health

Pool’s Gold

September 4, 2021 by Julie

The Arizona heat shows no signs of releasing its grip any time soon. If you’re like me, you’ve likely visited the pool in order to maintain sanity through these hot months. What you may not know is that you can take advantage of your time in the pool to do a little physical therapy. It’s simple, it’s fun, and best of all it isn’t sweaty.

Doing pool exercises comes with some solid benefits. Exercises in the water can help increase your blood flow and circulation. It also reduces the amount of your weight that your body has to hold up. This makes it easier on your joints, muscles, and tendons that you may be trying to rehab. Getting some exercise in the pool can also improve your mood. For one, you’ll be less hot, and that makes everyone happier. And for two, it’s well established scientifically that getting exercise improves your mood. Exercises in the pool can’t replace the therapy that you do on land, but they can be a great help in your healing process.

(Actual reenactment of a real human using weights in the pool)

Weights are a great thing to use in the pool because they are low impact and can help you work into more strenuous workouts.

Another great exercise in the water is noodle biking. For this one you’ll need your favorite pool noodle. You’ll hop on the noodle as if it were a bicycle, sitting in the middle of the noodle. While floating, kick your legs as if you were pushing imaginary bike pedals. You can make this exercise as slow or as fast as you want.

Walking is a really great exercise to do in the pool for a number of different body parts. A pro tip is to bring something with you into the pool that you probably have never brought with you before: a cookie sheet. That’s right, one of those metal pans you use to bake cookies. Hop into the water and hold the sheet with both hands in front of you. As you walk forward, the pan will create more resistance and make it somewhat harder for you to walk. This can help strengthen your muscles. You can also use this technique while standing still to work your arms as you move the pan away from you and back toward you.

If you’re jumping in the pool to escape the heat, why not take a little time to work out? It can be a big help for patients looking for low impact exercise. And when you’re done with that cookie sheet you can whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies and call it a day. What more could anyone want?

Written by Tom Farnsworth PT

Consistency: The Secret Ingredient

April 20, 2021 by Julie

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.

Bunions Are Not Like Onion Bagels

April 3, 2021 by Julie

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

Hamstrings

February 21, 2021 by Julie

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

Labrum Issues

December 7, 2020 by Julie

The Labrum

The labrum is a cup-like structure in the shoulder that reinforces the socket portion of the ball-and-socket joint. The joint in the shoulder is rather shallow. This causes it to rely on the labrum as well as the surrounding rotator cuff muscles. It is composed of fibrocartilage which doesn’t easily regenerate on its own.. Damage to the labrum occurs from repetitive stress to the area. An injury to the bicep which attaches to this part of the shoulder, as well as dislocations to the shoulder joint can cause damage as well.

Tears

A labral tear is most commonly seen in overhead athletes. These are athletes such as volleyball or baseball players, or to those who have repetitive dislocations of the shoulder. A SLAP tear happens when you tear the upper part of your labrum from forward to back. This high energy, quick movement can cause this to happen as it puts unwarranted stress on your bicep and labrum. A Bankart tear happens when there are recurrent dislocations of the shoulder joint. This can tear the lower portion of your labrum. This causes shoulder instability over time, which causes the shoulder to dislocate multiple times.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a labral issue include shoulder instability and weakness. You may also experience pain in the shoulder joint. Other symptoms can include grinding, clicking, or catching when you move your shoulder. Depending on the severity of the injury, you may need surgery to help correct it. As mentioned before, there is little to no regeneration of this part on its own. However, physical therapy and cortisone injections will help restore the mobility and strength. If physical therapy fails or if the initial injury is severe enough, surgery may be warranted to correct the torn labrum. This surgery can include arthroscopic cleaning of the joint, removing the torn areas, and/or relocating the bicep to prevent further stress to the area. The surgeon will determine that based on the patient situation and injury severity.

Treatment

Physical therapy is an integral part of rehabilitation of a labrum injury. This is true whether surgery is needed or not. If you have had a sports related injury, multiple shoulder dislocations or any of the symptoms above, please do not hesitate to contact our office for further evaluation.

Written by: Casey Badder PT

Osteoporosis: The Silent Disease

October 11, 2020 by Julie

Osteoporosis is a bone disease characterized by a decrease in bone tissue. Low bone mass leads to fragile bones. It also increases your risk of fractures, especially your spine, hips, and wrists. While there is no cure for osteoporosis, it is largely preventable in most people. There are many treatment options available for those affected.

Who gets it?

This condition is most common in older women. Women who experience early menopause or have their ovaries removed before age 45 and don’t undergo hormone therapy are more likely to develop osteoporosis. Cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol, and caffeine intake contribute to the problem. So do problems with calcium absorption in the intestines. There are also some drug treatments that can induce osteoporosis.

The Silent Disease

Osteoporosis is sometimes called the “silent disease”. This is because there are so few symptoms in the beginning associated with bone loss. Many people do not even know they have osteoporosis until they start getting broken bones. In severe cases of osteoporosis, symptoms include aching pain in your bones, especially in your spine. Fractures can occur without any trauma at all. The pain can be severe. But usually you don’t have the radiating pain into your arms or legs as you would with other back conditions. After repeated crush fractures in your spine, you may develop an excessive curvature in your neck or increased mid back forward bending. Hip and wrist fractures are common, especially when associated with minor falls.

Bone density testing and X-rays are the main ways to detect osteoporosis. Your doctor can order them for you.

Treatment

Treatment of osteoporosis includes the following preventive measures:

Exercise – Daily weight-bearing and resistance training exercise helps reduce bone loss. It also helps you maintain good muscle tone. Walking, jogging, hiking, tennis, yoga and strength training are good-weight bearing exercises.

Nutrition – Calcium and vitamin D are needed for healthy bones. Most adults require 1000-1500 mg of calcium and 600 units of vitamin D per day. You should, however, ask your doctor to determine the right amounts for you.

Avoid tobacco, alcohol, excessive protein, and caffeine. All of these increase your risk of developing osteoporosis. Protein is an important part of your diet and is vital for good health, but taking in high amounts of protein can cause your body to lose calcium. Caffeine in large amounts can make it hard for your body to retain calcium. Do not use tobacco. Limit your alcohol and caffeine intake.

Medication – Hormone therapy and medications developed specifically to slow bone loss may be prescribed by your doctor.

Written by Clint Bunker PT

Pool’s Gold