Health blog
Is a Joint Replacement my Only Option?
Total joint replacements are not uncommon in today’s medical field. While there are many paths to a joint replacement, the most common is with aging. Frequently these replacements occur when the joint has degenerated and arthritis has progressed to cause a person pain and difficulty with daily activities. In other words, normal aging! These replacements are very costly and require a long recovery time meaning a lot of time away from family and work. There are many ways to address degeneration that may help you prevent getting a joint replacement and avoid the long period of recovery.
Read full blogStretches to do From the Couch
If you are someone who works long hours, or spends a lot of time watching Netflix or looking down at your phone, you may feel tight and stiff after a long day. You are not alone! You’re also not alone if you don’t have the energy to do a whole workout after a long work day. With this in mind, here are some simple stretches most people will benefit from doing while on the couch after a long day!
Read full blogStay Active with These Low Impact Activities
Do you have the desire to stay active but your joints can’t seem to keep up with the stresses applied to it with higher impact exercises such as jogging and lifting weights?
A great way to continue to stay active throughout the entirety of your life is to practice low impact activities.
What is a low impact activity?
Low impact activities are those that put less pressure on your joints.
Read full blogEasy Ways to Stay Active As We Get Older
As we get older exercise remains a very important thing to keep up with not just for our physical health, but also for our well being. I often hear or get asked about what exercises are appropriate to do because they are worried about pain or doing exercises that may worsen current comorbidities. Here is a general guideline of safe and easy ways to stay active.
- If you are just starting a new exercise routine, you should always consult your physician first especially if you have chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiac, neurologic, and/or autoimmune disorders.
3 Common Knee Problems We See
If you are concerned that you might have or have been recently diagnosed with one of these issues, consider a visit to Physical Therapy! We can make sure that you are appropriate for therapy and walk you through the process of improving your wellness and decreasing pain.
Patellar pain:
This refers to pain behind or around the knee cap, and is quite common especially with active people, but can also happen in people who are less active and sit most of the day.
Read full blogSplash the Staff 2020! – August 3rd
It’s that time of year again! It’s time to Splash the Staff!
WHAT IS SPLASH THE STAFF?
Each summer, LSTC likes to raise money for a local non-profit. We do this through an event called SPLASH THE STAFF! You can make a donation to the clinician or patient care coordinator you want to see get splashed with water balloons and all the money we raise goes to SEMPER K9.
HOW DO I DONATE?
- You can make your donation in person.
Piriformis Syndrome is a Pain in the Butt
What is the piriformis?
The piriformis is an important muscle of the hip and glutes that helps to rotate your hips to the side and move your hip to the side. The muscle connects from an area on your femur to the sacrum which lies at the base of your spine. The sciatic nerve also flows through this area and with some people even goes underneath the muscles of the piriformis.
Read full blogCreaky and Stiff Joints Got You Down?
As we get older or the more active or reversely inactive we may be we all start to notice; creaky joints, joint pain, and stiffness at some point in our lives. These symptoms affect all joints however most particularly the knees because of their weight bearing function. Maybe you have become more inactive recently just sitting around and you’re noticing joint pain and stiffness. Or maybe you have been doing much of the same activities or exercises in attempts to stay active while we all adjust to a new sense of normalcy.
Read full blogClick, Pop, & Crack!
That click, pop and crack in your shoulder can develop for a variety of reasons, including:
- Bursitis: Inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs protecting your joint
- Labral tears: Torn cartilage due to injury, age, or overuse
- Rotator cuff injuries: Damage to the muscles and tendons
- Dislocation: Your joint slips out of place
- Osteoarthritis: Cartilage degeneration in your joints
Anatomy of the Shoulder
The shoulder joint consists of the upper arm bone (humerus), shoulder blade (scapula) and the collar bone (clavicle).
Read full blogSigns & Symptoms of Strained Muscles
What is a “pulled” muscle?
The medical terminology for “pulled” muscle, is a strained muscle. The strain occurs when fibers of the muscles are torn. There are different degrees of a strain that directly correlate with how many fibers of the muscle are torn.
- Grade 1 strain: mild damage to tissues; less than 5% of fibers torn
- Grade 2 strain: more damage to muscle fibers; less than 50% of fibers torn
- Grade 2 strain: complete rupture of the muscle or tendon
