exercise

As the weather warms and the calendar moves toward Spring, many people start to renew exercise plans such as walking. Or, if you have been walking over the winter, you will change from boots to walking shoes. Prior to getting too far into the season with your present shoes, you should make sure they are in good condition and will provide proper support for your feet. Most shoes break down after 400-600 miles or if worn every day, about 6 months. Consider working with a professional at a shoe store who can provide proper fit and recommend proper shoes for your particular foot type. Then, get out and enjoy Spring!

High school basketball

Good luck tonight to Fennville, Holland and Holland Christian boys basketball teams in the regionals!

Hoops

Good luck to the area teams...Holland High, Zeeland West, Holland Christian and Fennville... competing in boys' district basketball finals!

Hold that stretch!

We usually instruct patients to hold stretches for 30-60 seconds if you are trying to lengthen a muscle. Remember, long muscles can develop power over longer distances thereby improving athletic performance.

So True

Saw this yesterday: "If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself." What a great reminder to all of us to make sure we get enough sleep, drink enough fluids, get regular exercise and eat a well-balance diet.

crutches and stairs

We are often asked to instruct patients on stairs with crutches. One of the confusing things is which leg goes up or down first and how to maneuver crutches. Going up stairs, you should lead with your "good" leg to step up with, then bring your injured leg and crutches up last. Going down stairs, you lead with the crutches and injured leg, then step down with your good leg. Simply, up with the "good" first, down with the "bad" first.

Hot or Cold?

One of the questions we are often asked is whether heat or cold should be applied after an injury. A good rule of thumb is to apply cold during the first 48-72 hours (2-3 days) after an injury and then progress to heat. Application of cold provides pain relief and slows swelling of the injury. Heat provides pain relief and increases blood flow to provide nutrients to the injured area and increases cell metabolism to promote healing. Always be sure to monitor your skin condition during application of either heat or cold. 15-20 minutes of treatment 2-3 times per day is usually sufficient. Allow the treated area to return to normal body temperature before applying another treatment.