healthytips Archives - Page 2 of 4 - GOODLIFE Physical Therapy

If You Have any of These 5 Symptoms, You May Need Physical Therapy.

Did you know that physical therapy is a natural form of pain relief treatment that can be used to manage a variety of different conditions? Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that physical therapy treatments are a great way to reduce their chronic pain and other recurring symptoms until after they’ve tried other traditional treatment methods like surgery and prescription pain killers. If you are experiencing any of our top 5 most common aches and pains, you may be a good candidate for physical therapy. Keep reading to learn more about common conditions that can be treated with physical therapy and some of the top recommendations for natural healing from our experienced physical therapist.

5 Common Reasons to See a Physical Therapist

1. Back Pain

Back pain is one of the biggest reasons that Americans visit the doctor each year. Back pain can be the result of a wide variety of different injuries, illnesses, and chronic conditions. You may be experiencing back pain due to an overuse injury, a degenerative disease, sports injury, or other common environmental factors. But whatever the cause, there’s a good chance that your back pain is preventing you from completing simple everyday tasks like getting out of bed or climbing the stairs without feeling pain.

Physical therapy can help to address the root cause of your pain, increase mobility, reduce inflammation and much more.

2. Headaches

Recurring headaches are no laughing matter and can make getting through the day seem nearly impossible. In many cases, frequent headaches are a sign of injury in the neck or back. Working with a physical therapist to target the cause of your recurring headaches can reduce the severity of your head pain or eventually eliminate them altogether.

3. Neck Pain

It’s common to experience neck pain for a variety of different reasons. You may notice neck pain spring up after an auto accident or as a result of poor posture. Neck pain is often very difficult to cope with and treat with traditional medicine. However, physical therapy and massage can relieve the muscles in the neck, reduce swelling, and help to restore your natural mobility.

4. Joint Pain

Arthritis and other forms of joint pain can increase in severity as we age. However, people of all ages are at risk of developing joint pain, especially following another traumatic injury. And for those who are overweight or obese, joint pain can become a chronic health issue that prevents one from enjoying the simple things in life like taking a walk after mealtimes or getting in and out of the car with ease. Working with a physical therapist to develop a personalized treatment plan can help to manage your joint pain and other symptoms naturally.

5. Traumatic Injury

After experiencing a traumatic injury, your body requires plenty of time to heal and recover. But in today’s busy world, many people must get back to work as soon as possible following an injury. Physical therapy can help your body to heal more quickly and efficiently after a traumatic injury or surgery. Physical therapy is an ideal post-surgical healing option and designed to help you reach your rehabilitation goals without the use of prescription pain medications.

Contact Our Physical Therapy Office Today

If you or a loved one are struggling with recurring pain after an injury or as the result of a degenerative condition, physical therapy can help your body to heal naturally. Interested in learning more about the benefits of physical therapy for pain management and healing. Contact our knowledgeable and friendly physical therapist for more information and be sure to schedule your initial consultation today.

5 Ways Stretching Can Improve Your Overall Health

Have you ever noticed just how good a nice stretch feels after a nap, when you first wake up in the morning, or after vigorous physical activity? That good feeling just scratches the surface of the many healthy benefits you can get from regular stretching. That’s why our physical therapist recommends specific types of exercises to complement other physical therapy modalities. Here are five ways you can improve your health, comfort, and function simply by stretching.

1. Stretches Increases Your Flexibility

Are you frustrated because you don’t seem to have the same range of motion that you once did? A variety of musculoskeletal challenges can reduce your flexibility, creating stiffness and making certain motions uncomfortable or even impossible. Stretching can gently coax the stiffness out of tight tissues. Depending on the cause and location of your stiffness, our physical therapist may prescribe exercises such as hamstring thigh hip, chest, shoulder, upper back, or bicep/tricep stretches to loosen you up and improve your mobility.

2. It Helps to Prevent Injuries

Athletic event, physical training, or demanding labor can leave you with a painful strain or sprain, especially if those tissues were “cold” when they were subjected their burdens. Gentle, careful stretching before a challenging activity can reduce your risk of acute injury. It immediately after your activity will also remove any muscle tension that may have accumulated during your strenuous activity.

3. Stretching Gives Your Blood Flow a Boost

Stretching doesn’t just relax your muscles; it also helps them receive the nourishment they need. That’s because when your muscles are tight and stiff, blood doesn’t flow through them as easily — and blood contains the oxygen and other nutrients necessary for optimal tissue health and performance. Stretching to ease that muscle tension gives your circulation a welcome boost. The same effect also helps your tissues rid themselves of unwanted, pain-causing substances such as lactic acid.

4. It Relieves Chronic Pain

Speaking of pain relief, you may be surprised and delighted to discover how just well stretching can work as a chronic pain management tool. For instance, certain exercises can undo the painful muscle knots associated with tension headaches or chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia. Stretching is also recommended to help control arthritis pain and stiffness. Our physical therapist can determine which kinds of stretches will best suit your needs.

5. Stretches Eases Stress

Emotional stress can often turn into physical stress in the form of muscle tension, sleep problems, and suppressed immune function. In other words, it can make you sick! Stretching exercises can help to release the accumulated tension in your body while also calming your mind. Stretches that include mindfulness work (such as yoga) can prove especially helpful for easing the stress that might otherwise impair your health.

Stretching as Part of a Physical Therapy Program

Since stretching exercises offer so many significant benefits, it’s not hard to see why we use them all the time in physical therapy. Our physical therapist can combine targeted stretches with strength-building exercises, massage therapy, ultrasound therapy, heat or cold therapy, and many other techniques to help you feel better and stay healthier. We can also make sure that you’re performing the right stretches and show you how to perform them safely.

Are you ready to stretch your way to a happier, healthier way of life? Contact our physical therapy center today to learn more and schedule an appointment. We’re not stretching the truth when we say that we can help!

Sources

Ached by Lower Back Pain? Stand up Straighter with Physical Therapy

Lower back pain is a sensation all too familiar to millions of people. This ache can hinder many aspects of your life: working, spending time with friends and family, partaking in the activities you enjoy, and even just relaxing. The World Health Organization estimates that in the United States, 149 million days of work are lost due to low back pain. It is the leading cause of inactivity among adults, and it can result in other health issues if left untreated. It is also extremely common, appearing in 60-70% of people across industrialized nations.

If lower back pain is plaguing your everyday life, it is important that you find relief as soon as you can. For more information on how we can help get you back to a pain-free life, call our office today.

How can physical therapy help?

Physical therapists focus specifically on pain and injury to help their patients regain function, comfort, and mobility. Physical therapy treatments are used to alleviate pain, promote healing, and bring restored function and movement to the painful area. When you come in for a consultation, your physical therapist will provide you with an extensive evaluation, discovering what form of treatment will be best for whatever orthopedic, neurologic, or cardiovascular condition you are facing.

Physical therapy also consists of two categorized types of treatments: passive physical therapy and active physical therapy:

Passive physical therapy

The purpose of passive physical therapy is to help pain become more manageable, and hopefully to alleviate it altogether. Lower back pain can be a debilitating condition, impeding your physical abilities. Because of this, physical therapists work hard to reduce pain as much as possible. Passive physical therapy can include any combination of these specialty treatments, as deemed fit by your physical therapist:

Electrical stimulation, such as TENS Units
Massage
Manual therapies
Hydrotherapy
Ultrasound
Dry needling
Heat/ice packs
Iontophoresis

Some of these methods are used to reduce pain and swelling, such as heat/ice packs and massage therapy. Electrical stimulation, while it sounds intimidating, is a painless treatment that delivers minuscule waves of electricity throughout your nervous system. This also helps with pain relief, and it can also help in decreasing muscle spasms, as well as encouraging your body to produce pain-relieving hormones. Hydrotherapy is an aquatic-based treatment, in which patients will perform low-intensity movements in water, thus relieving any muscle pressure they may be experiencing and allowing their joints to move freely and comfortably. These techniques are more commonly used for the treatment of lower back pain than others, although any could be prescribed based on your physical therapist’s discretion.

Active physical therapy

The purpose of active physical therapy is to provide exercises that the patient can do on their own in the later stages of their physical therapy treatment. Once your lower back pain has subsided enough that your physical therapist believes you are ready for active physical therapy, he or she will set up and exercise schedule specific to your needs. This can include any combination of stretching, strength training, and stability training, and it is all geared toward helping you gain back your flexibility, range of motion, and muscle strength. These exercises will help provide support to the painful area and will guide you further in your recovery process.

What will my visits look like?

At your initial consultation, your physical therapist will ask you several questions regarding your medical history, lifestyle, and painful area(s). This information will assist your physical therapist in creating the best treatment plan for you and your specific needs, so you can be provided with long-term results.

After your consultation, your evaluation process will begin. Your physical therapist will examine you by assessing your posture, coordination, strength, balance, flexibility, blood pressure, and/or heart rate, depending on your pain and symptoms. This evaluation will be both manual and visual.

When you’ve completed your thorough evaluation, your physical therapist will then create your treatment plan, beginning with passive physical therapy and leading into active physical therapy. You may also be given exercises to do at home, during your time away from treatments. This is all done in order to reduce pain, avoid further injury, and provide you with the quickest recovery time possible.

If you believe your lower back pain could benefit from our physical therapy services, give our office a call today to schedule your initial consultation. We’ll help you stand up to your back pain!

Sources:

https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/guide/physical-therapy-and-back-pain

https://www.moveforwardpt.com/LowBackPain

Are Your Joints Hurting? 4 Ways Physical Therapy Can Help Relieve Arthritis Pain.

Arthritis is a common joint pain issue that can affect people of all ages. And while there is no cure for arthritis, with physical therapy you can learn to manage your arthritis pain naturally. For many people with chronic arthritis pain, prescription pain medications may seem like the only pain relief option. However, our experienced physical therapist recommends completing a variety of different targeted exercises to reduce inflammation, increase mobility and relieve your arthritis pain. Keep reading to learn more.

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is characterized by a swelling or tenderness in one or more of the joints in the body. The most common complaints of those with arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, and these symptoms can actually worsen with age. While there are many types of arthritis, the 2 most common types are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. With osteoarthritis, the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones at the joint starts to breakdown, resulting in recurring pain and stiffness. However, rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack various joints, beginning in the actual lining of the joints and breaking them down over time.

What are the Most Common Symptoms of Arthritis?

For most people with arthritis, joint pain is the most common complaint. But depending on the type of arthritis an individual has, they may experience a variety of different symptoms, including:

Swelling
Redness
Stiffness
Impaired range of motion
Chronic pain

What Causes Arthritis to Develop?

Because there are different types of arthritis, there is not one main cause of this type of joint issue. However, there are certain risk factors that may increase the likelihood that you may develop arthritis in your lifetime.

Family History

Certain types of arthritis can be genetic issues that run within family lines. If your parents or siblings have a specific type of arthritis, you are much more likely to develop it at some point in your life as well.

Age

The risk of developing certain types of arthritis, like osteoarthritis and gout, increases as we age.

Your Sex

Did you know that women are much more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than men? But on the other hand, men are more likely to develop gout.

Obesity

When you are carrying excess weight on your body, you are putting increased strain on your joints. People with obesity have a greater chance of developing arthritis, particularly in the knees, hips, and spine.

Previous Injury

If you’ve injured a joint in the past, you have an increased risk of developing arthritis in the same area later in life.

Physical Therapy Exercises for Arthritis Pain

If you are experiencing arthritis pain, our physical therapist recommends completing a few different physical therapy exercises to help ease your pain and other symptoms like stiffness. Some of our favorite exercises include:

Stretching — This simple exercise helps to improve flexibility, increase your range of motion and reduce stiffness caused by arthritis.
Walking — Going for a walk is a great way to improve your joint health, boost your overall mood, and help with aerobic conditioning.
Water Exercises — This is a great low-impact way to get in your physical therapy exercises and relieve joint pain.
Hand Exercises — Rheumatoid arthritis can often result in limited use of the hands over time. By bending the wrists up and down, slowly curling your fingers, and spreading your fingers wide in a repetitive exercise cycle, you can greatly improve mobility and relieve chronic pain.

Contact Our Physical Therapy Office Today

Interested in learning more about the benefits of physical therapy treatment for arthritis pain? Contact our friendly and experienced physical therapist today to learn more and be sure to schedule an initial consultation.

Suffering from Sciatica Pains? Find Relief Today

Lumbar radiculopathy, commonly referred to as sciatica, is a common condition that many people experience. It occurs as a result of irritation to the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve of the body. It stretches from the lumbar spine through the buttocks, and pain from irritation is typically felt in the lower back. However, sciatica pain can also ensue in the buttocks, thigh, or lower limbs, which can pose challenges in mobility. Sciatica is commonly caused by a herniated disc; however, a back trauma or disc degeneration can also result in the condition.

Treating sciatica with physical therapy:

A physical therapist may use several types of treatments to reduce your sciatica pain and symptoms. Active treatments include motions, stretches, and specific exercises, aimed at reducing pain and accelerating healing. A physical therapist will also teach you different motions that you can do at home in order to manage your pain. If a physical therapist discovers any weak muscles, you will be given corrective exercises for core strengthening.

The strengthening exercises in your physical therapy treatments focus not only on the lower back, but also on the hip muscles, abdominal muscles, and glutes. All of the exercises you participate in will help strengthen the spinal column (including your tendons, ligaments, and supporting muscles) while also keeping the spine in proper alignment.

The stretching exercises in physical therapy target muscles that are inflexible and tight. Hamstring stretching is an important part of a physical therapy treatment program to alleviate sciatica. An aquatic exercise program may also be recommended by a physical therapist. You can do exercises easily with the buoyancy of water.

Passive treatments may include massage therapy, ice and heat therapies, electric therapy, or ultrasound. All of these different modalities help reduce pain, stimulate blood flow, and accelerate healing. Massage therapy is typically conducted for sciatica relief, as it helps alleviate sciatic nerve pain. It loosens up tight back muscles that may be pressing on the sciatic nerve, and it increases the release of endorphins for pain relief. Ice and heat therapies are also common, as they help ease pain, relax muscles, and reduce inflammation. Electrotherapy may also be applied, which uses electricity to also aid in reducing pain, strengthening muscles, ramping up circulation, and improving physical function.

Do you have sciatica?

Sciatica is diagnosed through a physical examination and an evaluation of medical history. A CT scan or MRI may be also be performed, in order to locate the root cause of sciatica. According to Move Forward PT, “Conservative care like physical therapy often results in better and faster results than surgery or pain medication.” Once you are diagnosed with sciatica, a physical therapist will work with you to manage and relieve the condition. This includes:

Increasing strength.
Improving motion.
Reducing sciatica pain.
Educating you on how to stand, bend, and twist.
Improving flexibility.
Returning to normal activities.

Schedule your consultation today:

If you are looking for an effective, safe, and non-invasive approach to sciatica treatment, physical therapy is your best option. PT treatments work to target the root of the problem by applying extensive assessments, in order to determine the best individualized treatment plan for every patient’s needs. These will be dependent upon the severity of each patient’s condition and will help to relieve pain and improve function.

Physical therapy is one of the most successful ways to treat sciatica. In addition to in-clinic treatments, your physical therapist will also provide you with targeted stretches and exercises you can do at home, in order to combat any sciatica pains you may feel in the future. Your risk of sciatica can be significantly reduced by practicing proper body mechanics, maintaining proper posture, and staying in shape, with the help of your physical therapist.

If you have been living with sciatica, or you think you may be experiencing sciatica symptoms, don’t hesitate to schedule your consultation today. Our licensed physical therapists will meet with you to perform a comprehensive exam that will help determine what the best treatment plan will be for you. Don’t let your sciatica pain dictate your life any longer – find relief today with physical therapy

Sources:

https://www.moveforwardpt.com/symptomsconditionsdetail.aspx?cid=e2de94ee-ee01-45ea-8949-d3ebb09a4af5

https://www.movementforlife.com/blog/physical-therapy-for-sciatica.php

Should I See a Physical Therapist for Herniated Disc Pain?

Discovering When it is Time to Seek the Help of a Physical Therapist

A herniated disc can occur anywhere in your spine. At our physical therapy practice, we often see herniated discs among our patients with back, arm, and/or leg pain.

If you believe that your pain and dysfunction may be caused by a herniated disc, we encourage you to contact us today to schedule a PT appointment. Our experienced team can help you understand the source of your symptoms, and they can help heal the injured disc for long-term relief.

You should see a physical therapist for herniated disc pain when…

Research shows that physical therapy is effective in the treatment of herniated discs. If your symptoms affect your daily life or work activities, or if your symptoms persist for more than two weeks, we advise that you consult with a physical therapist.

Physical therapy interventions such as spinal traction, remedial exercises and non-invasive modalities such as electrical stimulation or diathermy can heal the injured disc, alleviate pain, and help you avoid recurring issues.

Physical therapy may also be advised if you have been told by a surgeon that you may need spinal surgery to correct the protrusion. In many cases, surgeons ask their patients to work with a physical therapist prior to a spinal fusion or disc decompression procedure, in order to improve your core strength and spinal health. This can maximize surgical outcomes and reduce the risk of postoperative complications.

Interestingly, research shows that even “idiopathic” cases of back pain (no known cause) respond positively to physical therapy. In other words, even if it’s not entirely clear whether you have a herniated disc, our services can still help.

Are you at risk of developing a herniated disc?

In addition to analyzing your symptoms and performing various tests and measures, a physical therapist can help you determine if you have a herniated disc by assessing your medical history and lifestyle.

We’ll look for risk factors known to be linked to herniated discs, including:

Age between 30 and 50
Frequent bending, heavy lifting, or twisting
Obesity
Male gender
Acute trauma, e.g., auto accident or fall
Smoking
Physically demanding occupation

How to tell if a herniated disc is the culprit for your back pain

Spinal discs are small soft structures found between vertebral bones. Their main jobs are to absorb shock and maximize mobility within the spine. On the outside, these discs are tough and fibrous, but on the inside they are soft and gel-like.

A herniated disc occurs when the tough outer layer of the disc (called the annulus fibrosis) ruptures. This allows the inner gel substance (called the nucleus pulposus) to leak out. The ruptured disc tissue can trigger an inflammatory response and compress nearby structures, including joint receptors and spinal nerve roots.

Interestingly enough, not all herniated discs will lead to pain (especially because the discs themselves are relatively low in innervation and vascularization). However, when a herniated disc does cause symptoms, these symptoms often include:

Pain that improves or “centralizes” (moves toward the spine) with spinal extension, such as when lying down or lying prone
Pain that worsens with forward flexion or prolonged sitting—forward flexion may also cause the pain to “peripheralized” or move further away from the spine
Arm or leg pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness (if the herniated disc compresses on an adjacent nerve root that innervates the affected limb)
Neck or back pain, stiffness, and muscle spasms at the level of the injured disc

A herniated disc is similar to a bulging disc; in the latter condition, the disc tissue may protrude out of place but will not rupture.

Ready to get started?

According to SpineUniverse,

“Physical therapy often plays a major role in herniated disc recovery. Its methods not only offer immediate pain relief, but they also teach you how to condition your body to prevent further injury.

There are a variety of physical therapy techniques. Passive treatments relax your body and include deep tissue massage, hot and cold therapy, electrical stimulation (eg, TENS), and hydrotherapy.”

If you’ve been living with herniated disc pain and you’re looking for relief, don’t hesitate to contact us!

We’ll help you find the relief you’ve been looking for, so you can get back to living life comfortably.

Stop Your Opioid Use Once and For All with Physical Therapy

Did You Know Physical Therapy Could Decrease the Need for Opioids?

If you’ve been struggling with serious pain problems for a while, and you’ve gotten little to no relief from over-the-counter painkillers, your doctor may want to prescribe opioids to control that pain. But as tempting as it might be to numb yourself with these powerful drugs, you’re better off saying no to the offer. Opioid medications can create some major problems in your life, without actually addressing your pain at its source. That’s why the CDC recommends that patients find ways to relieve their pain through physical therapy instead.

Before you take another pill for your pain, call our office to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist. We want you to know that relief from arthritis pain is possible with the help of physical therapy.

Physical therapy can help you govern your pain without drugs, giving you a chance to break away from your reliance on opioids.

Our skilled physical therapist can help you achieve this goal – so contact our office today!

Why are opioids so dangerous?

People use opioid medications as a kind of “nuclear option” for eliminating pain that less severe methods can’t control, often as the last stop before major surgery.

Opioids such as morphine are used in combat situations or hospitals to ease the pain of traumatic injuries, terminal cancer, and surgical procedures. Opioids such as oxycodone and hydrocodone are also prescribed for managing severe pain at home.

Opioids are so powerful because they have a direct effect on opioid receptors – the parts of the brain that process feelings of pain and pleasure. When an opioid fills these receptors, it blocks pain sensations while flooding the body with feelings of euphoria and well-being.

How can my pain be managed naturally?

In some ways, opioids represent too much of a good thing; in other respects, they’re sadly inadequate for coping with long-term pain issues.

Over time, these drugs can take the place of the body’s own pleasure-generating chemicals, meaning that their absence causes severe withdrawal.

This combination of positive and negative reinforcement results in dangerous degrees of addiction. Millions of people in the U.S. alone abuse opioids, and many of those individuals die of opioid-related overdoses.

The other shortcoming of opioids is the fact that they don’t actually help to heal anything. Even the strongest pain-management drug can do nothing more than kill pain, and that only temporarily.

The underlying injury or ailments that generate the pain signals is still there, possibly getting worse from day to day, affecting your functionality and health as well as your comfort.

Physical therapy and pain relief – how they go hand in hand

Physical therapy not only helps to ease your pain safely and naturally; it also gives your body what it needs to control or recover from its underlying health problems.

Here are just three of the ways our physical therapist can use these techniques to get you feeling better:

Flexibility exercises increase your range of motion. Both passive and active exercises can flex arthritic joints or tight tissues. Over time, these exercises can loosen your muscles, promote joint lubrication, and reduce the inflammation that contributes to many pain syndromes.
Strength training improves posture, balance, and support. Many painful problems are caused or worsened by improper posture, musculoskeletal imbalances, and structural weaknesses that place too much stress on muscles and joints. Our physical therapist can prescribe strength training to help your body stabilize itself and support its weight more comfortably.
Aerobic exercises can help you control inflammation. A physical therapy program that includes walking, cycling, swimming, or other aerobic exercises can help you control inflammation by boosting circulation and altering hormone levels. It can also improve your blood pressure and sense of well-being while helping you lose excess weight.

You should consider physical therapy if:

You’re interested in actually treating the underlying cause of the pain, instead of simply numbing the pain itself
Your pain is musculoskeletal or neuromuscular in origin (as opposed to cancer pain, for instance)
You suffer from a chronic, incurable pain condition that might otherwise require a lifetime on opioids
You’re experiencing issues such as addiction, depression, or physical side effects from opioid usage – or you’re determined to avoid such issues

Ready to get started?

These natural pain-relieving methods are just a few of the physical therapy techniques we can employ.

So skip the opioids and call our physical therapist today!

Say Goodbye to Those Persistent Stress-Related Headaches

You know the feeling – the sudden pain that tells you a headache is coming on. It happens to all of us. Stress headaches are typically defined as a “band of pressure” that can be felt around your head, usually accompanied by tenderness of the skull and overall achiness within the head. Sometimes, the pain can be alleviated with over-the-counter medication, such as Ibuprofen, Tylenol, or Advil. However, sometimes stress headaches persist despite pain-management drugs, especially if you are prone to chronic headaches.

Luckily, physical therapy has been known to help alleviate stress-related headaches, in even the most chronic cases. Methods such as manual therapy, posture correction, and relaxation techniques will help relieve your pain and decrease your likelihood of sustaining more headaches in the future. For more information on how we can help you say goodbye to those persistent stress-related headaches, contact our office today!

Strengthening your muscles:

You do a lot of “heavy lifting” throughout the day with your shoulders, back, and neck – even when you are simply carrying out daily tasks. If the muscles in those areas are too weak, they can easily get overworked. Physical therapy work on neck and upper back muscles involves resistance training, in order to build up the muscles.

For many people, stronger upper body muscles also equate to fewer – and less intense – stress-related headaches. Exercises might start with simple chin-to-chest nods to build neck strength, and may become more intensive as your treatment plan progresses. Free weights and resistance bands also help to build up shoulder and back muscles.

Correcting your posture:

It is no secret that the ways in which we stand and sit can greatly influence how much pressure is put on our muscles. Poor posture compresses muscles and nerves, and for many people, these overworked muscles and nerves in the shoulder, chest, and neck area can lead to a triggered tension headache.

Your physical therapist can help evaluate your posture for areas that may need improvement. He or she will also demonstrate the correct way to move, sit, and stand, in order to avoid unwanted compression.

In addition to demonstrating chest, back, and shoulder positions, a physical therapist can also recommend helpful lifestyle changes. Modifications to certain areas in the home and workplace often have a big effect on posture. This might include a telephone headset, a raised computer monitor, a specialized chair, or even a rubber mat to stand on while doing kitchen tasks.

Improving your flexibility:

The more that you’re able to move your neck and shoulders as you move through your day, the less pressure you put on the major muscle groups in those areas. This may also alleviate some of your undesirable stress-related headache symptoms. By participating in physical therapy treatments, you will learn specific moves to stretch your neck, in addition to loosening up your chest, shoulder muscle, and tendon groups. Doing these regularly can help relieve chronic stress headaches.

A hands-on approach to headaches:

There are some headache prevention techniques that are simple enough to do at home. However, a physical therapist can provide a much more targeted approach to treating the symptoms of a headache. For example, alternating between ice and heat therapies is a simple but effective strategy. The specialized compresses and gentle electronic pulse wands provide soothing relief, in addition to easing muscle strain.

Manual therapy also includes massage for stress-related headache treatment, because the soft tissue mobilization relaxes tense muscles. Because of this effect, massage can provide immediate pain relief and can even prevent future headaches. PT massage treatments help to relax the muscles in your jaw, temples, neck, and shoulders, in order to lessen your symptoms.

In addition, patients with chronic tension headaches report decreased incidents of head pain when undergoing regular massage therapy. It is believed that relaxing the muscles in and around the head helps in preventing the contractions that result in pain.

Physical therapy massage also helps ease the emotional stress that causes you to tense those trigger muscles. People who get regular therapeutic massages also report getting better rest, which leads to less stress during the day, and therefore a lowered likelihood of sustaining a stress-related headache.

Schedule a consultation today!

Are your stress-related headaches limiting your life? If so, schedule a consultation with us today. Our dedicated physical therapists will create a personalized treatment plan based on your specific needs, in order to help you relax, sleep better, and fight off those debilitating headaches. We can help decrease the frequency and severity of your chronic headaches, and in many cases, our methods have even relieved them altogether. If you are ready to say goodbye to your headaches, contact us today!

The Top 5 Ways Proper Posture can Help Alleviate Back Pain

Everyone has heard the importance of sitting or standing up straight. However, maintaining proper posture at all hours of the day is usually easier said than done. Many people experience back pain due to poor posture. Sitting and standing up straight allows for proper spinal alignment, which can prevent back pain. However, it can be difficult to get in the habit of practicing proper posture if you are already in the habit of slouching or hunching over. Fortunately, physical therapy can help correct your bad posture habits and help you incorporate healthy ones into your lifestyle through targeted strengthening exercises and stretches.

If back pain has been limiting your life, don’t wait to find relief. Schedule your consultation today and see how our services can help treat your back pain while simultaneously improving your posture!

How can proper posture relieve back pain?

Your spine is designed to operate in a very specific way. When you move, sit, and stand in ways that disrupt the correct operation of your spine, you may eventually create undesirable problems over time.

With the help of your physical therapist, practicing good posture is one way that can work with your spine in order to minimize your back pain. Physical therapy treatments will provide educational resources for good posture and will help you discover several healthy movement patterns for relieving pain. 5 of the greatest benefits of maintaining proper posture include:

1. It helps improve physical function.

When we think of posture, many of us picture an image of static positions – such as sitting at a desk or standing up straight. However, proper posture can be (and should be) incorporated into everything we do.

Through physical therapy treatments, your physical therapist will guide you on how to maintain proper posture during all of your favorite activities, such as walking, running, and playing sports. The improved posture you adopt in each activity will lessen the wear and tear you put on your spine, which minimizes the risk of developing back pain from these activities.

2. It prevents damaging changes to the anatomy of your spine.

The ways in which you use your spine can actually cause changes to your anatomy. The stress caused by sitting hunched can eventually lead to damage of your muscles, joints, spinal discs, and the nerves and blood vessels that travel through your spine. Fortunately, in many cases, the damage can be reversed if you engage in targeted physical therapy treatments and learn how to maintain proper posture.

3. It enhances blood circulation.

When you maintain proper spinal alignment, your veins are not constricted by the pressure of your vertebrae. Your spine contains numerous components that all require good circulation, in order to operate correctly and regenerate from damage.

When your physical therapist guides you through different physical therapy exercises to help with your posture, your alignment will return to the intended shape required for optimal circulation.

4. It increases your strength and flexibility.

If you have struggled with poor posture for a while, there is a good chance that it will be difficult to maintain proper posture in the beginning. It may take some time in physical therapy to gain the strength and flexibility necessary to keep your ideal posture. Fortunately, the work you do with your physical therapist to achieve your physical goals will lead to greater overall fitness. The stronger and more flexible you get, the less likely you are to suffer from back pain on a regular basis.

5. It helps you avoid pain from improper techniques.

Good posture is a vital component of lifting objects without injury. When you lift and fail to use good posture, there is a much greater chance that you will wind up hurting your back.

Ask your physical therapist about proper lifting posture. He or she can show you how to lift correctly and guide you through some exercises to clarify the right posture.

Find relief today:

Are you ready to improve your posture and relieve your back pain? If so, call to confirm your appointment today! We’ll help you get started on the right track toward a pain-free life. Your back will be happy you did!

Sources:

https://www.verywellhealth.com/simple-ways-to-maintain-perfect-posture-2696224

https://guidetoptpractice.apta.org/content/1/SEC23.extract

Discover the Natural Relief You’ve Been Looking For – Without Opioids

Did You Know Physical Therapy Could Help Provide Natural Pain Relief?

Opioids are the main driver of the widespread drug crisis across America. If you or a loved one has chronic pain, you may feel frustrated and confused about your choices.

At our physical therapy clinic, we stand with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other professional organizations who recommend physical therapy and other alternatives over prescription opioids for the management of chronic pain.

Many people simply don’t realize how effective physical therapy can be in alleviating even the most stubborn symptoms—all without the need for drugs or invasive procedures.

We’re happy to show you exactly how physical therapy can help you feel (and function) your best.

What can I expect from a PT treatment plan?

Physical therapy can help you deal with your pain so you don’t need opioids anymore. Of course, only high doses of opioids should be discontinued under professional medical supervision (to prevent a potentially dangerous withdrawal).

In the meantime, however, our physical therapist can work with you to address the biomechanical problems that caused your pain in the first place.

Here are just a few of the physical therapy modalities that can help you conquer your pain:

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) uses electrical energy to block pain signals to nerves.
Laser therapy can ease pain caused by injuries, arthritis, muscular strain, tendinitis or neuropathy.
Massage therapy can control painful muscle spasms, help the tissues expel inflammatory substances, and direct more blood and oxygen to an injury.
Exercises can increase your pain-free range of motion, strengthen the muscles that support your body, and increase blood flow to reduce inflammation.

Physical therapy may not help you to feel that immediate relief in the same way pain medication would, but it will help you to feel gradual improvements in your experience of the pain so that you can eventually start to live your life free of discomfort.

A physical therapist can also help you discover relief through:

Weight lifting: As you begin to experience tension relief and decreased swelling in the targeted area, your physical therapist can then guide you through the process of building muscle mass to support a full and healthy recovery.
Deep stretching: Your physical therapist can guide you through specialized stretching techniques that will target the source of your pain, thereby helping to improve your range of motion and support the development of muscle mass in the area of your pain.
Hot and cold therapy: The combination of hot and cold therapy can help to reduce swelling and alleviate pain, and when used in combination with other natural strategies can be a great source of relief from chronic pain.
Targeted massage: Your physical therapist can identify the area that may be causing the pain and utilize massage techniques to reduce tension in that particular area, thereby helping to alleviate pressure in your joints and reduce pain.

5 ways physical therapy can help with the relief you’ve been looking for

There are a multitude of benefits surrounding PT! When you see a physical therapist for pain relief, you’re not going to just get one type of treatment. You’ll receive multiple services that complement each other and enhance their overall effectiveness. The result? A cost-effective and comprehensive healing journey for you!
You can live your best life with PT. Unlike many other healthcare providers who are limited on time, physical therapists have a lot of face-to-face interaction with their patients and can take the time to get to know their goals, demands, and preferences. This ensures that patients are engaged in their plans of care, educated about their health condition, and equipped with home exercises, stretches, and other lifestyle modifications needed to optimize results. Physical therapy is an active experience that puts you back in the driver’s seat of your own health.
PT helps you move comfortably again. Research tells us that exercise is one of the best ways to manage chronic pain. But if a person is in so much pain they can barely get out of bed, how are they supposed to start exercising more? Enter physical therapy. Your physical therapist can manage your condition and other contributing factors (like range of motion limitations, tissue tension, weakness, and incoordination) that make exercise difficult. By helping you get more exercise—and showing you which exercises are best for you, as well as how to do them correctly—a physical therapist also helps you reduce the risk of other chronic diseases.
PT methods and modalities are non-invasive, drug-free, and safe. Practitioners of physical therapy utilize tools like diathermy, dry needling, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, and other techniques to reduce pain, muscle spasms, inflammation, and more. The risk of side effects with these modalities is minimal to none, and unlike drugs they won’t pose the risk of dependency or withdrawal. They simply enhance your body’s natural self-healing capability (instead of just “masking” the pain). Through extensive training, a physical therapist can ensure these techniques are applied with the correct dosage (intensity, location, type, duration, and frequency) for optimal outcomes.
PT can promote healing and alleviate pain. A physical therapist is trained in techniques like joint mobilizations and manipulations, massage, myofascial release, Active Release Techniques, and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation. These can trigger physical and physiological changes in the body’s connective tissues, central nervous system, lymphatic system, and more. These techniques have been proven to relieve pain and elicit healing responses that can keep pain from coming back.

Relieve your pain with PT today!

No matter what the cause of your pain is, we invite you to schedule a consultation at our PT clinic today. Don’t hide your pain—heal your pain from the source with physical therapy!