Health blog Category: LSTC
Common 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!
What does the program consist of?
Read full blogPatellofemoral Dysfunction
Pain around the knee or knee cap is generally referred to as Patellofemoral Dysfunction.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a condition in which the tissue or bone around the knee is damaged due to injury or overuse. This is commonly seen in athletes but can occur in nonathletes as well.
Causes:
- Muscle imbalances – ITB tightness, VMO weakness
- Alignment of the knee cap
- Overuse or repetitive activity – such as stairs, kneeling, squatting movements
- High impact activities – sports
Pain will generally decrease with rest and ice, but may return with resuming activity.
Read full blog3 Most Common Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder pain and weakness are some of the most common reasons people seek help from a medical professional. The design of the shoulder as a ball and socket joint whereas the rounded head of the humerus articulates with the cup-like depression of the scapula giving it a wide degree of movement is why the shoulder is so commonly injured. This joint is held together by an extensive group of muscles and ligaments that can be weakened by certain types of repetitive forces.
Read full blogAll You Need to Know About ACL Injuries!
Many young athletes unfortunately will injure their ACL during their sports seasons. The ACL is one of the four important ligaments that hold your knee together. The four ligaments of your knee are the:
- ACL (anterior cruciate ligament)
- PCL (posterior cruciate ligament)
- MCL (medial collateral ligament)
- LCL (lateral collateral ligament)
Unfortunately, the ACL is the most injured ligament in the knee.
What is the ACL and why does it matter if I injure it?
The ACL is one of the primary ligaments that holds together the bones in your knee.
Read full blogPreparing for an Upcoming Sports Season?
An impending sports season can be daunting when you feel like you’re not ready. But, there are many steps you can take to make sure your mind and body are prepared! Read below to see what actions you can take to make sure you are ready to perform at your best this season! This isn’t a comprehensive list, but a good start to get you going!
Condition!
To perform at it’s best, your body needs to be adapted to its demands.
Read full blogAnkle Sprains
Ankle sprains are a common injury for people. Ankle sprains are when your ankle “rolls” either in or out and causes the ligaments in your joint to stretch. The most common ankle sprain is when your foot rolls inward and you have pain on the outside of your ankle. This can happen from playing sports, or just stepping off a curb wrong. If not treated properly you can have chronic problems with your ankle such as:
- Decreased rain of motion
- Recurring ankle sprains
- Pain
When ankle sprains first happen you might experience any of the following signs or symptoms:
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Tenderness in or around the ankle
- Limited range of motion
- Inability to bear weight
- Pain with ankle or toe movement
To help with the initial pain of the ankle sprains:
- Elevate your ankle
- Ice your ankle as soon as you can for no more than 20 minutes
- Wrap your ankle with an ACE or compression wrap to help reduce some of the swelling
You should consult a medical profession to make sure your ankle injury not anything more serious and to help get you back to your favorite activities.
Read full blogTendonitis vs Bursitis
Tendinopathy is a common issue with physically active individuals. Tendinopathy is a generic term for conditions that deal with overuse injuries with a tendon (tendonitis/tendinosis). A tendon is end of a muscle usually were stress is usually concentrated.
Tendinopathy signs and symptoms usually include:
- Pain during or after exercise
- Reduced exercise tolerance
- Usually the pain worsens as time goes on without physical therapy.
The most common places to have this issue are in the shoulder, elbow, knee, Achilles tendon and gluteal tendons.
Bursitis is the irritation of fluid filled sacs in our body called bursaes.
Read full blogSciatica – A True Pain in the Butt
WHAT IS SCIATICA?
Sciatica is the inflammation of a nerve that travels from the back down to the foot. This means, sciatica can cause pain in your back, buttocks, hamstring, calf, shin, or foot depending on where the nerve is irritated.
It can also be a referred pain from spinal levels L4-S2 sending pain signals to the body parts that they innervate in the regions as listed above.
Read full blog