Health blog Category: Physical Therapy
Injury Prevention: Basketball
Given that basketball requires a lot of stress on your lower body and extremities. some common injuries include:
- Ankle instability
- Patellofemoral pain
- Hip pain/impingement
- Low back pain
In the same aspect, given basketball requires the upper extremities to shoot, rebound, and defend, some other common injuries in the upper extremities include:
- Shoulder impingement and instability
- Wrist, hand, and elbow pain
- Scapular dyskinesis
At LSTC, we have the pleasure of treating and preventing injuries in many athletes, including basketball athletes.
Read full blog3 Indicators to See a Physical Therapist for Sciatica
Sciatic nerves run from either side of our lower back down to each of our legs. That’s why a classic sign of sciatica is having a shooting pain on one side only. While compression of one of our sciatic nerves can literally be a “pain in the butt,” it doesn’t always require medical attention. Yet sometimes physical therapy is the best bet to banish sciatica symptoms.
So how can you tell when to go it alone, and when to call a physical therapist?
Read full blogHip, Knee, and Ankle Joints Are All Affecting Us
The knee joint is the second most complicated joint in our body and has to move in many directions. The knee and hip work in tandem allowing us to walk, run, squat and kneel. When either our hip, knee or ankle have problems moving, the other joints can be strained causing pain. Therefore, even if we have pain in your knees, it could be a problem stemming from your hip or ankle.
Most problems in the knee or hip come from either too little activity or too much activity.
Strengthening and Biomechanics
Strengthening is a key component to focus on when trying to improve an athlete’s performance. However, before any kind of heavy lifting occurs, the athlete must understand the basic movements needed to perform their sport. This is known as biomechanics.
Mechanics of the sport:
- Flexibility
- Technique/Core Work
- Appropriate Strengthening Program
- Adequate Rest
- GAINS
Mechanics refers to the working parts of something.
Read full blogHow to Rid Yourself From Those Pesky Aches and Pains
Do you feel aches and stiffness when you wake up in the mornings, as if your entire body is being weighed down? It is normal to feel this way every now and then – perhaps you had a tough workout at the gym the day before, or perhaps you spent a large amount of the day on your feet. This is also a common symptom of your body fighting off an illness, such as a cold or the flu.
Read full blogOur Pain Might Be From Tendonitis or Bursitis
We will experience some episode of pain at one point or another during our life. It’s common for a quick scan of the internet or visit to a doctor to reveal a vague diagnosis of tendonitis or bursitis as the primary cause of that pain. While these works may or may not reflect the correct cause of the painful symptoms, how many of us actually know what these terms mean?
Furthermore, and more importantly, do we understand what causes tendonitis and bursitis, how they are treated and how to prevent them?
Shoulder Issues and Their Symptoms
All of us have most likely experienced shoulder pain at some point in our lives. Shoulder issues, like pain and weaknesses are some of the most common reasons people seek help from a physical therapist. The design of our shoulder, is a ball and socket joint, giving it a wide degree of movement. That’s why our shoulder are often easily injured.
This joint is held together by an extensive group of muscles and ligaments that can be weakened by certain repetitive movements.
Prevent Long-Term Knee Problems
Having pain or stiffness in our knee can cause quite a few problems:
- Difficulty walking
- Pain going up or down the stairs
- Pain squatting
- Difficulty standing up from a chair
- Inability to kneel
Most likely those with knee problems will also have trouble lifting, pushing or pulling objects. Stiffness in the knee can cause pain in the morning, difficult moving after sitting in one position for a long time or problems sitting.
Read full blogOur Spines and Scoliosis
Here’s a riddle for you: What holds your body upright, is made up of a series of irregularly shaped bones, appears to be in a straight line but is also curved when you look at it from the side?
The answer: YOUR SPINE!
When the curves in your spine appear more exaggerated, it’s likely you’re looking at a spinal deformity. There are three ways that the spine can be categorized when it strays from the normal shape:
- Kyphosis
- Lordosis
- Scoliosis
Kyphosis and lordosis both refer to the excessive curvature where there is already a gentle curve in the spine.
Read full blog5 Ways to Strengthen Our Bones
Our bones change in their density all the time. Calcium is constantly being laid down and taken up by our bone cells on a daily basis. Bone growth is dependent on the amount of force and stress placed on the bones. This is why astronauts who are weightless lose a substantial amount of their bone mass in just a couple of weeks. Here is what we can do to ensure our bones are healthy and strong:
- Balance your calcium and magnesium intake.
