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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Nov 211 min read
Gift Guide: Low Back Pain Edition
Low back pain is one of the most common chronic pain complaints. It's also a leading cause of disability in the United States, and a...
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Sep 279 min read
Normalizing Chronic Illness for Kids
When it comes to helping our kids with chronic illnesses, it's best to be proactive rather than reactive. If we take steps to normalize...
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Aug 28 min read
Pacing Activity: Mountain Climbers and Rollercoaster Riders
The idea of pacing isn't a topic that makes most people excited. Most people don't like to be told that they can't accomplish something...
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Apr 265 min read
Nerve Work - The Forgotten Exercise
We know that exercise is good for us to keep our bodies functioning well. Most of us initially learn to exercise informally through play...
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Apr 56 min read
Body Scans For Beginners
While body scanning might sound basic, the truth is that our bodies are continually doing a lot of things to keep us alive that we don't...
113 views0 comments
Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Mar 17 min read
Train Your Brain: Sensory Mapping and Stereognosis
Most of us are dependent on a GPS for directions to tell us where to go. The human brain works similarly, pulling up maps at lightning...
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Feb 27 min read
Making Distraction Work For You
Most parents know that the secret to managing toddlers is distraction. If your child is misbehaving, sometimes the problem is that you...
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Jan 127 min read
Seeking Direction in Pain: Why Telling Right From Left Is Hard
If you struggle with your sense of direction and you have chronic pain, you're not alone. While some may be inclined to blame it on...
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Jan 57 min read
Harm Pains: Why Respecting Them Matters
For many people living with chronic pain, it's a natural response to make the assumption that the pain they are experiencing doesn't...
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Dec 29, 202310 min read
To Brace, Or Not To Brace?
All Shakespearian jokes aside, when our bodies are hurting and our joints are unstable, pain can make us desperate for relief. Sometimes...
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Dec 15, 20234 min read
Nervous System Highways
As the saying goes, "All roads lead to Rome." In the human body, all nerves lead to the brain. Nerves are the little electrical wires...
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Dec 8, 20236 min read
Hurt Vs. Harm: Reprogramming The Pain Alarm
The first step to reprogramming a sensitive pain alarm is understanding how it works, and why we have pain in the first place. Pain is...
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Nov 24, 20239 min read
Medical Gaslighting & What To Do About It
Gaslighting is a term that has recently come into popularity to describe interactions between people in many different settings including...
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Nov 10, 20235 min read
How Nerves Work: Simplifying Complex Neuroscience
While there is plenty to learn about the nervous system, and doctors spend years in school studying how nerves work, this post will give...
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Nov 3, 20238 min read
Pain, POTS & "Panic Attacks"
Panic attacks are a tricky subject. While they are absolutely a real experience that people have, defining what they are, and why people...
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Jul 20, 202310 min read
Helping Kids With Chronic Pain Grow Into Successful Adults
Helping kids with chronic pain grow into successful adults is hard. Here are some parenting tips from a kid who made it.
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Jul 14, 20236 min read
The Invisible Illness: Why Can't My Doctor See My Pain?
Pain is an invisible illness. Doctors sometimes struggle to find a reason for pain on imaging because pain isn't something that you can see.
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Jul 9, 20235 min read
Hurt Vs. Harm & Car Alarms: Interpreting Chronic Pain
When living with chronic pain, it's hard to know which pains just hurt vs. signal injury. Car alarms can help you understand it better.
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Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
May 20, 20234 min read
Dry Needling
Dry needling is gaining popularity amongst patients and physical therapists alike. In the midst of the opioid epidemic, it is gaining...
83 views0 comments
Dr. Heather Swain PT, DPT, CIDN, CPT
Apr 22, 20235 min read
Raising Kids With Chronic Pain - When To See A Doctor
When working as a clinician that specializes in chronic pain, it doesn't take long before patients begin to ask you questions about their...
36 views0 comments
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