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Massage Therapy Service Uncovered: What to Expect Before, During, and After

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 19:11:35 GMT

If you’re exploring massage therapy services in Philadelphia, PA, you might wonder what the process looks like from start to finish. At Advanced Physical Therapy, understanding what to expect before, during, and after your massage session can help alleviate any apprehensions and ensure you get the most from your treatment. This blog will walk you through each step of the massage therapy experience, highlighting consultations, personalized treatment plans, techniques often used, and aftercare and follow-up to help you make an informed decision about your wellness journey.

Before Your Massage: The Initial Consultation and Preparation

Most professional massage therapies begin with a thorough consultation. This step is essential to tailor your massage session to your unique needs, preferences, and health goals. During the consultation, you’ll discuss your medical history, any areas of pain or discomfort, lifestyle factors, and your objectives for massage therapy. This open communication ensures the therapist understands your condition and can customize their approach accordingly.

You may also be asked about your comfort preferences, such as the ideal pressure level, music preferences, or any sensitivities to lotions or oils. Transparent dialogue before your session helps set clear expectations and fosters a trusting environment. Advanced Physical Therapy takes these consultations seriously, prioritizing communication as a foundation for safe and effective massage therapy services.

Additionally, the therapist will explain the types of massage techniques that might suit your needs, such as Swedish massage for relaxation, deep tissue for chronic pain, or sports massage for muscle recovery. Knowing what to expect during the session helps you feel empowered and relaxed before the treatment begins.

During the Massage: Techniques and Personalized Treatment

When your session begins, your massage therapist will create a comfortable, calming environment, typically with soft lighting, soothing music, and a clean setup. Safety and hygiene are top priorities, with therapists following stringent cleanliness protocols before and after each session.

Massage therapy sessions can vary in length, usually ranging between 30 and 90 minutes, depending on your treatment plan. The therapist will use a selection of techniques tailored to your physical condition and goals. Common methods include:

Swedish Massage: Characterized by long, flowing strokes to promote relaxation and increase circulation.
Deep Tissue Massage: Focuses on realigning deeper layers of muscles and connective tissue, ideal for chronic pain or injury recovery.
Trigger Point Therapy: Targets specific areas of muscle tightness that refer pain to other parts of the body.
Sports Massage: Enhances muscle flexibility and reduces recovery time for athletes.

Throughout the session, communication continues; your therapist may check in regarding pressure and comfort levels to adjust accordingly. This adaptive approach ensures the treatment remains effective and enjoyable.

At Advanced Physical Therapy, massage therapy services in Philadelphia, PA, are designed to focus on your body’s unique needs. The therapist may also incorporate stretching, joint mobilization, or other manual therapies if appropriate. Each session is a blend of skilled technique and attentive care, supporting your body’s healing and relaxation processes.

After Your Massage: Cleanup, Feedback, and Follow-Up Care

After your massage session concludes, your therapist will allow you a few moments to rest and ensure you feel steady and comfortable before getting up. This gentle transition helps prevent dizziness or lightheadedness.

Post-massage care often includes practical recommendations such as:

Drinking plenty of water to help flush out toxins released during the treatment.
Expecting mild soreness or fatigue, which typically subsides within 24 hours.

Many massage therapy services incorporate a brief follow-up consultation. During this time, you can share your feedback on the session, discuss what techniques were most effective, and communicate any changes in how your body feels. This ongoing dialogue allows your therapist to adapt future sessions to better suit your needs.

Based on your individual goals, you might be advised to develop a customized treatment plan with regular follow-up appointments. These sessions help sustain progress, especially for managing chronic pain or tightness. At Advanced Physical Therapy, personalized care plans are a priority, ensuring treatment evolves alongside your health journey.

Why Choose Professional Massage Therapy Services?

Opting for licensed and experienced massage therapy providers ensures a safe, effective, and restorative experience. Local services like those offered blend professional expertise with community accessibility, making it easier to integrate massage therapy into your regular wellness routine.

Remember, the benefits of massage therapy extend beyond relaxation. Consistent sessions can aid in pain management, improve circulation, reduce stress and anxiety, and enhance overall mobility and function. Understanding the full scope of what a massage session entails helps demystify the process and encourages commitment to your health.

Take the Next Step Toward Wellness

If you’re seeking massage therapy services that prioritize your specific needs and offer a professional, customized experience, consider scheduling a consultation at Advanced Physical Therapy. Their expert therapists walk you through every phase, from initial assessment and treatment techniques to post-session care, ensuring your massage sessions contribute positively to your wellness journey. Don’t wait to invest in your health and relaxation. Call Advanced Physical Therapy today to book your appointment and discover the full benefits of professional massage services. Your body and mind will thank you.

Massage Therapy Services for Pain Relief in Philadelphia, PA

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:13:41 GMT

Massage therapy services are an essential part of modern rehabilitation, especially for individuals looking to reduce pain while improving their overall mobility and quality of life. When this hands-on approach is combined with a structured treatment plan, patients often experience more consistent progress and longer-lasting results.

At Advanced Physical Therapy, this integrated method allows individuals to receive personalized care that addresses both discomfort and movement limitations at the same time. Contact us today at (215) 742-8099 to learn how professional care in Philadelphia, PA, can support your recovery journey and help you feel more confident in your daily activities.

How Massage Therapy Supports Physical Therapy Goals

Massage plays a meaningful role in helping patients achieve their physical therapy goals by focusing on the muscles and soft tissues that directly impact movement and comfort. Instead of treating symptoms alone, this approach works to improve how the body functions, making it easier for patients to complete exercises and benefit fully from their rehabilitation plan.

A trained massage therapist uses targeted techniques to release tight muscles, improve circulation, and reduce discomfort in areas affected by injury or strain. As a result, patients often find that their bodies respond better to stretching and strengthening exercises, which leads to improved outcomes over time and a smoother recovery experience.

Key Benefits of Massage Therapy in Rehabilitation

Encourages healthy blood flow to support tissue repair and healing
Reduces muscle stiffness that can limit flexibility and movement
Helps decrease inflammation in overworked or injured areas
Supports faster recovery after physical strain or surgery
Improves overall range of motion for daily activities

By incorporating massage therapy services in Philadelphia, PA, into a comprehensive care plan, patients can experience a more balanced approach that focuses on both immediate relief and long-term progress.

The Role of a Massage Therapist in Philadelphia, PA

A licensed massage therapist plays an important role within a rehabilitation team by working closely with physical therapists to ensure that each patient receives well-rounded and effective care. This collaboration allows both professionals to adjust treatment strategies based on how the patient is progressing, which helps create a more personalized and responsive experience.

Rather than treating massage as a separate service, it becomes part of a coordinated plan that supports every stage of recovery, from early pain relief to advanced mobility improvement. Patients benefit from this teamwork because it ensures that all aspects of their condition are being addressed with care and attention.

Conditions That Benefit from Massage Therapy Services

Massage services are widely used to support recovery from a variety of conditions that affect muscles, joints, and overall movement, especially when combined with guided physical therapy techniques. This approach helps patients manage pain while gradually restoring their ability to move comfortably and confidently.

Common Conditions Treated

Chronic back and neck pain that interferes with daily life
Sports-related injuries such as muscle strains and ligament sprains
Post-surgical recovery that requires careful tissue healing
Joint stiffness that limits flexibility and normal movement
Muscle tension caused by stress or repetitive activities

Patients who receive massage services often notice that their symptoms become more manageable, allowing them to stay consistent with their rehabilitation plan and achieve better results over time. Learn more about Advanced Physical Therapy’s massage therapy services and explore more about and how our work alongside massage to create a complete care experience.

Reducing Muscle Tension and Inflammation

One of the most valuable benefits of massage therapy is its ability to reduce muscle tension, which is often a major cause of discomfort and restricted movement for many patients. Tight muscles can create pressure on surrounding tissues, leading to pain that affects both physical activity and overall well-being.

Through controlled and intentional techniques, therapists are able to release this tension while also improving circulation throughout the affected area. This increased blood flow helps deliver oxygen and nutrients that support healing while also removing waste that can contribute to inflammation and discomfort.

Clinical Massage Therapy vs. Spa Massage

Understanding the difference between clinical massage and spa massage can help patients make informed decisions about their care, especially when dealing with pain or injury. While both approaches involve hands-on techniques, their purpose and outcomes are very different.

Key Differences

Clinical massage:

Focuses on treating specific conditions or injuries
Works as part of a structured rehabilitation plan
Supports measurable progress in recovery and mobility
Is often recommended by healthcare professionals

Spa massage:

Focuses on relaxation and stress reduction
Uses general techniques without a treatment plan
Does not address underlying medical concerns

Choosing massage therapy services in Philadelphia, PA, within a clinical setting ensures that each session is designed to support recovery goals rather than just temporary relaxation.

Why Professional Massage Therapy Services Improve Outcomes

Working with experienced professionals can make a significant difference in how effectively a patient recovers from injury or manages ongoing pain. A licensed therapist understands how different techniques impact the body and can adjust treatment based on individual needs and progress.

When massage therapy services are combined with physical therapy, patients often experience faster recovery times, improved strength, and greater flexibility, all of which contribute to better overall outcomes. This approach also helps reduce the likelihood of future injuries by addressing the root causes of pain instead of only managing symptoms.

Patients who choose professional care benefit from a structured and supportive environment that encourages steady progress and long-term wellness.

A Comprehensive Approach to Care in Philadelphia, PA

Providing services in Philadelphia, PA, Advanced Physical Therapy is dedicated to offering a comprehensive approach that combines hands-on care with guided rehabilitation techniques to support every stage of recovery. This method ensures that patients receive personalized attention that focuses on both immediate relief and long-term improvement.

Massage therapy is seamlessly integrated into treatment plans, allowing patients to experience the benefits of reduced pain and improved mobility while continuing to build strength and stability.

Take the Next Step Toward Pain Relief

Massage therapy services offer a practical and effective way to support recovery, reduce discomfort, and improve overall movement when they are part of a well-designed treatment plan. By combining these services with professional guidance, patients can achieve meaningful progress that supports both short-term relief and long-term health.

If you are ready to feel better and move more comfortably, professional care can help you take that next step with confidence and support. Contact Advanced Physical Therapy today to begin your personalized plan and experience the benefits of integrated care in Philadelphia, PA. Call us at (215) 742-8099 now for more information or send us a message to get started today.

When is a Massage Therapist in Philadelphia, PA Needed?

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 04:42:13 GMT

Dealing with chronic pain, muscle tightness, or limited mobility? A massage therapist in Philadelphia, PA may be the key to faster recovery and lasting relief. Whether you're searching for Back Pain Treatment in Philadelphia, PA or help recovering from surgery or injury, therapeutic massage can ease your discomfort, restore movement, and enhance overall wellness.

Signs You Need a Massage Therapist in Philadelphia, PA

Your body sends clear signals when something's off. If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, it might be time to see a massage therapist:

Chronic muscle tightness or stiffness that doesn't improve with rest
Frequent stress or anxiety that affects your sleep or mood
Limited mobility or poor posture, especially if you're at a desk all day
Pain after an accident or surgery, such as whiplash or joint pain
Athletic overuse injuries, including strains or sore muscles

Many of our patients at Advanced Physical Therapy come in with one or more of these issues—and leave feeling more relaxed, flexible, and mobile.

How a Massage Therapist in Philadelphia, PA Can Support Recovery

Licensed massage therapists work with your muscles, fascia, and soft tissue to:

Release tension and improve circulation
Speed up recovery after injury or surgery
Reduce inflammation and pain from repetitive strain
Support better posture and prevent future injuries

Massage therapy isn't just about relaxation, it's a proven tool in rehabilitation. Athletes, seniors, and car accident victims alike find it effective in reducing downtime and regaining strength.

When used alongside physical therapy, massage enhances results and shortens recovery timelines. Our integrated approach ensures that every treatment plan is personalized to meet your goals.

Real Results from a Massage Therapist in Philadelphia, PA

Patients across Philadelphia have experienced life-changing improvements from massage therapy. From a runner with recurring hamstring strains to a senior regaining shoulder mobility after surgery, the results speak for themselves.

Take the story of one local client who sought back pain treatment in Philadelphia, PA after a car accident. Through a combination of massage and physical therapy, they not only regained pain-free movement but also improved their posture and quality of life.

Schedule a Free Appointment with a Massage Therapist in Philadelphia, PA

Don’t wait for pain to get worse. Early intervention can make all the difference in how quickly you heal. Whether you're struggling with mobility, recovering from an injury, or just tired of chronic tension, Advanced Physical Therapy in Philadelphia, PA is here to help.

Schedule your free appointment by calling (215) 742-8099 . Contact us today to start your path to better movement and less pain.

Back Pain in Philadelphia? Here's How Massage and Physical Therapy Can Help You Heal

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 15:50:12 GMT

If you're struggling with back pain, you're not alone. In Philadelphia, many individuals experience chronic back discomfort that can interfere with daily activities and overall well-being. Fortunately, back pain physical therapy treatment in Philadelphia, Pa is here to help. Two key treatments that can effectively ease your pain and promote long-term healing are massage therapy and physical therapy. At Advanced Physical Therapy, we specialize in these treatments, offering personalized care tailored to your needs. Here's how these therapies can help you regain mobility, reduce pain, and improve your quality of life.

The Benefits of Massage Therapy for Back Pain

A massage therapist in Philadelphia, Pa can provide a variety of therapeutic techniques that alleviate tension and improve blood flow to affected muscles. Whether it's muscle knots, tightness, or stress that contribute to your back pain, massage therapy offers immediate relief. Deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy, and myofascial release are all techniques commonly used to target problem areas in the back.

By working on the muscles and tissues in the back, a massage therapist in Philadelphia, Pa can help release built-up tension and increase flexibility, reducing the chances of future injuries. The soothing nature of massage not only helps with physical discomfort but can also reduce the emotional stress that often accompanies chronic pain.

To learn more about how massage therapy can aid in your back pain relief, visit our Massage Therapy page .

How Physical Therapy Helps with Back Pain

Physical therapy is another highly effective treatment for back pain. At Advanced Physical Therapy, we specialize in back pain physical therapy treatment in Philadelphia, Pa, which is designed to strengthen the muscles that support the spine and improve overall posture. A physical therapist will create a customized program that may include exercises, stretches, and manual therapy to address the root cause of your pain.

Unlike temporary fixes, physical therapy offers long-term solutions by focusing on strengthening the muscles and joints involved in back movement. Over time, this can help reduce your reliance on pain medications and improve your body’s ability to function without pain. Furthermore, physical therapy can help prevent future back problems by improving posture, alignment, and movement patterns.

If you’re dealing with back pain, don’t hesitate to learn more about our back pain physical therapy treatment in Philadelphia, Pa by visiting our Back Pain Therapy page .

Combining Massage Therapy and Physical Therapy for Optimal Results

For many patients, the combination of massage therapy and physical therapy is the most effective approach to healing. Massage helps relieve immediate tension and pain, while physical therapy works on the underlying cause of the pain to ensure long-term relief. This holistic approach provides the benefits of both therapies, giving you a comprehensive treatment plan designed to improve your function and quality of life.

Whether you’re recovering from an injury, dealing with chronic discomfort, or seeking to prevent future pain, our team of experts at Advanced Physical Therapy can guide you every step of the way.

Take the First Step Toward Relief Today

Are you ready to start your journey toward a pain-free life? Whether you’re seeking massage therapy, physical therapy, or a combination of both, Advanced Physical Therapy in Philadelphia is here to support you. Our team of experienced therapists is committed to providing the best care possible and helping you heal from back pain.

Contact us today to schedule your appointment and take the first step toward relief!

Find Relief: Back Pain Physical Therapy Treatment in Philadelphia

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 16:51:22 GMT

Understanding Back Pain and its Causes

Back pain comes in many forms – from a dull ache to sharp, debilitating pain. Various factors can cause back pain:

Muscle or ligament strain: Lifting heavy objects or sudden awkward movements can strain your back muscles.
Herniated or bulging discs: Discs act as cushions between the bones in your spine. A slip or rupture can press on nearby nerves, causing pain.
Arthritis: Osteoarthritis can affect the lower back, leading to narrowing of the space around the spinal cord.
Skeletal irregularities: Conditions like scoliosis can lead to chronic back pain.

How Physical Therapy Can Help

Physical therapy is an effective way to treat back pain and avoid invasive surgical procedures. Here’s how it works:

Manual Therapy

Manual therapy involves hands-on techniques to manipulate the spine and soft tissues. This can improve circulation, reduce muscle tension, and enhance mobility.

Strengthening Exercises

Building a strong core and back muscles can provide better spinal support, reducing pain and preventing injury recurrence. Exercises are tailored to fit individual needs, ensuring effective recovery.

Pain Management Techniques

Modalities such as heat therapy, cold therapy, and electrical stimulation can provide symptomatic relief and reduce inflammation, making the pain more bearable.

If you’re also dealing with shoulder pain from sports activities, check out our shoulder pain sports therapy treatment in Philadelphia, PA

Tips on Preventing Back Pain

While treatment is crucial, prevention is even better. Here are some tips:

Maintain Proper Posture: Whether sitting or standing, keep your back straight and shoulders aligned.
Ergonomics: Ensure that your work and home environments are ergonomically friendly. This could mean adjusting your chair, desk height, or using lumbar support.
Healthy Weight: Extra weight, especially around the midsection, can put additional strain on your back.

Adopting these habits can significantly reduce your risk of developing chronic back pain.

Schedule a Consultation to Discuss Your Back Pain

Don’t let back pain keep you from enjoying life in Philadelphia, PA. Advanced Physical Therapy offers a comprehensive approach to back pain physical therapy treatment in Philadelphia, PA. Schedule a consultation today with our experienced therapists to discuss your symptoms and develop a tailored treatment plan.

Living with back pain doesn’t have to be your reality. Reach out to Advanced Physical Therapy and take the first step towards a pain-free life.

Dive Into the Healing Benefits of Aquatic Therapy

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 21:21:53 GMT

When back pain strikes, it can be more than just a minor inconvenience. Living in Philadelphia, PA, should be about enjoying the rich history, vibrant arts scene, and diverse culinary offerings, not being sidelined by back pain. Luckily, finding effective back pain physical therapy treatment in Philadelphia, PA <https://www.advancedphysicaltherapy.org/back-pain-therapy>, is easier than ever. At Advanced Physical Therapy, we specialize in diagnosing and treating a range of back pain conditions to help you move freely again.The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

What Are The Different Types of Massages?

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 23:52:24 GMT

Massage therapy offers a variety of techniques aimed at alleviating stress and relieving pain. Each type of massage has its unique approach and benefits. Here's an overview of several popular types.

Hot Stone Massage

A hot stone massage combines the soothing touch of massage with the therapeutic benefits of heat. Smooth, heated stones, typically basalt volcanic rock, are placed on specific points of your body. The warmth penetrates deeply, relaxing tight muscles, easing stiff joints, and increasing blood circulation. This allows your massage therapist to work more effectively, reaching deep layers of tissue.

The heat also enhances the sensory experience. The contrast between the warm stones and your skin creates a comforting sensation, while the gentle gliding of the stones induces a deep sense of calm. This combination of physical and emotional relaxation is what makes hot stone massages so sought-after.

Beyond relaxation, hot stone massages can help to reduce muscle tension and pain caused by conditions like arthritis, sports injuries, and chronic pain. The warmth and gentle touch can help alleviate stress and anxiety.

Swedish Massage

A Swedish massage is a popular therapeutic technique that involves kneading, circular motions, and long strokes to relax muscles and promote overall well-being. It typically incorporates five key strokes: effleurage, petrissage, friction, tapotement, and vibration.

Effleurage involves long, gliding strokes to warm up the muscles, while petrissage focuses on kneading and compression. Friction targets deeper layers, tapotement employs rhythmic tapping, and vibration uses oscillating movements.

This massage type can alleviate stress and pain through various mechanisms. The gentle pressure and rhythmic motions increase blood circulation, promoting the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. Additionally, Swedish massages reduce muscle tension and enhance flexibility by breaking down adhesions and promoting relaxation.

The overall calming effect on the nervous system helps reduce stress hormones, contributing to a sense of tranquility. Regular sessions may improve sleep quality, further aiding in stress reduction and pain management.

Aromatherapy Massage

An aromatherapy massage is a sensory-rich experience that combines the power of touch with the therapeutic properties of essential oils. The therapist selects specific oils based on the client's preferences or therapeutic needs.

As the aromatic essences permeate the air, they work in tandem with the massage to enhance relaxation and promote various health benefits. From lavender to eucalyptus, each essential oil brings unique qualities to the session, offering a personalized and holistic approach to stress reduction and overall well-being.

Trigger Point Massage

Trigger point massage is a precise technique designed to identify and alleviate muscular knots. Therapists apply focused pressure to these trigger points, releasing tension and promoting relief in associated areas. This approach is particularly beneficial for individuals dealing with chronic pain or muscular tightness. Through skillful manipulation, trigger point massage aims to restore balance to the musculoskeletal system, providing targeted and effective pain management.

Myofascial Release Massage

Myofascial release delves into the intricate network of fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds and supports muscles. By applying gentle and sustained pressure, therapists aim to release restrictions in the fascia, restoring mobility and reducing discomfort.

This method is especially effective for addressing chronic pain conditions and improving flexibility. Myofascial release massages take a holistic approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of the body's soft tissues and working to create a more fluid and pain-free movement.

Deep Tissue Massage

A deep tissue massage is the powerhouse of therapeutic bodywork, reaching into the deepest layers of muscle tissue. Through slow, deliberate strokes and firm pressure, this technique addresses chronic muscle tension and helps break down adhesions.

While it may cause some discomfort during the process, the results are often profound. Deep tissue massage is a go-to choice for those seeking relief from persistent muscle pain, aiding in the restoration of optimal muscle function.

Advanced Physical Therapy provides various types of physical, sports, and massage therapy. Contact us today to book an appointment.

Three Causes Of Carpal Tunnel

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 07:06:12 GMT

While repetitive wrist motions can cause a person to develop carpal tunnel syndrome, it's not the only way someone can get this condition. Here are three other medical issues that can contribute to the onset of carpal tunnel and how physical therapy can help.

Wrist Sprains and Fractures

Nerve signals and sensations travel to the fingers, thumbs, and palms through the median nerve, which runs down the forearm and through a small bone in the wrist. Fractures and sprains can cause wrist bones to put pressure on the nerve, resulting in irritation, swelling, inflammation, and eventually, carpal tunnel if not properly treated.

Depending on the injury, surgery may be required to repair the bone. Engaging in physical therapy after your wrist heals can minimize the risk of developing carpal tunnel by reducing stiffness, restoring your range of motion, and strengthening the bones; all of which can alleviate or prevent harmful pressure on the nerve.

Generally, a doctor will prescribe a few weeks of physical therapy as part of your treatment. If, for some reason, your doctor doesn't, broach the subject yourself. Physical therapy can be invaluable for keeping your wrists healthy, so make sure it's on the menu.

Arthritis Conditions

Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and similar conditions affect the body in different ways but they all cause some level of inflammation in the wrist area. This inflammation, in turn, causes swelling that essentially squeezes the median nerve. Over time, this constant pressure can result in both nerve damage and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Arthritis conditions are typically treated using anti-inflammatory medications, such as corticosteroids, and health aids like braces or splints. Pairing physical therapy with these treatments can improve wrist function and help stave off carpal tunnel.

In addition to helping strengthen your wrist and hands, a physical therapist will also recommend lifestyle and environmental changes to make that will alleviate the pain and pressure in your wrist. For example, they may propose doing hot and cold therapy to reduce swelling and using an ergonomic keyboard and mouse to do computer work to minimize wrist strain.

Even a small amount of physical therapy can be beneficial, so it's a good idea to speak to an industry professional about developing a treatment program for your condition.

Peripheral Neuropathy

The reason why alleviating pressure in the wrist is critical is because it can damage the median nerve. However, anything that causes the median nerve to deteriorate can contribute to the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome, which includes conditions that cause peripheral neuropathy.

As noted previously, nerves are responsible for sending signals and sensations to various body parts. Damage to the nerves makes it harder for these signals to get through, leading to problems such as poor motor function, impaired senses, and difficulty regulating autonomic functions (e.g. blood pressure, body temperature).

Diabetes, some neurological conditions, infections, and even medication can cause peripheral neuropathy. Depending on the source of the problem, treatment often involves a combination of lifestyle adjustments and medicine.

However, participation in occupational therapy is typically encouraged, especially when motor function has been impaired in some way, as is usually the case when the median nerve is damaged. By the time peripheral neuropathy has been diagnosed in the wrist, some symptoms of carpal tunnel may already be evident.

Thus, physical therapy will focus on mitigating the damage by having you do exercises that stimulate nourishing blood flow to the nerve as well as strengthen the wrist. The therapist will also help you find new ways to move your hands and arms that may slow the progression of the disease and alleviate symptoms.

Preventing and treating carpal tunnel requires a holistic approach, of which physical therapy can play a significant part. To develop a treatment plan that can help you obtain and maintain healthy hands and wrists, contact our facility today .

Physical Therapy for Scoliosis: Questions and Answers

Thu, 25 May 2023 21:49:24 GMT

Many Americans may have scoliosis. This abnormal curvature of the spine often appears in childhood, but it can also affect adults. If you've noticed some asymmetry in your upper body alignment as well as physical discomfort such as back pain, you may need treatment to arrest the problem and its effects.

Some adults with scoliosis worry that they might only get relief from invasive surgery. However, physical therapy can prove highly effective as a non-surgical approach to scoliosis treatment. The following questions and answers on the subject may help you determine whether you should

pursue it for your condition.

What Does Scoliosis Involve?

Scoliosis occurs when the spine adopts an unusual side-to-side curvature, such as an S-curve or a C-curve. This sets it apart from other kinds of spinal problems such as lordosis and Kyphosis, which involve abnormal front-to-back curvature. You have scoliosis when the abnormal lateral curvature exceeds 10 degrees .

Doctors recognize several different types of scoliosis. Idiopathic scoliosis, or scoliosis with no clear cause, makes up most cases and tends to affect youngsters around the age of puberty. Congenital scoliosis afflicts children from birth, while neuromuscular scoliosis can affect children or adults with chronic degenerative ailments.

When Does Scoliosis Call for Treatment?

A mild case of scoliosis may never require treatment if it doesn't seem to get any worse and creates no unpleasant symptoms. Regular monitoring can detect changes in curvature. Pediatricians may recommend bracing and other techniques as a preventative measure to keep scoliosis from getting more severe during adolescence.

Children and adults alike may eventually need treatment for scoliosis symptoms above and beyond cosmetic irregularities. Examples can include breathing problems, low back pain and stiffness, and chronic muscle strain. You might also experience leg tingling, numbness, or pain from a pinched sciatic nerve.

Whether you have discomfort or not, your doctor may recommend scoliosis treatment if your condition involves a curvature of at least 20 degrees. The longer you go without treatment, the more severe the scoliosis may get. Since especially severe scoliosis may require surgical correction, the sooner you get help, the better.

How Can Physical Therapy Exercises Help?

Physical therapy exercises hold numerous benefits if you struggle with scoliosis. It can lend greater strength and flexibility to the muscles that support your back, help you incorporate healthier body mechanics into your daily life, and possibly even arrest the progress of your spinal curvature, making more aggressive treatment unnecessary.

A series of exercises known as the Schroth method aims specifically to correct or at least stabilize scoliosis. Back muscles exercises balance the muscles on both sides, correcting one-sided atrophy. Rotational breathing helps to realign the rib cage and spinal column. Mirror-based exercises make you more aware of your posture.

What Other Scoliosis Treatments Do Physical Therapists Use?

Exercise counts as only one tool in the physical therapist's arsenal against scoliosis. Bracing remains a useful option that many physical therapists recommend for more serious spinal curvatures. If your physical therapist prescribes a brace, you may need to wear it most hours of the day to see optimal results.

Physical therapy also offers a wide range of pain management techniques for individuals suffering from scoliosis-related discomfort. Your physical therapist may use any combination of massage, heat, ice, ultrasound therapy, and electrical stimulation to ease your pain. Kinesiology taping can support and soothe strained muscles.

If your spine curves in a way that causes you problems, pay a visit to Advanced Physical Therapy. Whether you have scoliosis or some other spinal abnormality, we can evaluate your condition and come up with the most sensible treatment plan for your individual needs. Contact us today to request an appointment with our team.

Muscle Knots: Causes, Symptoms, and How Physical Therapy Can Help

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 19:43:33 GMT

Also referred to as myofascial trigger points, muscle knots are small, tight, painful muscle areas. You may even notice a bumpy area or something that looks and feels like a marble along a tendon or a ligament. This blog explains everything about muscle knots, from the causes and symptoms to treatment with physical therapy.

What Are the Two Main Types of Muscle Knots?

The two main types of muscle knots are active and latent. Active knots cause intense and continuous pain, even without being touched or pressed. The pain may be localized in the area of the knot or radiate to other parts of your body.

On the other hand, latent knots do not cause much pain, even when you press. As such, you can easily mistake them for other injuries.

What Causes Muscle Knots?

Muscle knots result from tension in the muscle fibers. Numerous issues may cause muscle knots, the common ones being:

Poor posture
Emotional stress
Too much sitting or bed rest

While anyone can develop muscle knots, some individuals are more susceptible. For example, if you have a history of injuries and joint pain, you have a higher chance of suffering from muscle knots. Additionally, overweight and obese individuals may be more prone to muscle knots due to excess weight exerting stress on the body.

People who have adopted sedentary lifestyles are also more prone to muscle knots. Sitting for prolonged periods can cause the muscles to tighten and form knots, further compressing the muscles around the area and leading to pain.

Which Body Parts Are Most Prone to Muscle Knots?

Muscle knots can occur in any body part that has muscles or fascia. However, some parts are more prone to muscle knots than others. The most common areas where you will experience muscle knots are:

Shoulders
Neck
Lower back
Shin
Calf muscles

When the muscles in these areas are tight, the blood supply to the muscles' microstructure is cut short. Consequently, waste and toxins accumulate, which causes the marble- or bump-like feeling and pain.

What Are the Symptoms of Muscle Knots?

Muscle knot symptoms may vary from person to person, primarily based on the type of muscle knot sustained. But the common symptoms include:

Tingling sensation
Pain in the affected area
Stiffness and reduced range of motion

You may notice the pain moving to other body parts when you press the area. This main symptom will help you differentiate a trigger point from other injuries like tender points. In extreme cases, trigger points can cause symptoms like jaw pain and headaches.

How Do You Treat Muscle Knots?

You have different treatment options, and the most suitable one depends on the type and severity of your muscle knots. For example, you can try at-home treatment with a tennis ball to press over the affected area. Or, try using a foam roller over the painful area to soothe the tissues. You may also use cold and hot compresses to ease the pain at home before you seek professional assistance.

However, consulting a physical therapist is the most recommendable option. A good physical therapist will assess your condition and develop an individualized treatment plan to help you get relief from the knots.

The goal of physical therapy for muscle knots is to manage the intense pain and prevent the issue from recurring. Your physical therapist will advise you on the best exercises to stretch and strengthen your muscles in the affected area.

Muscle knots can quickly take a toll on your body and quality of life. If left unchecked, the knots can result in further complications like persistent pain and decreased flexibility. A physical therapist will develop an appropriate treatment plan which includes exercises and lifestyle modifications to help prevent a recurrence.

You can trust us at Advanced Physical Therapy to help you manage your muscle knots and enjoy a better quality of life. Contact us for a consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions About Rib Pain Treatment

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 18:05:01 GMT

Your rib cage involves more than just the array of curved bones you can feel under your skin. This complex structure includes cartilage, ligaments, and muscles that enable the ribs to move as needed. However, when a chronic condition or acute injury damages these structures, even simple motions can feel agonizing.

Fortunately, physical therapy can help ease your rib pain and encourage the full healing of injured rib components. The more you understand the value of this non-invasive approach, the more readily you can put it to good use. Check out the answers to these frequently asked questions about rib pain treatment.

How Should You Respond to Rib Pain?

Sudden, intense pain in your chest can point to a variety of potential issues, including cancer or a heart attack. Unless you know that you recently injured a rib, you should take this pain as your cue to visit a doctor immediately. You might need emergency medical treatment, or you may simply suffer from a minor musculoskeletal ailment.

An initial period of inflammation can actually help a rib injury heal. For this reason, you should avoid anti-inflammatory drugs during the first 48 hours following an injury such as a fracture, bruise, or pulled muscle. You should also avoid smoking, strenuous activity, wrapping your chest tightly, and lying in one position for too long.

Home remedies you can safely pursue for rib pain include ice, rest, sleeping in a relatively upright position, and making time to move around periodically. You may also benefit from taking a series of deep, slow breaths on an hourly basis to clear any mucus out of your lungs.

How Can Manual Physical Therapy Ease Rib Pain?

Some kinds of rib pain can respond well to manual physical therapy. For example, gentle massage techniques can help loosen stiff, sore muscles and reduce the pain of a bruised or fractured rib. It may also reduce pain associated with costochondritis, or inflammation of the cartilage connecting the ribs to the breastbone.

Sometimes the gentle approach must yield to more aggressive manual therapy techniques. One notable example involves strained intercostal muscles, which can interfere with the rib motion that facilitates breathing. To free up these deep-set muscles, you may need to undergo a manual technique known as myofascial release.

What Can Kinesiology Tape Do for Rib Pain?

Physical therapists often use a special kind of athletic tape called kinesiology tape on fractured ribs, strained rib muscles, and other rib pain conditions. Unlike standard tape which can totally restrict rib movement, kinesiology tape offers much-needed structural support and reinforcement while still permitting a healthy range of motion.

Kinesiology tape offers other benefits for rib pain as well. The support it provides allows tight, sore muscles to relax, easing discomfort without the need for medication. The tape also stimulates the soft tissues, increasing blood flow for improved healing and reduced swelling.

Which Physical Therapy Exercises Can Treat Painful Ribs?

If your ribs hurt, the surrounding muscles naturally want to clench up as a means of preventing additional injury. However, this tightness only makes your pain worse and delays healing. Your physical therapist can solve this problem by prescribing a series of exercises to keep your body as strong and limber as possible.

Lateral twists can help you improve the pain-free range of motion in your thoracic spine, the part of the spinal column attached to the ribs. Strengthening exercises can also play a crucial role in relieving your pain by building up your upper chest, shoulder, and back muscles.

If your ribs hurt every time you breathe, your physical therapist may recommend breathing exercises to rehabilitate the rib cage tissues. The Active Cycle of Breathing technique consists of four phases: normal breathing, deep breathing, a series of short huffing breaths, and any coughing necessary to clear lung secretions.

If you struggle with debilitating rib pain, take the proper measures to get the underlying cause diagnosed and seek the appropriate professional treatment. Advanced Physical Therapy has the skills, techniques, and insights to help you conquer your rib pain safely and effectively. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Frozen Shoulder? Causes, Symptoms, and the Impact of Physical Therapy

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 19:54:55 GMT

A sudden or gradual decrease in range of motion and shoulder pain can signal a frozen shoulder. Commonly referred to as adhesive capsulitis, a frozen shoulder is an inflammation of the shoulder joint's capsule. With this condition, your shoulder becomes progressively stiffer and more painful until it reaches the point where you cannot move your shoulder and arm.

A frozen shoulder is not just painful but also ruins the quality of your life. Discover the causes, symptoms, and most effective treatment for this condition.

What Cause Frozen Shoulders?

Like any other shoulder disease, a frozen shoulder results from injury to the tissues or joints. The primary root of a frozen shoulder is inflammation in the tissues and ligaments surrounding the joint.

The shoulder features a capsule, which keeps the joint in place. The capsule has flexible folds, which can expand and contract when you move your hand in different directions. So, if the capsule has inflammation, the folds may tighten. Consequently, your movement around the joint reduces, the shoulder becomes stiffer, and you may experience pain when you try to move your arm.

What Are the Symptoms of Frozen Shoulders?

The most apparent sign of a frozen shoulder is pain. But you may experience other symptoms depending on the stage or degree of the condition.

The early stage of a frozen shoulder is the freezing phase. Pain is the first symptom; you may feel it in your shoulder even when you don’t use it. Consequently, as the condition progresses, your shoulder's range of motion decreases until you can hardly move it.

In the frozen stage, the pain may go down, but your shoulder becomes stiff, and movement is strenuous. You may even have difficulty reaching things, so your quality of life is compromised.

The last stage is the thawing phase. Pain starts to decrease, and mobility increases, but it may take months or even years to move your shoulder normally.

Who Is at Risk For Frozen Shoulder?

While anyone can develop a frozen shoulder, some people are at a higher risk of this condition. For example, age may play a factor. Frozen shoulder is more common among people aged 40 and above, but younger or older people can also develop it.

Additionally, those who have had a shoulder injury before may be at higher risk for a frozen shoulder. The reason is that if the shoulder joint is immobile for too long, it may lead to this condition.

Individuals with systemic illnesses such as diabetes are also vulnerable to frozen shoulders.

How Do You Treat a Frozen Shoulder?

First, your physician will test and evaluate your condition to diagnose a frozen shoulder. Afterward, treatment will depend on the stage of the frozen shoulder you have. In the early stage, medications can control pain and inflammation. Also, based on the severity of your condition, you may need to undergo surgery.

However, physical therapy is also an effective way to treat this condition and restore full movement in your shoulder joint. Physical therapists are experienced professionals who will create custom exercises for you that target mobility, strength, and flexibility in your shoulder joint.

The supervised exercises may take several weeks to complete. And during that period, you will also receive exercises to do at home and take a break from any activities that might strain your shoulder joint.

The period your shoulder takes to heal will depend on your determination and commitment to the exercises. Always follow all the instructions from your physical therapist.

If you have dealt with a frozen shoulder and your doctor has recommended physical therapy, Advanced Physical Therapy is here to help. We specialize in various therapy treatments and can tailor a plan that suits your needs. Our physical therapists will assess your condition and suggest the correct exercises to get you back in motion as soon as possible. Contact us today for more information.

Common Home Remedies for Knee Pain

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 18:36:33 GMT

Knee pain is a common problem that can worsen over time. Apart from knee injuries, other conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis, meniscus tears, and osteoarthritis, can cause knee pain. Because of the discomfort knee pain cause, you might want to find temporary relief before you visit a therapist.

Learn how to temporarily minimize knee pain at home.

Amp Up Your Workout Routine

If you have osteoarthritis, routine physical exercises can relieve the symptoms and speed up your recovery. Through workouts, your knee joints will not stiffen, and your leg muscles will not weaken. Gentle or low-impact physical workouts, like walking, yoga, and cycling, can relieve knee pain. If you have a knee strain, avoid prolonged sitting, low chairs, or unsupportive shoes.

Use Cannabidiol (CBD)

Cannabidiol (CBD) has anti-inflammatory properties, which can reduce knee pain. Also, medical marijuana reduces pain in the knee joints through inhibition of the pain pathway signaling. Medical marijuana is not a psychotropic drug, so it won't interfere with your brain or nervous system.

Use Turmeric

Turmeric is good both for your knee pain relief and the regulation of your immune system responses. Regarding turmeric usage, take a mixture of turmeric powder with warm milk if you have knee pain. Also, applying turmeric paste where pain in your knee occurs can be helpful.

Avoid high turmeric doses to prevent an upset stomach or interference with your knee pain recovery process.

Get Heat and Cold Treatment

Heat treatment can make your knee muscles less stiff and more relaxed, reducing the overall knee pain. If you have knee inflammation or swelling, cold treatment will relieve the condition and enhance your mobility.

Heat and cold treatment simultaneously might not be helpful, so alternate the treatments. Also, avoid a heating pad that is too hot during heat therapy and direct ice contact with your skin during cold treatment.

Take Medication

If you have knee pain, especially because of arthritis, consider non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Also, acetaminophen, topical capsaicin, tramadol, and duloxetine can help relieve your knee pain. Get a prescription from an experienced doctor before you purchase such drugs to avoid the wrong dosage and possible side effects.

Use Coconut Oil

The high lauric acid levels in coconut oils can aid your recovery from knee pain. Also, coconut oil is analgesic and anti-inflammatory, properties that help minimize pain in knee joints. Besides knee pain relief, coconut oil can also treat muscle cramps and boost your immune system.

Add coconut oil to your food and take it as your daily diet. Alternatively, you can mix it with essential oil or camphor, and use the mixture to massage the area with pain in your knee.

Lose Some Weight

More body weight means more work on your knee joints. The extra pressure put on the knee joints increases the risk of inflammation and pain. So, weight management will help minimize pressure in your knee joints and reduce the risks of inflammation, especially if you have arthritis. Less animal fat and meat intake and a higher intake of vegetables and fruits can aid your weight management journey.

Use Cayenne Pepper

Capsaicin, a pain-reducing component, in cayenne pepper can aid your recovery from knee pain. Also, the component will ensure proper blood circulation in your knee for your overall knee comfort.

One way to use this remedy is to apply a mixture of cayenne pepper with warm olive oil on your painful knee. Also, you can add cayenne pepper as a spice to your daily food.

Since the discussed remedies only provide temporary relief, a visit to a knee pain therapist is always important. At Advanced Physical Therapy , we offer high-quality knee pain therapy for people with knee injuries or other knee-pain-causing conditions.

Physical Therapy: Everything You Need to Know

Wed, 26 Oct 2022 16:56:58 GMT

If you get an injury from sports or an accident, you may feel excruciating pain or lose your mobility, thus requiring different treatment approaches. Physical therapy is an effective way to speed up healing, especially when you have mobility issues. However, if you lack the correct information, you may not know when you need this type of treatment unless recommended.

So, have you ever wondered if you need physical therapy? This article provides answers to your questions about the practice.

What Is Physical Therapy?

Patients use physical therapy to improve their mobility and reduce pain. You might require physical therapy for impaired mobility due to injury, old age, or illness. For example, since fractures and spinal cord injuries affect your ability to move around, you need special exercises to regain your flexibility.

You can also use physical therapy as a preventative approach to sports-related injuries. For example, some athletes hire physical therapists to help prevent injuries by identifying weaknesses or muscle imbalances.

Where Can I Get Physical Therapy?

While most people find physical therapists through referrals from their doctors, you can freely visit these professionals whenever you feel that you need their services. Since a physical therapist's primary role is to help people recover from injuries and mobility-related issues, you can find them in places where the injured go for treatment.

Most physical therapists work at nursing homes and hospitals, but you can also request at-home services if you cannot move.

What Should I Expect During My First Appointment?

Like any other health practitioner, a physical therapist starts their sessions with questions about your health. The information you provide helps these professionals determine whether they can benefit from physical therapy or not.

A physical examination is the other step after health evaluation and medical history review. Here, the therapist checks your body physically to understand your pain and your type of injuries. Also, to evaluate your strength and flexibility, therapists can stretch your joints or make some movements. This step helps your therapist come up with a tailor-made treatment.

Lastly, your therapist will begin treatment immediately. The first treatment approach depends on your condition. For example, if pain affects your mobility, the therapist will first devise ways to minimize pain.

What Treatment Plans Should I Expect?

Once your therapist identifies a treatment plan for your condition, they choose some activities to help you recover. You can perform some of these activities at the clinic and others at home. Here are some of these therapies.

Therapeutic Modalities

These techniques can help you gain mobility and strength by improving your blood flow, increasing relaxation, and managing your pain. Your therapist can use different mediums, including ice, heat, laser, ultrasound, and water, to get the desired results.

Exercise

Since exercise is the primary treatment approach in physical therapy, your therapist can recommend exercises like stretches to help you regain your flexibility. These exercises can happen under your therapist's supervision or at home.

Massage and Mobilization

For conditions such as whiplash, your therapist can use massages to promote blood flow and reduce your pain levels. In addition, if you have mobility issues, the therapist can use stretch exercises to improve your flexibility and mobility.

If your doctor refers you to a physical therapist, you may feel anxiety due to a lack of knowledge about the treatment. Use the information above to prepare well for your first physical therapy session, as you will already know what to expect during your first session and after.

At Advanced Physical Therapy, we are dedicated to improving our patients' mobility for a better quality of life. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Benefits of Physical Therapy for the Elderly

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 16:22:06 GMT

Physical therapy is a popular treatment method for people who are recovering from injuries or surgery. But the elderly can also benefit from regular physical therapy. Here are the main benefits of physical therapy for senior citizens.

1. Treat Serious Diseases

The probability of falling sick increases as you become older. Fortunately, health experts have discovered that physical therapy can reduce symptoms or even treat some chronic ailments.

Arthritis is one of the diseases that may go away after intensive physical therapy. This disease is common among individuals over 65 years of age. People with arthritis will experience back pain and spine discomfort. Physical therapy can reduce back pain and treat the discomfort associated with arthritis.

Physical therapy can also be helpful to individuals recovering from a stroke. The therapy will rejuvenate muscles via induced body motions.

People who have Alzheimer's disease should also try physical therapy. Regular therapy can improve memory and help the patient avoid more chronic memory problems.

Physical therapy can also lower the symptoms of osteoporosis. This disease refers to a condition in which the bones become weaker and thinner. Osteoporosis patients have problems maintaining posture and can fall easily. Physical therapy helps keep the bones strong so that you don’t face the risks associated with osteoporosis.

2. Reduce the Risk of Falls

Body balance, strength, and flexibility reduce as you age. Hence, your ability to maintain steady walking declines, and you may start to fall regularly. To prevent this situation, work on your body fitness. One of the best ways to enhance physical fitness is to take part in regular physical therapy.

3. Boost Endurance and Strength

The body continues to benefit from physical therapy long after the therapy sessions have ended. In particular, your endurance level will increase and your body will become stronger. Similarly, physical therapy helps to regulate your heart rate and blood pressure. The result is a lower risk of suffering from heart attacks or getting a blood clot.

4. Access to Helpful Education and Motivation

Physical therapists may also offer education classes to their patients. You will learn about the types of activities that improve physical fitness in old age. In some instances, you may also learn about the best ways to enhance your mental health in old age. Other benefits include learning about lifestyle changes that can improve your general health as you grow older.

5. Regain Independence

One of the things that may come with age progression is reliance on other people for mobility. For example, you may ask your spouse, child, or caregiver to help you walk down the stairs. Relying on other people can reduce your confidence and make you feel burdensome to other people.

Engaging in physical therapy can help you regain your mobility. You will become more confident and start to complete your daily activities without help. Increased confidence can have a major impact on your mental health and overall well-being.

6. Reduce Reliance on Prescribed Drugs

Prescribed drugs can help you overcome many diseases, but these drugs may also have side effects. Also, some people are not comfortable with taking prescribed drugs every day. Physical therapy can be a wonderful alternative.

For example, therapy can help reduce lower back pain, just like prescribed drugs will have done. Physical therapy can also alleviate headaches, fibromyalgia, and neuropathic pain. However, it would help if you talked to your doctor before you give up the prescribed drugs.

Age progression shouldn't result in chronic diseases and an inactive lifestyle. Instead, you can sign up for physical therapy to increase body strength and alleviate some diseases. Physical therapy treatment can provide the maximum impact if you choose Advanced Physical Therapy. We provide holistic physical therapy services to various types of patients and individuals. Contact us today for more information.

Learn How Massage Therapy Helps With Migraines

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 17:23:46 GMT

Migraines can quickly take a toll on your day-to-day life. The pain can be debilitating and often comes with nausea, light sensitivity, and other symptoms that harm the quality of your life.

While numerous medications can help manage migraines, you can opt for alternative methods like massage therapy to help find relief. Discover how massage therapy can help ease migraines and improve your quality of life.

Massage Reduces Muscle Tension

Among the common causes of headaches is muscle tension. When the muscles in your neck, shoulders, and head feel tight, you may start to experience headaches. The reason is that the muscles are putting pressure on your skull, which causes pain.

Massage therapy can help loosen up the muscles and relieve headaches caused by tension. Additionally, regular massage helps with neck and muscle alignment. Again, this benefit ensures that muscles don't put unnecessary pressure on the skull, which prevents headaches.

Massage Improves Circulation

When you don't have proper circulation, blood can't flow to your head and neck muscles. This blood flow restriction may lead to headaches and migraines. Massage therapy helps the vessels to dilate, which then improves circulation. As a result, massage may help to prevent headaches related to poor circulation.

Besides migraines, poor blood circulation puts you at risk of numerous health conditions, such as strokes and heart attacks. Therefore, a massage may also help reduce your risk of developing these conditions.

Massage Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Stress and anxiety are some of the most common triggers for headaches. When stressed, your body goes into fight-or-flight mode as a natural response that helps you deal with perceived dangers. Unfortunately, this response can cause muscle tension, leading to headaches.

Massage therapy can help reduce stress and anxiety, reducing headaches' frequency and severity. In addition, massage relaxes the mind and body, which can help to prevent stress-related headaches. Moreover, when you relax, you can sleep better. Getting enough sleep is crucial for overall health and can help prevent headaches.

Additionally, a massage helps to boost your mood, which can significantly alleviate headaches. When you get a massage, your brain will likely release endorphins, hormones that help to make you happier and in a better mood. As a result, your stress levels drop, and your headaches become less frequent.

Note that endorphins may also reduce the chances of high blood pressure. The reason is that stress causes your body to produce hormones that cause your heart to beat rapidly. The situation increases the chances of high blood pressure. So, when you are happy, you are at a lower risk of high blood pressure.

Massage Improves Posture

If you experience migraines when you sit or bend in a particular way, poor posture is the most likely cause. When you maintain incorrect posture over long periods, the muscles and tendons in your body become tightened. This muscle tension can lead to headaches.

A massage improves your posture by lengthening the muscles and tendons that have become shortened. As a result, you may find relief from migraines related to poor posture.

Incorrect posture leads to migraines and contributes to other health problems such as back pain, joint pain, and nerve damage. Therefore, when you improve your posture with massage therapy, you may also experience relief from these other conditions.

Massage therapy offers a drug-free way to find relief from migraines and headaches. However, the quality of your results will depend on the skill of your therapist. So, find a qualified and experienced massage therapist to get the most benefit from this therapy.

You can trust us at Advanced Physical Therapy to provide high-quality massage therapy. Our therapists are experienced and skilled in various massage techniques, so quality is guaranteed. Contact us to book an appointment, and let us help you restore your life quality.

Should You Include Aquatic Therapy in Your Back Pain Treatment?

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 15:15:03 GMT

Unfortunately, reports reveal that 8% of adults experience chronic back pain, which limits their daily activities. While the causes and degree of chronic back pain vary, the effects of back pain can quickly debilitate you. In addition, chronic back pain challenges your ability to sit, stand, or even sleep.

You have a range of options available to help manage chronic back pain. One such option is aquatic therapy. This therapy uses the natural buoyancy and resistance of water to help patients move and exercise with less pain. Discover how aquatic therapy helps with back pain management.

Aquatic Therapy Is Low Impact

Back pain is already stressful as it is. You cannot afford to participate in high-impact activities that will add to the pain and take a toll on your mental state.

Aquatic therapy is a low-impact form of exercise, which makes the activity ideal for taking pressure off your joints and back so you can easily move without pain.

In addition, water resistance provides a great way to strengthen muscles and does not put too much strain on your body. As your muscles get stronger, they will better support your spine and joints, which is critical in back pain management.

Aquatic Therapy Is Relaxing

Among the common culprits of chronic back pain is stiffness, which hinders motion range in the joint. Therefore, aquatic therapy comes in handy to stretch your muscles and joints. Unlike high-impact activities, the best part about aquatic therapy is that you won't experience any pain during muscle stretching.

An aquatic therapy pool's warm water can also help relax your muscles, which relieves pain. The movement of the water also massages your muscles to provide additional relaxation. The combination of exercise and relaxation is helpful in chronic back pain reduction. Furthermore, aquatic therapy relaxes the muscles to improve circulation, which goes a long way in back pain management.

Aquatic Therapy Can Improve Balance, Coordination, and Posture

Chronic back pain and lack of balance go hand in hand. The lack of balance and coordination makes it hard for you to exercise without the risk of falling and hurting yourself more.

Aquatic therapy is a safe way to improve balance and coordination; you don't have to worry about falling on hard ground. During aquatic therapy, your muscles stabilize. As you get stronger and more coordinated, you may find it easier to move without pain.

Besides poor balance, chronic back pain can lead to poor posture. Aquatic therapy helps to strengthen the muscles that support the spine, which allows you to stand or sit straight. And as your posture improves, you may find that your chronic back pain decreases.

Aquatic Therapy Is a Long-Term Exercise Solution

Although back pain may force you to give up on high-impact activities such as sports until you get better, that doesn't mean you shouldn't be active. Aquatic therapy can provide a long-term exercise solution that is safe and effective.

The low-impact nature of aquatic therapy means you can continue to exercise even as your pain changes. The water can also provide ongoing pain relief, making it easier to stay active. The exercise is fun, so you don't have to stop when you reach your goal. Instead, you can make this exercise part of your long-term fitness routine without boredom.

Aquatic therapy is a safe and effective way to manage chronic back pain. The low-impact exercises can help to strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and reduce pain. We are your go-to provider for all physical therapy needs. We offer a variety of aquatic therapy classes to suit your needs and schedule. Contact us at Advanced Physical Therapy to learn more about our services.

Essential Knowledge About Physical Therapy After Brain Tumor Surgery

Thu, 26 May 2022 16:33:38 GMT

For many years, brain tumor surgery has been known to cause complete or partial disability in patients. Breakthroughs in technology have helped doctors cope with intracranial tumors, which have been on the rise. After the surgery, the only challenge that remains is the neurological impairment.

Luckily, physical therapy is here to help brain tumor survivors attain a normal quality of life. Rehabilitation therapy has gained a lot of popularity because of its ability to help patients regain full mobility. Here are some of the essential things you need to know about physical therapy for brain surgery patients.

How Will a Physical Therapist Help You?

A physiotherapist is a movement expert who aids patients to recover their physical function and brings them back to fitness and wellness. After successful physiotherapy, you will be in a position to return to work and complete your daily chores comfortably.

Different patients present different therapy needs. Some might need to experience therapy for a more extended period, while others may regain their physical functions only after a short time. Physiotherapists use motor control, and motor learning principles to choose your treatment procedure.

When Should You Start?

After the doctor discharges you from the hospital, you will realize that most of your muscles feel very weak. That is because your brain is not able to resume its functions immediately after the operation. Exercise programs create a connection between the mind and the muscles involved.

Physical therapists recommend that you embark on physical therapy immediately after the doctor allows you to leave the hospital. Regular exercises will help nurture your brain back to its mobility functions and body coordination.

Things to Do as You Go Through Physical Therapy

With a qualified physical therapist, you should regain mobility and coordination within your stipulated timeline. To quicken the recovery process, you need to do the following practices.

Take a Nutritional Drink in the Morning

When you wake up in the morning, your body usually craves nutritious food. It is wise to provide your body’s cells with vitamins at this time. Thus, a glass of a nutritional drink will do you much good.

Enjoy Nature

Do not lock yourself indoors. Spend time outside where you can watch birds fly around as you enjoy everything that nature has to offer. This will act as a therapeutic treatment for your brain and help it heal faster. You can visit a park or remain in your compound. It works best if the sun is out.

Eat Quality Food

To help your body nurse itself, you need to provide it with food that contains a lot of proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Therefore, you should eat a balanced diet at all times. Avoid junk whatsoever. It also helps if you eat small quantities constantly instead of one large meal.

Try Meditation

Meditation works miracles. It would help if you tried it every morning when you get out of bed. After surgery, your brain may become hypersensitive to light, noise, and stimulation. When you meditate, you spare your brain from unnecessary stimuli. Your brain cells need to rejuvenate, and meditation will gift them just that.

Most patients fear that they might never walk again after brain surgery. However, once they seek assistance from licensed physiotherapists, they are able to get out of their while chairs after only a few sessions. The recovery speed is not the same for every patient, but consistent rehabilitation tends to work out eventually.

Therefore, if you have a family member or friend who has just come out of brain surgery, enroll them at Advanced Physical Therapy. With a team of talented staff and a fully equipped facility, Advanced Physical Therapy will help your patient regain full body functions in no time. Contact us for both at-home and in-facility solutions. Recovery is a call away!

2 Warning Signs of Back Pain

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 17:38:57 GMT

If you've had back pain lately, the problem might result from muscle and ligament strain. Lifting heavy things repeatedly also causes unexplained back pain mainly because of the sudden and excessive stresses your back muscles have exposure to.

On top of that, you might experience back pain because of ruptured or bulging discs. Usually, when discs suffer problems, your muscles and bones feel painful due to the inability of a proper cushion between the bones and the spine. At the same time, your back pain can result from an infection such as arthritis and osteoporosis.

Nonetheless, although everyday slight back pain can be due to wrong sitting positions or work stress, specific warning signs of back pain demand the attention of a therapist. Learn about two of them.

1. Persistent Pain That Radiates to Other Parts

The anatomy of your back is that the backbones and spines run up at the back, providing the body with protection and support. At the same time, the back connects to the spinal vertebras, consisting of a series of bones interlocking with each other. Because of this relationship between the spine, bones, and ligaments, the pain felt at the back mostly doesn't reach other areas than the organs interconnect.

Nonetheless, if the pain is severe, it automatically radiates to other parts, including the lower limbs. Radiating back pain can indicate a variety of infections, including herniated discs, fractures, and degenerative discs. Often, you'll also tell the pain results from any of these diseases if you feel pain like electrical shocks when you move your back.

In addition, radiating back pain can also stem from a common disease referred to as sciatica. When this disease causes the pain, you'll mainly experience general body weakness and numbness in the limbs.

2. Excessive Back Pain at Night

At night, excessive back pain is often a sign of a medical condition known as nocturnal back pain. Excess nocturnal back pain can stem from multiple infections such as fractures, nerve compression, or sometimes systematic problems such as inflammation of your sacroiliac joints, kidney infections, and spinal stenosis.

For example, if you experience excessive back pain immediately after waking up in the middle of the night, you could suffer from a backbone fracture.

Alternatively, if you suffer from back pain due to nerve compressions, the pain becomes excessive at night because your body relaxes some of its systems, such as the sympathetic nervous system. When this happens, the body only works with the help of the active systems, including the circulatory system. Because of the activeness of the circulatory blood system, the nerves also become more active. Due to nerve activeness, slight back pain exceeds.

Aside from that, you can also experience excessive pain at night when suffering from radiculopathy. Radiculopathy is a specific disease of the spinal cord nerves. If the pain stems from this disease, you'll experience sharp and electrical shock–like pain that moves from one part to another. It could move to the lower limbs and within the back from side to side. Also, the disease causes back pain that moves to the upper limbs and lower limbs simultaneously.

When you experience excessive and radiating back pain, many things could be happening to you. These could be severe diseases that take time to diagnose or simple problems you can quickly rectify. However, these signs almost always require the attention of an expert to quickly identify, especially if they need a doctor's attention, scans, or physical therapy.

At Advanced Physical Therapy, you are likely to find a quick solution. Contact us for reliable and advanced physical therapy services.

Frequently Asked Questions About Torn Ligaments

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 23:13:06 GMT

The human body gets its strength and mobility from the complex interplay among many types of structures. While tendons and muscles apply pulling forces to make body parts move, tough bands of connective tissue called ligaments attach bones to each other. Unfortunately, these ligaments can tear under extreme stress.

You can recover from this kind of injury as long as you seek skilled treatment and follow your doctor's recommendations, which will most likely include physical therapy to help the damaged ligaments restore themselves to their former stability. Take a look at these frequently asked questions about torn ligaments.

What Forms Do Ligament Injuries Take?

Physical therapists commonly refer to ligament injuries as sprains. This term sets them apart from strains, similar injuries that involve damage to the muscles or tendons. Depending on the severity of a ligament tear, you might need nothing more than first aid and conservative care, or you might need surgery.

The medical community assigns different grades to ligament tears based on the extent of the tear. A Grade 1 sprain involves microscopic ligament damage and minor symptoms. In a Grade 2 sprain, a larger ligament tear causes noticeable joint instability and swelling. In a Grade 3 sprain, the ligament tears completely off the bone.

If you tear a ligament, you may hear a popping noise in the joint. The more serious the tear, the more pain, swelling, and instability you'll experience.

Why Do Ligaments Tear?

Ligament tears tend to occur when the joint in question gets pushed beyond its maximum range of motion. This problem occurs most commonly in the weight-bearing joints such as the ankles and knees. For instance, you can tear your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) if your knee takes an impact or gets severely twisted.

The joints of the upper body can also experience ligament injuries. Common examples include a torn rotator cuff in the shoulder, a sprained wrist or finger joint, and damage to the ligaments of the back or (in the case of many whiplash injuries) the cervical vertebral joints in the neck.

How Does Prehab Help You Prepare for Ligament Surgery?

If you've suffered a Grade 3 ligament tear that requires surgical reattachment, don't feel too surprised if your doctor advises you to first undergo a kind of preparatory physical therapy known as prehab. This strategy aims to boost the fitness of the other tissues in the joint, which helps to ensure a speedier, more complete recovery.

Prehab for a torn ACL offers a case in point. You'll start with basic first aid therapies such as rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Your physical therapist can then schedule exercises such as leg lifts, curls, and presses to strengthen your leg muscles, as well as leg extension and exercise bike sessions to preserve flexibility.

How Can Physical Therapy Help You Rehabilitate Torn Ligaments?

With or without surgery, physical therapy can help you rehabilitate a torn ligament. The first few weeks of rehab may focus on exercise cycling, weight training, and other exercises that can help you free yourself from crutches. The next couple of weeks may focus on flexibility exercises, with the remaining rehab restoring full range of motion.

In addition to these exercises, your physical therapist may administer other therapeutic techniques to reduce pain, manage swelling, and encourage your body's natural healing processes. Examples may include massage therapy and ultrasound therapy, both of which can boost blood flow and accelerate tissue repair.

When you need to rebuild a torn ligament, come to Advanced Physical Therapy. We can evaluate your current condition and create a customized program for rehabilitating the injury so you can get back to your everyday life. Contact us today for a consultation.

Tennis Elbow : A Q&A

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 19:39:49 GMT

If you play tennis regularly, you know that even the slightest physical limitation or infirmity can affect your game drastically. However, even if you've never picked up a tennis racket in your life, you may still experience the forearm pain and stiffness known in the medical community as lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow.

Tennis elbow can impair your ability to perform your job, enjoy your favorite sports, or simply do routine daily tasks without debilitating pain. Fortunately, you can overcome this problem once you understand it better. Use the following questions and answers to put yourself on the right path toward recovery.

What Causes Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow involves inflammation of certain tendons that attach your outer forearm muscles to the outer part of your elbow at bony points called epicondyles. It commonly occurs as the result of chronic overuse of those tendons and muscles. It gets its nickname from the fact that tennis players often suffer from it.

This condition counts as a form of tendinitis, with strain producing tiny tears in these connective tissues. Normally, the body can repair this kind of damage given the right circumstances. However, if you keep doing damage more rapidly that your body can repair it, you can end up with chronic tendon inflammation.

You don't have to play tennis to experience tennis elbow. Any regular activity that requires gripping and lifting can lead to chronic strain in the forearm muscles and tendons. If you work with your hands, play a musical instrument, lift weights, or play any sport that involves gripping a handheld racket, you can develop tennis elbow.

How Do You Recognize Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow symptoms may produce the most pain at the elbow joint, but the discomfort can also radiate to other parts of the affected arm. Certain motions such as making a fist, shaking hands, gripping door knobs or other everyday objects, and even simply bending or straightening your elbow can trigger tennis elbow pain.

Don't confuse tennis elbow with another form of tendinitis called medial epicondylitis, or golfer's elbow. The latter problem affects the tendons that attach to the inside surfaces of the elbow, not the outside. Even so, you can experience both tennis elbow and golfer's elbow simultaneously if you overuse both sets of tendons.

What Non-Surgical Treatment Options Can Help Tennis Elbow?

A variety of non-surgical treatment methods can resolve most cases of tennis elbow. To address acute pain and inflammation, you may need to take over-the-counter medications, apply ice at regular intervals, and avoid any activities that might worsen the problem. More severe pain might call for steroid injections.

Physical therapy exercises can play a crucial role in tennis elbow rehabilitation once the acute symptoms recede. Your physical therapist may recommend simple, safe exercises such as wrist turns (with or without hand weights), wrist lifts, wrist extensor stretches or flexes, elbow bends, and towel twists.

Your physical therapist may also prescribe other kinds of supportive, non-invasive treatment to help you recover from tennis elbow more thoroughly. Options include an elbow brace, wrist splint, athletic tape, and exercises to correct your sports technique (which may reduce unnecessary strain on your elbow).

What Can You Do to Keep Tennis Elbow at Bay?

Preventative measures can help you avoid future bouts of tennis elbow. Ask your physical therapist to recommend stretches and warm-up exercises that you can perform before and after vigorous activity. Don't wait until your elbow hurts to apply ice; instead, get into the habit of icing your elbow after any stressful exercise.

Whether you suffer from tennis elbow or some other inflammatory problem in this sensitive, often overused joint, schedule an appointment at Advanced Physical Therapy. We can diagnose your elbow issue and recommend a physical therapy program to help you restore your elbow function and comfort.

4 Things to Understand About Balance Problems

Sat, 29 Jan 2022 02:12:26 GMT

Anyone who has ever felt the room tipping or spinning around them can understand just how alarming and disorientating a balance problem can prove. While some balance issues occur due to acute, temporary imbalances or diseases, others may stem from chronic physical challenges that require ongoing treatment.

If you have experienced unsteadiness or queasiness from a balance issue lately, you need to understand why balance disorders occur, how they can complicate your life, and how to seek the right kinds of treatment to regain that all-important balance and stability. Consider the following four points.

1. Balance Problems Can Occur for Many Reasons

Various physical components and systems must interact to give your body a consistent sense of balance. Muscles, nerves, and joints all work together to relay data about your body's motion, position in space, and pressure from the ground or other support. The fluid in your inner ear also provides the brain with positional information.

Sometimes, a temporary disruption of these systems can affect your balance. Examples include excess alcohol consumption, medications, dehydration, and a sudden drop in blood sugar or blood pressure. A free-floating piece of calcium in the inner ear may cause dizziness or vertigo until it settles back into position.

Age-related changes in the muscles, joints, and nerves commonly lead to loss of balance in seniors. A neurological event such as a stroke may impair feeling or motor ability in the legs, causing unsteadiness. Heart, circulatory, neuromuscular, neurological, and inner ear disorders can all cause or contribute to poor balance.

2. Balance Problems Can Produce Multiple Symptoms

The most obvious signs of a balance problem include a sense of spinning or floating while you stand or sit still. You may also experience the room spinning around you. Standing or walking without falling may seem difficult or impossible. You may catch yourself teetering or swaying precariously when you change positions.

A balance issue can affect you in other unpleasant ways as well. A balance problem related to cardiovascular trouble may actually lead to fainting spells if you stand up too quickly. The disorientation you feel may also trigger nausea. Some people with balance problems may struggle with blurred vision.

3. Balance Problems Require a Proper Diagnosis

Because balance problems can have so many underlying causes, you'll need a medical evaluation to determine the possible cause of your own distress. Your doctor will check your baseline health for any heart, blood pressure, or neurological conditions that require treatment. Ear and hearing tests can reveal inner ear problems.

A doctor or physical therapist can evaluate your balance through direct observation. You may undergo various balance tests so your practitioner can measure your unsteadiness when performing different motions, along with other key factors such as your muscle strength, flexibility, and range of joint motion.

4. Physical Therapy Can Help Correct Balance Problems

Once your medical team understands why you suffer from balance trouble, you can receive a comprehensive treatment plan for it. This plan may include medication (or the elimination of a medication that causes your imbalance), tumor removal surgery, and lifestyle changes such as drinking more water or cutting out alcohol.

Physical therapy exercises can prove invaluable for dealing with balance problems related to poor nerve, joint, or muscle function. Your physical therapist can guide you through exercises to stabilize both your stationary balance and your balance when in motion, reducing your risk for falls and other injuries.

If calcium crystals in your inner ear periodically give you balance problems, your physical therapist can show you how to perform a technique called the Epley Maneuver. This maneuver involves lying on one side and then switching from one side to the other until the dislodged debris stops making you dizzy.

Advanced Physical Therapy can provide a wide range of therapeutic options and strategies to help you get back on your feet without the room swaying around you. Contact us today for an initial consultation so we can discuss your balance problem's causes, symptoms, and solutions.

Physical Therapy for Sciatica

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 18:12:31 GMT

Sciatica is one of the most common causes of back and leg pain. In most cases, sciatica doesn't require invasive treatment like surgery or long-term medications. Physical therapy is one of the most effective ways to relieve sciatica pain and restore function and mobility, and there are several therapy techniques that can help sciatica patients.

Strengthening Exercises and Functional Training

Most sciatica patients who go to physical therapy will do strengthening exercises. Your physical therapist will determine what exercises are best for you and make any necessary modifications.

Strengthening the muscles in your back, hips, and abdomen helps support your lower back to reduce pain. Your therapist may also assist you with range of motion exercises for your hips and legs. Because movement is better than rest for sciatica, exercise programs usually involve doing exercises one or more times a day until your condition improves.

Physical therapists also often work on functional training with sciatica patients. This type of training teaches you how to lift, bend, carry, and engage in other common movements and daily tasks in a way that supports back health.

Joint Mobilization and Joint Manipulation

Physical therapists use manual therapy techniques like joint mobilization and joint manipulation on patients who have pain and limited mobility due to sciatica. Joint mobilization involves the therapist applying gentle pressure, while joint manipulation involves a quick, forceful thrust at the end of your range of motion. Each of these methods can help improve your range of motion to relieve pain.

Traction

Traction is a physical therapy technique that involves pulling the vertebrae apart slightly. This method helps temporarily open the spaces between the vertebrae to ease compression on the spinal nerves. It also helps alleviate pressure on compressed or ruptured discs, which can reduce sciatica symptoms.

Traction can be done manually by a physical therapist or mechanically, where the patient lies on a special table with a harness or straps to help apply the traction.

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy, particularly deep tissue massage, can be very effective at treating back and leg pain caused by sciatica. Deep tissue massage can target the muscles in your back and hips that can compress the sciatic nerve and cause pain. Physical therapists often use tennis balls or other items to help relieve tension in particularly tight muscles.

Myofascial release is another massage therapy technique that is beneficial to treating sciatica. This type of massage focuses on trigger points and underlying soft tissues that are often the source of pain and stiffness.

Hot and Cold Therapy

Hot and cold therapy can help with the soreness, stiffness, and inflammation common to sciatica. Your physical therapist might apply heat or ice packs for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.

Heat packs and pads help muscles relax and improve blood flow. Cold packs help numb the area, which temporarily reduces pain. Ice also helps reduce inflammation.

TENS Therapy

Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation, or TENS, units are often used by physical therapists to relieve pain from sciatica. These machines have sticky electrodes that your therapist will place on your skin where you feel pain. TENS units send an electrical current through the electrodes, which creates a tingling sensation and helps relieve pain.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound machines generate sound waves that can enter into deep muscle tissue. These sound waves generate heat that helps promote healthy circulation and healing. Physical therapists use ultrasound to reduce swelling, muscle spasms, and pain from sciatica.

Aquatic Therapy

Aquatic therapy can be particularly helpful for sciatica patients. Physical therapists who do aquatic therapy teach patients exercises that use the water to create resistance. It's often easier for people with sciatica to do exercises in a heated therapy pool because it is much less painful than weight-bearing land exercises.

Advanced Physical Therapy offers customized therapy plans, including massage therapy, sports therapy, aquatic therapy, and cupping, to patients throughout the Philadelphia area. If you experience symptoms of sciatica or other back pain, contact us today to schedule a consultation to determine what kind of therapy would be best for you.

Multiple Sclerosis: An Introduction

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 14:29:22 GMT

Have you or a loved one been recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis? Read on to learn more about this potentially debilitating condition and its management.

What Is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system. A fatty coating called myelin covers many of the nerve fiber bundles in the human body. This coating allows electrical impulses to quickly pass along the nerve cells, controlling movement. Multiple sclerosis causes damage and scarring to the myelin, which in turn affects all bodily functions.

What Causes Multiple Sclerosis?

The exact cause of multiple sclerosis is unknown, but most researchers consider it an autoimmune disorder. This is a group of diseases where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues rather than strictly foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses.

Scientists don't believe MS is passed down from generation to generation, however, there are approximately 200 identified inherited genes that may increase one's risk. The disease is twice as common in women as men.

Researchers are also looking at environmental factors, such as smoking, obesity, and chronic vitamin D or B-12 deficiency. Additionally, scientists are studying possible infectious causes, such as the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis.

What Are the Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis?

Myelin scarring can occur anywhere in the body, so symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. The symptoms may also change or increase in an individual as the disease progresses. Common symptoms of MS include:

Muscle weakness . People with multiple sclerosis have difficulty using their muscles, which in turn can weaken the muscles further from inactivity. Muscle spasms or tremors are also common.
Incontinence . Both the bladder and bowel rely on nerve impulses to effectively eliminate waste and prevent accidents. Ineffective bladder muscles lead to urgency or incontinence. If the muscles in the bowel are deficient, they cannot efficiently squeeze the waste along, which can lead to constipation or fecal impaction.
Odd sensations . A pins and needles feeling or the sensation a part of your body has gone to sleep is a common early symptom in MS. Another odd sensation is feeling an electric shock when moving the neck, which is known as Lhermitte's sign.
Mobility changes . A person with MS may notice changes in their gait or ability to walk. Muscle weakness, inability to control muscles, odd sensations, dizziness, and balance issues precipitate these changes.
Neuropathic pain . Pain from inflamed nerves is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis.
Depression and other emotional changes . Nerve fiber damage in the brain can cause depression, personality changes, and memory and learning problems.

Sexual dysfunction, vision problems, respiratory issues, and fatigue are other common symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

What Is the Treatment Protocol for Multiple Sclerosis?

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, MS is an unpredictable, incurable condition that disrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and other body systems.

Physicians use different medications to treat the individual symptoms as they arise. In addition to pharmaceutical treatments, a commitment to a healthy lifestyle and working with a skilled rehabilitation and physical therapy team is extremely important for the management of MS symptoms.

Regular visits for manual physical therapy, where the practitioner uses their hands to manipulate limbs, can aid in maintaining range of motion. Massage therapy can help keep muscles limber and relieve painful muscle spasms.

Aquatic therapy is another extremely useful tool. The buoyancy of the water relieves pressure on joints and allows the patient greater mobility. For the person with MS, aquatic therapy may allow them to regularly exercise and strengthen their muscles. Respiratory rehabilitation may be useful for some patients as well.

Dealing with a chronic illness such as multiple sclerosis isn't easy, but doing everything you can to keep your body strong can be very empowering. Contact Advanced Physical Therapy today to learn more about the ways we can help you manage your illness and improve your quality of life.

Whiplash and Physical Therapy

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 15:50:12 GMT

Whiplash strikes over three million people every year. This injury syndrome, most common in auto collisions, can leave you unable to turn or tilt your head. It also causes a variety of other unpleasant symptoms, such as headaches, dizzy spells, jaw pain, and functional problems in your arms or hands.

Fortunately, modern medicine offers various treatment techniques to help you recover from whiplash, including physical therapy. Take a look at the answers to some frequently asked questions about what kinds of damage whiplash can cause and how physical therapy can help treat this condition.

How Does Whiplash Injure the Neck?

Whiplash gets its name from the violent, whip-like head motion that does the actual damage. If your upper body receives a forceful jolt (either from an auto impact or in a workplace, sports, or home accident), the weight of your head throws it forward and backward at high speed. These exaggerated motions damage the neck.

Common neck injuries in a whiplash incident include torn neck muscles and tendons, stretched ligaments, dislocated neck vertebrae, and herniated discs in the cervical spine. Herniated discs can also pinch nerve tissue, causing weakness, tingling, pain, or numbness in the arms and hands.

How Does Passive Physical Therapy Treat Whiplash?

In the first weeks following your whiplash injury, treatment may focus on relieving pain and reducing acute swelling or inflammation. In addition to whatever medications your doctor may prescribe, you can benefit from passive physical therapy during this period. Passive physical therapy demands no physical effort from your neck.

Passive physical therapy techniques for whiplash typically include heat, cold, massage, and ultrasound therapies. Heat applied to your neck boosts the circulation, thus nourishing injured tissues. Cold applied to the neck reduces pain and swelling. Your physical therapist can instruct you on how to alternate these therapies.

Like heat therapy, massage therapy increases blood flow and fluid circulation to help your neck heal. It can also help work out the muscle knots, spasms, and emotional stress that often accompany a painful injury such as whiplash. Fascial release therapy and cross trigger friction techniques can address deeper tissue problems.

Ultrasound provides a useful complement to massage therapy. When your physical therapist holds an ultrasound device against the neck, the sound waves the device emits relax tissues and enhance circulation.

What Physical Therapy Exercises Can Rehabilitate a Whiplash Injury?

You might think that you should keep an injured neck absolutely still throughout your recovery period, especially if you've seen countless movies and TV shows that display whiplash sufferers wearing cervical collars at all times. In reality, medically approved neck exercises can speed healing while restoring both strength and flexibility.

Once your neck has responded to passive therapy techniques with reduced pain and swelling, your physical therapist may approve you for active therapy with gentle exercises. These exercises will rid you of any acquired stiffness (also known as muscle guarding) that your body has imposed to prevent further damaging motions.

Physical therapy exercises for whiplash injuries may start with easy head-rolling motions to reactivate and limber those unused neck muscles. Chin tucks performed while lying down can strengthen weakened neck tissues. Your therapist may also prescribe exercises to rehabilitate the muscles that connect the shoulders to the neck.

If you struggle with neck pain, loss of neck mobility, hand and arm problems, and other common whiplash symptoms, pay a visit to Advanced Physical Therapy. Our team will evaluate the damage and prescribe a personalized rehabilitation plan to get your neck working normally again. Contact our office today. We look forward to seeing you soon to help with your physical therapy needs.

Which Type of Physical Therapy Is Right for You?

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 19:41:50 GMT

In many cases, a doctor may recommend physical therapy after an accident. However, just about anyone can benefit from some form of physical therapy. If you would like to know more, check out these four common types of physical therapy to determine which is right for you.

1. Exercise Therapy

As you get older, staying active can be hard, especially if you have a sit-down job. However, this inactivity weakens the muscles that help support your back. As a result, your back's joints and muscles can experience more strain, leading to chronic back pain. Adding poor posture to the mix can also worsen the condition, especially if some muscles become too short and others become too long.

The long muscles become too weak to help support your body, and the short muscles are tight with little flexibility. This often leads to muscle strains and sprains in the back. Due to the cause of this type of pain, exercise therapy is a great choice.

During this type of physical therapy, your therapist can teach you stretches and exercises that can help immediately reduce some pain. However, more importantly, they'll teach you exercises and stretches that will better strengthen your muscles, so they work better in the future, which will naturally reduce pain. Plus, they will teach you the right form, so you don't cause more strain while exercising.

2. Geriatric Therapy

People who are older may need specialized physical therapy with geriatric therapy. Overall, it has the same goal as exercise therapy: to reduce pain and improve mobility. However, it is directed toward seniors, who may have unique concerns and problems, such as chronic pain, vision impairment, or hearing impairment.

Plus, many seniors are more likely to have experienced stroke, heart disease, or joint replacement. Ideally, with geriatric therapy, you will reduce your risk of falling, reduce the need for some medications, or reduce symptoms from chronic conditions. Because of the patient's age and possible other conditions, geriatric therapy may be best alongside orthopedic, cardiopulmonary, and neurological physical therapy.

3. Post-Surgical Therapy

Naturally, some surgical procedures don't require any treatment after you recover. For example, after removing your tonsils, you don't need to relearn how to use your throat. However, surgeries that involve joints, ligaments, or bones

can lead to limited mobility and reduced range of motion after the surgery. As an extra insult, this lack of strength and mobility can lead to chronic muscle and joint pain.

Treatment depends on the severity of your symptoms. If you had surgery on your leg and are unable to walk on it until it fully heals, you'll have to regain mobility and range of motion, but you'll also have to restrengthen the leg. In severe cases, the muscles may have atrophied so much that the leg can't support you.

During post-surgical therapy, however, you may also have to establish and understand your limitations. In addition, you and your therapist will create goals and show you alternative ways to perform daily activities.

4. Aquatic Therapy

Aquatic therapy is often for adults and seniors with limited mobility. The goal is to get in some exercise to help strengthen muscles and joints. However, unlike exercise therapy, everything is done in the water. This limits the number of exercises because you need to keep your head above water, but it also takes all the stress off joints.

Because of the nature of water, aquatic therapy is great for people with arthritis. If you have arthritis, you know exercise is important for reducing symptoms. However, activities like walking on land put a lot of strain on your joints, which can worsen arthritis or cause more joint damage. The water allows you to get the benefit of exercise and stretches without the strain.

Physical therapy can benefit many people. Because so many different types of physical therapy are available, be sure to find the perfect one for you. If you would like to learn more or if you're ready for your first visit, contact us at Advanced Physical Therapy today.

Physical Therapy for Hands: An FAQ

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 23:57:00 GMT

The human hand operates as a complex piece of organic machinery. Its 27 bones, 30 muscles , and the connective tissues that hold everything together must work properly to give you the pain-free function you expect. Unfortunately, a variety of injuries can deprive your hands of their abilities.

Physical therapy can play a pivotal role in treating debilitating or painful hand problems. If you struggle with such issues in one or both hands, learn more about this approach to recovery by studying the answers to the following frequently asked hand therapy questions.

What Hand Injuries Might Call for Physical Therapy?

The many parts of the hand can fall prey to a variety of acute injuries. Many of these injuries occur when the fingers or thumb punch or otherwise impact a hard surface. For instance, boxers may suffer from fractures of the little finger, while football players may fracture a thumb, either at the first joint or at the base of the digit.

Avulsions represent another common kind of acute hand injury. In an avulsion, a tendon that attaches a muscle to a bone tears away from the bone. If you have this kind of injury in a finger, you may find it impossible either to bend or to straighten the finger. Nerve damage or impingement can also limit hand function.

Repetitive motion injuries can continue to plague you indefinitely unless you seek treatment. Overuse of muscles, tendons, and ligaments can lead to chronic inflammation and pain. In cases such as carpal tunnel syndrome, wrist inflammation pinches a nerve that serves the first three fingers of the hand.

What Chronic Hand Disorders Can Benefit From Physical Therapy?

Even after you recover from an acute injury, you may suffer from chronic pain and stiffness due to accumulated scar tissue left behind from the healing process. This scar tissue can bind muscles and connective tissues, depriving them of their normal flexibility. You may need physical therapy to release the trapped tissues.

Degenerative conditions can also affect the hands just as they affect other parts of the body. For example, in osteoarthritis, the cartilage in your hand or finger joints breaks down, leading to chronic pain and swelling that reduces your grip strength and manual dexterity.

Which Exercises Can Help Restore Hand Function and Comfort?

Your physical therapist will most likely prescribe rehabilitative or corrective exercises to increase your troubled hand's range of motion, build up muscle strength, and help you use the hand more comfortably. Once you learn how to perform these exercises properly, you can do them at home or at work.

Many therapeutic hand exercises require no outside tools or equipment. Examples include doing finger lifts and stretches, making and releasing a fist, doing thumb extensions (in which you turn your thumb inward toward the palm), and practicing wrist rotations. Blocking exercises involving bending stiff joints with the opposite hand.

If you suffer from osteoarthritis, your physical therapist may also recommend an exercise called alphabet writing. True to its name, this exercise requires you to trace the letters of the alphabet in midair, supporting the affected hand and arm with the healthy hand. You can increase the difficulty level by tracing smaller letters.

Other physical therapy exercises for the hand require simple tools or household objects. If you struggle with hand weakness, for instance, you can increase hand strength by squeezing a ball. Some wrist movement exercises may call for an exercise band or folded towel.

How Do Other Forms of Therapy Complement Hand Exercises?

A variety of other physical therapy techniques can ease hand pain and support the effectiveness of hand exercises. Your physical therapist may recommend massage therapy and other kinds of manual therapy to help break up scar tissue, reduce swelling and inflammation, and help your joints move more freely.

If you could use a helping hand to recover from an injury or chronic problem that affects your manual dexterity and hand strength, contact Advanced Physical Therapy. Our skilled team can examine your hand issues and devise a personalized therapy plan to help you overcome them.

Massage Therapy for Improved Wellness

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 14:33:54 GMT

Massage is a popular way to pamper yourself, relax, and relieve stress. However, did you know that massage also has many health benefits that address severe medical conditions? If you have not sustained the expected results from other traditional interventions, try massage therapy for the benefits below.

Pain Relief and Management

You can give massage therapy a try for mild or chronic pain. The treatment relieves pain through several mechanisms. First, the therapist relaxes painful tendons, joints, and muscles. The hands-on approach to pain relief also encourages blood flow to sore muscles and joints.

In turn, the blood transports nutrients to the stiff joints and promotes healing. Then, the massage disturbs the pain signals to and from the brain. Many people with chronic pain complain of tense muscles. Fortunately, massage therapy encourages tight joints and muscles to relax.

The treatment relieves many kinds of pain, including back pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and post-operative pain. However, people with certain conditions like fibromyalgia find deep tissue massage painful. This is why massage therapists customize the degrees of pressure to your comfort.

Reduced Stress

To understand how massage therapy alleviates stress, consider what happens to your body during stressful periods. It is common to be anxious during high-stake life events such as applying for a promotion.

However, chronic stress accompanies seasons of financial difficulties and uncertain times. In this case, your muscles tighten while the blood pressure and heart rate rise. Massage therapy is effective because it returns the muscles to their original state.

Moreover, the treatment lowers the heart rate and encourages the release of feel-good hormones. It also increases the temperature of the soft tissues, thereby reducing muscle tightness. As a result, you leave the massage table in an improved mood. You can also expect reduced irritability and enhanced overall happiness. Improved Mobility

Tense muscles restrict your range of movement, which is particularly frustrating for athletes and active people. Also, it may be painful and difficult to complete typical tasks around the home. For patients recovering from injury, regaining strength and mobility is among the priorities.

Massage therapy encourages blood flow to overused or injured muscles and keeps joints more fluid. What's more, the intervention raises the temperature of soft tissues to promote elasticity and flexibility. In turn, the muscles and joints heal faster. Additional benefits include improved posture and enhanced athletic performance.

Address Sleep Disorders

The quality of your sleep directly alters your health and wellbeing. If you struggle to get restorative sleep, massage therapy is an effective solution. The treatment encourages serotonin production , which your body converts to melatonin. In addition to these two hormones, massage therapy reduces the stress hormone cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels lead to insomnia and other sleep disorders. Massage therapy balances all these hormones and results in better sleep and an improved attitude.

Boost Your Immune System

Massage therapy heightens the body's immune response, which is vital to prevent flu and cold during winter. First, the treatment boosts the level of lymphocytes, which fight harmful substances. Then, massage stimulates the lymphatic and circulatory systems and improves the body's ability to remove toxins.

Lymph maintains the body's fluid balance and transports healthy nutrients. On the other hand, the improved blood flow results in more efficient transport of the white blood cells. Since massage also reduces pain, you can expect an improved immune response.

Massage therapy is a drug-free intervention to alleviate pain, improve sleep, restore mobility, and boost the immune response. Our therapists at Advanced Physical Therapy can answer all additional questions you have about the benefits of massage therapy. Contact our therapy team today to schedule an appointment.

3 Key Points About Physical Therapy and Pregnancy

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 21:47:18 GMT

If you plan to become pregnant or have already achieved this goal, you'll probably want to maintain optimal health and wellness through the pregnancy. You may also seek safe, healthy strategies to prime yourself for pregnancy, minimize prenatal discomfort, and speed recovery. Physical therapy can help with all of these issues.

The more you understand about physical therapy's prenatal and postnatal benefits, you can more easily and effectively choose a therapist and a program that best suits your particular challenges and concerns. Check out these three key points about physical therapy and pregnancy.

1. Physical Therapy Can Help Prepare Your Body for Pregnancy

Your body can enjoy the benefits of physical therapy long before you actually become pregnant. The right exercise strategy can help to prepare your body for nine months of profound changes, some of which may cause significant aches and pains in a body unready to cope with them.

Strengthening exercise can greatly reduce your prenatal musculoskeletal difficulties. For example, Kegel exercises to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor can minimize common problems such as pelvic discomfort and urine leakage prompted by coughing or sneezing.

Kegel exercises involve the same set of muscles that you use when you stop your urine flow in midstream, although you shouldn't actually perform them with a full bladder. Get your obstetrician's approval before you embark on such exercises, and make sure that you've received instruction on how to perform them correctly.

Physical therapy exercises that strengthen your core muscles can ready your body for pregnancy by preventing separation of the abdominal muscles, a problem known as diastasis recti. Breathing and relaxation exercises can reduce discomfort while also helping your pelvic and lower abdominal muscles remain stable.

2. Physical Therapy During Pregnancy Can Enhance Comfort and Wellness

Health challenges such as excessive weight gain, gestational diabetes, and musculoskeletal aches and pains often develop during pregnancy. However, some of these issues may actually stem from nine months of physical inactivity. Physical therapy exercises can help you control these problems.

Low back pain provides a case in point. This common prenatal symptom occurs due to changes in posture encouraged by pregnancy. Research indicates that a combination of postural education, back exercises, and bracing can reduce acute low back pain and muscle spasms in pregnant women.

Skilled, experienced physical therapists know how to recommend and supervise exercises that pose minimal risks for expectant mothers. In some cases, you may perform these exercises while lying on your side or with the extra buoyancy and weight support that aquatic therapy provides.

Even when safely and carefully administered, physical therapy may not suit all pregnant women. If you have heart problems, restrictive lung disease, anemia, bleeding issues, a history of premature labor, or certain other health concerns, your physical therapist may advise you to avoid vigorous prenatal exercises.

3. Physical Therapy Can Help You Recover From Pregnancy

Both pregnancy and childbirth can leave your body in dire need of rehabilitation. Physical therapy can play a central role in helping you recover your strength, stamina, and bodily contours. Pelvic floor exercises, in particular, can help you recover from muscle damage that may have left you incontinent.

If you have developed diastasis recti despite your best effort to protect your abdominal muscles during pregnancy, exercises that strengthen your deep core muscles can help. However, certain other exercises, notably crunches, may do more harm than good. Your physical therapist can help you work through this issue.

Advanced Physical Therapy can answer all your questions about how you can use this form of care to make your pregnancy proceed more easily and comfortably. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with our physical therapy team.

Frequently Asked Questions About Preventative Rehabilitation Therapy

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 22:56:16 GMT

Debilitating physical pain, stiffness, and other limitations can occur under a variety of circumstances. Many surgical procedures can require extended recuperation time, which can result in muscle weakness and scar tissue buildup if you remain sedentary. Personal injuries often result from poor physical conditioning.

While an extended course of physical therapy can help you rehabilitate weakened or damaged tissues, another approach to therapy called preventative rehabilitation can reduce your need for such treatment. Check out the answers to these frequently asked questions about preventative rehabilitation therapy.

What Is Preventative Rehabilitation Therapy?

Preventative rehabilitation therapy involves the use of exercise techniques to make the body more resilient against future physical ordeals. (You may also see this form of care referred to as prehab or pre-hab.) This preventative measure can either prevent physical damage or help you recover from such damage more quickly.

People may have different motivations for undergoing a course of prehab. For instance, military personnel, athletes, and even office workers may schedule prehab to lower their risk for occupational overuse injuries. People who know that they need surgery may undergo prehab to build extra strength and flexibility beforehand.

How Does Prehab Help Surgical Patients?

A major surgery typically requires you to keep some or all of your body immobilized, at least at first. Eventually, your doctor may authorize a course of rehabilitative physical therapy to ensure complete recuperation. Unfortunately, the extended break from activity can make you more debilitated before you even start.

Prehab can help you get your pain levels under better control before your surgery. It can also get you up and moving again much faster following your procedure. Research shows that hip and knee surgery patients who underwent prehab reduced their need for inpatient physical rehabilitation by 73 percent .

How Does Prehab Reduce Injury Risks?

Different activities and occupations pose different injury risks. for example, if you must stand for long periods of time, you run the risk of overusing your knees, hips, ankles, and feet, potentially leading to muscle strain and joint problems. Repetitive motion can cause everything from tennis elbow to chronic neck problems.

A body that suffers from unbalanced posture, uneven muscle development, or specific weak points has greater vulnerability to these disabling injuries. Prehab aimed at improving muscle tone and range of motion in those weak areas can make you less likely to get hurt in the course of your everyday activities.

Ideally, a regular fitness program supervised by an experienced trainer could make prehab unnecessary, since it can help the body ward off injuries as well. However, if you don't normally maintain such a routine and you anticipate a physical challenge in your future, prehab can help you prepare your body for it.

What Should You Expect From a Prehab Program?

The length and content of a prehab program will vary according to each participant's baseline fitness level and the nature of the challenge ahead. A typical pre-operative prehab program might run six to eight weeks before surgery. Sports injury prehab may focus on the core muscles that support your posture and balance.

A typical prehab session will usually start with a series of gentle warmup exercises to prepare the muscles for your workout. You'll also want to do some gentle exercises during lulls in training to maintain your readiness. Cool-down exercises then bring your body safely back to its normal resting state.

Advanced Physical Therapy can provide both in-facility physical therapy and telemedicine-based services to help you strengthen your body against injury or prepare for an upcoming surgery, with or without a doctor's referral. Contact us today to learn more.

Aquatic Therapy: Helping Rehabilitation Patients With Additional Health Challenges

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 19:54:15 GMT

Surgery or car accidents can often lead to a need for physical therapy. Patients may struggle through rehabilitation programs, even when they are otherwise healthy. Those with issues like arthritis or diabetes may feel even less capable of rebuilding their strength. Aquatic therapy can provide a gentler but equally effective option for recovery.

How It Helps Everyone

Water takes away the stress put on the joints by gravity. The pressure on the body drops 90 percent when a person immerses themselves in water up to their necks. The buoyancy makes it easier to move freely without the fear of falling. The reduction in pain and pressure can enable people to complete their rehabilitation program and restore their strength and coordination.

Less pain, pressure, and better balance can make workouts more fun and less exhausting. Patients hesitant to try physical therapy because of their fatigue or pain may make feel more motivated by the option of a pool workout. The quietness of a therapy pool can make the rehabilitation process more peaceful and provide some stress relief for participants.

Despite being impact-free, water workouts offer more resistance than movements outside of the water. The muscles can grow stronger than they may have otherwise and help the people who take part in the program to feel more capable of continued physical activity.

Who May Benefit Most

People who suffer from chronic conditions may gain more than just the help they needed for the injury or other trauma that led to physical therapy. Aquatic therapy also has the potential to help to lessen many of the problems of common diseases. People with arthritis, diabetes, and even respiratory issues like COPD may find water therapy beneficial.

Arthritis sufferers can experience relief from the reduced stress on their inflamed joints. The impact-free water workout can make movement less painful, so people can take part more often and for longer sessions. Regular exercise can help to improve mobility, and the relief from pain can often improve the mood of the patient.

People with Type 2 diabetes can help to regulate their blood sugar levels with exercise, and aquatic therapy has proven as beneficial for this as any other workout. Water therapy could offer a convenient solution for any person with Type 2 diabetes who worries about rising blood sugar levels if an injury or surgery has sidelined them from their usual exercise routine.

Exercise sometimes feels impossible for people with respiratory conditions like COPD. The reduced strain on the body from the water buoyancy may lower the fatigue people feel when they try to complete exercises on land. The worry of the water placing too much pressure on the chest during aquatic therapy has not occurred in clinical studies , as oxygen saturation in the body remained stable.

How Recommendations Have Changed

Experts once considered aquatic therapy unsafe for heart patients, so some people may have previously had a doctor or therapist tell them it was not an option for them. Those beliefs have changed. The original concern was over an increased venous return, which is an increase in the blood flow through the left ventricle. If this occurred, experts believed it could lead to a higher risk of stroke in some patients.

The increase in blood flow can occur during hydrotherapy, but research has shown that the therapy can boost the overall heart function. The heavier flow does not put the participant at risk, as once believed. However, people with heart conditions should still talk to their doctor before they begin.

Aquatic therapy is only one of the many efficient and effective forms of rehabilitation services available today. At Advanced Physical Therapy , we offer multiple options led by skilled therapists. We enable people of any age and physical ability to regain their strength, coordination, and independence. Contact us to learn more.

3 Excellent Therapies If You Suffer From Osteoarthritis

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 15:59:33 GMT

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that causes one or more joints to deteriorate. This causes pain, stiffness, and limited mobility. Osteoarthritis has no cure, but many treatments are available to manage the pain and symptoms. If you are tired of living with osteoarthritis pain, check out these three therapies that can really help.

Aquatic Therapy

Exercise is incredibly important for managing osteoarthritis. In particular, you want to strengthen the muscles near the affected joint(s). Aquatic therapy involves various exercises and stretches that are performed in a pool. Thanks to the water that helps support you, these exercises are low impact, which is incredibly important if you suffer from osteoarthritis.

High-impact exercise like running put a lot of weight on your joints, which is great for building strong bones, but it can worsen your joint pain or even cause more wear and tear to the joint.

Another benefit to aquatic therapy is the heat. Most pools used for therapy are heated to about 82 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat alone can help ease muscles and joints, reducing inflammation, lessening swelling and pain, and making it easier to perform the exercises and stretches.

Finally, aquatic therapy is also great for resistance training because the water is more resistant than air. In other words, you have to work harder to perform the exercises, but thanks to the buoyance of the water, you don't get exhausted.

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy can help osteoarthritis in several ways. First, it helps promote better circulation, which can heal damaged tissue and reduce pain. Good circulation also helps the muscles around the joint, which helps reduce pain by improving flexibility. Better flexibility helps take stress off the affected joint.

Massage therapy also helps reduce stress and anxiety. Any condition that negatively affects your mental well-being can actually decrease your pain threshold, making it seem like your arthritis has worsened.

Finally, massage therapy is great for osteoarthritis because it eases muscles. A lot of osteoarthritis pain is caused by tight muscles. The weak/sore joint causes the muscles to work harder. In turn, the sore muscles put more stress on the affected joint. A good massage eases those muscles, which can reduce pain and help make it easier for you to strengthen those muscles.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy involves helping you relearn or learn new ways to perform everyday tasks, such as writing or putting on your socks and shoes. Painful joints can make everyday tasks painful or impossible. If you suffer from osteoarthritis, occupational therapy can help teach you better ways to live your life without pain.

For example, if writing is hard because arthritis in your hands makes it painful to hold a small pen, your occupational therapist may help by introducing you to alternatives, such as a thick pen or a different way to hold the pen. Ultimately, your occupational therapist is there to educate you about your condition and provide new methods and activity modifications that will reduce pain and discomfort.

Your occupational therapist will also help you with joint protection techniques. One of the best joint protection techniques is learning proper body position and good posture for various activities so you don’t put unnecessary stress on the affected joint. It's also a good idea to make sure you rest frequently and manage your weight to avoid extra weight on joints.

Osteoarthritis can be incredibly painful, and it may even make it difficult or impossible for you to do the activities you used to enjoy. While there is no cure, many treatments and therapies can help manage and reduce pain. If you would like to learn more, contact us at Advanced Physical Therapy today.

What to Know About Pulmonary Rehab

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 14:17:25 GMT

Breathing is supposed to come naturally, but many people struggle with breathing, especially when they are active. In some cases, breathing problems can affect your daily life, making it hard to do everyday tasks. If you would like to learn more, keep reading about pulmonary rehab and how it can help.

What Is the Goal of Pulmonary Rehab?

Overall, the goal of pulmonary rehab is to help you exercise without severe shortness of breath. This is done via education and exercises, but every patient is unique. For example, a young patient with asthma may want to improve their lung function enough to play sports, but a geriatric patient may simply want to walk to the mailbox without getting winded.

When you and your rehab therapist get started, you'll need to come up with different types of goals, including short-term goals, functional goals, impairment goals, and lifestyle goals. Short-term goals are milestones that help celebrate your hard work, which may motivate you to keep going to reach those long-term goals.

Functional goals are goals that improve your day-to-day life, such as being able to walk into work or up the stairs without getting winded. Impairment goals are big goals that are designed to overcome some of your impairment. Finally, lifestyle goals might include breathing techniques, quitting smoking, quitting alcohol, eating healthy foods, etc.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Pulmonary Rehab?

A good candidate for pulmonary rehab will have some condition that impacts breathing, such as asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, a lung transplant, chronic bronchitis, or COPD, amongst other conditions. Your doctor may also recommend pulmonary rehab if you are at high risk of developing a cardiovascular disease that puts you at risk of a heart attack or heart failure.

Neuromuscular diseases can also impact your lung function. These include Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, post-tuberculosis syndrome, diaphragmatic dysfunction, and others.

To be a good candidate, you must also be willing to learn more about your overall health, disease, and lungs, so you can make better choices. For example, your rehab therapist will likely suggest lifestyle changes, such as eating more healthily or starting an exercise routine. If you are not willing to do this, your rehab won't succeed.

What Exercises Are Involved in Pulmonary Rehab?

The exercises used in pulmonary rehab are designed to improve circulation, strengthen the cardiovascular system, strengthen lungs, improve flexibility, reduce body fat, reduce stress, etc. For this reason, you may have many types of exercises that involve stretching, strengthening, and improving aerobic strength.

Your therapist will help you craft an exercise routine that works for you, but it should include a warm-up, a conditioning phase, and a cool down. Stretching is a good way to warm up and cool down. Some people prefer to warm up by starting the exercise with low intensity. They may cool down this way, too.

The conditioning phase is the meat of your exercise routine because this is where you strengthen muscles and your cardiovascular and respiratory system. Make sure to start at a lower intensity and slowly work your way up as you get stronger.

You and your therapist will choose the right intensity based on the Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale, which rates activity from zero to ten. A zero means you are exerting no energy (such as sitting on the couch), and a ten is how you feel after intense and vigorous activity. On average, you want to stick between a three and four (moderate to somewhat heavy).

If you are having trouble breathing or feel like you're using too much energy for everyday actions, you may need pulmonary rehab. If you would like to know more about pulmonary rehab, or if you want to schedule an appointment, contact us today at Advanced Physical Therapy.

4 Sports-Related Injuries

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:28:39 GMT

Whether you're an avid runner, a golfer, or someone who just works out or partakes in sports occasionally, you're at risk for a sports-related injury. Sometimes, the injury may stem from a misstep during your physical activity or from repetitive motions. Some of the most common sports-related injuries include sprains, strains, bursitis, and tendinitis.

1. Sprains

In between your joints, you have tissue that connects two bones together, known as your ligament. A sprain is an injury to a ligament and occurs when you overstretch or tear it. If you sustain a sprain while you exercise, you may experience:

Bruising
Pain
Decrease in mobility

While a minor sprain will heal with proper care, you may need a specialist to surgically repair a more serious sprain.

The most common location of a sprain is in your ankle; however, you may sprain your knee, wrist, thumb, or any other ligament, depending on the type of physical activity you partake in.

2. Strains

Another possible injury you may endure from playing sports is a strain, which is a muscle injury. Also referred to as pulled muscle, a strain occurs when you stretch a muscle beyond its limitations and tear the tissue.

Generally, when you strain a muscle, you may feel pain suddenly. You might have a decrease in your range of motion in that particular muscle. Other possible signs of a strain include:

Bruising
Swelling
Stiffness
Weakness
Spasms in your muscle

You may develop a strain if you overexert your muscle or use it incorrectly during physical activity. Most commonly, people strain the following muscles:

Neck
Hamstring
Shoulder
Back (lower)
Shoulder

However, you may strain any muscle in your body.

The severity of your strain may range from mild to severe. In the more severe cases, your muscle may take months to heal.

In some cases, you may experience a chronic strain, which arises from repetitive motions. Often, people who play tennis or golf experience this type of strain.

3. Tendinitis

You may also develop tendinitis from physical activity, which is a repetitive stress injury that affects a tendon — the cord that connects your muscle to your bone. In particular, you'll likely experience irritation or inflammation in this body part from this injury.

You might experience a dull ache that worsens when you move your muscle or joint near that tendon. You'll also have tenderness at the site or possibly swelling.

Most often, tendinitis affects your elbow, shoulder, or knee. Commonly, tendinitis occurs when you play golf, baseball, or tennis. If you swim or partake in a sport that requires you to jump, you also have an increased risk of tendinitis.

Your risk of this particular sports-related injury increases as you age since your tendons become less flexible over time.

4. Bursitis

In addition, you may suffer from bursitis if you partake in sports or other physical activity. This particular condition happens when a sac near your joints develops inflammation. These sacs have fluid and act like pillows to the tendons, bones, and muscles surrounding your joints.

You develop bursitis from repetitive motions. In fact, this issue is common in baseball pitchers' elbows. Bursitis may also occur in your shoulders, heels, knees, or hips from other sports and activities.

If you develop this condition, the affected joint may feel stiff and look swollen. Sometimes, you experience an achy feeling. If you have pain from bursitis, the discomfort may worsen when you move your joint or press on the area.

In the more serious cases, bursitis may limit the mobility in that joint. You might also have a sharp pain.

If you notice you have any signs of the aforementioned conditions, you want to seek out the expertise of a physical therapist who understands the inner workings of your musculoskeletal system. With proper treatment, you can be back on the court, field, or wherever you partake in physical activity.

Contact Advanced Physical Therapy , serving Philadelphia, PA, and the nearby area, if you sustain a sports-related injury.

Water And Sleep: 2 Essential Components for Better Muscle Health

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 13:52:04 GMT

When you were young, did adults stress the importance of protein for muscle growth and strength? Perhaps you saw a popular cartoon character promote the benefit of spinach on muscle strength. However, diet isn't the only aspect of your lifestyle that matters in terms of your muscle strength and resilience; sleep and hydration are important, too.

Get Enough Sleep

You can help your muscles with sleep, especially if you get an adequate amount of it each night.

How Sleep Helps

Firstly, when you sleep, your body releases a growth hormone necessary to produce a growth factor similar to insulin. Your muscles need this growth factor to break down protein into amino acids, which you need for muscle repair and new cell creation.

Additionally, while you sleep, more blood flows to your muscles. Ultimately, the increased blood flow ensures your muscles receive the necessary nutrients.

Thirdly, your body regulates cortisol, a stress hormone, as you sleep. If you sleep less than the recommended amount, your muscles may shrink because your body can't properly regulate this hormone that's known to prohibit muscle repair and recovery when it's at high amounts.

How Much Sleep You Need

Ultimately, you want to aim for between seven to nine hours of sleep each night for optimal health, as noted by the Mayo Clinic. If you partake in high-intensity workouts, you want to add an hour to how long you sleep so your muscles can recovery and repair adequately.

Keep in mind that if you sleep less than recommended, you can increase the amount of sleep you receive by two hours and see a benefit. The National Sleep Foundation stated that basketball players who slept two extra hours each night enhanced their speed and reaction time.

Stay Hydrated

You also need proper hydration for muscle strength and resilience. In fact, water is one of the most, if not the most, beneficial nutrients you can receive for your overall health.

How Water is Necessary

Overall, about 60 percen t of your weight consists of water. Water comprises 90 percent or more of your brain and lungs. Additionally, water makes up about 82 percent of your blood. Various other organs need it as well and so do your muscles.

Your muscles require water for your blood to transport nutrients to them. Additionally, your muscles dispose of water through your bloodstream. Without enough water, your blood can't carry away this waste properly.

In addition, both protein and glycogen, two important substances for muscle health, use water to form.

You also need water for your muscles to move. When you experience dehydration, your muscles don't receive enough electrolytes. Therefore, you might suffer from muscle cramping.

The nerves that control your muscles need electrolytes and water as well. Without a proper balance of electrolytes and water, your muscle control suffers. You might also lose strength in your muscles.

Finally, water plays a role in muscle tone too, so if you suffer from dehydration, your muscles may not have the tone they could.

How Much Water Is Necessary

The Mayo Clinic states that, usually, about 20 percent of your water intake comes from the foods you consume. Therefore, most of your water intake comes from fluids, so you need to drink water every day.

As a general recommendation, you should receive 15.5 cups of fluid daily if you're a man. On the other hand, if you're a woman, you should receive 11.5 cups of water each day.

Water and sleep are necessary for your overall health but especially for your muscles. Whether you're someone who needs physical therapy or an avid exerciser who wants to prevent muscle injuries and enhance muscle strength, these elements of a healthy lifestyle can benefit you.

Schedule an appointment with Advanced Physical Therapy, serving Philadelphia, PA, and the general vicinity, if you recently sustained an injury or suffer from recurring pain.

What You Should Know About Cupping

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 22:54:40 GMT

Many modalities used by today's physical therapists have their basis in ancient medicine. One such time-tested practice, cupping, involves the application of heated cups to the skin. The vacuum pressure caused by the heat pulls on the skin, increasing circulation while also loosening tight, painful soft tissues.

If you have heard about cupping but don't know much about this form of physical therapy, a basic understanding of this modality might compel you to seek out its healing benefits for the treatment of your own health challenges. Take a look at some key points about cupping.

Where Cupping Comes From

Cupping as a healing technique appears to date back to ancient China as the invention of a healer named Ge Hong . According to traditional beliefs, pain or illness occurred when the body's flow of qi (life energy) experienced obstruction or stagnation. Ge Hong used cupping as a means of restoring healthy qi flow.

Why Physical Therapists Administer Cupping

Today's therapists employ cupping for its apparent ability to reduce pain and support the body's natural healing processes. The suction effect on the tissues can act as a muscle relaxant and undo painful muscle knots. The motion of the cup along the body conveys a soothing, massage-like effect to soft tissues.

Cupping aids both blood flow and lymphatic drainage. As you may have noticed from the red, round spots visible on athletes (and cupping enthusiasts) such as Michael Phelps, the suction from the cups pulls blood toward the skin surface. At the same time, it can get rid of stagnation in your lymphatic system.

Physical therapists use cupping primarily to achieve myofascial decompression, which eases restrictions that have developed between layers of skin, muscle, and tissue called fascia. In some cases, cupping can even help patients with issues such as digestive disorders, respiratory problems, and skin complaints.

What to Expect From a Cupping Session

Cupping therapy consists of two primary styles. If you undergo dry cupping therapy, the therapist will simply place small glass cups on your skin at various points before applying heat to the cups. The therapist may move the cups gradually across your body or leave them in place for approximately five minutes.

If you undergo wet cupping therapy, the therapist will make a tiny cut in the skin before applying the cup over the cut. This extra step causes the suction from the cup to draw a small amount of blood, thus helping to extract toxins. The cups don't stay on the body in wet cupping as long as they do in dry cupping.

Cupping can produce some minor side effects, none of which should present you with any serious problems. The vacuum pressure will likely leave you with reddened marks which may produce temporary discomfort. Mild sweating, dizziness, or nausea may also occur. Rarer issues include skin bruising or scarring.

As in any other form of physical therapy, a thorough preliminary evaluation will determine whether your condition can benefit from cupping and whether you make a suitable candidate for the procedure. Pregnant women, individuals with recent skin damage, and those taking blood thinners may require other forms of care.

How Cupping Works With Other Forms of Physical Therapy

Cupping makes a natural complement to other physical therapy techniques. For instance, cupping boosts blood flow, which enhances the same benefit in massage therapy. Cupping’s upward-pulling effects make an effective contrast to the firm downward pressure employed in deep tissue massage.

You may also discover that cupping helps you make more use of any corrective or rehabilitative exercises included in your physical therapy program. Although you might need to rest right after a cupping session, your newly-relaxed muscles should enjoy a more comfortable range of motion during workouts.

Advanced Physical Therapy can evaluate your current health issues and tell you whether cupping makes sense as part of your personalized physical therapy program. Contact us today for details.

Physical Therapy for Knee Pain: An Introduction

Tue, 19 May 2020 17:15:07 GMT

Knee pain can place severe limits on your mobility, productivity, and quality of life. In addition to the many cases of acute knee pain that occur due to injuries each year, a growing number of individuals suffer from chronic knee pain. This pain may grow progressively worse due to age-related degeneration and other contributing factors.

If you find yourself hobbled by knee pain, you'll want to investigate physical therapy's potential as a safe, effective, non-surgical approach to treatment. Here are some key factors to understand about the nature of knee pain and the many ways physical therapy can keep it under control.

When Knees Develop Pain Problems

The human leg can bend thanks to the hinge-style joint known as the knee. The knee joint must perform two tasks that might at first glance seem mutually incompatible: supporting most of your body's weight, and allowing you to walk, run, dance, or perform other acts of locomotion.

Despite its impressive size, its soft tissues and moving parts also make it vulnerable to problems. In addition to the bones and cartilage at the center of the joint, the knee also makes use of ligaments, tendons, and other delicate components that can sustain damage.

Acute knee pain often stems from a ruptured ligament, pulled muscle, or sprained ligament. In some cases, fractures or dislocations may also occur. Auto, work, and sports accidents account for many such injuries, the latter often occurring due to a sudden shift in weight distribution over a planted leg.

Acute knee injuries usually require immediate first aid measures to reduce pain, inflammation and swelling. You might even need surgery to repair a complex fracture or ruptured ligament. You may also need to immobilize the knee for a while, which may contribute to muscle atrophy during your recuperation.

Unlike acute knee pain, chronic knee pain doesn't resolve once injured tissues heal. An acute injury that doesn't heal correctly may produce chronic pain that continues for months or years. Other chronic knee pain causes include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, overuse injuries (such as runner's knee), obesity, and posture problems.

Why You Should Look Into Physical Therapy

Physical therapy offers many benefits for knee pain sufferers that other approaches cannot readily provide. Over-the-counter pain relievers may relieve knee pain for only a few hours at a time, while steroid injections usually lose potency after a few months. Oral painkillers can cause stomach or liver issues.

While surgery may prove the only solution for severe knee damage, it can cause its own share of problems as well, from postoperative complications and extended recuperation time to the expenses involved in surgical care and a hospital stay. Physical therapy can resolve many knee pain issues more easily and conveniently.

How Physical Therapy Relieves Knee Pain

A holistic physical therapy plan attempts to address multiple factors that influence your knee pain. Your physical therapist will evaluate your symptoms, take diagnostic images of the knee joint, analyze your posture and range of motion, and discuss your lifestyle and overall health with you in the creation of such a plan.

Exercise often plays a key role in physical therapy for knee pain. A knee recovering from a major injury or surgery may need considerable strengthening to make up for muscle disuse and atrophy during the acute recuperation stage. Stretching exercises can also help alleviate stiffness.

Both strengthening exercises and stretches can also help people suffering from chronic knee pain. Arthritic knees can benefit from increased muscular support and soft tissue mobility. Aerobic exercises such as walking can boost blood flow, lubricate joints, and reduce inflammation, and help you shed pounds, reducing joint stress.

If your knee cannot accept your full weight, the physical therapist may recommend aquatic therapy. A treadmill within a tank of warm water gives you the extra buoyancy and comfort you need to exercise safely and easily.

Massage therapy can serve a natural complement to exercise as a knee pain treatment method. Soft tissue manipulation relaxes tight muscles and tendons, reduces swelling, and permits faster healing.

If you need help for knee pain, then you need to talk to Advanced Physical Therapy. Contact us today.

4 Nerve Issues That Could Mean You Need Physical Therapy

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 20:17:36 GMT

Although physical therapy is often touted as a treatment modality for musculoskeletal issues, it can often be helpful with nerve injuries or pinched nerves as well. Your nerves live alongside your musculoskeletal system, and so they work together and can often affect each other.

Here are four nerve issues that you can treat with physical therapy.

1. Sciatica

Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is irritated. In many cases, this irritation is because of a spine problem or some other underlying cause. The nerve irritation causes pain in your leg and foot.

A physical therapist can provide exercises to treat the pain associated with sciatic nerve problems. However, your physical therapist may also try to get to the bottom of the issue by diagnosing the underlying cause of the sciatic pain.

In some cases, you may work with a physical therapist and another medical professional as well. Your general practitioner may prescribe medications for the pain, for example.

2. Nerve Entrapment in Wrist

Your wrists have two narrow tunnels that nerves pass through to reach your hand. One is called the carpal tunnel, and compression (also called entrapment) here can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Classic symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include pain, weakness, or tingling in the thumb and first three fingers.

If your symptoms are in your ring finger and little finger, though, you may have an ulnar nerve problem called Guyon's canal syndrome instead. The ulnar nerve also passes through a tunnel (called Guyon's canal), but this one is on the outer side of your wrist.

Doctors don't always know exactly what causes these types of problems, but you may be more susceptible if your bone structure includes a smaller tunnel for the nerves (meaning they're more likely to become irritated easily). And doctors do know some of the triggers and exacerbating factors that could cause or worsen symptoms of these problems. Some of these triggers include:

Other chronic conditions
Pregnancy (which can increase swelling in the hands)
Repetitive motion
Poor posture

Physical therapy can often be an effective and noninvasive treatment for both ulnar nerve problems and carpal tunnel. For example, your physical therapist may teach you nerve glide exercises that help retrain your nerves to normal function.

Other physical therapy exercises to help improve range of motion and reduce inflammation may also be relevant here. Your physical therapist will prescribe a course of treatment based on your individual case and circumstances.

3. Nerve Entrapment at Elbow

Nerve entrapment of the ulnar nerve in your elbow is often called cubital tunnel syndrome. This entrapment can cause symptoms not only in your arm and elbow, but sometimes in your hand as well. Like nerve entrapment at the wrist, cubital tunnel syndrome may be treated with physical therapy exercises that could include nerve glides.

Your therapist may also try to get to the bottom of what actions or posture problems could be worsening your symptoms and help you to develop healthier posture and habits.

4. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

Thoracic outlet syndrome can be similar to other nerve entrapment issues. However, instead of occurring at a joint, this problem originates near the collarbone at a spot called the thoracic outlet. This nerve problem is called neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome — not to be confused with vascular thoracic outlet syndrome, which involves compressed blood vessels.

Your physical therapist can help you identify possible causes and the best exercises and lifestyle modifications to help treat this issue.

As you can see, a variety of causes can irritate or entrap different nerves throughout your body. If you experience localized pain, numbness, or tingling that you suspect could be due to a nerve issue, contact a medical professional such as Advanced Physical Therapy right away.

To the Pain: Understanding Physical Therapy Discomfort

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 19:14:34 GMT

The reasons why people need physical therapy vary. You might need therapy to help recover from whiplash after a car accident, while another person might need physical therapy after getting knee surgery for a torn ligament. Whatever the reason, people in therapy can probably all agree on something: it can be uncomfortable and even painful.

For many patients, beginning a new program of physical therapy can actually make sore muscles hurt even more. Some patients struggle with how challenging some exercises can be. Learn more about pain during physical therapy and what you can do to handle it.

What Causes Pain During Treatment?

During physical therapy, people can experience pain for a number of reasons.

First, if a condition or injury has caused you to reduce your activity level, your muscles will become sore if you increase the amount of work they do. Your physical therapist might have you lift a light weight to improve strength in an arm or leg that was injured. When you do this extra work, your muscles develop microtears. These heal, and your muscle becomes stronger.

During the strength-developing process, you can experience the pain of muscle fatigue and a condition called delayed-onset muscle soreness. This pain comes one or two days after the session, but it resolves with time. As you continue therapy, your muscles will get used to the work and become stronger, which means they will hurt less.

Another reason for discomfort during sessions is stiffness from injury. For example, a person who is recovering from shoulder surgery might not have full range of motion in the joint. The goal of therapy is to get back as much motion as possible. This might mean fighting through stiffness that came on while your shoulder was immobile during healing.

For patients with chronic pain, some of the movements your physical therapist prescribes might be challenging, especially at first. The pain isn't always directly caused from the movement itself. Chronic pain actually changes how you feel pain, with your body becoming very sensitive to anything that might cause an increase in painful stimulation.

However, you should understand that with therapy, chronic pain can go down, leading to a much better quality of life over time.

Finally, people often come to physical therapy afraid that they will experience excruciating pain. This fear causes increased tension and stress response, which increases pain during and after treatment. Relaxation, healing, and the recovery of natural movements and abilities are the goals of physical therapy.

How Can You Manage Discomfort?

You can help your body heal in a few different ways. To decrease discomfort during treatment, you can:

Keep going . Don't be tempted to quit physical therapy because the first one or two sessions caused soreness. Continued treatment will hurt less, and it will make daily pain from your illness or injury decrease over time.

Stay hydrated . Your body needs water to heal. Drink plenty of water, and try not to replace water with less beneficial fluids like soda, coffee, or energy drinks.

Use heat and cold for sore muscles. After therapy, you might place a cold pack on your sore muscles or take a warm bath. Cold helps reduce inflammation, and heat helps to improve circulation. Both things can help with soreness.

You also need to make sure you get enough rest. Sometimes, pain can be a sign of pushing yourself too hard. Get plenty of sleep, and never try to do more than your physical therapist recommends. Doing too much too soon can make pain and injury worse.

How Do You Tell If Pain is a Good Thing or a Bad Thing?

Good pain is the pain you feel when stretching or even the fatigue-like burning you might get when lifting a weight a lot of repetitions. This pain can require some mental fortitude to overcome. However, physical therapy should never cause bad pain, and most people know the difference.

Tell your therapist if you have shooting, stabbing pain that prevents you from completing an exercise. Report things like tingling, pinching, or numbness.

For more information, contact us at Advanced Physical Therapy.

Get Back in the Swing of Things With Aquatic Therapy

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 21:17:36 GMT

If you need to recover from a major neurological crisis, rehabilitate an acute injury, or manage a chronic musculoskeletal problem, then you may already know you need physical therapy. When your body can't support your weight safely or comfortably, however, you may feel cut off from your pathway to relief.

Fortunately, you can still perform the necessary exercises to regain your strength or improve your range of motion, thanks to a modality known as aquatic therapy. Here's an overview of how this form of treatment can help you.

Aquatic Therapy Introduction

Aquatic therapy puts water to work as a rehabilitation tool. It relies on the fact that water supports the body, reducing the amount of pressure on weight-bearing muscles and joints. This property of buoyancy allows you to stand, walk, and perform various other exercises in a pool with less discomfort than you'd experience on dry land.

Water also puts up a degree of resistance against your body. This works in your favor by helping your muscles get more of a workout from walking, swimming, and pushing against the water, with no harm to your joints. This same resistance also lends your body more stability, a crucial benefit if you need to improve your body's positional awareness.

The warm water used in aquatic therapy offers healing benefits of its own. In addition to the circulatory boost you get from your exercises, your muscles will relax and your blood vessels will dilate, enhancing blood flow further and easing inflammatory pain.

Aquatic Therapy Uses

Aquatic therapy's benefits can help you enjoy safe, gentle treatment for many kinds of health challenges. Therapists often prescribe it to treat acute injuries to joints or muscles that aren't yet ready to take on a patient's full body weight.

The reduced pressure on joints makes it equally helpful for chronic degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis, making aquatic therapy a must for many seniors who want to maintain their range of motion.

If you need to get over a stroke, severe muscle atrophy, or some other condition that has affected your balance, aquatic therapy may play an important role in helping you regain your stability.

The chronic pain conditions that benefit from aquatic therapy aren't limited to joint problems. If you're plagued by recurring muscle spasms, back pain, neck pain, or complex pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia, you'll find aquatic therapy an effective, drug-free pain management tool.

Aquatic Therapy Exercises

Different kinds of aquatic therapy exercises offer different kinds of benefits. Your personalized aquatic therapy program will revolve around your particular physical condition, symptoms, and rehabilitation goals. Examples of common aquatic therapy exercises include:

Balance Exercises

If you seek to improve your balance, you can practice standing (on one leg or two), walking, and sidestepping in the pool. Take 10 to 20 steps in one direction, and then head back in the opposite direction.

Hip and Knee Exercises

You can exercise your hips and knees from a standing position by performing lunges or jogging in place. You can also hold onto a floatation device (or the edge of the pool) while perform kicking or bicycling motions.

Push-Up Exercises

You can perform a push-up exercise by pushing with your hands against the side of the pool. If this exercise offers too much of a challenge, try leaning toward the side of the pool then pushing yourself back to an upright position.

Arm Raises

This exercise can help you build strength in your arms. With your elbows held at 90-degree angles, bring your arms up from a vertical position by your sides to a horizontal position at the surface of the water.

If you want to learn more about whether aquatic therapy can benefit you, contact our Philadelphia team at Advanced Physical Therapy.

Physical Therapy Tips for Post-Stroke Recovery

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 21:13:11 GMT

If you have recently suffered a stroke, you might be experiencing ongoing symptoms of muscle weakness or complete loss of mobility in an arm or leg on one side of the body. The severity of effects varies by patient, based on their health and the significance of the stroke itself.

However, many people can recover the use of their body after a stroke through diligent work and physical therapy treatments. One in ten people who suffer a stroke will regain complete use of their body, and another 25 percent will recover with only minor impairments. But without therapy, this progress may not happen.

If you are facing the long road of stroke recovery, here are some tips to help you stay on track and keep moving forward.

Begin With the Basics in Mind

After a stroke, you may feel discouraged or angry that you cannot do even the more simple motions that make up your daily life, including the things you enjoy such as swimming, walking, playing the piano, or writing a letter.

Most people are eager to relearn the skills that they miss the most, but your doctor and therapist will first want to focus on the basics. These will include things like walking, going to the bathroom, eating and swallowing, and getting in and out of bed.

These basics will take up a lot of time at first but think about them as a way to lay the foundation for relearning finer motor skills further down the road.

Keep a Daily Routine

A stroke will upset the way you live your life, but one of the things that can help your recovery is to get into a routine. This routine should include practicing your physical therapy exercises every day or even multiple times each day as recommended by your care provider.

Schedule the time so that you don't skip practice — even though you might be tempted to do so. Practice might seem painful, futile, or pointless, but continued perseverance is essential to regaining the motor skills you lost because of a stroke.

Don't Ignore Your Impaired Limbs

One of the foundations of post-stroke rehabilitation is something called constraint-induced therapy. This means that, instead of using your good arm or leg to do the things you need to do, you try to use your impaired limbs instead.

It's easy to give in and grab something like a pen or fork with your hand that still works perfectly, but in order to relearn the motions for your impaired hand, you need to keep trying to use it. Make a conscious effort every day to use the parts of your body that the stroke affected.

Take Mental Breaks

Rehabilitation takes a lot of mental effort, and you can experience fatigue and irritability from the pressure of the mental work involved in retraining your body. To preserve your mental health, take mental breaks. You might do a guided meditation exercise to help relax your body and mind. You can also take breaks by doing less-physical things, such as listening to music.

Keep Distractions at a Minimum

When you are working on physical therapy, however, try to keep mental distractions at bay. Don't do your exercises with the TV on, while listening to an audiobook, or even with other people in the room (unless you need help with the workouts).

These distractions all stimulate your brain and pull attention away from relearning the motions and skills you want to recover. You need to concentrate as fully as possible on the task at hand.

For more information on recovery after stroke, contact us at Advanced Physical Therapy.

3 Types of Physical Therapy to Help Manage Endometriosis

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 15:44:54 GMT

If you're one of the many women who have endometriosis, you know that this chronic condition is much more than just a reproductive issue or a bad period. Endometriosis symptoms can range from unbearable pain during periods to pelvic pain outside of periods, hormone imbalances, depression and anxiety, constipation, bladder problems, or infertility.

Although you may not think of endometriosis as a clear-cut physical therapy issue, several different types of physical therapy may be able to help you manage the condition. Discover three types of physical therapy to consider if you've been diagnosed with endometriosis.

1. Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

Pelvic floor physical therapy, or pelvic health physical therapy, is often necessary in cases of endometriosis. Because much of the pain and inflammation of endometriosis occurs in the pelvic and abdominal regions, these areas are likely to develop inflammation, bloating, pelvic floor dysfunction, and sometimes even digestive issues or bladder issues.

Pelvic floor physical therapy can help to identify and treat any imbalances in the pelvic floor muscles, reduce bloating, and stimulate the lymphatic system. Overall, this type of therapy may be able to reduce your pain significantly. Talk to your physical therapist or gynecologist about whether this type of physical therapy might be right for your symptoms.

2. Physical Therapy for Scars and Adhesions

Because abdominal surgery is often the agreed-upon method to diagnose endometriosis, you probably acquired at least some surgical scars on the path to your diagnosis. The bad news is that surgical scars can be uncomfortable and may even lead to internal adhesions, which can cause pain months and years after the surgery. The good news is that physical therapy can help.

Your physical therapist can use techniques such as massage to help scarring and adhesions heal. In some cases, myofascial release therapy may help loosen internal adhesions.

3. Physical Therapy for Muscle Tension

Symptoms such as fatigue and muscle pain may occur with endometriosis, and depression and anxiety can come along for the ride as well. Fatigue and anxiety may cause you to carry a lot of tension in your shoulders, neck, or back. Over time, this can lead to muscle soreness, joint pain, limited range of motion, and similar symptoms.

Some patients use yoga and chiropractic treatments to help manage these side effects of endometriosis. However, physical therapy can help as well. Your physical therapist can teach you exercises to help you regain a wider range of motion, train yourself to stand with better posture if you've been hunched over from the pain, or treat muscle pain with massage.

If you suspect your muscle tension is related to depression or anxiety, be sure to talk to your doctor about that as well. Whether it's a symptom of endometriosis or whether it's unrelated, any mental health issue is just as important as your physical health issues.

As with any other aspect of endometriosis, the physical therapy treatments available aren't one-size-fits-all. Rather, you may find that one or more of these types of physical therapy will be of use to you as you seek to manage your chronic condition. Talk to your doctor about which physical therapy treatments may work for you.

And remember, physical therapy isn't a replacement for other types of endometriosis treatments. So don't discontinue any medications without asking your doctor first.

Advanced Physical Therapy is here to support you on your path to wellness, and we offer several types of physical therapy services that can help you manage endometriosis. For more information about our exercise therapies, post-surgical therapies, and massage therapy for muscle pain, get in touch today to discuss your treatment needs.

Insomnia and Head Pain: How They Are Connected

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 21:12:51 GMT

If you experience frequent and blinding headaches in the wee hours of the morning, you may take a variety of medications to circumvent your symptoms. But some headaches can be relentless and require more than pain medication to stop, especially if you have insomnia. Insomnia can induce headaches as well as other related symptoms.

Don't let insomnia-induced headaches disrupt your life. Learn more about insomnia-related headaches and how to avoid them below.

What's Insomnia-Related Head Pain?

People who have insomnia struggle to fall and remain asleep at night. If the individuals drift off to sleep, it's usually for a short amount of time. The short intervals of time can disrupt your natural sleep patterns and body's most critical functions.

During the night, your body produces crucial chemicals that repair and rejuvenate every organism in your body, including your brain. Your brain needs rest to do many things at night, including replenish its cells and strengthen your memory.

Your brain also creates proteins that regulate pain. The proteins that regulate pain may increase without enough sleep. But instead of increasing your ability to withstand pain, the proteins decrease it. The increase in proteins may lead to more intense bouts of head pain, including the pain caused by migraines and other severe headaches.

Your regular doctor may recommend you take naps during the day to make up for some of the sleep you lose at night. However, taking naps during the day may not always be the best solution for your headaches. Naps may actually make headaches worse in some insomniacs.

There are many other potential causes, factors, and risks for insomnia-related headaches. People with sleep apnea problems or bruxism may develop headaches over time. Individuals who have high blood pressure, drink alcohol, or experience heartburn may also develop insomnia and headaches.

If you have one or several of the issues above, ask your doctor for help controlling them. You can also reach out to a physical therapist for assistance.

How Can You Stop Insomnia-Related Head Pain?

Along with your family or individual physician, a physical therapist can you control your headaches so that you can sleep better throughout the night. If you put an end to your insomnia, you may be able to control or eliminate your headaches as well.

A physical therapist may ask you to make a list of every health issue you have now and have experienced in the past. If there's a link between your insomnia-related headaches and health, it's important to uncover it before you begin treatment. A therapist can cater your treatment around your condition.

One of the treatments a physical therapy specialist may prescribe you is massage therapy. Massage therapy does several things, including:

Counteract or circumvent the symptoms caused by your headaches
Encourage the tissues in your body to relax so that you rest easier and better for longer periods of time at night
Release pressure and tension from the nerves in your upper body, including scalp, neck, and head

Your therapy treatments may also lower the time and frequency of your headaches until you have your insomnia under control. A therapist will generally perform periodic assessments on you to see if your treatment has improved your headaches and insomnia. If needed, a therapist may add, change, or tweak your treatment to create the positive results you need.

You may or may not need to complete physical therapy treatment at home. A therapist will discuss whether or not home-care treatment will benefit you during one of your consultations.

If you have insomnia-related headaches and can't find the answers you need anywhere else, contact us at Advanced Physical Therapy for the solutions you need today.

Menopause and Joint Pain: Manage and Prevent Your Symptoms

Thu, 24 Oct 2019 20:48:26 GMT

Perimenopause and menopause can bring about many different issues as you age, including joint pain and sleep disorder. For some people, simply taking estrogen supplements and eating right can ease their symptoms. But for others, their symptoms may only get worse, even with the right supplements and diet plans.

If you suffer from perimenopause- or menopause-induced joint pain and sleep problems, manage your symptoms with the following tips.

Talk to Your Doctor

Perhaps the first and most important thing you can do about your symptoms is talk to your gynecologist or doctor. Your gynecologist can check your estrogen levels to see if they declined even further. Estrogen regulates many of your body's tissues, including your joints. If your estrogen levels decline too much, it may cause joint pain.

Estrogen plays a key role in preventing inflammation in your joints. Inflammation can make your joints feel swollen, hot, and achy. Some people develop arthritis-like pain in various areas of the body, including the hands and feet. If you already have arthritis, your symptoms may seem worse to you.

Along with other perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms, joint pain can keep you up at night. Sleep is crucial for perimenopausal and menopausal adults. If you don't maintain the proper sleep cycles, you may become irritable and anxious during the day. You may also feel low on energy, even after taking a nap or short rest.

If your doctor discovers a marked decrease in your estrogen levels, they may change your hormone replacement treatments. Your doctor may also examine your joints to see if arthritis set in. If you do have arthritis, your physician may ask you to take medications to alleviate the inflammation in your joints.

If you still feel pain in your joints or suffer sleepless nights, consider trying physical therapy as your next treatment option.

Consider Different Types of Physical Therapy

If you already participate in aerobics, you may think you don't need outside help to improve your joint pain. However, aerobics and other high-impact exercises may be too tough on your joints right now. You may actually need to try different therapeutic treatments to see a difference in your symptoms and health.

A physical therapist will generally run an assessment on your overall health before they establish a therapy plan for you. Perimenopause and menopause don't just affect your joints. The age-related conditions can also affect your heart and other organs. It's important to address everything about your health before you move forward with therapy.

After a therapist completes your assessment, they'll establish a program for you. Your program may include aquatic therapy, exercise therapy, and manual therapy. Aquatic therapy, in particular, may be an easier way to strengthen your joints because it relies on the power of calm water to strengthen your body.

Manual therapy is another option you may need to improve your health. Manual therapy improves the range of motion and mobility in your joints. Exercise therapy gradually improves your cardiovascular health, balance, nerve functions, and muscle strength. You want to gradually improve your joint health before you try more high-impact exercises.

Some physical therapy specialists assign their clients exercises to perform at home. Your exercises may be modified versions of the exercises you complete at physical therapy. If you encounter any problems completing your exercises, contact a physical therapist immediately for assistance.

Also, keep track of your estrogen levels during your therapy. If your estrogen levels decline again, a therapist may modify your therapy plans to accommodate your needs.

If you're tired of suffering from perimenopause- or menopause-related joint pain, contact us at Advanced Physical Therapy for help.

The Dos and Don'ts of Successful Physical Therapy Treatment

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 19:26:27 GMT

If your physician has prescribed a course of physical therapy for you, you may wonder what to expect, and you may wonder if the treatment will relieve your symptoms. If you feel a little apprehensive about your first physical therapy appointment, you’re aren’t alone. Apprehension is normal, especially if you've been experiencing a lot of pain and discomfort.

While results can vary from patient to patient, a few dos and don'ts will help you achieve the best outcome from your physical therapy treatment.

Do Provide a Thorough Medical History

When you arrive at your first physical therapy appointment, your therapist will perform a physical exam, as well as obtain a detailed account of your past medical history. You should be able to describe when you first noticed symptoms of your condition, how often symptoms occur, and if a specific activity triggers your pain and discomfort. You should also discuss any medical conditions that may interfere with your ability to perform certain exercises.

If you have difficulty remembering your past medical history, you can take a family member along to your appointment to help document these pertinent details. Another good idea? Make a list of important information before your appointment. A written list can help you feel less overwhelmed at your initial consultation.

Don't Begin With a Negative Attitude

Patients who are motivated to begin their treatments may experience better outcomes, as patients who are motivated are more likely to be involved in their treatment and follow through with their program. If you struggle with feeling unmotivated, discuss your feelings with your therapist. Your therapist can address your thoughts and feelings and help ease any concerns you have.

Do Communicate With Your Therapist

Be honest with your therapist, and don't be afraid to ask questions. If you are having difficulty learning the techniques of a specific exercise, ask for additional assistance until you feel confident with the exercise. If you have pain following a treatment session, let your therapist know the severity and duration of your pain.

Don't Be an Appointment Breaker

Although you may need to cancel an appointment on occasion due to illness or a family emergency, consistent appointments can make a big difference in the progression of your treatment. Strive to keep all your appointments by scheduling other activities or errands around your treatment sessions. If possible, see if you can be seen at a different time or on another day if you need to cancel.

Do Perform Your Home Exercises

Your physical therapist will likely expect you to perform certain activities at home between clinic visits. These exercises are a vital part of your recovery process. Your therapist will observe you as you perform your exercises in the clinic to make certain you understand how to properly execute your home program exercises and activities.

Don't Be a Physical Therapy Drop Out

Whether you are recovering from orthopedic surgery or dealing with a work or home injury, recovery is not a fast process. Healing ligaments, bones, and joints takes time. Recovery to regain physical strength is a lengthy process, but your ability to return to activities you enjoy is worth the wait.

Some discomfort during and following exercise treatments is normal, especially in the beginning of your program. These feelings can make some patients feel like giving up. Your therapist is trained to recognize any pain or discomfort that is beyond normal limits and will make proper referrals if necessary.

Understanding the dos and don'ts of physical therapy can help make your treatment a positive experience for you and your therapist. It will also help you achieve the best outcome possible for your condition. Contact us at Advanced Physical Therapy for all of your physical therapy needs.

The Role of Massage in Physical Therapy

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 16:39:37 GMT

If you have been injured recently, you might consider physical therapy as a way to improve. You might not consider the role of therapeutic massage when you consider physical therapy, but massage can actually make drastic improvements to your body's healing process.

Are you unsure if massage therapy is right for you during your physical therapy sessions? This guide will help you determine if this treatment is a great choice for you.

What Styles of Massage Help Physical Therapy?

Physical therapists who use massage techniques may use a number of different styles, so it might be impossible to list each one. The most common styles of massage include Swedish massage, which is gentle and slow with varying levels of pressure. Some therapists use deep tissue massage, which includes harder pressure with a focus on the underlying muscles.

Sports massage is also not uncommon. Sports massage is designed to target different muscle areas with the goal of enhancing one's athletic performance. And of course, some therapists use neuromuscular therapy (NMT), to concentrate pressure on specific areas that experience pain.

Therapists may also perform hot stone massages, which use heat to relax muscles and allow the therapist to access deeper layers of muscles. The hot stones can provide some relaxation as well.

What Types of Injuries Do Massage Therapy Help?

Massage therapy helps with a variety of injuries. Whether you were injured while playing a sport or at work, you can find relief with a physical therapist who also performs massages.

Repetitive stress injuries, which can occur from sitting, standing, or performing the same task day after day, can lead to injuries that lead to daily pain. Your injury could become so severe you are no longer able to work, for example.

Many people don't realize that massage therapy can also help with headaches, including those linked to migraines, tension, and sinus issues. A physical therapist may help you with the pain.

Physical therapy massage also helps you recover from injuries like whiplash, muscle disorders, strains, sprains, tendonitis, and other types of pain.

What Can You Expect From Your First Massage?

You will find that each physical therapist performs different types of massage based on your individual needs. You can request that your therapist use more or less pressure, and you can discuss areas of concern ahead of time.

Keep in mind that a physical therapy massage is a bit different from a relaxation massage. A physical therapist may stretch you to improve your range of motion, for example.

What Are the Benefits of Physical Therapy Massage?

First, physical therapy massage aids with the reduction of pain caused by tense muscles or muscle injuries. In some cases, massage treatment can lead to a quicker recovery of those injuries. You can also experience less soreness after you do a physical therapy session or workout with the aid of a massage session.

Of course, physical therapy also offers emotional and mental benefits. After your sessions, you may see a reduction in your stress levels. Injuries are already stressful enough, so you can see many benefits when you spend a session doing massage therapy.

What Are Your Next Steps?

Massage provides a variety of therapeutic benefits, and your physical therapist can either perform massage therapy techniques or help you find a massage therapist who specializes in physical therapy for those with injuries and other ailments.

At Advanced Physical Therapy , we understand the role massage can play in helping you recover or heal. No matter your injury or ailment, we can help you move forward with your goals. Whether you have been in a car accident or experienced a sports injury, we are ready to help. Call us today to set up an appointment and discuss your options.

Common Myths About Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 09:27:26 GMT

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a rather common condition in which the median nerve, which runs along your wrist to the palm side of your hand, becomes compressed. This leads to a range of symptoms including numbness and tingling in the hands, weakness, pain traveling up the arm, and nighttime wrist pain.

Chances are, either you or a family member will develop carpal tunnel syndrome at some point in your life, but as common as the condition is, there are still some misconceptions floating around about it.

Only Typists Develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Because it is so common in typists, carpal tunnel syndrome has become known as an office-workers' problem. Indeed, the condition is very common in people who spend their days at a keyboard. However, you're definitely not immune to carpal tunnel just because you don't have an office job.

Any activity that requires repeated wrist motions can lead to inflammation and pressure on the median nerve, resulting in carpal tunnel. Carpenters can develop carpal tunnel from using hand or power tools. Musicians can develop the condition from playing the piano or other instruments. Assembly line workers can develop carpal tunnel from screwing together parts day after day and performing other similar actions that repeatedly use your wrist and hand.

Carpal Tunnel Is Only Fixable With Surgery

Once you have carpal tunnel, you're stuck with it for life unless you have surgery, right? Wrong. If carpal tunnel is caught early, it can usually be treated with simple remedies such as icing your wrist several times per day, wearing a splint, and taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to alleviate inflammation.

Surgery is generally only recommended when the damage to your median nerve is severe. If you take action at the first sign of carpal tunnel, the condition should not progress to this point.

If Your Job Caused Your Carpal Tunnel, You Need to Quit

You may have had friends advise you to quit your job as an office worker, carpenter, line worker, or such since your job caused your carpal tunnel syndrome. However, this is not usually necessary. There are plenty of steps you can take to manage your carpal tunnel without having to quit your job or change industries.

Start by seeing a physical therapist. Strengthening your wrists and forearms will protect you from worsening carpal tunnel symptoms as you continue working. Wear a splint to keep your wrist properly aligned while you are working, and minimize wrist-straining activities — like typing — when you are not at work.

If you continue to struggle with carpal tunnel, then you may want to consider a career change — but don't jump to that step first because it's not usually necessary.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Is Unrelated to Overall Health

Carpal tunnel is often framed as a mechanical health problem — and it is — but that does not mean it's unaffected by your overall health. Various systemic health conditions can affect your risk of carpal tunnel.

Diabetes, thyroid disorders, and high blood pressure all affect your body's inflammatory response, making carpal tunnel more likely . Some women also experience carpal tunnel during pregnancy since changes in hormone levels cause them to retain fluid and experience more inflammation.

If you do suffer from a chronic health condition, such as those mentioned above, working with your doctor to make sure your symptoms are well-managed will reduce your risk of developing carpal tunnel. And if you already have carpal tunnel, better managing your other underlying health problems can help keep it from worsening.

How Physical Therapy Helps After Hip Surgery

Sat, 06 Jul 2019 14:15:05 GMT

When you have hip replacement surgery, then consider physical therapy after you leave the hospital. While you are not required to complete physical therapy, you will find that doing so is often in your best interest. Regular physical therapy offers several benefits in the weeks and months after you leave the hospital.

Here is more information about the benefits of physical therapy, the time when physical therapy should start, the types of exercises you may need to do, the benefits of home therapy, and the length of time involved.

What Are the Benefits of Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy works to directly strengthen your muscles around the hip area to restore your hip's normal motion. By diligently doing your exercises, you may be able to return to your usual activities earlier than if you didn't do the therapy. Physical therapy also helps your blood circulation around the surgical site, reduces the risk of dangerous blood clots, and helps to decrease pain and swelling.

When Should Physical Therapy Start?

Physical therapy will likely begin almost immediately after surgery. On the first day, you will likely be asked to sit up and even get up to try walking around your hospital room with a walker. During this time, you will learn how to use the special equipment you will need until you can fully walk on your own. When you leave the hospital, your therapy will continue either at home or in an office setting.

What Types of Exercises Are Recommendable?

With hip surgery, doctors will prescribe specific exercises that directly strengthen the muscles around the hip area. You will do exercises that will help you with everyday activities such as walking and climbing stairs.

After hip replacement, you will not be able to do some movements, such as bending over at the hip, because the new hip could become dislocated. Your physical therapist will show you alternatives to these movements to help you preserve your hip while allowing you to do the things you need to do.

Can One Do Exercises at Home?

In general, you should be able to do your physical therapy at home unless your home presents a problem that makes the home impractical (such as lack of space or crowded, busy conditions). Home therapy can benefit you if you have limited transportation options, have a high chance of falling, or have fragile health.

One benefit of at-home therapy is that you can have tailored exercises to meet your everyday needs. You will also learn how to do certain exercises on your own with the items that you already have on hand.

How Long Should Physical Therapy Last?

How long your physical therapy lasts depends on your needs and the length of time you are willing to commit to the exercises. You should expect at least a few weeks of therapy in order to get you to where you can walk normally and do some routine tasks.

For best results, you should continue on for longer until you can do all of your normal activities at or near the same levels as before surgery. For some people, this may take only six months to reach that level, for others, the time could be two years. The ability to commit to your physical therapy will greatly help with recovery and maintenance.

During recovery, you will still need to make regular visits to your doctor for a checkup and to assess your progress. Your physical therapist will work with your doctor or doctor's recommendations to help you reach the best outcome possible.

Advanced Physical Therapy has trained therapists and medical doctors to personalize your therapy for your individual needs. Contact us through phone or email to start your therapy.

Tennis Elbow Does Not Just Affect Tennis Players

Fri, 31 May 2019 05:52:31 GMT

Tennis elbow may seem like a condition that only tennis players need to worry about. Despite what the name would suggest, though, non-tennis players can develop this condition.

Tennis elbow is also commonly seen in golfers, bowlers, and baseball players, along with tradespeople such as carpenters and gardeners; it has been given the pet name carpenter's elbow by some in the carpentry trade.

If you participate in any activities that involve repeated movements with your forearm, you need to be aware of tennis elbow, its symptoms, and how to prevent it.

What Is Tennis Elbow, and What Causes It?

Lateral epicondylitis is the official term for tennis elbow, and it is a swelling and irritation of the tendons that attach to the bone on the outside of your elbow. This swelling develops when you overuse the muscles in your forearm — especially those used to close and turn your wrist. As the muscles fatigue, the tendons are put under excess strain, which causes them to develop micro-tears that lead to swelling and pain.

Any repeated action that involves simultaneously grasping something with your hand and moving your forearm can lead to tennis elbow — painting, hammering nails into a board, using a computer mouse, or swinging a racket.

How Can You Prevent Tennis Elbow?

The best way to avoid tennis elbow is to avoid repeated motions with your forearm. However, that's rarely an option for those whose work requires these movements or for serious athletes. Here are some ways to reduce your risk of tennis elbow without giving up your job or the sport you love.

Warm Up and Stretch

Properly warming up and stretching your muscles prior to forearm-related activities can reduce strain on your tendons.

One good warm-up exercise to try is arm circles. With your feet shoulder-width apart, hold your arms out in front of you, and rotate them from front to back several times. Reverse directions, rotating them back to front. Overhead shoulder stretches and dynamic arm swings also work well.

Use Your Upper Arms

If possible try to use your shoulder and upper arm to make movements, rather than relying just on your forearms. For example, if you are painting, try raising your arm from the shoulder as you bring the roller up the wall, rather than just bending at the elbow. The muscles in your shoulder and upper arm are usually stronger and better able to take the strain.

Wear a Brace

Invest in an elbow brace; they are readily available at most pharmacies, or your physical therapist can provide you with a custom one. Wearing a brace while you engage in repetitive forearm movements will prevent excess strain on the tendons and muscles in this area and will force you to move with proper posture.

What Are the Early Signs of Tennis Elbow?

If you recognize tennis elbow early, you can generally treat it simply by taking some time off, applying ice to the area, and taking anti-inflammatory medications. Common early symptoms of tennis elbow include:

Stiffness in the elbow when you wake in the morning
Pain in your elbow that worsens when you grasp an object
Difficulty grasping items like a hammer or your coffee cup handle
Persistent soreness in your forearm, just below your elbow
Trouble turning doorknobs and shaking hands

Your doctor can often diagnose tennis elbow simply by asking you to complete a series of exercises with your hand and forearm. However, sometimes an MRI may be needed to visualize the extent of the damage. In addition to conservative therapies like ice, rest, and pain relievers, they may also send you for physical therapy to strengthen your forearm and help prevent future recurrence of tennis elbow.

Surgery is rarely needed to treat tennis elbow, especially if you recognize the early signs and take time off from the activity that is causing the soreness.

Do you think you might be developing tennis elbow due to repeated motions with your forearm? Contact Advanced Physical Therapy to make an appointment. We offer physical therapy services, bracing, and an array of more advanced treatments to help heal your injury and get you back in the game sooner.