Health blog
Plans to Golf, Garden or Get Outside
The weather is getting warmer and more people are headed outside, which means it’s that time of a year for an increase in patients with elbow injuries. Many people have heard of and will use terms like ‘tennis’ or ‘golfer’s’ elbow. But what exactly are these conditions and what’s the difference?
The truth is, not much. Tennis and golfer’s elbow are both overuse injuries that are caused by any activity that requires repetitive motion of the arm and wrist.
Popping, crunching, grinding in the joints
By Angie Austin, LPTA
Knee problems are something that everyone will experience at some point in their lifetime. Having knee pain can be the result of many factors and affects all ages. As physical therapists, we work with patients to educate them about their problem in addition to how it can be corrected. So don’t sweat it! We are here to help!
The knee is a large hinge joint that gives you the ability to bend and straighten your knee.
Inflammation or Discomfort in the Lower Extremities
By Misha Gilani, DPT
Achilles tendonitis is a very common condition that we treat here at Loudoun Sports Therapy and it affects every age group. Achilles tendonitis is the inflammation of the Achilles tendon in your foot. When a patient is suffering from this condition, they will most commonly complain of problems such as pain, limited range of motion, weakness and swelling. They often have difficulty performing daily and functional activities such as ascending or descending stairs, walking, running and pain at night; this pain is due to the inflammation that causes the calf muscles to weaken.
Discomfort Checking Blinds Spots When Driving
Neck problems are becoming more common due our sedentary lifestyles. How often do we use computers and phones throughout the day? Now think about your posture whenever you use these devices. Chances are, there’s probably room for improvement there.
Posture plays a large role in maintaining neck health and limits your chance of developing problems that can negatively affect your daily activities. Issues with your neck are commonly associated with pain, headaches, and general stiffness. Stiffness will cause difficulty looking over your shoulder, looking up or down.
Difficulty Reaching, Lifting or Throwing
By: Rachel Herrmann, DPT
Difficulty reaching, lifting or throwing? The shoulder is a common region in which people complain of pain. It can often be a confusing region to have pain, too. Some people describe their shoulder pain along the top of their shoulder to their neck. Some people have shoulder pain around their shoulder blade. Others describe their shoulder pain along the front of their shoulder or the top of their shoulder or the back of the shoulder or radiating down the shoulder to arm, elbow and even all the way to the hand at times.
Sitting at Work Uncomfortable?
By Cierra Washington, ATC
Is sitting at work uncomfortable because of back pain? Back pain is a very common reason people some to Loudoun Sports Therapy Center. Why are we focusing on my core if I’m here for a back problem? This is a question we often hear in physical therapy and with good reason. Wouldn’t you wonder why you were being instructed to strengthen a part of your body that isn’t necessarily where you’re feeling pain or discomfort?
Standing or Walking Uncomfortable?
By: Alyssa Burke, PTA
Are you feeling weak in the knees, but not in a good way? There are many different factors that can cause people to experience knee weakness and knee pain. We often don’t think about how much we move our knee joints in a day but when we are experiencing knee pain, we become more aware of how much we are moving. Some of the common knee problems that people experience are:
- Osteoarthritis
- Tendinitis
- Ligaments sprains and tears
Unfortunately, we cannot control if we will develop osteoarthritis in our lifetime.
Read full blogTight Muscles or Knots
By Kate Zanoni, LPTA
Neck problems, neck spasms and general neck pain are common complaints in the orthopedic rehab world, and we’ve certainly treated our share of patients who suffer from various conditions related to neck pain at LSTC. With the high prevalence of desk jobs, the influx of cell phone use, computer use and video gaming, as well as time spent relaxing in front of the TV, our posture certainly suffers more often than we realize.
Trouble Sleeping or Reaching Overhead?
By Alyssa Burke, PTA
How do common shoulder problems occur? Rotator cuff tears, shoulder impingement and frozen shoulder are three conditions we see often at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center. We often don’t realize how much we move our shoulders throughout our day until we feel pain or are unable to move them. There are many conditions that may cause us to experience pain, loss of range of motion or stiffness in our shoulders.
Taking Care of a Fracture
What is a fracture? The word, ‘fracture’ is a medical term that refers to a crack or break in a bone. Bones are made of calcified materials, which give them their hard rigid structure.
There are several types of fractures:
- Greenstick- when a bone is bent, but not broken all the way through.
- A buckle fracture results from compression of two bones driven into each other.
- A growth plate fracture occurs at the joint and can result in shorter bone length.
