Health blog Category: Aches and Pains
Four Common Neck Problems
As a society, our posture has continued to decline as the use of phones and computers has increased. Think about how many hours a day we sit at a desk at work or walk around looking down at our phone. This could be the very cause of our neck problems, as poor posture can lead to many neck injuries. The good news is physical therapy can address many of these ‘pain in the neck’ problems.
Read full blogBogged Down by Pain? Try These 5 Quick Tips for Less Pain and More Energy
If you’re hurting and need quick relief, Loudoun Sports Therapy Center can help. In a customized physical therapy program, you’ll learn some highly effective pain relief techniques that can also help boost your energy. Our physical therapy providers are experienced with all types of pain, and can help you live a pain-free life at last. Get in touch now to schedule your physical therapy appointment.
1. Take Breathing Breaks
Sure, you breathe all the time, but it’s not focused breathing.
Read full blogHow Long it Takes for a Muscle Strain to Fully Heal
You may have heard someone say they “pulled a muscle”, but do you really know what that means? A pulled muscle is another way of describing a muscle strain. This is a very common injury in people of all ages and those that are elite athletes and in individuals who have a more sedentary lifestyle. It can happen in any muscle, no matter the size.
Our bodies are made up of hundreds of muscles that vary in shape and size.
What’s the difference between a strain and a sprain?
By Alyssa Burke, PTA
I’m sure you’ve heard someone say they sprained or strained something. Maybe you’ve even experienced these injuries yourself. Sprains and strains are common injuries that affect the soft tissues of your body. You don’t have to be an athlete to experience one of these injuries. People of all ages and activity levels are susceptible to sprains and strains. Sometimes these injuries can be confusing to keep straight, so what is the difference between a sprain and a strain?
Don’t Mask the Symptoms: Treat the Origin of the Issue with Physical Therapy
Pain can be a helpful messenger, an alert that something in your body needs fixing ‒ but it can also be an agonizing annoyance that ruins your quality of life. To make matters worse, many pain problems are rooted in deep-set underlying conditions, often originating in a different part of the body than the part exhibiting symptoms. Medication may mask your pain temporarily, but it isn’t going to solve a chronic underlying functional problem. For a more meaningful solution to the issue, take advantage of the drug-free options we offer at Loudon Sports Therapy.
Read full blogWant to get rid of that nagging muscle tightness?
The benefits of routine stretching reach far beyond rehabilitation. Whether you’re an athlete, sedentary, a weekend warrior, young or old, active or inactive, you will reap the value of a regular stretching routine.
In general, stretching is the elongation of a muscle and is used to help prevent injury and discomfort. However, there are different types of stretching that are important to distinguish. One is best implemented as a warm-up to prepare your body for exercise and the other is best used as a cool-down to reduce post-activity muscle soreness.
What is bursitis and how do I know if I have it?
Bursitis is an inflammation of a structure called a “bursa” and most commonly occurs in knees, hips, shoulders and elbows. Pain is the number one symptom of bursitis. This pain can be deep and hard to pinpoint. It is often described as “dull and achey,” and can radiate to the surrounding areas. Bursitis can impede on nearly all aspects of our everyday activities, including standing up from the couch, running on the treadmill, walking the dog, or even something as simple as lying down in bed… that shouldn’t hurt, right?!
Read full blogThe Importance of Addressing Mobility and Stability
As physical therapists, we see this scenario play out all too often: you feel pain and the stretching and strengthening you do is focused solely on that painful area. However, this only solves part of the problem and does not address a key fact: the joints in our body have a relationship. They pick up the slack for each other when our mobility or stability is impacted in a particular area.
Here’s an example of how this plays out.
Tennis, Golf and Other Activities Requiring Repetitive Motions
Many people have heard and will use terms like “tennis elbow” and “golfer’s elbow” but what exactly is the difference?
Not much really….Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow are both overuse injuries that are caused by any activity that requires repetitive motion of the arm and wrist. The difference between the two conditions lies in where the elbow is inflamed.
Both of these conditions are forms or epicondylitis, which is a medical term for inflammation of a tendon that attaches to bone (Epicondyle) of the elbow joint.
What Are the Signs of a Pulled Muscle?
By Mike Bills, MS PT
So what are some signs that you may have pulled a muscle? You will generally notice some level of discomfort either right away while you are doing the activity or in the following 24 hours. This is what we typically brush off as “typical soreness” after going for a long walk, standing for a long period of time, running, doing yard work, etc. However, too often, people don’t pay attention to this post-activity soreness because they think it is normal.