Posts Tagged ‘back pain’
Herniated Discs and How to Fix
Herniated discs are a common, yet challenging issue that many people experience, leading to significant discomfort and impacting your daily activities. The spine consists of vertebrae cushioned by these intervertebral discs that serve as padding and shock absorption. When these discs are herniated, their soft, gel-like cushion pushes exteriorly through structures in the posterior side of the spine.
Read MoreCan Physical Therapy Help My Chronic Pain?
Living with chronic pain can be challenging, as it affects many aspects of life. Physical therapy helps to decrease pain via manual therapy and exercise. However, it also helps to change how pain is processed in both the peripheral and central nervous system (i.e. brain and spinal cord) so that patients can experience a significant improvement in quality of life.
Read MoreLumbar Radiculopathy and Sciatica
Lumbar radiculopathy and sciatica occur when a nerve in your back is pinched or compressed. This causes pain down the back of your leg and into your foot. It can be caused by a traumatic event or gradually over time. It occurs most commonly in males and females aged 30-50 years. Risk factors such as repeated lifting, participating in weight bearing sports, obesity, smoking, sedentary lifestyles, and poor posture have been identified. The majority of these cases resolve with good physical therapy.
Read MorePain: Why do we feel it?
What is pain? That is a loaded question with a complex answer! To give a simple explanation, “it is an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience that is unique to the individual.” The key word being “unique” as perceptions of pain and how to it relates to our physiology can be quite complex. We deal in…
Read MorePilates for Low Back Pain
Does Pilates Based Physical Therapy Help Reduce Low Back Pain? Pilates is a form of exercise that shares many similarities with physical therapy. Pilates is based on several principles of movement including: breath, axial elongation and core control, spine articulation, organization of the head/neck/shoulders, alignment and weight bearing of the extremities, and movement integration. Utilizing…
Read MoreNeck Pain Prevention When Working From Home
Working from Home Are you experiencing neck pain, slouching, or excessively leaning forward while you work from home? The first and likely most important factor when working from home is to ensure an ergonomic workstation. Proper workstation set up provides optimal posture and body alignment. When sitting at your workstation check the following: Are you…
Read MoreThe Benefits of Massage Therapy
How Massage Therapy Can Benefit Your Mental and Physical Health The benefits of massage can be an integral component in your self-care. When was the last time you had a massage? A massage is usually reserved for special occasions. Despite how great we feel, most of us don’t think about getting another massage until our…
Read MoreBack Pain: Why is it important to receive early physical therapy?
Intro to Back Pain Say you decide to play a friendly game of tennis with a friend after work and you tweak your back. Or even you go to pick up your four year old grandson and something just doesn’t feel right in your low back after words. Back pain can be extremely painful and…
Read MoreThe Diaphragm and Lower Back Pain?
Low back pain is a very common orthopedic condition that brings people to physical therapy. There are many factors that play into an individual’s back pain, making it one of the hardest areas of the body to treat. Recent literature has keyed in on breathing patterns and diaphragm dysfunction as a factor contributing to lower…
Read MoreThoracic Mobility
We’re diving into the importance of thoracic mobility. The thoracic spine is a region that commonly becomes less mobile and stiffer. If we take a joint-by-joint approach, we can see that each joint in the body has a primary need based on the way it’s designed and how it functions. Notice that each joint alternates…
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