As some of you may already know our family experienced a trauma four weeks ago that will certainly take us awhile to recover from.  Our daughter Naama who many of you met on Simchat Torah was admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of an inflamed gall bladder and unfortunately a procedure done to improve her condition accidentally clipped something in her body and

As a physical therapist, I often come across people, whether they are parents, teachers, physicians, or therapists, talking about muscle tone.  I am very often asked what that means.  Muscle tone is the continuous, passive contraction and resistance to stretch of muscles at rest.  Normally, even when relaxed, muscles have a very small amount of contraction

Midland Park, NJ -- A speech therapist came into work one day to the Children’s Therapy Center complaining of horrible pain radiating from the outside of her thumb toward her wrist. She described her symptoms to staff occupational therapist Daniella Shor, MA OTR/L, who immediately diagnosed her with De Quervain Syndrome. “Congratulations,” said Shor. “You’ve

As the weather gets colder, jackets and coats are replacing sweaters, winter hats are replacing baseball caps, and it may be a good idea to invest in Kleenex, as it seems that it is cold season.  When thinking of a remedy for the common cold, sleep, chicken soup and vitamin C may come to mind.  While no one will argue the power of a good night’s sleep and

According to the American Music Therapy Association, “Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.” The definition of “evidence-based” in terms of research related to music

The moment I began opening up about my eating disorder I invited the world to learn about and witness my struggles. Frequently, people will now approach my parents and tell them that they had no idea that I was struggling. My mother’s general response is that this is because it was a “private” ordeal and one that I chose not to share with the public. Other people

We have been told numerous times over the years that occupational therapists have the best toys. Well, there is a reason for that; occupational therapists, or OT’s, help maximize people’s ability to function maximally in their areas of occupation. A child’s occupation is play. If therapists, who expect children to put in full effort and work hard, don’t have

For much of the past century, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been the leading cause of death in the United States and, on average, claims one American life every 40 seconds. Greater than one in three American adults is estimated to have CVD, which includes hypertension, atherosclerotic heart disease, heart failure and/or to have experienced angina (chest

Pregnancy, vaginal delivery, pelvic surgery and hormonal changes all put women at a greater risk than men for developing urinary incontinence at some point in their adult lives. One in four women over the age of 18 has episodes of involuntary urine leakage. This problem can be embarrassing and prevent people from getting out and participating in the activities

Prior to the previous issue of JLBC and my humble rant regarding the lack of communal focus on health and exercise, we started to consider the excuses we tell ourselves that prevent us from becoming the people we can indeed become. We discussed having a lack of time and a lack of support as two reasons why it’s sometimes difficult to reach our health and fitness

Your perspective on a given situation can determine if you will be happy or bitter.

Imagine the scenario: it’s a warm evening with a light breeze. You’re standing on the beach, watching waves crash on the shore, listening to the roar of the ocean with the stars overhead. I assume you’re feeling relaxed and calm, transported away from the worries of the

Long gone are the days of women being considered in “delicate condition” during normal pregnancy. Pregnant women today can be seen running competitively, working out at the gym, Zumba-ing, spinning and partaking in full active life styles. The question many women ask is, “How much is safe for me and my baby?”

The answer to this question is