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What is physical therapy?

Physical therapy is a type of treatment that is used for patients who have a hard time moving around to engage in everyday activities. The goal of physical therapy is to improve mobility and make performing your daily activities easier and without pain. Physical therapy is also used to treat athletes recovering from injuries and those recovering from certain surgeries.

How can physical therapy help me recover?

Physical therapy is going to be different for every patient. It can help improve your range of motion, relieve pain, increase flexibility and more. Starting a physical therapy plan after surgery can actually speed up your recovery time quite a bit.

What can I expect during physical therapy after surgery?

At your first appointment, your physical therapist will do a series of tests to see where you currently stand. They will test your range of motion, level of strength, flexibility and joint stability. They will then come up with a treatment plan that is tailored to your specific goals for recovery. Your physical therapist will give you a series of exercises that are customized to you that will strengthen your muscles, and get you on the road to recovery.

The decision to begin a physical therapy program is ultimately up to you, the patient. It is crucial that you are 100% committed to your physical therapy routine in order to get the most out of it. Make sure you do your research and choose a physical therapist that is experienced in rehabilitation after surgery. Most physical therapists are, but it is a good idea to make sure before you set up your first appointment. There are many resources available to you to help you find a physical therapist and most likely, your doctor can refer you to one.

No one enjoys having a headache. Whether you are suffering from a tension headache, a sinus headache or a migraine you just want to get rid of it, and fast. Most headaches are harmless and eventually subside on their own, but then there are the ones that are recurring and have an impact on your normal daily activities.

Tension headaches are the most common type of headaches among adults. They can be caused by a number of different things such as neck problems, poor posture, stress or fatigue. The good news is that physical therapy can actually help relieve tension headaches for good. It is a great option for those who wish to get rid of their headaches without the use of medication.

Your physical therapist will talk with you about what activities usually cause your headaches. They will also examine your posture, measure your range of motion in your neck and shoulders and use some manual therapy to check the joints and muscles in your neck. If you do in fact suffer from tension headaches, your physical therapist will work with you to design a plan of care that will meet your goals.

Some Treatment Options May Include:

–    Strengthening exercises that increase muscle strength in the neck and shoulder areas

–    Stretching exercises that improve the range of motion in your neck and shoulders

–    Massage therapy may be used to relieve the tension in specific areas that is causing your headaches

–    Education about lifestyle changes you should make to relieve your headaches

Physical therapy for the treatment of headaches in extremely effective and can work very quickly. A skilled physical therapist is trained to treat movement restrictions that are often associated with headaches. If you feel that you may suffer from tension headaches, you should contact your primary healthcare provider so they can refer you to a physical therapist to see what treatment options are available for you.

Did you know that physical therapists aren’t just intended for those who have experienced injuries? They can also improve your general performance as an athlete. Sports therapy is designed for athletes based on the specific type of athlete. The type of sport you participate in also plays a big role in your sports therapy program. Generally, sports therapy is goal oriented. This means that the physical therapist will design a sports therapy program tailored to you working towards your overall goals as an athlete.

How to Start a Sports Therapy Program:

–    The first thing you need to do is schedule a consultation with a licensed physical therapist. They will be able to determine which sports therapy program is best for you based on your specific goals.

–    The physical therapist will perform an evaluation and various performance tests to decide if sports therapy is right for you. They will also identify any weaknesses you currently have and determine what areas you need the most help with.

–    You will be given detailed instructions and guidelines dependent upon the findings of the physical therapist. The overall goal of sports therapy is to enhance performance while preventing injury.

It is imperative that you follow all instructions given to you by your physical therapist. You may even be given exercises to do at home to further enhance your athletic performance.

When you are searching for a physical therapist to assist you in improving your athletic performance, it is important that you find someone who is trained in all aspects of sports therapy. You must be willing to go through various testing and evaluations to begin a sports therapy program. You must also be willing to follow the advice given by your physical therapist to ensure you get the most your of your sports therapy program.

In some cases, pain associated with injuries can be treated with physical therapy. Physical therapy helps relieve pain, restore function and promote healing. Each physical therapy session is tailored to each individual’s specific needs. Physical therapy treatment should only be performed by a trained physical therapist. If done correctly, there can be many benefits.

Improve Mobility – Physical therapists are trained to help individuals improve mobility after an injury. Your physical therapist will create a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. They will discuss your physical therapy goals with you as well to make sure you get the most out of your treatment plan.

Avoid Surgery – If physical therapy helps you eliminate pain after an injury, surgery may not be needed. Many individuals who have sustained an injury seek the guidance of a physical therapist to avoid surgery. In some cases, physical therapy has been proven just as effective as surgery.

Relieve Pain – Physical therapy can help relieve pain and restore muscle function. In many cases, utilizing physical therapy can eliminate the need for long term use of medication.

Individual Exercise Regimen – Your physical therapist will likely give you a series of exercises and/or stretches to do at home that can help you recover faster and perform daily activities easier. Your exercises will be specific to your individual needs and goals.

If your doctor has recommended physical therapy, it is best that you take their advice. Physical therapy can help with a number of different health problems. Making sure you follow the direction of your physical therapist is crucial to your recovery. If you have experienced an injury and want to recover faster, improve daily functions and reduce the risk of further injuries, consult with a licensed physical therapist. The benefits can be amazing.

Men and women suffer from all types of spinal issues, including pain, tingling, numbness and weakness. Studies show that between half and three fourths of the population will experience spinal symptoms sometime within their adult life. In fact, lower back problems are the most common cause of disability for people under the age of 45.

Conditions commonly linked to back pain include:
• Muscle or ligament strain. Repeated heavy lifting or a sudden awkward movement may strain back muscles and spinal ligaments.
• Bulging or ruptured disks. Discs act as cushions between the vertebrae in your spine. Sometimes, the soft material inside a disc may bulge out of place or rupture and press on a nerve. If the disc presses on the sciatic nerve, pain may run from the buttock down one leg causing sciatica.
• Arthritis. The presence of osteoarthritis in the hips can cause you to limp or to change the way you walk…which can also lead to back pain.
• Skeletal irregularities. Back pain can occur if your spine curves in an abnormal way. Scoliosis, a condition in which your spine curves to the side, also may lead to back pain, but generally only if the scoliosis is quite severe.
• Osteoporosis. Compression fractures of your spine’s vertebrae can occur if your bones become porous and brittle.

Contact us at the Manhattan Physical Therapy & Pain Center to start your journey to a pain free life: 800-754-0488

Our evaluation includes collecting a detailed history followed by assessment of both active range of motion and the effects of repeated movements on the symptoms. Our caring and trained professionals will also focus on possible treatment options along with a personalized home exercise program.

As a parent, you most assuredly want your child to be as healthy as possible—but while playing sports is a great way to get exercise, some sports can put your child at a higher risk of sports trauma and overuse. Recently, a number of medical professionals who specialize in sports medicine have reported a rise in the number of young patients who present with repetitive use injuries and other sports trauma.

Youth sports are as popular as they’ve ever been, and as rigorous too. In the United States, an estimated 30 to 45 million children participate in organized sports that involve exhaustive training throughout the year. Experts believe that there is now a much greater specialization in one sport at a younger age, and training programs have also become more demanding in recent years. Furthermore, children who sustain injuries on the field or court often go back to playing before they have fully recovered—and the majority of them are not sufficiently trained in injury prevention.

Children and young teenagers are particularly susceptible to overuse injury due to the fact that their bones are still growing. Therefore, experts recommend that children avoid focusing on just one sport before the age of 14, as most injuries are seen in the children who participate in multiple seasons of one sport, rather than those who vary their athletic activities.

As for the most common injuries, many young runners are at risk for overuse injuries of the shin and knees; football and baseball players often sustain elbow and shoulder injuries; cheerleaders, skaters, and dancers are susceptible to ankle injuries; and gymnasts often suffer from wrist injuries due to the continuous force exerted on that part of the body.

Of course, injury prevention is the best form of treatment, and it’s essential for kids to learn warm-up stretches and exercises before any training session. As for how often your child should play each week, the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness recommends that children practice no more than five days per week, taking one day off from any organized training. They also recommend that every child take a yearly break from sports for two to three months in order to recover between seasons and heal any injuries they may have sustained during the training season.

Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the spine in the space between the vertebrae, the canal in the middle of the spine, or where the nerves branch from the spine. There are four major causes of this condition, the top of which is aging.

As the body ages, the pressure and stress that the spine has undergone over the course of its lifetime can lead to spinal stenosis. Bone spurs, a broadening of tissue that supports the spine, and the joints and bones growing bigger can all lead to this circumstance. Another issue with the aging of the spine is the loss of tissue between the disks themselves.

The second most prevalent cause of this condition is arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, and can degrade the tissue in the joints that keeps bones stabilized. It also can cause bone spurs, and most often occurs in middle aged to older individuals.

Rheumatoid arthritis can also be a factor, as it can also cause serious damage to the joints. Having a predisposition to spinal stenosis is also a leading cause, which could be any number of circumstances, such as scoliosis, or having been born with smaller spine canal than normal.

The fourth leading cause would make up other conditions, such as a tumor, injury or Paget’s disease.

The major concern with this disease is the degeneration of the spine. Frequently, this condition can cause pain that travels down the legs, along with numbness, weakness, and lower back pain. In most cases, the pain worsens the longer someone stands and it usually lessens with rest and leaning forward. The two most common areas to be affected are the neck and lower back.

Thankfully, there are some actions that can be taken to help prevent this disease. Regular exercise can help to keep muscles strong and flexible, and knowing if anyone in your family has suffered from the same condition can help medical professionals to plan in advance for keeping you healthy.

Weight loss can also help to decelerate the progress of the disease. Furthermore, there are treatments that can be quite effective without having to resort to surgery. Medications to reduce swelling, physical therapy, and restricting activity can all be elements to help spinal stenosis. However, it’s important to know that if spinal stenosis has been complicated by arthritis, there could be eventual nerve damage if left untreated, so it’s important to consult with a professional, such as those found at www.manhattanptandpain.com, as soon as possible.

For professional athletes, a healthy, strong body is worth its weight in gold—and injuries can be catastrophic for their careers. One injury, and they can lose a whole season—or worse. Fortunately for pros and amateurs alike, they have Redcord.

So what is Redcord? Created, fine-tuned, and practiced by physical therapists for over two decades, Redcord is the most efficient and accessible suspension exercise method available, incredibly beneficial for preventing and treating injuries. Redcord includes the widest-ranging collection of suspension-based exercise equipment, training programs, and treatment methods in the exercise industry. In fact, many medical and fitness professionals use Redcord to achieve greater, measurable results, and the Redcord NEURomuscularACtivation (Neurac) courses, which are specially designed education system for doctors, therapists, and other medical professionals, are an excellent way to help prevent and treat injuries.

According to the official Redcord website, Redcord.com, the phases of the Redcord Neurac program are thus:

“1. Individual mapping to identify weak links in muscle interaction by doing exercises in Redcord.
2. Adjusting exercises to each individual.
3. Developing exercise programs with certain exercises that reestablishes body function, prevent further injuries and to confirm the effect on Neurac treatment. Retests are done to confirm the effects.
4. Continuation of the exercises to prevent future injury.”

Numerous professional athletes have found great value in the Redcord Neurac program. Runners, cyclists, gymnasts, and a slew of other pros stand behind Redcord. Sandra Bassot, distinguished swimming coach in Italy, remarked, “I have been using suspension training with Redcord for almost two years, and the improvements I have seen in the performance of all athletes are surely not only based on water training. I’ve recognized an improvement in all high technical parts of stroke cycles, starts and turns that are mutually dependent on proprioception and power.”

Bassot isn’t alone in her enthusiasm for Redcord. Says Suzann Pettersen, LPGA golf player,
“Core training is important for us golfers. I have experienced that myself. Redcord has helped me, and I never enter the course without having trained with Redcord. Redcord is now actually the only form of strength training I do.”

Italian world-class skier Lucia Recchia shares her enthusiasm about Redcord: “Training with Redcord allows me to do a higher level of exercise, in less time with little pain. Using Redcord, I feel the vast improvements in my coordination and functional training that specifically helps my competitive edge during the winter alpine season. I also enjoy training with Redcord more than conventional strength training because Redcord allows me to utilize many possibilities for the upper and lower body by inventing and improvising with different and challenging exercises. Weight training is generally boring, monotonous and does not functionally translate to my athletic or everyday needs. With the help of Redcord, I can work on the muscles that help me during competition, but also that help me with my daily life and routines; and now that the Redcord Mini is available, I am able to take my training routines with me wherever I go!”

If you’re looking to get rid your body of painful movement patterns, establish normal muscle coordination, or simply get in better shape, Redcord may be the perfect program for you. Check with a medical professional to find out if Redcord is right for you.

A form of facial paralysis often characterized by a weakness or numbness of the muscles on one side of the face, Bell’s palsy has no clear, proven cause, although studies are now showing it may be caused by the herpes simplex virus and unofficially due to stress. This, along with its sometimes dramatic symptoms, makes Bell’s palsy potentially a very frustrating and even alarming condition. It can be a very difficult condition to diagnose, so it is important to do thorough research if you suspect you or a loved one may be suffering from Bell’s palsy. Here’s a brief overview of the condition.

1)    What is Bell’s palsy exactly? Bell’s palsy is the often very rapid onset of the facial weakness and paralysis of one side of the face aka severe drooping; due to damage to the nerve that controls facial muscles. This nerve damage may not only cause the paralysis of one side of the face, but it also may affect one’s sense of taste as well as tear and saliva production. You might have a metallic taste or have difficulty drinking.

2)    What are the symptoms of Bell’s palsy? People who develop Bell’s palsy are often alarmed to find that they cannot smile or blink in one eye. Symptoms include drooling, a weakness or inability to move one side of the face or to close the eye on that side, excessively dry or teary eyes, the sense of sounds being louder than usual, the inability to taste, numbness on the affected side of the face, and painful sensations in or behind the ear. Other symptoms include neck pain, facial tingling, issues with chewing your food..

3)    How can Bell’s palsy be treated? After medical professional has conducted a physical and neurological exam in order to properly diagnose one with Bell’s palsy, one may be given medication such as anti viral like prednisone, which tends to lower the risk of having long-term Bell’s palsy. But I want to stress that this is only if you have a virus. Most doctors will give you this medication anyway just to rule out that you don’t have it.

However, there is a chance that the damage on the weakened or paralyzed side of the face can be permanent, so it is important to seek medical treatment right away if any symptoms appear.

You’ve just completed one of the most physically taxing (and emotionally rewarding) experiences of your life: growing and delivering a healthy, happy baby. While most of the symptoms associated with pregnancy quickly disappear after delivery, there is one common annoyance that follows many women into their postpartum days: back pain. Back pain can put a damper on the time you spend with your little one, but understanding the causes of this discomfort can help you reduce its effects.

What Causes Postpartum Back Pain(And What Can You Do About It)?

Your body accomplished some amazing feats while you were pregnant. Your muscles stretched and moved out of the way to accommodate your growing uterus while your joints relaxed to help ease your baby’s passage during your delivery.  As they stretched, your muscles became weaker, negatively impacting your posture and straining your back. Furthermore, loose joints may have left you feeling unstable, causing additional pain.

These stretched muscles and loose joints won’t snap back to their former state overnight. Instead, they need time after your baby is born to regain their strength. During this time you may continue feeling the discomfort that was so familiar while you were pregnant. You can give your muscles a head start back to their former strength by exercising as soon as your doctor gives you the okay.

Having a new baby presents you with a variety of tasks that place stress on your lower back. Instead of conveniently riding along wherever you go, your little one is now dependent on you to pick her up whenever she needs something. Picking up an eight-pound infant fifty times a day can stress your back, leading to more pain.

Your baby is only going to get bigger and heavier, so it’s important to focus on smart lifting habits as soon as possible. To lessen the impact on your back, bring your baby close to you when picking her up rather than stretching your arms straight out. When picking her up from a low surface, bend at your knees rather than your waist. Finally, avoid standing outside your car to remove your child from her car seat. Instead, kneel on the back seat to get closer and put less strain on your back.

Breastfeeding is an excellent choice for both mother and child, but mothers may be so focused on finding the right latch that they neglect their posture while nursing. Bending over your baby during feedings can strain both your back and your neck, so be cognizant of your positioning before you allow your child to latch. Bring your baby to you rather than bending down to his level and be sure to sit in a chair that offers you plenty of support.

If you are experiencing postpartum back pain, know that you are not alone. Many women experience this discomfort for weeks or even months after they deliver. Fortunately, regular exercise and staying conscious of your posture can help keep your back from coming between you and your new baby.