Farnsworth Orthopedic Physical Therapy

Orthopedic Physical Therapy

treatment

Blood Flow Restriction Training

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BFRT

Blood flow restriction training, also known as tourniquet training, has been around since the 1960s. It was developed in Japan. Before 2008, blood flow restriction training (BFRT) tools were not easily accessible in the United States. Therefore, it didn’t have a lot of research done here. Since then, there has been a lot of research showing the important roles it can play.

The technology has improved over time.  Early BFRT was done by using straps or large elastic bands and pulled tightly around the desired body part. These days, BFRT is done more precisely. It’s done by calculating certain limb pressures that cause occlusion in a limb. It’s similar to how you take blood pressure at your doctor’s office. A cuff is pumped to a certain level and left for a while, or while specific exercises to be performed. There are protocols which your therapist will follow. Your therapist can also make you a specific plan that you can follow depending on your desired goals.

What is it good for?

The goals for BFRT may include to preserve muscle mass and strength, bone density and function, muscle size and strength, aerobic capacity, recovery, and to improve pain levels. As with most modalities, there are precautions and contraindications for the treatment, so a patient must be screened first to make sure it is appropriate. However, the most common uses for BFRT include post-operative recovery, pain modulation, and aerobic capacity. Doctors and research these days are showing quicker recovery times for surgeries including ACL, meniscus, and other knee surgeries as well as other lower extremity surgeries as well. Although, BFRT is more commonly seen in the lower extremity, there are certain diagnoses that can be appropriate in the upper extremity as well.

 

As research improves, BFRT has been known to be something that can help your recovery. It can also help you with “pre-hab” which is treatment that happens beforehand. If BFRT is something you are interested in learning about, please feel free to contact our office for more information and to set up a time to meet with a therapist.

 

Written by Casey Badder PT

Pool’s Gold

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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

Deep Vein Thrombosis

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DVT

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is caused by a blood clot (thrombus) forming in one or more of the deep veins in your body, most commonly in your legs. Deep vein thrombosis can cause swelling and/or pain, but also can occur without any symptoms.

Certain medical conditions that affect how your blood clots can make you more susceptible to getting a DVT. A blood clot in your legs can also happen if you don’t move for a long time, such as after you have surgery or an accident, when you’re traveling a long distance, or when you’re on bed rest.

Deep vein thrombosis can be very serious because blood clots in your veins can break loose, travel through your bloodstream and get stuck in your lungs, blocking blood flow (pulmonary embolism). However, pulmonary embolism can occur with no evidence of DVT.

When DVT and pulmonary embolism occur together, it’s called venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Symptoms

DVT signs and symptoms can include:

  • Swelling in the affected leg. Rarely, there’s swelling in both legs.
  • Pain in your leg. The pain often starts in your calf and can feel like cramping or soreness.
  • Red or discolored skin on the leg.
  • A feeling of warmth in the affected leg.

Deep vein thrombosis can occur without noticeable symptoms.

Prevention

Measures to prevent deep vein thrombosis include the following:

  • Keep Moving! If you have had surgery or have been on bed rest for other reasons, try to get moving as soon as possible. If you’re sitting for a while, don’t cross your legs, which can block blood flow. If you’re traveling a long distance by car, stop every hour or so and walk around.
  • If you’re on a plane, stand or walk occasionally. If you can’t do that, exercise your lower legs. Try raising and lowering your heels while keeping your toes on the floor, then raising your toes with your heels on the floor.
  • Don’t smoke. Smoking increases your risk of getting DVT.
  • Exercise and manage your weight. Obesity is a risk factor for DVT. Regular exercise lowers your risk of blood clots, which is especially important for people who sit a lot or travel frequently.

Don’t smoke and end up like Kramer.

 

Written by Clint Bunker PT

Plantar Plate Tear

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What is it?

Your plantar plate is a thick ligament that runs along the ball of your foot, connecting to the joints. A plantar plate tear is a common foot injury which is caused by repetitive overload. Your plantar plate is a ligament that is on the underside of the joints at the ball of your feet.

Persistent pain and swelling under the ball of the foot that extends towards your toes is often the first sign of a plantar plate tear. This pain may be reproduced by bending your toe upwards. Some swelling may be visible on the top of your foot. Sometimes there can be redness. Often a sensation of ‘walking on the bones of the foot’ will be described, and a ‘V’ sign between the toes may be present, where two toes have separated further from one another than what is normal due to a plantar plate tear. You may experience swelling, and tenderness underneath the joint.

Causes

The reasons for the overload can be due to the your individual anatomy, over pronation (rolling in), hyper-mobile joints and incorrect casual and/or running shoes.

Treatment

A special test called the modified Lachman’s test can be performed by your therapist to assess your situation. Ultrasound or MRI  can sometimes be important to determine the extent of a potential tear. This is especially true if you have a lot of pain or a claw toe deformity.

Treatment involves offloading the area using padding and stiff-soled shoes. A taping technique called ribbon taping can be used to reduce any claw toe deformity . Icing, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and active rest is also important to help settle the condition down.  An orthotic can be used once a positive result has been obtained using functional foot taping. A metatarsal pad is added onto the device as well to deflect pressure away from the affected area and to improve loading patterns.

Written by Travis Rohner PT

Vertigo

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A Common Ailment

Vertigo is an ailment that effects many people at various points in their lives. A trained physical therapist can often help your vertigo symptoms. The most common cause of vertigo is due to something called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV for short. It’s due to a problem in your inner ear. Everyone has small structures called otoconia in your inner ear. These are normally located in the utricle and saccule in the inner ear. These structures allow us to sense where we are in space. They can become dislodged into the semicircular canals and cause BPPV.

(Not to be confused with the classic Alfred Hitchcock movie, which is much more fun.)

BPPV Symptoms

  • Symptoms increase when you move your head and change positions, most commonly rolling over in bed, bending over or when you look up.
  • Common to have occurrences at the hair dresser or dentist.
  • Vertigo occurs within 1-30 seconds and resolves within 60 seconds when in the provoking position
  • Nystagmus (repetitive, uncontrolled eye movements) occur.
  • Nausea is common

 

Causes

  • Vertigo can occur randomly
  • Occurs in people with certain vestibular pathologies,
  • Trauma: car accidents, head injuries.

 

Can Physical Therapy Help?

A trained physical therapist can perform maneuvers in a few minutes that, most of the time, can resolve BPPV within 1-2 sessions. It really can be that simple! If you are suffering with this problem, schedule an appointment and get help! There are often people who live with this condition for months and even years without knowing how quickly a therapist can help them resolve it.  Not every type of vertigo can be solved with physical therapy, but we have helped so many people find the relief they have desperately needed.  Let our therapists evaluate you and see if this treatment is right for you.

 

 

Bye Bye Bicep!

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The “Bi” in Bicep

The front part of the upper arm is known as the bicep muscles. It consists of the coracobrachialis, brachialis and the biceps brachii. These muscles collectively will help flex the elbow and raise your shoulder up in front of your body. The most common muscle of these is the bicep brachii. It consists of two heads, hence the word “bi”. The long and the short head attach in different locations but are both effective for arm movements. Biceps are known as aesthetic muscles. However, the biceps also serve a functional purpose for everyday activity. Like other muscle tissue in the body, they can also have overuse injuries as well as traumatic injuries from these activities.

Injury

Overuse injuries are common in these muscles. They can occur in your shoulder or further down in your elbow area. Common overuse injuries occur in athletes such as overhead throwers, golfers, swimmers, and tennis players. It can also occur in non-athletes with repetitive movements. Work related duties or weakness in your rotator cuff area cause injuries too. It is important to avoid or limit movements that may have caused the injury as well as agents to help the localized swelling including ice and NSAIDs or injections. Physical therapy services can also provide relief to localized area as well as help change mechanics to prevent further injury going forward.

(We can’t all be the hulk)

A bicep tear can also occur in the shoulder or elbow attachment as well. A prolonged overuse injury, fall on an outstretched arm, or rapid twisting movement of the elbow and/or shoulder can be problematic. This can tear the bicep either partially or completely. Lifting a heavy object can also cause a bicep tear. This happens most commonly at the distal attachment. Complete tears will cause the muscle to roll into the mid arm, looking something like Popeye in the old cartoons. A partial tear may not visually be identified. Increased pain and weakness in your bicep as well as a “pop” during the activity are good indications of a tear in your bicep. These issues are typically resolved with surgical intervention followed by physical therapy to help restore normal function of the elbow and shoulder.

Recovery

Physical therapy is such an integral part of recovery for a bicep injury. Before or after a surgery, it’s  important to keep the shoulder healthy to prevent one of these injuries. If you feel that you have an issue with your bicep, feel free to contact our office to see how we can help you.

Written by 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