Health blog Category: Physical Therapy
The ‘Bell Ringer’ Injuries
Concussions are a traumatic brain injury, that alters brain functions such as, concentration, memory, balance, and coordination. When you think of the word ‘concussion’ you probably immediately think of ‘football’ or ‘football tackle’. However it is important to remember that you can get concussions from other sports, and even car accidents.
According to a study in the Journal of Athletic Training, 50% of concussions go unreported, Why is this?
In this study, it was determined that concussion knowledge, had a correlation with why some athletes reported concussion injuries, or ‘bell ringer’ injuries, and why others did not.
Is Foot and Ankle Discomfort Disrupting Your Everyday Life?
We spend a lot of time on our feet so it’s no wonder foot and ankle pain, and discomfort in the heel and arches are common problems for every age group.
How do Foot and Ankle Problems Affect You?
Foot and ankle problems make daily activities such as, walking, standing, using stairs,and running difficult. It also means you a can have trouble going from a seated position to a standing one without pain, and can have trouble walking your kids to and from the bus stop.
Tired of Feeling Like Our Knees are Going to Give Out
Have you ever met someone who complains of knee pain? What about someone who feels like their knee is going to give out when they are walking, pivoting or using the stairs? Is that someone you? Many people suffer with knee pain and feelings of instability, but they just decide to live with it.
You may think it will go away and your knees won’t give out anymore, or you may not want to hear any potentially bad news so you put it off.
How Much “Wiggle” is in Your Joints?
Joint mobility is the amount of movement that occurs within a single joint. This is not just how high you can raise your arm or how far you can bend your knee, it also is how much or how little “wiggle” there is within a joint. This “wiggle” is known as mild, moderate, or severe, hypermobility (excessive movement) or hypomobility (limitation of movement, stiffness).
How does having too little joint mobility (hypomobility, or stiffness) affect someone?
Preventing Sports Injuries 101
Exercise and fitness are important for all ages, and create dramatic changes in your overall health and well being. However, it is important for all levels of athletes and non-athletes to have proper warm-ups, stretches, and conditioning, in order to prevent injury. Too often, sports-related injuries occur and injury could have been easily prevented had the athlete thoroughly prepared their body for practices and games.
So what is an appropriate warm-up?
The warm-up, which typically lasts between 10-15 minutes, feeds the body.
Back Discomfort Changing Weekend Plans
Lower back discomfort and pain is very prevalent in our society and can greatly limit our ability to carry out daily tasks such as standing, walking, sitting and sleeping. The number one complaint is pain and stiffness localized to the lower back. The pain can range anywhere from a mild nagging pain to a severe pain. people suffering from this type of pain may feel very stiff, especially in the mornings and may find that they have to change positions frequently to alleviate symptoms.
Read full blogWhat’s Causing Your Hip Discomfort?
Hip problems make daily activities such as sleeping or lying in certain positions, walking, climbing stairs, standing up from a seated position, bending your leg in towards your chest (as when dressing, cutting your toe nails, or washing/drying your feet), running, squatting and standing difficult and painful. Most hip problems are the result of repetitive movements we do on a daily basis. Because this joint is necessary for weight bearing activities, it can be a source of pain among all ages. There are many hip discomfort causes.
Read full blogOne of the Most Stable Joints in the Body…
You guessed it, the hip joint! However, that does not keep this joint and region of the body from becoming unstable, developing issues, and producing discomfort.
Unstable hip joints can lead to discomfort and weakness in the hip region and creates difficulties:
- sleeping or lying in certain positions
- standing, walking, running, and climbing stairs
- standing up from a seated position
- balancing
- bending your leg in towards your chest (such as when dressing, cutting your toe nails, or washing/drying your feet)
There are multiple structures in and around the hip joint that can produce pain in this area of the body:
- Labrum
- The ring of cartilage around the rim of the socket of the hip joint.
What Type of Stretching Should I do ‘Before’ Playing Sports?
You should know what type of stretching you should do both before and after playing sports or any other physical activity. Stretching is an important part of an athletes daily exercise routine, however, it should not be the only exercise they are doing. Most people think that when we stretch we are elongating our muscles. This is a misconception. Unless we are stretching for many hours every day consistently for at least 6 weeks, than we are not actually lengthening the muscles. It is more likely that you are changing the neural tone. You can think of neural tone as the input to the muscle from the brain to contract. When you stretch you are temporarily changing the neural input and the muscle relaxes. This means that rather than lengthening the muscle you are decreasing the input from the brain to contract the muscle which, in turn, leads to the muscle being more relaxed or loose.
Read full blogWatch Our “Back” – We don’t Want to Slip a Disc
Chances are you or someone you know will experience some degree of back pain in your lifetime. There are many factors that can cause individuals to experience back pain. When we experience back problems it can bring our weekend plans to a complete stop. Depending upon the severity of the injury, it could possibly prevent us from even walking or standing. It can also make it very difficult to sit for prolonged periods of time at our desk at work. It is always best to watch your back so you don’t slip a disc.
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