Duffy & Bracken Physical Therapy Blog

Prostate Cancer Awareness and Rehab

Post Prostactomy may patients suffer from urinary incontinence during the
first few weeks of recovery, for some it lasts months or years. Physical
therapy in particular pelvic floor muscle training or (PFMT), is recommended
and improves the capacity to increase urethral closure during stress
episodes.
A recent study indicates that PFMT is better than no therapy because it
reduces the episodes of incontinence by almost 72%. In January 2002-2004
the University of Florence conducted a trial for patients post prostate
cancer. Patients were enrolled and gathered into group A and B with similar
homogeneous situations. Group A underwent Pelvic Floor Rehab for 6 months
and was taught to hold a pelvic contraction in a supine position as well as,
sitting, standing, squatting, and going up and down stairs. Group B was the
control group with no therapy.
After one-month continence was achieved by 29 patients in group A (19%) and
only 8% in-group B. After three months 74% regained continence in group A
while only 30% percent in group B. In addition, the costs to controlling
incontinence issues in men after prostate surgery is close to $7,000 dollars
while people who undergo therapy cut that cost in half.
In support and recognition of Prostate Cancer, Men's Health is Sponsoring
Septembeard. To get involved men can throw out your razor, liberate
yourselves, and start growing! You can track your stats and growth on the
Septembeard page and see how you compete against other men in beard growth! You may also donate to the top 6 prostate research centers and
hospitals in the country.
Duffy and Bracken Physical Therapy's Jimmy Sherman is down with the beard
and prostrate awareness. We are also a Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation
Facility. If any of you have any questions or concerns, needs or
suggestions, please call 212-402-5430. We can help.

Duffy and Bracken Physical Therapy and Wellness
75 Maiden Lane, Suite 404
New York, NY 10038
Phone: 212-402-5430
Fax: 212-402-5432

Fashionable but not Functional Shoes by Season

We are all guilty of choosing shoes solely based on how they look.  After an hour walking the streets in them we are regretting our purchase and at the Duane Reade searching for heel protectors, or a box of bandaides. 

Renuka Pinto Duffy and Bracken's Shoe expert helped me to reccomend staying away from these types of shoes to avoid foot pain and wasted money on shoes you can't wear regularly.

Summer-  The easiest shoe of all-  We wear them all summer long.  Yet, they were not meant to be everyday shoes.  You know them well.  FLIP FLOPS.  The name says it all.  Your foot flips and flops in them offering your arches extra work and exposing your feet to future damage.

Fall-They are the latest fasion, but unfortunately offer no foot support at all.  The ballerina slipper/shoe.  Have you ever seen a real ballerina's feet?  I'm sure if you have, you wouldn't be spending too much time in these shoes.

Winter-Uggs started the trend.  Only difference is, Uggs holds the market in making this particular kind of shoe the best.  The replicas or cheaper versions of the sweater boot are similar in function to that of wearing an actual sweater as a shoe.  Because the bottom of these boots have no traction, your foot moves around inside the boot.  This makes you more likely to experience arch pain and exposes you to unstable footing.

Spring-Wedges continue to reinvent themselves.  If you are going to spend money on a wedge shoe get one that has a wedge in the front as well as the back.  Those that have very little frontal support with a high wedge are similar to wearing a high heel shoe all day.

DESKERcises

I recently read an article about employers now allowing their employees to take a short exercise break.  It is true that exercise increases productivity, mood, and reduces absenteeism. Fortunately for me I work in a Physical Therapy and Wellness environment.  For those of you that don't have the time to get in some calorie burning, here is a set of exercises I dare you to do at your desk on your next exercise break. You need a resistance band that are cheap and you can get most sports stores or on www.performbetter.com.  Keep it under your desk because there are more challenges to come!

Resistance bands can be used to strengthen the upper body. Resistance exercises for the arms use short, slow motions to work the muscles and burn calories.

 Wrap your resistance band around the back of your chair and hold the two loose ends. Push your arms out forward at chest level away from the body to work your pectoral muscles and your biceps. Do 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions each.

To increase the size of your biceps, place the resistance band under your chair with the two loose ends sticking out. Sitting in the chair and with your back straight, hold the two loose ends in your hands. Hold your arms so that they are hanging over the side of the chair and slowly bend at the elbows, bringing your hands up towards your shoulders. Repeat 12 to 15 times.

 Tone your shoulders by keeping the band in the same place and holding arms down by your sides, then lift both arms to shoulder level. Do 2 to 3 sets of 12 reps.

Try all of these exercises in a slow count of 7 seconds up/7 seconds down.  (Eccentric/concentric) Keep the movements slow and smooth; make sure not to jerk your arms.

Infants Treated at Duffy and Bracken Physical Therapy

It is called Torticollis.  Our therapist Helen Nam has treated in before in young infants.  On Owen's first appointment, it was clear that he was having a difficult time looking to his left.  His muscles simply would not allow him to turn his head without a struggle.  So, naturally baby Owen looked to his right.....ALOT.  Left untreated Torticollis can result in long-term complications.  However, Owen is 13 weeks and young enough for us to make a marked improvement.

By using Functional Stimuli, Sensory Cues, and Primitive Reflexes (for example: touching the cheek of Owen's face on the left will encourage him to look left.)   to encourage normal movement patterns Owen will soon be able to look from left to right with ease.

62% of the workforce leaves work each day with work-related neck pain

As an employee of Duffy and Bracken, I quickly became familiar with going to
PT twice a week. Suffering from neck and back pain on a regular basis simply
due to repetitive hours at my desk; I realize now, that the pain can go
away....and stay away.

Persons suffering from that terrible pinching feeling in the shoulder blade
or at the base of the skull, headaches, low and mid back strain, should seek
attention from a Physical Therapist. Most likely, your posture is the cause
of those muscles and reciprocal muscles in a tug of war with each other.
Often chronic pain causes mood change, sadness, frustration, and an
inability to function at your best.

Here are a few exercises below that will help to combat some of the pain,
while strengthen those weaker muscles and allowing for some relief.

Exercise and glaucoma

Normal 0

Can exercise prevent open angle glaucoma? 

My ophthalmologist Dr. Lawrence Forgacs believes so and my optic nerve latency improved by a hair today giving me hope of fending off glaucoma while staying off medication. As a
physical therapist I believe that exercise and eating right along with keeping our minds healthy and our lives productive and happy have effective outcomes on our health and happiness. In other words I believe in behavior modification in order to live our lives to the fullest! Our behavior can modify how our genetics end up affecting us. I have the misfortune to getting my fathers predisposition to glaucoma. My doctor Dr Forgacs encouraged me to increase my aerobic exercise to 5 days
a week, stay on a fat free and low sodium diet and continue and modify my Vitamin regime in order to give my eyes the best environment to keep the eye pressure down and the optic nerve healthy. I have followed the program for 3 years now and I continue to keep my eye pressure from crossing the boarder to requiring medication. Given all the side effects of medication and the
fun one can have being active and exercising it is a simple choice for me.
Exercise is the way to go to stay healthy!

Duffy & Bracken, Physical Therapy Wellness & Fitness has vast experience in
successfully helping people who need help to get on exercise programs.

Visit our website www.duffyandbracken.com for more information.

Ann Duffy M.A., P.T.
President
Duffy & Bracken Physical Therapy

75 Maiden Lane
New York, NY 10038
Wall Street, NYC Downtown Physical Therapists
Physiotherapy, Financial District NYC

A Lunchtime Quickie?

A lunchtime quickie may mean one thing to one person and another thing to a
different person. At Duffy and Bracken our idea of a lunchtime quickie is
the 30 minute Gravity Training System Class.

You are in and out in literally 35 minutes with still enough time to grab a
quick bite and get back to work. The full body workout is great for
strength training, post surgery, fat burning, and sculpting. What's best is
you can get a tough plyometric workout and really get the heart going for a
cardio element as well. Finding time to workout during a busy work day is
never easy. But nothing is impossible!

75 Maiden Lane 4th Floor

Director of Public Relations and Marketing
Duffy and Bracken Physical Therapy and Wellness
75 Maiden Lane, Suite 404
New York, NY 10038
Phone: 212-402-5430
Fax: 212-402-5432

Open Forum

I have decided instead of putting my thoughts out into the world, that I
would let the world tell me theirs......

To whomever reads the Duffy and Bracken Blog, or to our new and existing patients:

Please post any or all questions, concerns, brilliant ideas, quotes, or just
say hi!

This week we are going to focus on being proactive and take a moment to
contribute. I find that there is not enough of that going on
these days. We fill up our inbox, our day, our week with so many
opportunities to share with others. Yet, overwhelmed, in pain, or tired
we do not take advantage of those moments. Giving back to the world is so
important and very healing, it often leads us down a path of self betterment.  I
am urging all of you to take a moment and express a health concern, a
physical therapy question, or a suggestion, and I will respond with the best answer I
have. We at Duffy and Bracken are a team, and each part of our team cares
about their work, their patients, and themselves equally. We would like you
to be apart of that. If nothing less than to make your day or week a little
lighter.

Please don't forget to add to our quote board as you enter the office and to
read about our new services and take a brochure. Once again our new
website has been launched at http://www.duffyandbracken.com

Peace and Health

Jenna Mormelo
Director of Public Relations and Marketing
Duffy and Bracken Physical Therapy and Wellness
75 Maiden Lane, Suite 404
New York, NY 10038
Phone: 212-402-5430
Fax: 212-402-5432

Born to Run

Some people are "Born to Run," and for them marathons are like desert. Others use the marathon as a reason to get back into shape and drop some weight. And for some, it is all
about the time...the commitment, the proof in the pudding.

By surpassing your previous run time you have succeeded. Setting personal
goals are necessary to the marathon runner. They are the drug that keeps
them feigning for more. Occasionally, through the course of a runners
career, they experience the axe. The pain in the knee cap, the hip flexor
tightness, the tight calves and charlie horses in the hamstrings that are
debilitating. That is where Duffy and Bracken Physical Therapy Steps in and
saves the day-

It is pleasing to read such emails that cross my desk as the one below. An
avid marathon runner with another success story!

Hi Renuka,
As I hobbled out of the bed this morning, eager to read the official
results, yesterday's adrenalin still feels alive in my bloodstream. It was
the most amazing day, seamless from start to finish bar the niggling knee
pain that I tried to zap with two ibuprofen before the race. 4-miles in I
felt the pain most and battled to find my stride that was most comfortable.
After that I got in the zone until mile 18-24 when my legs felt like bricks
but managed to get through with strong mental attitude and friends & family
shouting out much needed boosts at that time. I am so happy to say I managed
to cross the finish line without stopping during the race and a surprise
bonus under 4 hour mark. I finished 3:57:38.... 8729 place. Thank you for
all your support & guidance over the last month. I would not be here without
you!
Apparently this years London marathon was the largest attendance to date
with over 37,000 runners and the biggest charity event apparently on the
international circuit.

Thank you
Zoe 

And.... another success. Congratulations to: Israel Bryski A.KA "The Cave
Man" for getting a medal for attaining a Personal Record at the New Jersey
Marathon 2011!

http://www.duffyandbracken.com has been updated on the web.  Please click on the link and check it out-

Live Well,

Ten Facts that you should know about Duffy and Bracken

Ten Facts that You Should know about Duffy and Bracken Physical Therapy and
Wellness

1. We are one of very few Physical Therapy Practices that specialize in
Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation.

2. We use only the most effective and updated equipment with our patients.
For example, GTS machines, Bodyblades, Bosu's.

3. Our services are not limited to physical therapy. Through our aftercare
programs we extend our services to care for every aspect of our patients
lives.

4. We are a "hands on" practice. Meaning that our expert Physical
Therapists practice Manual therapy and are "top notch" at it.

5. We are conveniently located at the Southern Tip of Manhattan. Easy
access from Brooklyn and Jersey City, as well as, access within a block to
every major train line.

6. We pride ourselves in getting our patients better in the quickest, most
effective way.

7. Booking an appointment is always made simple with our online booking
option.

8. Our staff has a combined over 100 years of experience in Physical
Therapy.

9. We have recently updated our office and added color to the walls, video
instillation, and helpful and informational posters making the setting
comfortable and more enjoyable for our patients.

10. We are truly interested in you and your life. We not only make
you better and rid you of pain, but we help your body to function the best it can, always striving for better.

Check out www.duffyandbracken.com and you will be satisfied with the results! 

Director of Public Relations and Marketing
Duffy and Bracken Physical Therapy and Wellness
75 Maiden Lane, Suite 404
New York, NY 10038
Phone: 212-402-5430
Fax: 212-402-5432