Health blog Category: physical therapy
Difficulty Reaching, Lifting or Throwing
By: Rachel Herrmann, DPT
Difficulty reaching, lifting or throwing? 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 around 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.
Sitting at Work Uncomfortable?
By Cierra Washington, ATC
Is sitting at work uncomfortable because of back pain? Back pain is a very common reason people some to Loudoun Sports Therapy Center. Why are we focusing on my core if I’m here for a back problem? This is a question we often hear in physical therapy and with good reason. Wouldn’t you wonder why you were being instructed to strengthen a part of your body that isn’t necessarily where you’re feeling pain or discomfort?
Tight Muscles or Knots
By Kate Zanoni, LPTA
Neck problems, neck spasms and general neck pain are common complaints in the orthopedic rehab world, and we’ve certainly treated our share of patients who suffer from various conditions related to neck pain at LSTC. 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.
Taking Care of a Fracture
What is a fracture? The word, ‘fracture’ is a medical term that refers to a crack or break in a bone. Bones are made of calcified materials, which give them their hard rigid structure.
There are several types of fractures:
- Greenstick- when a bone is bent, but not broken all the way through.
- A buckle fracture results from compression of two bones driven into each other.
- A growth plate fracture occurs at the joint and can result in shorter bone length.
Relieve That Nagging Neck Problem
By Kate Zanoni, LPTA
Neck problems, neck spasms and general neck pain are common complaints in the orthopedic rehab world, and we’ve certainly treated our share of patients who suffer from various conditions related to neck pain at LSTC. 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.
Three Common Shoulder Problems
How do common shoulder problems occur? Rotator cuff tears, shoulder impingement and frozen shoulder are three conditions we see often at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center. We often don’t realize how much we move our shoulders throughout our day until we feel pain or are unable to move them. There are many conditions that may cause us to experience pain, loss of range of motion or stiffness in our shoulders. These problems don’t have to happen following a traumatic injury.
Read full blogStrengthen and Lengthen the Life of Joints
By: Cierra Washington, ATC
How can we strengthen our joints given how much stress we put on them throughout our lives. When I was little, I was always confused when my grandmother mentioned ‘Arthur’ when she talked about her knees. She would say something like, ‘Arthur got me this morning and these knees are slow at getting me going!’ I was so confused who Arthur was and what he had to do with her knees.
The Benefits of Post-Op Physical Therapy
By Xavier Thompson, ATC
Is post-op physical therapy necessary? Are you scheduled to have surgery? While surgery may repair damaged tissues, some of the most important work to ensure that you stay healthy occurs after you leave the operating room. Whether you are young or old, an elite athlete or a weekend warrior, it is important to involve the appropriate healthcare professionals in order to reach your full potential and reduce your chance of future injury.
Walking to Improve Bone Health
Walking is a great step to improve bone health and fitness. Springtime is a good time to get outside and be active. What better way to kick the winter blues and enjoy the beautiful spring weather than to go for a walk! Walking is one of the easiest ways to get a workout and it offers many physical and mental health benefits. It’s why the American Heart Association designates April as National Walking Day. So, lace up your shoes and go for a walk.
Read full blogOveruse and Repetitive Motions
By Angie Austin, LPTA
What exactly are overuse injuries? These types of injuries occur when you try to too much at once. Do you remember the last time you started a new exercise program or did a lot of the same physical activity at once? It probably resulted in pain or tendonitis. Tendonitis is the inflammation of a tendon due to repetitive trauma or overuse. In most cases, if you stop the activity, your symptoms will resolve as the tendon heals.
