Tag Archives: treatment techniques

Trigger Point Dry Needling

December 6, 2016 Teresa Stockton - Back, Blog, Foot, Knee, Manual Therapy, Shoulder

Dry needling uses small, thin needles to stimulate underlying myofascial trigger points, muscular and connective tissues for the management of many orthopedic conditions, both acute and chronic. By inserting a needle into the dysfunctional tissue, it often leads to a contraction of the muscle which then stimulates a relaxation. This leads to a reduction of pain, improvements in flexibility and a restoration of normalized movement when combined with corrective exercises.

WHAT IS A MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINT?
A myofascial trigger point is a hyperirritable spot within a taut band of skeletal muscle that produces local or referred pain. The trigger point can lead to increased pain, decreased flexibility and decreased muscle function if not treated. Trigger point dry needling is a safe, effective and efficient treatment technique to release these painful spots.

WHAT TYPE OF PROBLEMS CAN BE TREATED?
Muscle dysfunction can be the primary or secondary contributing factor to many neuromusculoskeletal conditions.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
• Dry needling must be specifically prescribed by a physician.
• Dry needling is not covered by insurance, it is a cash based modality.

This information was written by The Jackson Clinics, a locally owned physical therapy practice in multiple locations throughout Northern Virginia. They specialize in outpatient orthopedics and sports rehabilitation. Their therapists and assistants possess advanced clinical skills in spinal disorders, sacroiliac joint dysfunction and peripheral joint problems, including rotator cuff injuries, knee injuries and foot and ankle pain. They also also have specialty programs in breast cancer rehab, vestibular rehab, pediatrics, post-cancer rehab, aquatic therapy and women’s health. For more information click here.

PT News

November 29, 2016 Teresa Stockton - Blog, PT News

This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

2. Kick the Pain of Gout
Written by the Therapy Team at the Jackson Clinics – Middleburg, VA

In this age of gyms on every corner and fitness-focused reality television shows and entire networks, it’s easy to think of a high-impact workout as a panacea for all kinds of physical ailments. Read more

3. Four Ways to Make Holiday Travel Pain Free
Written by Therapy Team at Momentum Physical Therapy – San Antonio, TX

‘Tis the season for holiday travel. The hustle and bustle is unavoidable with people moving through airports, piling into traffic, and some even traveling by bus to reach their destination. Read more

Postoperative Physical Therapy

November 17, 2016 Teresa Stockton - Aging, Blog, Hip, Knee

Postoperative physical therapy after a Total Hip Replacement is essential to your recovery. Your physical therapist will follow your physician’s protocol and will focus on range of motion exercises, progressive strengthening exercises, gait training, balance training, and activity specific training to meet your specific needs. Modalities such as ice and e-stim may be used to help reduce discomfort and swelling. It is very important to complete your home exercise program as directed by your physical therapist and physician.

RANGE OF MOTION EXERCISES
Swelling and pain can make you move your knee less. Your physical therapist can teach you safe and effective exercises to restore the range of motion to your knee so that you can perform your daily activities.

STRENGTHENING EXERCISES
Weakness of the muscles of the thigh and lower leg is typical after surgery. Your physical therapist can determine the best strengthening exercises for you with the goal of no longer needing a cane or walker to walk.

BALANCE TRAINING
Specialized training exercises can help your muscles “learn” to adapt to changes in your world such as uneven or rocky ground. When you are able to put your full weight on your knee without pain, your physical therapist may add agility exercises so that you can safely and quickly change directions or make quick stops or starts. They may use a balance board that will challenge your balance and knee control. These exercises will be safe and fun.

GAIT TRAINING
Your physical therapist will work with you in retraining your gait following your surgery using appropriate assistive devices such as a walker or cane. They will make sure that you will be able to safely and confidently go up and down stairs, negotiate curbs, and inclines, etc.

ACTIVITY SPECIFIC TRAINING
Depending on the requirements or your job or the type of recreational activities you enjoy, your physical therapist will tailor your program so that you can meet your specific demands.

This article about postoperative physical therapy was written by STAR Physical Therapy, an outpatient physical therapy group with over sixty locations in Tennessee. Established in 1997 with one clinic and one mission – to serve. Today, they have grown to offer that direct service in more than 60 clinics, and while they’ve grown, one thing that has not changed is their commitment to you, their communities, and their employees. For more information click here.

Self-Care: Taking Care of Your Scar at Home

November 3, 2016 Teresa Stockton - Blog, General Information

Taking care of your scar well is an important aspect of your recovery from surgery. You must follow your surgeon’s order faithfully.This includes keeping it dry and covered as long as your doctor tells you it is necessary. If your scar becomes excessively red or painful, notify your doctor or therapist.

When you doctor tells you it is safe, you will need to start treating your scar at home. This is important because excessive scarring can lead to restricted movement and pain. The best approach to controlling your scar formation is to use your hands to free up skin around your scar. Rubbing Vitamin E oil or cocoa butter into your hands before massaging will also help your skin heal.

This information about taking care of your scar was written by Plymouth Physical Therapy Specialists, an outpatient physical therapy group with fourteen locations in the surrounding Plymouth, Michigan area. At Plymouth Physical Therapy Specialists, they are committed to using evidence-based treatments in their practice. This means that their therapists utilize the most current and clinically relevant treatments in their approach to rehabilitation. For more information click here.

McKenzie Method: Diagnosis & Treatment

November 1, 2016 Teresa Stockton - Back, Blog, Manual Therapy

MECHANICAL DIAGNOSIS PHASE:
This system is based on the symptomatic and mechanical responses of patients to various repeated movements or static loading forces(that is a mechanical evaluation). It allows the classification of patients into broad, rather than tissue-specific, categories and thus leads to the formulation of treatment. Rather than seeking to make a diagnosis, which is the identification of a disease by the means of its signs and symptoms, The McKenzie system concentrates on syndrome identification. A syndrome is a characteristic group of symptoms and pattern responses characteristic of a particular problem. The system is now widely used to classify and treat patients with mechanical disorders.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION PHASE:
• Explanation of problem to patient and reason for required exercise program
• Time scale
• The appropriate loading strategy, or strategies needed to manage the condition demonstrated to and practiced by the patient.
• The repetitions and regularity of exercise program explained to patient
• The expected pain response explained to patient

ASSESMENT PHASE:
• Symptomatic diagnosis
• Mechanical Diagnosis

PATIENT MANAGEMENT PHASE:
• Patient education component of management
• Information about the problem itself
• What patients can do to help themselves
• Information about tests, diagnosis and interventions
• Active Mechanical Therapy component:
• The specific exercises should be demonstrated to the patients, they should practice these, the expected pain response should be explained, as well as any warnings against lasting aggravation of their condition and as necessary progressions and alterations should be given.

This information was written by Hamilton Physical Therapy Services, L.P., an outpatient physical therapy group with five locations in Mercer County, New Jersey since 1978. Their modern state-of-the-art facilities are equipped to offer patients an excellent opportunity to reach their optimal functional abilities. Managed and operated by physical therapists mandates that patient care is our number one priority. For more information click here.

PT News

October 25, 2016 Teresa Stockton - Blog, PT News

This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

2. Coping with a Mysterious Pain Syndrome
Written by the Therapy Team at the Jackson Clinics – Middleburg, VA

As its name suggests, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a complicated and painful condition. Approximately 80,000 Americans are diagnosed with CRPS each year, usually in the arm, hand, leg or foot. Read more

3. Is Something Better than Nothing?
Written by Erin Clason at the Center for Physical Rehabilitation – Grand Rapids, MI

When it comes to strength training, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” Most of us are aware of the benefits of strength training in areas like everyday physical function, bone rebuilding, self-confidence, fat reduction, and elevated metabolism. Read more

Bladder Control During Pregnancy

October 18, 2016 Teresa Stockton - Blog, Women's Health

Aside from a growing belly, you may notice other changes in your body now that you are pregnant. One thing you may notice is the loss of urine when you are not trying to urinate. Loss of bladder control, also called incontinence, is common during pregnancy and after childbirth. Needing to run to the bathroom often or leaking urine can make you feel embarrassed. Do not feel shy about asking for physical therapy for incontinence. They can help you understand and manage bladder control, and make sure there are not other conditions causing your incontinence. Here is some information to help you learn more.

HOW DOES THE BLADDER WORK?
Urine is stored in your bladder, which is an organ located in the pelvis. The muscles of the pelvis help keep your bladder in place. When you urinate, urine travels from your bladder and out of your body through a tube called the urethra. Ring-like muscles (sphincter muscles) keep the urethra closed so urine does not pass until you are ready to urinate. Muscles at the end of the urethra (sphincter muscles) and in the pelvic floor also help to hold back urine.

HOW CAN BEING PREGNANT CAUSE BLADDER CONTROL PROBLEMS?
The weight of a baby in your belly and the act of giving birth will put pressure on your bladder and may cause your pelvic muscles to stretch and weaken. This causes your bladder to sag, and your urethra to stretch. Nerves can also be damaged. It is this damage to muscles and nerves that can cause bladder control problems to persist.

HOW CAN I CONTROL MY BLADDER?
The good news is that incontinence may go away once your pelvic muscles heal, usually 6 weeks or so after giving birth. But you can take steps after childbirth to minimize bladder control problems by doing exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Kegel exercises are one type of pelvic floor muscle exercise.

Kegel exercises do not require equipment and can be done anywhere—while sitting at your desk, standing in line at the bank, or even lying down in bed. They are done by squeezing your sphincter muscles in the same way you would when stopping urine flow. After 6-8 weeks of doing the exercises, you may find that you have fewer leaks.

Talk to your doctor to learn more about how to correctly do Kegel exercises. Following pregnancy, if Kegel exercises do not control the incontinence, your doctor may discuss other treatments or refer you to a specialist who can help.

Here are some general steps for doing Kegel exercises from the American Pregnancy Association:

• Squeeze your pelvic floor muscles as if you were trying to stop the flow of urine. Do not squeeze the muscles in your belly, legs, or buttocks.
• Hold for 5-10 seconds, then relax.
• Repeat 10-20 times.
• Try to do at least 3 sets per day.

If incontinence is still bothersome, talk to your doctor about other options, such as wearing absorbent pads or briefs. With support from your healthcare team, you will be able to manage incontinence, as well as other bodily changes that come with pregnancy.

by Marjorie Montemayor-Quellenberg, MA

RESOURCES:
American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
http://www.acog.org

Office on Women’s Health
http://www.womenshealth.gov

CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Health Canada
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca

Women’s Health Matters
http://www.womenshealthmatters.ca

REFERENCES:
Kegel exercises. American Pregnancy Association website. Available at: http://americanpregnancy.org/labor-and-birth/kegel-exercises. Updated Aug. 2015. Accessed Feb. 10, 2016.

Treatments of common complaints in pregnant women. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Updated February 1, 2016. Accessed February 10, 2016.

Urinary incontinence fact sheet. Office on Women’s Health website. Available at: http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/urinary-incontinence.html. Updated July 16, 2012. Accessed February 10, 2016.

Urinary incontinence in women. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Updated December 9, 2015. Accessed February 10, 2016.

What I need to know about bladder control for women. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website. Available at: http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/urologic-disease/urinary-incontinence-women/Pages/ez.aspx. Updated June 2012. Accessed February 10, 2016.

3/5/2013 DynaMed’s Systematic Literature Surveillance: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed: Boyle R, Hay-Smith EJ, Cody JD, et al. Pelvic floor muscle training for prevention and treatment of urinary and faecal incontinence in antenatal and postnatal women. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;10:CD007471.

Last reviewed February 2016 by Michael Woods, MD Last Updated: 2/10/2016

EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.

What to Expect from Physical Therapy

October 11, 2016 Teresa Stockton - Blog, General Information

PHYSICAL THERAPY IS INTENDED TO MAKE CHANGES WITHIN YOUR BODY

We will accomplish this in several different ways. First, through the use of manual therapies, such as massage and mobilization of the joints. The goals of change are to:

Stretch short tissues to make them longer.
Strengthen weak tissues to make them stronger.
Improve and correct bad/abnormal biomechanics and asymmetries to alleviate pain and take the stress off the body.

THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE EXPECT DURING THE PHYSICAL THERAPY PROCESS, ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY STAGES OF PT

You can expect that you will be sore after the first visit, and most likely the first 2 – 3 weeks until their body gets adapted to PT. Your body is just not used to doing the things that we are going to ask it to do, so there will be a period of adjustment.
The pain WILL move. As we make changes to your tissues and mechanics, the stresses on your body will change, thus altering where you will feel the pain or your symptoms.
The pain WILL change in terms of intensity, meaning that your pain is expected to fluctuate along the 10 point scale, starting between your high and low levels and changing based on your position, activity, and stress on the body.
The pain may also change in terms of the quality of pain. The pain may be: sharp, dull, achy, throbbing, burning, tingling, numbing.
It is important to know that all of the aforementioned statements are completely normal. There is nothing that you will experience that will surprise us. Everything that you experience will be normal. Even if what you feel is not normal to you, it is normal for your condition and what your body is experiencing.
Physical therapy is not an overnight miracle. Improvement takes time. It is important to understand that no one gets better every day from day one until they leave. Everyone will have good and bad days. In the beginning, you will have more bad days than good. As time progresses, this ratio should flip-flop and you should be having more good days than bad.

If you are looking for a physical therapist, we have you covered with over 500 locations nationwide!

This article was written by Life Fitness Physical Therapy, an outpatient physical therapy group with fourteen locations in the surrounding Baltimore, Maryland area. Life Fitness Physical Therapy is focused on improving the quality of life for their patients. They strive to provide individualized, evidence-based care that meets every patient’s unique needs. Their objective for each patient is to restore their function, achieve their goals and have them resume an active lifestyle as quickly as possible. For more information click here.

Physical Therapy: Treating the Cause, Not Just the Symptoms of Pain

October 4, 2016 Teresa Stockton - Blog, Events

This PT Month, instead of using prescribed pain killers, try physical therapy first.

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE PHYSICAL THERAPY OVER PRESCRIPTION PAIN KILLERS
Physical therapy treats the cause of pain, more often than not leaving patients stronger and more able to enjoy life and function fully. In stark contrast, pain relievers treat only the symptoms – and can leave patients dependent or addicted.

PHYSICAL THERAPY IS THE SMART ALTERNATIVE TO OPIOIDS
More than 40 people die every day from overdoses involving prescription opioids. At least half of opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid.

Wishing everyone a wonderful PT Month!

Information provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. To learn more about the CDC click here.

Protect, Stretch & Rest: General Tips

September 13, 2016 Teresa Stockton - Blog, Industrial Rehab

These are some general healthy tips to remember during your day-to-day activities.

• If you are doing strenuous, household or outdoor work protect your hands with gloves in order to prevent injury and/or loss of moisture.
• Take frequent breaks or switch to a new activity. Overuse of repetitive motions, such as pressing buttons, can cause tendonitis of the elbow or lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
• If you find yourself sitting at your computer for hours each day, stop each hour and stretch your fingers, arms and the rest of your body to help prevent injury to your bones, joints and muscles.
• If you have pain during your activity, stop. Pain is one of the ways your body is letting you know that you are overextending a particular muscle group.