Dr. Roelofs in the house!
I am very excited to introduce this week’s guest writer, Jackie Roelofs. Jackie and her husband, Matt, are RUF intern success stories, and live in Atlanta. Not only does Jackie have a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Mercer University, but I’m pretty sure that I read her blog once as a first year RUF intern, and she’s the reason I think beer out of can tastes better. She is incredibly cool and kind.
I am so honored to have Jackie as a guest writer today, and I am excited for all of you to learn from her wisdom. Feel free to reach out to Jackie on Instagram if you have any questions!
Not only do Jackie and Matt have a plan to vote in the upcoming Georgia special election, but they are multi-year recipients of the Katherine Corliss Christmas Card, and you can be too if you fill out this google form.
This sentence now has links to the 100th issue master spread sheet, my instagram, my Outdoor Voices referral link , and old issues of the newsletter.
Ok the rest of this newsletter is from Jackie…
Number One: Redeeming Ranch
If you are like me, ranch dressing brings back semi-unpleasant childhood memories of weekly post soccer-game meals at Golden Corral. Ranch is one of those things that has been utterly ruined by the likes of Hidden Valley, Kraft, and Applebee’s patrons everywhere. Despite this, it is undeniably a universally satisfying flavor profile.
Allow me to redefine and possibly redeem your thoughts on ranch with this recipe that I have adopted as our Friday/Saturday homemade takeout favorite: Crispy Baked Ranch Chicken Wings. They are Whole 30 compliant, so go ahead and put them on your 2021 New-Year-New-Me menu!
I highly recommend eating the wings with some Homemade Ranch Dressing with the leftover seasoning and pairing with some good-ole-fashioned celery and carrot sticks. For a dairy-free version, mix this Vegan Sour Cream with the remaining seasoning and a generous squeeze of lemon.
Number Two: Sweater Shaver
It’s that time of the year when I think I need to buy at least 5 new sweaters (especially this year, when Madewell increased its usual 30% off to nearly 50% on many items). Thanks to my new Remington Fuzz-Away Fabric Shaver, I can remind myself that last year’s sweaters aren’t quite ready to be put to the back of the closet, all while having a blast! Honestly, shaving off those tiny balls of fabric fibers gives me almost as much pleasure as a Black Friday impulse purchase. Try it and see for yourself.
Number Three: Physical Therapy for Everything!
I would be remiss to not promote my profession, as Congress is in the process of making 8% cuts to Medicare payments for rehab services. Pride issues aside, we provide a lot of crucial preventative care to the geriatric population such as fall prevention programs, which keep people out of hospitals, which keep them from getting infections like pneumonia, and blah blah blah. If there ever was truly a bipartisan issue, this is it! Write your congressmen and ask them why they hate your grandma.
Anywho, in addition to providing important elder care, traditional orthopedic injuries, and low back pain, PTs also treat:
Balance issues, dizziness, and vertigo
Cardiopulmonary disease (including programs addressing the after effects of COVID-19). A reminder to not smoke.
Neurologic diseases such as Parkinson’s and Cerebral Palsy
Spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury (including concussions)
Wounds (I did a rotation in wound care and BOY did I see and smell some things I’ll never forget. Yummy.)
Pelvic health, including treatment for pre- and post-partum issues, urinary and fecal incontinence, painful sex, men’s health, and constipation. Important note: PLEASE TELL YOUR MAMA FRIENDS that there is effective non-pharmacological treatment available for urinary leakage after having a child. Too many people joke about this at baby showers and it is appalling to me that people think they just have to “live with it.” Common does not equal normal, yall. Call a PT!
Number Four: How to Poop
After Thanksgiving, you might be thinking, “I really need to take a good poop.” Or perhaps you struggle with constipation in general. As a pelvic health PT in training, I have a few tips for you. Think of it as an early Christmas gift and great table talk for the upcoming December holidays.
Stay hydrated. Seems obvious, but not to be overlooked. So many health issues can be improved dramatically by going back to the basics! A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day (75 oz for a 150 lb person, eg).
OPP - Optimal Pooping Posture. In order to poop well, you need your pelvic floor muscles to relax fully. While the “optimal” position may differ between individuals, keeping knees elevated above the hips and opened slightly can relax your pelvic floor to allow your poop to pass more easily. This video from The Squatty Potty offers a comical yet accurate explanation of this.
BREATHE. Inhale to expand your belly and feel your pelvic floor drop, then breathe out like you are blowing bubbles as you GENTLY bear down (read: DON’T strain. This can cause pelvic floor overactivity which can down the road make pooping even more difficult)
Take your time. Turns out, the people who go to the bathroom for 30 mins with newspapers had it right. Allow yourself at least 5 minutes so you can fully relax and let those bowel reflexes kick in!
BONUS: try an “I love you” massage. This can help release fascial restrictions in your abdominal wall and colon to help get things moving.
Number Five: Fix your period (book)
In addition to being a pelvic health/pooping nerd, I’m also a hormonal health nerd and body literacy champion. I recently purchased this book and want everyone to read it! It compiles all the knowledge that I gained over YEARS of trying to decode my own period and hormone imbalance issues, and I want to save everyone that trouble.
The problems mentioned in this book are common to SO many women, and considered to just be “the way it is.” Birth control pills are often used to “treat” these symptoms, when it really just masks them; meanwhile, these symptoms could be indicating an issue that really needs to be delved into further. There are, more often than not, very straightforward solutions to your problems - and this book brings many of them to light.
We can talk more about how ovulation is a vital sign indicator of your overall health in another issue (will I ever get asked back after talking about poop and my controversial feelings about birth control pills?), but I will leave it at this - your menstrual cycle can be your friend! Just read this book and figure out why. You might get super empowered in the process.
Other recommended reading for body literacy at any age: Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Wescher
Bonus: How to Find a PT
Katherine here, I asked Jackie to share her tips for finding a physical therapist since I’m sure I’m not alone in sometimes forgetting that I’m allowed to go to the dermatologist or whatever…
Did you know you can go see a PT without a referral from a physician? While we are still fighting for “unrestricted” direct access in most states, you can typically make at least a few appointments without going to the MD. In Georgia, it’s 8 visits. So go ahead and call a PT clinic! They will be able to tell you what the laws are in your state, and they have relationships with local physicians to help you get a referral if needed.
You can usually google “Physical therapist near me” and find a list of results. you may want to refine that search according to your wants and needs. In my opinion, you want to look for a PT clinic that:
Is owned and run by PTs, not by physicians
Sees patients one-on-one or at most 2 per hour (can usually find this info on their website or by calling). Private practices usually are better about this, but many corporate “chain” clinics also provide good care. If you want to know which ones to be wary of, feel free to email me!
Has a PT who has a strong clinical interest and/or specialty in an area of concern (read those bios!). Eg, if you are a runner, search for a PT that loves doing running analysis. If you need pelvic floor therapy, make sure you ask for a pelvic health specialist.
You can use this website to find a Pelvic Health Provider
As promised, here’s the link to Ticket to Ride.