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Types of Physical Therapy

Physical therapists treat a large variety of conditions. Therefore, there are many specialties within the field of physical therapy.

Orthopedic physical therapy includes any musculoskeletal condition due to overuse, injury, accidents or poor body mechanics. This includes post-operative conditions from hip and knee replacements to surgeries on the shoulder, ankle, knee, neck or back. This category also includes any type of acute or chronic pain which have no apparent cause.

Neurological physical therapy includes working with patients that have Alzheimer’s, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and strokes.

Women’s health physical therapy includes treating women with incontinence, pelvic pain, weakened pelvic floor muscles, and conditions related to pregnancy.

Geriatric physical therapy includes cardiovascular training, balance training, post-operative treatment, and acute/chronic pain conditions. This therapy can take place in outpatient orthopedic facilities, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers.

Cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy rehabilitates patients who have recently had heart or pulmonary surgery and need to regain their strength and cardiovascular fitness.

Harbor Physical Therapy is an outpatient orthopedic rehabilitation facility. Therefore, we fall under the orthopedic category. We also treat patients that might fall in some of the other categories listed above. If you are unsure what type of physical therapy facility you need, please contact us for more information.

Muscle Stiffness

Muscle Stiffness

Many people suffer from muscle stiffness in the morning.  There are many reasons for morning muscle stiffness such as; poor sleeping positions, arthritis, obesity, poor diet, dehydration and having a sedentary lifestyle.

Listed below are examples of ways to decrease muscle stiffness:

  1. Applying heat
  2. Stretching throughout the day
  3. Improve sleeping position- such as, sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees.
  4. Taking a shower/bath in the morning followed by stretching
  5. Being active throughout the day

To learn specific exercises that can help decrease your morning muscle stiffness, make an appointment at Harbor Physical Therapy. The physical therapist will create a home exercise program and educate you on specific ways to help reduce your discomfort.

What is a Trigger Point?

A trigger point is a specific spot on a tight band of muscle that is hyperirritable. Usually you can feel a nodule or knot in the muscle. When you put pressure on the trigger point, it will feel tender and possibly radiate pain to another area.

Trigger points are most commonly located in the postural muscles of the neck, shoulders, and upper back. Trigger points can manifest themselves in tension headaches, ringing in the ear, and jaw pain.

Lack of exercise, sitting at a computer with poor posture, vitamin deficiencies, lack of sleep and micro trauma that occurs with sports and repetitive activities can all contribute to trigger points.

Physical therapists are trained to help inactivate these trigger points. Physical therapists will use modalities such as heat or ice, soft tissue massage, ultrasound and stretching to help reduce pain and tightness at the site of the trigger point.

Can stress lead to pain?

Are you wondering if your back or neck pain can be related to stress? Many times stress alone can cause pain and if your spinal nerves are already irritated due to a previous injury, degenerative changes or scar tissue, it may only take a little extra muscle tension to increase your pain.

Stress creates muscle tension. This can cause compression to the nerves that run through your muscles. The compression of the nerves can result in symptoms such as aching, numbness, tingling, and sharp pains. Muscle tension reduces blood flow through the tissues robbing them of nutrients and oxygen. Sciatica is one of the most common problems that can be worsened with stress.

Try to manage your stress with techniques such as meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, massage therapy, walking or warm baths. Also, see your physical therapist as soon as your symptoms worsen. Physical Therapy will provide you with exercises and manual techniques to reduce muscle tension.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Definition and Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:

The carpal tunnel is a band of fibrous tissue that supports the wrist joint. The median nerve travels down the forearm through this tunnel to the hand. When there is a thickening of the tendon, compression or inflammation in this tunnel, you can have pain or numbness that travels to the thumb, index and middle fingers. Symptoms are usuallyhttp://www.machtmedicalgroup.com/wp-admin/categories.php worse during the night or first thing in the morning. This is most likely due to flexing the wrist while sleeping. Carpal tunnel syndrome can also lead to weakness in grip strength.

Causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:

Some people think carpal tunnel syndrome is most common among people who type all day at work. Surprisingly, there are more common causes. Carpal tunnel is most common among assembly line workers. Other occupations that can contribute to carpal tunnel are sewing, cleaning, using vibrating tools, and packaging meat or poultry. Other conditions that can cause carpal tunnel are pregnancy, obesity, diabetes, hypothyroidism, arthritis and many repetitive work injuries.

Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:

Treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome can include the use of anti-inflammatory medication, corticosteroids, and physical therapy. A physical therapist will perform modalities such as ultrasound, massage, ice, heat and electrical stimulation to reduce inflammation and pain. A therapist will provide exercises consisting of stretching and strengthening exercises to improve the function of the hand.

Hamstring Strain

A hamstring strain is an injury to the hamstring muscle. A severe hamstring strain can result in a tear of the muscle. Hamstring strains usually occur during running, jumping and climbing and are very common among sprinters, hurdle jumpers and football players.

The hamstring is made up of 3 muscles, the semitendinosus, semimembranosis and the biceps femoris muscles. These muscles are responsible for bending your knee and extending your hip.

Symptoms of a hamstring strain include a sharp pain in the back of the leg, pain with bending over and stretching the hamstring muscles, and pain when contracting the hamstring muscle. Sometimes there may be bruising or swelling.

It is important to rest, ice, compress and elevate for the first 48 hours. Then, begin gentle stretching to tolerance.

Next, make an appointment with a physical therapist. The physical therapist will perform modalities such as ultrasound, massage and electrical stimulation to decrease pain and swelling. The physical therapist will instruct you in exercise to improve flexibility and regain strength.

Back Pain and Physical Therapy

An episode of back pain can last anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks. Seeing a physical therapist can decrease your healing time and prevent further injury.

Typical treatment will consist of heat or cold packs, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, massage, stretching, postural education, and lumbar stabilization exercises.

Stretching exercises are performed to restore your flexibility and motion. Strengthening exercises are performed to increase the muscular support of your spine to prevent further injury.

Arthritis

Arthritis can cause stiffness, pain, deformity and loss of function of the joints in your body. Physical therapy can help to decrease pain and restore mobility with the use of exercises and modalities.

A physical therapist can instruct you in exercises to help increase flexibility and improve muscle strength around the joint. Working daily on a home exercise program, will help to prevent loss of the use of your joints and preserve muscle strength.
If you suffer from arthritis, see your local physical therapist to create a home program to help improve your quality of life.

Long Term Consequences of Wearing High Heeled Shoes

Trying to look your best may not be the best thing for your body. Wearing high heels alters your posture which can lead to many back, neck, leg and foot problems.
Wearing high heels pushes your center of gravity forward. This causes your back and calf muscles to work harder to keep you standing up straight. This in turn shortens your back and calf muscles.

When you wear high heels, your knees stay slightly bent and your shins turn inward. These compressive forces can cause pain on the inside of your knee which can lead to degenerative joint disease.

Your calf muscles are shortened when wearing high heels. This puts a lot of pressure on your forefoot while you are walking. This can increase your chances of getting hammertoes, bunions and neuromas. And don’t forget about corns, callouses and blisters that can occur from wearing pointed toed shoes.

Over a long period of time, wearing high heels can permanently damage your Achilles tendon. While wearing high heels, your Achilles tendon is shortened. This can result in heel pain.

And lastly, one could develop “pump bump”, otherwise known as Haglund’s deformity. This is a bony enlargement on the back of the heel caused by straps and rigid backs of pump type shoes which causes rubbing on the back of the heel.

Physical Therapy can help decrease pain associated with wearing high heeled shoes. Please contact Harbor Physical Therapy for more information.

How To Use A Heating Pad Safely

The colder weather is upon us and many people have an increase in chronic joint or muscle pain. Are you using heat or rubs to treat your pain? If you find relief with these items it is important that you know how to use them safely.

A hot pack can provide pain relief to the chronic aching joints that accompany arthritis. Here are some tips on safe use of a heating pad.

• Do not sleep with a heating pad or you may get a burn.
• Only use a heating pad for 15-30 minutes per hour.
• Be extra careful if you are using a heating pad on an area of your body where you don’t have as much feeling and avoid heating numb areas. If you can’t feel the heat as strongly, you might not realize if
you burn yourself.
• Placing towels between the heating pad and your skin can help reduce the risk of burns.
• If you are using topical rubs and ointments like BenGay, only use after applying a heating pad.
• If you have an acute injury (one which is less than 3 days old), you should use ice instead of heat. Heat is appropriate for chronic injuries or pain more than 3 days old.

If you find that your chronic pain is limiting your normal functional activities, or if your acute injury doesn’t begin to get better with ice and rest, visit your local Physician or Physical Therapist.