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 of Schenectady, P.C.
Injury Prevention Tips and News

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Most people only consider Physical Therapy when they have already had an injury. But, did you know that Physical Therapists are also well trained in injury prevention? Many of our physical therapists have specialized training that allows them to go into offices and factories and do work site assessments. If you are concerned about injuries on the job from sitting all day or from repetitive activities such as bending or lifting, speak to your human resources manager or safety officer about a work site evaluation. You can also call one of our several capital district offices for more information.       
   Office Locations
 
Schenectady
1533 Union Street
Schenectady, NY 12309
(518) 381-9166
 
Scotia/Glenville
42 Saratoga Rd.
Glenville,NY 12302
(518) 399-6861
 
Rotterdam/Guilderland
3434 Carman Rd.
Schenectady, NY 12303
(518) 356-7445
 
Clifton Park
17 Halfmoon Executive  Park  Dr.
Clifton Park, NY 12065
(518) 371-6777
 
Latham
1182 Troy Schenectady Rd
Suite LL02
Latham, NY 12110
(518)220-9705
 
Troy
1 Conway Court
Troy, NY 12180
(518) 273-2715
 
West Sand Lake
43 Mall
West Sand Lake, NY 12196
(518) 674-1744  

Amsterdam
178 Clizbe Ave 
Amsterdam, NY 12010
(518) 842-1425
 
Tamarac
Tamarac Plaza
PO Box 118
3991 State Rte. 2
Cropseyville, NY 12052
(518) 279-4610

Ballston Spa
220 Church Ave.
Ballston Spa, NY 12020
(518) 885-1541

 
Hand Therapy at Guilderland Accepting New Patients
 
 
Located within our Rotterdam/Guilderland office is Hand Therapy at Guilderland. Sheryl Sturn OTR/L, CHT is available for all hand therapy needs.
 
Call 630-6167
to schedule an appointment.

 

 

December 2012 
Three Exercises You Must Do If You Sit All Day!!
 
      Several articles and research reports have been written about the perils of prolonged sitting. Not only does it have implications for your musculoskeletal system, but it also has been linked to other health related issues. Even sitting for a few hours every day has measurable and negative effects.  A 2010 study by the American Cancer Society followed 123,216 individuals from 1993-2006 and the results are alarming: Women who were inactive and sat for over 6 hours a day were 94% more likely to die during the same time period studied than those who were physically active and sat for less than 3 hours a day. Men were 48% more likely to die than their standing counterparts. Findings were independent of physical activity levels (the negative effects of sitting were just as strong in people who exercised regularly). Prolonged periods of sitting has also been linked to increased risk of heart disease and cancer among other diseases.
     Researchers suggest that when you are sitting only small muscles are contracting leaving the large muscles relatively still which leads to weakness and atrophy. 
       So what can one do to offset these terrible side effects? Moving regularly throughout the day by standing, walking around your office or work space, or doing the stretches in the section below, one can counteract the negative effects of sitting.  "Even A 10 minute walk actually reduces your risk for bad heart problems by about 50 percent", said Ron Winslow, senior writer for health and science at the Wall Street Journal. 

Do These 3 Exercises if You Sit All Day at Work

                                                    

Cervical Retraction

Sitting all day with a forward head position places your cervical spine in a protracted position and flattens the natural curve in you spine. Do the following exercise 10-12 times every 2 hours during your work day. You can also do it during your commute to and from work.

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From your forward head position slide your head as far back as you can without tipping your chin up or down. Think of a pie being pushed into your face. Hold for a pause and return to your start position.

 

Standing Back Bend (Extension)

Sitting all day also has a similar effect on your low back as the effects it has on your neck mentioned above. Slouched sitting reverses the curve in your spine and increases pressure in the intervertebral discs which could lead to disc bulges or herniations. Do this exercise every 2 hours.

 

Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and place your hands in the small of your back. Lean back into your hands without bending at your knees as shown above. Hold for a pause and return to start position.

 

Standing Calf Stretch

This stretch not only targets your calf muscles that can get stiff from prolonged sitting, but also elongates your anterior hip and abdominal muscles.


Stand facing a wall in your office or use the back of a chair or counter top. Place one leg behind you keeping your knee straight. Bend your front knee and shift your weight forward keeping your back heel down until you feel the stretch. Hold this position for up to 10 seconds. Repeat 6-8 times per side every 2-3 hours.

 

We Want To Hear From You 
We want our newsletter to be specific to the needs of our clients. We would like your help to do this. Please feel free to email any requests for specific topics to be addressed or questions you might have regarding physical therapy and we will do our best to address them in upcoming newsletters. Email requests to ptrotterdam@aol.com attn. Kevin.