Health blog Category: physical therapy
IT Band Syndrome or Lower Body Discomfort Impacting Activities
By Cierra Washington, ATC
You’ve probably heard of IT Band syndrome. But what is it exactly? Let’s start with the name. The ‘IT’ refers to the iliotibial band that runs along the outer portion of the thigh. When people refer to the IT band, they often have the misconception that it’s a muscle. Actually, the IT band is the long tendon of the tensor fascia latae (TFL). The TFL performs multiple hip functions and also helps stabilize our torsos.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar Fasciitis is one of the more common foot injuries we see here at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center. The pain can be caused by injury or an insidious onset. Some of the most common symptoms include stabbing or dull pain on bottom of foot or by the heel, many times greater in the morning. You may also feel or notice that the tissue on the bottom of your foot is tender to touch.
Common Causes of Plantar Fasciitis
- Performing a new activity too much too soon too fast
- Improper footwear
- Poor foot/ankle mechanics
- Insidious
Common Q&A
What is the Plantar Fascia?
Read full blogTendonitis: What is it and why does it hurt?
Tendonitis is a common problem you may have heard of or even experienced before. It occurs when the tendons that attach your muscles to your bones become inflamed. Tendonitis can happen to any tendon in your body but is most commonly seen in the following areas:
- Shoulders
- Elbows
- Wrists
- Knees
- Ankles
Tendonitis can affect all ages and fitness levels.
There are many reasons why tendonitis occurs.
Discomfort radiating down the lower body?
By Devin Wurman, DPT
Back pain is one of the most common complaints that patients have when they are coming to physical therapy. It is not only affecting middle-aged adults, but becoming more prevalent in the younger adult population. Most patients that come in report dealing with the pain for at least a month or more because they believe “it will go away on its own”, however more and more people have sedentary desk jobs or are performing activities without addressing core muscle strength.
Preparing for off-season, preseason, competitive season, post-season
By Cierra Washington, ATC
One primary culprit of injuries in athletes, or anyone for that matter, is a lack of proper conditioning. Let’s focus on athletic injuries. Particularly at the start of the fall, winter or spring seasons, we see an influx of patients who have some kind of pain or problem often linked to the fact that they have been relatively inactive in their weeks leading up to those tryouts. This lack of physical activity means general fitness levels decrease significantly, making the return to any sports season more difficult.
How to Bounce Back from a Muscle Strain
Lower back problems are one of the most common complaints we encounter in physical therapy. The majority of adults will experience back pain at some point in their lifetime. The back pain they experience may only last a short time or it could linger for months. Back pain affects men and women equally and can even be seen in children and teenagers. There are many different structures that are at risk for injury in your back.
Read full blogExperiencing Recurring Headaches or Migraines…
Anyone with recurring headaches or migraines are well aware of the possible debilitating pressure and pain that can prevent us from the likelihood of either getting out of bed or it landing us in bed away from the lights and sounds that can compound the pain. It can take our entire day away from us so we are not able to:
- Cook breakfast in the morning
- Pack lunches and get our kids off to school
- Run errands
- Do the laundry
- Go to work
Many of us have probably experienced a headache at one point or another and some of us may have even experienced migraines.
Read full blogDifficulty standing up from a chair
By: Rachel Herrmann, DPT, PT
The hip joint is one of the most stable joints in the body, but unfortunately that does not keep this joint and region of the body from developing issues and producing pain. There are multiple structures in and around the hip joint that can produce pain in this area of the body:
- Labrum– the ring of cartilage around the rim of the socket of the hip joint.
What does the body’s core include?
By Alyssa Burke, LPTA
Many people will experience some form of lower back pain in the course of their life. There are many factors that can contribute to lower back pain. Some of the most common sources include:
- Muscle Strains
- Overuse Injuries
- Disc and Skeletal Issues
- Poor Posture
When treating lower back pain, it is important to address body mechanics and more importantly, strengthen your core.
Read full blogWhy Physical Therapy Should Be Your First Stop
It’s common for us to say, ‘I’ll wait and see if it gets better.’ Often times, people will get an injury or develop a pain and then wait a period of time to see if it will go away on its own—especially if it starts after we were a little more active one day. We assume the pain is normal.
But when that pain doesn’t go away, the next step is often to see a doctor, which may or may not be something you can schedule right away.
