April Newsletter MbM
- medicinebymovement
- Apr 3
- 8 min read
March was a busy month for many, including Medicine by Movement! We had a free Low Back Pain workshop, started the 6 week low back pain class, grew the monthly wellness group, had a great guest speaker, and Alicia even snuck away to Atlanta for a conference to continue to provide the best quality care possible! Read on to see what is happening in the near future, as well as the monthly treatment advice, and deal of the month!
EXERCISE OF THE MONTH
TKE squat
During the month of April, we will be focusing on treatment of knee and hip Osteoarthritis (OA). OA is a break down of the cartilage of your joints, causing an inflammatory process. Our cartilage is there to act as a shock absorber, and when we start to loose that, we loose the ability to tolerate weight bearing activities. BUT, the best shock absorber in the body is muscle. So the stronger we can get our muscles around the affected joint, the better. If only it was that easy! Unfortunately, trying to strengthen can often be painful, so it's always a little bit of a dance trying to figure out how to stress the muscle enough to make actual strength gains, but without irritating the joint. There are lots of ways to do this in a non-weightbearing position, but eventually we want to progress to a more functional activity.
Squats are a great way to strengthen the whole lower chain for both the knee and hip. One way I like to work on this is with a resistance band pulling the knee forward so it creates a little more space for the joint to work, as well as engages our whole posterior chain a little more. Check out the full video here: https://youtube.com/shorts/nID3DV79NMc
*If you would like more free treatment ideas and exercises, follow me on social media:
~Upcoming events~
-M Factor - Shredding the Silence on Menopause!
Medicine by Movement, in collaboration with Alpine PT, will be hosting a screening of the M Factor, followed by discussion on Peri and Post Menopause-related topics. All genders welcome, and partners are encouraged to attend. This is a free event, but donations will be accepted to help cover the cost of obtaining the screening. There will be a cash bar available, and light snacks.
About this Event:
The (M) Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause film explores the hidden impact of menopause on women's lives. Menopause has ramifications beyond just an individual woman’s well-being. The far-ranging results of women enduring untreated menopause include billions of dollars in lost wages, upended careers, family disruptions, and emotional chaos.
With evidence-based information, the film empowers women to make informed health decisions and aims to remove the stigma surrounding menopause and aging.
This feature-length documentary film, centers on the lived experiences of women across the U.S. Cameras follow women into their doctors’ offices, at work, and in their homes to expose the challenges they face—including racial biases, gender-ignorant care, inequitable structures and systems, and barriers due to the lack of basic midlife healthcare research. The women featured here open up about their experiences and share their stories of enduring debilitating symptoms while being ignored, ridiculed and/or shamed—and left untreated.
Now there’s a movement to fix the broken system, change the culture and transform our future. “The (M) Factor” turns the spotlight on the progress being made. With input from emboldened physicians, healthcare advocates and leaders in the menopause movement, the film focuses on what is being done to address this public health crisis and offers solutions that can be replicated in medical communities and workplaces across the country.
Screening Party Timeline:
12:00 – Welcome Reception! (light snacks provided, cash bar.)
12:15 – Introduction & Information on possible upcoming Menopause-related classes and information
12:30 - Screening of the M Factor film (approx 56 minutes)
1:30 – Film and menopause-related topics discussion
Although this is a free event, donations will be accepted for cost to cover the screening, and the event will be capped at 70 people, so 1st come, 1st serve!
-OA workshop
I will be holding a FREE workshop on knee and hip OA on Friday, April 25 from 12-1pm at 311 Price St. We will cover some quick education on OA, with a large focus on hand-on exercise and treatment for OA. While this is a free event, space is limited, so please sign up here: https://l.bttr.to/1q4ZA
-OA 6 week class
Do you have knee or hip pain? Do you think it could be related to Osteoarthritis (OA)? Sign up now for my 6 week group exercise class specifically for people with knee or hip OA. This will be a similar structure to the Low Back Pain class, with 1 hour classes weekly starting on Tue, May 6th, and continuing for 6 weeks. We will practice safe and effective mobility and strengthening activities, and you will receive educational information pertaining to this topic as homework weekly. It's a great option for anyone that no longer needs skilled PT, but needs more guidance to safely treat knee and hip pain related to arthritis.
To sign up, go to this link: https://l.bttr.to/xZOam
-Injury screens
Rainy Day Bazaar April 12 - 1st come, 1st serve
Studio by Emily April 27 - sign up here:
*Reach out if you are an organization or activity who could benefit from FREE injury screens!
Wellness class:
My monthly wellness class has become one of the highlights of my business, and I am so grateful for the incredible group that makes it special. These individuals have committed their time and energy to improving their health, all within a safe and fun environment! We’ve had up to 27 members at a time (with the flexibility to come and go), but there’s a dedicated core group that started with me in 2024 during my very first month, and they’ve been with me ever since. I lovingly refer to them as my “vintage group.” Whether you call them the OGs, the Originals, or “Seasoned and Strong,” I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to them for taking the leap and embracing something new — and for sticking with it. You ladies truly rock!
To all my other clients, thank you! Whether you joined from the start, last year, or just last month, I am so proud of each and every one of you!
Every month we name an MVP from this group as well. Someone that has gone above and beyond to place their health 1st. They have placed extra time and energy outside of just attending class. It may be they are working on their diet. Or journaling consistently. Or walking or swimming on a daily basis. I can tell you, every person in this group deserves it, but here are some of our MVPs who have been highlighted. Congrats ladies!
A reminder that anyone can come for a Free class any time! If this is something that sounds interesting, come to a class and see if it’s for you! There is no age limit, and all genders welcome. We would love to have you! Come by 311 Price St on Monday or Wed at noon, and join us!
The purpose of this group is to not only encourage safe and challenging movement and exercise, but to offer a more well-rounded approach to your health. As part of that goal, I offer monthly guest speakers along with injury workshops. Our last guest speaker was a fun one!
Speakers:
March Kate DesRoisers with Zumba
Feb Jenilyn Lo; Jan Crystal Oostema
Stay tuned for upcoming collaboration and guest speakers available to the wellness group!
PT philosophy
I'd like to share my approach to treatment and my philosophy at Medicine by Movement. My goal is to take a more preventative approach with a focus on both immediate pain relief and long-term movement optimization. It’s about not just getting you out of pain now but ensuring your mobility and function are sustained for the future.
This philosophy might look different from traditional physical therapy, which is where some confusion arises. In a typical scenario, if someone has knee pain, they’d visit their doctor for a referral to a physical therapist. The PT focuses solely on the knee. However, what’s often overlooked is that pain in one area, like the knee, may actually be the result of compensation from other parts of the body. So, if a patient’s knee pain is related to issues in the hip or ankle, they’d have to go back to their doctor for a new referral for the other area. This can be frustrating and inefficient. Insurance typically only covers treatment for the area specified in the referral, even though the problem may be more widespread.
There are, of course, exceptions like total knee replacements or rotator cuff surgeries, which have specific rehabilitation protocols that don't require a deep dive into the rest of the body. In these cases, traditional physical therapy is ideal, and insurance works well for these specific treatments. But for someone with knee pain, my approach differs.
My philosophy can be summarized as Discovery, Foundation, and Transformation. The Discovery phase is where we deeply explore your pain, identifying both the immediate source and the root cause. We don’t just treat the symptom – we uncover what’s driving the issue. Once we understand that, we move into the Foundation phase, where we retrain your body to break free from compensations and restore proper movement patterns. The length of this phase varies for each person, but once those patterns are corrected, the risk of the issue returning is greatly reduced.
Finally, we reach the Transformation phase, which is where the real fun begins. This phase focuses on strength-building, fine-tuning, and performance, tailored specifically to your goals. Traditional PT can sometimes fall short here, focusing only on rehabilitation and not on your long-term performance or aspirations. The key is understanding what you want to achieve and fine-tuning everything to get you there.
In insurance-based physical therapy, terms like "prevention," "maintenance," or even "returning to hobbies" are often overlooked and not reimbursable, but why? We see our dentist for cleanings and visit our doctor for annual check-ups, so why shouldn’t we do the same for our movement? Catching potential issues early could help prevent many orthopedic problems or at least reduce the time required to treat them if addressed early. This is the direction I believe our profession should move toward, and it's something I feel very passionately about.
To help facilitate this, I offer a membership program for clients who have completed treatment with me. This allows them to continue progressing their exercises and maintaining function with a monthly check-in, addressing any potential issues before they develop into bigger injuries. We get to progress performance, as there are always new ways to challenge your body, but it is also a great way to keep a set of eyes on you and your movement and pick up those issues before they become a problem.
I encourage everyone to consider this approach. If you have a nagging issue or something isn't moving the way you'd like it to, get it checked out now – before it becomes a full-blown injury. Trust me, you’ll thank me later!
Get it while it's hot! (aka, the deal of the month)
As a thank you for your incredible support over the past year, I’m excited to offer you the opportunity to purchase a package at the current rate before my prices increase in May! I have not raised my prices in over a year, and they are still below the national average. Starting May 1, there will be about a 10% price increase to help me continue growing my practice and offering the high-quality care you’ve come to expect. This will also allow me to expand with exciting new group classes, and continued free workshops, and injury screenings. Take advantage of this offer and secure your package to use anytime over the next year at the current price! My current packages include the following:
6 visits $1020 (brings the cost/visit down to $170)
10 visits $1600 (brings the cost/visit down to $160)
20 visits $3100 (brings the cost/visit down to $155)
*These can be split into multiple payments-just reach out!
I'm looking forward to working with you in the future! Please reach out with any questions. Thanks all!
Your PT and Wellness Coach,
Doc Alicia
Comments