Health blog Category: injury
Top 3 Tests for Knee Injuries
Knee pain and knee injuries is often the result of an imbalance in tension of muscles. When certain muscles are tighter or weaker than others, it affects the way the joint moves. When we assess someone who has knee pain, we often find that their patella, or the knee cap, is not tracking properly due to tight connective tissue. When the kneecap rubs against the sides of the knee joint, it can cause irritation and pain.
Read full blogWarm Up & Cool Down to Prevent Injuries
Many people go out for a run or start a pickup game of baseball without taking the time to properly warm up or cool down afterwards. But making this part of your routine before and after playing a game, running, exercising or engaging in any high-intensity activity is crucial to preventing serious injuries.
Some of these injuries include:
- Strains and sprains
- Shin splints
- Knee injuries
- Tendinitis
- Dislocations
- Fractures
We see these types of injuries on a regular basis.
Read full blogShoulder Fractures
Fractures at the top part of the shoulder are very common.
The risk of fracturing the shoulder increases with age for various reasons:
- Increase in balance issues with age
- More common to have osteoporosis
- Lack of physical activity leading to weaker muscles in the winter
- Increased number of people over the age of 65 with osteoporosis
How do the above lead to more fractures?
The more inactive you are, the weaker your muscles become because of disuse. When your muscles are weak, your balance becomes affected which increases your risk of falling. Then there is osteoporosis. Osteoporosis involves a decrease in new bone formation while the body is continuing to break down bone. This results in more brittle bones and a more increased risk of fracture when a fall occurs.
How do you know that you may have a shoulder fracture?
Read full blogShoulder Dislocations
What is a shoulder dislocation?
The shoulder joint is called a ball-and-socket joint. The ball is the rounded top of the bone in the upper arm (humerus), which fits into the socket — the cup-shaped outer part of the shoulder blade. When the top of the humerus moves out of its usual location in the shoulder joint, the shoulder is said to be dislocated. A related injury called a shoulder subluxation occurs when the top of the humerus is only partially displaced and not totally out of its socket.
Read full blogCommon Injuries with Running
Have you recently started running and are having pain? Increased your mileage and having pain? Increased speed and having pain?
Types of Injuries
All levels and types of runners may experience pain at one point or another. Running injuries most commonly affect the knee, lower leg, and foot. Some of the injuries seen are:
- Knee pain
- ITB Pain
- Patellar tendonitis
- Hamstring strain
- Calf pain
- Achilles Tendonitis
- Plantar Fasciitis
Overuse and training past the point of fatigue, are generally what leads to injury, as the specific structure is unable to perform properly.
Read full blogSigns & Symptoms of Strained Muscles
What is a “pulled” muscle?
The medical terminology for “pulled” muscle, is a strained muscle. The strain occurs when fibers of the muscles are torn. There are different degrees of a strain that directly correlate with how many fibers of the muscle are torn.
- Grade 1 strain: mild damage to tissues; less than 5% of fibers torn
- Grade 2 strain: more damage to muscle fibers; less than 50% of fibers torn
- Grade 2 strain: complete rupture of the muscle or tendon
What causes a strain of a muscle?
Read full blogWalk Away From Hip Pain
Walk Away From Hip Pain With Physical Therapy. Your hips, due to the amount of loading forces they take on throughout your lifespan, can be a common area of discomfort in the body. This condition known as arthritis is the “wear and tear” of your joint surfaces.
Hip pain can also be caused by some type of injury like a fall, sports injury or overuse/weakness of the soft tissues that support the hip.
Read full blogPersistent Knee Discomfort and the Road to Relief
Don’t let persistent KNEE PAIN hold you back…
Knee pain is 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. We as physical therapy clinicians 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!
About the Knee
The knee is a large hinge joint that gives you the ability to bend and straighten your knee which is necessary for day to day functional tasks like getting up from a chair or going up and down stairs.
Read full blogWhat is PFPS…
Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a condition in which the tendons surrounding the knee becomes inflamed. It can also be associated with damage of the cartilage behind the knee cap (patella). PFPS is very common in many people of all age ranges and activity levels.
The most common symptom is knee pain that is described as a dull ache or pain that increases with:
- Stair climbing
- Squatting movements
- Walking after sitting for a prolonged period of time
Other Symptoms of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
- Swelling, especially after exercise
- Restricted range of motion (inability to bend the knee or extend the knee without pain)
- Creaking/popping sensation along the front of the knee or when bending the knee
- Tenderness when you touch the front of the knee or inside border of kneecap
- Instability in the knee
Causes
- Overuse –running or jumping sports can often put repetitive stress on your knee joint, which can cause irritation under the kneecap or along the patella tendon.
Pre-Operative Therapy: “Pre-hab”
So we did physical therapy a year ago and it helped to keep from having surgery last year, but our pain has returned and we’re back to missing out on the things we were able to do some time ago. We aren’t able to ride your bike for cardio anymore, we have an immense amount of pain going up and down the stairs in our home, road trips are just NOT a thing anymore, and most importantly we are no longer able to get down on the floor to play with our grandkids!
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