MANAGING A PATIENT’S BMI can reduce pain and improve outcomes pre & post surgically.
Physical therapists can treat patients for their pain (potentially related to their obesity) and can provide can provide general population information to patients regarding healthy eating, healthy recipes, general daily activity.
Ready or not here it comes! ICD-10’s are fast approaching, and while our patients may not be anticipating the day, it is sure in the minds of all of our therapists. Never fear though, we have some reasons for you to smile and some tips that will help you when getting started.
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This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics.
1.One Less Headache to Worry About
Written by the therapy Team at The Jackson Clinics Physical Therapy
Jaw and head pain can be a real pain in the neck—literally. Did you know that many people suffering from both temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) and headaches have postural issues with their cervical spine or neck? This is why we can be an important ally in combating persistent headaches and TMD-related facial pain. Read More
2. PAIN, NO GAIN. BE NICE TO YOURSELF
Written by Jen Ryskamp at The Center for Physical Rehabilitation
“No pain, no gain”
This is a phrase we have all heard spoken in gyms or on the field especially during particularly difficult workouts. I’m sure you have uttered the phrase a time to two when you felt like giving up on a task that was physically challenging for self-motivation. Cleverly thought up by Jane Fonda in the 1980’s, she used this concept to keep her clientele motivated. Jane was a pioneer in the workout world selling 17 million copies of her aerobic exercise videos, motivating people to get in shape. Her lifetime of physical fitness has paid off. Now in her 70’s, she still has a great physique and carries herself well. Read More
3. 4 Safety Tips for the Weekend Warrior
Written by the therapy Team at Desert Hand Therapy and Physical Therapy
Weekend warrior (noun): a person who participates in an activity only in their spare time.
Every day, approximately 10,000 Americans visit the emergency room for sports or exercise-related injuries. If you are a weekend warrior, it’s important to remember your body can’t go from inactive mode to weekend warrior mode in an instant. Exercise intensity needs to be progressive, or the risk for injury increases. Weekend warriors tend to jump right into an intense activity and bypass preparation. Read More
We all know the zombie apocalypse is inevitable, but have you ever stopped to wonder just how far your limbs can carry you without sustaining injury, assuming they weren’t eaten during the unfortunate event that caused you to turn. Walkers quite frankly do a lot of walking; most of it is rather aimless but they cover a lot of distance especially in a herd.
Article written by: Chris Wolfe, PT, Certified MDT, OCS
Director of Green Hills STAR Physical Therapy
www.StarPT.com
Shoulder disorders are some of the most common joint complaints, and shoulder impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tendonitis are considered to be the most frequent cause of shoulder pain and disability. The shoulder complex is unique in the body due to its structure and function. It is considered a ball and socket joint involving the large rounded end of the upper arm bone called the humerus and the small shallow socket of the shoulder blade. This disproportional shape allows for a wide range of directions that the arm can be moved; however, it does not provide much stability to hold it in place. The stability of the shoulder relies heavily on numerous ligaments, tendons and muscles; and the most common group is called the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff attaches to and surrounds the rounded end of the humerus and is bordered superiorly by a bony roof called the acromion. There is a small space between this bony roof and the rotator cuff. With reaching overhead, the space around the rotator cuff decreases, sandwiching and pinching the tendons between the two bones. This can lead to the disorder of shoulder impingement where the tendons become compressed and then inflamed.
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“It’s gone” and “I can’t believe a little piece of tape can help that much”. These are typical comments made by patients after they have been shown how to tape their joints. Hand therapists have expanded the tricks in their bag of treatment options for pain reduction methods. Kinesio taping is now used as an effective pain reliever for hands. Patients who have not found traditional splints comfortable or effective now have an alternative. They report significant improvements in hand function with the use of simple taping techniques due to reduced pain.
If you are a patient with hand or wrist pain talk to your physical or occupational therapist about taping as a low-cost practical method of pain relief. Information provided by our friends at Plymouth Physical Therapy Specialists
More PTandMe articles about Kinesio Taping can be found here:
Joint Protection is important to hand and upper extremity rehabilitation. Our Friends at The Hale Hand Center came up with this list of techniques to help you protect your joints.
When pain persists and feels like it is ruining your life, it is difficult to see how it can be serving any useful purpose.
But even when pain is chronic and nasty, it hurts because the brain has somehow concluded, often completely subconsciously, that you are threatened and in danger — the trick is finding out why the brain has come to this conclusion.
“So, are you saying that the pain is all in my head?”
Yes — ALL pain is produced by the brain – no brain, no pain! This does not mean that it is not real – all pain is real.
Prenatal care can increase health benefits for both mother and baby as well as reduce the risk of certain complications. It not only includes seeking medical care but also adopting certain lifestyle habits. Good nutrition and regular physical activity have both been linked to a number of benefits including a healthy birth-weight for babies.
Researchers from Canada wanted to estimate the influence of structured prenatal exercise on birth weight. A secondary assessment was done on the rate of cesarean since one reason for cesarean is a larger than normal fetus. The study, published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, found that that structured prenatal exercise reduces the risk of having a large newborn without increasing the risk of low birth weight babies. Exercise was also associated with a lower risk of cesarean section.
About the Study
The meta-analysis included 28 randomized trials evaluating exercise interventions in 5,322 pregnancies for which birth size information was available. Participants were assigned to a standard prenatal care group or a standard prenatal care group plus supervised prenatal exercise group of at least 1 exercise session every 2 weeks throughout the study duration.
Participants who were in the prenatal exercise group were:
The mothers that participated in the regular exercise program also gained less weight than those in the group that did not receive the exercise intervention.
Information provided by the EBSCO Health Library
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which the spine is curved either front to back or side to side and is often rotated to one side or the other. It can occur at birth (congenitally), develop over time having no obvious cause, but often seen related to posture and growth (idiopathically) or due to an injury or the other condition (secondarily), such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy.
The most common type is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. It usually develops between the ages of 10 and 15, during periods of rapid growth. There are two kinds of curves, single or “C” curves and double or “S” curves. “C” curves are slightly more common than “S” curves. The curve can occur in the upper back (thoracic), lower back (lumbar), or a combination of both.
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