I’m often asked by patients “What’s THE most important exercise I should do?” My answer changes as my experience as a physical therapist evolves throughout the years. I would normally tell my patients to do some form of stretching or strengthening, until recently, when I started doing deep, abdominal breathing exercises as part of my morning routine. I now tell my patients that abdominal breathing is one of the most important exercises they can do.
There are a number of contributing factors that make abdominal breathing so important. A couple of years ago, I began focusing on abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing after studying Heart Rate Variability (HRV)which is a measurement of the balance between your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. By measuring your HRV, you are able to assess your body’s response to stress. The body reacts to stress by changing breathing patterns, which leads to physiological changes including hormonal responses and neurological patterning.
In normal breathing patterns, we SHOULD use abdominal breathing, which is focused on using the diaphragm, a muscle located below the lungs. This muscle is controlled by our parasympathetic nervous system via the Vagus nerve. Because of the daily stresses of life, we’ve adapted our body’s most vital need: to breathe. Abdominal breathing has such profound effects on our ability to handle stress, anxiety and physical activity. However, some of us have changed our breathing patterns and use more of a thoracic breathing pattern. This pattern is shallow, shorter and typically used when we are reacting to a “fight or flight” situation and triggers the production of cortisol leading to a weakened immune system.
“Habitual chest breathing not only reflects physical and mental problems. It creates them. It mildly but chronically over-stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, keeping the heart rate and blood pressure too high, precipitating difficulties with digestion and elimination, and causing cold and clammy hands and feet.” – David Coulter, The Anatomy of Hatha Yoga
I often see this shallow breathing pattern in my patients. Pain is a factor in changing the way we breathe and we unconsciously respond to pain by holding or shortening our breath. When I see this response, I spend time educating the patient on focused abdominal breathing exercises which helps moderate pain.
One of my favorite references on how to breath correctly is Jill Miller’s The Role Model. Her book is excellent in explaining how the body breathes, the anatomy involved, and how to correct your breathing pattern. I incorporate her “Breathing Primer” into my breathing exercise routine each morning and it has positively affected everything that I do.
After learning about the importance of breathing correctly, I discovered Breath Reset, a type of meditative breathing that helps me to focus my thoughts, settle my body, and allow me to get in touch with my body. This breathing practice has been performed by many for centuries and has been the foundation of Buddhism.
Chapter 4 of The Breath of Life
One who has gradually practiced, Developed and brought to perfection Mindfulness of the in-and-out breath As taught by the Enlightened One, Illuminates the entire world Like the moon when freed from clouds.
(Theragatha 548)
Each morning, I perform a routine of meditation, yoga, body weight exercises and reading while drinking my Bulletproof Coffee. This routine usually takes about an hour which is why my alarm goes off every morning at 5 A.M., even on the weekends. But the most important part of my routine, is my “belly breathing”.
I start by walking out to my backyard deck, a place that is quiet and peaceful. A regular spot in your home will help your routine become permanent. I usually sit with my back supported and with my legs crossed. With my eyes closed, I begin by taking a long inhale through my nostrils and exhale through pursed lips. I focus on my abdomen drawing in and out, trying to feel as if my diaphragm is elevating and depressing. My thoughts usually wander which is normal. I think it’s impossible to expect my brain to stop having random thoughts or emotions, so I don’t put pressure on myself to suppress them. Instead, I try to focus on feeling my body breathing.
During my breathing exercises, I am able to quiet my mind, induce a relaxed feeling, and trigger the hormones in my body that create an improved level of function. I start every morning this way so that I can control my thoughts and emotions throughout the day. The value of this ten minute practice is more valuable to me than an extra hour of sleep. It has helped me become more focused, productive, and clear about what my life’s journey is about. It has also improved my posture, breathing capacity and has taught me how to reduce my stress level at any time. No other exercise has had as much profound affect on my life as meditation and breathing. It is a simple practice that anyone can learn to improve your life immediately.
References:
Wikipedia contributors. “Heart rate variability.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 4 Jul. 2015. Web. 5 Jul. 2015.
This past Saturday, F&L held it’s 4th Annual Free Car Wash at the Kokokahi YWCA. Each year, F&L offers a FREE car wash as a service to our Windward community. It’s our way of saying “thank you” for supporting our organization. This year is extra special, as we celebrate twenty years of providing physical therapy to our community.
The car wash was the perfect event for our patients to watch us sweat as we washed their dirty cars. My favorite moment happened when one of my current patients enjoyed bossing me around by pointing out spots that I missed on her car so she could return the “favor” of working hard in therapy. She was determined to make us feel the wrath of her commands even though her truck was already spotless! We all had a great laugh!
Community events like the car wash are great ways for F&L to express our company values. F&L has always placed our values at the forefront of our commitments. Nurturing relationships is perhaps our greatest value and expressing gratitude toward those that we serve can be a powerful reminder of that value. Seeing our patients arrive at the car wash allowed us to interact with them in a different setting, which often brought on smiles and laughter.
We look forward to continuing our tradition of free car washes for many years to come. The feeling of declining to accept donations was fulfilling and continued to bring disbelief among patrons. See you all next year with your dirty cars!
Please look for information for next year’s car wash on our website and Facebook page.
On May 17th, I was fortunate enough to spend some time with one of my mentors, Erl Pettman, PT, MCSP, MCPA, FCAMP, co-founder of NAIOMT (North American Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy). Erl has been coming to Hawaii for the past 8 years to teach NAIOMT courses. In addition to being a Senior Faculty member with NAIOMT, he has been a certified manual therapy instructor for the Olaf Evenjth system since 1990.
I first met Erl in 2007, when I started taking NAIOMT courses. Since then, I’ve taking all four NAIOMT Level courses and have been lucky to have Erl as my instructor. He has made a tremendous impact on my career and continues to be influential toward my performance as a physical therapist and clinical instructor. I’ve always wanted to sit down and chat with him about his life, career and thoughts regarding our profession and am honored to have Erl as part of my first F&L blog interview.
Here’s a transcript of our conversation:
Mark: I’m just going to ask you a few casual questions to get started.
Erl: Yeah, that’s what the police always say (laughs).
Mark: Haha. You has been a mentor to me since I attended the Level I class NAIOMT course. Thank you so much for joining us today, Erl. I know that you’re here this week to teach a Level I NAIOMT course. How is it going?
Erl: Very well. Good group. It’s one of the larger groups we’ve had for a long time. Good interaction with the old group and some newbies.
[one_half]
Mark: Let’s start off by talking a little about your professional career. You graduated from Nottingham School of Physiotherapy in England in 1972. How was your experience as far as physical therapy school is concerned?
Erl: I think the most valuable part was the emphasis on anatomy. And that’s followed me throughout my career. From a disappointment point of view, it was the lack of emphasis on anything orthopedic. There was no mention of manual therapy at all. So I had to catch up with it once I qualified.
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
Mark: And what was it that drew you to become a physical therapist? What motivated you to choose Physical Therapy as a profession?
Erl: Nothing motivated me, it was pure accident (we both laughed). My father hired a physio for one of the jobs he was a manager for. And I had quit school and was just working. He was concerned that I wasn’t going to get back into academics, so he suggested I look into physiotherapy (aka physical therapy). And that’s how I got into it.
Mark: So you’re first job was as a staff therapist in a hospital in England. What were your memories of that first job?
Erl: Mostly the post-surgical side. Because in England, we were involved in a lot of chest care. And that was very big. It was mostly neuro and post-surgical. So, not my favorite.
Mark: Do you have any funny memories of your first year as a physio?
Erl: No that was a long time ago, I’ll have to think about that one.
Erl: I got this idea in my head that we could start this North American institute so I approached Cliff, Jim and later, Ann Porter Hoke and the late David Lamb to see if they would help me get it going and help me teach. And Diane Lee was originally with us too. So there was quite a number of people that helped us establish the orthopedic division in Canada. And they ended up teaching for NAIOMT.
Mark: What were your thoughts in forming the organization? What drove you guys to have this educational model?
Erl:We had a number of friends in the United States who wanted a much more structured system that they could find in the U.S. and they looked at the Canadian system which was very structured and not biased to anybody. Nobody’s name was connected to it but we had levels, we had exams, and a system set-up. So they asked us to come down and start a similar system. So initially, it became known as the Canadian System, then eventually we changed it to the North American (Institute of Manual Therapy).
Mark: The last time you were here in February, I watched you do an examination for the Level Three Examination. It’s considered one of the toughest exams as part of the certification of NAIOMT. What makes it so difficult?
Erl: The level 3 exam is clinical reasoning and contains a lot of biomechanics. The emphasis is on why you would do something and what’s your reasoning for the assessment and treatment given, so it’s not just a practical exam which is why a lot of the people find it extremely challenging. But our reasoning is because it’s a competency exam, a reasoning exam and reckoned to be one of the tougher exams of any system in North America. It’s still largely based on the Canadian system, but even a little tougher than that one.
Mark: Yes, you’ve said that when I was going through the courses, NAIOMT was one of the toughest certifications in manual therapy that one can go through. Besides that exam, what else makes it so tough?
Erl: It’s the only system that has an examination at every level and there are a number of courses that you have to take to get through those test procedures. For example, there are ten courses, each with tests on level one, level two, etc… In many cases, in the United States, you can get certified after a few days. But in NAIOMT, it’s going to take you a few years. And that’s a BIG difference. And of course that makes it not popular with everybody.
Mark: After years of doing quite a few examinations, you must’ve seen some interesting things happen. What are some examples of the interesting or humorous things you’ve seen during the exams?
Erl: Well, people faint (laughs) so you always have to be ready for that! One of the most common responses in the exam is when people can’t speak. So we’ve learned over the years that making people feel comfortable is a huge part of becoming an examiner so that they don’t freeze up. Some people can’t remember anything for their exam when they’re going through it. Just a blank. So you can really see how much stress people can be under when they’re going through the exam. We’re very careful in choosing our examiners so that they’re capable of first making people comfortable and then able to ask them questions that will get the most of out of them.
Mark: Great. Everyone has asked me to ask you this question. They say that they feel like you’ve got or you’ve stated that you have aphotographic memory. First of all, do you feel like you have a true photographic memory? And second, when did you know that you had that gift in you?
Erl: Well, I know people with a true photographic memory and I don’t have what they describe as a true photographic memory where you can just look at a page and remember it. But what I do have is a real retentive memory which is a better way (to describe it). I only have to read something once or be told something once and it’s pretty much in there forever.
Mark: Have you always had that?
Erl: Yeah. I think that’s been a feature since school. I didn’t always use it in school as much as I could’ve (laughs).
Mark: I as well as many others, view you as an icon in our profession and you’ve had a huge influence on my professional development. Who has been a major influence in your professional development?
Erl: Apart from my teachers Kaltenborn and Evenjth, the main people were the ones that started the orthopedic division of the Canadian system. The first one I ran into was John Olden. And as I mentioned, we knew nothing about orthopedics at school so he was amazed at my ignorance at manual therapy and was so affected by it, that he actually gave me his brand new copy of Textbook of Orthopedics by James Cyriax and that opened my mind like crazy. Then my association with Cliff Fowler, who’s become more like a brother than a friend. From a clinical perspective his innovative soul and mind has really turned me on. And Dave Lamb was probably the biggest influence in teaching and I could listen to him over and over again for hours. It’s his passion to get people to learn and enjoy work. Those three people have probably influenced me the most over my career.
Mark: One of the things that I’ve realized about our profession, is that more and more our worth as professionals is dictated by others not in our profession. Where do you see our profession going because of this trend?
Erl: If I look at the profession internationally, I see a trend where we are going to be unquestionably the next line of medical specialty. I think we’ve got the history, the background, and gradually we’re getting more and more researchers in the field. And our profession as a whole is getting far more scientific. So I actually think we’re getting prepared through our historic development to be the next specialist. And I think our title will be physical medicine specialist.
Mark: Where do some our professionals need to be coming from? Do we need more people invested in the clinical research or perhaps the administrative government side?
Erl: I think we need everything (laughs). Traditionally, physios have lacked PhDs and clinical researchers. I would like to see the PhDs be more clinically directed because sometimes they aren’t. But again, we’ve been very poor in political involvement. I think efforts in Washington show that when PT populace gets involved you can actually change the law and change the way we are viewed as a profession. So I think of those aspects. I think we’re doing extremely well from a clinical, investigative perspective and inventiveness is a strength but I think those are two of our major weaknesses.
Mark: Do you think it’s a product of what our professional educational system? Whenever I take students, I’m often surprised by the limited progression of the education. Do you see that as well?
Erl: Yeah, obviously as a teacher you are aware of the weaknesses of the post and pre-professional systems but I’m also aware of the fact that they have limited time and resources, so they have to try to develop a framework for a physio to be developed. So really when they come out, it’s really unrealistic to expect them to be expert clinicians. I think what we need is to train people that have that…that future to be expert clinicians. So, if there’s anything I’d like to see, it’s an emphasis on biomechanics, because that’s my bias (chuckles).
Mark: Are you familiar with some of the more recent systems like SFMA?
Erl: Yes, I’m familiar with them and for some instances I’ve run into some of these PTs and always been enriched by them because they have a different opinion. But from a change of perspective from a professional, it’s a little too late for me. You know that saying about an old dog learning new tricks (laughs).
Mark: So at this point of your career, what do you feel you have a lot left to do? What is it that motivates you to teach?
Erl: I think when you mentioned about the way my brain works, one of the other features I have is a very three- dimensional mind. And I can see biomechanics, human biomechanics in a three-dimensional perspective. That’s not something that’s shared by a lot of people. One of the things I’ve dreamed about and hopefully when I get less busy in the clinic, is to be able to set up a computerized system of teaching biomechanics in a three-dimensional manner. So if there’s anything left to do, that would be it.
Mark: That’s interesting because when I graduated from PT school, my graduate thesis was a 3D presentation on cervical biomechanics. And this was when 3D animation had just come out and I taught myself how to create short videos on how the cervical spine moved with cervical flexion, extension, sidebending and rotation. I thought that’s where the profession would go as far as the teaching part of it but it really didn’t expand that way. I mean, there have been some programs that have come out with 3D animation but there hasn’t been as much change as I expected.
Erl: No it hasn’t and I think it’s because a lot of people don’t view anatomy and biomechanics in three- dimensional perspective and if you do, you’re very lucky. I think because the vast majority of people still see anatomy in a two dimensional thing from Gray’s Anatomy. That’s one of our biggest challenges. And once we have something that people can utilize, even on the undergraduate level, I think that’s where the interest will be. But I think that people can’t get that view. But you’ve never shown me that.
Mark: Haha, I’ll have to dig that up somewhere. So you’ve been coming here since 2007 when I started taking the level I and you’ve been coming back every year since. What is it about Hawaii that you are so fond of?
Erl: Well, obviously I’ve built up a huge circle of friends in Hawaii over 20 something years. It’s a beautiful place to come but it’s also a nice atmosphere. It’s just been great to be a part of a developing professional culture that is being created in Hawaii, almost the embodiment of what NAIOMT wants. If we could create in the rest of the U.S. what we’ve created in Hawaii, we would be very, very happy. And I’m not just talking financially; I’m talking about from a professional point of view and our impact on the future of the profession.
Mark: Alright, I just have one question left. I love to read and I’m always reading two or three books at a time. What books would be the biggest influences on you? They don’t have to be physical therapy related, just any book.
Erl: (Laughs) Obviously I don’t have any obvious ones ‘cause I can’t think of anything in physical therapy (laughs). But unquestionably, Gray’s anatomy has to be a favorite and I still read that and I still get caught reading that at lunch time. Some of the others, the new books on pain…Dave Butler’s Sensitive Nervous System. And probably I think Diane’s book on her approach to therapy especially about her approach to treating the pelvis. I always like the detective books, books on crime…
Mark: Like Sherlock Holmes?
Erl: Yes, like Sherlock Holmes (laughs).
Mark: Well I want to thank you for allowing me to pick your brain. Hopefully we can do this again.
Memorial Day in America is a day when people remember and honor those who have fallen in service to their country. In Hawai‘i, with its diverse population, traditions become easily adopted and assimilated into its rich cultural fabric. It is a custom for people in Hawai‘i, on Memorial Day, to not only place flowers and offerings on gravesites of those who served their country, but to honor all loved ones who have passed on.
One famous Memorial Day tradition in Hawaii is the The Lantern Floating Ceremony, held at Ala Moana Beach Park.In 1999, the inaugural Lantern Floating Ceremony was held at Ke’ehi Lagoon on the south shore of O’ahu. In 2002, the ceremony was moved a few miles down the coast to Ala Moana Beach where it has been observed every year since.
The Lantern Floating Ceremony brings together over 40,000 people on the beach, joined by thousands around the world via live streaming and telecast for an evening of honoring loved ones and generating collective hope toward the future. The ceremony is an opportunity where all can come together for a personal and collective moment of remembrance, reflection, and offering gratitude to those who have gone before us. It is a chance to be surrounded by the love, understanding, and support of others – even strangers. We are strengthened as a community as we reach out to support others and build understanding of our common values and experiences.
[one_half]
In remembering those who have recently passed, I think ofParker Moore. Parker, a student athlete at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, was stabbed to death at a 7-Eleven convenience store across the street from his school last November. In a random act of violence, he was attacked by a 33 year-old male that had no known connection with him. The assailant returned to the store shortly after the attack and was shot to death by police officers at the scene.
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
Parker was a classmate and football teammatewith my son, Kaleo. He was a sophomore who studied business management, played linebacker on the football team and was popular among the student body, acting as a resident advisor. The tragic incident occurred a day after the team’s biggest win of the year: a conference clinching win over Pacific University. His death stunned the small community of McMinnville, a town where there wasn’t a fatal shooting in almost ten years and almost 25 years involving a police officer.
Surprisingly, the Linfield football team banded together from the tragedy and went on an inspiring run through the Division III football playoffs. The team won against Chapman University then traveled to Belton, Texas were they upset the 2nd ranked University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The following week they upset another top ten team, Widener University in Pennsylvania. Their run ended in the semifinals against the number one team in the nation, University of Wisconsin Whitewater, in a thrilling 20-14 game.
On May 9th, the first “Parker’s Run” was held at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum. The 5K run was a fundraiser put together by Linfield students and Linfield’s Economics Department, with all of its proceeds going to the Parker Moore Memorial Scholarship Fund. There was also a tree ceremony on campus where head football coach, Joe Smith, read a remembrance letter he wrote about Parker on the eve of the dedication. Thank you to ADvantage Catdome for posting this emotional, moving letter.
Memorial Day is a time when we can all share in the loss of loved ones and reach out in the spirit of creating harmony to support one another. Flowers, floating lanterns and a 5K run are all remarkable and memorable ways to honor and remember our loved ones. It’s traditions like these that we, as a family and a nation can look forward to celebrating each year.
As part of the 2015 UH Strength Coaches Clinic, Leo Totten, of Totten Training Systems, spoke about Power Development with Olympic style weightlifting. Totten is an expert in weightlifting, with over 20 years of coaching at the Olympic, Pan American, and World Championship level.
Totten Training is located in Littleston, PA. The major focus of Totten Training Systems is to provide the best in Olympic style lift training in conjunction with other modes of strength and power training for weightlifters and all athletes. Totten created this system after many years in the field as an athlete, coach, teacher and athletic administrator. He has worked with athletes and coaches from the high school level, to the collegiate level and even national and international level, working with individuals as well as teams. As a well-known speaker and author with has a strong reputation in the strength and conditioning field, Totten is one of most influential strength coaches of all time. His resume is full of achievements in lifting:
Recognized as one of the 65 most influential Strength Coaches – kickbacklife.com
Over 20 years training High School / College elite athletes
Over 30 years in Physical Education and Athletic Administration
Two Olympic Teams
Three Pan Am Teams
Five World Championship Teams
USA Weightlifting Coaching Excellence Award, 2005
[one_half]
At the UH clinic, Totten gave a hands-on demonstration on the Clean, one of the three recognized Olympic lifts. He spoke about the benefits of lifting and how the skills transfer to sports that require strength and power, with the emphasis on power.
Following the clinic, Totten offered a class in Beginning Olympic Lifting Course (BOLC), which included instructions on the three lifts: Clean, Snatch and the Jerk. Check out this video on the clean:
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
[one_half]
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
About 35 people of various backgrounds, high school and college coaches, athletic trainers, and physical therapists attended this eight-hour class at Crossfit Oahu. Totten took us through each of the lifts from set-up to finish. The class was very detailed as he dissected each lift step by step from the floor to the receiving position. He gave great tips on training and improving at each of the key positions.
[/one_half_last]
I had signed up for the clinic with great apprehension. I knew very little about Olympic style lifting other than it being different at the receiving position. My feelings were heightened when I saw that most of the other attendees were coaches and looked more the part. I felt a little better when a fellow colleague (physical therapist) showed up and we were able to learn together, sharing common thoughts about how we would apply these new lifting techniques to physical therapy. As a therapist that works mainly with injured workers, I noticed key body mechanics in the lifts that would assist in generating the necessary power to lift and manipulate heavy objects. I also felt that training with a barbell would be another great instrument to use for patients and personal training clients.
I was given a BOLC certification for completing the course, which allows me to begin teaching the lifts I learned. It by no means makes me a knowledgeable coach like Totten, but it’s a good starting point. He is a fantastic coach and his teaching style is methodical and systematic. He has great anecdotal stories that kept all of us interested at all times.
Despite my original fear, I was able to learn a great deal, meet new people, and pick up new skills. By the end of the day, I probably lifted a barbell a hundred times and I sure felt it the next day. But the soreness in my muscles were a great reminder of the hard work I put in and new skills that I gained.
Many thanks to Leo Totten, Tommy Heffernan, and Hank McDonald for putting the class together. And thanks to Crossfit Oahu for hosting it.
For more information on Totten Training Systems, email Leo Totten at [email protected].
Last month I attended the University of Hawaii‘s 2015 UH Coaches Strength Clinic on April 24-25th. After gaining valuable knowledge from last year’s clinic, I was excited to hear and learn new things from this year’s speakers, especially Tommy Heffernan, who heads the Strength and Conditioning Program at the University of Hawaii.
Heffernan played for the UH football and baseball teams from 1988 to ’91 and has been affiliated with the Rainbow Warrior football program ever since. Upon receiving his bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian history from UH in 1991, Heffernan taught at Kahuku where he also coached football and baseball. In 1995, he served as an assistant strength and conditioning coordinator at UH and then became the head coordinator four years later.
For the past six years, Heffernan has organized the Coaches Strength Clinic. He invites local speakers from Hawaii as well as from the mainland, each bringing great insight into various areas of strength and conditioning for athletes. Attendees were given hands on instruction on improving mobility, speed and quickness, and of course, strength training. It was interesting that the speakers had such different and unique perspectives on strength and conditioning, depending on their specialty and area of expertise which ranged from the armed forces and college athletics to specific sports like rugby and weightlifting.
One of the best moments of the two-day clinic, in my opinion, occurred when Heffernan presented the first Coach’s Recognition Award to one of his childhood coaches, Philip Chun. Heffernan talked about Chun’s influence on him as a young athlete and realized, as he grew older that all of the athletic knowledge he gained from Chun wasn’t as significant as the relationship he built over the years with Chun. He spoke highly of the nurturing relationship that coaches have with young athletes and how it sometimes isn’t realized until much later in life. The emotion in which the speech was given was moving and memorable. It was a sentiment that I’m sure all of the coaches (in attendance) experience with their athletes and it drives them to attend these types of clinics.
As a representative of F&L, I will continue to attend and support the Hawaii Strength Clinic as it brings great value to us in knowledge, community involvement, and connection with other health providers. I look forward to sharing what i learned from the clinic with my staff and patients at our therapy clinics. I expect to attend next year’s clinic which is expected to be held on January 29-30th.
Look for a future blog about my experience with one of the speakers, Leo Totten. I attended his certification for Olympic Lifting that he offered to attendees of the clinic.
For the past three years, F&L has held a company retreat to celebrate its staff and culture. Owners, Art and Randy, usually dedicate an entire afternoon for all staff to “retreat” from work and gather together for some culture-based fun.
[one_half]
Our most recent retreat was held on April 24th at the Kokokahi YWCA in Kaneohe. Our Culture Club, a group of volunteer employees that serve as a sounding board for the organization, planned everything from the food to the fun. After a sandwich and salad bar lunch, we introduced new employees, recognized significant achievements, and took a look at our mission, vision and values – past, present and future.
Included in our activities were interactive group bonding games of kite building, golf ball dropping and relay racing. Everything was done with our Values in mind: Nurturing Relationships, Integrity, Contribution, and Embracing Change and Encouraging Growth.
Back in 2012, an organization called Delivering Happiness coached us to focus on the company’s Mission Statement, Core Values and Higher Purpose. As a group, we used what inspired us most to come up with a new mission statement with improved values. It was this workshop that turned us into a values-based organization, using our company culture to delivering fun and happiness to our patients and community.
Since then, we’ve had an annual “Delivering Happiness” retreat that reminds us of our new mission and values and teaches us how we can live them each day. We practice gratitude in our culture and hope that it will renew our commitment to our patients to deliver the best care possible.
Last weekend, Nate Lowry, PT, one of our therapists, and I attended a M1 Graston Technique introductory course in Seattle, Washington. F&L decided to use Graston Technique in our clinics after the company’s owner, Randall Fukuji, P.T., took the course and has since been successful in using the technique at the Kailua clinic for the past several months. In order to be able to offer this treatment at all of our clinic locations, Nate and I went up to Seattle to become providers.
Graston Technique® is an advanced form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization which enables clinicians to effectively break down scar tissue and fascial restrictions. Graston is performed with patented stainless steel instruments designed to effectively detect and treat areas exhibiting soft-tissue fibrosis. It was developed by athletes and is used by more than 21,750 clinicians worldwide — including physical/occupational therapists, hand therapists, chiropractors, and athletic trainers.
Shawn Burger is currently the Vice President of Burger Physical Therapy, Inc and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of 14 outpatient clinic sites that provide physical, occupational and speech therapy to the greater Sacramento area. He specializes in post-operative and acute injury management and has been a GT instructor since 2006.
Resolves chronic conditions thought to be permanent
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
I thoroughly enjoyed both instructors and gained great insight into the use and benefits of Graston. Shawn taught most of the general principles of Graston and gave great examples of how he uses Graston “instruments”. He was one of the rare instructors that always kept your attention with useful examples, funny moments and simplified principles. He shared some of his success with and without Graston, which is always encouraging for other therapists to hear. Ted brought great flavor to the course with his experience in sports, from the Pan American Games to the Beijing Olympics. His interaction with top athletes always grabbed the attention of the attendees. Ted has a great teaching style and I can’t wait to take the advanced course, which is his specialty.
By becoming Graston providers, F&L can use this technique as a new method to accurately diagnose and treat soft tissue lesions. We are now one of three Graston technique providers on Oahu and offer this service at each of our locations. Watch for future blogs on this website as we share our experience with GT and combine it with other techniques in our practice model.
On Friday, March 20th, F&L said goodbye to two team members, Jenni and Jeralyn. These gals made a big impact on our staff, patients and community and truly embraced the F&L culture during their time with us. We are grateful to have had them as part of our ohana.
Jeralyn was Kaneohe’s medical receptionist for the past year and a half and always greeted everyone with her big smile and warm personality. But I discovered that beyond that grin, Strength was what carried her day to day and it reflected in her attitude when helping others. Her ability to be strong for herself and her co-workers during all the changes that Kaneohe went through the past year, especially the clinic move to Kokokahi, was tremendous.
A new opportunity and challenge came about in Jeralyn’s career. She decided to join the Navy. The decision to serve her country is typical of what I’ve become to expect out of her. I know that her strength will serve her well in this new venture.
[one_half]
This past weekend we gathered at the Kaneohe clinic to have a going away party for Jeralyn. Her wish before leaving the F&L ohana was to do one last activity as a family, and she chose painting. An art teacher from Moanalua instructed all of us on how to paint a “whimsical tree” portrait. For most of us, it was our first painting experience since grade school. We had a great time painting together and enjoyed each other’s company.
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
Jenni has been one of our main physical therapist assistants at our Kailua clinic since 2012. She came to us as a graduate of Kapiolani Community College’s PTA program. Jenni is a fun-loving, carefree spirit and was the queen of F&L dress-up days. She always got the most compliments during our Halloween and Spring Break activities.
[one_third]
[/one_third]
[two_third_last]
As a physical therapist, I enjoyed working with Jenni because she was always willing to learn and was able to adapt to others well. Like her many crazy and amusing characters she portrayed, we will miss her funny faces and infectious laugh.
Earlier this month, we gathered together for a wild and exciting night with Jenni to celebrate the joy she has brought to our company. She will soon be heading to the mainland to explore the Great Northwest and I’m sure she will share her happiness with others wherever she settles.
[/two_third_last]
[one_half]
Jeralyn and Jenni are perfect examples of the type of employees who sincerely exudes all of our organization’s core values, but especially, the value of “Embracing Change and Encourage Growth”. I hope they will continue to succeed in their future endeavors with this value as their guide. We thank them for their years of service, helping us to deliver happiness and compassion daily. Our F&L family will miss them dearly and wish them well.
This week, thousands of college students will flock down to Fort Lauderdale, Daytona Beach, Lake Havasu and Acapulco Beach for an annual gathering of fun, sun, alcohol, and shenanigans. Where did this craziness originate?
According to a TIME Magazine article in 2009, it started with the Greeks and Romans, when they celebrated the arrival of spring as a time of fertility and awakening (read the article here). More recently, the tradition of going south to Florida started when college coaches held an annual gathering at the Casino Pool in Fort Lauderdale.
[one_half]
The first Olympic-sized pool in Florida held the annual competition which began in 1938 and brought in over 300 competitors yearly. This continued to gain in popularity and in 1959 inspired the making of the movie, Where the Boys Are, which starred Connie Francis and George Hamilton.
By the 70s and 80s, the tradition of college students flocking to Florida became commercialized and MTV launched its first televised special from Daytona Beach, which still continues today. Spring break has spread beyond the Florida beaches and is celebrated in just about anywhere a beach can be found.
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
[/one_half_last]
At F&L, we celebrate Spring Break in our own, unique way. The past week we have themed dress up days, where employees AND patients are encouraged to celebrate this “break” from the status quo. Pajama, whacky sock, sports and favorite musician day allowed us to enjoy a little buzz in our clinics this week. The anticipation of seeing what each of us would wear and watching the reaction of our patients are priceless.
This craziness will continue this week as we celebrate grandparents, rainbows, St. Patrick, bacon, and retro days. These activities are a part of our culture and our mission to “deliver fun and happiness”. At F&L, we practice creating an environment that generates joy, happiness, gratitude and fun. We want our patients to feel as if they are among family, albeit a whack one.
Feel free to join us in dressing up, we love it when patients participate. Keep track of our daily activities via Facebook and Instagram and let us know what you think.
