About amacht

Core Strengthening

The core muscles include upper abdominal muscle, rectus abdominus , lower abdominal muscle, transverse abdominus, internal and external oblique muscles, and lower back muscles.

Strength and power originate from the center of the body. The core stabilizes the body with arm and leg movement. If the core is weak, you have a greater chance of back injury. If the core muscles are strong, it decreases the likelihood of back injury with pulling, pushing, lifting, bending, and reaching. A strong core improves posture, balance, stability, and endurance during activity.

If you want to learn how to perform core strengthening exercises, contact Harbor Physical Therapy.

Common Running Injuries

1. Shin splints- This can happen from a change of distance/intensity of your run and or lack of foot support. The treatment for shin splints is rest and ice. If it persists, you should see a physical therapist to evaluate your running stride.
2. Knee pain- There are many reasons a runner can develop knee pain. Some reasons include muscle weakness, muscle tightness, and improper shoe wear. The treatment for knee pain is rest and ice. If it persists, you should see a medical professional.
3. Achilles tendonitis- This can occur when you dramatically increase your workout. If you are having pain along the tendon at the back of the ankle, stop running, rest, and apply ice. A tight and or weak calf muscle can both contribute to achilles tendonitis.
4. Hamstring Strain- This can result from the hamstring being weak and shortened. If you experience a hamstring strain, stop running and ice. After a couple days, you can begin to stretch the muscle gently.
5. Plantar fasciitis- An inflammation of the tendon that runs from your heel along the underneath of your foot to your toes. This can result from calf tightness or poor foot support. Use ice on the bottom of your foot to relieve pain.
6. ITB syndrome. Your iliotibial band is a long band that runs down the outside of your thigh from your hip to your knee. With running, this band can cause friction on the thigh bone near your knee. This can cause irritation and pain along the outside of your knee. Treatment includes stretching of the ITB and ice.
7. Stress Fracture- This is caused by cumulative stress on the leg or foot, most commonly in the shin bone, heel or metatarsal bones of the foot. If you are diagnosed with a stress fracture, you will need to take a few months off from running.

Most running injuries are caused by a muscle imbalance. Harbor Physical Therapy provides Running Assessments to determine what you are doing during your running stride to cause and or lead to injury. A running assessment will prevent the likelihood of injury and help a runner to meet their running goals. Please visit Wellness Services at Harbor Physical Therapy for more information.

Benefits of Walking

1. Decreases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

2. Decreases your risk of stroke and strengthens your heart.

3. Decreases your risk of developing dementia by increasing blood flow to the brain.

4. Lowers your LDL (bad cholesterol) and increases your HDL (good cholesterol).

5. Decreases blood pressure.

6. Manages your weight by decreasing body fat.

7. Strengthens bone and decreases risk of developing osteoporosis

8. Helps you sleep at night.

9. Improves your mood.

10. Improves flexibility of joints, balance and co-ordination.

If you need help starting a walking program, contact Harbor Physical Therapy at 443-524-0442.

Morning vs. Evening Exercise

Most sources out there believe that working out in the morning is more beneficial. Listed below is a summary of reasons why this is believed to be true.

1. You are more likely to stick with a routine if it is in the morning. There is less chance of other activities or distractions getting in the way.
2. After a workout, you continue to burn calories for about 30-60 minutes; therefore, if you remain active throughout the day you can burn more calories.
3. If you exercise too close to your bedtime, you could find yourself restless.
4. Exercising increases oxygen to your brain and will increase your mental sharpness for the day. You may find you need less caffeine.
5. Exercising releases endorphins, which can improve your mood for the day.

Working out in the evening can be beneficial to those who are doing more vigorous exercise such as racquetball or weight lifting. Our bodies’ temperature is higher in the evening and muscles are warmer allowing increased flexibility. Weight lifting in the morning is often ineffective because the glycogen levels are lower.

Free Weights Vs. Machines

Free weights include dumbbells, barbells, ankle weights, and pulleys. Free weights are used for a variety of exercises for the entire body. Exercising with free weights, allow you to perform weighted exercises in a functional motion. This not only strengthens the muscle you are contracting, it allows contraction of many different muscles to stabilize the motion. This is the main difference between using weight machines versus free weights. However, one needs to be careful using free weights because you are more likely to cause an injury due to the freedom of motion.

Machines at the gym provide more structure. Usually machines focus on one part of the body at a time and provide support for the rest of the body. This insures isolation of a muscle contraction at the specific muscle group. Generally they provide diagrams on each machine that tells you how to correctly perform each exercise.

Ideally, one should incorporate both free weights and machines into your workout as they are both beneficial. Please contact Harbor Physical Therapy for details on how to structure your workout with free weights and machines.

Staying Hydrated with Exercise

Drinking too much or being dehydration can decrease your workout productivity. To determine if you are well hydrated, take a look at your urine volume and color. If your urine is light yellow in color and you are going on a regular basis (every 3 to 4 hours), you are well hydrated. If your urine is dark, you are dehydrated.

It is important to make sure you are well hydrated before working out. It is recommended to drink between 8 to 16 ounces of water 15 minutes before your workout. During your workout, it is recommended to drink 4 to 8 ounces every 15-20 minutes. If you are working out vigorously for over 90 minutes, it is recommended you drink 8 to 10 ounces of a sports drink every 15 to 30 minutes.

Knee Replacement Surgery

A knee replacement is a common surgery for people who suffer from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or from a traumatic knee injury. There are three types of knee replacement surgeries; total knee replacement, partial knee replacement, and knee resurfacing. Listed below are the differences between the three.

A total knee replacement surgery replaces part of your femur (thigh bone), knee cap, and tibia (shin bone) with metal implants. The damaged cartilage and bone is replaced with metal components that are cemented or “press-fit” into the bone to recreate the surface of the joint. Plastic spacers are inserted between the components to provide a smooth gliding surface.

A partial knee replacement, also known as a unicompartmental knee replacement, is a more conservative option. The surgeon will treat one or two of the compartments of the knee removing most of the damaged areas of cartilage from the joint and leave the healthy parts for continued use. Generally there is a smaller incision and a faster recovery time.

Knee resurfacing replaces only the damaged surface areas of the joint. This generally results in fewer anesthesias and a shortened surgery time. The damaged bone is removed and the surgeon fits the implant to that bone.

Treadmill Running vs. Outdoor Running

Treadmill Running:
1. Predictable running surface
2. Treadmill belt assists leg turnover causing faster stride
3. Can adjust the incline
4. Decrease proprioceptive training due to predictable surface
5. Decrease likelihood of injury due to predictable surface

Outdoor Running:
1. Wind resistance- increases your workload from 2%-10%
2. Unpredictable running surfaces- increases chance of injury
3. Different running surfaces offer proprioceptive training to increase ankle stability
4. Changes in running pace/stride due to climate changes

No matter where you decide to walk or run, you will achieve substantial cardiovascular, endurance, strength, and weight loss gains. Harbor Physical Therapy provides running assessment and evaluation to help achieve your exercise goals. Please contact Harbor Physical Therapy for more information.

Headaches

Headaches can be related to muscle tightness.  Tension in the neck muscles can radiate symptoms to the jaw, shoulder, or head. For example, tightness in the upper trapezius muscle (on the top of the shoulder) is a frequent cause for pain in the temples. Tight muscles in the back of the head underneath the skull can cause headaches in the back of the head or radiate pain to the forehead. Cervical spine tightness can also trigger migraines. Poor posture, muscle weakness, and spinal alignment can all contribute to headaches.

Physical Therapy will decrease muscle tightness, restore mobility to the joints, improve postural awareness, improve body mechanics with daily activities, and improve strength and stability. Physical therapist use modalities such as moist heat, ice, soft tissue massage, manual techniques, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, stretching, and postural strengthening exercises to provide treatment for headaches.

If you suffer from headaches, tight neck muscles might be the cause. Contact Harbor Physical Therapy for an evaluation to determine if your headaches are related to muscle tightness.

The Relationship Between Personal Trainers and Physical Therapists

Personal trainers often see people with pre-existing or new injuries. A physical therapist provides rehabilitation for injuries to return you to your current workout routine or sport of choice. The physical therapist will provide education to you and your personal trainer to focus on specific workouts or avoid certain exercises to prevent re-injury. Therefore, it is helpful to have an ongoing relationship with both a personal trainer and physical therapist to decrease the likelihood of injury while working towards your fitness goals.

At Harbor Physical Therapy, we now provide personal training. If you do not already have a personal trainer, please contact us and we can help you to achieve your fitness goals. We will be happy to get you started on a safe exercise program catered to your specific needs.