Health blog Category: physical therapy
Is Joint Stiffness a Sign to Take Action?
By: Jason Makoutz, DPT
Joint stiffness is one of the most common complaints we get at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center. Whether you just wake up with stiffness or it is persistent throughout the day it may be a sign that you should seek help.
Common Causes of Joint Stiffness:
- Immobility
- Capsular tightness
- inflammation/swelling
- Post surgical
Joint stiffness may just be from aging, but in most cases, it’s a sign of an underlying issue.
Read full blogHow Long it Takes for a Muscle Strain to Fully Heal
You may have heard someone say they “pulled a muscle”, but do you really know what that means? A pulled muscle is another way of describing a muscle strain. This is a very common injury in people of all ages and those that are elite athletes and in individuals who have a more sedentary lifestyle. It can happen in any muscle, no matter the size.
Our bodies are made up of hundreds of muscles that vary in shape and size.
Ever feel like you’ve overstretched a muscle?
A common cause of hip pain that we treat at Loudoun Sports Therapy Clinic is a hamstring injury. The hamstring muscle group is located on the back side of the thigh and is made up of three muscles. These three muscles originate on the hip bone and attach at the knee joint. When these muscles contract, the knee bends into a flexed position. When they relax, the knee is able to straighten back out. The hamstrings work together with the quadriceps muscles to control and stabilize the knee joint.
Read full blogDifficulty kneeling, squatting or using stairs…
The number one complaint from someone experiencing any kind of knee problem is pain under or around the knee cap. Any kind of knee pain or stiffness makes simple daily activities such as walking, going up or down the stairs, squatting, and standing up from a chair, difficult.
This kind of pain can greatly limit our functional mobility. Some people also experience stiffness in and around the knee making it difficult to move the joint.
Office Ergonomics: Is Our Desk in Ergo Shape…
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?
Does Your Job Require Repetitive Movements?
By: Jeremy Schain, DPT, CSCS
Many people will experience some episode of pain at one point or another during their life. It’s common for a quick scan of the internet or visit to a doctor to reveal a vague diagnosis of tendonitis or bursitis as the primary cause of that pain. While these works may or may not reflect the correct cause of the painful symptoms, how many of us actually know what these terms mean?
Four Reasons To Take Ankle Sprains Seriously
By: Cierra Washington, ATC
It’s been estimated that roughly 25,000 people in the United States suffer from an ankle sprain every day. When most people hear the words “ankle sprain” they think of damage to the ligaments or stabilizing structure in the ankle joint. Like most injuries, there is a classification based upon the level of damage. Grade I ankle sprains occur when the ligament(s) become “overstretched” but not torn. Grade II and III ankle sprains involve a tear to the ligaments.
Shoulder Pain and How Physical Therapy can help!
Our shoulder is the most flexible and movable joint in our body, consisting of several bones, muscles, joints and tendons. This means there are several ways the shoulder can become injured and cause pain.
There are many causes of shoulder pain but there are steps we can take to eliminate the discomfort.
Causes of Shoulder Pain
Sometimes, a sudden injury can occur that causes shoulder pain. Other times, repetitive motions can gradually cause joints, tendons and muscles in the shoulder area to hurt.
Read full blogFour Common Disc Problems and What to Do About Them
Back problems plague much of our society today. You may know someone who suffers from back pain, or it may be you yourself. While several factors contribute to different types of pain, disc problems are a category of their own.
First, what is a disc?
A disc in your spine is a section of cartilage that resides between each vertebrae. It consists of thick fibrous tissue surrounding gel matter that allows for flexibility and shock absorption.
Read full blogWhat is actually the root cause of your shoulder pain?
By: Rachel Herrmann, DPT
The shoulder is a common region in which people complain of pain. It can often be a confusing region to have pain, too. Some people describe their shoulder pain along the top of their shoulder to their neck. Some people have shoulder pain about their shoulder blade. Others describe their shoulder pain along the front of their shoulder or the top of their shoulder or the back of the shoulder or radiating down the shoulder to arm, elbow and even all the way to the hand at times.
