Real Update

Flexibility is portrayed both in the media and in the fitness industry as a key factor in joint and muscle health. The current train of thought appears to be, "The more flexible you are, the less likely you are to injure yourself." The recent popularity of yoga in the United States bolsters this viewpoint. It is difficult to walk down the street without seeing someone toting a yoga mat. Yoga, if practiced correctly and within the constraints of one's ability, has the potential to be a useful tool in maintaining health. Many yoga poses have functional relevance. For example, the cobra position facilitates extension of the lower back, a position that is often lost from sitting on an office chair for eight hours daily. The tree pose addresses strength and balance within one's center of gravity. Many people derive positive mental and physical benefits from yoga who would have otherwise been sedentary. The focus of this article however deals with how to correctly atta...

ey come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. However, they all have one big thing in common: they are all bad for your child development. I'm talking about bad baby walkers, the ones with the support system which suspends baby's bottoms in the air. They are marketed to make parents believe they promote walking in kids, when, in fact, they only promote trouble. Not only do developmental milestones have to be achieved, but they also have to be achieved on time and in the certain sequence. Babies need to roll before sitting, sit before crawling, and crawl before walking. What baby walkers do is they encourage skipping one of the most crucial milestones of our lifetime - the crawling. Most of the time, parents unknowingly put their young babies in the walkers before they can crawl taking the desire to crawl away from babies and thus slowing down the development of eye-hand coordination. However, even if babies are put in the walkers after they have learned to crawl, they ...

Cardiac rehabilitation also known as cardiac rehab is an organized medical program intended to help you improve your heart health and well-being after a heart attack or heart surgery to rejuvenate your heart. Cardiac rehab aims to set up personalized plan for restoring your strength, trimming down your risk for heart troubles, prevent your present condition from getting worse and improve your quality of life. American Heart Association and American college of cardiology both highly recommend Cardiac rehabilitation as it increases your chance of survival after the heart surgery/ heart attack. Cardiac rehab is usually started during your hospital stay (especially after heart attack or heart surgery) and continues with the supervised program on OPD basis till you can safely carry out the home based maintenance program. Outcome of Cardiac Rehab The outcome of the cardiac rehab program depends on the collective efforts made by the cardiac rehab team and the long term commitment...

- Some therapists specialize in manual therapy while others specialize in exercise therapy. If you are expecting to have a physical therapist treat your condition with massage, gentle range of motion, and palliative modalities, then do not schedule your first appointment with someone who has a reputation for teaching fitness bootcamps, and making clients run the Army 10-miler. On the other hand, if you are a CrossFit athlete or weekend warrior hoping to get back to setting new PR's and finishing WODs, then do not get scheduled with a physical therapist that will spend 20-minutes clearing your chakras and cleansing your aura. 2.) What will each treatment cost? - Health savings accounts, high deductible plans, and all of the new government changes to health insurance make knowing your healthcare coverage tricky. Once you have chosen your ideal physical therapist, ask for a list of the CPT Billing Codes that will most likely be charged during each treatment. The physical therap...

he Anterior Cruciate Ligament, or ACL, is considered by many to be the most important ligament contributing to the stability of the knee. Attached from the front portion of the tibia to the back of the femur, the purpose of the ACL is to prevent the knee joint from shifting out of place or rotating over the femur. Because of its location and purpose the ACL is very susceptible to injury especially in an athletic environment that requires the athlete to change direction, or cut, quickly. In fact an estimated 70% of all ACL tears happen under these exact circumstances. Once an individual has injured their ACL treatment is necessary. Depending on the severity of the tear many patients opt to undergo surgery in an effort to bring stability back to the knee joint as they strive to return to their previous level of activity as soon as possible. However, a growing portion of patients are choosing to rehabilitate their injury without any surgical intervention. In this article we will expl...

action is a centuries old treatment that has been administered by chiropractors for healing conditions like a sore neck or a sore back. Alternately, traction therapy may be used for decompressing any of the ailing joints. Who Can Use Traction Therapy Traction may broadly be seen as application of continuous force to stretch the spine. It is also very often used and is highly effective for treatment of musculoskeletal conditions, i.e. injuries that are not externally visible, but involve muscles, ligaments, joints, tendons, nerves, bones or the supporting structures. For muscular disorders, including muscle spasms, dislocation or for fracture, traction therapy can be very useful, and is often applied for arms, legs, back or neck. Traction Therapy for Neck related Issues In particular, traction therapy can be greatly effective for neck related problems. While neck traction is very often applied to ensure pain relief, there are various mechanisms by which it heals the neck. ...

pinal decompression is one of the most successful treatments for anyone suffering from back ache, especially lower back pain. This is administered by the use of traction, wherein the decompression occurs resulting from the force applied. The decompression therapy has been used for centuries by chiropractors and practitioners of medicine. Traction could be provided manually, by using a mechanical decompression unit or through some easy to use traction devices. What is decompression? Decompression therapy is a form of physical therapy, and is particularly effective for relief from backache. The underlying science behind spinal decompression is creating more space between adjoining vertebrae, to correspondingly overcome any underlying conditions like a pinched nerve in the back. Vertebrae are round bones through which the spine threads down, and while in our lower back, there are five vertebrae, in the neck, there are seven. When force is externally applied on the vertebrae by pr...

he phrase minimum effective dose has become popularized by Tim Ferriss in his book The Four Hour Body (recommended read). Tim's definition of the minimum effective dose is - the smallest dose that will produce the desired effect or outcome. I liken the phrase to a biohack, although the minimum effective dose must be effective (the word is in the phrase!) whereas, a biohack is a supposed time saver that more often than not, doesn't yield the desired results. Translating the minimum effective dose to manual therapy is quite simple from the practitioner's standpoint, but often baffling to patients. I'll explain... In my humble manual therapist opinion, it is my job to decipher what is causing the musculoskeletal disorder. Duh right? But really, I seek to get passed the smoke and mirrors that your movement and postural compensations present clinically, and delve deep into the root cause of your problem. Once I have effectively done that, I plan my management of the com...

ecovery from a knee injury can be frustrating for many people. Especially when mobility is affected which is the case with injuries to the knee. Another source of frustration is the timeline for recovery. The timeline can be a long process. For athletes who need and want to get back on the playing field this can be extra frustrating. For every day people they just want life to have some normalcy again and a speedy recovery and the return of mobility can bring normalcy back to life. This begs the question... How do we facilitate a speedy or accelerated recovery from knee surgery? To answer this question it is important to understand common knee injuries, what steps to follow in order to quickly recover, the normal or typical time it takes to recover, and how using cryotherapy and compression can facilitate a fast recovery. Common knee injuries: Torn ACL ACL stands for Anterior Cruciate Ligament. The ACL is a band of connective tissue that connects the tibia to the femur throu...

e of the medical complaints doctors hear about the most are back strain injuries. This happens to athletes and non-athletes all the time. 25% of all adults have experienced lower back pain at some point in their lives and chances are you could be one of those people. Medical professionals such as physical therapists and athletic trainers handle back strain treatment on a regular basis. Since this is a regular thing they deal with, then why not take advantage of their knowledge to aid in reducing your back pain and discomfort. Before moving forward with the advice below, it is always wise to seek your doctor's opinion so you can be properly diagnosed and then correctly treated. Back Strain Treatment Common treatment from physical therapist and athletic trainers that athletes use to treat back strains: 1. Anti-inflammatory: After straining your back, it is a good idea to take some anti-inflammatory medication to reduce swelling and to control any pain associated with the inj...

he professional athletes we watch on TV will often surf some kind of major injury during their career. One major injury that these athletes often suffer is an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear. This is an injury that can sideline an athlete for a significant amount of time if not treated correctly. Fortunately sports medicine has come along ways and trainers are able to get athletes back on the field of play faster than ever before. Some of the techniques that are used to help in the recovery after ACL surgery are available to everyone, but there are a few secrets or tricks that can be used to really accelerate the recovery time and healing. Always remember to seek your doctor's opinion before applying the advice below. Getting your doctor's opinion will help ensure that you are doing all the right things to recover quickly. You may not be an athlete who needs to get back on the field of play quickly, but everyone who has ACL surgery wants to speed up their recovery so...

COMMONLY MISUNDERSTOOD IN THE RECOVERY PLAN BY PROFESSIONALS 1. Inflammation scam: INFLAMMATION is never the cause of the pain unless it is truly a sprain. Again, ice, NSAIDs, and Corticosteroids can do more harm than good. Unless edema (fluid) or visible swelling is apparent, this is usually a wrong prescription. Inflammation necessary to heal it can trap blood flow. On the other hand,Inflammatory Chemicals released by your body due to dying cells attract the fluid that causes swelling. For this reason, using cold therapy to control and keep both inflammations and swelling in check is a crucial part of the healing process, especially at the early stages. In chronic cases, NSAIDs and Corticosteroids are only counter-productive because they do not get to the source of the problem, and they have a host of nasty long term side effects. 2. Rest: Although the lack of rests or enough breaks probably caused the area to have tendonitis, too much rest causes necrosis or atrophy (decrea...

here are many people in the world that are against any type of western medicine that involves medications, surgeries, and anything else that is not natural. One way of getting around this is to look into Osteopathy. This ancient technique is an alternative medicine style that focuses on physical manipulation of your muscles and tissue in your body, to try and relieve the issue at hand. It has actually been around for years and many people say that it is best used for lower back pain and not actually for any other serious medical issue. The jury is out until you try it for yourself. The actual practice of Osteopathy can trace its roots all the way back to 1874 in the United States. It was then that Dr. Andrew Still coined this term and began using it in his own practice, as well as setting up his own school of medicine designed for this practice alone. He founded the American School of Osteopathy in 1892, and it is still open today, though under a different name. He wanted to expand t...

Thank goodness for physical therapists! Seven weeks ago, I got a new left knee and if it wasn't for the physical therapists who worked with me, I would probably still be limping around with a knee that was painful and unable to bend. I know this because when I first broke this knee 60 years ago, physical therapy had not yet come to Virginia, Minnesota. I actually broke my knee chasing boys. I was 16 at the time and had a serious crush on a boy in my class. My girlfriend and I were rushing to get to the front door of the school the same time as the boy and his friends so we could "accidentally bump into them ". However, it was winter time in Northern Minnesota which meant we were running down the school hall with our boots unzipped, our heavy coats unbuttoned and scarves trailing behind us. Halfway to the front door, I tripped over the scarf and fell directly on my left knee on the school's indestructible cement floor. A doctor's visit and a three-day hospit...

Physiotherapy is a highly recommended treatment for people suffering from chronic pains such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and even pains associated with certain conditions, like hyperthyroidism. It is proven to be very effective in reducing pain and restoring the "normal" or better quality of life. Listed below are other benefits can you get from physiotherapy. Proper Breathing Proper breathing is very important when dealing with pain. When panic attacks at the height of your most intense pain level, you have to make sure that you are breathing properly so that organs in your body will be able to work properly. With proper breathing, oxygen is distributed in your body. Weight Management Physiotherapy can also assist individuals to manage their weight. Some wellness professionals point out that those working to ensure recovery from whatever condition they are suffering from can manage their weight more effectively when they undergo physiotherapy. Address...

Physical Therapy is a remarkable way to heal the body from a host of musculoskeletal afflictions, which could affect the back, the neck or any of the joints. This also works for many problems affecting our bones and muscles. The therapy is very often based on the principle of decompression wherein pressure is applied on the joints to create space, between the vertebrae or the two adjoining bones at the joint. So the nerves get more space to breathe, and not just the joints are healthier, but one is also able to recover from a host of related conditions. Just as an example, if one is suffering from a sore back, it could cause pain in the legs, in a condition known as sciatica. The Decompression Back Belt and The Neck Comforter The Decompression Back Belt and The Neck Comforter are two fine physical therapy related devices which while being exceedingly useful, are easy to use, and require no additional assistance for usage. So you could put these devices to use and say goodbye t...

he emergency treatment or First aid is a standout amongst the most fundamental expertise of a man. On the off chance that you have the capacity to give CPR when it is obliged, then this would be your greatest points of interest for your whole life. It is not only a grateful ability; it is truly exceptionally supportive for everybody in each field. In the event that you will consider taking the First Aid Training then you would have the capacity to handle each sort of therapeutic crisis circumstances effectively. A man with the first aid aptitudes can be truly exceptionally accommodating by and large and such individual can be the person who can profit the chance of truly sparing numerous individuals' lives in crisis circumstances. The significance of this ability can't be disregarded at all and there are different points of interest of this expertise which rolls out huge improvements throughout your life. Thus, here I am imparting to you probably the most widely recognized a...

Cervical radiculopathy occurs when a nerve root coming off the spinal cord becomes compressed. The compression can occur for various reasons. When it happens in younger people, it may occur when a cervical disc herniates due to trauma. While in older individuals, it commonly occurs spontaneously as a result of arthritis or decreased disc height in the neck region. When the spinal nerves are impinged, they cannot properly send messages to the muscles from the brain, nor receive proper sensation from the specific arm location the nerve travels. Unfortunately, everywhere the spinal nerve travels will be affected which results in pain, weakness, and radiating loss of sensation in the arm. Most pinched nerves or entrapment problems can be managed conservatively with physical therapy and patients will return to normal function. Numerous modalities can be utilized to help manage the symptoms associated with cervical radiculopathy. Physical Therapy Modalities Used to Treat Cervical Radicu...

3Generally speaking, the more fit our bodies are, the less prone to injury we will be. Now, this depends on a lot of different factors, and given those factors, also affects recovery and rehabilitation after an injury. Height and Weight Ratio Depending on your height, your weight can indicate that you are underweight, of average weight, overweight, obese, or morbidly obese. There are many health issues that can compound the matter of weight, but the bottom line from a musculoskeletal standpoint is that an overweight body puts extra pressure on our joints and can cause cartilage to wear away much faster as we age. Cartilage is important because it helps cushion our joints (especially in the knees) and the vertebrae in the spine. Extra strain on the joints as well as the muscles can inhibit movement and increase the likelihood of osteoarthritis. Keeping active is essential to maintaining a strong musculoskeletal structure (including proper bone density). NOTE: The reason people s...

et's look at a patient case study to examine the way hybrid healthcare can work towards providing the best possible care for patients. Low Back Pain Case Study John is a patient who complains of low back pain. He has had a history of back pain, but his present pain was made worse by a vehicular accident a month ago in which the car he was a passenger in was rear-ended. He works in marketing and sits at his desk on a computer for several hours on end. By the end of the day he says he experiences radiating pain down his legs. He presents with a pelvic rotation, poor posture and lack of core control. 1. Chiropractic Care: In this case, the Chiropractor would address the patient's pelvic rotation with a manual adjustment. This manipulation would help move the pelvis back into its correct articulation. Additionally, the patient may be placed on a traction table to help alleviate some of the pressure and subsequently pain on the lower back disks. 2. Physical Therapy: The phy...

lantar fasciitis is a painful condition caused by inflammation of the thick, fibrous band of tissue (''fascia'') that reaches from the heel to the toes. This fascia is responsible for supporting the muscles and arch of the foot. The plantar fascia is made of three distinct parts: medial, central, and lateral bands. The central band is the thickest and strongest and is most likely involved in plantar fasciitis pain. Tiny tears are created on the surface of the fascia when it's stretched too far causing inflammation and pain. In addition to inflammation and pain, the stress on the muscles and ligaments from plantar fasciitis can cause heel spurs. There isn't a single treatment for plantar fasciitis, but physical therapy utilizes several tools which can alleviate the pain and inflammation. Plantar Fasciitis accounts for about 10% of runner related injuries and is more likely to affect women than men. Because of the high incidence rate of plantar fasciitis in run...

ntly had an unusual experience. I had to work at a desk on a computer for 6 ½ hours straight. It put me in a place of experiencing the work circumstances many patients have and work through their entire careers. Understanding where pain and injuries come from is quite different from going through it yourself. After my day, I had a headache, pain in my neck, shoulders, fingers and stiffness in my back which made it feel like it was difficult to stand up straight. And those side effects were in spite of getting up to walk, stretching at my desk and constantly correcting my posture. My experience was an eye opener as to how difficult it can be to help patients when they come in with acute, chronic pain that is the result from years of a sedentary work environment. Let's discuss tips and tools we can give patients to help them take care of themselves throughout their office work day. 5 Tips to Help Patients Working in an Office Remember to move: Evidence shows that sitting for lon...

oes without saying treating patients is a physical job. Not only is extensive knowledge required, but physical strength and stamina are a large part of being successful when working in physical therapy. That being said, treating patients can take a toll on a therapist's body, putting them at risk for the very issues patients come to be treated for. What's wonderful about physical therapy are the array of modalities available that are time-efficient and powerful, helping keep physical therapists feeling their best in order to deliver the top quality patient care throughout their career. Preventative measures are important in insuring longevity within a physical therapist's career. Here's a list of some of the most common complaints physical therapists can experience and some simple reminders to help take care of these issues before they become chronic problems. Top 5 Physical Therapists Physical Complaints Low Back Pain: Physical therapists spend a lot of time on ...

atient compliance is an essential part of patient recovery and rehabilitation in physical therapy, particularly when patients have a chronic or longer anticipated recovery time. We recently had a patient who expressed dismay that she wasn't "getting any better." This patient had a history of late cancelling appointments and not only non-compliance with her home exercise program but frequently lost the instructions all together. In spite of that, she had met many of the goals that were set for her and once she was reminded of those met expectations she felt better and was re-inspired by her treatment plan. This example reiterated to me that rehabilitation is a partnership between pt and patient. Successful physical therapy depends on both physical therapist and patient working together equally towards relevant goals, in her case long term pain management and reduction of pain flare-ups. Here are some of great ways to increase patient compliance and increase a patient...

orking in healthcare, in whatever capacity, means dealing with the people in a sometimes very personal level. We've all heard the phrase "bed-side manner" and when it comes to being a practitioner, it's pretty important, but even more than we realize. A recent Dutch study showed that having a good bed-side manner (i.e. having a calmer, relaxed, secure and resilient personality) actually improved patient outcomes. The study, published in BioMed Central's Health Services Research, compared rehabilitation outcomes from patients with chronic disease such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes along with how their own physical therapists scored on the personality test, "The Big 5" Index (BFI). The test measures emotional stability, impulse control and the tendency to express unpleasant emotions. The lower the score, the calmer, more relaxed, secure and resilient the personality. The results of the study s...

ebral palsy can result in some or many of a wide array of impairments or developmental delays, some minor, others major. For many children with CP, the ability to communicate effectively can be a real challenge. This may be the result of cognitive impairments, where they struggle with vocabulary and idea processing, or it may be more about the motor skills that govern the mouth, lips and tongue. CP related hearing impairments can also have a profound effect on a child's ability to communicate. Learning complex language and speech skills is uniquely human. So is the ability to invent and utilize adaptive devices to aid those who struggle with this process. Children develop and use language at roughly their own pace, but a child who fails to meet certain developmental milestones for communication should be tested for speech and hearing issues. Babies should react to sound from birth and even look towards the source of a sound by 6 months. If a child isn't hearing sound well en...