Health blog Category: range of motion
Treatment for Shoulder Pain

Are you suffering with shoulder pain, stiffness, or decreased function? Shoulder pain can develop for a number of reasons including:
- traumatic injury
- overuse
- postural deficits
- weakness
If left untreated, intermittent or nagging shoulder pain can develop into a significant condition which can limit your ability to participate in activities of daily living (ADLs), work duties, leisure activities, or sports.
This is where physical therapy can help.
Read full blogSciatic Nerve Inflammation

WHAT IS SCIATICA?
Sciatica is the inflammation of the sciatic nerve that travels from the back, down to the foot. This means, sciatica can cause pain in your back, buttocks, hamstring, calf, shin, or foot depending on where the nerve is irritated.
Sciatica can also be a referred pain from levels L4-S2 sending pain signals to the body parts they innervate in the same regions as listed above. It can be caused by a pinched nerve, disc herniations, or stenosis at the spine.
Freezing, Frozen, Thawing

Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, is a common shoulder issue that involves the first layer around the shoulder joint called the joint capsule. The capsule begins to thicken and tighten around the joint. It’s pretty typical to see a gradual loss of motion in the shoulder accompanied by pain in multiple motions.
Stages of a Frozen Shoulder:
Frozen shoulder involves three different stages. Each stage may take up to a few months:
Freezing: Pain starts to occur and the range of motion of the shoulder begins to decrease.
Reaching into Our Cabinets Shouldn’t be a Problem

When reaching above shoulder height or across the body as we do when reaching into a cabinet or washing our hair, the acromion (which is an aspect of the shoulder blade) may rub against a tendon and this could result in pain. This is known as shoulder impingement.
Causes of shoulder impingement:
- Overuse Injuries
- Strain in our Shoulder
- Poor posture
- Disuse
- Sleeping on affected side
- Repetitive motions such as lifting boxes, playing tennis, or picking up your kids
Symptoms you may experience:
- Painful arc – pain when reaching above shoulder height
- This includes reaching up to get something out of the cabinet or top of the closet.
A Common Joint to Injure

The shoulder is a very common joint to injure. This is due to the nature of the joint. The shoulder joint is a very shallow joint which has mostly muscles and ligaments holding it in place in addition to a thick and stiff piece of cartilage called the labrum, which helps to vacuum seal the two bones of the shoulder in place. Since the joint has a lot of movement this can be a factor in causing injuries.
Read full blogIssues with Our Shoulder

If you are experiencing; trouble reaching into that cabinet, pain when brushing or washing your hair, or even trouble just reaching to pick things up, you’re probably dealing with a shoulder issue. There are several reasons you why you could be experiencing issues with your shoulder. Regardless of the cause, physical therapy is the solution to the problem!
Common shoulder issues you could be experiencing:
- Impingement:
- Caused by overuse, repetitive overhead motions, or poor mechanics with lifting and moving.
- Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis):
- Caused by any type of injury that significantly decreases range of motion at the shoulder.
Bunions

I remember being a kid and seeing my mom’s feet especially in the summer. She had this bump on the inside area of her big toe. She always said, “I hope you don’t have my feet when you grow up!” I always wondered why her bone stuck out like that. These “bumps” are called bunions.
What is a bunion?
A bunion is a foot deformity that occurs when the big toe bone shifts out of place. Your big toe begins to move inward towards the smaller toes, and as this occurs the bottom part of the big toe shifts outwards to form that “bump.” How does this happen? Sometimes it happens because of tight fitting shoes that are worn for a long time that has a narrow toe box. It can also occur because of other medical conditions such as arthritis and good ‘ole genetics!
Read full blogPhysical Therapy After Surgery

Do I need physical therapy after surgery?
After having surgery physical therapy can help improve your recovery time with better outcomes! All physical therapy treatments are designed based on each individual’s needs, but will be set around certain guidelines depending on the type of surgery.
Some surgeries such as ACL or rotator cuff repairs have set guidelines with goals that should be met before progressing to the next phase. All of these interventions are customized to fit an individual’s progress, qualities and needs.
Inflammation from Repetitive Stress

Impingement syndrome of the shoulder is a condition in which the muscles and tendons of the shoulder experience inflammation due to repetitive stress from the bones on the soft tissue.
The shoulder joint consists of the:
- Upper arm bone (humerus)
- Shoulder blade (scapula)
- Collar bone (clavicle).
The shoulder has several muscles including the rotator cuff which is most often associated with shoulder impingement.
What Causes Shoulder Impingement?
Read full blogPain, Weakness, & Loss of ROM

Shoulder pain and weakness are some of the most common reasons people seek help from a medical professional. The design of the shoulder as a ball and socket joint whereas the rounded head of the humerus articulates with the cup-like depression of the scapula giving it a wide degree of movement is why the shoulder is so commonly injured.
This joint is held together by an extensive group of muscles and ligaments that can be weakened by certain types of repetitive forces.