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A neck injury is serious and can interfere with almost every daily activity. Unfortunately, it can be easy to hurt your neck if you aren’t aware of prevention techniques. These exercises are simple and can make a world of difference in helping to prevent neck pain.  Scalene Stretch Scalene is a group of three pairs of muscles in the neck. A lot of neck pain and injury can be due to a tight neck. For many people, tight necks occur often due to the nature of many workplaces. Sitting

Connor grew up in West Des Moines and attended Valley High School, graduating in 2011. Afterward, he attended the University of Iowa. Even though he started off undecided on his major, he always knew physical therapy was a possibility. Many become interested in physical therapy due to their past experiences. While he never required outpatient physical therapy himself, when he was young, an aunt suffered severe injuries stemming from a car accident and was not given a good prognosis to function independently

Jodi originally graduated from Madrid High School and after graduation, leading up into the beginning of her college career, she had the opportunity to work in a chiropractic clinic. This opportunity changed her course as she had originally planned to go into accounting after high school. After just 3 months, Jodi knew that the health industry was where she wanted to go, particularly in health and patient care. Knowing this, she explored various options at Buena Vista University and discovered that

  Stretching can feel great if you do it right. Some people don’t like to take the time to stretch before they begin a workout, because they often think they won’t see results from doing so. But on the contrary, stretching can help you to achieve even higher fitness goals while keeping you safe.  Before stretching, it’s important to complete a light warm-up routine. This may be five to ten minutes of cardio, whatever gets your heart pumping. Then, it’s

If you have or have had sciatica pain, you know how frustrating and painful it can be. Today, we will talk about what sciatica is and what you can do to help ease the pain.  What is sciatica? Sciatica is a pain that runs down the back of the leg, past the knee and into the lower leg or foot. Some people describe pain in the buttocks, hips, back and front of the leg. However, unless it extends to the lower leg or foot, it is referral pain. The sciatic nerve branches down your lower back,

It’s that time of the year again. We’re all scrambling to get ready for the holidays and preparing for the new year at the same time. And with that preparation often comes a New Year’s resolution. New Year’s resolutions have long been a popular topic when reflecting on the past year and looking forward to new beginnings. Here we will discuss some of the most popular resolutions that people have planned for the new year, along with some tips and tricks on how to execute them

It’s inevitable, winter is here again whether we like it or not. With winter comes snow and with snow comes injuries - but we have the tips for you to prevent them! Here we will talk about preventative measures you can take to stay safe all winter long and have an enjoyable holiday season. Wear the Right Footwear The proper footwear will not only keep your feet cozy, but will help keep you from falling or hurting yourself due to a footwear fail. You’ll want to make sure your winter

Robin grew up in Minnesota and was a multisport athlete participating in volleyball, softball and dance throughout her school years. In high school, she knew she had an affinity fors science but wasn't yet clear on what career she wanted to work towards after graduation. She decided to pursue her dream of playing a sport in college and signed with Morningside College to play volleyball. During the final weeks of her freshman season, she experienced her first major sports injury: a torn ACL. It

Exercise or extra fries? That’s the real question! All joking aside, finding the time and money to go to a gym to work out, or to participate in a class every day, is difficult for many people. This situation often leaves us not exercising and becoming unhealthy (and maybe choosing the extra fries!) Here we will talk about some home exercise options for all, provide video examples and also give you some tips on how to keep healthy not only this new year but for years to come. It can be hard

Kirsten grew up in the countryside of Ottumwa in Southeast Iowa, surrounded by hogs, horses and her family. Here, she learned some of her most valuable lessons along with her three sisters as they helped on the farm and showed pigs and horses in the 4H. When in school, she kept busy with volleyball, basketball, softball, track and band. Her own injuries in high school were what first piqued her interest in physical therapy. A lesson she learned early in life was from her father, Charlie Brown,