This Friday is all about sleep. Here are 5 tips recommended to promote improved sleep for the general public.

Reposted with permission from Dr. Cam Faller's instagram

Sleep Hygiene by Cameron Faller

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👉 LIMIT STIMULANTS - Caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine all have been known to promote arousal and/or disrupt sleep.  Finding out an individual's sensitivity or tolerance and either limiting a certain amount of time before bed or weaning off (i.e. nicotine) has been shown to promote improved sleep.
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👉 EXERCISE REGULARLY - This has been presumed knowledge with the caveat that you shouldn't exercise before bed but the evidence states that's not completely true. Promoting good wakeful habits of regular exercise has been shown to improve sleep quality and for some individual's exercising before bed can actually promote acute-body heating and have an antidepressant effect.
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👉REDUCE STRESS - Stress can precipitate both cognitive and physiological arousal which may lead to increased rumination or worry. Although not extensively researched, techniques such as mindfulness and relaxation both have shown preliminary evidence to reduce stress which may improve sleep.
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👉MINIMIZE NOISE - Utilizing either sound-reducing (ear plugs) or sound-masking (white noise) has been shown to improve nocturnal sleep episodes. Type, timing, and consistency should be dependent on the individual.
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👉 BUILD A ROUTINE - Scheduling regular sleep/wake times and reducing naps to less than 30 minutes has been shown to maximize the synchrony between physiologic sleep drive and circadian rhythm.
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It should be noted that a dynamic relationship exists between all these behaviors and trying to modify all of them at once may be more detrimental than helpful.
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Focusing on the most important, or disrupted, behaviors, and promoting healthy wakeful habits has been shown to have clinically meaningful effects for improving sleep quality for many individuals.
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"Aspire to Inspire"
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Reference: Irish LA, Kline CE, Gunn HE, Buysse DJ, Hall MH. The role of sleep hygiene in promoting public health: A review of empirical evidence. Sleep Med Rev. 2015;22:23-36.

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How often do you address sleep? Quality AND quantity? This is important not only for athletic performance, but also recovery. It is also important for those with chronic pain and overall central sensitization.

This post was first found on @physicaltherapyresearch on instagram.

Most clinicians not only have inadequate training for concussions, but also have difficulty with true empathy. Dr. Molly Parker on instagram is an amazing resource.

This is a repost of items I use in what I call The Recovery System. I knew this information was valuable, and not all patients need it, but we all have the difficult cases that need more than just exercise and hands on techniques. They need complete behavioral and lifestyle changes to make the most of their recovery. This is where Modern Patient Education, a brand new Eclectic Approach seminar comes in. Sign up below to get on our list and be the first to take it online, live in person, or live online!

Got this idea from David Butler of NOI Group. You can use a finger trap to explain a few things patients have trouble with

• letting go: you have this current pain/condition, let's accept it's happening and take some active steps to recovery
• slacking high tone/tension: my manual therapy version of certain ostepathic concepts, slack the tender area or perception of tightness instead of stretching it
• Positional Inhibition Examples are below
• Upper Trap for Neurodynamic Dysfunction
• Rhomboids
• Latissumus Dorsi
• the above also works for many repeated loading strategies which are often counterintuitive and the opposite direction they have been moving in or instructed to "stretch."

A Visual and Tactile Tool to Explain Loading Strategies

Using a finger trap is a fun and active way to do more than lecture at a patient. Remember, patient education is an interactive process!

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Learn more online!

Want an approach that enhances your existing evaluation and treatment? No commercial model gives you THE answer. You need an approach that blends the modern with the old school. Live cases, webinars, lectures, Q&A, hundreds of techniques and more! Check out Modern Manual Therapy!

Keeping it Eclectic...

Want to connect with your patients? You should! Physical Therapy and patient education is a 2 way interaction, not a lecture! Sit back and listen to your patients, try not to interrupt after 11 seconds while you're at it!