Health blog
4 Tips to Prevent Injuries While Spring Cleaning
We made it through the cold, dark days of winter and spring is finally here! This is the time of year when we like to get a good spring cleaning in the house and start getting back to yard work. That means it’s the time of year where we see a lot of new injuries and aches start to pop up. Here are a few tips to help prevent any injuries as you get your house and yard warm weather ready!
Read full blogWays to Keep Moving if You Work From Home
Working from home can be hard to have a work life balance or even have the power to step away from the computer since that is your life now. If this sounds like you, don’t panic! There are solutions to help you get moving and have a better relationship with your new reality of working from home.
Walk it out
Now that you are at home all the time, chances are your step count is significantly lower than it was when you were in the office.
Read full blogDesk Ergonomics – The Best Way to Sit at Your Desk
Whether you are working from home full time or just a few days a week, it can be a big change, and many are noticing the effects as new aches and pains start to appear in the back and neck. Many are not equipped with a home office that has the space and equipment like what was available in the office so it may be difficult to figure out what set up is the best and most comfortable.
Read full blog3 Lower Back Injuries
Lower back injuries and issues can occur from something as simple as twisting to grab something off of your shelf or as intense as falling off of a ladder. Let’s focus on a few common causes of back pain and back issues.
- Soft Tissue Injuries: Soft tissue injuries, sprains and strains, are the most common cause of low back pain. Sprains occur when damage is done to the ligaments, while strains occur from damage to the muscles or tendons in the back.
Better Performance with Stretching
No matter our active level; athlete, sedentary, a weekend warrior, young or old, the benefits of routine stretching reach far beyond rehabilitation.
What is stretching?
In general, stretching is the elongation of a muscle and is used to help prevent injury and discomfort. However, there are different types of stretching that are important to distinguish. One is best implemented as a warm-up to prepare your body for exercise and the other is best used as a cool-down to reduce post-activity muscle soreness.
Read full blogWhich Muscles Stabilize Our Shoulders?
The rotator cuff is a group of muscles that help stabilize our shoulder within it’s socket as we do overhead movements. There are four muscles that make up the rotator cuff, each muscle has a different action and all must be equally strong and flexible in order to avoid a number of different shoulder injuries.
Those muscles are:
- Supraspinatus
- Infraspinatus
- Teres minor
- Subscapularis
Shoulder Injuries
Rotator cuff strains are common in professions that require a lot of repetitive overhead movements and are common in sport athletes who participate in overhead motions for example:
- baseball
- tennis
- basketball.
Myth Busters – Physical Therapy Edition
Myth:
I need to see a doctor and get a script to go to physical therapy
Fact:
In the state of Virginia, you can be treated and seen for physical therapy for up to 30 days without a script from a doctor. After the 30 days is up, you will be required to have a signed script from your doctor to continue with your care if your PT provider has not already received one.
Read full blogCommon Foot and Ankle Injuries
Foot and ankle injuries are common across all populations. Whether you’ve stepped wrong off a curb, slipped in the shower, have trouble standing for more than a few minutes, or have noticed a structural issue physical therapy can help fix the problem. We’ve seen it all when it comes to foot and ankle injuries. A few of the most common are:
Common Injuries to the Foot
- Plantar fasciitis
- Fascia on the bottom of the foot becomes tight.
Common Hamstring Injuries
Before we even begin talking about common hamstring injuries, let’s talk about some anatomy and get an understanding of what the hamstring even is and what it helps us do!
Your hamstring is the group of muscles in the back of the leg. The hamstring is made up of 3 muscles including the:
- semitendinosus
- semimembranosus
- biceps femoris
These muscles help flex the knee and extend the hip.
Read full blogWhat is a Return-to-Sport Program? And Why is it Important?
A return to sport program is an integral part of a physical therapy program that helps you return to your higher-level, sports-specific goals. Here at LSTC, once you have progressed past basic strengthening, are pain free, and no longer need hands-on treatment, you will transition into the return to sport program. You will work with certified athletic trainers to assess your sports goals and get you back to play!
