3 Ways Physical Therapy Can Help You Combat Long Term Pain

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 1 in 5 people have chronic pain. In fact, approximately 80 percent of Americans have experienced (or will experience) chronic back pain. Physical therapy can help eliminate chronic pain.

As you can see, chronic pain is incredibly widespread, with over 100 million patients in the United States alone, so you are not alone if you are suffering from it. \

Standard pain drugs have so many drawbacks that you can’t rely on them to adequately relieve your pain, leaving you to wonder whether you’re doomed to live with it.

Fortunately, there is another option to consider. Physical therapy has been demonstrated to help people with chronic pain reduce or perhaps eliminate it.

With the right treatment plan at GoodLife Physical Therapy in Homer Glen you may be able to greatly reduce your discomfort!

Request an appointment at our physical therapy clinic today, and let us help you combat your back pain once and for all!

What is chronic back pain?

Back discomfort that lasts longer than three months is referred to as chronic back pain. It’s a steadily worsening pain that becomes worse with time and fundamental daily activities.

In addition, the exact reason for back discomfort may be unknown. It’s possible that no one knows what produced it or where it came from.

However, most people can recover from back pain by understanding its causes, especially those that do not derive from an incident, such as a car accident.

Where does back pain stem from?

Chronic back pain may arise from two issues, including a sudden, traumatic injury or repetitive stress on the vertebrae.

Age, weight, bad lifting techniques, and even mental health difficulties can all raise the risk of back discomfort, and it only takes one injury for a condition to progress into the realm of long-term issues.

Pain includes sensations, such as a prick, burn, tingle, sting, sharp pain, and aches. Acute pain is typically an expected bodily response to a severe injury.

However, the repeated use of joints after an inflammatory response may lead to the worsening of symptoms and disease progression, explains the NINDS.

According to the Mayo Clinic, people with particularly poor posture, bulging or ruptured discs, arthritis, skeletal abnormalities, and osteoporosis are more likely to experience chronic back pain than their peers.

How can physical therapy help me?

Physical therapy can improve your life in several ways! If you are struggling to do things you once loved doing without experiencing debilitating pain, it’s a good idea to contact GoodLife Physical Therapy to see how we can help you.

1. Increasing your physical strength

Depending on your condition, your physical therapist may teach you some exercises designed to strengthen your muscles and soft tissues.

It may seem strange that getting stronger is recommended by medical science when you are in pain – since exercising may be painful in and of itself, especially at first. But there are good reasons to try and make you stronger.

Often, the cause of chronic pain is pressure on nerves in your joints, whether your spine, knees, hips, elbows, or some other joint.

When you make the muscles around those joints stronger, they are better at providing support – which can take some of the pressure off of your nerves.

2. Electrical therapy and cold/hot therapies

Physical therapists have a variety of tools at their disposal to treat your immediate pain as well.

They can use things like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), hot and cold therapies to help reduce inflammation and ease some of the pain you are feeling.

These therapies can also help improve your body’s ability to heal.

3. Teaching you how to move safely

Most people are not fully aware of how they move in their day-to-day activities. You could be bending over, lifting, walking, running, sitting, or moving in some other manner that is contributing to your chronic pain.

Learning how to improve the issues with your movements can significantly decrease the pain you experience.

Your first session with your physical therapist will include an exam where they watch the way you perform different activities – like walking – to identify any possible problems.

Once they know where things are going wrong, they can teach you how to improve so that you do not unknowingly increase your chronic pain.

4. Improving your flexibility

Improving your flexibility can also help reduce your pain. When you are suffering from an injury, it is common for your body to compensate in some way to avoid the pain – which can lead to unhealthy movement patterns that you may not even be aware of.

The way your body compensates may help right after the injury, but over time it will lead to wear and tear on other parts of your body. If you feel really tight or locked up in one way or another, you are probably experiencing this type of situation.

Physical therapy can gently relax your body so that you can return to moving in a healthy manner.

Your physical therapist will work with you to ease the tension so that your body can move correctly and increase the strength of the muscles surrounding the joint so that you can maintain the correct movement patterns.

Ready to find relief for your chronic pain?

If you are struggling with chronic pain, we want you to know that we are here to help. Our physical therapy team can design an individualized treatment program to help alleviate your pain and improve your life. Call our clinic today to schedule an appointment, and let us help you return to living your best life possible!

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Trouble Staying Active While Working a Desk Job? We Can Help!

A Sedentary Job Doesn’t Have to Mean a Sedentary Life!

At our PT clinic, we see many hard-working patients with desk jobs—but it can be challenging to find time to stay active in sedentary environments.

Unfortunately, many people eventually realize that it is the sedentary nature of their work that directly affects their health and job performance.

Everyone needs to move a lot throughout the day. However, if you’re sitting for most of your working day, it’s essential to find a way to move more frequently.

Not only will regular movement help mitigate the risks associated with excessive sedentary behavior (such as back pain, obesity, and even heart disease), but research suggests that it can also increase productivity, mental focus, and job satisfaction.

Need some tips on how to increase physical activity? Check out these helpful ideas from our dedicated staff of physical therapists!

The importance of staying active throughout the day

According to PT in Motion News, 80 percent of Americans aren’t meeting physical activity guidelines set forth by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Finding the time or the motivation to exercise is difficult for many people.

Maintaining a high level of physical activity can possibly lengthen your life as well as improve the overall quality.

The truth, however, is that getting active can vastly improve your health, your comfort, mobility, and overall quality of life. That’s why it’s so important to stay active, even when you have a desk job.

5 steps to improve physical activity throughout the day

  1. Addressing past injuries. It’s hard to stay focused and comfortable at work if you’re in pain. And while we know that sitting for longer than 7 to 8 hours per day is associated with health problems, sometimes the idea of increasing your physical activity can seem like a huge obstacle. By consulting with a physical therapist, you can get underlying health problems diagnosed and managed. Our therapists use non-invasive, evidence-based techniques that work with your body’s natural healing power—it’s not just about masking the pain! Doctors of physical therapy can also prescribe expert guidance on ergonomic improvements around your office and can help you maximize your posture, core strength, and other elements of health so you can function better while on and off the clock.
  2. Use a pedometer. Research shows that wearing a simple pedometer (you can find super inexpensive options online and in sports retail stores) helps increase the number of steps you take per day. This kind of objective data can be inspiring and get you to move more frequently than you may otherwise. You may even consider getting some colleagues to join the “pedometer club” and create a little friendly competition to see who can get the most steps in throughout a typical work day or week!
  3. Use the office as your gym! Come up with ways to move more on and around your work area. Can you park farther away from the building? Allocate 10 minutes of your lunch break to a brisk walk around the campus or neighborhood. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk down the hall to chat with your colleague or employee instead of sending an email or text.
  4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Staying well-hydrated on the job offers multiple benefits: it helps your tissues and joints stay healthy, it improves focus, it eases headaches, and yes—it will make you need to get up more frequently to use the bathroom!
  5. Do short exercises throughout the day. At least once per hour, pause what you’re doing and take a few minutes to run through some simple exercises or stretches. These can be done in the privacy of your own office or even out in the open (hey—maybe you’ll inspire your co-workers!). Ask a physical therapist to provide you with an individualized program that can address your specific needs and be tailored to your job duties.

Get moving with physical therapy!

If you’re looking for more ways to stay active, a physical therapist can help you. Don’t hesitate to contact us today to get started!

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Get Moving with Ease Once Again! These 5 Tips Can Help You Live an Active Life

Ready to Get Moving? We Can Help!

Getting active can be intimidating. With thousands of exercise programs out there, it’s hard to figure out which one is right for you.

According to PT in Motion News, 80 percent of Americans aren’t meeting physical activity guidelines set forth by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Finding the time or the motivation to exercise is difficult for many people.

It isn’t always easy to stay active, especially if you’re already struggling with limited mobility. However, getting active can vastly improve your health, your comfort, your mobility, and your overall quality of life.

There are several easy ways to increase your activity level that most people can include in their daily routine.

In fact, there are a few, fun, favorite fitness activities that rise to the top for everyone, whether they are just starting out or are long-time fitness enthusiasts.

But before you dive into one of these activities, call our office to meet with our physical therapist and find out how to safely get in shape.

1. Pickleball

A cross between tennis and badminton, pickleball is taking the nation by storm with indoor and outdoor leagues popping up everywhere.

Pickleball uses specialized paddles and a wiffle ball and is played on a small court. Slower-paced than tennis, but faster than badminton, pickleball is ideal for people who enjoy the social aspects of competitive sports but who want to avoid running or jumping often associated with racquetball, tennis or squash.

The range of motion required to swing a paddle combined with the steps required to walk back and forth on the court makes it ideal for everyone from young children to octogenarians. Best of all, the average adult burns 250 calories in a casual 30-minute game, making it a great low-impact workout.

2. Stand Up Paddleboarding

In recent years, stand up paddleboarding (SUP) has exploded in popularity with good reason. Not only is it low impact, but it is also a total body workout. Standing on top of a board, you use a paddle to navigate a body of water.

Engaging your core muscles for balance, using your upper body for propulsion and leg muscles for standing, an hour of leisurely paddle boarding burns 300 to 400 calories.

3. Hiking

The difference between walking and hiking is defined by the terrain. Traditionally, hiking means changing your elevation as you traverse unimproved trails.

The act of maintaining your balance, going up and down hills and traversing obstacles in your path can burn three to four times more calories than simply going for a walk.

Best of all, you don’t need special equipment to go for a hike. All you need are sturdy shoes, water, and a little wanderlust to get a great workout in nature. Best of all, studies have shown that exercising outdoors keeps you coming back for more.

4. Swimming

When it comes to fun, low-impact workouts, there are few more effective than swimming. 30 minutes of swimming laps may burn around 200 calories, but that isn’t the only way to reap the benefits of the pool.

Water aerobics, water dancing and water walking all help maintain a consistent level of exercise even if you are not a strong swimmer.

5. Walking

We tend to over-complicate physical fitness. Sometimes it is as simple as going for a walk.

In fact, consistent walking routines have been linked not only to weight loss and joint health, but they have also been linked to long term brain health in older adults.

If you cannot walk for 30 minutes at a time, start with 10 and work your way up, adding more time, distance and speed.

Reasons why inactivity is troublesome

Causes of inactivity could include everything from a busy schedule to a physical condition that’s keeping you inactive. If you don’t stay active enough you may struggle with weak muscle tone and aching joints.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, the more inactive you are, the more easily you’ll get tired. There are several other physical issues and conditions associated with inactivity.

  • Weakened bones
  • Increased inflammation
  • Poor blood circulation
  • Hormonal imbalance

Looking for more help? Contact us

You don’t need free weights and running shoes to reap the benefits of physical fitness. Everyone can enjoy a more active lifestyle if they simply start moving. That is why physical therapy so often includes targeted exercise.

If you need help getting started on your fitness journey, call Goodlife Rehab today to see how physical therapy can get you on the road to better health.