Welcome to Empower Physical Therapy and Fitness!

Physical Therapy Macomb MI

Whether you are looking to recover from an injury, improve sports performance, lose weight or just want a better quality of life, Empower Physical Therapy Macomb MI can help. With two state of the art locations in Clinton Township, we continue to strive to bring you the latest and greatest technology to improve your fitness and overall wellness.

Empower Team

Winter Injury Prevention

Empower Physical Therapy Macomb MI, serving and specializing in most injuries since 2011. Although winter has many beautiful wonders that come along with it, it also can have many dangers for people, especially in the states that receive a large percentage of snow. According to the CDC, nearly 1 million Americans are injured annually due to falling on ice and snow. Every person is at risk for injuring themselves in the winter, although elderly people have a higher risk of injury.

Risk Factors of Falling or Slipping on Ice

Falling or slipping is very common and easy to achieve for any person. There are a few things that can stimulate risk factors of slipping on ice:

• Age
• Previous Injury
• Lack of attention
• Fear of Falling
• Chronic Conditions
• Poor Vision 

Possible Injuries

The possibilities of slipping and falling are high, but you have a chance of acquiring a minor scrape or sprain or a serious trauma. Some common injuries include:

• Muscle sprains and ligament strains
• Broken bones
• Compression fractures (including spinal compression fractures)
• Herniated discs in the spine (most commonly in the lower back)
• Concussions caused by falling on ice and hitting your head

How to Prevent a Fall?

If preventing a fall was 100% possible no one would have injuries, but there are a few ways to avoid severe injury.

• Try to look out for ice/black ice
• Keep hands out of pockets so you can catch yourself 
• Proper shoes and clothing for icy weather
• Do not run or walk fast

How to Receive Treatment?

Treatment for your fall will depend on the severity of the injury. When you do fall, do not get up right away because you can make the injury worse. Lay there first and assess your pain before you try to get up.

No matter the level of injury, Empower Physical Therapy Macomb MI can service you. 

How Physical Therapy Macomb MI Can Help!

Empower Physical Therapy Macomb MI can help you feel like yourself again. They specialize in over 20 conditions and they have a variety of different services to help your recovery. If you feel as though you do not need to see a professional, Empower Physical therapy has a ‘Medical Library’ tab on their website where you can click where you are experiencing pain and choose if you want treatment, exercise, physician, or article information. 

Contact Empower Physical Therapy Today!

Even if you are in good condition or injured, stop by Empower Physical Therapy Macomb MI to strengthen your body. Take a look at our website and feel free to make an appointment today!

Proper Shoveling Technique to Avoid Low Back Pain

As the snow starts to fall and the shovels come out again, it’s essential to keep in mind the safe way to shovel the driveway. Improperly shoveling snow injures thousands each year, bringing heart problems, fractures, and back injuries to the misfortunate shoveler. You can prevent these injuries by preparing correctly and deal with any potential damage through Physical Therapy Macomb MI. Let’s try to avoid the back pain first!

Proper Shoveling Form

Here are some tips that will help you avoid the dreaded lower back pain this winter:

• Lift with your legs

• • • By utilizing your legs’ strength, you can move snow easier while putting less pressure on your back. Make sure to keep your back straight when lifting.

• Bend from the hips and knees

• • • When you bend over to pick up snow, do so by bending your knees, lowering your core lower closer to the ground. This technique avoids bending your spine, where the lower back would take on most of the weight

• Hold the shovel correctly

• • • Keep the shovel close to your body, place one hand firmly on the handle, and one reasonably close to the shovelhead. This form provides extra leverage to make lifting easier.

• Avoid the ‘twist and throw’

• • • Instead of twisting your back 180° to throw snow behind you, pivot on your back foot and rotate your body to toss the snow. 

• Pace yourself

• • It’s not a race! Many try to get the job done too quickly and wear themselves out. Stay hydrated, and take your time.

As annoying as shoveling is, try to consider the activity as a workout instead of a chore. This mindset can help you positively frame the action and treat your body right during intense exercise. Empower Physical Therapy Macomb MI can help teach you healthy lifting methods and prepare you for all kinds of exercise. 

Other Solutions

If you still are having trouble with lower back pain as a result of shoveling snow, there are a few other options to consider:

• Using an abdominal belt

• • • These belts are designed to help support the core during workouts

• Physical Therapy Macomb MI

• • • Empower PT has a team ready to help with lower back injuries. From healing to re-training our team will be right by your side. 

• Using a snowblower

• • • While somewhat expensive, snowblowers provide a totally different snow removal experience, which is usually less time-consuming but is still a serious workout.

• Try a different shovel

• • Ergonomic shovels are designed with lower back pain in mind and are sold at most hardware stores. 

Contact Empower Physical Therapy Macomb MI

There are an assortment of injuries associated with shoveling snow, the most common being soft tissue injuries due to overworking the muscles and ligaments. These can be very hard to deal with, however, our Physical Therapy Macomb MI can provide an injured shoveler with the personalized treatment that makes a big difference. Empower PT has an assortment of services designed with your health in mind, visit our website to learn more.

Contact Us For Physical Therapy Macomb MI