If you have arthritis, then you know all about the difficulties it can present with moving and functioning in everyday life. However, what you may not know is that physical therapy will help you to find relief from the pain of your arthritis.

There is no cure for arthritis, but the onset of arthritis can be slowed down exponentially through the benefits of physical therapy. When you work one-on-one with a licensed physical therapist, you’ll feel less discomfort by following the exercises and strategies that they will give you.

Not sure if physical therapy is right for you? Keep reading to learn more about how this method of treatment can combat aches and pains caused by arthritis.

How common is arthritis pain in the US?

Arthritis is a condition that attacks the joints of the body by causing mass amounts of pain and inflammation. Physical therapy may help to restore the use of these joints and increase your ability to move about and participate in everyday activities.

According to the CDC “In the United States, 23% of all adults—over 54 million people—have arthritis. About 24 million adults are limited in their activities from arthritis, and more than 1 in 4 adults with arthritis report severe joint pain.”

This can be accomplished through a combination of exercises that improve the support systems around the joints while also teaching you how to walk and participate in daily tasks and activities without exacerbating the symptoms.

Your physical therapist will recommend a specific type of therapy based on how advanced your arthritis is and which parts of your body are affected.

Your therapist will teach you physical exercises to help you improve your mobility, range of motion, flexibility, and coordination.

Additional treatments for your arthritis may include:

• Posture: Your doctor will show you different methods of body mechanics that will optimize joint function and minimize pain. To relieve pressure on arthritic joints, you will also be taught ways to use the best muscles and joints.
• Education: Sometimes arthritis in the hip or knee will require the use of assistive mobility devices, such as a cane or walker. Your physical therapist will teach you the proper way to use these devices.
• Treatments: To cope with arthritis pain, modern physical therapy has a wide variety of treatment options available. Hot and cold treatment may reduce joint pain and stiffness; braces or splints may help strengthen and protect arthritic joints; shoe inserts may relieve lower extremity arthritis pain; and so on.
• Environment Modifications: Based on your form of arthritis, your physical therapist will make suggestions for additional therapeutic aids you can use. For example, this may involve ergonomic furniture or placing cushioned mats for long periods of time in areas of your home or at work where you have to stand on your feet.

What does physical therapy treatment look like for arthritis? 

Even if this is your first time seeing a physical therapist, you can rest confident that you will be in good hands. Physical therapists are highly skilled movement specialists who can detect and treat specific pain regions.

Sessions with a physical therapist are usually only a few minutes long. Your therapist will concentrate on detecting physical function concerns associated to arthritis and teaching you pain-relieving strategies that you can apply at home.

The greatest method to receive long-term arthritic pain relief is to stick to what you've been taught in the physical therapist's office. Because the changes will be gradual, you must follow your physical therapist's instructions.

Consider the various physical goals you may have to help your physical therapist provide you with the best possible advice. For example, you might want to be able to do your daily work without straining your hips or knees, reach items high up on a kitchen shelf without pain, or simply get in and out of your car without pain.

By communicating your expectations to your therapist, you can ensure that your therapies will be as tailored to your goals as possible.

Your physical therapy sessions probably won't need to be done on a weekly basis. Once every few weeks to monitor your condition and progress should be sufficient. If you are ready for relief from arthritis pain, call our office to schedule your first appointment with a physical therapist.

You can get long-lasting, natural relief from arthritis pain

If you've been suffering from joint pain due to arthritis or another condition that's lowering your quality of life, contact us right away so we can assist you.

Our physical therapists are dedicated to ensuring that everyone who walks through our doors receives the pain relief they deserve. We're looking forward to meeting you and seeing how you manage your pain in a healthy and safe manner.

Sources:

• https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/arthritis.htm
• https://www.webmd.com/arthritis/about-inflammation

Physical therapy is the most effective treatment option for a variety of ailments and injuries. A physical therapist can help ease your symptoms and teach you why they occurred in the first place, whether you have just started waking up with generalized aches and pains or have been suffering from chronic pain for a long time.

A sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, an inadequate diet, or injury can all contribute to aches and pains. The bad news is that the discomfort will not subside on its own. The good news is that a physical therapist can help you get back on track!

Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of physical therapy.

Common causes of bodily aches and pains

Have you ever found yourself groaning in pain when you first try to get up in the morning? You might find yourself wondering if the problem is your mattress or your bed frame, but nine times out of ten, the problem is caused by something entirely different!

Here's what your physical therapist would tell you if you suffer from generalized aches and pains when you wake up in the morning.

Inflammation of the tissues builds up in our bodies throughout the day. This can be very subtle, and you may not even notice it by the end of the day. However, as you lie down and sleep, the inflammation thickens and settles into your muscles. This causes joint immobilization, resulting in pain when you wake up. The same cycle will repeat itself day after day.

Eventually, if you do not make any lifestyle changes to fix the issue, chronic pain will set in. This is why calling our office for a consultation before the pain gets a chance to become that serious and debilitating, is a smart idea.

Benefits of physical therapy

Physical therapy is a safe, natural, and effective way to combat pain symptoms caused by various conditions and injuries. A physical therapist is a trained movement specialist who can not only treat and ease your symptoms but also prevent them from coming back by showing you how to move your body in the proper ways.

Your first visit with a physical therapist will involve a conversation about your symptoms and medical history, as well as some simple tests. Be prepared to answer questions about past injuries that may be contributing to your current aches and pains.

Your diet, your exercise routine, and your daily activities will also be discussed. This will help your therapist figure out what might be causing your aches and pains.

Following that, you will be given a series of tests based on your symptoms. These will include exercises to improve posture and range of motion, as well as strength and resistance tests.

When your therapist knows where you are experiencing aches and pains and has determined the likely causes, your personalized physical therapy treatment plan will be drawn up. It’s that simple!

What are some typical PT treatment methods?

Just like any other medical profession, a physical therapist has a wide range of tactics and techniques that can be deployed to help with pain management.

Here are just a few:

• Microcurrent stimulation to release serotonin
• Manual therapy
• Deep tissue massage
• Joint and bone manipulation
• Movement therapy and exercise
• Cold laser therapy to release endorphins

Your physical therapist has a wide range of tools and techniques to choose from within each of these categories. Running on a treadmill or working in a swimming pool, for example, are examples of movement therapy and exercise. It all depends on your physical state, the source of your aches and pains, and the treatment methods that are most likely to work.

Call us today to schedule an appointment

To manage your symptoms, you don't have to keep popping over-the-counter pain relievers. If your life has been drastically altered by pain to the point where you feel you've exhausted all other options for dealing with it, it's time to seek help from a physical therapist.

Your physical therapist will also work with you to teach you how to avoid aches and pains by leading a healthier lifestyle. This can include anything from home exercises and stretches to advice on staying hydrated and eating better.

The goal is to get you to a point where you are motivated to stay healthy without needing to go to physical therapy on a regular basis. All of this will aid in the alleviation of your aches and pains.

So, what do you have to lose? Get your life back on track and live the life you deserve. To make your first appointment with a trained and licensed physical therapist, call us today.

Sources:

• Physical therapy: Who can benefit and how can it help?www.medicalnewstoday.com › articles
• https://www.healthline.com/health/deep-tissue-massage
• https://www.webmd.com/arthritis/about-inflammation

Find The Relief You’ve Been Looking for with Physical Therapy

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

Many people suffer from lower back pain and have no idea how to find permanent relief. Dealing with this kind of pain impacts daily life and can take away the time you normally use to relax, work, and spend time with your family. Essentially, back pain can make it difficult to enjoy life as a whole. Not to mention that it can keep a person feeling highly irritable, depressed, and can contribute to a number of other health problems.

Lower back pain is the leading cause of activity limitation and work absence in most of the world, placing a high economic burden on people, households, communities, industry, and governments.

If you're struggling with this kind of discomfort, there's no doubt that you want help, and now you can have it! A licensed physical therapist will help direct you through the appropriate therapy treatments to get back to your everyday life without any discomfort. Please contact our office today to learn more!

How can physical therapy help with lower back pain?

Upon your first visit to our office, your physical therapist will ask you a variety of health related questions about your medical history and lower back pain. Providing them with this knowledge will help your physical therapist provide you with the right recovery plan so that you can experience long-lasting benefits.

Your physical therapist will also perform a comprehensive examination of your body. Depending on your symptoms, your physical therapist may evaluate your flexibility, strength, balance, posture, coordination, blood pressure, and heart and breathing rates. They can also use their hands to examine and assess your back and surrounding areas to check for tightness.They can also visually test your mobility.

During your treatment plan, your physical therapist can also provide you with special exercises to do at home so that you can relieve discomfort, prevent re-injury, alleviate strain, and speed up your recovery time. They can also prescribe various devices or equipment that may help you heal, and spend time educating you on where the source of pain comes from, as well as pain relief techniques.

How can I benefit from PT treatments?

Active physical therapy is distinct from passive therapy, as it requires activities that the patient must do instead of treatments that the therapist performs on the patient. These exercises are typically used later in therapy, after the lower back pain has been reduced enough for you to perform exercises and stretches without feeling too much discomfort.

There are lots of exercises that your physical therapist can suggest. Many of them include targeted stretching, stability exercises, flexibility training, and strength training. Some of these exercises will boost your range of motion, and others will build up and restore muscles around affected areas to provide proper support for those parts of the body.

What can I expect from passive physical therapy?

Lower back pain can be so debilitating that you can’t be as active as you normally are. It can get in the way of literally everything! Because of this, it is imperative for a physical therapist to decrease your pain as much as possible so that you can start participating in your treatment.

These techniques and tools are commonly referred to as passive therapy because they are done to a patient by a physical therapist.

• Hydrotherapy
• Dry needling
• Iontophoresis
• Ultrasound
• Heat/ice packs
• Electrical stimulation, such as TENS Units
• Massage
• Manual therapies

Some of these methods (such as hot/cold packs and massage therapy) are used to improve blood flow and restore circulation to the affected area, thereby reducing pain and inflammation.

Physical therapists also often use electrical stimulation therapy. This is a non-invasive, painless treatment that delivers electrical waves through your nervous system to reduce muscle spasms, and encourage your body to produce pain-relieving hormones.

Physical therapy also includes hydrotherapy treatment. This kind of treatment involves performing low-intensity movements in water to relieve pressure on muscles. Water allows you to move your joints without discomfort.

What else can I expect?

Physical therapy is a particular form of treatment for the management of disabilities and injuries. Your physical therapist is capable of alleviating all forms of pain, including back pain. Physical therapy facilitates recovery and is a perfect therapeutic choice for restoring range of motion and functional mobility. Our physical therapists are trained and experienced in conservative treatment strategies, including recovery of patients with neurological, cardiovascular, and orthopedic conditions.

Usually there are two key parts of each physical therapy program—passive physical therapy and active physical therapy—even though each patient receives a personalized treatment plan unique to their condition. Passive physical therapy lowers the pain levels of the patient and makes them more manageable. Active physical therapy requires exercises that patients undergo individually.

Contact us to get started

If you’re ready to alleviate (or even eliminate!) your pain, contact our office to learn more about how physical therapy can help you live a pain-free life.

Source:

• https://www.who.int/medicines/areas/priority_medicines/Ch6_24LBP.pdf?ua=1
• https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/guide/electrothermal-therapy

Discover Pain and Inflammation Relief Through Nutritional Changes

If you already see a physical therapist for internal inflammation and your diet, you already know that this is a problem that can seriously affect your overall health. Whether you have a clear diagnosis of your inflammation (such as osteoarthritis), or you're not fully know the causes of your back and joint pain, physical therapy will help.

According to Harvard Health, chronic inflammation can also lead to a variety of health ailments such as heart disease and diabetes. Eating healthy is one way to reduce your inflammation. Your physical therapist can prescribe a diet high in anti-inflammatory foods for extra pain relief. Read on to learn more about what kind of food triggers inflammation, and what foods you can consume to minimize inflammation, too!

Make sure you’re eating your fruits and veggies!

Have you ever noticed how the colors of the suggested fruit and vegetables produce a rainbow? This "rainbow" of fruit and vegetables is good for heart health and improved immunity.

Eating colorful food also battles inflammation. Try to add more colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet.

Dark green vegetables (such as spinach and kale), orange vegetables (such as sweet potatoes and carrots), red and purple fruits and vegetables (such as tomatoes and beets), and yellow vegetables (such as corn and sweet peppers) are excellent options for salads and snacks.

Try adding in herbs, spices, and supplements

When you’re searching for healthy substitutions, look for more nutritional foods and options that will make a direct impact on your inflammation and swelling. Add these to what you’re eating every week, and see if your health improves overall in response.

Many herbs, spices, and supplements are anti-inflammatory and can provide exceptional pain relief. Fish oil and multivitamin pills are two supplements that are known for their anti-inflammatory properties.

Choosing a good herbal supplement such as green tea, cat’s claw, devil’s claw, and boswellia are great ways to develop a healthier diet. Turmeric and fresh or powdered ginger are also good options to sprinkle on foods or steep as a soothing beverage. There are tons of great recipes out there for herbal drinks as well!

What should I consider when choosing nutritious foods?

Don't worry, there are plenty of safe and simple alternatives to over-processed, unhealthy food. You can exchange white bread with whole grain, white rice with brown rice, and semolina pasta with garbanzo bean pasta! Instead of eating a hamburger for lunch, consider switching to healthier alternatives such as fish, chicken, or vegetarian burgers.

Make sure that if you're taking fish oil pills to protect your omega-3 inflammation, you're also adding more real fish to your diet! The fish with the highest Omega-3 fats are herring, salmon, trout, sardines, mackerel, and tuna. All of these can provide some relief when inflammation is the cause of your discomfort.

Knowing how to properly prepare your food for an anti-inflammatory diet is also relevant. You should not fry your food or order fried food at restaurants or for takeout. Instead, select food that has been grilled, roasted, or steamed!

For side dishes, choose salads, greens, or fresh salsa. Also consider dressings such as vinaigrettes, greek yogurt, lemon juice, and olive oil instead of side dishes containing creamy sauces or dressings.

What foods could be contributing to my inflammation?

Oftentimes, people choose convenience over health when it comes to what they eat. One of the fastest ways to reverse inflammation caused by an unhealthy diet is to stop consuming the foods associated with it! This means that if you want ultimate pain relief, you will need to adjust how you view preparing meals and what snacks you’re eating throughout the day.

You might be reading this and groaning, “I already know I eat so many things that aren’t good for me! I just ate an oatmeal cream pie an hour ago!” This is the truth - you probably do already know that sugary foods are bad for your waistline and your heart, so that’s no surprise there. Whether your favorite snack foods are overly sweet or salty, it’s time to start slowly easing them out of your meals and opting for healthier snacks in between.

Junk food and processed packaged meals are full of added sugar, preservatives, and unhealthy trans fat. You should also avoid eating too much red meat, fried foods, doughnuts, pastries, white rice, and white bread. These are some of the worst options for you to eat if you’re particularly sensitive to inflammation and painful flare-ups.

Need more assistance? Contact us!

True, nutrition and a balanced diet will help battle inflammation, but that's not all! It is necessary to talk with a physical therapist about other ways to minimize inflammation and pain and to remain flexible.

Physical therapists will show you how to adapt your workout routine to suit your dietary changes. Together these improvements will reduce the pain and inflammation that causes you discomfort.

Please contact our office today to learn more about how physical therapy and an anti-inflammatory diet can make a difference in your life!

Source:

• https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation

Enhance Your Health and Wellness with These Easy Steps!

Most people feel that they have to spend hours a day working out or attending the gym in order to keep fit. That's why many of us find ourselves saying we don't have time to exercise or focus on our health!

However, it doesn't take hours out of your day to workout and remain physically fit. There are a few simple elements you can integrate into your everyday routine that will lead to a better, more active lifestyle.

Get in touch with Synergy Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine today to learn more tips and tricks to become a healthier you!

1. Consider physical therapy!

According to The National Institute of Health, being active has been shown to have many health benefits, both physically and mentally. It may even help you live longer. If you find yourself avoiding physical activity because you’re in pain, know that there’s help out there for you.

Physical therapy can address your various aches and pains that are keeping you from getting the right amount of exercise you need.

Many physical therapist sessions are considered a work out themselves because of all the stretches and exercise your therapist will have you complete. This can also help you meet your weekly cardio or endurance goals.

Your physical therapist will also give you daily tips for changing up your everyday habits for a healthier, more active lifestyle.

He or she will review your normal routine and offer advice on how you can incorporate more fitness activities and exercise into it. If you suffer from chronic pain, your PT can show you how moving in certain ways can reduce or even eliminate your physical challenges.

2. Keep any workout equipment in your line of sight

Put your yoga mat or your 5-pound weights under your bed or in an area you walk into often. Hang your resistance bands on a hook in your kitchen or laundry room.

This way you’ll see them when you walk into that room and you’ll be more likely to do a few reps and exercises while watching TV or waiting for your food to cook!

3. Trick yourself into exercising

You can trick yourself into getting up and moving around. Use a smaller glass for water or a smaller mug for tea. This way you will most likely have to return to your kitchen more often for a refill.

You can also make a point to go down the hall to ask a coworker for office supplies or make a trip upstairs in your building to talk to someone in HR about your vacation hours.

Trying out fitness technology can be really motivating as well - if our Fitbits have taught us anything, it’s that a hundred extra steps here and there really do add up over the course of the day!

4. No time? Use chores as a workout!

Did you know that 20 or 30 minutes of chores a day equates to a much cleaner, organized space? You can get a ton of dishes done in that time, not to mention sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, or weeding your garden!

These tasks can be dreaded however, if you remember that doing them also burns calories and strengthens your core, it might help you feel more eager to attack them!

5. Stand while you work

You might be thinking “A standing desk? But don’t all desks stand?” A standing desk is a desk that allows you to stand up while you’re working! It’s much healthier to stand in place and work than it is to sit for 8 hours a day in front of your computer.

You burn more calories, you hunch less (eliminating shoulder and neck pain), and your fitness levels are boosted significantly. This is because your blood sugar will remain more steady after a meal, which encourages more movement.

There are tons of brands out there that sell standing desks as well as collapsible extensions you can place on your regular desk when you’d like to take a break from sitting all day.

6. Walk to lunch

If you’re at work, choosing a healthy restaurant or marketplace for lunch instead of going to the cafeteria is a great option. Pack your lunch? No problem.

If there aren’t any eateries around, go on a short 15-20 minute walk before you return to your brown-bag lunch. For those of you working from home or retired, taking a walk around your neighborhood or to a local grocery store to gather ingredients for lunch is fine too.

Living out in the country or the suburbs? Pretend that your daily walk is the “fee” you have to pay in order to get into your kitchen and make that sandwich.

7. Take the longer route

We know - taking the shortest, fastest route typically makes your day way faster and easier. However, ask yourself if the time you saved by parking a few spaces away from the front of the store really added any value to your health.

See if you can make a game out of parking as far away as possible (preferably the end of the parking lot!) so that you have to push your shopping cart or carry your bag a greater distance. When you’re at work, unless you’re seriously late for a meeting, take the stairs instead of the elevator!

Looking for more assistance?

It doesn't have to be complicated to incorporate more activity into your life.

Contact our office today to see how physical therapy will help you live a more healthy, pain-free life!

Source:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23630504

Relieve Your Pain Without Harmful Medications!

Arthritis is a common term used to describe over 100 different forms of physical joint pain and disease. Many people believe that arthritis affects only the aged, but this is far from reality.

According to Healthline, “the symptoms of arthritis usually develop over time, but they may also appear suddenly. Arthritis is most commonly seen in adults over the age of 65, but it can also develop in children, teens, and younger adults. Arthritis is more common in women than men and in people who are overweight.”

According to a report published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, around 30 percent of male athletes who frequently participate in contact sports such as football, basketball or soccer will experience arthritis in their knees and hips at some point.

Many people try to relieve their pain with counter-medications, but sadly, they can cause some unpleasant, long-lasting side effects. Don't worry though - if you're looking for natural and safe treatment for arthritis pain, physical therapy is a great choice! Get in contact Synergy Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine today to learn how you can kick the pain management drugs while also alleviating your arthritis pain.

How can physical therapy help with arthritis relief?

You no longer have to live in pain. If your arthritis is in your hands, knees, or feet, or if it's induced by age or playing sports, a physical therapist can help!

Bear in mind that every treatment regimen is different depending on the needs of the patient and their specific form of arthritis. The easiest way to start med-free care with physical therapy is to call and arrange an appointment with one of our therapists.

He or she will analyze your condition, determine the cause of your discomfort, ask you some health-related questions, and establish a specialized care plan specifically tailored to you and your needs.

What can I expect from physical therapy treatments?

Physical therapy is a 100% safe, natural, and effective method of pain management. Your physical therapist will be trained and licensed to handle your condition with care.

When you work with a physical therapist to manage arthritis pain, the ultimate goals will include preserving or restoring your normal range of motion, increasing muscle strength to reduce stress on the joints, and other natural treatment options.

Here are some of the benefits of working with our physical therapists:

• Improved posture: A physical therapist can help you to improve your posture, which will also help to reduce stress on your joints. Sitting and standing up straight does wonders for your pain!
• Weight control: Your physical therapist will work with you to control your weight through exercise and diet. Watching your weight prevents added stress on your joints, which is a leading cause of arthritis symptoms.
• Better sleep schedule: Your physical therapist will also recommend setting a solid schedule for rest and sleep to complement your exercises. Resting helps the body to heal faster and decrease arthritis inflammation and pain.
• Learn new exercises and stretches: Physical therapy treatment typically includes light exercises and stretching to help restore and increase range of motion in the affected painful areas.

The risks of arthritis medications

It is very normal for physicians to prescribe NSAID pain relief to patients with arthritis, such as Advil, ibuprofen, antibiotics, corticosteroids, or anti-rheumatic medicines. While they can provide immediate relief for pain, they all hold the risk of side effects, some of which may be very severe.

NSAIDs can increase the risk of developing a blood clot, having a stroke, or having a heart attack. Corticosteroids are not much better—they lead to elevated blood sugar levels, cataracts, and even bone loss, which is the last thing an arthritis patient wants!

Are you living with one of these types of arthritis?

Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. This particular condition is caused by a reduction in joint cartilage as it wears away over time. This degeneration causes bones to rub together, which leads to pain and swelling. Physical therapy can often help to reduce osteoarthritis pain without medication, especially if the arthritis is mild to moderate.

Inflammatory Arthritis: With some cases of arthritis, the body's immune system will attack joint tissues and cause intense inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis is one example of this type of condition. Inflammatory arthritis often stems from a genetic cause, and it is usually treated with heavy doses of drugs and over-the-counter medications. However, depending on the severity of symptoms, physical therapy may be recommended for treatment as well.

Metabolic Arthritis: This kind of arthritis is typically caused by reduced kidney function. The most common type of metabolic arthritis is gout, a condition caused by uric acid crystals building up in the joints of the extremities, especially the feet. Physical therapy can help gout patients restore range of motion in the affected area and even reduce the buildup of the acidic crystals that accumulate in the joints.

Get started today!

Say goodbye to harmful medication. Contact us today to get on the road to recovery from arthritis pain!

Source:

• https://www.healthline.com/health/arthritis#symptoms

Living with Pain? Medication Isn’t Always the Answer!

It seems like every time you turn on the tv, there's another report about the opioid crisis in the country but not enough on the benefits of physical therapy.

There's a legitimate reason to panic. In 2016 alone, 116 people died every day from overdoses of opioid-related medications. About 11,5 million Americans used prescription painkillers in some way, losing an estimated $504 million in economic costs.

Some researchers also feel that many people who would otherwise be willing to work are sidelined because a drug test would fail. As mind-blowing as these statistics are, opioids may seem to be the only choice for a person who uses prescription pain medicine to alleviate pain.

Luckily, there's another way to handle the discomfort. Contact our office today to find out more about how physical therapy will help you ditch pain killers for good.

Why you shouldn’t turn to opioids for pain relief

To understand why opioids are so harmful, first of all, you need to understand how your brain handles pain. Let's just say that hurt your knee on the door jamb. Pain receptors in your skin register that something has happened to your knee.

These receptors transmit signals to your brain and spinal cord. Your brain processes these signals as pain, and your body produces natural opioids to stop them. These chemicals slow down your breathing, create a feeling of well-being, and block pain signals so that you can return to a pain-free state.

If you have chronic pain, serious injury, surgery, or major trauma, the brain cannot produce enough opioids to keep up with the demand. Prescription medicine mimics the chemical that your body naturally creates, relieves pain, but does not help the body recover.

Chronic pain doesn’t have to be treated with opioids

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

Sometimes, these treatments can actually benefit patients with severe arthritis. More often than not, the better route to go involves physical therapy and natural treatments.

Arthritis does not discriminate either, and although it tends to be found often 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 top causes for disability in America. If left untreated by a professional, patients suffering with arthritis can experience extremely painful symptoms for long periods of time.

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

Physical therapy is a natural pain relief remedy

Since opioids mask pain without addressing the underlying cause, more people are opting to give up pain medications entirely in favor of more natural care.

Fortunately, not only does physical therapy help to alleviate pain, it explores what causes pain in the first place. A physical therapist is a highly qualified medical specialist, but he or she is also an expert in movement science.

Via advanced testing techniques, your physical therapist will discover the cause of your discomfort and find ways to treat it for long-term wellness and mobility. Physical therapy is, most of all, a drug-free way to treat chronic pain.

Choose PT today!

A physical therapist’s job is not only to manage pain, but also to improve function. Your physical therapy program may include stretches, ultrasound, manual therapies and a combination of ice and heat for pain relief, but it will not stop there.

Your physical therapist will begin to address mobility, flexibility and strength as they apply to the activities of your daily life.

If you are one of the more than 116 million people who struggle with chronic pain, chances are you are also limited in your ability to walk, stand, run, move, work, play and perform daily activities.

Physical therapists address all of these functions and more as they work with you to strengthen your body, improve your balance and stability and enhance your quality of life.

The unintended benefits of physical therapy don’t stop with the body. They reach your brain as well. Chronic pain and prescription pain medication use can lead to anxiety, depression and isolation.

Working with a physical therapist gives you a partner in your pain relief journey. This sense of community can help address the mental toll pain takes on a person in a way that opioids cannot.

Relieve your pain the natural way!

Don't become involved in the drug crisis. Contact our physical therapy clinic today to find out how physical therapy will help you live a complete, painless, functional life.

Pain Relief is Right Around the Corner!

Do you wake up feeling rigid and aching in the morning in your joints? You may think, "Did I sleep wrong on my neck? Do I have to upgrade my mattress? ”

It's only natural for us to feel a little off from time to time when our day begins! However, if you notice that you are regularly waking up in pain, it may be time to go to a physical therapist.

Aching, stiff joints can be a problem that is easily solved, but in some situations, your doctor may diagnose you with a disorder that requires referral to a physical therapist for further treatment.

Our clinic has worked with hundreds of people struggling with aches and pains in their joints, so please contact us today to learn more. We are 100% dedicated to helping you achieve a better quality of life!

3 solutions for achy joint relief

Your physical therapy treatment plan will largely depend on the specific symptoms or diagnosis you have received.

There are several recommendations that work hand-in-hand with physical therapy.

Here are some tips that your physical therapist may share with you on your recovery journey!

• Posture improvement. It’s important to get up every half hour for stretches if you work at a job that requires you to stay pretty sedentary all day. Moving around keeps your circulations going, and can help relieve joint pain. Having good posture during the day also helps your joints to function properly. When we slouch or don’t practice good posture, it causes unnecessary strain on parts of the body that shouldn’t be stressed.
• Sleep, sleep, sleep. Sleep can help you stay fit -- pretty cool, huh? Getting enough sleep at night creates a circular benefit with physical therapy exercises, because when you get enough sleep, it increases your ability to exercise effectively. When you exercise regularly, it helps you to get better sleep. Better sleep habits and physical exercise are a powerful duo for keeping aches and stiffness away.
• Nutritious diet. According to Healthline, “A plant-based diet provides antioxidants, which can help reduce inflammation by eliminating free radicals from the body.” Having a well-rounded diet is key to relieving joint pain. Be sure to consume lots of brightly colored fruits and vegetables. These healthy foods contain many antioxidants and vitamins, which help to fight the swelling and inflammation that can lead to joint pain. A better diet also helps your body reap more benefits from exercise, and helps you to get better sleep!

What should I do if my condition is serious?

Sometimes it’s not as simple as consuming enough fluids throughout the day to ease your aching joints.

If your doctor has diagnosed you with a more serious medical condition that impacts your joints and tissues, physical therapy can be a great option for ultimate pain relief or elimination.

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

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

Unfortunately, all of these conditions can cause aching, stiffness, and joint pain.

A physical therapist will work with you to help you gain your strength back, achieve a greater range of motion with the affected joints or limbs, and relieve the pain so you can enjoy a better quality of life.

Waking up achy? This could be the reason!

Your joint tissues get irritated during the day. When you're exhausted and ready to go to bed, there's a fair chance that you won't even notice it. Much of the time, when you fall asleep, you stay immobile overnight. This causes the inflammation to make the joints thicker and more irritated.

You may already know what the result is: you wake up in the morning and find that your joints are sore and aching. However, typically after you start moving around the inflammation becomes more fluid-like and the discomfort decreases or ceases altogether.

Your physical therapist is likely to suggest a very standard solution for this, which is that you remain well hydrated during the day. Drinking enough water and staying hydrated allows your body's tissues to function at their normal rate, while dehydration slows down your chemical processes and has the opposite effect.

Ready to get started?

Some people assume that you have to be a professional athlete or bodybuilder to work with a physical therapist on a regular basis, but this is far from the facts.

Many of the exercises and stretches that our physical therapists teach and recommend are very simple and easy to do on your own. Additionally, they do not require special tools or equipment. Not to mention, most of our patients are ordinary people, not Olympic champions.

If you have joint pain, it's time to ease the discomfort. Contact our office today to learn more about how physical therapy will help you and alleviate your pain.

We can arrange a detailed evaluation for you to meet with one of our movement specialists. He or she will be able to determine your condition and develop a personalized care plan to fit your exact needs. So, get started today! Pain relief is just a phone call away!

Source:

• https://www.healthline.com/health/osteoarthritis/arthritis-natural-relief#fatty-acids

Don’t Live in Pain! Find Relief with PT

Your sciatic nerve runs down to each of your legs from either side of your lower back. That's why a classic symptom of sciatica is that there's just one side of shooting pain.

Although compression of one of your sciatic nerves can literally be a "pain in the butt," it does not always necessarily require medical attention.

However, physical therapy is usually the best bet if you're looking to banish the effects of sciatica. The question, then, is how do you know when to go about home remedy treatments alone, and when to call a physical therapist? The guidelines below will clarify precisely what sciatica is and when physical therapy will is the best call to help you find relief.

1. When taking action into your own hands hasn’t worked

There are plenty of things you can do at home to ease a mild sciatica flare-up. Alternating with cold and heat is a classic treatment for sciatica symptoms. Use an ice pack, followed by a heating pad, for about 15 minutes per application.

Sleeping with a pillow between your knees can also help. If you can’t get comfortable during the day or at night, try a reclining chair to redirect the pressure from your lower back. Going for walks often helps ease sciatica pain, because “babying” your condition can actually make it worse.

Yet while these methods may help with mild sciatica, there are times when a physical therapy session is a far better strategy. One sign that you should consult a physical therapist is if your home treatments are having little or no effect in reducing the pain and restricted motion.

Another is if the symptoms persist for at least a week. Of course, the worsening of pain is the most important sign that physical therapy is needed.

2. When the effects of your condition begin to worsen

If your sciatic nerve becomes seriously compressed, the resulting symptoms can go from uncomfortable to quite painful – and even embarrassing.

You may become weak and numb on one side. Sometimes, even getting your leg or foot to move becomes impossible. If the pain hits you suddenly, and with great intensity, it’s probably time to visit a physical therapist to begin easing the pain.

Another telltale sign? The sciatic nerve can become compressed in the area that controls bladder and/or bowel function.

If you lose control of either or both of these functions, you’ll obviously want to get professional help. Visit a doctor to rule out other problems. She will likely run tests, as well as refer you to a physical therapist.

3. When discomfort follows an injury

Mild sciatica can build up over time, and it may even go away on its own. But when you have an onset of classic sciatica symptoms following a car accident, serious fall or sports injury, contact a doctor and a physical therapist.

The symptoms are more likely to be severe because of the greater impact on the area surrounding the sciatic nerve. It’s important to determine the severity of nerve damage. Your medical team needs to evaluate the need for surgery, steroid injections or prescription drugs.

Of course, even if your injury requires more aggressive treatment, physical therapy is often recommended as part of the recovery plan. Your physical therapist can help you with surgery rehab. He or She can also focus on extending the benefits of your injections and sciatica medication.

For many people with persistent or severe sciatica, physical therapy can be a lifeline. You’ll be taught targeted moves that strengthen your lower back. Strong muscles support the area around your sciatic nerve and can prevent future injuries. You’ll also work on improving your posture to keep sciatica symptoms at bay. Increasing range of motion is also part of physical therapy for sciatica.

So, what else should I know about sciatica?

As stated by Move Forward Physical Therapy,

“Lumbar radiculopathy (also known as sciatica or radiculitis) is a condition that occurs when a nerve in your low back is injured, pinched, or compressed, causing pain or other symptoms that can extend from the low back to the hip, leg, or foot. Lumbar radiculopathy can be caused by sudden trauma or by long-term stress affecting structures in the back. It most often affects people aged 30 to 50 years. Risk factors for lumbar radiculopathy include repeated lifting, participating in weight-bearing sports, obesity, smoking, sedentary lifestyles, and poor posture. The majority of lumbar radiculopathy and sciatica cases recover without surgery, and respond well to physical therapy. Physical therapists design individualized treatment programs to help people with lumbar radiculopathy reduce their pain, regain normal movement, and get back to their normal activities.”

To learn more about how to recognize when your sciatica is in need of physical therapy intervention, continue reading below.

Find the relief you’re looking for today

Contact Synergy Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine today to talk to an expert physical therapist about how to treat – and even banish – debilitating sciatica flare-ups!

Find Relief Today!

There you are, walking through the park on a sunny summer day when you unexpectedly find a hole with your foot. Before you know it, you are in agony, slumped in a crumpled heap, hoping that no one saw you slide.

So, what do you do from here? How do you know if the injury is going to go away on its own, and when do you call a physical therapist? The best way to find out is to contact us today to find out whether further treatment is needed for your sprain, strain, or ankle pain.

What’s the difference between a sprain and a strain?

This is one of the most often asked questions of a physical therapist when it comes to ankles. It's really a lot easier to distinguish between the two than you would expect.

But before we can speak about the difference between a sprain and the strain, you need to know the difference between the tendon and the ligament. Tendons are solid, fibrous tissue that attaches bone to muscle. Ligaments are related forms of strong connective tissue that link one bone to another bone.

Sprains occur when the ligaments of the joint (ankle, knee, wrist, elbow, etc.) are bent so violently that the solid connective tissues are strained or partially broken.

Usually, the joint stays in place with a sprain. Sprains can be mild, resulting in just a few minutes or hours of discomfort, or may be more severe, requiring physical therapy or even surgery.

A strain occurs when the tendons that link the muscle to the bone are stretched or slightly broken. There are two kinds of strains—acute and chronic.

Acute strains arise as a result of injury. You can slip on the ice and fall, straining the muscle in your leg when you're trying to steady yourself. Chronic strains happen when you perform the same motion over and over.

Gymnasts, tennis players, golfers, and other athletes are likely to experience strains when they are not adequately trained or stretched, or if they are not using the correct equipment.

What can physical therapy do for me?

Interestingly enough, working with a physical therapist has more advantages than just regaining your strength after the accident.

These medical professionals are highly trained movement specialists who can not only help you heal from a sprain or strain, they can help you avoid injury in the future. Physical therapists also provide drug-free pain relief that keeps you mobile and strengthens your body.

Physical therapy for a sprain or strain usually follows 3 phases. In the acute phase of injury, pain management is one of the main objectives. Extreme sprains and strains are also painful.

If surgery is required to reconnect a ligament or tendon or repair a muscle, pain control can also make a difference between a patient who works hard in therapy and someone who does not.

Your physical therapist can offer several pain management techniques—ice, heat, ultrasound, TENS, massage, and stretching. They will also show you how to perform some exercises and stretches on their own.

Your physical therapist works on repairing your injury in the second phase of physical therapy. Usually, the first two phases go hand-in-hand while your physical therapist works to help you recover mobility in the joint where the sprain or sprain occurred.

Once the injury is healed, your physical therapist can go on to helping you avoid further injury. If you've sprained a joint, you're more likely to do it again without proper therapy.

It's the same for strains. Strengthening muscles around the affected area will also protect you from having complications in the future.

So, what else should I know about sprains and strains?

As stated by Medline,

“A sprain is a stretched or torn ligament. Ligaments are tissues that connect bones at a joint. Falling, twisting, or getting hit can all cause a sprain. Ankle and wrist sprains are common. Symptoms include pain, swelling, bruising, and being unable to move your joint. You might feel a pop or tear when the injury happens.

A strain is a stretched or torn muscle or tendon. Tendons are tissues that connect muscle to bone. Twisting or pulling these tissues can cause a strain. Strains can happen suddenly or develop over time. Back and hamstring muscle strains are common. Many people get strains playing sports. Symptoms include pain, muscle spasms, swelling, and trouble moving the muscle.

At first, treatment of both sprains and strains usually involves resting the injured area, icing it, wearing a bandage or device that compresses the area, and medicines. Later treatment might include exercise and physical therapy.”

If you think you may be in need of physical therapy intervention for your sprain or strain, don’t hesitate to contact us. One of our physical therapists will evaluate the injured area to determine the best course of treatment for your needs.

Discover fast relief today

For more guidance or to learn more about the impact of physical therapy on sprains and strains, please contact Synergy Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine today.