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Consistency: The Secret Ingredient

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The Secret

When it comes to helping our patients heal there is one factor that stands out, and that is consistency.  At our office we have great equipment to help us strengthen muscles, stretch tendons, and increase mobility.  Our therapists are experienced experts that pinpoint the sources of your pain and other troubles.  They can even teach you exercises to do at home that can have a major effect on your recovery.  But without one secret ingredient all of these resources may come up short.  That ingredient is consistency.

(Don’t tell anyone.  Or actually go ahead, it’s fine)

What Do We Recommend

When you are going to physical therapy, and especially at first, it is very important that you are as consistent as possible.  For most injuries and issues the recommended schedule is to come in  three times per week, for the first four weeks.  Consistently having appointments for your issue is a major step you can take to make sure you recover as quickly and completely as possible. If you are not able to come in consistently and often, it’s much more difficult to tackle the problems you may be experiencing. This is even more important for our patients recovering from surgeries.   Muscles, tendons, joints, and nerves all respond best to physical therapy treatments that are applied consistently.  When you can only receive treatment off and on, you may not see the progress you want.

Make room for the important things in your schedule.

At Home

As you are going through the process of physical therapy your therapist will likely have exercises that they can teach you to do at home that are designed to help you heal the part of the body that you are working on. Since you can’t be at the physical therapy office every day, doing these exercises will ensure that you keep improving.  The patients that we have that see the most success are the patients who come in consistently and who do the at home exercises too.  If you want to get better and get better quickly, then the secret ingredient is consistency.

I’m Sorry For What I Said When I Had a Headache

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A Common Ailment

Many people every day suffer from headaches. Whether they are related to emotional, medical or physical changes in your body, headaches are never something you want to deal with. Emotional contributions include stress and anxiety. Medical issues such as changes in your blood pressure can also lead to headaches. Finally, physical issues or injuries happen and cause headaches to occur as well.

Types of Headache

Sinus headaches are common, especially during certain times of year. A swelling feeling will occur around your nose, cheekbones, and forehead as fluid begins to pool in those areas. This can also be accompanied with swelling in your face, fever, and running nose. Treatment for this often includes decongestants or antibiotics.

Another common type of headache is the dreaded migraine. Doctors are unsure as to why exactly migraine headaches occur. However, they seem to be related to changes in the brain and genes. Migraine symptoms include fatigue, sensitivity to light, and ringing in the ears. Many people also describe an aura that affects their vision.

Cluster headaches are a third type of headache that are not common but do happen. These are headaches that happen in sharp and intense clusters, commonly in one side of the eye. These will often wake people up at night and can often be accompanied with changes in color, pain in the eye, and sweating. These types of headaches are not commonly treated by physical therapy, and require intervention from a medical doctor.

Tension headaches are the most common type out there for adults. These usually effect the forehead and back of the neck or head. People often call these stress headaches. These types of headaches usually effect both sides and give a squeezing sensation to your neck and head. Many also experience tension of the muscles surrounding the neck area.

TMJ headaches area also a common type experienced by adults. These are classified by pain in the neck and jaw area as well as changes in bite or restrictions in the jaw with chewing. These can be hard to distinguish from a normal tension headache, but can often be associated with grinding of the teeth as well.

Treatment

Treatment for these types of headaches include lifestyle changes as well as physical therapy. Soft tissue interventions are used to treat these.  These techniques help encourage blood flow to the affected areas and improve mobility of your cervical spine. Corrective exercises are also used to help correct postural faults and to improve biomechanics for limited activity performance.

 

If you are currently suffering from headaches and would like us to help you diagnose the type you’re experiencing, please let us know. We would be glad to help to get those headaches better and improve your daily function.

Written by Casey Badder PT

Getting on your Sciatic Nerves

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The “What” of Sciatica

So, what is your sciatic nerve? Well, it’s the longest nerve in your body. It runs from your lower back down your legs, and ends at your feet. sciatica pains often feel like shooting pains down one side of your body. When you have mild sciatica, your symptoms can build up slowly. They may even go away from time to time on their own. However, if your sciatica symptoms show up suddenly, or if they happen after an injury, it’s important to see your doctor and your physical therapist. These symptoms will most likely be severe since they are the result of trauma around your sciatic nerve. No matter what course of treatment your doctor recommends, it is very likely that they will also recommend that physical therapy.

At-Home Techniques

There are some techniques you can do at home that will help ease some of your sciatica symptoms. First of all, alternating ice and heat can help ease the pain. Also, you can sleep with a pillow between your knees which helps with pain and stiffness in those muscles. Going for a walk or other gentle exercises can also help you to loosen up your muscles. Stretching and warming up your muscles will keep you from getting too tightened up and worsening your pain.

(It is not necessary to walk silly in order to experience the benefits.)

Treatment

If doing simple exercises in reducing your pain and restricted motion, or if your symptoms last for more than a week without getting significantly better, then you should come in for physical therapy. If your symptoms get worse, don’t hesitate to consult with your primary physician. Physical therapy can provide you with the treatment you need to alleviate your aches and pains.  We can help you get back to doing the things you need and love to do.

 

Bunions Are Not Like Onion Bagels

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What is a bunion anyway?

What comes to mind when you hear the word bunion? Bunions always make me think of onion bagels for some reason. Many people think that bunions are callous-like spots that form on the bottoms of your feet, but this is not the case. They’re actually a bony projection that develops on the joint at the base of your big toe. Bunions are a very common ailment. There are more than 3 million cases per year in the US alone. Bunions are more common in females, and can last several months or years.

(Those are not bunions)

Symptoms

Common symptoms may include an outward bulge or bump at the base of the big toe, and corns or calluses on your toes. Swelling and redness on the skin around the big toe joint, and pain near the swollen area are also common problems that occur where bunions are present. This problem may result in limited mobility in the big toe, and general foot pain.

Diagnosis

Bunions must be properly diagnosed by a physician. Typically, an x-ray of the foot is taken to identify the cause and severity of a bunion. In some cases, blood work may also be ordered to see if there is also arthritis present. The exact cause is unknown. However, several factors can contribute to this unpleasant ailment, including pressing of your big toe against your second toe. They can also be caused by wearing narrow or tight shoes, arthritis, and stress or injury to the foot.

Treatment

In severe cases, a surgery called a bunionectomy or osteotomy may be performed. Treatment other than surgery may include anti-inflammatory medications, a change in footwear, and adding padded footwear to your shoes.You can also ice the area which reduces pain, soreness, and inflammation. If you need surgery, it’s likely that you will benefit from having physical therapy after your operation to help heal and strengthen your foot. We’ll have you feeling like you’ve got brand new feet in no time.
Written by Tom Farnsworth PT

Shin Splints

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A Familiar Pain

This recent pandemic has led a lot of people to re-evaluate their health.  One thing that a lot of people have turned to over the past year in order to improve health is to begin exercising more. In some, this has led to some injuries. This may be a pain along the front of their lower leg. Most of us know what this means. Shin splints is a very well-known term that indicates some sort of damage to our lower leg. This pain is due to an overworking of the musculature on the anterior portion of the lower leg. Another possibility is too much stress on the tibia, otherwise known as the “shin bone.” Those most at risk are the following:

  • Those new to or recently trying high impact activities, such as running.
  • People performing activity over uneven or abnormally hard terrain.
  • Those with old, worn out, or ill-fitting shoes.
  • Those with low or abnormally high arches.
  • Those who use poor form in certain activities.
  • People with weakness in the ankles, hips or core.

This overwork can lead to problems in the musculature, or can even cause stress fractures of the tibia.

The good news is shin splints may go away on their own if you take time off from the irritating activity and let the problem calm down. The problem comes from when you start the activity again, you may suffer from the same pain.

What can be done?

Many times, the problem can be addressed by simply icing your shins and resting. If you are unable to independently manage the pain in your leg, seek assistance from you physician or physical therapist. A physical therapist is uniquely qualified to address any and all contributing factors. One extremely important factor is footwear. Shoes that fit your specific foot are extremely important. Whether you have high, or low arches, or a normal arch, there is a specific shoe which is correct for your foot. If you have incorrect shoes, this can cause problems. A physical therapist or a local shoe store such as Road Runner or the Arizona Walk Shop can evaluate your gait and make recommendations which shoe is correct for you. This is extremely important.

What can a PT do?

Physical therapists specialize in evaluating and treating all injuries and abnormalities of the musculoskeletal system. A therapist can evaluate your gait, test your strength, and find all problematic aspects which may be causing you issues. If you have questions, make sure to make an appointment to get you back on the road to recovery.

 

Written by Rod Walker PT

Hamstrings

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Why are hamstrings important?

The hamstring muscles are a group of three muscles that sit in the back side of your upper leg, or thigh. These muscles often have limitations, either in mobility or strength. This can alter normal biomechanics during your regular daily activity or sports related activity. Some common hamstring injuries include a tear or strain of the muscle or tendon. Your hamstring muscles are also essential in low back health as you age. They are muscles that will constantly need work. They also assist in extension of your hip as well as flexion of the knee.

Issues

The attachment point of the hamstring muscles is the ischial tuberosity, which is part of your pelvis.  Tension is quite common in your hamstrings. This leads to a pulling in your pelvis. This will case a pelvic tilt and consequently, a flat back posture, which affects the normal curvature of your spine. We find this most commonly in the elderly. This can lead to weakness of the lumbar spine when your muscles are not able to contract properly and can lead to further back injuries. Stretching will improve the mobility of your hamstring muscles.  This also decreases the potential for further injury in your low back or legs.

Another common issue for your hamstring includes a muscle imbalance, in which there is a decreased strength of the hamstrings or an increased strength of the quadricep muscles. Research shows that quadricep muscles are often more powerful than the hamstrings. The hamstrings seem to fatigue quicker than the quadriceps. This can often lead to a muscle strain and occurs most commonly in the athletic population. Strengthening the hamstring muscles will help create a 1:1 ratio of strength in these muscles and decrease a risk for injury.

Come in and see us.

There are plenty of issues that occur in the hamstring which can lead to serious injury. It is important to assess the hamstrings and determine if flexibility or strengthening is better for you and to proscribe an appropriate exercise program. If you are experiencing any of these issues or feel that you could benefit from our services, please contact us.

Casey Badder PT

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Areas Served:

Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Phoenix, Queen Creek, Apache Junction, Tempe, Globe, Gold Canyon

Postal Address

Gilbert Office
730 N. Greenfield Rd.
Gilbert, AZ 85234
Phone: (480) 633-0666

Mesa Office
342 N Val Vista Dr. Suite 106
Mesa, AZ 85213
Phone: (480) 325-3310