Physical Therapy Blog

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

Plantar Fasciitis is no joke! It can take some time to treat it. You’ll know if you have a scenario like this. You sit up in bed, put your feet on the floor and stand up for the first time of the day. You take a few steps toward your bedroom door. A sharp, stabbing pain hits the heel of your foot. Ouch! As you walk around, the pain lessens a bit. But boy, those first few steps of the day sure do smart every morning. This pain could be a sign you suffer from plantar fasciitis. What is Plantar

Physical Therapy can help you get the most out of your knee replacement surgery. You want to go for a walk around the neighborhood after dinner each evening. Take that family vacation, spending a couple of days strolling through an amusement park. Get down on the floor to play with your young grandchildren. But your knees tell you otherwise. It may be time for a knee replacement if knee pain impacts your quality of life. When you have surgery to repair a knee, you can be certain that physical therapy will be essential. Your doctor may recommend physical therapy before

Runners want to run but if not careful could end up with a running injury. Many people continue to work toward their fitness goals. Perhaps one of your goals is to train for a running race. Or maybe you begin your fitness journey by running. Often there’s not a question of if a runner will sustain an injury, but when. There doesn’t seem to be a concrete statistic on how many runners are injured each year. But there has been research conducted that shows about half of recreational runners will encounter an injury each year. Physical therapy can be instrumental

Most would do just about anything to help reduce headaches and migraines. Once they start they are often difficult to ease. There are a lot of factors that can cause a headache. Changes in weather, drinking, stress, poor posture, and hundreds of other scenarios can cause headaches. Anyone who suffers from frequent headaches knows they can range from annoying to debilitating. If over-the-counter medication isn’t giving relief, physical therapy may be the answer to reducing reoccurring headaches. Primary vs. Secondary The medical community has identified dozens of types of headaches. Headaches fall into one of two categories, either primary or

When we think of suffering from arthritis, we think it happens only as we age. And while it’s true that most arthritis sufferers are elderly, this painful affliction doesn’t discriminate. Arthritis can affect any age, race, and gender. According to the American College of Rheumatology, it’s estimated around 300,000 US children have been diagnosed with arthritis. And millions of adults live with the condition, sometimes with debilitating effects. The good news is that physical therapy can be very effective in helping arthritis. It is a non-evasive and drug-free way to improve life with arthritis. The main goals of physical therapy

Your hip joints are one of the most important joints in our body. Hip joints need to be strong to support the mobility of our body. Hips can become weaker as we age. Weaker hips can reduce stability, resulting in the risk of falling. Several muscles surround the hip joint. As we age, these muscle groups become weaker due to lack of movement and muscle deterioration. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Physical therapy can be quite beneficial in many aspects of healthy aging. This is especially true when addressing weaker hips in older adults. Physical therapy is

Vertigo can be very scary. We can take balance for granted and don’t think about much until we don’t have it any longer. Most likely, you have been dizzy or lost your balance temporarily. Whether you felt seasick on a boat, finished a carnival ride, or even spun around in an office chair too quickly. However, those feelings of the room spinning were temporary, and your sense of balance resumed. Imagine if that feeling stayed with you all day or as you lie down, causing your daily activities to come to a standstill. That is what happens to many who

There are many healthy benefits of stretching. Have you ever seen an infant who has just woken up lift their arms above their head and stretch? Stretching the body muscles is so instinctive, babies do it from birth. But this reflexive movement is more than just an involuntary reach. Stretching is essential for our bodies throughout our entire life and can bring a lot of health benefits. Various Types Of Stretches There are many kinds of stretches, with each serving a specific purpose. Here are the three most common types of stretches. Static Stretching First, there are static stretches. You

Millions of people suffer from chronic pain and inflammation. Both pain and inflammation can stem from various causes. And, they can both lead to other health problems. But some remedies can reduce and even treat your pain and inflammation altogether. With the incorporation of physical therapy, you can experience restored strength, mobility, pain relief, or even treatment. Chronic Pain and Inflammation Defined Inflammation and Pain Inflammation is a defense mechanism within the body. The immune system identifies and removes potentially damaging or foreign stimuli. Essentially protecting the body from harm. Pain is an indication that something may be wrong. Sometimes