THE SECRETS TO COMBATING THE EFFECTS OF AGING ON OUR MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM: PART TWO
Slow the Effects of Aging
Part 2: Strengthening
It is our duty… to resist old age, to compensate for its defects, to fight against it as we would fight a disease; to adopt a regimen of health; to practice moderate exercise; and to take just enough food and drink to restore our strength.’” - Cicero 44 BC
As we advance in age, we begin to lose skeletal muscle strength and muscle mass. In the second part of Coach Amy’s Secrets to Combating the Effects of Aging on our Musculoskeletal System series, she addresses how you can combat the loss of muscle strength and mass with resistance exercise training. Let’s start by understanding what happens to our muscles and then dive into Coach Amy’s recommendations for slowing the effects of aging on your muscles with strengthening.
The Impact of Aging on Our Muscles
Sarcopenia - a loss of muscle mass
The combination of Sarcopenia and loss of muscle strength leads to significantly reduced physical performance and function. This loss of performance and function can lead to a vicious cycle of decline, as discussed in our article: The Secrets to Combating the Effects of Aging on our Musculoskeletal System.
Sarcopenia will affect over 200 million people in the next 40 years.
Sarcopenia is caused by a number of factors, including increased inflammation and a decline in the number of neuromuscular junctions. The good news is that we can control both of these factors. For information on minimizing and controlling inflammation, check out our articles on inflammation and aging/dry needling.
Neuromuscular junctions - the point where a nerve cell abuts a muscle cell and sends it a chemical message to contract, allowing the muscle to function.
Muscle strength and mass involve neuromuscular junctions. Muscles have many junctions. Imagine a room full of lamps, each with electrical cords that transmit electricity. Now picture that room is a biceps muscle, the electrical cords are the nerve fibers and each lamp represents the many muscle fibers of the biceps. As we cut the electrical cords, the room becomes dimmer, just like the loss of junctions causes the biceps muscle to weaken.
We need the neuromuscular junctions not only to move the skeleton but also to maintain muscle tone and prevent the muscles from atrophy. How do we slow or stop the loss of these junctions? How do we gain more of them?
The answer is…progressive resistance exercise training (RET).
Progressive Resistance Exercise Training
RET often conjures up images of a 1980’s Arnold Schwarzenegger, but resistance does not have to come in the form of enormous barbells and snatches. Resistance can involve gravity, body weight, resistance bands, a jug of milk, elevation such as hills, the tension on a bike, and even water!
To get the most benefit from RET, it should involve multiple muscle groups at one time and use large muscle groups. For example, hiking up a gravel hill is more beneficial than picking up marbles with your toes. Both work the intrinsic muscles of the foot but only the repeats on the gravel trail use many large muscle groups.
For the best outcome and to prevent injury, Coach Amy recommends mixing up your routine. Choose options that you enjoy and that keep you motivated and consistent. Make changes once per month to progress either intensity, frequency, or duration and alter the types of exercises in order to reap continued benefits. If you keep doing the same thing over and over again without changing or progressing, the body will adapt and no longer create new muscle mass or junctions.
Do Your Homework
Before starting any exercise routine, follow these tips:
Seek out coaches, personal trainers, and class instructors with superior credentials. They should hold a bachelor’s degree (or higher) in exercise science and/or certification from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) or the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
Those with special medical considerations such as osteoporosis, joint replacement, and osteoarthritis should seek out a physical therapist for assistance when beginning a program.
If you are over age 65, check out The Exercise And Screening for You (EASY) survey, a tool that helps provide guidance on appropriate exercise programs.
Examples of Resistance Exercise Activities
Try these resistance exercise activities:
Pilates with reformer/weights/bands and body weight
Power yoga weights/bands and body weight
Cycling* with tension - high-intensity interval training or hills
Swimming*, especially with drills for strength (advanced with paddles)
Water aerobics*/water walking with resistance equipment such as paddles
Hiking on hills/grades/stairs
* includes both resistance and cardiovascular exercise
Fight the impacts of aging with a double whammy by combining resistance with your cardiovascular exercise. Check out our upcoming article on how cardiovascular exercise slows aging.
RET is particularly effective for slowing the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. It can be fun and rewarding. It is never too early to start preventing age-related decline in muscle strength and mass. Developing a habit early and while young has benefits now and later!
Subscribe to our blog to catch the next post in our Secrets to Combating the Effects of Aging on Our Musculoskeletal System series in which we focus on the impact of cardiovascular training on slowing aging.
THE SECRETS TO COMBATING THE EFFECTS OF AGING ON OUR MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM: PART ONE DRY NEEDLING
Slow the Effects of Aging
Part 1: Dry Needling
Dry needling decreases inflammation and pain and relaxes muscles along the spine for 66-year-old Stan. Needles are applied to the lower thoracic spine facets.
Many CoachAmyPT patients over the age of fifty report that joint aches and pains prevent them from enjoying an active lifestyle, including playing pickleball, golfing, hiking, and cycling. Age-related degenerative changes in connective tissue and cartilage are key contributors. Dry needling can indirectly slow down these changes, helping older patients get back to the pickleball court and on the golf course.
Aging muscles can be like a too-tight pair of jeans.
Imagine trying to sit down in jeans that are two sizes too small. It’s either impossible, painful, or the jeans rip. That’s what it’s like when your connective tissue (tendons, ligaments, and muscles) become hardened and shortened with age. This disrupts the proper mechanics of the joints. Regular dry needling relaxes connective tissue, which helps to restore proper joint movement so you can get back to the activities you enjoy.
Aging cartilage can be like hardened Silly Putty.
Connective tissues are not the only structures affected by age. Imagine Silly Putty that has been left outside of the container too long. It loses its stretchiness, cracks, and breaks. Cartilage, which acts as a cushion absorbing forces in our joints, loses elasticity as our body matures. This loss of integrity makes the joints more vulnerable to damage from injury and overuse. The poor mechanics from aging connective tissues, the “tight jeans” example, compounds these effects.
Unfortunately, joint damage caused purely by aging cartilage cannot be reversed or cured. However, once-a-month dry needling maintenance decreases pain and enhances blood supply, slowing progression. Reducing pain disrupts a vicious cycle that leads to more trauma and stress to the involved joint. The increased blood supply brings vital nutrition and oxygen to the joints.
Preventing deterioration of cartilage is a key factor in slowing the aging process. Loss of cartilage can lead to Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD), one of the most common age-related ailments of the musculoskeletal system. DJD afflicts more than 50% of people older than 65 years of age. The impact of needling on the treatment of DJD is addressed in an upcoming CoachAmyPT article. To be sure to catch that post, subscribe.
Back to pickleball.
While we can’t stop time, once-a-month dry needling can slow down the detrimental effects of aging by enhancing blood supply and improving the mobility of connective tissues and joints, especially in combination with proper exercise. Strong muscles improve the mechanics and support of the joints.
Enjoying your the pickleball game, family hike or bike ride or weekly golf game with less pain is a reasonable, achievable goal. Addressing the impact of age on connective tissue and cartilage with dry-needling is a powerful first step.
Do you want to learn more secrets to combating the effects of aging on your musculoskeletal system? Next up in our series is Slow the Effects of Aging Part 2: Strengthening and Resistance Exercise, followed by:
If you’re interested in arranging dry needling with CoachAmyPT, make an appointment today. Please note, most insurance companies do not cover preventative/wellness appointments. Dry needling appointments are self-pay. When making an appointment for dry needling:
Current CoachAmyPT patients: choose Self Pay Physical Therapy Appointment.
New CoachAmyPT patients: choose Self Pay Evaluation Appointment for your first appointment. For all subsequent appointments, choose Self Pay Physical Therapy Appointment.
TRAVEL CHANGES - COVID-19 Clinic Policy Update as of August 18, 2020
The new COVID-19 guidelines issued by the Kansas Department of Health on August 11, 2020, impact CoachAmyPT policies.
Due to these new guidelines, people and people with household members who have recently traveled to the Florida or attended any out of state gathering of over 500 people should wait two weeks before visiting the clinic.
In addition to the restrictions above, patients or patients who have household members who have traveled out of the country or have been on a cruise ship or river cruise within the past two weeks should also wait two weeks before visiting the clinic.
The following policies reflect the CoachAmyPT COVID-19 clinic policy as of August 18, 2020. Please note: the only changes to the following policies are reflected above and address the August 11, 2020, Kansas Department of Health guidelines regarding travel.
CoachAmyPT continues to offer all types of appointments, including maintenance and performance-based treatments and running evaluations. As before, and as always, our number one priority is the safety and well-being of our patients and their families. Please review the following policies:
Who should NOT come in?
Patients or patients with household members who have been ill in the last 2 weeks.
Patients or patients with household members who may have come into contact with someone who has been experiencing symptoms similar to COVID-19 symptoms within the past two weeks.
Patients or patients with household members who have traveled out of the country or have been on a cruise ship or river cruise within the past two weeks.
Patients or patients with household members who have traveled to Florida in the past two weeks.
Received notification from public health officials (state or local) that you are a close contact of a laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19.
What do I do if I have to cancel my appointment?
If you are delaying your appointment due to travel restrictions or came into contact with someone with COVID-19 symptoms, schedule for two weeks from your return/your last contact with an ill person. Review our policies before coming in for your rescheduled appointment.
If you are ill, please wait until you are healthy to schedule. Schedule two weeks from when you are symptom-free.
What is being done to protect against contamination?
The waiting area is closed indefinitely. Our patients wait for their appointments in the comfort of their vehicles. Text Coach Amy upon your arrival. She will inform you when it is safe to enter.
All providers and patients wear masks while in the building and during treatment.
Patients are being asked to reschedule if they meet the above-stated specifications regarding illness and travel.
Cleaning and sanitizing processes follow the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, including using alcohol-based products on all surfaces following each patient visit, including devices used for payment and recording patient notes.
Patient payments are made online when possible.
Coach Amy follows CDC and WHO recommended processes for handwashing for anyone entering the clinic.
Coach Amy takes her temperature twice a day and takes the temperature of anyone entering the clinic.
We are closely monitoring recommendations from CDC and WHO.
Email reminders are sent to patients the week of their appointments reminding them of clinic guidelines.
Thank you for your trust, confidence, and cooperation. We wish you all the best of health and will continue to keep you up to date.
The Secrets to Combating the Effects of Aging on our Musculoskeletal System
““It’s not a matter of how many years we can live, but how well we can live the rest of our life.””
Aging is inevitable. It marches forward with time bestowing gifts like wisdom and more free time to pursue hobbies.
Concurrently, aging diminishes our cells’ ability to repair, regenerate, and fight disease, impairing function and our enjoyment of the gifts of advancing age.
We can’t stop the aging process and, although scientists are working on it, we can’t yet reverse it. What we can do is control our response to aging by adopting a healthy lifestyle and a positive outlook. Easier said than done, I know!
Our five-part series shares secrets that help delay the onset and slow the progression of many age-related changes to our nervous and musculoskeletal systems (nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons).
Slow the Effects of Aging Part 1: Dry Needling
Slow the Effects of Aging Part 2: Strengthening Resistance Exercise
Slow the Effects of Aging Part 3: Cardiovascular Exercise
Slow the Effects of Aging Part 4: Balance and Proprioception
Slow the Effects of Aging Part 5: Flexibility
Subscribe to our blog to catch all of our posts with our secrets to combating the effects of aging on our musculoskeletal system. As aging marches on, using these secrets in your everyday life will help you enjoy the gifts aging has to offer.
The Unexpected Benefits of Trail Running
I had put off trying trail running because I worried that, with unstable ankles, I’d injure myself. The results were just the opposite: trail running helped strengthen my ankles.
TRAVEL CHANGES - COVID-19 Clinic Policy Update as of July 1, 2020
The new COVID-19 guidelines issued by the Kansas Department of Health on June 29, 2020, impact CoachAmyPT policies.
Due to these new guidelines, people and people with household members who have recently traveled to the following states should wait two weeks before visiting the clinic:
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Florida
South Carolina
In addition to the restrictions above, patients or patients who have household members who have traveled out of the country or have been on a cruise ship or river cruise within the past two weeks should also wait two weeks before visiting the clinic.
The following policies reflect the CoachAmyPT COVID-19 clinic policy as of July 1, 2020. Please note: the only changes to the following policies are reflected above and address the June 29, 2020, Kansas Department of Health guidelines regarding travel.
CoachAmyPT continues to offer all types of appointments, including maintenance and performance-based treatments and running evaluations. As before, and as always, our number one priority is the safety and well-being of our patients and their families. Please review the following policies:
Who should NOT come in?
Patients or patients with household members who have been ill in the last 2 weeks.
Patients or patients with household members who may have come into contact with someone who has been experiencing symptoms similar to COVID-19 symptoms within the past two weeks.
Patients or patients with household members who have traveled out of the country or have been on a cruise ship or river cruise within the past two weeks.
Patients or patients with household members who have traveled to Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, or South Carolina within the past two weeks.
What do I do if I have to cancel my appointment?
If you are delaying your appointment due to travel restrictions or came into contact with someone with COVID-19 symptoms, schedule for two weeks from your return/your last contact with an ill person. Review our policies before coming in for your rescheduled appointment.
If you are ill, please wait until you are healthy to schedule. Schedule two weeks from when you are symptom-free.
What is being done to protect against contamination?
The waiting area is closed indefinitely. Our patients wait for their appointments in the comfort of their vehicles. Text Coach Amy upon your arrival. She will inform you when it is safe to enter.
All providers and patients wear masks while in the building and during treatment.
Patients are being asked to reschedule if they meet the above-stated specifications regarding illness and travel.
Cleaning and sanitizing processes follow the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, including using alcohol-based products on all surfaces following each patient visit, including devices used for payment and recording patient notes.
Patient payments are made online when possible.
Coach Amy follows CDC and WHO recommended processes for handwashing for anyone entering the clinic.
Coach Amy takes her temperature twice a day and takes the temperature of anyone entering the clinic.
We are closely monitoring recommendations from CDC and WHO.
Email reminders are sent to patients the week of their appointments reminding them of clinic guidelines.
Thank you for your trust, confidence, and cooperation. We wish you all the best of health and will continue to keep you up to date.
Tips for Getting the Appointment You Need at the Time You Want
Two of the main benefits of working with Coach Amy—always working one-on-one with Amy and access to in-demand treatments like dry needling and cupping—can also impact your ability to get an appointment as soon as you’d like and at the time you’d like. Consistent, weekly, or bi-weekly appointments are important to progress, performance, and recovery. Follow-up and tune up appointments can significantly improve the overall results of treatment.
These scheduling strategy tips can help you get on our schedule quickly and conveniently, ensuring treatment consistency:
Book Appointments up to 4 Weeks at a Time: The CoachAmyPT scheduling system allows you to schedule up to 4 weeks in advance. Schedule as many appointments as you need in this 4 week block.
Reminders: Set a reminder on your calendar at the end of each week to book your appointments for the next available week.
Get on the Waitlist: When the schedule is full, the best way to let Coach Amy know that you need an appointment is to get on the waitlist. Select ONE time for each day of the week that you are available. This selected waitlist time is not set in stone. It simply alerts Coach Amy to notify you if anything opens up on that day.
“One client who always schedules 4 weeks out shared a tip: every time he leaves his appointment, he schedules the next four-week out appointment from his car before leaving our parking lot. ”
To cancel or change an appointment, please login to your account and make changes at least 24 hours before your appointment.
Please watch for an update regarding clinic policies following the July 1 Kansas Department of Health announcement.
We look forward to seeing you at the clinic!
Announcing New Pricing Structure
Please note that beginning August 1, CoachAmyPT will be adjusting our pricing structure. As always, your entire appointment—including evaluation, hands-on treatment, therapeutic exercise, and movement instruction—is always one-on-one with Coach Amy. Appointment lengths will remain 40 minutes each, with the exception of 15-minute Just Needling appointments.
Ensuring that our patients continue to receive the highest quality of care is always our number one priority. The CoachAmyPT team appreciates our valued patients. Please reach out with any questions about our new pricing structure.
Coach Amy is Now Certified in Advanced Neurological Dry Needling
Coach Amy applies electrical stimulation with advanced dry needling techniques to decrease inflammation in the knee joint without the use of medication or steroids.
Patient function is Coach Amy’s ultimate goal. To further her ability to help her patients, Coach Amy earned her certification in Advanced Neurological Dry Needling (ANDN) from the Integrative Dry Needling Institute this spring. With these advanced techniques, she can more effectively reduce inflammation. When inflammation is reduced and the nerves are no longer irritated, muscle guarding decreases, and biomechanics are restored.
ANDN is effective in the treatment of many ailments including:
Headaches and migraines
Temporomandibular dysfunction (TMJD)
Shoulder, neck, back, hip, knee, ankle, and foot pain
Chronic pain
Acute and overuse sports injuries
Sports performance enhancement
“Regardless of the cause of injury, the source of pain is irritated nerves. The best way to calm irritated nerves is by restoring their normal chemistry. In all my years of practice, I’ve found that neurological dry needling is the most effective way to restore normal chemistry.”
Treatment typically takes 1 to 6 visits. Several factors impact the number of visits needed:
Chronicity of the problem
Age and overall health of the patient
Complexity of the injury
Usually, ANDN does not completely correct the problem. Coach Amy uses other treatment methods in combination with dry needling to address the root cause of an injury, including addressing gait mechanics, proprioceptive deficits, posture, training errors, and limitations in stability and mobility.
To start reducing pain and inflammation with ANDN, schedule an appointment with Coach Amy PT today.
COVID-19 Clinic Policy Update as of June 21, 2020
Great news! As CoachAmyPT continues to follow official guidelines to keep our patients safe during the pandemic, we are pleased to report that we are now able to welcome patients or patients with household members who have recently traveled out of state.
Patients or patients who have household members who have traveled out of the country within the past two weeks should not come into the clinic until they’ve been back in the country for two weeks.
The following reflects current COVID-19 clinic policies. The only changed policy is regarding out-of-state travel, as referenced above.
CoachAmyPT continues to offer all types of appointments, including maintenance and performance-based treatments and running evaluations. As before, and as always, our number one priority is the safety and well-being of our patients and their families. Following are the policies in place for our clinic.
Who should NOT come in?
Patients or patients with household members who have been ill in the last 2 weeks.
Patients or patients with household members who may have come into contact with someone who has been experiencing symptoms similar to COVID-19 symptoms within the past two weeks.
Patients or patients with household members who have traveled out of the country within the past two weeks.
What do I do if I have to cancel my appointment?
If you were traveling out of the country or came into contact with someone with COVID-19 symptoms, schedule for two weeks from your return/your last contact with an ill person. Review our policies before coming in for your rescheduled appointment.
If you are ill, please wait until you are healthy to schedule. Schedule two weeks from when you are symptom-free.
What is being done to protect against contamination?
The waiting area is closed indefinitely. Our patients wait for their appointments in the comfort of their vehicles. Text Coach Amy upon your arrival. She will inform you when it is safe to enter.
All providers and patients wear masks while in the building and during treatment.
Patients are being asked to reschedule if they meet the above-stated specifications regarding illness and travel.
Cleaning and sanitizing processes follow the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, including using alcohol-based products on all surfaces following each patient visit, including devices used for payment and recording patient notes.
Patient payments are made online when possible.
Coach Amy follows CDC and WHO recommended processes for handwashing for anyone entering the clinic.
Coach Amy takes her temperature twice a day and takes the temperature of anyone entering the clinic.
We are closely monitoring recommendations from CDC and WHO.
Email reminders are sent to patients the week of their appointments reminding them of clinic guidelines.
Thank you for your trust, confidence, and cooperation. We wish you all the best of health and will continue to keep you up to date.