Health blog Category: Physical Therapy
Is Discomfort Impacting Walking Routines?
When was the last time you could go for a run, walk your kids to the bus stop or go shopping without experiencing nagging foot or ankle pain? If you or someone you know is experiencing foot/ankle pain, know that you are not alone. Approximately one-fourth of the population is affected by foot/ankle problems at any given time!
Foot/ankle conditions can present with a number of signs and symptoms including:
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Redness
- Numbness/Tingling
- Burning sensation
- Inability to weight bear
- Stiffness
- Weakness
The foot and ankle are intricate structures that provide your body its foundation, and when not working properly, can alter the function of your knees, hips, back, and even your posture.
Read full blogTurning over in bed uncomfortable….
The hip is the largest ball and socket joint in the human body. The joint consists of the head of the femur articulating with the rim of the pelvis, with a ring of cartilage (the labrum) sitting between the two bones. When functioning properly, the hip joint allows us to move our legs smoothly in many different directions. However, if something is disrupting the hip, these motions can become very painful. Problems in this ball and socket joint can make just turning over in bed uncomfortable, and using stairs or standing difficult.
Read full blogDiscomfort While Standing
Have you ever gotten up in the morning and felt pain in your heel when you put your foot down on the floor? You’re probably wondering why your foot would hurt after you’ve been off your feet and sleeping all night. One of the most common causes of heel pain is plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis arises from the inflammation of the thick band of tissue on the bottom of the foot. The plantar fascia inserts right into your heel bone, also known as the calcaneus.
Read full blogIs Sitting at Work Uncomfortable
By: Angie Austin, LPTA
Hip problems make daily activities like simply walking difficult and painful. This means that most hip problems are the result of repetitive movements we do on a daily basis. Because this joint is necessary for weight bearing activities like standing, walking and running, it can be a source of pain among all ages.
So what are the three most common causes of hip pain?
- Arthritis: Chronic hip pain is often due to arthritis, particularly osteoarthritis.
Don’t Wait To Treat Lower Body Discomfort
Back discomfort can be debilitating no matter what your walk of life. People living with back pain are often plagued by the inability to sleep, stiffness or difficulty with activities that they love. At Loudoun Sports Therapy Center, our goal to help you treat your back problems through targeted strengthening and specific exercises so you can get you back to living life on your own terms.
Like many conditions, when we have pain or discomfort in one area of the body, if we don’t handle it, it can start impacting another area of the body.
Difficulty Walking or Standing Up from a Chair?
By Angie Austin, LPTA
Many people associate knee pain with the older population. However, we treat patients of all ages for knee pain. Whether it’s due to arthritis or an injury, it is important to know what causes that knee pain.
The knee is a large hinge joint that gives you the ability to bend and straighten your knee, which is necessary for day to day functional tasks like getting up from a chair or going up and down stairs.
What We Can do to Be Healthier, Stronger, and More Active!
Loudoun Sports Therapy Center has a list of tips to help everyone grow healthier, stronger and more active — and we’re willing to bet these suggestions will provide at least a little motivation to put those stretchy pants to good use.
Conquer the Pain
By now you’ve probably heard the stats. Chronic pain can put a major cramp in an exercise routine, and yet over half the country suffers from some sort of debilitating pain.
Read full blogWhy Stopping Activity Short Term Will Help Long Term
Overuse injuries are some of the most common injuries we see here at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center. Overuse injuries are most commonly thought of with sports, but they can occur from simple everyday activities. An overuse injury is simply caused by any repetitive motion or activity.
Common Overuse injuries
- Tennis/golfers elbow
- Rotator cuff/biceps tendonitis
- Knee/hip pain
- Peroneal tendonitis
The most common cause of these overuse injuries is performing repetitive motions with decreased muscle strength.
Read full blogEver had a nagging headache that just wouldn’t go away?
By: C. Ashley Border, DPT
Ever had a nagging headache that just wouldn’t go away? Headaches can start for a variety of causes including muscular tension and weakness in the neck, stress, dehydration or low blood sugar, outdated reading glass prescriptions, or something sinister like a stroke, head injury, or other systemic problems in the body.
In the physical therapy world, we treat lots of patients with headaches and often times, the culprit is tightness and tension in the neck muscles which is what we’ll focus on today.
A Leading Cause People Miss Work
Back pain is one of the leading reasons people go to the doctor and a leading reason employees miss work so it’s a very important topic to understand.
There are four main reason our back pain could have started:
- Muscle strains due to heavy lifting or repetitive movements
- Pain that you can pinpoint on the muscle and does NOT radiate down the legs
- Arthritis: Narrowing of the space in the spine where nerves pass; excess bone that forms on the vertebrae; thinning of the discs between the vertebrae
- Structural: Scoliosis is an example of a structural issue that involves the curvature of the spine which can gradually get worse and become painful
- Bulging and herniated discs:
- Pain that is felt in the legs and not necessarily in the back itself
- As disc issues gets more severe symptoms can progress to numbness, tingling, and weakness
- Bulging discs involve the outer layer of the disc protruding out in the space where the spinal cord is
- Herniated discs involve the middle portion of the disc coming out into the space where the nerves are and causes compression.
