Occupational therapy enables people of all ages live life to its fullest by helping them promote health, prevent or live better with injury, illness, or disability. It is a practice deeply rooted in science and is evidence-based, meaning that the plan designed for each individual is supported by data, experience, and "best practices" that have been developed and proven over time.

Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants focus on “doing” whatever occupations or activities are meaningful to the individual. It is occupational therapy’s purpose to get beyond problems to the solutions that assure living life to its fullest. These solutions may be adaptations for how to do a task, changes to the surroundings, or helping individuals to alter their own behaviors.

When working with an occupational therapy practitioner, strategies and modifications are customized for each individual to resolve problems, improve function, and support everyday living activities. The goal is to maximize potential. Through these therapeutic approaches, occupational therapy helps individuals design their lives, develop needed skills, adjust their environments (e,g., home, school, or work) and build health-promoting habits and routines that will allow them to thrive.

By taking the full picture into account—a person’s psychological, physical, emotional, and social makeup as well as their environment—occupational therapy assists clients to do the following:

• Achieve goals
• Function at the highest possible level
• Concentrate on what matters most to them
• Maintain or rebuild their independence
• Participate in daily activities that they need or want to do.

The holidays are over and a new year is here. For many of us it's the time of year we strive to drop the unwanted pounds that we gained eating all those holiday treats. If your resolution is to lose weight, there are some things to consider.

First, losing weight requires a combination of diet modification plus exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 200-300 minutes of physical activity per week to lose weight. To maintain weight loss, you should continue with 60-90 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per day (Dietary Guidelines for Americans). A combination of aerobic exercise (walking, running, biking) and resistance training (weight lifting, resistance bands) will help you maintain a healthy weight. In addition to exercise, you may need to make dietary changes to achieve your weight loss goals. The Surgeon General recommends that you eat from every food group with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low fat milk. You should also include lean meat, poultry, fish and foods low in saturated fats in your diet.

Gina and Johnathan Otterbein with Congressman Bill Huizenga of Michigan's Second District at the Michigan Snowmobile Association outing at Coyote Crossing in Cadillac.

Northern Physical Therapy was a finalist for the Grand Rapids Business Journal's Top Women Owned Business. Pictured here are Lisa, Susan, Gina, Janis, and Jan at the March 2 luncheon.

Our Coopersville team participates in the annual Chili Cookoff. This year our chili won judges choice and got second place for people's choice. Susan, Lisa, and Josh are shown with our trophy.

Each year we sponsor a team in the Coopersville Outhouse 500 Race. The Norther PT, Hecksel & Hecksel, and Touch of Style outhouse was pushed by Scoobie and The Outlaws, and they won the outhouse 500!

Whether we like it or not, winter in Michigan means snow, and oftentimes lots of it. So why not try to think of the positives? Turns out that shoveling that white stuff can actually be good for your health. Just fifteen minutes of shoveling is considered a moderate physical activity that provides many health benefits, according to the Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health (1996). Unfortunately, slips and falls while shoveling are the largest cause of emergency room visits and account for 20 percent of shoveling related injuries (National Safety Council and Health Day News, 2011).

So, how can you reap the health benefits of shoveling and not become the next patient at your local clinic? Northern Physical Therapy has a few tips for how to prevent falls and other injuries:

First: Stretch and warm up your muscles before shoveling by walking for a few minutes or marching in place.
Second: Wear rubber soled footwear to decrease the risk of slips or falling.
Third: Stand with your feet hip width apart for balance and bend at the knees. Lift with your legs and tighten your stomach muscles and hold the shovel with arms apart to maximize leverage. If you need to shovel snow to one side, make sure to reposition your feet in the direction the snow will be going.
Fourth: Use a shovel with a smaller blade to lift less snow. A shovel of snow can weigh over ten pounds so if possible, focus on pushing the snow rather than lifting. Most importantly, listen to your body and stop if you begin to experience pain.

DID YOU KNOW?

A 155 pound person sholveling for 30 minutes will burn 172 calories. Calculate your calories burnt from shoveling

During these tough times in Michigan, supporting local communities and businesses has never been more important. We at Northern Physical Therapy strive to support our local communities in every way we can. From getting involved in groups and schools within the communities we serve to choosing local vendors with whom to do business, here are just a few of the ways we keep ourselves in a local state of mind!

• Local Chambers of Commerce including Coopersville (Gina, owner, is on the board of directors), Wayland (Janis, owner, is President), and Sparta.
• Coopersville Rotary, active member.
• Kiwanis of Wayland, active member.
• Grand Valley State University; assist students with interviewing, resume writing, leadership, and management.
• Invite high school students to job shadow at the clinics.
• Active volunteers for the Coopersville and Wayland school districts.
• Hire local vendors for printing, marketing, catering, IT, event planning, signage, maintenance, etc.

 

Looking for ways you can become more supportive of your local community? Check out these 4 tips:

• Support your local businesses! Shop at local supermarkets, coffee shops, and boutiques. These businesses might be slightly more expensive than their national brand counterparts, but much more of their revenue stays in your community.
• Buy locally-grown food. Not only does it support local growers, the food is more nutritious and there is less environmental impact.
• Support local issues in your community. Stand up for what you believe in on a local level. Vote in local and community elections. Support your city council, mayor, and other local officials.
• Volunteer in your local community. Volunteer at your local food pantry, school, or homeless shelter. Helping those in your neighborhood strengthens your community!

Planning holiday meals, fighting crowds at the mall, and wrapping gifts can all make for a stressful holiday season! When we experience stress, whether we are conscious about it or not, our body releases stress hormones that can lead to tension, headaches, body aches and/or mental “fog.” Luckily, finding a healthy balance between hectic and peaceful is possible with a few simple techniques.

The first step in managing stress is simply to focus on awareness. Take several moments throughout the day to pause and observe your body. Are you clenching your teeth, holding your shoulders up toward your ears, locking your knees straight, or clawing your toes in your shoes?

Once you identify where in your body you are feeling stress, try these simple techniques.

Relax the shoulders, let your tongue rest gently at the top of your mouth, relax your toes, and let your knees bend just slightly to reduce tension.

Take a deep breath! Breathe in through your nose slowly and with LONG inspiration, followed by blowing out your mouth slowly and with LONG expiration. This allows proper oxygenation to your muscles, organs and brain.

Exercise and eat healthy. You may feel like you don’t have a second to spare, but it’s important to keep active (and racing around from store to store doesn’t count!) Even if you only have time for a brisk15-minute walk outside, do it. You will feel better and more relaxed later. Also opt for healthy foods with the right mix of protein and carbohydrates. Not only will it keep you energized, you won’t feel as guilty when it’s time to indulge in those yummy holiday treats.

Lastly, don’t forget to remind yourself of what’s really important during the holiday season. Taking time to give thanks, share with family and friends, and laugh can all instantly help you relax. Happy Holidays!

In November of 2010 we celebrated a community open house at our Sparta location. Thanks to all who participated, attended, and supported Northern and the Sparta community!