​Joe Bekaert, PT, DPT
Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist
Oregon PT license: 25257
 
Joe completed his Doctor of Physical Therapy at The University of Vermont in 2018, where he also earned his bachelor’s in biology in 2008. He comes to Staszak Physical Therapy after living in California where he had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of patients with diverse needs. In 2023 he received his board certification as an Orthopedic Clinic Specialist.   
 
Joe believes that physical therapy and rehabilitation should be focused on achieving your goals. Spending time understanding his patient’s expectations and working together to achieve them is the most rewarding aspect of his relationship with his patients.
 
As an undergrad Joe was a member of the cross country and track teams at UVM, where he competed for all four years. Before beginning his career in physical therapy, he was a running department manager and ski boot fitter at a highly-rated store in Burlington, Vermont.
 
Joe loves spending his time outside of the clinic traveling, cooking, skiing and running with his wife and Goldendoodle named Bailey. 

Originally from Eugene, OR, George returned to the area in February of 2024 to be closer to his family and to serve the community where he grew up. He has a Bachelor in Kinesiology with minor specialty in Spanish from Oregon State University, and received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from University of Washington. His specific clinical interests include working with rock climbers and cutting/jumping athletes, as well as working with pediatric populations. These reflect his personal background as a climber and ultimate frisbee player, as well as an older brother to several siblings. His clinical approach consists of enabling his patients to meet their goals and focus treatment on what is applicable to them. He comes at problems with a combination of evidence based practice, patient education and flexible treatment strategies that incorporate what works best for each patient as an individual. ​

The age of social media is here to stay. From first steps and first words to graduations and marriages, just about everything goes onto social media in some form. Beyond sharing life events and keeping in touch with friends far and wide, we have seen a massive increase in the use of social media to disseminate information. In many ways this is a good and exciting thing. This very blog post is an example of a well intentioned individual giving advice on combatting a common problem experienced by their audience. However, due to the sensationalist type of content that tends to perform well on social media sites such as Tik-Tok and Instagram it can be very difficult for consumers to sift through the wealth of information available to find what’s useful, what’s being misrepresented, and what’s being exaggerated. The purpose of this article is to give you a few simple tips to read between the lines of social media posts surrounding health and wellness, and help separate useful tidbits from the chorus of ‘unlock your hips’ and ‘bulletproof your knees’.

The first sign that a piece of information is being misrepresented is oversimplification. With a few notable exceptions such as smoking cigarettes being bad for you, and exercise being good for you, there is very rarely a piece of health advice, a specific stretch, or a specific food or supplement that can be touted as universally helpful or universally harmful. While this kind of content seems relatively harmless, if you are not mobile or strong enough to perform one of these exercises with good form or control there is potential to further injure yourself. Indicators that content is adhering to these principles include giving progressions and regressions of exercises, reviewing the context in which an exercise is useful, and providing some disclaimers for safety or common ways people compensate/break form.

Another way that fitness influencers often farm engagement is by making bold claims that run contrary to ‘common knowledge’. Whenever someone is trying to challenge conventional wisdom, the burden of evidence they need to provide is higher than when they are presenting other ideas that run parallel to how we view the body holistically. Challenging common knowledge is not a bad thing in and of itself, but if you must give context of when and why the “rules” can be broken. Often times the conventional knowledge is conventional for a reason, so think twice about the content you consume that discredits it, and look for content that is thorough and tempered in its approach rather than sensationalist.

A final tip for finding good pieces of content to consume is to listen to what other people have to say about the creator, as well as listening to how the creator talks about others. A creator that is dedicated to providing good information will attract others who want to provide the same. Conversely, while engaging in online arguments can create a lot of engagement and provide entertainment for an influencers audience, it provides little actual educational value. Checking on whether a creator is consistent in their messaging, and how much of their platform is their own ideas versus calling others out can give insight on how much actually important content they have to share. Spending a bit of time checking what other trusted sources of information have to say about an influencer can help construct the lens through which you view the content they create.

​The human body is complex, and it can be tempting to blindly trust the advice of people online who have large followings and seem to be educated and well spoken. However when we talk about health and wellness, misinformation can have effects that range from wasting time to creating more injury. By being critical of the information you consume and being wary of content that is snappy and controversial you will be able to effectively utilize the tool of social media for maximum benefit.

Some of the most common words to hear from your health care providers are “don’t sit too long”. Sitting for hours on end has various negative health effects, including increased back pain, reduced heart health, impaired mood and poor regulation of blood sugar. Unfortunately though, our society isn’t set up to make getting up and walking around throughout the day easy. Efficiency and having the appearance of being on task is highly valued in the workplace, and taking frequent, non-scheduled breaks isn’t always possible. It’s also common for people to feel that these frequent breaks interrupt their focus and make getting into a good work flow difficult. How do we reconcile the reality of needing to get work done with the desire to stay healthy by not sitting all day? Standing desks are great, but they don’t solve the problem of not allowing for actual movement, and they don’t solve the ‘fixed posture’ problem. Other solutions such as walking meetings range from being impractical to niche, and may not provide the frequent mobility that our bodies crave.

One technique that has started to be incorporated into graduate school curriculums and adopted by certain psychology savvy individuals is the Pomodoro. Meaning “tomato” in italian, this simple-in-theory technique is similar in principle to high intensity interval training (HIIT) for your brain. Initially developed by a university student named Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro asks us to acknowledge our limitations in attention and embrace interruptions as a strategy to improve our efficiency. This relatively simple process has been proven to improve memory, reduce work errors and improve the total amount of work that can be done in a smaller period of time. It consists of 8 steps as follows.

1. Get into an optimal work space, minimizing distractions and allowing for highest possible level of focus. This means that phones and email are either turned off, silenced, or only accessible from another room.
2. Choose exactly one task to focus on. One project, one aspect of the job you are doing to minimize the amount your brain is switching tasks, which reduces lapses of focus.
3. Set a timer for 25 minutes. No more, no less.
4. Work. Maintain focus at your highest level, knowing that you have a break coming soon.
5. Stop work fully when the timer ends. You are taking a break now, and you fully focus on rest.
6. 5 minute break. Again, this means a 5 minute BREAK. Take the opportunity to leave the room if possible, get up and walk around.
7. Repeat this process 3 times.
8. Take a longer break, around 30 minutes, to allow for a more thorough reset before starting again at step one if there is still work to do.

There are two major benefits to this type of technique. The first is that it allows for maintenance of focus throughout a longer period of time than people can typically perform, which allows for improved retention and reduced error while working. The second is that, because it allows for more frequent scheduled breaks, it encourages getting up and leaving work alone for 5 minutes at a time. This is perfect for those of us with trouble unlocking ourselves from our chairs. Obviously these types of techniques are more accessible for those of us who work from home or have some degree of freedom in our work schedules, but when appropriate, Pomodoros can be a powerful tool to allow for improved mental and physical health.

Leslie earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from Ithaca College in 2014, majored in Clinical Health Studies, and completed additional training in pain management, manual therapy, and evidence-based practice. He has ample experience with conservative and post-surgical management of low back, neck, and sports injuries. By integrating a variety of rehabilitation philosophies, he provides an individualized treatment plan to help you reach your goals! 

He is also a USA Track & Field Certified Coach serving the South Eugene High School Axe and he is a candidate for the NASM Strength & Conditioning Specialist Certification.

Leslie is a Costa Rican sports fan, former collegiate athlete, amateur musician, and lifelong learner.  In his free time, you can find him experimenting in the kitchen, singing karaoke by himself, and spending quality time with friends & family.

Audrey grew up in sunny Southern California where she spent her days at the beach surfing, hiking in the foothills, and cooking with her family. From the age of 3, she had a passion for dance in all forms which she pursued until she was 19. From studying with American Ballet Theater and Backhaus Dance Company, to dancing around her kitchen, Audrey has always loved movement. During her time as a dancer, she sustained multiple ankle injuries. From these experiences, she came to a knowledge of the good that can come from consistent, quality physical therapy treatment. 

As she went on to college, Audrey stayed fascinated with movement and how the body works. This eventually lead her to obtain her PTA degree from Provo College in Utah. After she graduated and began practicing, she wanted to further her education by becoming a Pilates instructor. 

She is currently in the process of become STOTT Pilates certified and she loves training others. Audrey believes that physical therapy coupled with Pilates can enhance the way that our bodies recover and function. She is passionate about body positivity, lessening pain, improving daily functionality, and improving the overall quality of life of her patients. 

Audrey moved to Eugene in 2022 while her husband is attending law school. She is grateful to be part of the Staszak family and loves collaborating with her coworkers to empower and help patients. 

When she is not working, you can find Audrey at the farmers market planning her next meal, hiking, taking local art classes, traveling with her husband, visiting her family, or trying a new restaurant.
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By: Mike Staszak, PT

Recent research shows that an unhealthy digestive system (gut) is linked to several different disease states.  Maintaining a healthy gut is one of the best ways to stay healthier and can potentially help people to live longer. A healthy diet is important to maintaining a good functioning gut, but getting daily probiotics through certain foods and supplementation is also very important. Below are some common questions and answers that many people have when it comes to Probiotics and gut health. 

What causes so many people to have an unhealthy digestive system?
First, having a poor diet is the biggest culprit to an unhealthy digestive system. Overeating, a diet high in sugar and grains, preservatives, alcohol, processed foods, inadequate fiber, and overcompensation of animal-based protein, especially hard processed like lunch meats all contribute to bad gut health. Antibiotics can also cause our digestive system to weaken. We take antibiotics to kill infections, but it also kills the good bacteria in our gut. Finally, Cancer treatment therapies such as radiation and chemotherapy can lead to an unhealthy digestive system.

What are some of the signs of having a poor functioning digestive system?
Excessive gas, constipation, diarrhea, the infrequency of bowel movements (everyone should poop at least one time per day), and a frequent upset stomach.
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What does having a poorly functioning digestive system do to us?
A poorly functioning digestive system can cause the leaky gut syndrome. This is where the intestinal lining develops perforations and causes toxins to leak out of your intestines into your body.

Other diseases that are linked to a poor functioning gut are, Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Multiple Sclerosis, general body inflammation as well as obesity.
 
What can we do to improve our gut health?
Over the past several years there has been a significant amount of research done on the digestive system and the positive effects of probiotics. The results of this research are definitive and clearly show that probiotics are more likely to act to produce substances that inhibit the bad bacteria that contribute to diseases. Probiotics have been shown to enhance GI mobility and function, strengthen your immune system, help digestion and nutrient absorption, help with cellular signaling (function), reduce Ulcerative Colitis and IBS, prevention of infection, reduce or eliminate atopic eczema, some liver disease, help assist in the reduction of cholesterol and improve behavior in individuals with Autism.

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​By: Mike Staszak, PT


Fasting and intermittent fasting (IF) have been around for a long time for weight loss and have been shown to aid in lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and improvement in blood glucose and insulin levels. Studies in humans, almost across the board, have shown that IF is safe and incredibly effective. However, many people find it difficult to fast. A growing body of research suggests that the timing of the fast is key, and can make IF a more realistic, sustainable, and effective approach for weight loss, as well as a number of other health-related benefits.


Extensive research has been done on animals so far with a more limited amount of human trials, but all of the resulting information points to definite health benefits. Human trials show definitive weight loss, with a loss of body fat, but no loss of lean body mass. Preliminary studies show a reduction of inflammatory markers, leading to a general decrease in inflammation and a reduction in digestive inflammation, equating to improved digestive health and a stronger immune system.


It has also been shown to help with reduced fatigue, improved focus, increased stress resistance, type 2 diabetes, and potentially with autoimmune disorders and even preventing cancer.

So how do we make something that seems so extreme work in our lives?


There are several different types of fasting protocols, from long-duration fasts, fasting for 24 hours every other day to reducing the hours of eating on a daily basis. I recommend a type of IF called time-restricted eating. This involves basically increasing your nightly fasting period, eliminating nighttime snacks, and eating your dinner earlier. Eating dinner by 5:00 p.m. will make it easy to go 12-14 hours without eating. Another positive aspect of this that recent research has revealed is that if you do this five days per week there is no reduction in the positive benefits, allowing us to have two days per week that we can shorten the fasting period.
Additionally, animal research shows another potential positive effect of IF is living longer. Mice that have gone through time-restricted eating protocols have lived 15% longer, but we have not yet done human trials long enough to quantify these types of results for us.  The preliminary research, however, is encouraging.


The health benefits of the time-restricted eating are unmistakable if you can make it work in your life. One of the big concerns of a lot of people is being hungry, but once you start, it will only take a couple of days before you will not have those hunger cravings later in the evening.
 
Remember, even when committing to an eating program like this you still need to make healthy food choices. Oh yeah, and don’t forget about adequate hydration. Drinking lots of water is imperative to a healthy lifestyle and while intermittent fasting.

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About Mike Staszak
Michael Staszak has been an outpatient orthopedic physical therapist for the past 27 years. He is the owner of Staszak Physical Therapy & Wellness Center in Eugene. He and his staff believe that the more people understand about how their bodies work and learn proper body mechanics, the less likely they are to become injured again. With this commitment to patient education, Michael provides wellness articles and presentations for businesses and community members. He also has a passion for nutrition and how it affects our physical health.


Image from CHSbuffalo.org