Health blog Category: exercises
Strengthening the Foot and Ankle
Strengthening the Foot and Ankle: Ankle and foot strengthening is very important in preventing all sorts of injuries including plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains and tendinopathy. Here are some basic exercises to help:
Toe Raises: Standing or sitting with your feet shoulder distance apart, try lifting your toes up off the ground, and slow and controlled come down.
Heel Raises: Standing or sitting with your feet shoulder distance apart, go up and down onto your toes and come down slow and controlled.
Tips for a Stronger Core
Jul 13th 2021The core is commonly thought of as the abdominals, but in actuality it is comprised of more muscles than that. If you think of your core as a coke can, imagine that the top of the can is your diaphragm, the front of the can is your abdominal wall (including the internal and external obliques), the bottom is your pelvic floor, and the back is your erector spinae and multifidi. There are more muscles and greater specifics to this concept, but to keep things light the above are a few of major importance. The job of the core is to provide support to the spine.
Read full blogHip Pain and Fractures and Tears, Oh My!
Let’s talk about pain…
When talking with your physical therapist or your doctor about your hip pain it’s important to be able to describe exactly where your pain is located to help confirm that your hip is actually the problem. It’s not uncommon to hear “My hip hurts!” when in turn it may actually be related to the back. Symptoms located in the upper buttocks or upper thigh may be due to lower back problem.
Read full blogSciatica and Its’ Solution
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is nerve pain affecting the lower extremity, caused by irritation or inflammation of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve provides motor and sensory feedback to and from the lower extremity. It is the largest nerve in the body, and begins from nerve roots in the lumbar spine and extends through the buttock region down into the lower leg just under the knee.
Symptoms of Sciatica
Sciatica can cause pain, burning, numbness, or tingling radiating from the lower back down through the back of the leg.
Read full blogHow Physical Therapy Can Correct Muscle Imbalances
Many people still believe that physical therapy is only needed for rehabilitation after injury, accidents, or surgery. In reality, almost everyone can benefit from physical therapy to prevent minor recurring aches and pains or subtle losses of flexibility from becoming debilitating health issues. Physical therapists can help because many of our aches and pains are caused by muscle imbalances. This is true whether we are couch potatoes, dedicated fitness enthusiasts or athletes.
Read full blogWhat to Be Careful of When Running or Jogging
Whether we are pounding the pavement for a short jog or we’re a routine racer, running is great cardiovascular training. It is a gratifying way to maintain overall fitness. Although the act of running itself may initially seem daunting if we’re not an avid runner, we will reap the physical benefits within a few weeks.
The key is to start slowly and add distance incrementally to decrease the risk of injury.
Here are the top 10 health benefits of running:
- Improve Longevity
- Burn Fat
- Reduce Your Cancer Risk
- Strengthen Your Core
- Improve Your Sleep
- Reduce Your Risk of Osteoporosis
- Boost Your Mood:
- Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes
- Reduce Your Risk of Blood Pressure and Heart Disease
- Boost Your Immunity
Preventing Injury: Running Ritual Musts and the Importance of Stretching
These tips are essential for optimizing your running dexterity, whether you’re an indoor treadmill devotee, an outdoor roadrunner or a trail running enthusiast.
Shoes can be the Cause of Foot Pain
Extended time using sandals over the summer can result in pain and/or other symptoms of the foot and ankle.
Why wearing sandals and flip-flops can cause foot pain:
These sandals and flip-flops lack the arch and heel support provided by tennis shoes and other closed toed shoes, which can result in pain, nerve irritation, and/or muscular dysfunction.
The Importance of Arch Support
When there is less arch support provided by shoewear over an extended period of time, this can cause you’re arch to “collapse” or overpronate.
Read full blogGet warm for the colder season!
In the warmer months, it easier for our bodies to warm up to the activities and stresses we place on them. However, as a therapist, I do begin to see more patients, especially back related injuries in the latter half the year. Why is that?
One thing that doesn’t tend to like to change is our activity level.
We all have our hobbies and passions that we would pursue 24/7 if we had the time and energy.
Read full blogWhy a Home Exercise Program is Important
We begin physical therapy because we have a goal in mind. Relief from pain, increased functionality, staying active, playing with our kids, the list goes on. After the initial evaluation, a home exercise program is given—HEP for short—to help us reach those specific goals. There are a range of stretches and strengthening exercises to help offset weak, tight, and poorly functioning muscles in order to target your area of complaint and give you a well rounded program for your success.
So, if an HEP is a means to an end—then why not stick to it?
The Power of Therapy
We have all experienced back and neck discomfort at one point or another or will experience it in the future. In fact, it is one of the leading things that causes people to miss work. So, it’s time to discuss how you can get rid of your discomfort for good!
Why does neck and back pain occur?
Neck and back problems that arise are often a result of impinged nerves, weak muscles, and contracted muscles blocking blood flow.
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