Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles tendinopathy is an irritation of the Achilles tendon, a thick band of tissue along the back of the lower leg that connects the calf muscles to the heel. The term tendinopathy refers to any problem with a tendon, either short or long term. The Achilles tendon helps to balance forces in the leg and assists with movement of the leg and the ankle joint. Achilles tendinopathy results when the demand placed on the Achilles tendon is greater than its ability to function. This can occur after 1 episode (acute injury) or after repetitive irritation or “microtrauma” (chronic injury).

Ankle Pain

Common causes of ankle pain are limited motion in the joint spaces. Most commonly we see symptoms related to tendonitis in structures such as the posterior tibialis which is on the medial side of the ankle. Very commonly patients come to physical therapy after an ankle sprain. Other common symptoms are bunions, hammer toes, or Achilles tendonitis. All of these condition are treatable successfully with physical therapy.

Core Stability

Our core muscles include the abdominals, back muscles, and hip muscles. All of which are designed to control the spine while the arms and legs are moving. Core stability must be performed in upright position that look and feel like the activities that you perform in your everyday life. Get off your back while performing core strengthening and find the functional muscle function of your core today.

Pregnancy

It has become so common for women to have lower back pain during pregnancy that it has become accepted as the norm. This should not be the case as there is no physiological reason why there should be lower back pain during pregnancy with the right prescriptive exercises. Learn how to eliminate lower back pain during pregnancy today.

Sciatica

This is an umbrellas terminology for irritation to the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is a combination ofthe L1-S1 nerve roots in the lumbar spine. This nerve can be irritated by compression coming out of the spine, disc bulges or herniations, muscle tightness in the hips, and poor motion in the upper back. It is important to identify the dysfunction that is causing the symptoms of sciatica.

SI Joint

The SI joint is also called the sacroiliac joint which is where the pelvis meets the sacrum or spine. This joint has very small amount of movement available. This area is very common inflamed when the surrounding structures are not moving correctly including the upper back and hips most commonly. When the SI joint becomes inflamed it is common to then have pain in the area around the back of the hip at the bottom of the spine.

Stenosis

Stenosis means narrowing in the spine where the nerve comes out of the spinal column. This holebecomes narrow when the bones grow thicker or the disc space narrows due to aging and physical stress. It is important to realize that the hole where the nerve comes out is dynamic and physical therapy is designed to decrease the amount of time the hole becomes narrow with motion and facilitate the diameter of the hole to become as large as possible to relieve pressure on the nerve root. Common symptoms of stenosis are pain with walking that is relieved with sitting, over the age of 55 and pain that is in the center of the lower back and possible travels down the legs.

Neck

There are many causes of neck pain including but not limited to disc bulges or herniations, facet compression, stenosis, and poor biomechanics. Most commonly the neck is painful due to limitations in movement in the upper spine.

Shoulder

Shoulder pain is common caused by rotator cuff impingement which is narrowing of the space where the rotator cuff tendon rest causing friction and ultimately inflammation. Other common causes of shoulder pain are rotator cuff tears, bursitis, and tendonitis. All of which are successfully treated with physical therapy.

Elbow Fracture

Elbow fracture can occur as a result of a trauma, such as a fall while you’re playing sports or while you’re just walking on a sidewalk. Fractures due to falls happen most often when people stretch the arm straight out to catch themselves as they fall. When you fall on the ground, the force travels up through the wrist, hand, and forearm and into the elbow. Fracture also can occur if you fall directly on the elbow itself.

There are 3 types of bone fractures:

• Type I – a "nondisplaced" fracture, where the bone has a break but is still in normal position.
• Type II – a fracture where a fragment of bone is shifted from its normal position.
• Type III – the most serious type of fracture, because there are multiple breaks of the bone.

Type I and II fractures usually are treated without surgery, but type III fractures usually require surgery.

Hip Pain

Hip bursitis is a painful condition that affects 15% of women and 8.5% of men of all ages in the United States. The condition tends to develop more in middle-aged and elderly individuals. Hip bursitis can have many causes, but the most common is a repetitive activity, such as walking or running on an uneven surface, which creates friction in the hip area. Athletes often develop hip bursitis after running up and down hills repetitively. The condition can also be caused by abnormal walking, such as limping, due to an uneven leg length, or arthritis in the back, hip, knee, or other joints in the leg. It can also occur without any specific cause. Physical therapy can be an effective treatment for hip bursitis to reduce pain, swelling, stiffness, and any associated weakness in the hip, back, or lower extremity.

Knee Pain

Knee pain can be caused by disease or injury. The most common disease affecting the knee is osteoarthritis. Knee injuries can occur as the result of a direct blow or sudden movement that strains the knee beyond its normal range of movement. Knee pain caused by an injury is most often associated with knee cartilage tears, such as meniscal tears, or ligament tears, such as anterior cruciate ligament tears.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a condition causing heel pain. Supporting the arch, the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue connecting the heel to the ball of the foot, can become inflamed or can tear. You experience pain when you put weight on your foot—particularly when taking your first steps in the morning. The pain can be felt at the heel, or along the arch and the ball of the foot.