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A tribute to my alma mater and the class of 2020

Congrats to the Mizzou class of 2020!

I arrived on campus in the fall of 1992. I was a biology major determined to go to medical school in 1996. Instead, I graduated with degrees in English and Secondary Education, with a minor in history, in the spring of 1997.

I never could have predicted that change, or the many other wonderful experiences I had through the University of Missouri. I never thought I would join a sorority, but some of my Alpha Phi sisters are my closest friends to this day. I never thought I would leave my home state, but my time studying abroad in London gave me a global perspective that I strive to remember as an American.

That lesson — the one of embracing change and learning from it — has followed me through my adult life. I have lived in 8 different cities in the U.S. I’ve had two careers and am in graduate school again for a third. Most careers are not a straightforward trajectory — they are full of zigs and zags, hits and misses, highs and lows. Pay attention in those valleys; the lessons you learn will serve you well as you recover and succeed.

The one constant in all of my transience has been Mizzou and the Mizzou Alumni Association. I’ve served on two local alumni chapter boards in New York and Atlanta, and I’ve been a member of the Griffiths Leadership Society for Women since 2011; I joined the board last year. These chances for leadership with fellow alums across the country have given me experience, a network to turn to for professional advice, and, most importantly, myriad friends in a variety of cities.

I cannot imagine what it must be like to have your collegiate experience come to an end like this. But I can say that while I left Missouri 20 years ago, Mizzou will always be home.

M-I-Z!

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physiquality blog: the benefits of stretching — especially if you’re at home

As a dancer, flexibility and range of motion is essential to prevent injury. It’s been the most difficult part of my fitness to restore since my hip surgery in 2018.

This topic was already on deck when the coronavirus began causing the stay-at-home orders that have restricted much of our movement since mid-March, so my client asked to keep the topic, but to change its approach, since so many of us are losing mobility and flexibility while we sit more in front of screens. While I do try to take long walks and do weekly dance and yoga classes, I can tell that my back is not happy with how little I’ve been moving since we’ve been at home. Perhaps I need to listen to our experts and do some stretching during the week, particularly on the days when I sit at my desk for multiple hours at a time.

The benefits of stretching — especially if you’re at home

with advice from Arizona Orthopedic Physical Therapy, Foothills Sports Medicine Physical Therapy, and HealthQuest Physical Therapy

Flexibility isn’t just about touching your toes or doing the splits. In actuality, flexibility is simply the amount of movement available at each joint. Flexibility is important to staying healthy and avoiding pain and injury.

The experts at Arizona Orthopedic Physical Therapy, a Physiquality member in Phoenix, point out that flexibility is needed to perform a number of activities that people do every day: Getting out of bed. Sitting down in a car — and getting up to run the errands you drove to. Doing household chores like dusting and vacuuming. Even picking up your child requires flexibility and strength.

Now that many of us are limiting where we go and how often we move, it’s even more important to make sure that we retain flexibility and joint mobility. One of our Michigan members, HealthQuest Physical Therapy, points out three key benefits to improved flexibility:

Read the full entry at physiquality.com!

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physiquality blog: working out while staying at home

I think we can all admit that we’re a little stir crazy at this point. My household has been quarantining for a month, and even the dog jumps at the chance to get outside. And she’s a bulldog — she hates exercise.

I liked that the advice from our physical therapist members focused on living healthy and keeping the best habits we can. While some of us might be able to write King Lear while avoiding the plague, most of us are in survival mode. But I do want to create the best habits I can knowing that this could last at least another month, and knowing that exercise is not only good for the body, but also the mind.

Working out while staying at home

with advice from Coury and Buehler Physical Therapy, Physical Therapy and Wellness Institute, Rocklin Physical Therapy, and Strive Physical Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation

It might seem hard to look on the bright side these days. News is grim, and it looks like most of us will need to stay socially distant for some time. For people who rely on exercise classes to stay healthy, it’s another loss on top of the interactions we had at work or school.

But even in this challenging time there are plenty of ways to stay positive and healthy. Coury and Buehler Physical Therapy, a Physiquality member in Orange County, California, reminds us that it’s important to create a new routine to get ourselves through a stay-at-home order. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but by simply getting up at the same time every day (even if it’s a little later than it used to be), showering and making your bed will help you approach each day with a more positive outlook.

Exercising regularly in particular can help both your mental and physical health. Many healthcare professionals are finding ways to help us stay well while staying at home. Here are some examples of how physical therapy clinics in the Physiquality network are helping people at home:

Read the full entry at physiquality.com!

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physiquality blog: coronavirus and physical therapy

We have all entered a new normal. Parents are learning how to work from home when kids are running around. Everyone is trying to follow the latest social distancing rules, whether that means getting take out instead of eating in or bumping ankles instead of shaking hands.

And anyone trying to recuperate from injury is certainly wondering what’s safe in this environment. My colleagues at PTPN sent these guidelines to their members, and any concerned patients should follow up with their own PT clinics to make sure they are following similar guidelines to keep everyone safe.

Coronavirus and physical therapy

advice from PTPN, Physiquality’s parent company

Among the many concerns you have about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), are you wondering about attending physical therapy appointments? The good news is that, for now, outpatient therapy clinics are considered a relatively low-risk environment for exposure, and most clinics are well-versed in proper disinfection and protection procedures.

Here’s a list of best practices that therapy offices should be following. Feel free to call your physical therapist and ask about the office’s safety precautions, as well as what your therapist’s recommendation is for you regarding physical therapy appointments.

Read the full entry at physiquality.com!

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physiquality blog: how to help someone suffering from a heart attack

While writing this post, I learned a new phrase that seems like it would be fairly common: Bystander Effect. Apparently, if there is an emergency, the larger the crowd, the more likely people are to stay quiet, hoping someone else (that’s more likely more prepared for whatever problem is occurring) will speak up.

The challenge here is that with someone having a heart attack outside of a hospital, only one person in 10 survives. Only 10%.

And one factor raises the survival rate by an amazing amount: If someone starts CPR within two minutes, the survival rate climbs to 45%. Forty. Five. Percent.

This made me think about what I would do if I suspected someone nearby was in trouble. I will try to remember what our experts recommended in order to keep that person alive.

How to help someone suffering from a heart attack

with advice from AED Superstore

Heart attacks can be scary. They can be sudden, and they can be lethal. Recent statistics show that for every 100 people that suffered a heart attack outside the hospital, on average only 10 survived. But there’s another statistic from the American Heart Association that will give you hope — that improved to a 45% survival rate when a bystander performed CPR. This means that the more people understand how to respond, the better our survival rate from heart attacks will be.

Read the full entry at physiquality.com!