Physical Therapy Can Help You Solve Your Chronic Pain Problems

When you wake up in the morning, do you feel achy? While aches and pains are common from time to time, waking up every morning with them can indicate a more serious problem.

If you have painful sensations in the morning for no apparent reason, don’t hesitate to contact Rehab Advantage & Sports Medicine in Dublin, GA as soon as possible for assistance. We’ll get to the root of your problem to help you find relief, so you can wake up in the mornings feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day ahead.

Common causes of chronic pain in the morning

Has your doctor diagnosed you with a more serious medical condition that impacts your joints and tissues? If so, physical therapy may be the next step. Physical therapy is a very common and effective treatment plan for pain relief.

Here are some of the most common ailments that can be relieved with the guidance of a physical therapist:

  • Osteoarthritis.
  • Gout.
  • Bursitis.
  • Tendinitis.
  • Lupus.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Injury.

Aches, pains, and stiffness can be caused by any of these disorders. In addition to pain alleviation, physical therapy treatment regimens for these diseases will focus on helping you attain a broader range of motion in your affected joints or limbs. These help you regain your typical movement by improving overall function.

Why is the pain worse in the morning?

Overuse of your joint tissues throughout the day might aggravate them without you even noticing it. When you fall asleep, you are nearly immobile for several hours, which can cause tissue inflammation to thicken and irritate the affected area further. As a result, you feel stiff and achy when you wake up in the morning.

Most of the time, after you get up and walk around, this feeling will subside pretty quickly. This is due to the fact that movement causes the inflammation to become liquid-like, reducing pain. Hydration is an easy way to avoid aching morning wake-up calls.

Staying hydrated allows your body’s tissues to function at their normal pace, whereas dehydration slows down your chemical processes. This will keep your tissues from becoming overly inflamed, easing irritation.

Great ways to ease your discomfort and pain

Your physical therapy treatment plan will be determined by your symptoms and/or diagnosis. In addition to your customized treatment plan, many physical therapists will recommend at-home remedies. On your path to wellness, your physical therapist will most likely give you the following advice:

  • Maintain a healthy diet. Consumption of brightly colored fruits and vegetables can help alleviate pain. These healthy foods have more antioxidants and vitamins, which fight off the inflammation that leads to pain and irritation. A better diet also helps you to get better sleep and helps your body receive more benefits from exercise – thus, adding to the endless cycle of benefits.
  • Practice proper posture. Avoiding unwanted aches and pains can be as simple as maintaining proper posture. Try to get up every half hour for some light stretches if your job needs you to sit at a desk for extended periods of time or if you stay sedentary for hours every day. Move around and keep your circulation running to relieve joint pain. Make sure your spine is straight and your shoulders are back at your desk to avoid slouching or hunching.
  • Get enough sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep creates an endless cycle of benefits, especially when it comes to physical therapy. Sufficient amounts of sleep will increase your ability to exercise effectively, which in turn will help you sleep better at night. Your sleep and exercise habits go hand-in-hand, and the results of one will always affect the other.

The benefits of physical therapy

It is in your best interest to see a physical therapist if you are experiencing chronic aches and pains. Your physical therapist will perform a physical examination to establish the source of your discomfort and develop a treatment plan based on that information. Your physical therapist will work with you to relieve your pain and enhance your function and will be there to support you every step of the way.

Get on the fast track to pain relief today

Physical therapists are movement specialists who can help you recover from your pain condition. Our treatment strategies include focused stretches and exercises to relieve your symptoms and prevent them from coming back in the future.

If you’re suffering from aches and pains, call our office right now to see how we can help! We’ll help you reclaim your freedom to live life on your own terms.

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Discover The True Culprit Behind Your Back Pain

Did you know the spine is made up of twenty-four bones? It’s true! Of these twenty-four bones, five bones are found in the lower back. The spine also contains nerves and intervertebral discs in addition to these bones. Because the spine is such a complicated component of the body, discomfort might arise from time to time.

Back pain can sometimes be the result of an underlying problem, such as a herniated disc. A herniated disc can occur anywhere along the spine, although the lower back is the most specific location. This condition occurs when the jelly-like nucleus of an intervertebral disc protrudes. If the disc’s cell wall isn’t strong enough to keep the nucleus in place, it can push through the outer ring and bulge.

Lower back pain, ranging from moderate to severe, is one of the first symptoms of a herniated disc. In addition to this, you may also notice weakness, numbness in the legs, or sharp and shooting pains.

In some severe cases, patients have also reported losing their bladder control as a result of a herniated disc. All of these symptoms are worth paying attention to. If you are experiencing back pain and think it may be caused by a herniated disc, contact Rehab Advantage & Sports Medicine in Dublin, GA today to schedule an appointment with us and assess your condition.

Causes of herniated discs

Although there are several reasons herniated discs can occur, including injuries, herniated discs are typically associated with aging. Our spine begins to wear down and become more brittle as we grow older. This is known as “disc degeneration.”

When we’re young, the water content of the discs in our spine is high, but as we become older, the water content declines. Our discs will shrink as a result of this.

Other variables that can increase your chance of a herniated disc include:

  • Being male.
  • Engaging in improper lifting techniques.
  • Engaging in a sedentary lifestyle.
  • Being overweight.
  • Being between the ages of 20-50.
  • Driving frequently.

Signs you may have a herniated disc

If you suspect you have a herniated disc, make an appointment with your primary care physician. Your doctor will do a physical exam to check muscle strength and sensitivity, as well as a neurological exam to determine if your disc is herniated.

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan may be used to confirm the diagnosis if your doctor suspects your disc is herniated. Your doctor will next devise a treatment plan for you, most likely including physical therapy for pain management.

Finding back pain relief through physical therapy

Your physical therapist will design a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. This will begin with passive treatments such as manual therapy, traction, ice and heat therapies, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, or hydrotherapy to relieve pain and enhance function.

After your passive treatments are finished, active treatments will commence. This could include back-strengthening core exercises, stretching, flexibility activities to improve range of motion, and any other muscle-strengthening exercises recommended by your physical therapist.

In addition to these exercises, your physical therapist will advise you on any lifestyle modifications that they think may help you avoid future pain and injury.

Relief from physical therapy does not happen overnight like magic! Physical therapy requires you to do the work. If you want to see true results and experience the most benefit from your treatment, you must stick to your treatment program. Do your best to practice the exercises your therapist gives you to perform at home, and attend appointments regularly so that you do not lose progress!

Call our clinic today to relieve your back pain

Look no further if you desire a natural, safe, and non-invasive way to treat your herniated discs. You can toss your medications into the trash and tell your doc to hold off on the expensive surgery because, with physical therapy, you may not need either of these any longer!

Our physical therapy office is equipped with the best resources and methods for helping you recover and get back to your life. Call us today to get started on the first steps toward relief!

Here’s What You Don’t Know About Finding Relief For Hip and Knee Pain

Your hips and knees are essential joints that work hard all day to give you the best possible function. They are common sources of pain and discomfort due to their complexity and constant use. As the cartilage in one’s joints begins to break down with age, the risk of experiencing chronic hip and knee pain rises. Anyone can acquire hip or knee discomfort due to excessive overuse, unanticipated traumas, or underlying disorders.

You may have been told that the only way to find relief from hip and knee pain is through expensive surgery. While surgery is sometimes needed to correct certain conditions in the hip or knee, physical therapy has been proven to succeed in significantly lowering pain and improving function.

In many cases, physical therapy can even eliminate the need for a surgical procedure. If you are living with hip and/or knee pain and you are looking for relief, contact Rehab Advantage & Sports Medicine in Dublin, GA today to see how our services can benefit you!

Common causes of knee and hip pain

When you make an appointment with a physical therapist, you can expect a comprehensive examination as the first step. Our physical therapist will assess you to determine the location of the sore area and the source of the discomfort.

For example, discomfort in the hips can occasionally be felt in the lower back, buttocks, groin, or the front or side of the hips. Knee pain can also be felt on the front or rear of the knee joint. If there has been a trauma to the knee, it can also be felt on the inside of the knee or the outside of the knee if you have iliotibial band tension.

Hip pain is typically reported as a constant dull ache that doesn’t disappear. However, knee pain is a bit different and is often assessed as one of several different types of pain:

  • Chronic – Chronic pain can be defined as any pain that lasts longer than two or three months. If you’ve been living with serious knee pain for that long, you should consult your doctor. They will most likely suggest performing another full physical exam in addition to x-rays.
  • Acute – Acute pain is the most intense type of knee pain. It typically occurs after an injury and will last for about a week. The treatment for acute pain is generally just to simply rest and isolate the affected area, as your body is working hard to heal it.
  • Subacute – Pain that lasts two to six weeks after an injury is known as subacute pain. Although the affected area may still be uncomfortable, it will not be as bad as the first week. Gentle motions promote a better range of motion and aid healing in treating subacute knee pain.

Physical therapy techniques can help you find true relief

When you arrive for your initial consultation, your physical therapist will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to determine the nature of your condition and the best steps for comfort. This evaluation will include:

  • Range of motion tests. Your physical therapist will test the limits of your knee or hip to see how far it will bend. This helps determine the severity of the trauma and will give your physical therapist insight into the course of treatment.
  • Palpation. Your physical therapist will gently palpate the knee or hip to determine where the pain originates.
  • Strength tests. Testing the strength of your knee and hip structures will give your physical therapist a better idea of whether your pain is due to an injury or a physical imbalance.
  • Gait analysis. Your physical therapist will assess how you walk to determine if anything is out of the ordinary with your gait.

Depending on your symptoms, your physical therapist may also perform balance tests to see if your balance has been affected. If any areas are inflamed, your physical therapist will focus closely on those areas. The test results will determine what methods will benefit your treatment plan.

Are you ready to feel better, faster?

Treatment plans will include targeted stretches and exercises to relieve pain and improve function in the affected hips or knees. Additional methods might be added as your physical therapist deems fit. Your progress will be closely tracked in order to help you reach your goals as quickly as possible.

If you are looking to relieve your hip and knee pains the natural way, contact Rehab Advantage & Sports Medicine in Dublin, GA today. We’ll provide you with the treatment you need so you can get back on your feet!

Are You Living with Any of These 5 Conditions? If So, Consider Physical Therapy!

5 Signs You May be in Need of Physical Therapy!

Did you know that physical therapy can be used to manage a variety of different conditions as a natural form of pain relief?

Unfortunately, it is usually not only until after attempting more conventional medical approaches such as surgery and prescription painkillers that people realize physical therapy sessions are a fantastic way to relieve their chronic pain and other recurrent symptoms.

If you have any of these top five most common aches and pains, you may be a good candidate for physical therapy.

Keep reading to learn more about common conditions that can be treated with physical therapy and some of the top natural healing recommendations from our experienced physical therapists!

Do any of these sounds like you?

1. Traumatic Injury

After experiencing a traumatic injury, your body requires plenty of time to heal and recover. But in today’s busy world, many people must get back to work as soon as possible following an injury.

Physical therapy can help your body to heal more quickly and efficiently after a traumatic injury or surgery. Physical therapy is an ideal post-surgical healing option and is designed to help you reach your rehabilitation goals without the use of prescription pain medications.

2. Joint Pain

Arthritis and other forms of joint pain can increase in severity as we age. However, people of all ages are at risk of developing joint pain, especially following another traumatic injury.

And for those who are overweight or obese, joint pain can become a chronic health issue that prevents one from enjoying the simple things in life like taking a walk after mealtimes or getting in and out of the car with ease.

Joint injuries don’t always happen because of an accident. They can also develop slowly over months or even years. You might notice that the pain also ebbs and flows depending on the time of day. Certain sports, jobs, and hobbies can cause you to put excessive stress on certain joints over and over again, which could very well lead to pain.

Working with a physical therapist to develop a personalized treatment plan can help to manage your joint pain and other symptoms naturally.

3. Neck Pain

It’s common to experience neck pain for a variety of different reasons. You may notice neck pain spring up after an auto accident or as a result of poor posture.

Neck pain is often very difficult to cope with and treat with traditional medicine. However, physical therapy and massage can relieve the muscles in the neck, reduce swelling, and help to restore your natural mobility.

Physical therapy, regardless of the root cause of pain, has been shown to help with neck pain. For those trying to prevent costly procedures or dangerous drugs, physical therapy is a completely safe, natural, and effective mode of care.

4. Headaches

Recurring headaches are no laughing matter and can make getting through the day seem nearly impossible. In many cases, frequent headaches are a sign of injury in the neck or back.

Working with a physical therapist to target the cause of your recurring headaches can reduce the severity of your head pain or eventually eliminate them altogether.

In fact, as stated by Choose PT, “There is an effective treatment for almost every type of headache.” Working with a physical therapist can help you identify tension-reducing exercises and help you find long-term relief from headaches without the need to rely on pain medication.

5. Back Pain

Back pain is one of the biggest reasons that Americans visit the doctor each year. Back pain can be the result of a wide variety of different injuries, illnesses, and chronic conditions.

The World Health Organization estimates that in the United States, 149 million days of work are lost due to low back pain.

You may be experiencing back pain due to an overuse injury, a degenerative disease, sports injury, or other common environmental factors.

But whatever the cause, there’s a good chance that your back pain is preventing you from completing simple everyday tasks like getting out of bed or climbing the stairs without feeling pain.

Physical therapy can help to address the root cause of your pain, increase mobility, reduce inflammation, and much more.

Contact Our Physical Therapist Today

If you or a loved one are struggling with recurrent pain after an injury or as a result of a degenerative condition, physical therapy is a great way to help your body to heal naturally.

Are you interested in learning more about the benefits of physical therapy for pain management and healing? Please contact our knowledgeable and friendly physical therapist for more information and be sure to schedule your initial consultation today!

Physical Therapy Can Help with Chronic Pain! Don’t Live in Discomfort Any Longer

Discover Relief for Your Aches and Pains Today

Chronic back pain is a pain that lasts for three months and is longer. This type of pain can occur for a variety of reasons, including spinal arthritis, aging, disc problems, and myofascial pain syndrome.

With spinal arthritis, the slow thinning of the cartilage inside the spine can result in pain. With a herniated or bulging disc, compression may occur around your surrounding nerves, resulting in pain. With spinal stenosis, there is a narrowing of the spine, which can lead to nerve pain. With myofascial pain syndrome, you may experience unknown muscle tenderness and pain.

Whatever the cause of your chronic back pain, it doesn’t have to be a part of your daily life.

What can physical therapy do for my chronic pain?

If your back pain is caused by spinal stenosis or a bulging disc, a physical therapist may initiate a targeted movement program to reduce numbness, pain, or weakness. Progressive movement exercises such as McKenzie exercises may be included in your physical therapy program t o treat a wide range of causes of chronic back pain.

Stabilization exercises to retrain deep muscles may also be included. Your physical therapist will also show you how to use the right spinal and abdominal muscles before starting any exercise to stabilize the spine. Manipulation is another technique for alleviating chronic back pain where short and rapid movements are performed over the joint to reduce pain and increase mobility.

Physical therapists also use multiple passive modalities to reduce chronic back pain. Heat and cold therapy may be used to increase blood flow, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain. Ultrasound is another common passive modality used by physical therapists that incorporates deep heating sound waves that penetrate soft tissue.

Not only does this method relieve back pain, it aids in healing of the affected area. A physical therapist may order a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit. This unit helps to overcome the painful signals sent to the brain. It can be used both at home and in the long term. Deep tissue massage is another common therapy for chronic back pain. This manual method increases oxygen and nutrients to the affected areas for healing and also helps reduce muscle spasms and stiffness.

According to the NCBI, “In chronic low back without serious pathology, recommended primary conservative physical treatment preferences include exercise, yoga, biofeedback, progressive relaxation, massage, manual therapy, physical therapy and interdisciplinary rehabilitation. A recent literature review with meta-analysis in patients with chronic lower back pain found moderate- to high-quality evidence that McKenzie exercises in physical therapy were superior to other rehabilitation interventions in reducing pain and disability.”

What else should I know?

As stated by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke,

“While acute pain is a normal sensation triggered in the nervous system to alert you to possible injury and the need to take care of yourself, chronic pain is different. Chronic pain persists. Pain signals keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, months, even years.

There may have been an initial mishap — sprained back, serious infection, or there may be an ongoing cause of pain — arthritis, cancer, ear infection, but some people suffer chronic pain in the absence of any past injury or evidence of body damage. Many chronic pain conditions affect older adults.

Common chronic pain complaints include headache, low back pain, cancer pain, arthritis pain, neurogenic pain (pain resulting from damage to the peripheral nerves or to the central nervous system itself), psychogenic pain (pain not due to past disease or injury or any visible sign of damage inside or outside the nervous system).

A person may have two or more coexisting chronic pain conditions. Such conditions can include chronic fatigue syndrome, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel disease, interstitial cystitis, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, and vulvodynia. It is not known whether these disorders share a common cause.”

Chronic pain affects every person differently. In many cases, the pain continues long after the body is healed from the injury or surgery.

The good news is that physical therapy is not a one-size-fits-all approach to pain relief. Your physical therapist has many tools and techniques at their disposal to help relieve and overcome chronic pain.

Chronic pain has a number of symptoms associated with it, apart from the fact that it lasted more than three months.

Here are some of the symptoms commonly associated with chronic aches and pain:

  • Decreased activity: Inactivity due to chronic pain can cause your muscles to weaken and shrink. This can have profound physical effects over time, such as impacting your sense of balance.
  • Decreased circulation: Remaining inactive due to chronic pain reduces your circulation, which means your cells are not receiving a healthy amount of blood and oxygen. This can cause tissues to degenerate and leads to feelings of constant fatigue.
  • Avoiding activities: People with chronic pain become fearful of normal activities. The fear of additional pain can cause people to withdraw from normal physical activities that they enjoy.
  • Stiffness: Muscles and joints may feel stiffer when suffering from chronic pain.
  • Increased weight: People with chronic pain may put on too much weight, which can lead to a host of added problems, from diabetes to heart disease.

Ready to find relief?

If you have chronic back pain, it’s time to take action. Schedule a physical therapy assessment today. Your physical therapist will work with your doctor to develop a personalized treatment plan for your specific condition.

With both active and passive treatment methods, you will be on the road to pain reduction or even elimination. At the end of the road, you will be able to move about your daily life with reduced or no pain in your regular activities!

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Not Feeling Your Best? Proper Nutrition Can Help!

Feel Like Yourself Once Again with Changes to Your Nutrition

In your daily struggle against pain and inflammation, are you reaching for a pill bottle, or are you looking for a healthy lifestyle change? That latter choice will do more for you in terms of long-term function, mobility, and safety. But what kinds of lifestyle changes should you pursue? In addition to regular exercise, including the types of targeted exercises you might receive in physical therapy, you should examine your sleep, your workplace ergonomics – and your nutrition.

Here are five ways that proper nutritional strategies can help you control your pain and inflammation.

1. Decreased inflammation

Your gut flora have a lot of influence on your overall health and comfort. Eating whole grains, lentils, avocado, low-fat yogurt and other probiotic foods can help you maintain high levels of “good bacteria” in your gut. This positive balance can help reduce inflammation throughout the body.

2. Muscle strengthening

Weak muscles are more vulnerable to injury, pain and inflammation; they also allow your posture to sag, throwing your weight off-balance, subjecting your entire musculoskeletal system to unnecessary discomfort.

Physical therapy exercises can help, but your muscles still need the basic building material known as protein. Getting plenty of lean, healthy proteins (from foods that are relatively low on the inflammation scale) can help you build a body that resists pain and injury.

3. Weight loss

Obesity has been associated with all kinds of problems, from heart diseases and type 2 diabetes to liver disease and certain kinds of cancer.

But did you know that obesity also hurts? Those added pounds can put a lot of stress on your joints and muscles, especially in the back, hips, knees and feet, where they can contribute to osteoarthritis development.

If the rising number on the scale corresponds to rising pain levels, the right dietary changes can turn things around. Focus on foods that are rich in nutrients, low in fat and sugar, and served in sensible portion sizes. You’ll shed pain as you shed pounds!

4. Immune system regulation

When your immune system malfunctions, pain often results. Autoimmune disorders are responsible for such painful chronic conditions as rheumatoid arthritis.

Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, selenium, probiotics, and vitamins A and D can help you avoid or control autoimmune diseases, thus helping you enjoy greater comfort and a higher standard of overall wellness.

5. Anti-inflammatory foods

Why get your anti-inflammatory effects from an NSAID or steroid when you can get them from the foods you eat every day? Many of the menu items in the traditional Mediterranean diet, for instance, possess natural anti-inflammatory properties.

Foods such as whole grains, fatty fish, olive oil, turmeric, cherries, and cayenne pepper can reduce inflammation and the pain that comes with it.

At the same time, you’ll be eating fewer inflammatory foods such as red meat, fried foods and processed meats, turning the pain management scales decidedly in your favor.

Can nutrition help with my condition?

There are a number of common conditions that directly relate to nutrition and diet.

Here are some of the conditions in which nutrition advice is likely to be part of the patient’s physical therapy regimen:

  • Inflammation: American diets tend to have a lot of vegetable oils and other inflammatory foods in them. This can make the pain from inflammation even worse. In many cases, a physical therapist will prescribe a diet with more antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods to help manage pain.
  • Obesity: Pain related to obesity can become a vicious cycle. Being overweight causes a patient pain, so they become more sedentary. Becoming more sedentary causes them to gain more weight, which leads to more pain.
  • Osteoarthritis: Obese patients are more likely to develop arthritis, especially in the knee. Once a person has been diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee, managing their weight becomes the most important key to managing the arthritis and pain.
  • Autoimmune Disorders: The combined total of various autoimmune disorder patients (such as Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis) now outnumber cancer patients in America by a wide margin. Autoimmune disorders are frequently linked directly to deficiencies in a patient’s diet.
  • Diabetes: Diabetes and pre-diabetes pave the way for more serious conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease and blindness. More than 90 percent of patients with diabetes also experience neuropathic pain. Diet and nutrition will play a key role in managing these conditions.

Need more assistance?

Our physical therapist has a detailed understanding of how nutrition (both good and bad) affects physical health, well-being, and comfort.

If you have been dealing with chronic pain and inflammation, visit our physical therapy clinic in Dublin, GA. We can evaluate your situation and recommend the necessary changes to make you feel better!

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These 5 Types of Therapy Can Help You Stop Living With Chronic Pain!

You could be one of the millions of people who suffer from chronic pain. Whether you’re recovering from major surgery, dealing with the physical aftermath of an accident, or dealing with a long-term medical condition, pain can keep you from doing the things you enjoy.

Maybe you are considering more surgeries or strong medication to combat the pain. A physical therapist has many different treatment options to effectively manage pain. Physical therapy has a number of non-invasive and safe approaches for reducing or eliminating pain. To learn more about how physical therapy can help you live a pain-free and active life, contact our office today.

Different types of natural pain-relieving therapy

Ultrasound

A physical therapist may use ultrasound to provide safe, effective pain-relief. Ultrasound is a method that delivers deep heat into the body’s soft tissues. There are several specific benefits of using this method. The primary benefit is that it improves circulation to tissues like ligaments, muscles, and tendons. This may help to speed up the healing process and reduce pain. Pain can be alleviated simply by raising the temperature of human tissues. The following injuries can be treated with ultrasound in physical therapy:

  • Muscle Strains
  • Frozen Shoulder
  • Tendonitis
  • Bursitis
  • Manual Therapy

Instead of employing a machine or a particular instrument, manual therapy is a treatment a therapist will perform with their hands. These are more than just massage techniques. After a physical therapist conducts a thorough examination of your medical history and any present ailments, a physical therapy program incorporating manual treatment can be tailored to your unique needs. A physical therapist can treat the soft tissues of the body with a variety of manual procedures. The following are a few examples:

  • Thrust Techniques – Using this method, a physical therapist will apply quick and repetitive pressure to a particular joint. These rapid movements in the correct place on the body can restore natural movement.
  • Strain and Counterstrain – This is a physical therapy technique that is used to pinpoint tender points throughout the body. Once these are located, the physical therapist will position your body to shorten and relax the muscles involved. The primary purpose of this is to reduce muscle spasms.
  • Soft Tissue Mobilization – Using mobilization techniques, a physical therapist would focus on the muscles and how they’re attached to various joints. This technique is used specifically for restoring movement and improving range of motion.
  • Soft Tissue Massage – Massage done by a skilled physical therapist can loosen tight muscles, ease pressure around sore joints, and help eliminate a variety of painful conditions.
  • Muscle Energy Techniques – This type of physical therapy method involves repositioning joints that are considered dysfunctional and then treating the muscles around that particular area.

Ice and Heat Therapy

Both ice and heat therapy can help to alleviate discomfort. A physical therapist will know which form of treatment, heat or cold, is best for the type of pain you’re having. Heat and ice both operate in various ways to help relieve pain.

Heat stimulates blood flow, allowing nutrients to reach various regions of the body more quickly. Cold, on the other hand, decreases blood flow and reduces inflammation and edema. Here are a few examples of how physical therapy employs heat to relieve pain:

  • Heat therapy is often used for older or reoccurring injuries. It can reduce pain when a person is experiencing arthritis or stiff joints.
  • Heating pads, wraps, and gel packs can be used to relieve chronic pain in the neck and lower back.
  • Heat therapy is used for treating and reducing pain for muscle spasms.

There are also specific benefits for using ice therapy, also called cryotherapy, in physical therapy treatment:

  • Icing can reduce pain in injuries such as ligament sprains in the ankles or knees.
  • Ice therapy is often used for many types of muscle strains.
  • Ice therapy is recommended for new injuries to immediately reduce swelling.

Exercise and Stretching

A physical therapist can create an exercise and stretching routine that suits your personal fitness level and helps relieve painful muscles and joints. Tight muscles can be the source of pain or make other painful conditions worse. Learning how to stretch in a safe and correct manner can alleviate stress and pain.

If you’re experiencing pain, the last thing you may feel like doing is exercising and stretching. The right type of exercising and stretching, however, can loosen muscles, reduce stiffness, and limit inflammation. Exercise can even release endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkillers.

Laser Therapy

Laser technology has advanced to the point that it can now deliver pain relief in a safe and non-invasive manner. A low-level laser produces a single wavelength of light. With this form of treatment, no vibration, sound, or even heat is produced.

Laser therapy can alleviate pain without any side effects, but it usually takes more than one treatment for a patient to realize substantial results. There are a few key facts about laser therapy that you should be aware of.

  • It can be used for both chronic and acute conditions.
  • Most treatments only last ten minutes or less.
  • Laser therapy treatments can be customized for each individual.

To properly address the fundamental cause of your pain, a physical therapist may employ any of the above treatments, or a combination of them.

Ready to get back to being pain-free?

Physical therapy is an effective, non-invasive treatment option for a variety of ailments.

Whether you’re struggling with fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, injuries from an accident, or chronic headaches, physical therapy may provide the answer you’re looking for.

Call our office to find out how a physical therapist can help you eliminate pain and reach your health and wellness goals!

Change Your Diet, Change Your Life: The Secret To Feeling Your Best Is In Your Kitchen!

The food you eat has a significant impact on your energy level and waistline. What’s more difficult to remember is that your dietary choices have an impact on joint pain as well!

At our physical therapy facility, we believe in taking a holistic approach to treating acute and chronic pain. You’re not merely a diagnosis or a set of symptoms to your physical therapist. You could benefit from a variety of treatments and lifestyle adjustments, including dietary changes, to help you get long-term relief. Make an appointment with our clinic today!

How can my diet cause pain?

Have you ever wondered how your food choices could be influencing your acute or chronic pain condition? Here are three ways diet plays a role in your pain relief (or lack thereof):

  1. Eating the right type of food gives your body the raw material it needs for health. Joints, tendons, muscles, and nerves are continually being rebuilt in your body. Vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and antioxidants are used by the body to provide the “building material” needed to create these issues and ensure that the re-building process occurs smoothly. If you don’t give your body these essential elements, your body’s ability to heal itself may be hampered.
  2. Eating the right amount of foods promotes optimal function. Excessive body fat causes inflammation, according to studies. Eating too many calories might contribute to weight gain. Excess weight puts more strain and stress on your joints, and it can increase your risk of health issues including fibromyalgia, arthritis, degenerative disc disease, and diabetes, which are all associated with chronic pain.
    1. If you don’t eat enough food, on the other hand, your muscles and tissues may lack the energy they need to develop, heal, and rejuvenate. Undereating can cause weariness and make it difficult to exercise properly or participate in activities like physical therapy.
  3. Certain foods promote inflammation in the body. Inflammation is a natural element of your immune system’s response, and it helps protect you from things like illness and damage. Inflammation is a necessary aspect of the healing process in acute injuries. Tissue and cellular damage can result if inflammation lasts too long, as in the case of arthritis. Inflammation plays a role in pain perception as well. It turns out that certain foods might aggravate inflammation and, as a result, exacerbate discomfort.
    1. Pro-inflammatory foods can even harm the friendly bacteria in your gut, known as the microbiome (often called the “forgotten organ”). This can impair nutrient absorption and further disrupt your immune system since your gut and immunity are closely linked.

What foods should I choose?

Our physical therapy staff encourages our patients to consult with dietitians or other professionals for more customized and advanced nutritional support. But we’re also happy to provide some basic guidelines that can optimize the well-earned results you get from working with a physical therapist.

The first tip: eat real food! Think minimally processed, nutrient-dense, diverse, and delicious:

  • Quality protein like eggs, lean meat, fish, and poultry
  • Legumes, nuts, and seeds
  • Fermented foods like tempeh, sauerkraut and kimchi (these are loaded in gut-healthy probiotics)
  • Fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, or even canned are all great—just watch for additives)

The idea is to eat foods that you enjoy so that eating a better diet becomes easy and sustainable. Our physical therapy team advises patients to avoid following the current fads and trends. Simply begin with the fundamentals—plants, protein, and healthy fats—and work your way up from there.

Another suggestion? Learn how to prepare meals! Cooking at home can help you save money while also allowing you to have more control over what goes into your food. If pain makes cooking difficult, a physical therapist can teach you crucial skills such as activity pacing and house adjustments to help you succeed in the kitchen.

In addition to food, don’t forget water! You need great hydration every day to help your tissues stay healthy and flush out harmful toxins and waste products from your system. Staying well-hydrated boosts circulation, enhances joint lubrication, eases muscle cramps, supports spinal disc health, alleviates headaches, and more.

Some people find that taking supplements like fish oil or chondroitin and glucosamine relieves their pain and improves their overall health. There is inconclusive evidence on various supplements, and not all supplements are made equal. So, before you start taking any new supplements, talk to your primary care physician!

Finally, what should you stay away from? Certain meals and food ingredients, according to the Arthritis Foundation, can cause inflammation in the body, which can increase or prolong chronic pain. Among these foods are:

  • Refined carbohydrates (think crackers, candy, pasta, bread)
  • Trans fat
  • Vegetable oils
  • Refined sugar
  • Alcohol
  • MSG (a preservative often found in fast foods)
  • Gluten (a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye)
  • Casein and lactose (a protein and sugar, respectively, found in dairy products)
  • Saturated fats
  • Non-caloric artificial sweeteners

Certain “treats,” such as sweets or alcoholic beverages, can be enjoyed in moderation. Simply keep track of how much and how often you consume them. Before a “treat,” have a nutritious protein-rich snack and drink plenty of water to help you control your quantities.

Get your life back on track with a healthy, well-rounded diet!

Looking for more holistic ways to improve your health and relieve pain? To arrange an appointment with an expert physical therapist who can help your body and mind thrive using a customized variety of drug-free, non-invasive, and whole-person treatments, call our physical therapy office now. We are here to help ensure you find pain relief while making healthy diet choices.

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Live a Healthier and More Active Life with These 7 Tips

Get Moving Today!

Do you make sure to move around every day? Doing so can increase your lifespan, improve your mood, help you maintain a healthy weight, increase strength, flexibility, endurance and balance, in addition to helping you manage chronic pain and other health conditions.

Regular physical activity is so important that our physical therapy team is always looking for tips to help our patients move. Here are seven suggestions for you to keep in mind!

1. Make a PT appointment!

A lot of people aren’t physically active enough every day because they’re dealing with chronic pain that can make it difficult, uncomfortable, and sometimes unsafe to move.

One of the biggest benefits of working with a physical therapist is that he or she can provide services that alleviate your pain, improve your balance, function, and strength, and increase your confidence and self-efficacy so daily exercise is manageable.

2. Get a new hobby

It doesn’t really matter what type of physical activity you do—what matters most is whether you’re consistent with it! So, figure out which types of exercises you love and focus on these.

3. Exercise while watching TV

Commercial breaks are annoying. But instead of flipping the channel or scrolling through your phone the next time an ad comes on, you can use it as an opportunity to stand up and get a little activity in.

Whether you choose a quick yoga flow, some simple chair stretches, or even your physical therapy exercises, there’s plenty you can do right in the comfort of your own living room.

4. Make a routine

Whether you love to work out in the morning, take a midday brisk walk during lunch, or hit the gym after work, it’s helpful to do your workout close to the same time every day. This helps you establish a consistent routine so you can get the most benefits out of your exercise over the long-term.

In addition, consider adding your workouts into your weekly planner, just like you would do with any other appointment. Knowing when you’re going to workout ahead of time helps you stick to your plan.

5. Surround yourself with your supporters

In our experience, our patients do better when they have other people in their lives who support their efforts to get more active. So, encourage your loved ones to join you in your commitment to get moving, or sign up for a group workout class—whatever you need to help you stay more accountable.

Are you currently living with a chronic health problem? Connect with an online or in-person support group in your area so you can interact with other people living with your condition and motivate each other to stay more active.

6. Exercise in short bursts

While a good goal is to get at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity, you don’t necessarily have to do all 30 minutes at once.

It’s still possible to benefit from doing several shorter bouts of exercise throughout the day—perfect if you have a packed schedule and only short windows of time to get moving.

7. Get walking

No need to overcomplicate things. Even just standing and walking more throughout your day can help you stay physically active!

To get your steps in, be sure to take the stairs, stand at your desk, go for walks with your loved ones or co-workers, and avoid sitting for more than an hour at a time.

The importance of staying active

According to PT in Motion News, 80 percent of Americans do not follow the physical activity guidelines set out by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It’s difficult for many people to find time or motivation to exercise.

Maintaining a high level of physical activity may prolong your life and improve the overall quality.

The truth, however, is that getting active can vastly improve your health, your comfort, mobility, and overall quality of life. That’s why it’s so important to stay active, even when you have a fairly sedentary lifestyle.

Need more assistance?

No matter what your current level of physical activity may be, physical therapy can help you increase your fitness level, reduce your chance of injury, and eliminate pain from sore muscles.

Ready to see how physical therapy can help promote a healthy active lifestyle? Call our office today to schedule your initial consultation.

Opioids Don’t Need to Be the Answer for Arthritis Pain Relief

Find Relief for Your Joint Pain the Natural Way!

Arthritis is a general term that actually encompasses hundreds of different diseases. Whether you have osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or any other type of arthritis, two of the primary symptoms are inflammation and joint pain.

Whatever type of arthritis you suffer from, you’re likely struggling to overcome varying degrees of pain. If you are taking opioids for arthritis pain, we’re here to let you know that there is a better option.

Find relief with physical therapy

Physical therapy can be an effective alternative to taking opioids for arthritis pain.

There are several specific ways that a physical therapist can help an individual struggling with arthritis pain, including:

  • Ergonomic modifications – A physical therapist will be able to make suggestions for your home environment that can help ease arthritic pain. These might include mats to stand on in your kitchen, ergonomic chairs, or certain types of mattresses or bedding you can use.
  • Assistive devices – During physical therapy treatment you can also learn how to correctly use devices such as braces, canes, or walkers.
  • Targeted exercises – A physical therapist can teach you exercises that will increase flexibility and strength. These exercises can also reduce the pain you experience when carrying out daily activities. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, research shows that individuals with arthritis can exercise without making pain worse.
  • Electrical stimulation – TENS is Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation therapy. This type of physical therapy includes pulses of electricity used to target arthritis pain. A physical therapist can place electrodes on the skin over the area of pain. Low amounts of electricity pass through to the joints. This can temporarily relieve arthritis pain.
  • Manual therapy – A physical therapist can provide massage or use hot or cold therapy to ease arthritic pain. Massage can help improve circulation which can reduce joint pain.

If you’re struggling with arthritis pain, a trained physical therapist can work with you to increase your mobility while decreasing pain.

What should I know about opioids?

Opioids are powerful narcotics that work to cause numb relief. They have the ability to bind to the brain’s opioid receptors and to limit the messages of pain sent to the brain. Both oxycodone and morphine are considered to be opioids.

While opioid drugs may be beneficial when carefully used over a short period of time, they are not without serious drawbacks. They are highly addictive and they often interact with other drugs. Approximately 42,000 deaths related to opioid overdoses occurred in 2016.

If you are currently taking some type of opioid for your arthritis pain, it is important to know that there is a safer alternative that can reduce and even eliminate pain.

Is arthritis impacting your everyday life?

If you’re struggling with osteoarthritis, you’re likely to experience pain, stiffness, and limited flexibility. Rheumatoid arthritis may cause similar symptoms and may affect organs in the body.

Psoriatic arthritis and gout are also types of arthritis that can cause varying levels of pain, inflammation, and mobility. Arthritis pain may affect even the simplest of daily activities.

Washing, cooking, and walking up and down the stairs can prove difficult with any of these types of arthritis. The severity of the pain may also change on a daily basis. Because of this, it can become too easy to rely on powerful pain medications to cope with arthritis pain.

What else should I consider?

It is quite common for people who have arthritis pain to resort to expensive surgery, steroid injections, and prescription medications to cope with their pain.

Sometimes, patients with severe arthritis may benefit from these treatments. However, more often than not, physical therapy and natural treatments are the best route to take.

Arthritis does not discriminate either, and although it is often found in elderly patients, it can affect anyone at any age.

According to a study on JAMA, “[rheumatoid] arthritis (RA) occurs in about 5 per 1000 people and can lead to severe joint damage and disability.”

Arthritis is also one of the leading causes of disability in the United States. If left untreated by a professional, patients with arthritis may experience extremely painful symptoms over a long period of time.

If you want to learn more about how physical therapy can benefit you and reduce your arthritis pain, please call our office today.

Get started today

Even if you are already taking opioids, an individualized physical therapy program may help you reduce the amount of medication you are taking.

To find out how you can reduce arthritis pain, contact our Dublin, GA office to set up an appointment with a physical therapist!