Category Archives: Sports and Fitness

common running injuries

Common Running Injuries

- Blog, Leg, Sports and Fitness

Physical therapy for runners
Running can be great for your health, but if an injury occurs never be afraid to seek help. The best treatment for injuries for runners is early management and education on self-care specific to the injury. We’ve compiled a list of common running injuries below. If you are experiencing lasting pain that affects your ability to complete your run or activities throughout your day, don’t modify your behavior – talk to your physical therapist.

IT (Iliotibial) Band Syndrome

  • Common Causes: Improper footwear, Increasing mileage and/or intensity too quickly are all things that lead to common running injuries
  • Symptoms: Usually occurs after a short period of running with sharp pain on the outside of the knee

For more information click here

Piriformis Syndrome

  • Common Causes: Increasing mileage and/or intensity too quickly, Poor running mechanics, Usually associated with weak hips and core can lead to common running injuries.
  • Symptoms: Local pain and tightness in the buttock with possible tingling or numbness down the back of the leg. Most noted during prolonged sitting.

Shin Splints

  • Common Causes: Improper footwear, Lack of flexibility in calves, running on hard surfaces can also lead to common running injuries.
  • Symptoms: Throbbing or aching pain along the front of the shin. Usually occurs during and/or following a prolonged run or walk.

For more information click here

Plantar Fasciitis

  • Common Causes: Improper footwear, Change in running surface, Calf tightness, increasing mileage and/or intensity too quickly can lead to common running injuries.
  • Symptoms: Deep ache and/or sharp pain in the bottom of the heel. Most commonly felt in the morning or following prolonged sitting

For more information click here

Runner’s Knee

  • Common Causes: Increasing mileage and/or intensity too quickly, Poor running mechanics lead to common running injuries.
  • Symptoms: Swelling, Aching pain behind and/ or around the kneecap, pain walking up and/or downstairs.

Achilles Tendinitis

  • Common Causes: Improper footwear, Increasing mileage and/or intensity too quickly lead to common running injuries.
  • Symptoms: Swelling, painful to the touch, lack of flexibility along the back of the lower leg close to the heel.

For more information click here

 

how to run with bad knees

How to Run with Bad Knees: Pain Prevention & Care

- Blog, Knee, Sports and Fitness

how to run with bad knees and running with knee pain; Do your knees hurt after running?

Running With Knee Pain

The biggest fear of every runner is that their joints will start to ache and prevent them from running. You can actually never know when something like knee or ankle pain could occur, but you should know the most common reasons that happen and how to prevent it.

Maybe you had a knee injury when you were younger and it could start showing up again while running. Also, a meniscus tear is another problem that could make your knees ache as well as the jumper’s knee. There are simply many reasons for this pain to show since knees are gentle and the impact of feet to the ground puts too much stress on them. Luckily, there are many ways to prevent this and take proper care of your knees and tendons around them which will enable you to run without any difficulties.

Wear the Right Shoes

Feet are very complex and if you don’t take care of them while running, you will find more problems occurring in them, your knees, and even hips. It is all connected and you have to protect your foot in order to avoid any further aches and problems. Running is a high-impact sport and puts plenty of stress on your feet, ankles, and knees, and wearing proper shoes will help you run easily and reduce any risks of injury and pain.

Your job is to find the right shoes that will provide proper support for your toes, heel, and arch. Also, the sole should be comfortable and thick enough to provide amortization during running. Not only will running become even more fun, but you will manage to save your knees from stress, provide comfort for your feet and avoid and prevent any ankle pain and injuries.

Don’t Skip the Strength Training

Strength training is good for your entire body. Proper strength exercises will make your muscles more strong and more flexible which is an essential part of preventing any pain and injuries. If your lower-body muscles are weak, you should try to make them stronger. You can perform plenty of different exercises, such as lunges and squats and you will manage to make your thighs and knees stronger and more balanced. Also, don’t forget to work on your core and stability, because those will keep your knees and hips protected while running and even help with performance.

Check Your Posture While Running

If you’re experiencing any knee pain during or after your running session, it could be that your technique or posture is off. In the past leaning forward was thought to help, but a recent study by Human Movement Science found just the opposite. Their study found that the impact your body had on the ground increased significantly when runners leaned too far forward. If you’re unsure of how your running posture is affecting your body, ask your physical therapist for a gait analysis.

Don’t Overtrain

It is essential to know your body, listen to it, and know when it’s tired. Too much intense training will only bring negative effects and increase the risks of injuries and pain. If you’re already experiencing knee pain, think about how much you’ve run in the last couple of days and see if that was maybe too much for your body. Your body needs proper rest in order to stay healthy, injury-free, and make progress. If you run one day, make sure to rest the next day, or adjust the amount of time you spend running in one take. Take care of your body, let it rest, and you will reach your goals fast and avoid pain.

Knees are delicate. No joint in your body will give in eventually if you’re putting too much stress on it every day. So, make sure your running technique is right, invest in proper shoes, and take it easy. You will be able to run faster and longer if you gradually increase the intensity.

If you are looking for help with your knee pain or would simply like to improve your running posture please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local physical therapist. Many clinics have running programs that are designed specifically to help keep people on the pavement pain-free!

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Sports Overtraining Physical Therapy

Sports Overtraining: Reaching Your Tipping Point

- Blog, Sports and Fitness

Sports Overtraining Physical Therapy

Pushing your body to be the best that it can be is a good thing that can yield great results, but sometimes going too heavy on your body’s odometer might be damaging for you in the long run and can even result in injuries that are detrimental to your fitness goals. Overtraining is doing too much, too often, and past the point of your body’s ability to recover quickly.

Since it’s always better to prevent an injury than to have to treat it after the fact, we thought it would be helpful to share signs you can look out for if you think you’ve reached your tipping point.

Signs and Symptoms of Sports Overtraining

  • Persistent aches, pains, or muscle soreness
  • Elevated resting heart rate
  • Decreased agility, strength, endurance, and overall performance
  • Increased susceptibility to infections
  • Chronic or overuse injuries
  • More frequent bouts of illness
  • Feeling irritable, agitated, or depressed
  • Loss of appetite or excessive thirst
  • Headaches
  • Excessive fatigue, sluggishness, or insomnia
  • Becoming restless and losing focus

Although sometimes your body may not be able to keep up with the level of fitness you’d like to perform, it’s important to remember that there is a delicate balance between achieving optimal conditioning and overdoing it.

How to Avoid Sports Overtraining

  • GET ENOUGH SLEEP – This is when our bodies rebuild & repair and our immune system recovers
  • PROPER NUTRITION – Make sure to eat proper nutrients, including plenty of lean meats, fruits, and vegetables
  • EXERCISE SMARTLY – Find a balance & avoid workouts that are too intense for you
  • EASE INTO IT – Follow a structured plan that increases your activity incrementally and safely
  • MONITOR STRESS LEVELS – Remember to breathe during any rigorous activity to remind your nervous system to keep your body calm
  • PROPER RECOVERY TIME – Take one or two days between workout sessions or alternate intensity levels for each workout
  • ACTIVE REST – Try less intense exercises such as yoga, stretching, or foam rolling

Even the healthiest of activities should be enjoyed in moderation. If you’re noticing that you’re feeling run down, your performance is suffering, you’re getting sick more often, and you keep getting injured, it’s time to change your routine. Take time off, dial back your intensity, cross-train to add variety once you’re adequately rested, and visit a physical therapist to deal with an injury.

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shin splints

7 Ways Physical Therapists Treat Shin Splints

- Blog, Leg, Sports and Fitness

Ways physical therapists treat shin splints.

Here are 7 ways a physical therapist can help treat pain and symptoms associated with shin splints:

Pain Reduction: The RICE principle is the first step to recovery (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). Manual therapy and Kinesiotaping may also speed up recovery and reduce swelling.

Gait and Footwear Analysis: An analysis of how a person walks and runs is an important part of treatment. The wrong mechanism of walking can transmit a great deal of force through the shin to the knee and hip. In such situations, physical therapists will correct gait patterns and recommend footwear with shock-absorbing capacity.

Muscle Stretches and Strengthening: The tibial and peroneal muscles are attached to the shin and must be stretched adequately before any form of exercise. Physical therapy includes various stretches of the foot that will help stretch and warm up these muscles. Strengthening damaged muscles can also help.

 Activity Modification:  Physical therapists may suggest alternative activities to minimize stress on the shinbones. These can include swimming and cycling.

Increase Range of Motion (ROM): Exercises for the hip, knee, ankle, and foot improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation and relieve pain. A home exercise program may also be implemented.

Arch Support:  The absence or collapse of a normal foot arch can lead to shin splints. Physical therapists will recommend appropriate orthotics that can be custom-made for the patient and provide the proper amount of arch support.

Return to Sport: If you are an athlete, your therapist may tailor exercises that are specific to strengthening the areas needed to perform your sport. Modified use of your muscles may also be discussed and implemented. Return to your sport may be gradual to prevent re-injury.

To learn more about shin splints please visit our PTandMe injury center on this website by clicking here.

Physical Therapy Appointment

sports medicine physical therapy

The Role of Physical Therapy in Sports Medicine

- Blog, Sports and Fitness

Physical therapy in sports medicine; physical therapy for athletes and physical therapy for sports injuries. Physical therapist for athletes.

Sports medicine through physical therapy comes in many forms. Many clinics keep licensed athletic trainers on staff that will go on-site to schools and other sporting events to act as an initial caregiver at the time of an injury. If an injury occurs, you may be referred to physical therapy. From there, your physical therapist will have an array of different programs tailored to your specific type of injury, the severity of the injury, and your fitness level. However, you don’t have to wait until you have an injury to get help from a physical therapist. Sometimes the best medicine is prevention.

WHEN YOUR BODY EXPERIENCES PAIN:

  • It’s telling you that something is wrong
  • Your body can accommodate the pain, but eventually, a breakdown will happen
  • While you accommodate to your pain, weakness and stiffness begins
  • Once you have a breakdown, pain will happen and more than likely you will stop training

Some ways physical therapists help athletes from experiencing an injury:

Sports Injury Prevention Programs: Physical Therapists offer classes and/or programs geared to specific injuries. Commonly offered programs are geared towards ACL Injury prevention, Golf Strengthening (TPI), Running Injuries, and more.

Gait Analysis for runners: A three-dimensional video assessment of a runner’s biomechanics using a state-of-the-art motion analysis system. See yourself run at variable speeds from five different camera angles. An athlete can learn how to prevent injuries and improve performance through increased cadence and strengthening/stretching.

Functional Movement Screenings (FMS): One way to determine physical weaknesses is to perform the Functional Movement Screen. FMS is an innovative system used to evaluate movement pattern quality for clients and athletes. The functional movement screen is used to identify and correct weaknesses in the movement and strength of athletes.

ONCE AN ATHLETE DOES EXPERIENCE AN INJURY, PHYSICAL THERAPY MAY INCLUDE:

  • Education on faulty or improper posture or body mechanics with training
  • Education and help with technique on exercises that help your muscles stretch farther
  • Flexibility training helps prevent cramps, stiffness, and injuries, and can give you a wider range of motion
  • Correction of muscle imbalances through flexibility and strength training
  • Endurance training
  • Kinesiotaping
  • Alleviation of pain
  • Correction of improper movement patterns

If you are in need of sports medicine physical therapy, we have licensed professionals throughout the country.

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PT News PTandMe

PT News January 2022

- Blog, General Information, PT News, Sports and Fitness

PT News PTandMe

This time in PT News we recap what our clinics have been posting throughout January 2022. We are excited to bring you current physical therapy-based posts featuring published articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

physical therapy after a car accident

1. Physical Therapy gets Patient Walking Again after Serious Accident

Written by Ability Rehabilitation with multiple locations throughout  Central, FL.

In the US, 30 million children, and teens participate in organized sports with more than 4 million injuries each year. The majority of these injuries occur as sprains and strains of the upper and lower extremity. (Hopkinsmedicine.org) Many of these injuries are preventable with proper exercise training, which ultimately reduces health care costs and minimizes lost playing time keeping the athlete on the field or court.  Read more

 

2. Get Moving Again with these Helpful Tips

Written by Cornerstone Physical Therapy, an outpatient physical therapy practice with locations in the Columbus, Ohio area.

Did you know that 80 percent of the U.S. population falls short of the Physical Activity Guidelines recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services? Millions of Americans are risking serious health consequences simply because they do too much sitting and not enough moving around. Read more

 

Pelvic Health for Men

3. Is Pelvic Rehab Just for Women?

Written by The Center for Physical Rehabilitation, an outpatient physical therapy group with locations throughout Greater Grand Rapids, MI. 

Pelvic floor physical therapy has long been identified as “Women’s Health.” But the fact remains that everyone is in possession of a pelvic floor. Men can experience pelvic floor dysfunction or pelvic pain for a multitude of reasons that can successfully be treated with physical therapy. Male pelvic floor dysfunction has the same definition as female. The pelvic floor is unable to correctly relax and coordinate muscle use, noting issues with urination, bowel movements, pain, or sexual dysfunction.  Read more

We hope you enjoyed our picks for the PT News January 2022 edition.

Find these locations and others to start feeling better today!

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winter sports safety

Winter Sports Safety

- Blog, Sports and Fitness

winter sports safety

The first snowfall is exciting. It’s a signal to strap on the skis and skates, or even jump on a sled. Days spent playing in the frosty snow can be jam-packed with fun, but like any activity, you need to play safely. Winter activities can lead to the same bumps and bruises of every sport, but there’s the added concern of how to safely stay outside in cold temperatures. To help with that we have compiled a few winter snow safety strategies to help you avoid some of the most common winter sports injuries.

General Guidelines

No matter what your winter sport is, it is important to take a few minutes and make sure you know how to be safe.
Suggestions include:

  • Don’t wait until the last minute. Start strength training the muscles you will need a month or so ahead of time. This will help you get into proper shape.
  • Make sure you are in good physical condition for activities in the cold. If you are unsure, check with your doctor.
  • Warm-up with light exercise for 5 minutes before you engage in any sport.
  • Make sure your equipment and protective gear are in good condition and fit well.
  • Always wear the appropriate protective gear for your sport.
  • Dress properly for the cold. Protect yourself from frostbite and hypothermia.
  • Wear several layers of tops and pants under warm jackets. Wear hats and water-resistant gloves. Face masks may be necessary for very cold weather.
  • Protect your eyes from snow glare with shatter-proof sunglasses or goggles with UV protection.
  • Take lessons to improve your ability. Better skills will allow you to adjust to changing conditions.
  • Many organizations, like the National Ski Areas Association, recommend the use of helmets for downhill winter sports to prevent head injury.

Skiing and Snowboarding

Skiing and snowboarding have their own special equipment. The right equipment and the right fit are as important as knowing what you are doing. This will reduce your risk of injury.
Here are some other things you need to know:

  • Take lessons from an expert. Evidence supports that beginners are hurt more frequently. The quicker you improve, the safer you will be on the slopes.
  • Stick with your abilities. Do not attempt to ski a slope that is beyond your personal abilities. Ski-marked trails and observe trail signs. Rest when you get tired.
  • Be sure that equipment is properly maintained and clean—no dirt or salt between boots, bindings, and the binding mechanism.
  • Properly adjust bindings to reduce the chance of leg injuries. Test your ability to escape bindings by standing in the skis, then twisting to release the toe and heel pieces
  • Wear the proper gear for snowboarding. This includes snowboarding pants, wrist guards, arm guards, and shin guards.
  • When approaching the lift, be aware of pieces of clothing that could become entangled.
  • Wear a helmet specifically designed for snow sports.
  • Always ski or board with a buddy.
  • Know and observe all the rules about crossing a trail, passing, and stopping.
  • Wear sunscreen.
  • Wear bright colors.
  • If you are cross-country skiing for long distances, take snacks, water, extra clothes, and first aid supplies with you. Take a cell phone if you will be skiing in a remote area.

BOSU Balance, Endurance, and Strengthening Exercises to help you Stay Healthy on the Slopes

Exercises provided by North Lake Physical Therapy, located in Portland Oregon

Make sure you’re safe on the slopes by going to see your physical therapist. A Physical therapist can evaluate your injury, start a treatment plan, and most importantly, make sure you’re able to get back out enjoying your winter sports and activities.

physical therapy near me

Training Injuries

Improper Exercise Leads to Training Injuries

- Blog, Sports and Fitness

Training Injuries

The amount of physical activity you need depends on your individual fitness goals and your current fitness level.  It’s important to start within your abilities and to listen to your body’s cues in terms of pain and injury. If you experience a training injury and your body starts to ache past the point of normal muscle soreness, your body is trying to tell you that something is wrong.  For a short time, you’ll be able to push through the ache, but eventually, a breakdown will happen, and weakness and lack of flexibility will begin. Once you have a breakdown, the pain will happen and more than likely you will stop training. We want to help you before you get to a breakdown.

Training Injuries

Training injuries can be sustained from weight training, martial arts training, and sport-specific training. Common injuries include:

  • Strain/Sprain (commonly called a pulled muscle)
  • Tendinitis,  Back/Neck Pain, Tennis Elbow (Inflammation of the tendon fibers that attach the forearm extensor muscles to the outside of the elbow).
  • Carpal Tunnel: Numbness, tingling, or a dull sensation of the thumb, index finger, and middle fingers due to compression to the median nerve in your wrist.
  • Muscle Tear/Rupture
  • Separated or Dislocated Joint (shoulder, hip, knee)
  • Bursitis: Tightness in the hip or pain radiating down the lateral thigh contusion

Running Injuries

Overuse musculoskeletal injuries occur frequently in runners. Proper stretching and training principles can reduce your risk of developing a running injury.

  • Shin Splints: An overuse injury of the anterior or posterior tibialis muscles, characterized by pain or soreness down either side of the shin. Technically, this condition is tendinitis or inflammation of the tendons/muscles that attach to the tibia.
  • Achilles Tendinitis: Inflammation of the Achilles Tendon with possible thickening or thinning of the tendon and associated with pain resulting from overuse, overstretch, or poor flexibility. Hills or jumping activity will exacerbate this condition.
  • Plantar Fasciitis: Inflammation of the plantar fascia, which is the connective tissue supporting the arch of the foot. There may be point tenderness at the heel and arch.  This condition usually occurs with increased mileage or won/unsupported shoes. This condition may lead to heel spurs.

Prevent Injury While you Train

Injury can happen at any time, but there are steps you can take before during, and after your run to help prevent long-term pain. Prior to your run allow yourself at least a five-minute warm-up.  Suggestions include jumping rope, jumping jacks, light jogging, or a combination. After your warm-up takes the time to gently stretch your muscles.  Remember not to bounce.

While you are training it is important to use the proper equipment. This includes shoes for your foot type (high arch, flat foot, neutral foot), comfortable clothing, and appropriate socks. If the shoe is fitted to your foot, you will need to change running shoes every 400 miles. Even sooner if wear has occurred to the foot platform. Also make sure to change the running path often, aka different locations, terrains, surfaces, and directions.  Cross-training is also important.  We recommend using a Stairmaster or elliptical trainer, biking, swimming, yoga, Pilates. After a run, it is important to cool down with more intense stretching than the warm-up.

How Physical Therapy Can Help

TRAINING ASSESSMENTS

  • Educate on faulty or improper posture or body mechanics with training
  • Educate and help with techniques on exercises that help your muscles stretch farther. Flexibility training helps prevent cramps, stiffness, and injuries and can give a wider range of motion.
  • Correct muscle imbalances through flexibility and strength training
  • Endurance training
  • Alleviate pain
  • Correct improper movement patterns

RUNNING ASSESSMENTS

  • Modify training when you have a minor ache and pain (This does not always mean you need to stop training)
  • Get assessed for weakness and flexibility issues to address biomechanical deficits.  A therapist can videotape your running to look for biomechanical deficits that you may have while running
  • Look at foot mechanics for proper shoe type, stability, motion control, and neutral/cushion shoes

Find a PT

We have talented teams of physical therapists throughout the U.S. that can help you get the care you need.  Whether you need training injury prevention or recovery, our specialists have the skills and know-how to get you back to your workout routine or sport safely.

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PT News PTandMe

PT News October 2021

- Arm, Blog, PT News, Sports and Fitness

PT News PTandMe

This time in PT News we recap what our clinics have been posting throughout Sept/October 2021. We are excited to bring you current physical therapy-based posts featuring published articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

Arm Pain

1. Arm Pain? Check the Neck!

Written by JACO Physical Therapy with multiple locations in O’ahu, HI.

Do you have a deep ache or weird sensation in the shoulder, elbow, or hand? Does it come and go? Does it get worse when you stay in one position for too long, sometimes spreading into other areas? Do you massage or “shake it out” to get relief?  Check the neck!  Read more

 

get active square

2. Marathon Series: 4 Parts

Written by The Center for Physical Rehabilitation, an outpatient physical therapy practice with locations throughout Greater Grand Rapids, MI. 

Welcome to the blog and video series of my marathon training! I want to preface that this series will not be a detailed training plan, but a combination of reflection, describe shared principles in rehab and running, and a showcase of the clinician talent at CPR. Read more

 

Groin Strain

3. Pulled Groin or Sports Hernia? How to Tell the Difference

Written by O.S.R. Physical Therapy, an outpatient physical therapy group with 4 locations in MN.

It’s one of the most painful moments of any athlete’s life. Doing a fast cut-over during practice or twisting too much to avoid another player, suddenly you feel a sharp pain in your inner thighs and up into your groin. Clearly, you’ve strained your groin – but, is this strain just a pulled groin or sports hernia?…  Read more

We hope you enjoyed our picks for the PT News October 2021 edition.

Find these locations and others to start feeling better today!

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PT News PTandMe

PT News August 2021

- Balance & Vestibular Rehab, Blog, PT News, Sports and Fitness

PT News PTandMe

This time in PT News we recap what our clinics have been posting throughout August 2021. We are excited to bring you current physical therapy-based posts featuring published articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

ACL Knee Pain

1. Knee ACL and Lower Extremity Injuries: Can we prevent them in our young athletes? 

Written by Mishock Physical Therapy with multiple locations in Montgomery, Berks, and Chester Counties.

Lower extremity injuries make up 66% of all sports injuries, the knee being the most commonly injured joint. (Med Sci. Sports Exerc. 2002) The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four ligaments in the knee that holds the thigh and leg bones together. The ACL ligament is often injured in sports. The ACL ligament tear often requires orthopedic surgery (ACL reconstruction). It is estimated that 350,000 ACL reconstructions are performed annually in the USA. Over 100,000 of these repairs happen in NCAA athletes per year, alone.  Read more

 

Core Strength Improve Balance

2. Strengthening Your Core Can Improve Balance

Written by One to One Physical Therapy & Aquatics, an outpatient physical therapy practice with locations in Lake Worth, Boca Raton, & Delray Beach, FL. 

Did you know that strengthening your core muscles is linked to developing better balance? It’s true! When your core muscles are strong, they have a better chance of preventing you from experiencing chronic lower back pain and developing other injuries. They also prevent you from losing your balance or falling over. A strong core helps to keep you in an upright position, especially as you get older and develop more of a risk of falling and hurting yourself. Read more

 

Mountain Biker Physical Therapy

3. Freeride Mountain Biker Carson Storch Pushes the Limits

Written by Rebound Physical Therapy, an outpatient physical therapy group with locations throughout Greater Bend, OR. 

In the sport of freeride mountain biking, taking big risks often produces big rewards. Professional freerider Carson Storch knows this firsthand. The 28-year-old Bend native has spent the last decade competing in high-profile slopestyle and freeride competitions and starring in mountain biking film projects in which he pushes the limits of the sport…  Read more

We hope you enjoyed our picks for the PT News August 2021 edition.

Find these locations and others to start feeling better today!

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PTandMe was recently recognized as one of the Top 100 Physical Therapy Blogs Online by feedspot.com!