Don’t Let Halloween Haunt Your Health: PT Tips for a Spooktacular, Pain-Free Night!

Halloween is a fang-tastic time of year! Costumes, candy, haunted houses, and plenty of laughs. Between all the decorating, trick-or-treating, and party hopping, your body might start to feel more like a zombie than a human! Thankfully, a few simple physical therapy inspired habits can keep you moving like a well-oiled skeleton (get it?).

Warm Up Before You Creep Out

Before you head out to collect your candy bounty, give your muscles a little attention. Try some light stretches or a brisk walk to get your blood flowing. Think of it as a “boo-t camp” for your body. Your future self will thank you when you’re not groaning like Frankenstein the next morning.

PT Tip: Focus on dynamic stretches like leg swings, shoulder rolls, and gentle torso twists. Static stretching before activity can actually reduce performance, so save the long holds for your cool-down.

Carry Candy with Care

Those trick-or-treat bags can get real heavy after a few houses (especially if you’re “helping” the kids with their candy). Remember proper lifting form: bend your knees, not your back, and keep the bag close to your body. You don’t want to wake up with a backache that’s scarier than a haunted house!

Posture Potions and Spellbinding Stretches

If you’re working on Halloween crafts or carving pumpkins, don’t hunch over like a witch stirring her cauldron! Sit or stand tall, keep your shoulders back, and take breaks every 20–30 minutes to stretch. Your spine deserves a treat too, not just your sweet tooth.

PT Tip: Try the “pumpkin roll” stretch, gently roll your shoulders back and down 10 times. It’s the perfect potion for preventing neck tension.

Don’t Be a Candy Vampire

Enjoy the sweets! Halloween only comes once a year, but moderation is key. Too much sugar can lead to inflammation, fatigue, and sluggish recovery if you’re healing from an injury. So maybe trade a few candy bars for some fruit or protein snacks. Your muscles will be un-boo-lievably grateful.

Cool Down Before You Coffin (Call It a Night)

When the fun’s over, do a few gentle stretches before bed to help your body unwind. Try calf stretches, hamstring reaches, or child’s pose to keep your joints loose. You’ll sleep better and avoid waking up feeling like a mummy that forgot to stretch.

Final Frighteningly Good Reminder

Physical therapy isn’t just for when you’re hurt, it’s about keeping your body strong, flexible, and ready for anything, even a night of spooks and sweets. So treat yourself (not trick yourself) to a little self-care this Halloween.

Because the only thing that should be stiff this season… is your candy corn.

Discomfort and soreness are a part of life. What is not normal is living with pain. If you are still experiencing that pain, it's time to talk to your physical therapist or primary care physician.

Try to stay away from narcotics, injections and knife happy surgeons as a primary option for your treatment. There are no magic bullets, but majority of pain symptoms can be resolved with conservative measures like exercises, manual therapy and pain management.

• Irfan Ibrahim is an Owner/Physical Therapist at Rehabon Physical Therapy, Downers Grove IL 60515. He enjoys sunshine and rainbows with his three children. Loves hiking, biking and golfing but he has accepted to live with his mediocre skills. Questions??!! Email him: Irfan@rehabon.com  follow him on Facebook

  
  

• Aimee Cervantes, Rehab Tech at Rehabon Physical Therapy. Aimee is a PTA graduate and has experience at different settings of Physical Therapy. She is currently studying for her licensure exam! Aimee's hobbies are crafting and graphic design. She enjoys seeing her ideas come to life!

Falling in Love with Your Health Again

As the air turns crisp and the leaves begin their golden transformation, fall invites us to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with nature, with ourselves, and with our health.

It’s the perfect season to fall in love with your health again.

Move More, Stress Less

Sometimes the best medicine is as simple as a walk outside. This season, challenge yourself to:

• Walk more – Even a 15-minute daily stroll can boost circulation, improve mood, and ease stiffness.

• Soak up some sun – Natural vitamin D helps regulate your immune system and lifts your spirits.

• Pick an outdoor activity you enjoy – Whether it’s hiking, biking, or just raking leaves while listening to music, find joy in moving your body.

Fall gives us so many ways to move while enjoying the beauty around us, such as apple picking, nature trails, or a weekend at the farmer’s market.

A Little Treat Doesn’t Hurt

Let’s be real, a warm apple cider donut or fresh from the tree apple is hard to resist, and you don’t have to! Healthy living is all about balance. So go ahead savor the season’s flavors. Just don’t forget to keep your body moving and recovering well.

Stay Active, Stay Comfortable with Freezpain

We know that aches and pains can sometimes get in the way of enjoying fall activities. That’s why we recommend Freezpain ice gel packs, our go to solution for natural, fast-acting pain relief.

Whether you're managing:

• Post walk soreness

• Old injuries flaring up in colder weather

• Back pain from raking or lifting

Freezpain helps reduce inflammation and discomfort so you can keep doing what you love without slowing down.

Developed and created by Dr. Ibrahim and used right here in our clinic.

This Fall, Reclaim What You Love

Health isn’t just about workouts and nutrition it’s about feeling good in your own body and enjoying life fully.

So this fall:

• Take that walk.

• Say yes to the apple orchard.

• Laugh more, stretch more, and feel good doing it.

And remember, if pain pops up along the way, your wellness team is here to help with personalized physical therapy and the power of a Freezpain gel pack.

Here’s to a fall full of movement, flavor, and feeling great.

Fall in love with your health again. You deserve it.

Discomfort and soreness are a part of life. What is not normal is living with pain. If you are still experiencing that pain, it's time to talk to your physical therapist or primary care physician.

Try to stay away from narcotics, injections and knife happy surgeons as a primary option for your treatment. There are no magic bullets, but majority of pain symptoms can be resolved with conservative measures like exercises, manual therapy and pain management.

• Irfan Ibrahim is an Owner/Physical Therapist at Rehabon Physical Therapy, Downers Grove IL 60515. He enjoys sunshine and rainbows with his three children. Loves hiking, biking and golfing but he has accepted to live with his mediocre skills. Questions??!! Email him: Irfan@rehabon.com  follow him on Facebook

  
  

• Aimee Cervantes, Rehab Tech at Rehabon Physical Therapy. Aimee is a PTA graduate and has experience at different settings of Physical Therapy. She is currently studying for her licensure exam! Aimee's hobbies are crafting and graphic design. She enjoys seeing her ideas come to life!

More Sun, More Fun: 5 Ways to Get Moving Before Summer Ends

Summer isn’t over, not even close. With nearly two-thirds of the season still ahead, there’s plenty of time to get moving, soak up the sun, and enjoy the long, warm days. If you’ve been meaning to get more active or just want to switch up your routine, here are five energizing ways to make the most of the summer stretch.

1. Try a New Outdoor Sport

Now’s the time to finally try that activity you’ve been curious about, pickleball, stand-up paddleboarding, mountain biking, or even rock climbing. Many local parks and outdoor centers offer rentals or beginner lessons. You'll get a workout and a new hobby.

2. Join a Sunset Run or Bike Ride

Make the most of those extra daylight hours with an evening jog or bike ride. Many cities have running clubs or group rides that meet weekly. It’s a fun, social way to stay active and watching the sun set mid-stride doesn’t hurt either.

3. Swim (Somewhere New)

Whether it's a lake, river, ocean, or outdoor pool, swimming is the ultimate full body summer workout. Make it more exciting by finding a new swim spot or signing up for an open water swim challenge near you. Bonus points if you turn it into a day trip.

4. Hit the Trails

Hiking is a classic summer activity for good reason. From shaded forest trails to challenging summit climbs, hiking gets your heart rate up while giving you a chance to unplug. Pack a backpack, bring some water, and aim for one new trail a week for the rest of summer.

5. Take Your Workouts Outside

Skip the gym and take your routine to the park. Bodyweight circuits, yoga flows, bootcamps, or HIIT sessions feel way more fun in the fresh air. Many cities even offer free outdoor fitness classes, check local listings and try one out.

There’s still a lot of summer to go and no reason to spend it indoors. Lace up your shoes, grab your gear, and make these next few weeks your most active (and fun) yet. The sun’s still out, go meet it.

Discomfort and soreness are a part of life. What is not normal is living with pain. If you are still experiencing that pain, it's time to talk to your physical therapist or primary care physician.

Try to stay away from narcotics, injections and knife happy surgeons as a primary option for your treatment. There are no magic bullets, but majority of pain symptoms can be resolved with conservative measures like exercises, manual therapy and pain management.

• Irfan Ibrahim is an Owner/Physical Therapist at Rehabon Physical Therapy, Downers Grove IL 60515. He enjoys sunshine and rainbows with his three children. Loves hiking, biking and golfing but he has accepted to live with his mediocre skills. Questions??!! Email him: Irfan@rehabon.com  follow him on Facebook

  
  

• Aimee Cervantes, Rehab Tech at Rehabon Physical Therapy. Aimee is a PTA graduate and has experience at different settings of Physical Therapy. She is currently studying for her licensure exam! Aimee's hobbies are crafting and graphic design. She enjoys seeing her ideas come to life!