Health blog
Back Pain and Back Strains
Low back pain is one of the most common issues seen in an outpatient physical therapy clinic and the vast majority of people will experience some form of back pain at least once throughout their life. There are many different causes of low back pain, but one common cause of back pain is due to muscle strain.
Defining a Strain
Muscle strains can occur to any muscle throughout the body.
Read full blogIrene’s Prom Closet – 2020
Donate to Irene’s Prom Closet!
Donations will be collected February 2nd – March 2nd, 2020
“Irene’s Prom Closet” was born on Valentine’s Day 2014 to honor the memory of Irene Picota, a brilliant and You beautiful young lady, that passed unexpectedly and untimely on November 22, 2013.
Irene was selected as on of the most likely “100 Future Leaders of Loudoun County”. Irene always went the extra mile to help and bring joy to others, along with kindness and hope.
Read full blogThe Low Back Pain Epidemic
Generalized back pain continues to be rampant in many parts of the US and world-wide and does not seem to be decreasing despite many calculated efforts to do so. This particular diagnosis, sadly, has many attributes that makes it very difficult to pinpoint an exact cause. There is a substantial amount of literature on treatments, effects, causes, specific diagnosis and ramifications that is available to anyone that suffers from this ailment. We all know this, but in the 21st century ‘sitting’ is the new ‘smoking.’ Generalized back pain is one of many negative effects from consistent sitting, but it is no mystery that these are strongly correlated.
Read full blogBenefits of Participating In Multiple Sports
There are many benefits for athletes participating in multiple sports, even beginning at an early age. Recruiters are looking at kids as early as grade school, and they prefer recruiting kids that are involved in multiple sports. Recruiters believe these athletes gain a competitive edge, and are more accessible to recruit.
Why Participate in Multiple Sports?
Athletes participating in multiple sports have shown many benefits including:
- Improved overall health and wellness
- Decreased injury rates
- Improved athletic performance
- Improved leadership skills and teamwork
- Better attendance in school and academic performance
Participating in multiple sports can reduce injury rates because these athletes use a variety of movements that can limit the occurrences of overuse injuries associated with one sport.
Read full blogEffective Treatment for Hamstring Injuries
Hamstring injuries are common amongst athletes, especially with movements involving high-speed running, high kicks, slide tackling, and splits.
What are Hamstrings and How are They Injured?
The hamstring is a combination of 3 muscles:
- Semitendinosus
- Semimembranosus
- Biceps femoris
Injury is dependent on intensity of sport along with other variables such as duration, frequency and/or body compensations for other lower extremity injuries (such as injury to meniscus).
Read full blogAnkle Weakness
Overall ankle weakness can lead to a number of injuries, not only with the ankle joint specifically but it can lead to injuries at other joints such as the knee and also down into the foot. Typical ankle sprains (also known as “rolling” your ankle) can occur if the muscles on the medial and lateral side of our ankles are weak.
Ankle weakness can also contribute to over-pronation of the foot which can lead to injuries such as plantar fasciitis.
Guide to Better Running
The way we run is a matter of energy and efficiency. We may ask ourselves how some people can run farther, faster and make it seem effortless. The trick is in how their body moves.
Our Body When Running
Our body is like a spring; it stores energy at one point in our stride and releases it to move forward. If our body is strong, flexible, and coordinated, our muscles and tendons act like elastic bands.
Read full blogJoint Stiffness and How to Cure it
Defining Joint Stiffness
At some point or another in life we experience joint stiffness. This is a situation in the body where we feel tightness in the parts of our body that bend like; the elbows, wrists, shoulders, hips, knees, neck, lower back, and ankles.
Common Causes of Joint Stiffness:
- muscular tightness
- capsular/ligamentous tightness
- muscle weakness causing poor joint alignment and tracking
- loss of joint space with osteoarthritis
- rheumatoid arthritis
- structural damage from wear and tear or injury and the resulting inflammation
How Joint Stiffness Affects Us
Joint stiffness presents with the sensation of not being able to fully rotate, bend, or extend a joint in the body.
Read full blog3 Neck Problems & the Solution
Neck pain is something you will probably experience at least once in your life. Many things can cause neck pain, and in this blog I’ll discuss 3 of the common types of neck pain and their causes. In addition to that, I will discuss the solution!
Musculoskeletal Neck Pain:
One of the common causes of neck pain comes from the muscles and joints of the cervical spine (or neck).
Read full blogEffects of Entering the Season De-Conditioned
The two most common reasons people sustain injuries when they rush back into a sport or exercise program too quickly, are training errors and technique errors. Rushing into the season or training program without proper progressive training our body will not be ready to endure the stress and we can end up with an injury that could have been prevented.
Are you ready to try-out for that spring sport or ramp-up your training routine?
