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Prehab for Arm surgery- Having any kind of surgery can feel daunting but taking steps to prepare your body and mind for the procedure can make it feel less overwhelming. You have likely spoken with your surgeon about what to expect after surgery, but you may be wondering what else you could do to prepare. Prehabilitation is a type of physical therapy aimed at preparing a patient for surgery or preventing injury. For those undergoing a planned arm surgery, prehabilitation can be an excellent way to get ready for the procedure and receive extra support along the way.
Brooklyn Ankle Surgery Rehab- Ankle Surgery Recovery 101: Learning you need ankle surgery can cause some anxiety and worry. You might be wondering how to prepare and what to expect after surgery. Physical therapists are healthcare professionals trained in post-surgical rehabilitation.
Ankle Operation Preparation- Are you considering undergoing ankle surgery? If so, you might expect to participate in a round of physical therapy or rehabilitation to help you recover. Have you ever considered what actions you can take before surgery to prepare you for the big day? Prehabilitation is a type of rehabilitation that can help prevent injury or prepare you for a surgical procedure.
Recovering After ACL Reconstruction Surgery- ACL sprains or tears are serious injuries. Not everyone who injures their ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) will opt for surgery but the majority of individuals with ACL injuries undergo ACL reconstruction or repair...
Pre-surgical Physical Therapy For ACL Reconstruction Surgery- The thought of an ACL injury can strike fear in the heart of any athlete, however, a thoughtful and proactive response to ACL injury can lead to better outcomes. For athletes preparing for ACL reconstruction, the question of how to get ready for surgery might be on your mind...
Is Your Posture Good or Bad? When you view a human from the side profile you can evaluate their skeletal alignment using an imaginary plumb line. Starting at the ear, you should be able to drop an imaginary line down through the top of the shoulder, straight through the hip bone, down the middle of the knee joint and to the lateral ankle bone. In reality, few adults will fit this perfect plumb line because posture, like the rest of the body, adapts and changes over time.
Physical Therapy Services for Osteoporosis- Throughout childhood and early adulthood, our bones gradually strengthen until we reach peak bone mass in our 20s. After that, the continual process of bone resorption and renewal begins to skew in favor of faster resorption and slower renewal.
Take Control of Your Osteoarthritis Symptoms! While there are many types of arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) is the one most familiar to adults. You’ve probably heard a parent or grandparent warn of an oncoming storm as their knee pain worsens. Heck, maybe your own joints forecast a rainstorm as the symptoms caused by osteoarthritis respond to the swings in barometric pressure.
MUSCLE WEAKNESS 101- Let’s face it, we all know what it feels like to be weak. Whether you have tried and failed to set a new deadlift PR or attempted to lift your leg off the ground for the first time after knee surgery, muscle weakness can happen to all of us. Physical therapists address muscle weakness due to all types of conditions.
Physical Therapy for Deconditioning- If you have ever taken a break from consistently exercising, suffered a prolonged illness or spent more time sitting than on your feet, you are probably familiar with how quickly your body loses strength and stamina. We call the changes in the body that often occur during a period of inactivity, generalized deconditioning.
Fighting Back Against Falls- When we are children, we fall all the time and don’t think much of it. Whether it is our lower center of gravity or sense of invincibility, falls don’t seem to phase us. As we age though, falls become worrisome and definitely more painful. At a certain time in life they become a downright concern as the rate of injurious falls climbs…
Take Control of Degenerative Joint Disease- Learning that you have degenerative joint disease can sound scary but there is a lot that can be done to manage it. While you may not have heard of degenerative joint disease (DJD) before, it is the most common type of arthritis, a condition most people are familiar with. Degenerative joint disease is characterized by a thinning or wearing down of the protective cartilage that lines the ends of the bones in a joint.
Stopping Falls in Their Tracks With Physical Therapy! Feeling Wobbly? Physical Therapy Can HelpBalance typically follows something like a bell curve as we progress through life. As babies, we have little balance but we practice and practice until we run, stand on one foot and walk on balance beams like champions…
Giving Special Care to Women’s Health- Women’s bodies are strong and resilient. Taking care of those bodies is the focus of a subspecialty of physical therapy called women’s health physical therapy. This subspecialty of physical therapy was developed to meet the needs of female-identifying clients.
Have You Heard About Ultrasound? Most people have heard the word ultrasound used to describe the process of viewing a fetus throughout pregnancy, but did you know that ultrasound has many other diagnostic and therapeutic uses? It’s true. Ultrasound is a tool used both to help diagnose injuries or disease and to provide a therapeutic and healing benefit.
WHAT MAKES EXERCISE “THERAPEUTIC”? We have all heard that exercise is good for us and physical therapists believe so much in this tenet that a good portion of their training and education is focused on exercise prescriptions…
Myofascial Release- Physical therapists utilize many different treatments to address symptoms like pain, tightness, and restricted motion. These symptoms can arise for many reasons and sometimes fall under the chicken or egg paradox when it comes to injury or activity limitations. At times pain or lack of normal tissue mobility leads to changes in activity or injury and other times, it occurs the other way.
In the physical therapy world, practitioners and researchers have developed many different treatment methods to address musculoskeletal conditions. Physical therapists take courses to become proficient and sometimes certified in these approaches. One such approach for addressing symptoms in the spine and extremities is the The McKenzie Method® of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy® .
The Role of Massage in Physical Therapy- There is nothing like a good massage, is there? Many people turn to massages regularly to address tight muscles, release stress and manage discomfort. Some people have them once a year while others make it a part of a regular wellness routine. Though licensed massage therapists are trained in the art of massage, many of our patients seek out this type of treatment when they first come to physical therapy.
Is Laser Physical Therapy Right for You? There may not be anything cooler-sounding than using lasers to treat your injury. Lasers have played a part in popular culture and in science innovation for a long time but they also have an important role in healthcare. Physical therapists have been implementing laser therapy in their care for quite a while…
The Lowdown on Kinesio® Tape- Taping in rehab became more visible as people around the world noticed athletes like Olympic swimmers and professional volleyball players sporting tan, black or brightly-colored tape on shoulders, knees, and other joints. More than a cool fashion accessory, athletic tape like Kinesio® Tape offers many benefits when used on the right patient. Though there are different types of tape used in sports and rehab, in this article we will introduce you to the concept, benefits and indications for Kinesio® Tape specifically.
If you have been in a physical therapy clinic before you probably noticed that physical therapists have a lot of tools and equipment. Some equipment is used to help patients perform exercises while others are modalities that promote healing. Many of the tools that therapists use to promote tissue healing fall under a category called IASTM which stands for instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization.
The terms health and wellness, while similar, are not interchangeable. Health, according to the World Health Organization, refers to a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease, or infirmity. Wellness is defined as an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.
Physical Therapy and the Graston® Technique-Have you ever noticed a physical therapist using a small silver tool to scrape along a patient’s skin and wondered, “what the heck is that for?” It’s likely that you witnessed the therapist using a technique called the Graston® Technique.
Combat Workplace Injury with Ergonomics: If you are like many Americans, you spend thirty to fifty hours a week working at your job. Many individuals have tightly defined work duties and spend much of those hours repeating similar tasks or maintaining similar positions. Repeating any posture or activity for a long period of time increases your risk of developing a musculoskeletal injury.
Physical Therapy for Tennis Players: Does Your Tennis Game Need PT? Tennis is a great sport that offers opportunities for players of all levels to get involved. For those who play at a competitive level, they enjoy the thrill of fast-paced competition and the opportunities to see their hard work and practice pay off…
Electrical Stimulation in Physical Therapy: If you have ever been in a physical therapy clinic or worked with a physical therapist before, you probably realize that physical therapists use a variety of tools in their practice. Some of these tools are meant to reduce symptoms, some to promote healing, some to help bodies learn. Amongst the various tools in a physical therapist’s toolbox, is electrical stimulation.
Extreme Athletes: Crushing Injuries While Crushing Records- For those who spend their lives pushing their bodies to the extreme, pain and injury are almost unavoidable, but an athlete that hopes for a long career needs to have a great team of professionals on hand, a physical therapist being one of them.
For those who golf regularly or would like to get into the sport, they will notice that despite its relaxing pace, golf swings place quite a demand on the body and pain or injury can leave you spending the day in the cart rather than swinging for a hole-in-one. If this sounds like you, there is more you can do than just wait for things to improve…
Arm Surgery Physical Therapy Rehab- Recovering from an arm surgery often requires time and careful planning. Except for very minor procedures, physical therapy is often recommended to help your arm recover and to help you return to your prior activity levels.