Health blog Category: physical therapy
Ever wince with discomfort when standing up from a chair?
Hip pain is a very common problem which can cause difficulty with many daily activities. People often come to physical therapy with different complaints involving the hip. The number one complaint is pain localized to the hip joint and muscles surrounding the joint. Some people also experience stiffness in and around the hip and the lower back. This causes difficulty moving the joint and generalized weakness in the affected leg. When you are dealing with pain or stiffness in your hip, it can create difficulty performing the following activities:
- Walking
- Going up or down stairs
- Squatting
- Standing up from a chair
- Prolonged sitting
- Prolonged standing
When a patient is feeling significant stiffness in their hips, they can also start to experience difficulty with tasks such as sitting with their legs crossed, putting on shoes and socks, and getting in and out of the car.
Read full blog5 Steps to Create a Successful Exercise Plan
Hands down, the worst kind of plan is no plan. A plan has three purposes:
- Help reach goals
- Help prevent injuries while increasing performance
- Help monitor progress
We don’t want to do the same thing day in and day out. This will lead to burnout, boredom and an overall feeling that that exercise regimen isn’t as fulfilling anymore.
You may think that creating a exercise plan and a program is unnecessary if you’re not a high-performance athlete trying to compete in something.
Inflammation, Swelling or Weakness in the Upper Body?
Shoulder pain is one of the most common problems we among patients in physical therapy. It’s not just athletes like baseball players or swimmer either; we treat patients of all ages for shoulder problems. This condition can be the result of repetitive overuse of muscles in the shoulder, poor posture or traumatic injury to the shoulder.
Repetitive overuse of muscles can lead to tendinopathy or irritation of the tendons that attach at the shoulder.
What Are the Signs of a Pulled Muscle?
By Mike Bills, MS PT
So what are some signs that you may have pulled a muscle? You will generally notice some level of discomfort either right away while you are doing the activity or in the following 24 hours. This is what we typically brush off as “typical soreness” after going for a long walk, standing for a long period of time, running, doing yard work, etc. However, too often, people don’t pay attention to this post-activity soreness because they think it is normal.
Ever not know how an ache started?
Believe it or not, your hips play a large role in the health of your back and limited hip mobility can cause back pain. Do you have an aching back at the end of the day and wonder where the source of your pain is coming from? You are not alone! More than 80 percent of the population will suffer from back pain at least once in their life, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control.
Read full blogSpine Anatomy and Spine Problems
By: Mike Bills, MS PT
In order to understand why spine problems get started, let’s first talk about spine anatomy. Your spine is comprised of many vertebrae. These are the bones that make up your spine and they’re like rocks that sit on top of each other in a very specific fashion. In order for the spine to do its job, these vertebra must sit on top of each other, from your neck all the way to your tailbone, in a curve that looks like the letter S.
Why Daily Repetitive Motions Can Lead to Problems
Overuse injuries aren’t just sustained by athletes and weekend warriors. In fact, just about anyone can get them. If you have a daily walking routine but do not do any targeted stretching or strengthening, you are prone to overuse injuries. Anyone who plays any type of sport, has a job that requires repetitive posturing or repetitive lifting, or anyone who does not take time to warm up properly before an activity, perform static stretching after an activity, or focus on strength training stabilizing muscle groups will likely sustain an overuse injury at some point.
Read full blogCarrying a Heavy Purse or Tote Bag?
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.
Read full blogIncreased Activity this Time of Year?
Hip pain is a very common problem we treat here at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center and it can result in difficulty with many daily activities. People frequently come to physical therapy with different complaints involving the hip. The number one complaint being pain localized to the hip joint and muscles surrounding the joint. Some people also experience stiffness in and around the hip and even the lower back. These issues create difficulty moving the joint and generalized weakness in the affected leg.
Read full blogSpending A Lot of Time Texting, Typing or Driving?
If you spend hours driving, texting, typing or even just sleeping in the wrong position the odds are you have either poor posture or neck pain. Spending extended periods of time in incorrect can lead to incorrect movement patterns and increase your injury risk over time. One of the easiest ways to see if you are at increased risk for a neck injury is to look at the motion that you have. We will highlight a few quick screens that you can complete to assess your own injury risk.
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