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Arthritis Pain

Natural Ways to Relieve Arthritis Pain

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Do you find your knees or hips hurting after sitting for too long? Has bending or squatting become difficult or even painful? This is a common complaint of people with knee or hip osteoarthritis. Did you know that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that 1 out of every 2 people will have symptoms of knee osteoarthritis sometime before age 85?

The incidence of osteoarthritis generally starts to increase after age 35 and decreases one’s ability to perform walking, bending and every day tasks. Osteoarthritis can occur for a variety of reasons:

  • Normal or abnormal wear and tear on joint cartilage
  • Injuries that damage cartilage and joints
  • Diseases that damage cartilage
  • Lack of joint support from poor muscle strength and tissue flexibility

What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis describes the condition of abnormal wear and tear of cartilage from a joint surface causing bone on bone rubbing. This can be quite painful and occurs more in the knees, hips and ankles. This is due to the fact that these joints bear the weight of your body and have to endure an average of 3,000-6,000 steps a day. That is over one million steps / bending and movements a year!

Knee osteoarthritis pain is generally felt under the kneecap, but can travel up the thigh or down your lower leg. The pads below your knee generally become thicker and more swollen. At times, your knee may even become slightly swollen or even slightly red. Hip osteoarthritis pain is generally felt in the groin on one side or deep in the buttock. Pain may actually feel better with walking, but become worse after sitting for a few minutes, then trying to move again.

What can be done?
Most pain is caused by poor joint movement and strength of the muscles around the joint. This causes instability to the joint and greater pressure on the cartilage causing more inflammation and pain. Physical therapy is the preferred method of treatment, because it discovers the abnormal movement in the joint and naturally corrects it. With hands-on therapy, special strengthening and balance exercises, knee or hip pain can typically be completely relieved. For more information on natural ways to relieve arthritis pain, call us today!

5 Ways to Naturally Relieve Arthritis Pain

  • Exercise – This is essential for people suffering from arthritis. It is vital to strengthen muscles, increase flexibility and improve blood flow. Cartilage actually receives its nutrition from joint fluid, so the more you can exercise the better. It is also important to mix between weight bearing and non-weight bearing exercises, such as aquatic exercises or bicycling. A balance between aerobic and strengthening exercises is highly recommended.It is also highly recommended that you see a physical therapist first before starting an arthritis exercise regime. Our physical therapistsaremedical specialists in prescribing the right exercises for individuals with arthritis and can teach you how to protect your joints.
  • Vitamins – According to the Arthritis Foundation, there are a mix of studies showing some benefits to using glucosomine and chondroitin. Glucosomine is naturally made in the body and helps support the cartilage by retaining water and preventing wear. Additional supplements may help. Some studies show that glucosomine may slow down joint damage.
  • Avoid inflammatory foods – There are foods that increase the body’s natural inflammation response. Arthritis is a condition of joints that become inflamed. Therefore, by avoiding foods with high fat, fried foods, sodas, high sugar content and processed foods, you help to naturally relieve the inflammation in your body. This helps a number of other systems in your body too.
  • Calcium and Magnesium – Many people are deficient in calcium and magnesium. These are vital minerals needed for hundreds of processes in your body. Having enough calcium and magnesium, builds strong bones and reduces irritated nerve endings, decreasing pain. If possible, find supplements that are in powder form that can be easily digested and help your body’s intake of these essential minerals.
  • Sleep – Sleep is a time for our body and brain to repair itself. It is important to make sure you are getting enough sleep, 7-8 hours at least, to allow your body to repair and decrease pain. When you are tired, your body does not function as well, increasing the inflammatory response and reducing your pain threshold.

Physical therapy is one of the best ways to improve your arthritis pain. We help your joints reduce pain and inflammation, and then increase your strength and flexibility so your joints are healthier. Call us today for more information on our Arthritis Program and discover how you can live life pain free!

Back Pain, Neck Pain

How to Relieve Back and Neck Pain With a Healthy Spine

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Do you suffer from aching back pain, nagging neck pain or even headaches? Having a healthy spine can prevent these types of problems. Your spine is a complicated structure of vertebrae, discs, joints,ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves. Every second of every dayyour spine is moving in a delicate balance, even while you breathe!Take care of it and it will take care of you.

Here are useful tips on how to have a healthy spine:

Eat Right
Nutrition is critical to having a healthy body.The same goes for your spine. Protein
rebuilds spinal muscle tissue, ligamentsand tendons. Healthy fruits and vegetables
contain the vitamins and antioxidants tomake the spine function. They rebuild bone,
muscle and connective tissues that areconstantly being used throughout the day.

Rest
Throughout the day your spine iscompressed with standing, sitting andbending. You can actually lose about ½an inch over the course of a day. Adequaterest in a good position while sleeping helpsyou maintain a healthy spine. It is ideal tostart off lying in bed for the first 10 minuteson your side with your knees curled up. Thisallows the discs in your spine to rehydrate. Then continue sleeping on your side witha pillow between your legs or roll onto your back with a pillow underyour knees. Avoid sleeping on your stomach.

Stop Smoking
Many studies show that nicotine incigarettes directly accelerates thebreakdown of the discs in the spine anddestroys connective tissues that keep thejoints moving properly. In addition, nicotineincreases the inflammatory response in thebody, disrupting the body’s natural abilityto repair itself.

Improve Your Flexibility and Strength
One of the best ways to avoid back pain or neck pain is to improve your spinal flexibility and strength. Your spine and body are designed to move.Keep your spine flexible by stretching for10 minutes every day. It is best to get upand move around when possible at work.Stretch your spine out by reaching overheadand leaning over to one side, then the other.Also, work on gently twisting at the waistand don’t forget to stretch your hamstringmuscles frequently. Spend 3-4 days a week working on your corestrength with abdominal muscle exercises, squats and other exercisesto keep your spine and core muscles strong. This supports yourspine and allows you to move without stressing the discs or nervesin your back.

Improve Your Posture and Balance
Make sure that you sit properly with astraight-backed chair and your feet flat on
the floor. Avoid sitting on very soft couchesfor prolonged periods as this keeps your
spine in a flexed position. Make sure thatyou keep your spine straight when lifting,
using your legs and avoiding twisting. Keepyour balance tip-top to activate the small muscles of the spine anduse your nervous system. Enhance your balance by standing on oneleg at a time for 10 seconds 3-4 times a week.

Have a Spine Check-up
Have a physical therapist spine specialistcheck your spine alignment and function
every 6 months to ensure your backis moving how it should. Our physicaltherapists are the medical experts inhelping your back operate as it should and relieving back pain or neck pain quickly.

Ifyou are suffering with backaches and pains,come in for a check-up sooner rather thanlater. Long term aches and pains can mean permanent damage isbeing done to your spine. Catching back pain or neck pain early leads to a healthyspine for life!

Shoulder Pain

Is Your Shoulder Pain Coming From the Rotator Cuff?

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Have you ever felt a twinge in your shoulder when lifting something, or do you suffer from an aching shoulder at the end of the day? This could be a sign that your rotator cuff is weak and irritated. Various studies* show that 20% of people with shoulder pain after age 32 have a rotator cuff tear. This jumps up to 30% after age 40 and over 80% in people with shoulder pain after age 60.

The rotator cuff is a group of 4 muscles that surround the glenohumeral joint in the shoulder. Their primary job is to guide the direction of the shoulder joint while the big muscles of your trapezius, latissimusdorsi and pectoralis muscles do the heavy lifting.

What happens when the rotator cuff is weak?
Since your rotator cuff is designed to guide the shoulder joint, when certain rotator cuff muscles are weak or injured, poor alignment occurs. The result is a jamming effect of the ball end of the humerus into the socket of your shoulder blade. Overtime this causes inflammation and weakness that increases with overhead motion. Your arm may feel weak with lifting overhead or painful after doing repetitive activities such as scrubbing, driving or working on a computer.

How does a rotator cuff tear happen?
There are various degrees of rotator cuff tears and many people have them without many symptoms. Rotator cuff tears are usually partial tears, but can become full tears with a fall onto the arm or with lifting a heavy object overhead. Small tears usually occur from poor posture of the shoulder joint or heavy lifting over a period of time. The small partial tearing is similar to the analogy of a rope fraying over time, until one day the rope snaps.

What can be done to help shoulder pain from a rotator cuff?

  • See a physical therapist first. We have specialized training on how to test for rotator cuff tears and address the root cause of the problem, alleviating pain and restoring function. MRI’s and other tests should be done only after an exam, or if your doctor determines a need for one.
  • Use ice to alleviate the swelling in the shoulder. Use an icepack for 10 minutes on your shoulder with a towel wrapped around it so it will not hurt your skin. Do this 2-3 times a day.
  • Have good posture. Make sure you are standing or sitting tall, which will help your shoulder fall into a better position. Our physical therapists can also show you specific posture exercises to restore your posture.
  • Gently exercise. Swinging your arm in a gentle circle, while dangling down is soothing for the shoulder. However, be careful when exercising the shoulder and see your physical therapist for the correct exercises to perform, based off your condition.

What if my pain continues?
It is important that you don’t let shoulder pain go on more than a week. You should see a physical therapist to determine what is exactly causing your pain or determine if you have a tear after an injury. It is possible that you may need an additional follow up with a physician for cortisone injections or medication. However, most cases of rotator cuff injuries or shoulder pain can be easily treated with physical therapy. In severe cases, surgery may be needed to repair the torn rotator cuff.

You don’t have to live with shoulder pain and since rotator cuff tears are common as we get older, it is important that you have the right professional examine your shoulder. Trust our physical therapy experts to evaluate your problem thoroughly and put you on the right treatment plan to a pain free shoulder. Call us today to speak with one of our physical therapists about your shoulderpain and return to the activities you love to do.

Health and Wellness

How to Protect Your Back

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Have you ever felt low back pain after doing too much the day before? One of the major causes of low back pain is repetitive injury to the spine. Repetitive injuries can be as simple as picking up boxes or having to bend down to scrub and clean the house.

We often feel that we have done too much and then experience some aches or soreness that goes away in a day or two. However, your body is telling you that there is straining and microscopic tearing of muscle tissue, causing inflammation.

Are your back and abdominal muscles as strong as they use to be? With hours of sitting each day at work, watching TV or driving, your gluteus muscles and abdominal muscles become weak. These critical muscles give stability to your spine. When you challenge your body with repetitive bending or lifting, your gluteus, abdominal and spinal muscles just can’t cope like they use to, straining your spine. Therefore, minor damage to the spine results. Over years of repetitive strains, this can lead to major damage such as herniated discs, arthritis and chronic back or posture issues.

What can you do to protect your back?

  • Stay active! By simply walking 20-30 minutes today, you can significantly increase the strength and mobility of your spine, stopping back pain.
  • Lift and bend properly. Keep your back straight when bending down to the floor, using your legs. When you need to lift something, make sure your body is close to the object, tighten your abdominal muscles, use your legs and don’t twist.
  • Have good posture. This is especially important when sitting at your desk for extended periods of time. If you need to, roll up a very small towel and place it in the curve of your lower back. Keep the chair close enough so that you are able to sit up straight while looking at a computer monitor.
  • Stand tall.A bad habit these days is to hold your phone down low and look down at it while you are browsing on it. Hold your phone further up in front of you so that your spine is not bent forward when standing.
  • Take breaks.One of the best ways to prevent low back pain is to take frequent standing breaks from sitting, alternating your position. About every 20-30 minutes, get up and move around for 1 minute.
  • Stretch. Stretch throughout the day, especially your hamstrings as these directly pull on your pelvis, affecting your spine. Also, reach above your head to stretch out your shoulders, mid and upper back.
  • Have a regular check up.Don’t forget to visit your physical therapist. You go for regular check ups at your dentist or doctor, but why not your physical therapist? We are the mechanics of your body, keeping it running and moving well. Yearly check-ups are key to keeping a healthy, moving spine.

 

You take care of your heart and lungs, but what about your spine? As anyone with back pain will tell you, life is very limited with a bad back. Therefore, take care of it and it will take care of you.

There is much that can be done to relieve sciatica, back or neck pain. Physical therapy should always be tried first if your back pain keeps on coming back. Discover how our back and neck program can give you the fastrelief you deserveand restore your active life. Call us today to speak with one of our physical therapy specialists about your back pain.

Neck Pain

Tips for relieving sciatica pain

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Do you have back pain or sciatica? In a study reported in the journal Orthopedics, 650 people were examined for low back pain or sciatica. About 25% had reported an episode of sciatica in the past 6 months of the study. This shows how common sciatica really is. Sciatica is a term used to describe pain in the buttock or radiating down the leg that is caused by irritation to the sciatic nerve. There are many causes of back pain that can radiate pain down the leg, such as a herniated disc. However, true sciatica is specific to the sciatic nerve being irritated or compressed. This can occur in the back or in the buttock.

Symptoms of sciatica
Sciatica typically presents as aching pain to the buttock traveling to the back or side of the thigh. It can also present with numbness or tingling. In severe cases, extreme pain and weakness in the leg may result, causing a “buckling” sensation to the leg.

What can be done to help sciatica?
It is important to treat the cause of the sciatica and not the symptoms. Medication may help to numb the pain and decrease the inflammation, but it does not treat the cause of the pressure or irritation on the sciatic nerve. Here are important tools for you to relieve sciatica pain:

  1. Change your position frequently. Many episodes of sciatica stem from prolonged sitting, poor posture and weak core muscles. If you have a flare-up of sciatica, make sure to alternate between sitting, standing and lying down positions. Try alternating every 15 minutes if possible. 
  2. Do not sit for long periods. Sitting causes increased pressure on the sciatica nerve as it travels below the gluteus muscles down to the leg. Avoid sitting on a soft couch for a long time or hard chairs. If you can, try walking 10-15 minutes outside or on a treadmill at a comfortable speed.
  3. Improve your hip mobility and strength. Our hips move through a very large range of motion. However, with frequent sitting throughout the day at a computer or watching TV, our ligaments and muscles around the hips tighten up, leading to loss of motion. While this loss of motion may not appear obvious, it does change the stress and strain on your spine. Improve your hip mobility and strength to relieve the pressure on the sciatica nerve. Talk to one of our physical therapists about which exercises are safe to improve your hip flexibility and strength.
  4. Increase your spine flexibility safely. Having a strong, flexible spine is critical to your overall health and performance. However, knowing the right exercises for your sciatica or back pain is very important, as further damage could result if exercises are done improperly. This is where the expertise of a physical therapist can significantly help you. With years of training in medicine and medical exercise programs, our therapists know the right path of gentle hands on treatments and exercises needed to help your problem.
  5. Get help from an expert. If you have been suffering with sciatica for more than 3 days, then you need to get help, before long-term damage occurs. Sciatica is a disease of the musculoskeletal system. The medical experts in treating the musculoskeletal system are physical therapists. Therefore, seeing a physical therapist early is critical to a swift recovery and preventing future episodes of back pain or sciatica. Even if you have suffered for years, we can help.

There is much that can be done to relieve your sciatica or back pain. Physical therapy is the first line of natural treatment to a successful recovery. Discover how our back and neck program can give you the quick relief you deserve without the need for pills. Call us today to speak with one of our specialists about your sciatica or back pain.