Health blog Category: Physical Therapy
Lower Back Pain & Your Exercise Program
As 2026 begins, many individuals are making significant lifestyle changes to improve their health and wellness. For many, this includes starting a new exercise program and joining a gym. While strength training offers numerous benefits including; increased muscular strength, enhanced metabolism, and weight management, it can also lead to injuries when performed improperly. One area particularly vulnerable to injury during resistance training, especially when using free weights such as dumbbells or barbells, is the lower back.
Read full blogPoor Posture to Blame for Chronic Back Pain
Could poor posture be to blame for your chronic back discomfort and pain? Chronic back pain and discomfort is a debilitating condition that will affect the majority of Americans at some point during their life. In fact, chronic back pain is one of the leading reasons people go to the doctor and employees miss work.
The Role of Posture in a Health Back
A strong core means a healthy back.
Read full blogFoam Roller: How to Loosen a Knot
Ever had a stubborn knot in your neck, back, leg, really anywhere in the body? These knots can be painful and make daily motions difficult and uncomfortable. But what do you do when you can’t seem to stretch our that knot? As physical therapists, we are always looking at different techniques and exercises to incorporate into our sessions with patients. We challenge and work their bodies so they become stronger, more flexible, and more mobile.
Read full blogSource of Elbow Pain
Many people have heard of and will use terms like ‘tennis elbow’ and ‘golfer’s elbow.’ What exactly are these conditions and what’s the difference? The truth is, not much. 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:
The difference lies in where the elbow is inflamed.
Read full blogThe Knee and Arthritis
Arthritis is a degenerative joint condition that occurs overtime. Our joints wear down over our lifetime, and the cartilage or cushioning layer on our bones disappears. When this layer is gone your bones begin to rub other bones. What you might not realize is that knee arthritis specifically, impacts every age group.
Knee Arthritis Symptoms:
- Pain and swelling inside the joint
- Stiffness not only in the joint but also in the surrounding muscles
- Loss of range of motion in your knees
- Bending and extending your knees becomes difficult
- Grinding and popping in your knee joint.
What is Manual Therapy?
Manual Therapy is made up of many different hands-on techniques that we use in the clinic. Each offer their own benefits and are implemented for many reasons. We use manual therapy to help restore mobility, restore joint movement, decrease nerve tension, and improve nerve mobility and help reduce pain.
There are many different techniques that fall into the category of manual therapy. Some of these categories include but are not limited to:
- Soft Tissue Mobilization
- Joint Mobilizations
- Muscle Energy Techniques
- Passive Range of Motion
- Neural Mobilizations
Soft Tissue Mobilization:
Soft Tissue Mobilization helps to reduce soft tissue adhesions and help promote muscle, ligament, and tendon mobility.
Read full blogHamstring Injury Recovery
Hamstring injuries can occur to anyone. However, they are most common amongst athletes, due to movements involving high-speed running, high kicks, tackling, and splits.
What are Hamstrings and How are They Injured?
The hamstring is a combination of 3 muscles:
- Semitendinosus
- Semimembranosus
- Biceps femoris
Injury is dependent on intensity of sport along with other variables such as: duration, frequency and/or body compensations for other lower extremity injuries (such as injury to meniscus).
Read full blogHow to Recover from an ACL Tear with Physical Therapy
The phrase “ACL Tear” can strike fear into the hearts of athletes and fans alike. It’s an injury that often means season-ending surgery and a long road to recovery. We see headlines like “6 to 12 Month Recovery” and wonder:
- Will that athlete ever be the same?
- Why does it take so long to recover from ACL surgery?
- What is an ACL, and why is it so vulnerable to injury?
Headaches and Healing: Physical Therapy for Relief
There are various different types that we might experience. Some of these types might include:
- Tension headaches
- Migraines
- Sinus headaches
- Cluster headaches
All of these types of headaches will generally present differently in where you feel them in your head. When it comes to headaches and healing them we often turn to over the counter pain medication.
Read full blogSetting Fitness Goals in the New Year
So what are your goals for the new year? Not just physical, but anything. They can be academic, athletic, spiritual, emotional, physical, health related; regardless, how are you planning to achieve them?
At LSTC, we’re all about helping people reach their physical goals. In fact, some of the goals we helped people reach last year were:
- Back to golfing
- Picking up a baby without pain
- Back to running
- Completing triathlons and the like…
- Sleeping comfortably
- Doing necessary household chores without wincing
- Managing concussions and getting students back to school and sports
- Dancing again without pain
- Taking trips out of the country pain free
- And so much more…
Here are some tips to start off the New Year right and meet whatever goals you have:
- Be realistic– Set goals that enable you to write out a plan to get there.
