Health blog
Planning to get outside for a walk
By Alyssa Burke, LPTA
Walking is a great step to improve bone health and fitness. Springtime is a good time to get outside and be active. What better way to kick the winter blues and enjoy the beautiful spring weather than to go for a walk! Walking is one of the easiest ways to get a workout and it offers many physical and mental health benefits. It’s why the American Heart Association designates April as National Walking Day.
Moving Differently Because of Discomfort?
By Kieran Loving, ATC
Core is defined as the central or most important part of something. When it comes to the CORE of the human body what comes to mind? Most people think a rocking six pack of abs means a strong core! This is a huge misconception. The core of your body actually means the central most important part of your body and the average body space is a lot bigger than just your abdomen.
Do you perform lots of repetitive movements each day?
By Angie Austin, LPTA
Shoulder issues like pain and weaknesses are some of the most common reasons people seek help from a physical therapist. The design of the shoulder is a ball and socket joint. The rounded head of the humerus articulates with the cup like depression of the scapula, giving it a wide degree of movement. That’s why the shoulder is often easily injured. This joint is held together by an extensive group of muscles and ligaments that can be weakened by certain repetitive movements.
Snapping, Clicking, and Weakness in the Lower Body
Hip pain affects people from all walks of life. Unfortunately, because the hip is a weight bearing joint, most people find difficulty in creating lasting relief for their symptoms.
The most common symptoms of hip issues include pain in either the front, side or back of the hip. The pain may also localize in the lower back, groin or buttocks. When this happens, it common for people to ignore the actual hip joint and therefore, not address the inherent weakness or tightness or poor mechanics of this joint that is causing these issues.
Weakness or tightness in Lower Body Muscles?
Knee pain is a very common problem which can result in difficulty with many daily activities. People commonly come to physical therapy with different complaints involving the knee. The number one complaint is knee pain that is under or around the knee cap that can greatly limit your functional mobility. Some people also experience stiffness in and around the knee causing difficulty moving the joint and generalized weakness in the affected leg. Having pain or stiffness in your knee can cause difficulty walking, pain with going up or down the stairs, pain with squatting, difficulty standing up from a chair, and inability to kneel.
Read full blogOff-Season Conditioning to Prevent Problems
By: Cierra Washington, ATC
Summertime is often the cue to relax, lay by the pool, go on vacation and take some time off. While that may be true to an extent, it’s important, particularly for athletes, to make sure they are keeping up with off-season conditioning routines so they aren’t losing the progress they’ve made throughout the season. Summer is the perfect time to get in shape! Whether an athlete is preparing for the fall season or not, it’s important to maintain a basic level of fitness in order to minimize the chances of injury when they return to their sport.
Discomfort When Typing or Holding Something…
Some of the most common issues of the elbow, wrist, and hand include tennis elbow, carpal tunnel, De Quervain’s tendinitis, and post- wrist fracture. Below are the common symptoms you may experience with each of these issues and their causes.
- Tennis elbow (AKA lateral epicondylitis). People with this condition usually complain of pain of the outer aspect of the elbow. It can be especially painful when gripping or lifting things.
Ever had shooting discomfort when walking or running?
Shin splints are a very common injury among active or newly active people. It’s also a very common injury with fall sports athletes who may have been relatively inactive over the summer and then are jumping back into their sport full force come tryouts.
The medical term for this condition is medial tibial stress syndrome. What does this mean? This translates into inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and bone tissues surrounding the lower leg or shin region.
Muscle Tightness Making Morning Commutes Even Harder?
What causes stiffness in the neck and how can we prevent this common condition?
One of the biggest contributors to neck pain and stiffness is our poor posture. A lot of us sit at a desk for work or school for several hours throughout the day. You are probably often not aware of your posture. You might not have a workstation that is set up ergonomically; your computer screens are too high or too low; we are on our phones or our tablets and looking down.
Is Putting on a Shirt Difficult?
By: Mike Bills, MS PT
The rotator cuff is responsible for the rotation and movement of the entire shoulder joint and all of your arm.
WHAT DOES A ROTATOR CUFF PROBLEM FEEL LIKE?
If you have ever had pain, soreness, stiffness, pinching, cracking or popping in your shoulder or in your upper arm, you most likely have had a rotator cuff problem. If you have ever felt stiffness, difficulty moving one arm as far as the other, weakness in your shoulder or arm, you have had a rotator cuff problem.
