What's New!

Business After Hours - Gateau Physical Therapy

The Calvert County Chamber of Commerce Presents Business After Hours on August 12, 2010 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Hosted by Gateau Physical Therapy, 11855 H.G. Trueman Road in Lusby.

Plan to attend this luau themed event and enjoy a great evening of networking, delicious food and beverages, door prizes and a 50/50 drawing!

Door Prizes Donated By Our Own...Silpada Designs, Barbara Huber; Show Place Arena; My Phone Man; Smoothie King; Liberty Tax Service; Alexander Chiropractic Center; Chesapeake Church End Hunger; American Red Cross SO MD Chapter; Maertens Fine Jewelry & Gifts; EmbroidMe; Servpro of St. Mary's & Calvert; Armory Road Self Storage & 231 Self Storage; Meraj Dental Spa; Raleigh Weckbaugh, Send Out Cards; Arbonne International, Victoria Ronan; Greenstreet Gardens; Gateau Physical Therapy; Glover's Septic Services & Portable Toilet Rentals.

COST is $5.00 Chamber Members and $25.00 Non Members.

Please RSVP to the Chamber at 410-535-2577!

Gift Certificates Available!!!
Loved ones trying to get going after the holidays? Not quite ready for the gym yet? How about a gift certificate for our Supervised Gym Program or our Total Wellness Program. Do you want to know from where you are starting or why you are not losing weight on the scale even though you are dieting and exercising? Try our body fat composition test. This gives you a more accurate number of your muscle and your fat weight. See our program pages to find out more!

Call today for information about our programs and gift certificates.

New Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist added to Gateau Physical Therapy
Bonnie Gateau, PT owner and therapist for Gateau Physical Therapy recently passed the National Certification exam to become a Strength and Conditioning Specialist.

Her studies ranged from basic anatomy and physiology of the body to theories on exercises, designing exercise programs and implementing systems for teams or groups.

If you have any questions in the athletic performance or strength/conditioning area, please feel free to contact Bonnie at 410-326-3432.

Therapist Completes Balance/Vestibular Training.
Do you suffer from dizziness that is caused by positional changes (turning over in bed or transitioning into a sitting position)? If you do, you may have Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV. BPPV is a false sense of movement of either the body or the environment. Individuals with BPPV feel as though they are spinning or rotating. The onset of these symptoms usually occurs with changes in head position such as when rolling in bed. BPPV is a very common problem especially in the elderly population. It is estimated that 64 per 100,000 people in the US will experience BPPV each year. This is a very treatable condition that usually only requires one to two sessions to correct. Bonnie Gateau, PT,CSCS, and Danielle Leclerc, PT completed training for the treatment of vertigo including BPPV. If you feel you may have BPPV, call our office to speak directly to one of our therapists to see if physical therapy is appropriate for you.

Tips for lifting kids!
Physical Therapists Advise How to Pick Up, Bend Down, and Lift Babies and Toddlers Without Pain or Strain

For any mother or caregiver who has stopped counting how many times she daily lifts, bends down, or carries her children and their assorted paraphenalia, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) offers a Mother's Day card that features proper postural techniques to accomplish these daily feats without aches and pains.

Kendra Harrington, PT, MS, pelvic floor physical therapist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, and an APTA member, says mothers can avoid muscular strains to the neck, back, and leg muscles by adjusting the way they go about their daily tasks. "It may be as simple as remembering to do a 'half-kneel lift' when picking up your child or holding him close to your chest when you carry him," says Harrington. "If moms remember these simple tips, they'll be sure to feel the difference, as well as see the changes in their posture."

Harrington offers a special message to mothers-to-be, suggesting that they focus on arm and abdominal strengthening, such as crunches and Pilates-based, core stability exercises, even before getting pregnant. "Repetitive squatting, bending, and pushing go hand-in-hand with motherhood, and those moms who are physically well-prepared for it, will have a much easier time with these daily physical requirements," says Harrington.

In her book for new parents, How to Raise Children Without Breaking Your Back, Holly Herman, PT, MS, OCS, recommends a simple exercise to help improve back posture: Stand up straight with your back against a wall, making sure that your heels, buttocks, upper back, head, and arms are touching the wall. Slowly raise your arms along the wall, going as high as you can while still keeping your elbows and shoulders touching the wall. This exercise will help strengthen the muscles in the upper back, Herman says.

Special Considerations for Older Moms
"It is particularly important for new mothers who are 40 years of age and older to be fit before pregnancy," echoes physical therapist Jennifer M Bottomley, PT, PhD, an independent consultant based in West Roxbury, Mass, and president of APTA's Section on Geriatrics. "Because of the changes in hormonal concentration that accompanies pregnancy, laxity in ligaments and joints occur, so older prospective mothers tend to develop musculoskeletal injuries more often than their younger counterparts. That's why it is crucial that they follow a workout program featuring extension and postural exercises during pregnancy," she notes.

Grandparents As Caregivers
With more grandparents taking an active role in raising their grandchildren, Bottomley has developed an exercise regimen aimed specifically at this target audience. At "The GrandParenting Exercising Program," based in Concord, Mass, men and women ranging in ages from late 50's to early 90's are taught how to increase strength and flexibility, cardiovascular exercises, and proper nutrition and hydration. "As more grandparents play an integral role in their grandchildren's upbringing, it has become increasingly important to educate them on how best to get physically stronger in order to prevent injury," says Bottomley.

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is a national professional organization representing 66,000 members. Its goal is to foster advancements in physical therapy practice, research, and education. For more information about APTA and physical therapy, please visit www.apta.org.

Gateau Physical Therapy Wins 2005 Chamber of Commerce Beacon Award!!!
On May 11, 2005 Bonnie Gateau was awarded the BeaconAward for 2005 from the Chamber of Commerce at the 2005 Business Showcase Awards Luncheon. The Beacon Award recognizes a business that has been a member at least 4 years, demonstrates job growth and job creation, is recognized for excellence in their industry, has creative cutomer service, management, staff devlopment and marketing practices and they are involved in the community.

The entire staff at Gateau Physical Therapy continues to go above and beyond the call to serve the people of Southern Maryland for the health and community needs. Congratulations to Bonnie and the staff at GateauPhysical Therapy and Sports Medicine.