Health blog Category: Joint Pain
Physical Therapy’s Role in Total Knee Replacement Recovery
Both pre- and post- op physical therapy treatment are crucial for a smooth and fully recovery of a total knee replacement.
Preoperative Treatment
Preoperative treatment has been shown to reduce the recovery time of those undergoing a total knee replacement. Here are some things to expect:
- Knee flexion range of motion (ROM) improved at 3 months postop.
- Knee extensions ROM improved at 1 to 3 months postop.
Physical Therapy Before Surgery
Facing the prospect of joint replacement surgery can be daunting. Attending physical therapy before surgery (pre-operative physical therapy) is the key to a smoother recovery.
You might be asking, “Don’t I do therapy after surgery?” Actually, pre-operative therapy plays a crucial role too.
Why is Physical Therapy Before Surgery Important?
Pre-operative physical therapy prepares you physically and mentally for surgery.
During these sessions you will:
- Learn what to expect and what will happen in therapy after surgery.
Overcome Knee and Hip Pain
The knee joint is the second most complicated joint in the body and has to move in many directions. The knee and hip work in tandem allowing you to walk, run, squat and kneel. When either your hip, knee or ankle have problems moving, the other joints can be strained causing pain.
Knee and hip pain often stem from either too little activity or too much activity. Either way, the tissues and muscles around the joints become tight, causing limited movement, strain and inflammation.
Read full blogWhy is My Shoulder Pinching?
Your shoulder is quite the intricate system, with multiple joints and muscles working together to keep things moving smoothly. But when those muscles of the rotator cuff get caught in a pinch between bones, like the humerus and the acromion process, it can spell trouble. This pinching is a sign you may be dealing with Shoulder Impingement. Initially, it might just feel like a twinge, but over time, it can lead to inflammation and even tears in those muscles.
Read full blogUnveiling Joint Stiffness: Understanding, Causes, and Solutions
Have you ever experienced that uncomfortable tightness in your joints, hindering your ability to move freely?
Joint stiffness is a common concern that affects individuals of all ages, often signaling underlying issues that demand attention. Let’s unravel the mysteries of joint stiffness, exploring its causes, impact on daily life, and most importantly, how physical therapy can offer relief and restore mobility. Let’s dive in!
Defining Joint Stiffness:
Joint stiffness manifests as a sensation of tightness in various parts of the body that bend, including the elbows, wrists, shoulders, hips, knees, and more.
Read full blogTreating Tendonitis
A tendon is a thick cord like structure that connects muscle to bone. All throughout our body, we have muscles that are attached to bones by tendons, which is why so many people suffer from tendonitis somewhere in their body.
Tendonitis can be summarized as inflammation or irritation of the tendon. It is a result of small micro-tears in the soft tissue. These micro-tears most commonly result from repetitive motions in the same joint over time which puts stress on the tendons.
Read full blogImpact of Everyday Hip Pain
The impact of hip pain is something that will affect you everyday. The hip is a weight bearing joint, which is why most people find difficulty in creating lasting relief for their symptoms when they are experiencing hip pain.
The common reaction is to cover up the problem with some painkillers or stopping whatever activity bothers you as much as possible- but that is only putting a band-aid on the problem, not getting to the root of it!
Read full blogWhy Does My Knee Hurt When I Sit Too Long?
Has your knee ever started to hurt after sitting for a period time? This may mean you have arthritis. Luckily, physical therapy can help eliminate the symptoms you experience with arthritis.
Arthritis:
Osteoarthritis: caused by the mechanical wearing away of the cartilage (cushion) between joints. Pain can be caused by frayed pieces of cartilage getting caught or from two boney surfaces being in greater contact with each other.
Read full blogWhy Do Our Knees Pop and Crackle?
Knee noise in the form of a crack, click, or pop is very common. It may be caused by simple soft tissue catching or by more serious damage to the bearing surface of the joint: the articular cartilage.
No worries: Painless clicks & pops
The rice crispy noises coming from your knee is common and this is called crepitus. Sometimes the noise is due to tiny air bubbles inside the joint fluid, which build up with changes in joint pressure.
Read full blogTendonitis vs Bursitis
Tendinopathy is a common issue with physically active individuals. Tendinopathy is a generic term for conditions that deal with overuse injuries with a tendon (tendonitis/tendinosis). A tendon is end of a muscle usually were stress is usually concentrated.
Tendinopathy signs and symptoms usually include:
- Pain during or after exercise
- Reduced exercise tolerance
- Usually the pain worsens as time goes on without physical therapy.
The most common places to have this issue are in the shoulder, elbow, knee, Achilles tendon and gluteal tendons.
Bursitis is the irritation of fluid filled sacs in our body called bursaes.
Read full blog
