Health blog Category: Physical Therapy
Scoliosis and How to Know if We Have It
Depending on how you look at a ‘normal,’ healthy spine, it will appear straight or have two gentle curves. When the curves 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, Lordosi, or Scoliosis.
In this article, we will focus on scoliosis because it’s a condition we help patients with at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center quite often.
Stiffness, Tightness When Reaching Overhead?
Many people at some point during their lives will experience episodes of shoulder pain or stiffness. Quite frequently, a subsequent scan of the internet or a visit to the doctor will conclude with a vague diagnosis of ‘rotator cuff tendonitis’ or ‘impingement.’ While these words may or may not reflect the correct cause of the painful symptoms, many people do not know the meaning of these terms.
What actually causes these conditions, how are they treated and how are they prevented?
Read full blogThree Common Causes of Our Back Issues
Roughly two-thirds of Americans suffer from low back issues in particular, yet only 63 percent actually take the steps to relieve their pain, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Of those two-thirds, 69% say their lower back pain affected their daily lives in different ways such as exercise, sleeping, working and time with family and friends. Those four activities alone make up almost the entire day for most Americans. So why not do something about the pain?
Read full blogWhat is a “Charlie Horse”?
Without a doubt, many of you throughout the course of your lives have suffered a “Charlie horse” or “pulled a hamstring” while running, playing a sport, performing activity or simply while going about your daily life. Have you ever wondered what causes this to occur? Furthermore, how can they be treated and how can they be prevented in the future?
The hamstring is actually a group of three muscles:
- The biceps femoris
- The semitendinosis
- The semimembranosis)
These muscles work together to bend the knee as well as extend the hip.
Read full blogIs Your Neck Disrupting Your Driving or Sleeping Schedule?
Neck problems are becoming more common due our sedentary lifestyles. How often do you use computers and phones throughout the day? Now think about your posture whenever you use these devices. Chances are, there’s probably room for improvement there.
Posture plays a large role in maintaining our neck health and good posture limits our chance of developing problems that can negatively affect our daily activities. Issues with our neck are commonly associated with pain, headaches, and general stiffness.
Read full blogIs Back Pain Plaguing Us With the Inability to Sleep…
If you are living with back problems and pain you are probably plagued by the inability to sleep, difficulty tying your shoes, bathing, sitting at work, or standing while waiting in line at the grocery store. You may also be restricted from your extracurricular sports activities and enjoying your favorite zumba exercise classes.
Like many conditions, when we have back pain or discomfort in one area of the body, if you don’t handle it, it can start impacting another area of the body and restrict you from enjoying your night at the movies, throwing the football with your son, or participating with your hiking club’s adventures. Back problems can make it difficult for you to complete your daily routine activities around the house.
Painful Knees Could Be Indicating a Hamstring Injury
If you’re are having trouble walking, squatting, or experiencing pain around your knee area, you may have a hamstring injury.
Our hamstring muscle group is located on the back side of our thigh and is made up of three muscles. These three muscles originate on the hip bone and attach at the knee joint. When these muscles contract, your knee bends into a flexed position, when they relax, your knee is able to straighten back out.
Read full blogHealing Our Rotator Cuff and Curing Shoulder Problems
Have you ever felt a twinge in your shoulder when lifting something, or do you suffer from an aching shoulder at the end of the day? This could be a sign that your rotator cuff in your shoulder, is weak and irritated.
What happens when the rotator cuff is weak?
Since our rotator cuff is designed to guide the shoulder joint, when certain rotator cuff muscles are weak or injured, poor alignment occurs.
Read full blogTake Action to Cure Back Pain!
Let’s take some time to talk statistics. Roughly two-thirds of Americans suffer from low back pain in particular, yet only 63 percent actually take the steps to relieve their pain, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Of those two-thirds, 69% say their lower back pain affected their daily lives in different ways such as exercise, sleeping, working and time with family and friends. Those four activities alone make up almost the entire day for most Americans.
Read full blogFoot and Ankle Pain Should not be Ignored
Have you ever experienced a sharp pain in the bottom of your foot when you take your first few steps in the morning? Does your ankle feel unstable or painful when you’re walking or running? Do you have difficulty balancing on one foot without holding onto something for support?
These are all signs of common foot and ankle conditions that we often treat in physical therapy. Although there are many contributing factors leading to the aforementioned symptoms, here is a breakdown of the most frequent causes of foot and ankle pain as well as resulting ankle instability.
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