Shoulder Tension Stretches

Shoulder Tension Stretches

As you sit at your desk, working on your computer, you feel a sharp stabbing pain between your shoulder blades. Ouch! Maybe your posture isn’t as good as you thought it was. You realize you’re hunched over your keyboard. A good shoulder stretch would feel great right now! You could have shoulder tension if you have pain or stiffness in your neck, shoulders, and upper back. Causes of Shoulder Tension Poor posture while sitting isn’t the only reason people experience shoulder tension. Engaging in repetitive movements can strain the shoulder muscles and cause tension. Repetition can happen during work, such

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Physical Therapy for the Runner

Physical Therapy for the Runner

What type of runner are you? Whether you’re a seasoned marathoner or a weekend jogger, it’s no secret that running puts your body to the test. Sure, you may enjoy the endorphin rush from going the distance. But addressing the potential injuries that can come with the territory is essential. Physical therapy can help you recover from running-related injuries. And just as importantly, physical therapy can also prevent injuries. Common Running Injuries It’s not really a matter of “if” a runner will sustain an injury. It’s a matter of “when.” The running community knows all too well that injuries can

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6 Treatments for Muscle Spasms

6 Treatments for Muscle Spasms

Have you ever been walking, and suddenly a muscle in your leg tightens up, and you feel a sharp pain? The muscle feels hard to the touch compared to other relaxed muscles. This is a muscle spasm. Also known as muscle cramps, you experience pain when a muscle involuntarily contracts or tightens. While they can occur anywhere in the body, muscle spasms are most common in the legs, feet, back, arms, and hands. Various factors can cause them, including dehydration, overuse of muscle, lack of nutrients in your body, or increased blood flow demand. Muscle spasms can range in intensity

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Physical Therapy After a Stroke

Physical Therapy After a Stroke

Physical therapy after a stroke? Vision loss. Sudden numbness in the face or a limb. Trouble speaking, causing speech to slur. These could be signs that someone is having a stroke. Every year, over 795,000 in the U.S. suffer a stroke, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Nearly one in four victims has had a previous stroke. The majority, about 610,000, are first-time stroke victims. What is a Stroke? A stroke is when a clot blocks a blood vessel that carries oxygen and blood to the brain. Or the blood vessel bursts. In either instance, blood can’t flow

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Relief From the Pain of a Torn Rotator Cuff

Relief From the Pain of a Torn Rotator Cuff

The same way you usually don’t think about a torn rotator cuff, your shoulder might be one of those body parts you pay little attention to… until it hurts. When there is pain, suddenly, we’re much more aware of how frequently we use our shoulders. We lift our arms or reach for something many times a day. Shoulder pain can cause a lot of worry and questions. Will the pain go away on its own? Is it going to get worse? Will it keep you from doing your job or playing your favorite sport? Often when there is shoulder pain,

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Physical Therapy After Hip Replacement

Physical Therapy After Hip Replacement

Each year hundreds of thousands of Americans undergo a hip replacement. Physical therapy plays a vital role in recovery. Physical therapists, especially those at Kinetic Physical Therapy, are experts at helping patients regain strength after surgery. Nothing aids the post-surgery recovery process as well as physical therapy. Hip Replacement Surgeries on the Rise Doctors find that the numbers of hip replacement surgeries rise each year. There are a few reasons this surgery is becoming more common. First, as modern medicine improves, the life expectancy age continues to rise. This means more people are reaching advanced age, and their hips wear

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Vestibular Rehabilitation

Vestibular Rehabilitation

Are you feeling Dizzy? Vestibular Rehabilitation may help. Balance exists thanks to our body’s vestibular system. “Vestibular” isn’t a word we use in everyday conversation. So, what does it mean? How can physical therapy help if our vestibular system isn’t working correctly? When a child is first learning to walk, they will fall. Probably many times. But the more they practice, the better they become at using their balance. The same is true for a child learning to ride a bike without training wheels. They rarely take long to learn how to use their balance to keep the bike from

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Elbow Pain? Physical Therapy Can Help! 

Elbow Pain? Physical Therapy Can Help! 

The elbow pain is probably not a something you thought you’d ever experience. That is until you’re living with a sore elbow. Your elbow moves thousands of times daily, helping you accomplish numerous tasks. The elbow is vital to our anatomy. Tendons, muscles, cartilage, tissue, and bone come together within the elbow to create a versatile joint. When your elbow is sore, it limits what you can accomplish with your arm. Physical therapy is a way to diagnose why there is pain and how to regain the function of your arm. Causes for Elbow Pain There are many reasons you

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Lower Back Pain

Lower Back Pain

Lower Back Pain? Improving Your Core Strength Can Help Lower back pain can really effect mobility. Your body is a complex and diverse set of bones, tendons, joints, and muscles. A machine, if you will. A significant component of the machine is the core. The core affects almost all muscle groups. Millions of Americans suffer from chronic lower back pain. Often, lower back pain is because of weak core muscles. Back pain can result when core muscles aren’t strong enough to support your spine properly. Strengthening your core muscles with physical therapy can ease lower back pain. What Exactly Are

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Muscle Cramps and Physical Therapy

Muscle Cramps and Physical Therapy

Muscle cramps are the worst! There you are, sleeping peacefully in your comfortable bed, and you suddenly jolt awake. Muscle cramps! The pain is sudden and sharp. How could your muscle be hurting? You weren’t even moving. And yet your muscle tightened up, waking you up with a cramp. The human body has over 600 named skeletal muscles. You use muscles for everything from standing up to holding a pencil to giving someone a high five. With all the muscles we have and all the ways we rely on them for movement, it’s no wonder they cramp from time to

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