Jay Foote Alexander Technique Des Moines

Our Health Community: Jay Foote and Alexander Technique

Abbie Sawyer Our Health Community, Your Best Life

What is Alexander Technique? Alexander Technique is an awareness-building process that cultivates an internal flow by creating space to integrate body and mind by studying “the how” of any activity. By simplifying movements and paying particular attention to how the movement starts, continues, and ends, students can find a bit more balance and ease in their bodies–this also creates time …

Patient Success Story: From Hip Pain to Half Marathon

Abbie Sawyer Your Best Life

This patient was experiencing anterior hip pain, but after working with Dr. Schreyer on routine physical therapy, she was able to complete a difficult half marathon: “The Hardest Thing I’ve Ever Done” “I ran my race a couple of days ago and it went REALLY well! My hips were sore after the fact, but they felt good during the run …

woman playing baseball

Who to See for Movement “Illnesses”

Abbie Sawyer Your Best Life

Who do you call? For people who are sick, going to see your primary care physician and getting a diagnosis is common sense. But who do you see for a diagnosis if you’ve got a movement “illness”? For example, if your knee hurts when you go hiking, if you can’t get on and off the floor to play with your …

blue light

The Adverse Effects of Blue Light

Abbie Sawyer The Research, Your Best Life

Screens and Sleep Don’t Mix A recent study of 1,500 Americans found that 90 percent of adults use an electronic device within 1 hour of bedtime at least a few times per week. And while many factors can contribute to one’s sleep quality, devices may be an important contributor to insomnia because of the short-wavelength-enriched light that is emitted from …

sleep

All About Sleep

Abbie Sawyer The Research, Your Best Life

Oxygen, water, food, and sleep. These are four essentials to life. Without them peoples’ health suffers. Sleep is an important factor that heavily influences our performance at work, our risk for chronic disease, and our overall quality of life. Sleep researchers, however, aren’t clear on the exact reason why humans even need to sleep. From an evolutionary perspective sleep would …

shoveling technique squat

How to Shovel Safely

Abbie Sawyer Your Best Life

Winter is no joke Snow adds a beautiful touch to these cold, snowy winter days. That is until you have to drive in it or remove it. Unfortunately for those of us without snow blowers, shoveling is one of those necessary evils we must do as homeowners. Des Moines gets an average of 3 ft (36.5in) of snow per year, …

penguins

Safety Tips to Prevent Slipping on Ice

Abbie Sawyer Your Best Life

Rule #1=Prevention! Plan ahead. Give yourself sufficient time and plan your route. (1) Wear proper footwear. Try to wear flat-soles shoes and avoid shoes with heels. (1) Products are available with abrasive soles or cleats that provide increased traction while walking on snow and ice.  Keep both hands free for balance rather than in your pockets. (1) Wear a heavy …

golf elbow

Tennis Elbow versus Golf Elbow 

Abbie Sawyer Your Best Life

Tennis elbow and golf elbow Tennis elbow and golf elbow are very common. Despite the names, you don’t have to be a golfer or a tennis player to develop either of these elbow tendonitis-related injuries. Both of these injuries typically develop when certain tendons in your elbow become overloaded, overused, or poorly used. Typically, these elbow injuries occur from repetitive …

chest opening stretch

The Value of Stretching at the Office/Home Office

Abbie Sawyer Your Best Life

4 Stretches for the Office Take a few minutes at different parts of your day to make some changes to your posture, your flexibility, and potentially some of your discomfort. The next time you feel poor posture or immobility plaguing you, try these four stretches at your desk: 1. Chin Retraction Chin retraction stretch step 1 Chin retraction stretch step …

sciatica relief

All About Sciatica

Abbie Sawyer The Research, Your Best Life

VIDEO: Sciatica relief in two at-home exercises What is sciatica? Sciatica is pain that’s felt along the back of the leg following the sciatic nerve, often on one side of the body. The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest nerve in the body. At its widest point, it’s about the size of your thumb. It runs from the low …