1. PT can alleviate your pain

By now, most have figured out that physical therapy can help relieve pain. Physical therapists evaluate your body, then create a plan to improve your function and reduce your pain.

2. PT can get you back into sports

Americans love sports. From football to competitive racing, we love competing and seeing what we can do. Training and performance often lead to injuries, which can be helped by a PT. It’s not just about getting you pain-free, but about getting you strong and agile enough to avoid future injuries.

3. PT can get rid of your headaches

Ever get headaches? Physical therapists can help to reduce your headaches through use of specific exercise and hands-on treatments. Many headaches are caused by stiffness in the joints and muscles of the upper cervical spine. By stretching tight muscles and strengthening the deep stabilizers of your neck, you can get serious relief from those pesky headaches.

4. PT can improve your balance

As we age, falling becomes a greater risk. Falling can be a serious detriment to the health of older individuals, often leading to long-lasting disability or death. PT can help your loved ones improve their balance to reduce their risk of falling. PTs use balance and strength training to allow older Americans to navigate their environments without fear.

5. PT can get you stronger

Life throws us many challenges. From carrying grocery bags to moving beds, physical strength is required on a daily basis. When our strength begins to diminish, PT can help. Utilizing resistance exercise, functional training, and compound movements, PTs can make your life easier.

6. PT can be a good time

Alright, this is not necessarily a way PT can help you. But if you are at the right PT clinic, you will have fun while getting better in the process. PTs love their job and want to have a good time doing it. At the end of your care, you should feel like you’ve made a few friends along the way.

7. PT can get rid of your vertigo

Dizziness and vertigo can severely impair us. If you have ever had a bout of BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo), you know how miserable life can be without a functional vestibular system. PTs can cure BPPV using specific movements to your head to realign structures within your inner ear, allowing you to stand upright without feeling like you are falling over!

8. PT can make you more flexible

Can you touch your toes? If not, you should see a physical therapist. Flexibility can be limited due to a number of factors, from tight muscles to stiff joints. PT should be able to get you touching your toes in no time.

9. PT can improve your posture

Did your mother ever tell you to stand up straighter? If she is still telling you that, you should probably see a physical therapist. PTs can quantify how bad your posture is and the structures that are causing it, then give you a plan to fix it and feel better than ever. You won’t have to work hard to keep your shoulders back and head up.

10. PT can make your work space better

If you are like the average American, you work about 40 hours a week. You need that environment to work for you. If you constantly have to slouch forward or turn your head uncomfortably, a PT may be able to help. PTs will perform an ergonomic assessment to find ways to improve your work space, so you do not experience pain the future!

If you are feeling like your physical health could improve, stop by a PT to see what we can do. You might just have a good time along the way!

Chris Donohue, PT, DPT, CSCS

Premier Orthopaedics

Learn more about Premier Physical Therapy here.

The post 10 Ways Physical Therapy Can Help You appeared first on Premier Orthopaedics.

Learn more about the ACL injury and whether you can treat yours without surgery.

Anatomy

Your knee joint is formed by the meeting of three bones: your thighbone, your shinbone, and your kneecap. These bones are connected to other bones by four main ligaments in the knee that stabilize the joint. The two different types of ligaments are the collateral and the cruciate ligaments. The collateral ligaments are on the sides of the knee and control sideways motion; with the medial collateral ligament on the inside and the lateral collateral ligament on the outside. The cruciate ligaments are found on the inside of your knee and control back and forth motion. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) crosses over the posterior cruciate ligament to form an X.

The Injury

The most common causes of injury to the ACL include changing direction rapidly, landing from a jump, direct contact with an object or another person, stopping suddenly or slowing down while running. Some hear a popping noise when the injury occurs, or the feeling of your knee giving out beneath you. Other typical symptoms include pain, swelling, instability, loss of range of motion, tenderness and pain while walking.

If you’re dealing with any of these symptoms, it’s important to be seen by a doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor will talk to you about your symptoms and medical history, then perform a physical examination, where most ACL injuries can be diagnosed. Your doctor may also use imaging tests such as x-rays or an MRI scan to get a better look inside your knee.

Your doctor will determine what kind of ACL injury you’ve suffered, which are graded on a severity scale. A Grade 1 Sprain is when the ligament has been slightly stretched but can still help keep the knee joint stable. A Grade 2 Sprain is when the ligament is stretched so far that it becomes loose and may be partially torn. A Grade 3 Sprain is most commonly referred to as a complete tear of the ligament, when it has been split into two pieces.

Treatment

If your ACL is not completely torn, you will benefit from nonsurgical treatment. Bracing is a common treatment method that will protect your knee and provide stability. You mayalso use crutches to keep the weight off.

Physical therapy is also an effective treatment method. Your doctor will come up with a routine of stretches and exercises to restore the function to your knee and strengthen the surrounding muscles.

If the ligament is completely torn, surgery is necessary to repair it.

If you have an ACL injury, be sure to speak with your doctor as soon as possible to determine a treatment method that’s right for you.

For more information about how to treat injuries through non-operative methods, click here to download our eBook, The Patient’s Guide to Non-Operative Care and Rehabilitation.

The post Nonoperative Rehabilitation for ACL Injury appeared first on Premier Orthopaedics.

Shoulder rehabilitation is effective in treating many different shoulder injuries and disorders such as fractures, joint instability, joint impingement, frozen shoulder, and dislocation. It involves a series of exercises and stretches over a period of time that slowly strengthens your shoulder. When performed properly, rehabilitation helps you regain range of motion in the shoulder so you’re able to use it as you once did.

After the Injury

Immediately following an injury, it’s crucial that you see a doctor or visit an emergency room if you feel a lot of pain. The doctor will evaluate your medical history and examine

your shoulder to diagnose the specific injury.

In some cases, such as a fracture, the shoulder needs to be stabilized to allow it time to heal before beginning a rehabilitation program.

Rehabilitation Program

Your physician will develop a rehabilitation plan tailored to your specific needs. The program will factor in your injury, lifestyle, medical history, and body type, among other considerations.

A rehabilitation program for a shoulder injury typically follows four phases, but the time frame will vary from one patient to another.

Phase I: (0-4 weeks)

During phase I, the patient will begin with early mobility and passive range of motion stretches that will exercise the shoulder but also be careful not to cause reinjury.

A shoulder pulley is one example of a passive range of motion exercise. This apparatus is hooked over the top of a door with a small pulley system near the top of a rope with handles that hang down from the pulley. You’ll use the pulleys to perform different exercises and improve the range of motion in your shoulders.

Phase II: (4-8 weeks)

Phase II focuses on active range of motion to build your shoulder strength in order to recover normal function. These types of exercises include different movements where you fully extend your arm and perform 8-12 repetitions of each exercise.

Phase III: (8-12 weeks)

As your strength increases, you’ll be able to progress to higher-intensity exercises that rely on your shoulder more. Isotonic exercises work muscle groups through joint movement, and will move the shoulder joint to work the surrounding muscles. Resistance bands can also be used depending on how your shoulder is fairing. These exercises include seated shoulder raises, front raises, and lateral raises.

Phase IV: (return to activity)

Phase IV involves increasing the weight and repetitions of each exercise, and continues to push the range of motion until the patient has full function.

Once a patient can proficiently perform all movements with their shoulder, thephysician will likely clear them to return to regular activity.

If you suffer a shoulder injury, you may be able to treat it with nonoperative shoulder rehabilitation.

For more information about how to treating injuries through non-operative methods,click here to download our eBook, The Patient’s Guide to Non-Operative Care and Rehabilitation.

The post Nonoperative Shoulder Rehabilitation appeared first on Premier Orthopaedics.

If physical therapy is right for you, your doctor will customize a schedule for you to follow for a few weeks. In general, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends about 150 minutes of exercise each week which averages out to only 22 minutes per day for health and well being.

Talk to your doctor about beginning physical therapy or a daily exercise regimen to relieve pain and improve your quality of life. Keep reading to learn more.

Gaining Strength and Building Muscle

During your physical therapy sessions and daily exercise, you will be working on various muscles in your body to make them stronger. This will allow you to strengthen the surrounding muscles that support spine or sports injury. For example, strengthening the core is often helpful in reducing back pain. Stretching the hamstring is also very beneficial for patients dealing with a spine injury because this stretch alleviates pain in the lower back.

Increasing Flexibility

The stretching and repetitive exercises that go along with physical therapy promote flexibility to alleviate pain and also help you perform activities with greater ease. This is a crucial element of regaining your full range of motion and using your body to its full capability once again.

Prevention

In addition to reducing the pain you’re currently experiencing from your sports or spine injury, physical therapy and daily exercise will also help to prevent these same issues from occurring in the future. From strengthening muscles to increasing flexibility, exercise and physical therapy will help improve your health overall and make you less susceptible to injury.

Exercises

Below are some moderate-intensity exercises that will raise your heart rate and work your muscles without putting a lot of stress or impact on the body.

Biking
Cycling is a great aerobic exercise but it’s also very gentle on the spine, especially when you’re on a stationary bike. There are many spin classes available if you’re interested in an activity that is easy on your injuries but also provides a great workout.

Swimming
Swimming is a low-impact, aerobic conditioning exercise that will work your muscles without putting stress on your body. The water helps support the body and lessens the impact on your injuries.

Physical therapy and daily exercise are necessary to help your body recover from injury, build muscle, and be healthier overall. Be sure to take these tips into consideration when trying to find relief from any sports or spine injuries.

If you’re dealing with a severe sports or spine injury and non-surgical methods have been ineffective in relieving your pain, it may be time to consider surgery. To learn more, download our e-book, The Patient’s Manual to Spine and Back Surgery. This educational guide will answer your questions and help explain whether or not you would be a good candidate for any of the surgical options discussed.

The post Physical Therapy and Daily Exercise for Sports and Spine Injuries appeared first on Premier Orthopaedics.

Sports medicine is dedicated to treating the inevitable injuries that occur during exercise involving ligaments, tendons, muscles, and bones. The physicians in this field are licensed and trained in sports and exercise medicine to handle all types of sports injuries. There are also four different areas of focus these physicians can specialize in. These specialties include: orthopaedic surgery, sports rehabilitation, spine rehabilitation, and non-surgical treatments. Those involved in the field of sports medicine include medical physicians, physical therapists, athletic trainers, and massage therapists.

Exercise Physiologist

In addition to treating injuries, sports medicine specialists can help athletes get their bodies into great shape. These specialists evaluate the athlete’s overall health to get a better idea of their cardiovascular function, and design training programs based on those results. These programs will help athletes with their physical fitness, strength, endurance, flexibility, and overall performance. The specialists will help athletes understand the importance of listening to the body’s warning signs to determine what it needs. They are also skilled in assisting athletes with taking care of their bodies and helping them stay fit while also preventing muscle sprains, strains, and tears.

Nutrition

Diet and nutrition play an important role in allowing athletes to perform the best they can. A nutritionist can develop an individual diet plan based on what you’re looking to achieve, such as more energy and more nutrients to strengthen muscles and help them recover faster after a workout.

Physical Therapy

Sports medicine mainly focuses on treating injuries with non-surgical methods, such as physical therapy. This technique uses repetitive exercises to strengthen muscles, ligaments, and tendons after injury.

A physical therapist will evaluate the injury and determine the best course of action. He or she will develop a detailed, individualized program that involves stretching, exercise, and massage to aide in recovery.

Physical therapy sessions are conducted at a facility where you’ll be instructed and assisted with exercises. Sometimes, fitness equipment such as resistances bikes, treadmills, and whirlpools will be used. Your physical therapist will most likely have you performing some of these exercises at home, even after you’ve recovered, to increase flexibility and allow you to regain a full range of motion.

If you’re an athlete or exercise regularly, seeing a sports medicine professional can be beneficial for your health and your athletic performance. He or she will be able to treat your injury, teach you how to enhance your performance by eating better and listening to your body, and prevent injuries from occurring.

For more information about sports medicine, click here to download our e-book, The Athlete’s Guide to Reaching Peak Sports Performance and Preventing Injury. This educational guide will help you understand common sports injuries, treatment methods and how to maintain fitness after an injury.

The post Sports Medicine 101 for Athletes appeared first on Premier Orthopaedics.

If you have a sports injury, discuss your options with an orthopaedic physician. In some cases when the injury is severe, surgery may be required. Less severe injuries can typically be healed using one of the following methods:

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is a series of repetitive exercises and stretches that treat the injury by strengthening the muscle over time.

A physical therapist will evaluate your injury and determine the best course of action for treating it. He or she will design a program specifically for you and your injury that will involve exercises, stretches, or massage. Some exercises can involve various machines at the facility such as resistance bikes, treadmills, and whirlpools.

The length of your physical therapy treatment will depend on your injury. Typically, patients will go to their physical therapy facility for 45 minutes to one hour once or twice a week. This could continue for several weeks to several months, or until your physical therapist believes that your injury has healed.

Your physical therapist will also give you exercises to continue at home when you’re not at one of the sessions, or after you’ve completed the course of treatment.

Bracing and Casting

When you’ve experienced an injury such as a sprain, strain, fracture, or mild tear, your doctor may use a brace or cast to immobilize the injury and hold it in place. This will allow the bone, muscle, ligament, or tendon to heal on its own.

A cast is best suited for fractures and is applied to keep the broken ends of a bone in the appropriate position during the healing process. A brace is the better option for sprains because it allows limited movement of joints so they’re not completely stiff.

Acupuncture

This ancient Chinese procedure involves inserting thin needles into the skin to promote blood flow and increase energy. Although it originated as a component of Chinese medicine, it has become popular in the United States among athletes to help them feel better overall.

While the effects of acupuncture have not been scientifically proven, it’s believed that putting needles into certain points in the skin releases tension and sends energy throughout the body. This helps relieve pain, nausea, and causes injuries to heal faster.

Athletes, especially runners, have found acupuncture to be beneficial in helping them recover from one day to the next. Acupuncture helps muscles repair so they can run faster during their next workout. Some also believe that it prevents injuries by helping people feel stronger overall.

Medication

Medication is rarely used as the sole treatment for a sports injury, and is typically used in combination with another treatment method. It is often used to treat pain and inflammation, and over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen can be taken as directed to reduce the pain associated with a mild sprain or strain. For more severe injuries, your physician may prescribe corticosteroids to decrease inflammation and alleviate pain.
If you have experienced a sports injury, there’s a good chance it can be treated using a non-surgical method. See your orthopaedic doctor to discuss the treatment options available to you.

For more information about non-operative treatment methods, click here to download our e-book, The Athlete’s Guide to Reaching Peak Sports Performance and Preventing Injury. This educational guide will help you understand common sports injuries, treatment methods and how to maintain fitness after an injury.

The post Non-Surgical Sports Medicine Treatments appeared first on Premier Orthopaedics.

Over the past few years, standout advances have been made in physical therapy, helping patients recover from injuries faster and more effectively.

Nintendo Wii

The Nintendo Wii has become a helpful tool in physical, occupational and neurological rehabilitation. This video game console comes with a remote that uses accelerometers and infrared detection to sense its position when pointed at the sensor bar, allowing users to control games with physical movements.

When patients play sports games on the Wii, they must perform repetitive motions such as swinging a tennis racquet or rolling a bowling ball. These motions help patients’ injuries by strengthening muscles and improving range of motion.

Using a video game system for rehabilitation is fun for patients and adds competition to the therapy. It also helps patients connect the repetitions with learning and practice as well as balance and movement, which can be especially beneficial after a stroke.

Rehabilitation Robots

Rehabilitation robots are tools that physical therapists use to assist in patient injury evaluation and treatment. The robots don’t replace the physical therapists but rather help them perform tasks that will benefit patients.

A patient who has suffered a stroke may not be able communicate the impairments he or she is experiencing. Rehab robots have been shown to improve the detection of post-stroke impairments, which results in better therapy for the patient.

Some patients need treatment that requires a great deal of effort for the physical therapist, such as moving a patient who can’t walk. Rehabilitation robots can easily bear the weight, relieving physical therapists of this potentially painful duty.

Eventually, as rehabilitation robots become more advanced, they’ll be used to guide patients through repetitive movements. They’ll also be programmed with custom treatment plans to help restore functions to stroke patients.

Ekso Bionic Suit

The Ekso bionic suit helps individuals who have been paralyzed to stand up and walk using battery-powered motors that operate the legs to assist the patient with moving. It was designed to help physical therapists who treat numerous patients in a short period of time. This tool allows people to relearn proper step patterns and trains them to walk again after paralysis.

Consisting of three different levels of operation, the Ekso suit assists people who face various lower extremity weaknesses. One level requires a physical therapist to assign movements by pressing a button. The second level allows the patient to control the suit and make each step happen. With the third level, the suit makes movements based on the user shifting his or her weight.

The advances that have been made in physical therapy have greatly impacted patient treatment. With the new methods, techniques, and technology available today, patients are receiving advanced care and recovering more quickly and effectively than ever before.

The post Recent Advances in Physical Therapy appeared first on Premier Orthopaedics.

Shoulder injuries are particularly common in football, occurring from contact with other players or the ground or from throwing injuries.

Types of Shoulder Injuries

The most common types of shoulder injuries include shoulder dislocations and separations. These can occur from direct contact with another player or the playing surface.

Shoulder dislocations occur when the humerus ball disassociates from the scapular socket. The shoulder is one of the most frequently dislocated joints in the body. A shoulder separation, on the other hand, occurs when the ligaments attached to the collarbone partially or completely tear away from the shoulder blade.

Symptoms of a dislocation or separation include severe pain, grinding, limited movement and a visible deformity.

Rotator cuff tears often occur from overuse and repetitive motion, such as throwing a football, or trauma from man-to-man contact or a fall.

There are two different types of rotator cuff tears. In a partial tear, the tendon is not completely detached from the bone, whereas a complete, full-thickness tear occurs when the tendon is torn away from the bony attachment. A complete tear can’t heal on its own and must be repaired with surgery to regain full range of motion and function.

Symptoms of a rotator cuff tear include pain when lifting your arm from your side, weakness in your shoulder, a snapping feeling when trying to move your arm, or pain that worsens at night. Over time, symptoms of serious rotator cuff tears become worse and more painful and can’t be relieved by rest or medicine.

Treatment

If you’re experiencing consistent shoulder pain that rest, ice, or anti-inflammatory medication doesn’t relieve, you should see a doctor. Discuss your symptoms and let the doctor know how the injury happened. A physical examination will be performed, and you’ll likely undergo tests that may include X-ray, ultrasound, or MRI.

For mild shoulder soreness or injuries, rest and icing generally are effective in treating the injury and reducing pain. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen can also help reduce pain. If swelling, redness, warmth, or pain persists after several days, you should see a doctor to be evaluated.

For serious shoulder injuries such as rotator cuff tears, surgery could be necessary depending on the severity of the injury. If you frequently experience shoulder dislocations, doctors may also suggest surgery.

Prevention

When playing football, the first step for preventing shoulder injuries is wearing regulation equipment and padding that fits properly, especially shoulder pads. Be sure to get fitted for protective equipment at the start of every season.

Another preventive measure is practicing proper tackling and blocking techniques. You should also participate in a strength and conditioning program to help strengthen your body and make it more flexible and less prone to injury.
It’s important not to ignore a shoulder injury because it could become more serious and painful. Contact your doctor if you’ve been experiencing painful symptoms for more than a couple of days. To prevent further shoulder injuries during football, be sure to wear proper-fitting equipment and utilize correct techniques on the field.

For more information about shoulder injuries, download our eBook The Pre-Operative Guide to Shoulder Surgery or set up a consultation with one of Premier’s physicians.

The post Common Shoulder Injuries in Football appeared first on Premier Orthopaedics.

The post Physical Therapy for Shoulder Surgery appeared first on Premier Orthopaedics.

The post How long is the Recovery Period After Shoulder Surgery appeared first on Premier Orthopaedics.