Health blog Category: physical therapy
“Living With” Low Back Problems
Many of us think low back problems are just something we have to “live with” so we try to push through the pain. However, physical therapy can be extremely beneficial for resolving our lower back pain thus greatly improving our quality of life.
When it comes to this condition, the number one complaint is pain and stiffness which gets worse when you stand, walk or are in one position for a prolonged period of time.
Relieve Your Arthritic Aches and Pains With Physical Therapy
Anyone living with arthritis knows how debilitating it can be. Arthritis is the most commonly reported chronic illness across the nation, impacting millions of people. Arthritis occurs when joints become chronically inflamed, resulting in pain, stiffness, and even loss of movement. There are over 100 different types of arthritis, and they can all be split into two categories: monoarthritis (where only one joint is affected) and oligoarthritis (where multiple joints are affected.) The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which develops from “wear and tear” of cartilage.
Read full blogWe Don’t Have to Live With Hand, Wrist, or Elbow Pain
Hand, wrist, and elbow injuries are common among the population and have probably affected everyone at one point or another. Some of the most common issues we may have or will experience throughout the elbow, wrist and hand include:
- Tennis elbow
- Carpal tunnel
- De Quervain’s tendonitis
- Wrist fractures
So what can causes these various conditions and what symptoms come with them?
Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis): People with this condition usually complain of pain of the outer aspect of the elbow.
Knee Pain Doesn’t Have to be a Way of Life
For many of you, knee pain is a way of life, limiting your ability to climb stairs, squat down to get something off the floor, enjoy long walks, shopping and a host of other daily activities. Your knee joint is one of the most complicated joints in your body and has to bear up to 6 times your body weight with running or jumping.
This incredible joint has to move over a million times each year and over 80 million times over a lifetime.
How Your Desk is Set Up, Could be the Reason For Your Discomfort
Do you ever experience pain or discomfort while working at your desk? Do you experience headaches, eye strain, shoulder, neck or back pain while sitting at your workstation? If you answered yes, then your office may have some shaping up to do.
So what exactly is ergonomics?
Ergonomics is defined as “an applied science concerned with designing and arranging items people use so that people and things interact most efficiently.” So, how do we apply ergonomics to our everyday workplace settings?
Is Standing On One Foot Difficult?
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.
Scoliosis and How to Know if We Have It
Depending on how you look at a ‘normal,’ healthy spine, it will appear straight or have two gentle curves. When the curves appear more exaggerated, it’s likely you’re looking at a spinal deformity. There are three ways that the spine can be categorized when it strays from the normal shape; Kyphosis, Lordosi, or Scoliosis.
In this article, we will focus on scoliosis because it’s a condition we help patients with at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center quite often.
Stiffness, Tightness When Reaching Overhead?
Many people at some point during their lives will experience episodes of shoulder pain or stiffness. Quite frequently, a subsequent scan of the internet or a visit to the doctor will conclude with a vague diagnosis of ‘rotator cuff tendonitis’ or ‘impingement.’ While these words may or may not reflect the correct cause of the painful symptoms, many people do not know the meaning of these terms.
What actually causes these conditions, how are they treated and how are they prevented?
Read full blogThree Common Causes of Our Back Issues
Roughly two-thirds of Americans suffer from low back issues in particular, yet only 63 percent actually take the steps to relieve their pain, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Of those two-thirds, 69% say their lower back pain affected their daily lives in different ways such as exercise, sleeping, working and time with family and friends. Those four activities alone make up almost the entire day for most Americans. So why not do something about the pain?
Read full blogWhat is a “Charlie Horse”?
Without a doubt, many of you throughout the course of your lives have suffered a “Charlie horse” or “pulled a hamstring” while running, playing a sport, performing activity or simply while going about your daily life. Have you ever wondered what causes this to occur? Furthermore, how can they be treated and how can they be prevented in the future?
The hamstring is actually a group of three muscles:
- The biceps femoris
- The semitendinosis
- The semimembranosis)
These muscles work together to bend the knee as well as extend the hip.
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