October is National Physical Therapy Month
Happy PT Month!
Thank you for trusting our team with your movement and health. This month, we’re celebrating every step of your progress.
Struggling With Pain That Won’t Go Away?
Don’t let discomfort slow you down! Schedule your appointment today and take the first step toward lasting relief.
Exploring the Root Causes of Chronic Back Pain
Back pain that sticks around can affect much more than your back. Unlike acute pain, which usually begins after an injury or sudden strain and improves as the body heals, chronic back pain is more complex. It continues well past the time tissue would have healed and is instead influenced by several factors working together.
Understanding the factors that contribute to long-term back pain is an important first step toward finding the right approach to care.
Why Chronic Back Pain Rarely Has Just One Cause
1. Reduced Strength Can Change How Your Back Handles Load
Your back works together with muscles throughout your trunk, hips, and legs. If certain muscles lack strength or endurance, everyday activities may become more demanding.
This can contribute to chronic back pain, especially during repeated lifting, bending, standing, or other activities. Physical therapy can identify which movements are difficult and build strength where it matters most.
2. Too Little Movement Can Make Activity Feel Harder
Rest can be helpful immediately after some injuries. However, avoiding movement for too long can reduce strength and physical capacity. Over time, normal activities may start to feel more challenging.
A gradual return to movement can help your body become more comfortable with activity again.
3. Repetitive Demands Can Add Up
Sometimes the problem is not one dramatic injury. Instead, it’s repeated stress without enough time or capacity to recover. Common examples include:
- Frequent lifting or carrying.
- Repetitive bending or twisting.
- Long periods in one position.
- Sudden increases in exercise or workload.
- Physically demanding jobs or hobbies.
Changing how tasks are performed and improving physical capacity may help reduce these demands.
4. Joint and Disc Changes May Play a Role
The spine naturally changes throughout adulthood. Discs may lose some height or hydration, and joints may develop age-related changes. Keep in mind that these findings do not automatically mean someone will have chronic back pain. Many people have spinal changes without symptoms. But if they are causing pain, physical therapy can help create a personalized treatment plan.
5. Nerve Sensitivity Can Keep the Alarm System Active
Pain does not always reflect ongoing tissue damage. Sometimes the nervous system becomes more sensitive after pain has lasted for a while. This can make movements or activities feel threatening even when they are safe.
Gradual exercise and carefully increased activity can help rebuild confidence in movement.
6. Sleep and Stress Can Influence Pain
Pain is a whole-person experience. Poor sleep and ongoing stress can affect how the nervous system processes pain. That does not mean the pain is imaginary. The symptoms are real, but treatment needs to address these factors alongside physical rehabilitation to support better function and recovery.
7. Previous Injuries Can Affect Current Movement
An old back, hip, or leg injury may change how someone moves or approaches certain activities. Sometimes people continue protecting an area long after it has healed. Others never fully regain the strength or capacity they had before the injury.
A physical therapist can assess these patterns and determine which ones may be relevant now.
Finding the Factors Behind Your Pain
There is rarely one universal solution for persistent back pain. Effective care starts by understanding the factors that matter for the individual.
For someone with chronic back pain, physical therapy may include:
- Progressive strengthening.
- Mobility exercises when appropriate.
- Gradual exposure to difficult movements.
- Activity and workload adjustments.
- Education about pain and safe movement.
- Strategies for returning to work, exercise, and daily activities.
The plan can change as your symptoms and abilities improve.
Turn Understanding Into a Plan for Moving Forward
Persistent back pain does not mean you need to stop doing the things you enjoy. Identifying the factors contributing to your symptoms can provide a clearer path forward.
Contact Vibrant Health Solutions/TherapyWorks to schedule an evaluation. Our physical therapists can assess your movement, strength, symptoms, and daily demands, then create a personalized plan to help you move with greater confidence.
Celebrate National PT Month by Moving Toward Better Health
October is National Physical Therapy Month, making it a great time of year to consider how well your body supports the life you want to live.
Maybe an old injury keeps bothering you. Perhaps your balance feels less reliable, or your workouts have stalled. Or maybe you simply want to stay active and healthy for years to come.
No matter your goals, the team at Vibrant Health Solutions/TherapyWorks can help get your health back on track.
PT Month Spotlight: Cindy Johnson, MS PT Owner/Founder
A Continuing Commitment to Lawrence
As we celebrate National Physical Therapy Month this October, I’ve been reflecting on my journey in healthcare and what has kept me passionate about this work for so many years. The people I’ve met and the community I’ve served have made that journey especially meaningful.
I became a physical therapist in 1988, and with nearly 39 years in the profession, I’ll also celebrate 33 years as a healthcare business owner serving the Lawrence community this coming January. What began in 1994 with a vision for a more comprehensive approach to physical therapy has grown and evolved over the years, touching the lives of thousands of individuals and families throughout our community.
My philosophy has remained consistent: helping people feel better is important, but helping them understand and address the underlying factors contributing to their condition is what can make a lasting difference. Pain is often what brings someone through our doors, but our goal is to look beyond the symptoms and address the strength, mobility, stability, posture, and movement patterns that influence how the body functions. We want people to do more than get out of pain. We want them to return to the activities, relationships, and everyday moments that make life meaningful while giving them the tools and understanding to maintain those improvements long after treatment ends.
Over the years, our services and vision have expanded to include a broader approach to healthcare. Today, Vibrant Health Solutions represents the next chapter in that evolution. Following our move last year, we have spent this past year transitioning our staff and completing the insurance credentialing process under Vibrant Health Solutions, laying the foundation for this next chapter in our continued commitment to the Lawrence community. While our current services are focused on physical therapy, our broader vision remains centered on providing thoughtful, comprehensive care that helps people achieve better health and function with an emphasis on individualized care and long-term wellness.
One thing that has never changed is the importance of the people who make this work possible. I am incredibly grateful for our team of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants and the care, expertise, and personal attention they bring to each patient. Physical therapy requires more than clinical knowledge. It takes patience, creativity, encouragement, and a genuine commitment to understanding each person’s goals. I’m proud of the way our team puts those qualities into practice every day and the meaningful relationships they build with the patients we serve.
After nearly 33 years of serving this community, I continue to believe that the impact of healthcare extends far beyond the walls of a clinic. When someone can return to work without pain, enjoy a favorite activity, keep up with their grandchildren, or participate more fully in family and community life, the benefits reach everyone around them. These may seem like small victories, but they have a ripple effect that extends to families, workplaces, and the community as a whole. Each person has a unique role to play in the lives of others, and helping people regain their health and function allows them to keep making those contributions and adding to the fabric of our amazing community.
This is what has motivated me since the beginning, and it is what continues to guide us today. I am deeply grateful to our patients for trusting us with their care, to our community for allowing us to be part of its story, and especially to our therapists for the skill, compassion, and dedication they bring to their work every day.
As Vibrant Health Solutions moves into its next chapter, our name and organization may evolve, but the purpose behind our work remains the same: to help people move better, live healthier, and get back to doing the things that matter most. Lawrence has been more than just the place where I built my business. It’s where I raised my children, formed lifelong friendships, and built a life alongside the very people and families I’ve had the privilege of serving. After nearly 33 years in Lawrence, I cannot imagine a more meaningful way to continue serving this community.
Five Ways PT Can Help You Feel and Move Better
1. Reduce Pain and Move More Comfortably
Pain can have a bigger impact than you might realize. Often, it changes your movement patterns, which can change how you move, making certain activities feel more difficult or less comfortable. Many people will also start to avoid activity, leading to additional weakness and stiffness.
Physical therapy provides an active approach to managing pain. We offer several treatment techniques to make movement more comfortable, including manual therapy, movement retraining, and personalized tips for staying active in ways that work for you.
2. Build Strength Without Putting Excessive Stress on Your Body
Strong muscles support healthy joints, overall mobility, and improved athletic performance. But if you’re recovering from injury or surgery, heavy resistance training might not be appropriate, even if it would help with recovery. That’s where blood flow restriction (BFR) therapy comes in.
BFR uses a specialized cuff during low-load exercise to partially restrict blood flow to a working limb. When appropriately prescribed and monitored, BFR can help improve muscle strength and size while using lighter resistance than traditional high-load strength training. Our team can let you know if BFR training is appropriate for your condition and rehabilitation goals.
3. Improve Your Walking or Running Mechanics
Small changes in how your trunk and lower body work together can affect your walking or running pattern, which is why we offer walking and running analysis services.
4. Improve Balance and Reduce Your Risk of Falls
Balance problems can keep you from being as active as you’d like, but they can also stem from several different factors, from muscle weakness to issues with your body’s vestibular system. Our team can help pinpoint the specific issues that keep you from feeling steady and develop a personalized plan to address them.
Depending on your needs, treatment might involve strengthening your core or lower body, working through targeted balance-training exercises, or addressing issues in your inner ear that may be causing dizziness and vertigo.
5. Train for the Activities You Love
Physical therapy isn’t limited to recovering from an injury. It can also help you prepare your body for the activities that keep you healthy and engaged. That’s why we offer detailed sports performance and analysis services tailored to runners, walkers, cyclists, skiers, snowboarders, and other active individuals.
Regardless of your sport, a performance analysis will help identify your activity demands, pinpoint areas for improvement, and create a plan that helps you perform with greater strength, control, and confidence.
Celebrate National Physical Therapy Month by Investing in Your Movement
Better health isn’t measured solely by the absence of pain. It can also mean walking comfortably, participating in your favorite sport, and keeping up with your family.
No matter your goals, physical therapy can help you build the strength, mobility, balance, and movement skills you need to get back on track with your health.
Take some time this October to consider what you’d like your body to do better. Then contact Vibrant Health Solutions/TherapyWorks to schedule an evaluation and discover how our team can help you feel better, function better, and keep doing what you love.
Sources: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/19417381211070834, https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(24)16636-4
We’ve Moved!
We’re excited to share some big news. Our clinic has officially moved into an upgraded space! You can now find us at:
4931 W 6th Street, Ste 116, Lawrence, KS
Thank you for your patience as we made this transition. We’re getting settled into our new location and couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome you here. Whether you’re a new, present, or returning patient, we can’t wait to see you in the new space!
FREE Workshop
Shoulder Pain and Rotator Cuff Webinar
Wednesday, November 4th
6:30 PM (online, free)
With Cindy Johnson, M.S. P.T., MCMT, Owner/Director
FREE Workshop
Back Pain and Sciatica Webinar
Wednesday, November 18
6:30 PM (online, free)
With Cindy Johnson, M.S. P.T., MCMT, Owner/Director
Patient Success Stories
At Vibrant Health Solutions/TherapyWorks, we want to help everyone get active in the ways that work for them. Call us today for personalized guidance on what will work best for you!
Healthy Recipe
Creamy Butter Chicken
A deliciously mild spice dish that is easy to put together this Creamy Butter Chicken is a recipe that is full of flavor and one that you will want to make over and over.
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 1 1/2-2 pounds chicken breasts cut into pieces
- 6 Tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 Tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes undrained
- 6 ounce tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro optional
Instructions:
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and stir to cook until done, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Melt butter in the same skillet, then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook until onions are translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the garam masala, turmeric, smoked paprika, chili powder and salt and mix well, cooking about a minute to let the flavors meld together.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken broth and return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, until sauce has thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream and cilantro.
- Serve over rice, if desired.
Exercise of the Month
Bridging
(Glutes, Lower Back, Hamstrings)
Begin on your back. Bend your knees and keep your back flat on the ground. Gently, contract your abdominals and hold to keep your back flat as you move up into the bridge position. Remember to breathe. Gently, squeeze your butt muscles and lift your hips off the ground. The goal is to have your hips aligned with your knees and shoulders. Hold for 5 seconds. 3 Sets, 10 Reps.
