The American Heart Association has declared February Heart Month in order to raise awareness about heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Often, it can be prevented with lifestyle changes. Here are some ways that you can improve your heart health:

1. Make an appointment to have your numbers checked: Your heart rate, blood pressure, and cholesterol numbers can give you and your doctor an indication of your overall heart health. If you and your doctor decide that medication is required to manage your high blood pressure or cholesterol, make sure to take it regularly as prescribed. With improvements in diet and increased exercise, you may be able to decrease the use of some medications.
2. Make small changes in your diet. Decreasing sugar, and using spices instead of salt can have a big impact in the long run. Increasing your fruits and vegetables will also improve your heart health.

We wanted to share this recent article published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy about plantar fasciitis, a common cause of foot and heel pain.  At Innovative Therapy & Wellness, we combine manual and exercise based physical therapy treatments in order to address your problems and improve symptoms quickly.  This article explains the importance of this approach:
"One out of 10 people in the United States experience persistent pain along the bottom of the foot, a condition known as plantar fasciitis. In this country alone, outpatient clinics receive more than 1 million visits a year from people seeking help for this type of foot pain. In 2014, the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association published updated clinical practice guidelines on the best treatments for patients with plantar fasciitis. The guidelines present evidence that strongly suggests a combination of manual therapy and rehabilitative exercises to help patients with this foot condition. In a more recent study published in the February 2017 issue of JOSPT, researchers reviewed the records of people with plantar fasciitis who were sent to physical therapy to determine whether this treatment lessened their pain.