If you have delayed going to physical therapy due to COVID-19, you are not alone.
Going to physical therapy can be tough right now -- and Gonzaba Medical Group is now bringing physical therapy to the virtual space.
Whether you need physical therapy after having a stroke, heart attack or any other type of injury, the group is available 24/7 to help, it said.
“We tend to work with the older patient population. Our primary focus is on keeping people as healthy as they can be," said Stuart Saunders, a physical therapist at Gonzaba Medical Group. "We are improving the overall quality of life.”
Saunders has provided three stretches anyone can do at home if people are experiencing aches and pains in their back, neck or hamstring.
1). Hamstring stretch
Sit on a chair with one leg bent and the other leg fully straightened, pointing your toes straight up toward the ceiling. The next step in the stretch is to straighten your spine as much as you can by elevating your chest and keeping your head up and slowly pivoting forward at the waist.
2). Neck stretch
Take one hand and try to push it down toward the ground and turn your head over to the opposite side. Drop your chin toward your chest, and as you’re holding that position, you can accentuate the move slightly by resting the weight of your opposite hand on top of your head.
3). Back stretch
Sit as upright as you possibly can and pull your shoulders back, and push down once again as you’re holding that position. You can add a little bit of rearward head move and hold that for five seconds and relax. “You’re working on all the muscles between the shoulder blades and the spine and the base of the skull and working on that posture,” Saunders explained.
There are more video exercises available online that Gonzaba Medical Group has created to help seniors at home.
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