Physical Therapy New York, NY

Cold Weather and Arthritic Pain

Fall is already here and you probably experienced the cold front already. This is the time that your arthritis mostly flares up because of the temperature. So what can you do? There is actually a lot you can do for yourself to help manage your pain and to reduce the frequency of arthritic flares.

The first thing would be your diet. The holiday season is here and your guilty pleasures of eating processed meats and foods high in sugar will definitely get in the way of being pain-free. You don’t have to avoid it completely. Enjoy the day that you are celebrating with your family. 

What you can do is limit your intake of these types of food because they will increase the inflammatory response in your body that will cause those flare-ups. Know when to hold back and eat more leafy greens and foods that won’t cause inflammation and your efforts will add up.

The second would be the most obvious – staying warm. You will want to layer up, especially around the area where you get the attacks. If you have it in your extremities, especially in your hands, it is important to wear gloves made for arthritis which provide compression that increases blood circulation. It is also important to keep a hot pack handy a few minutes a day to keep the area in constant circulation and warmth for a smoother joint movement, to feel better.

Another way is to get some sunlight. During this season, the morning comes late and the sun goes down earlier. Perhaps you are just staying inside because it’s so cold. Chances are, you may not be getting enough of the sun to get the daily vitamin D that you need. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with more flare-ups as well as lower tolerance to pain. 

You can take vitamin D supplements but also adding at least 20 – 30 minutes of a daily brisk walk can be highly beneficial to you. As mentioned previously, you get your vitamin D naturally as well as getting cardiovascular activity in your walk which increases your circulation, temperature, and muscle tone.

The next thing is, you guessed it, exercise. As mentioned earlier, exercise will help strengthen the surrounding muscle around the joint. This puts less pressure on the joint and therefore, fewer flare-ups. 

In physical therapy, you will be taught exercises that will help target the muscles surrounding your specific joint. It’s important to be taught the exercises in the correct way, or preferably in a modified way to meet your current conditions. 

Perhaps you have less range of motion or have other underlying conditions that get in the way of performing an exercise. Speak to your physical therapist about the exercises that you can do. They can not only help with your exercises but provide some manual therapy, tissue work, and stretches to relieve the stiffness in your body to optimize your body for exercise and maintain or increase your level of fitness. 

You may need to visit more frequently in the beginning, but as you get better you can probably go in once a while to relieve the stiffness as well as update your exercise program to either modify or advance into it as you get stronger. One thing to note is that you can also incorporate yoga and pilates to help. 

Yoga will help with the flexibility and toning of the muscles and pilates strengthens the muscle, bone, as well as joints. Get in touch with your Physical Therapy New York, NY for an evaluation and find out what your best options are today.

Round Shoulders

How to Fix Your Rounded Shoulders?

If you work or play long hours in front of the computer, the desk, or on the phone, chances are you may have rounded shoulders. The problems that can arise from this can be headaches, shoulder pain, back pain, or even nerve pain.

How Can I Fix My Rounded Shoulders?

Through exercise!

Prepare to get on the floor with a rolled-up towel. For these exercises, you will lay down face down with the rolled-up towel underneath your forehead.

T’s: You will spread your arms to form a T with your torso. Lift your thumbs towards the ceiling and raise you arms up and down. Squeeze for a good second at the top and come back down. Perform 10 – 20 reps, 3 – 5 sets. Start with low reps and work your way up.

Y’s: Same way but with your arms forming a Y with your torso. Lift your arms up and down towards the ceiling with a good second at the top and come back down. Perform 10 – 20 reps, 3 – 5 sets.

W’s: Form a W. Lift your thumbs up and down with the ceilings. Perform 10 – 20 reps, 3 – 5 sets.

I’s: Start the same with your arms straight up next to your ears moving your arms up and down. Perform 10 – 20 reps, 3 – 5 sets.

Swimmers: With just your arms, start with palms facing down with arms next to your ears. As if you are swimming, wave your arms towards your hip, with both hands ending up behind your lower back, palms facing towards the ceiling. Then return to starting position. Perform 10 – 20 reps, 3 – 5 sets.

Alternating arm and leg: Start on your hands and knees. Extend your right arm forward next to your ear and at the same time extend your left leg until it’s straight. Hold for a good second. Repeat on the other side. Perform 10 – 20 reps, 3 – 5 sets.

Shoulder Shrugs: Just as it’s stated, you will stand with both arms on your sides at a relaxed position and raise it up to a shrug. Then come down to the relaxed position in a controlled manner instead of dropping them straight down. Perform 10 – 20 reps, 2 – 5 sets.

Shoulder Retraction: Start with elbows bent at your sides. You will extend your arms forward, then bring them back so your hands are by your side, right underneath your chest level. The motion is like performing rows with a cable machine or as if you are skiing. Remember to retract your shoulders when you pull back – imagine there is a pencil between your shoulder blades and you are squeezing it in place. Perform 10 – 20 reps, 2 – 5 sets.

Open Book: Start by laying down on your back with your knees bent. Then turn to the left. Your knees should still be bent, with your left leg and left arm on the floor. Your left arm should be in front of you extended out. Your right arm should lay on top of the left arm, palms touching each other. Then slowly turn your arms out towards the right as if you are turning a page. Do this nice and slow to feel the motion and stretches. Perform 10 reps. Next, turn on your right and repeat the same thing you did with the left, 10 reps. Do this 3 – 5 sets.

Pec stretch: At the doorway, have your forearms touching the doorway, elbows bent at 90 degrees. Step forward with one foot. You will feel a stretch on your chest. Hold this position for 20 – 30 seconds. Perform 3 – 5 reps. Note: if your doorway is too big, you can do this one side at a time. If you are using your right forearm on the edge of the doorway, then use your right foot to step forward.

Do these exercises every day. You should start to see some improvements little by little. Remember, it can take a long time depending on how long you’ve had shoulders and how flexible you are. 

If you experience any sharp pain during or after exercise, stop and consult your doctor first. There could be other underlying issues that need to be addressed first. Otherwise, you may need supervision by a physical therapist of Physical Therapy New York, NY to modify the exercise or manipulate the joints and muscles to get the right results.

Reactivate Glutes

How to Reactivate Your Glutes?

Glute Amnesia is the inability to contract or activate your glutes. Having inactive glutes can lead to back, hip, and/or knee pain. One of the reasons why that it can occur is because of the lack of the right muscles in the area. 

There is tightness in certain back and hip muscles, and weakness in the deeper core and glute muscle group. This can lead to problems in your lower back and hip area, commonly known as Lower Cross Body Syndrome. 

The hamstrings become the dominant muscle in movement, leading to tight or restrictive hip flexor muscles – which in turn can lead to knee and low back pain because of the muscles connected to them. 

Hamstrings can become dominant because of prolonged periods of sitting and other various reasons. This will interfere with developing the glute muscle – as both glutes and hams are primary drivers of any hip extension action – e.g. squats, deadlifts, lunges, step-ups, pelvic bridges, hip thrusts, etc. When you remove glutes from the equation you end up overworking the hams.

If your hamstrings are tight or short, they will limit hip joint mobility. The compensation pattern we see as a result of this tightness is the toe-touch pattern – which is when more movement is forced to come from your lower back instead of a hip extension. 

You can combat dominant hamstring by ham lengthening movements before moving onto gluteal activation exercises which allows increasing the range of motion in your hips for optimal gluteal exercise. 

1. Hams Stretch: You can begin by laying down on your back. You can grab a towel or a belt around one foot and lifting that leg until you feel a stretch. You can hold this for 20 – 30 seconds, 3 – 5 times. 

2. Choose exercise that will create strength and/or stability in a greater range of motion

3. Active Leg Lower – great for stimulating hams length while simultaneously causing you to engage your core to provide better pelvic stability 

4. Perform at a Doorway: Lay down face up w/ one leg leaning straight up against the wall while the other legs go out through the doorway but start with the leg bent. Extend the bent leg straight down on the floor to start. Then lift the straightened leg towards the other leg. It may not reach all the way.

There are other exercises you can do to increase gluteus activation. Consult with your physical therapist of Physical Therapy Queens, NY to find out if you have glute amnesia or other conditions. 

They will have a better understanding of how your body works, release any other tightness in the area that you may not be able to do take care of by yourself through manual therapy, and will modify exercises to fit your body’s need.

Physical Therapy: Rehabbing Your Total Knee Replacement

Physical Therapy Fresh Meadows NY

 

Many people go through knee replacement surgery, and there is a very high chance that you will feel less pain and move around with more flexibility if you have been going through physical therapy.

 

If you are considering going through a knee replacement surgery, it is better to contact a physical therapist as you have to start therapy as soon as you have completed your surgery. There are many professionals available for Physical Therapy Fresh Meadows NY who will tell you the same. 

 

Why is Physical Therapy Needed after Knee Replacement Surgery?

 

You must understand that a knee replacement surgery is quite a big surgery, and you won’t be able to get the flexibility you want having in your limbs overnight just because you have had the surgery.

 

You would have to make your new knee stable and get the flexibility it once had by going through proper physical therapy and exercises that the physiotherapist will recommend to you. These exercises will not only relieve your body from the pain it is experiencing but will also give you the strength back that your legs once had. This rehab exercises will help you walk normally again.

 

You will be able to climb stairs on your own in no time and will be able to return to your normal daily activities quicker than ever. This is the reason why your surgeon, as well as other physicians, will make it mandatory for you to go to physiotherapy after you have gone through your knee replacement surgery. 

 

When does the Therapy Start? 

 

You may think that you would have to wait a couple of days before your therapy starts with that is incorrect. Surprisingly, the ethereum price will visit you within a day of your operation and will join you in your hospital room to teach you some simple exercises that you should be able to do.

 

These exercises will help you to stand in your leg and to restore movement in your knees. It is also mandatory so that you can take a few steps in your new knees. You may be scared at first, but trust your physiotherapist and your knees. 

 

How Long will the Therapy Last From? 

 

Your physiotherapist will give you a detailed description of what to expect and how long it will take for you to recover from your state fully. You would have to continue your therapy for a long time and not only follow a strict exercise routine but also a diet that will suit your needs.

 

If at any point, you have any confusion and want continuous assistance in therapy, you can also contact your physiotherapist and book an appointment with them. Opting for knee replacement surgery without proper physiotherapy is of no use at all. Take it seriously and get your life back again. 

 

Read More:

Knee Pain: How Can Physical Therapy Help?

 

Physical Therapy Treatment: Most Effective for Knee Pain

Physical Therapy for Knee Pain

 

The knee is the most generally injured joint in the body. Knee pain is no fun, it can be a result of overuse, traumatic stress or other passionate diseases such as osteoarthritis. Damage to the knee can create a loss of action, reduced muscle control, and impaired strength and endurance loss of the muscles that assist the knee.

Most of the knee injuries can be treated conservatively with rest, ice, mobilization, and physical therapy. Treatment of  Physical Therapy New York, NY can help ease pain and avoid long-term pain. Here are important physical therapy techniques for knee pain accurate from the doctor’s office and the doctor himself — no appointment necessary!

Here are four Physical Therapy techniques for knee pain straight that will reduce your knee pain.

Strength Training

While it might show counter-intuitive to complete strength training activities while experiencing knee pain, stimulating the muscle is really one of the best things you can do to reduce knee pain long-term.

These basic exercises can be done daily as part of physical therapy for the knee pain regimen. Perform just a few repetitions at first and add more as the muscles strengthen.

Stretches

In the body, knee is one of the most complicated joints. Constituted of an intricately related combination of bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, the joint is badly predisposed to injury.

Thankfully, physical therapy treatment can help patients to recover from most injuries. If your doctor has advised you to do physical therapy for knee pain, try these four times.

Balance Exercises

The knee is a significant part that is used in standing, sitting, walking, and basically every other form of movement. Balance is a necessary and beneficial part of these everyday versatility tasks.

Knee pain can reduce your balance, and therefore your capacity to make these basic movements. Thus, balance activities are essential features of physical therapy for knee pain.

Heat and Ice

Heat eases muscles and greases the joint. It also helps to reduce stiffness and eases muscle fits. Until, ice decreases inflammation, injury, and pain from activity. Find which works for you, or alternate between the two!

The aim of physical therapy treatment for your knee is to reduce current injury, learn abilities to avoid damages and expected pain, and recover optimal use of your leg. It sounds like a much better choice than giving up anything you enjoy!

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Physical Therapy Treatment: Most Effective for Knee Pain

Knee Problems and Physical Therapy

Are you in knee pain?  Suffering for stiffness and has trouble getting around?  Unsure what exercises to do?

If any of your above asked question is yes then you need to see physical therapist.

Physical Therapist can evaluate your condition and plan your physical therapy program which can help you to reduce pain, stiffness and strengthen muscles.

Most of the patients who is suffering from pain, stiffness and weakness can benefit from skilled physical therapy.  Patient who did surgery also need post-surgical knee rehabilitation to reduce pain, swelling, increase ROM and improve strength.  With appropriate exercises and treatment program physical therapist can bring patient close to prior functional level.

For minor knee pain and sprains patient should expect 3-4 weeks of physical therapy.

If patient underwent knee arthroscopic surgery should expect about 6 weeks of physical therapy.

Patient who did knee replacement or did ACL repair should expect rehabilitation for about 12 weeks.

Above mentioned time frames are average time frame.  If you already has done about that much time of physical therapy and has not improved or are getting worst you should immediately see your doctor and find out cause.

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