Health blog Category: physical therapy
5 Ways Stretching Can Improve Your Overall Health
One of the most important parts of a physical therapy treatment plan is stretching. A physical therapist will incorporate targeted stretches into each treatment plan they design, in order to target problem areas for their patients. While strength and endurance exercises are also incredibly important, stretching can be especially helpful in helping a patient manage their aches and pains. There are several benefits to stretching, including pain relief, increased flexibility, and functional improvement.
5 important benefits of stretching:
Stretching has a lot of benefits that we don’t always think about.
Read full blogThe Power of “Good Strength”
What does the word ‘strength’ really mean?
The word itself actually has three distinct pieces to it. Each piece is just as important as the other and all three must come into play in order for a muscle to have what is considered “good strength”.
- How much weight can you lift? This means how much force a muscle can produce in one moment of time. For example, do you have the strength to lift that bag of groceries, bag of mulch, or get yourself up or down the stairs?
Sprains and Strains
I’m sure you’ve heard someone say they sprained or strained something. Maybe you’ve even experienced an injury like this. Sprains and strains are common injuries that affect the soft tissues of your body. You don’t have to be an athlete to experience one of these injuries. People of all ages and activity levels are susceptible to sprains and strains. Sometimes these injuries can be confusing to keep straight, so what is the difference between a sprain and a strain?
Read full blogHow Stretching can Improve Our Health
There are several benefits to stretching, including; pain relief, increased flexibility, and functional improvement. Our bodies are incredibly interconnected. While some stretches may seem obvious (for example, stretching your back to relieve back pain), sometimes stretching certain parts of your body can provide relief in areas you may not have expected.
5 important benefits of stretching:
Stretching has a lot of benefits that we don’t always think about. The top 5 include:
- Relieving pain through targeted stretches.
Is Bending Your Knee Painful?
When your knee is painful, odds are good that you are not using it as designed. Which may result in loss of range of motion, strength, and stability. This in turn may also contribute to other problems associated with the way you choose to move differently to avoid pain. This increases stress on the other areas in our body. Persistent knee pain is something that you should not ignore.
Many people associate knee pain with the older population.
Read full blogHow to Treat A Herniated Disc
Do you experience achy or sharp radiating pain to your shoulder, arm, buttock or leg? This may be an indicator of a bulging or herniated disc in your neck or back.
Between each of the vertebrae that make up your spine are small cushions called discs. Herniated discs are more common in the 30-50 age bracket. A herniated disc is when the material inside the disc pushes outwards, irritating the nerve exiting at that level.
Hip Pain and Common Causes
Hip problems make doing our daily activities like walking difficult and painful. Anyone who has experienced hip problems, knows how it can affect our quality of life and stop us from doing what we love. It is important to know the common causes of hip pain to determine what treatment can be done.
What are the three most common causes of hip pain?
- Arthritis: Chronic hip pain is often due to arthritis, particularly osteoarthritis.
Common Sports Injuries
If you have ever played a sport, you have probably experienced some type of injury, whether it be a concussion or a broken foot. The most common sports injuries occur due to acute trauma or overuse of a joint. Acute trauma is an injury that occurs due to force from a fall or tackle. These types of injuries have immediate sharp pain and swelling, and usually lead to a trip to the emergency room.
What are the most common acute trauma injuries?
Strengthening Weak Shoulders
Repetitive overuse of muscles in your shoulders can lead to irritation of tendons. Some examples of common repetitive activities include:
- Gardening
- Yard work
- Throwing a baseball with your kids
- Carrying or lifting things
Shoulder irritation and discomfort can also be a result of falls, forceful contact with a person or object, or other sports related injuries.
Protecting and strengthening your shoulders:
- Keep your shoulder aligned: The number one reason for injury and pain in your shoulders is from poor posture.
Does Getting Older Mean We Can’t Exercise…
Statistics show that roughly about one third of people 65-years-old are physically active. That’s in contrast to the roughly 80 percent of the general population. As you age you may begin to think that your body won’t be able to handle exercising, and you may just stop exercising all together. The reality is, folks over the age of 65 should be doing 150 minutes of exercise each week, per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
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