Health blog Category: physical therapy
Healing Our Rotator Cuff and Curing Shoulder Problems
Have you ever felt a twinge in your shoulder when lifting something, or do you suffer from an aching shoulder at the end of the day? This could be a sign that your rotator cuff in your shoulder, is weak and irritated.
What happens when the rotator cuff is weak?
Since our rotator cuff is designed to guide the shoulder joint, when certain rotator cuff muscles are weak or injured, poor alignment occurs.
Read full blogTake Action to Cure Back Pain!
Let’s take some time to talk statistics. Roughly two-thirds of Americans suffer from low back pain 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.
Read full blogFoot and Ankle Pain Should not be Ignored
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.
Read full blogGet Rid of Neck Discomfort and Pain Today!
It is no surprise that we have all probably experienced neck pain at some point in our lives. With the high prevalence of desk jobs, the influx of cell phone use, computer use and video gaming, as well as time spent relaxing in front of the TV, our posture certainly suffers more often than we realize. Over time, these repetitive tasks put us into a position called forward head posture, in which our head and neck protrude forward into a flexed position.
Read full blogWhat is the IT Band…
Unless you’re an avid runner, into cycling or repetitively walking long distances, it’s likely that you’ve never heard of this band of tissue. The IT band is a long, thick band of tissue that runs along the outside of the upper leg extending across the knee joint and attaching to the shin. You notice I haven’t said the word “muscle” when describing the band of tissue, because contrary to all beliefs the IT band is NOT a muscle.
Read full blogAll About a Meniscus Tear
Meniscus Tear – The Basics
A meniscus is the cartilage that is found in the knee joint that sits between the bones of the leg known as the femur and tibia. Think of 2 pads that cushion the inner and outer aspects of your knee. It functions to absorb shock, distribute the load of forces in the knee and to keep the joint lubricated by moving around fluids.
A meniscus tear can frequently occur with twisting or turning activities often when the foot is planted.
This is Why you are Having Joint Pain
Do you find your joints aching for seemingly no apparent reason? Even small aches and pains are your body’s way of telling you something is not working correctly and this should not be ignored. According to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study, 30% of the people surveyed reported some form of joint pain within a 30-day period. The greatest number of respondents had knee joint pain, followed by shoulder, finger and then hip joint pain.
Read full blogPhysical Therapy Benefits You Pre-Surgery
Preparing for surgery can be daunting in itself. Your body is about to go through a planned trauma, not to mention the mental preparation you have to plan for with the known discomfort to follow, even though you are already in pain and that’s why you’re going through with the surgery. Does this ring a bell? The calming factor in this though, is physical therapy can help. Pre-Op Physical therapy can help before your surgery even happens, for a couple of reasons.
Read full blogDon’t Let an Injury Sideline You!
Have you…
- Had a prior sport related injury?
- Had a prior injury of any kind?
- Had pain during training or workouts?
- Recently started or soon starting a new sport season?
- Training for new sports/competition?
- Known someone who has a season ending injury?
Here’s how you can prevent sports injuries!
Injury occurs when one of two factors are present:
- Repetitive Actions: Most sport and athletic competition involves repetitive motion.
‘Do Anywhere Workouts’ – Stretches
School is starting again and your schedules are filling up. But as schedules get busy, it can be tough to keep fitness towards the top of you priority list. So, here are some ‘Do Anywhere Workouts’ and stretches you can perform anywhere without special equipment or a gym. Keep in mind, you don’t need a fancy stretching strap. Some other things that will suffice are:
- belt
- dog leash
- scarf
- towel
For all of these stretches, you will be seated on the floor, a couch, a bed or an exercise table, whatever is comfortable and available for you.
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