress and fatigue. Here are some common causes of back pain... Spinal Stenosis- This is a narrowing of the spaces along the spine which increases pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Spinal stenosis symptoms may include leg weakness, numbness in the buttocks or the back of the legs, and relief by leaning forward. Degenerative Disc Disease - With age, the protective discs between each vertebrae may have “wear and tear”, shrinking or loss of height due to loss of water, or bulging/herniated discs. The degeneration of the disc leads to pressure between the vertebrae and along the nerves coming out along the spine. Hyperlordosis - Also known as “swayback”, this is an excessive curvature of the lumbar spine causing the stomach to stick out and the buttocks to become more prominent. This increased curvature places pressure along the back of the spine. It also creates a muscle imbalance between the abdominal muscles and back muscles, leading to core weakness and decreased spinal stability. Osteoarthritis - This is wearing of the cartilage along the bones in the joints, which affects the smooth movement of the bones and can cause pressure on surrounding nerves. Pinched Nerves or Sciatica -Pain from the nerves may be caused by pressure from any of the above changes in the bones, cartilage, or muscles surrounding the spine. Prevention Tips
How to Relieve the Pain Standing for a Long Period of Time
What if I Can't Relieve My Back Pain When Standing or Walking?If the low back pain remedies listed above do not help, it may be worth seeing a physical therapist. We are movement specialists and can get to the root cause of your pain and assess exactly what exercises and pain relieving techniques you need to use. Click Here if you need to speak with a movement specialist!
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We help active adults get back to exercising, feeling fit, and participating in the activities they love without medications, injections, or surgery.
Catherine Courtney, PTSpecialist Physical Therapist Categories
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