A good book, a comfy chair, and a cup of coffee...

Reading is one of my main stress relievers, and I love delving into something new! One thing I've learned in my years of treating - the human body can start to seem confusing and frustrating. There is so much to learn about it. My job as a physical therapist is to not only find ways to guide you out of pain and into living your life, it's also to share what knowledge I can, when I can. So if you're a reader like me, or simply curious to learn more, this blog is an ongoing collection of books I've read and love to share that can also teach us a little something about how we work. I will be doing my best to update this blog post as I continue to read and keep providing something new and interesting.

For the Mamas (and all Parents) - Pregnancy and Postpartum

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth -Ina May Gaskin

Childbirth is a natural super-power of the female body. Through tales of women's success stories, anecdotes from Ina May's experience as a world-reputed Midwife, this book seeks to remind women that we really can do this. Not only can we do this, we can create an experience that is beautiful and full of confidence. It emphasizes the positives of the midwife model of birth and can at times be mildly insulting towards the medical model. However, she openly includes the stories where traditional midwifery and hospital medical care meet and succeed in beautiful delivery. It can be a positive tool in helping a Mom feel confident in her birth plan, and excited rather than fearful of the big day!

For those with Persistent Pain

Painful Yarns: Metaphors and Stories to Help Understand the Biology of Pain

-G. Lorimer Moseley

Pain can be confusing. Logic says when we get injured, we get pain. We fix the injury, the pain should go away, right? So why doesn't it?! Our bodies and brains are highly tuned instruments designed to keep up safe, and pain is just one tool they use. Using hilarious stories, eye-catching optical illusions, Professor Moseley explains how pain actually works and why it can be so challenging to change it. It's a fantastic reminder of all the little things that can be a part of complex pain, and the tools we have to manage and improve it.