Health blog Category: injury prevention
Ever Twist, Move or Lift Something the Wrong Way?
By Xavier Thompson, ATC
Back discomfort can be debilitating no matter what your walk of life. People living with back pain are often plagued by the inability to sleep, stiffness or difficulty with activities that they love. These may include running or hiking, gardening, walking the dog or playing with their grandchildren. Back pain is something we treat lots of patients for and they may be young athletes, active parents or older adults.
Ever done too much, too soon?
At various points of the year, we see an uptick in activity for various reasons, Maybe it’s New Year’s resolution time or the weather is getting warmer or more 5Ks are available to sign up for. Whatever the reason for starting or increasing your activity level, it is important to know that if you’ve been sedentary for a while, rushing into any activity sport can lead to serious injuries.
There are two types of injuries to be aware of when starting a new activity: acute and overuse.
Planning to break out the flip flops
By Rachel Herrmann, DPT
Ankle and foot pain are common throughout the spring to summer months. Plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, and posterior tibialis tendinitis are among the most common of the gradual onset foot and ankle pain during this time. Why are these issues so common around this time of the year? This is the time of year when the flip-flops and flimsy sandals come out. This is also the time of year when people start doing a lot more activity than they had been doing over the winter, especially, when a vacation rolls around.
Stiffness, Tightness or Swelling in a Joint
By Angie Austin, LPTA
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. 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.
Ligament Problems, Meniscus Issues and Arthritis Discomfort
Knee injuries are one of the most common injuries that we see in physical therapy, whether it is sports-related or just degenerative changes that occur as we age. Some of the most common injuries are sprains and strains, osteoarthritis, ligament injuries and meniscus injuries. All of these cause pain, weakness and a decrease in functional activities.
Ligament injuries
These injuries more commonly occur with the more active patient population.
Read full blogHow to Progress A Running Program to Keep It Interesting
By Xavier Thompson, ATC
One of the most common complaints that runners have after committing to a running program is that their running plan becomes “stale”, “predictable” or “boring.” A primary reason for these feelings is a lack of progression. Running at the same pace for the same distances or for the same duration over and over again can wear you out quickly. As much as it may be tempting to just get out and run a little, taking time to plan can go a long way in terms of keeping your mind and body sharp as well as preventing injury.
Why is there achiness radiating down my lower body?
By Kieran Loving, ATC
A common cause of lower back pain is SI Joint Dysfunction. What in the world is an SI joint? Why is it important? When I worked in a high school, many young athletes would complain about lower back pain or symptoms that radiate down there legs. We often think that back pain is only something you find on older populations. So why would young, healthy athletes be dealing with this?
Trouble lifting your arms to wash your hair?
By: Cierra Washington ATC
“My shoulder is killing me! I can’t even get my arm up to wash my hair!” Shoulder pain is one of the most common complaints we hear in the physical therapy world from patients. Whether the pain is sharp and stabbing, or full and achy, it causes the person a significant amount of discomfort and inability to perform their everyday activities. So what causes shoulder pain in the first place?
Read full blogFirst few steps in the morning uncomfortable?
By Kate Zanoni, LPTA
Have you ever experienced a sharp pain in the bottom of your foot when you take your first few steps in the morning? Does your ankle feel unstable or painful when you’re walking or running? Do you have difficulty balancing on one foot without holding onto something for support?
These are all signs of common foot and ankle conditions that we often treat in physical therapy. Although there are many contributing factors leading to the aforementioned symptoms, here is a breakdown of the most frequent causes of foot and ankle pain as well as resulting ankle instability.
Don’t Turn Away From this Discomfort
Neck pain is a very common problem for every age group and one we treat often at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center. Our patients will typically complain about pain along the middle of the neck, pain in the middle of the back and pain radiating into the top of the shoulder along the upper trapezius muscle which, can also radiate down your arm into the fingers. These symptoms often cause the patient to have difficulty sitting, sleeping and turning their neck.
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