Regular appointments with a physical therapist are ideal for people of all ages! Physical therapy is a non-invasive, safe, and effective treatment option designed to restore mobility and relieve pain resulting from a wide range of workplace and sports injuries, musculoskeletal conditions, age related conditions, and more.

Typically, patients go to physical therapy to help manage chronic pain symptoms and prevent future injuries. One of the most common reasons new patients visit our physical therapy clinic every day is to find and treat the source of their chronic shoulder pain.

There are many different factors that attribute to chronic shoulder pain. One thing is for sure though, dealing with shoulder pain can make completing daily tasks nearly impossible without treatment.

If you or a loved one is experiencing shoulder pain, contact Next Level Physio today to learn how physical therapy can help relieve (or even eliminate) your problem!

How Does Shoulder Pain Occur?

Most people probably go about their day without giving much thought to how they are using their shoulders. Did you know that your shoulders actually do a good bit of work to help you accomplish everyday tasks? If you injure or strain them, there’s a large chance you will end up experiencing severe shoulder pain.

Five of the most common causes of shoulder pain include:

1. Tendon Tears

If you experience an acute injury, or have a degenerative condition, the result can be a torn tendon in your shoulder. The natural aging process, overuse, and random injuries can often cause split or torn tendons as well. Regardless of whether a patient has experienced a partial or full tendon tear, the pain can be searing and require regular appointments with a physical therapist in our clinic.

2. Tendinitis

Tendinitis is a very common condition that often sends people straight to a physical therapist for pain relief. It causes inflammation and usually affects people who take part in many physical activities, or work at a job that requires them to use lots of repetitive motions every day.

Take this for example, if you are an athlete who plays tennis, or a professional painter, you could be at high risk for developing tendinitis in your shoulder. This is because you make the same repetitive motions every day to play your sport or do your job. Those who are at a high risk for developing this condition should be aware of how important it is to not only visit a physical therapist regularly, but to also rest their shoulders often to prevent chronic pain.

3. Bursitis

The shoulder is made up of a very complex network of moving parts. This makes it a pretty complicated joint! One of the main components that make up the shoulder is called the “bursa.” The bursa contains small fluid filled sacs that work to keep the joint lubricated. If the bursa becomes inflamed or irritated in any way, you could develop bursitis. This will call for a physical therapist’s touch, as soon as possible!

4. Frozen Shoulder

Adhesive capsulitis, also known as frozen shoulder, is a condition that occurs following an injury or alongside another shoulder condition. According to The National Institute of Health, frozen shoulder accounts for 2% of cases of shoulder pain. Most physical therapists recommend that patients with frozen shoulders rest often in between physical therapy appointments to avoid developing scar tissue in the shoulder.

On the chance that scar tissue does develop, the muscles surrounding the shoulder may eventually freeze up as well. This will limit your full range of motion and result in chronic pain.

5. Impingement

Shoulder impingement is a condition that occurs when the top part of the shoulder blade lifts away from the body and puts too much pressure on the underlying soft tissues in the arm. As the arm lifts, the shoulder blade rubs against the bursa and tendons. If this condition goes untreated, impingement in the shoulder can result in bursitis and/or tendinitis.

Physical Therapy Can Provide Fast Relief for Shoulder Pain

If you have been experiencing recurrent or chronic shoulder pain, it is important to consult with a physical therapist as soon as possible. Physical therapy is a safe and natural treatment option that can successfully help patients of all ages recover from their shoulder injuries.

Your physical therapist will assess your condition, find the source of your pain, and create a specialized comprehensive treatment plan for your specific needs.

There’s no reason you need to spend tons of money on expensive surgeries or over the counter medications to gain relief from shoulder pain. Getting back on the pain-free path is simple. Contact Next Level Physio today to learn more about the benefits of physical therapy for shoulder pain, and begin your journey toward living a pain-free life!

Sources:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3217726/

The post 5 Common Causes of Shoulder Pain That Physical Therapy Can Help appeared first on Next Level Physio.

Have you recently suffered from a sports injury or auto accident? Chances are if you have, you’re still dealing with the effects. If you are struggling with acute or chronic pain and have yet to find relief, it’s time for a change. Contact Next Level Physio today to learn more about how our licensed physical therapists can get you on the path to a pain-free life.

How Can Physical Therapy Help Relieve Pain?

The goal of physical therapy is to reduce and eliminate pain while improving mobility and function. According to WebMD, “Physical therapy is often one of the best choices you can make when you have long-term pain (also called chronic pain) or an injury. It can make you stronger and help you move and feel better.”

The typical physical therapy treatment consists of multiple targeted exercises and stretches for pain relief. These exercises are given to you to improve the function of your core muscles. Some physical therapists use bikes, exercise balls, weights, or other tools as well to help restore movement and range of motion. Using your own body weight with pushups and lunges may be part of the treatment plan as well. All of the exercises are designed to provide pain relief, target problem areas, and relax muscles.

Types of physical therapy

Other modalities in physical therapy may be used as well to achieve pain relief. A few are as follows:

• Hot and cold therapy. Heat and ice packs can be applied to the affected areas to decrease inflammation and pain. This is a very common method of treatment in physical therapy and can be used to supplement other forms of pain relief.
• Massage therapy. Massage therapy is a manual technique used to increase mobility in tight or restricted areas. This is done with rhythmic stretching and applying deep pressure to fibrous muscle tissue.Massage treatments are helpful with breaking up scar tissue and adhesions caused by inflammation or injury. It also assists with improving blood flow and circulation to the affected muscles and soft tissues.
• Direct manipulation. Direct manipulation of the joints can be done to improve functioning and maintain proper alignment.
• Ultrasound therapy. Some physical therapy treatment plans include electrical stimulation as well, where currents are sent to sooth affected areas and reduce pain. Ultrasound technology can send sound waves deep into inflamed tissues and joints, blocks pain signals from going to the brain, and is useful for musculoskeletal problems.

Conditions physical therapy can help

According to the APTA, “Studies have established the efficacy of physical therapy in treating and reducing pain as well as preventing chronic pain.” Here are a few common conditions that can be relieved or even eliminated with the help of a professional physical therapist.

• Lower back pain & sciatica: Sciatica is a condition where pain will radiate down the buttock, thighs, and legs. It’s also common to experience a numbness, burning or tingling sensation on certain parts of the leg. Physical therapy exercises and stretches can help relieve pressure placed on the sciatic nerve, and in turn, reduce overall pain felt in regions of the back.
• Rehabilitation done before and after surgery: “Pre-hab,” or rehabilitation before surgery, has become more common. It has been found to improve patient outcomes and recovery processes. Studies also show that starting physical therapy about a month prior to a scheduled surgery can seriously speed up your recovery time as well. Seeing a physical therapist during the recovery period after a procedure is a must as well, to ensure proper alignment of muscles and joints as you learn to move around again.
• Arthritis: Arthritis is commonly mistaken for a condition that one only experiences as they age, however, it can affect anyone no matter how old they are! Therapeutic exercise programs can reduce pain and improve physical function among individuals with hip and knee osteoarthritis.

Injury prevention with physical therapy

The nervous system may still send pain signals even after an injury has fully healed. In addition to providing pain relief for you, a physical therapist can also teach you about sensory re-education for chronic pain. Sensory re-education decreases sensitivity to the affected area, and desensitizes the nervous system.

Your physical therapist can also show you new ways to move in your everyday life to prevent re-injuring the same place in your body in the future, or receiving a new injury. For example, if you lift heavy objects often, you’re likely to strain muscles without realizing it until much later. Physical therapists can show you the correct ways to bend and lift without hurting yourself.

Contact our office today!

If you are struggling with pain that is affecting your daily life, it’s time to put your foot down. Enough is enough, you don’t have to struggle day in and day out with soreness, aches, and inflammation that keeps you from enjoying the things you love!

A licensed physical therapist can assess your condition, discover any underlying health issues you might have, pinpoint the source of your pain, and create a customized treatment plan specifically for your needs. Contact Next Level Physio today to learn more about our pain management and relief options; our physical therapists are ready to help!

Sources:

• https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/physical-therapy
• https://www.apta.org

The post You Can Find Pain Relief With Physical Therapy appeared first on Next Level Physio.

Stiffness and discomfort don’t have to be a part of our daily lives — and yet many people assume that they’re doomed to suffer from arthritis pain. If you’ve been losing more and more of your mobility and productivity due to chronic joint inflammation, you may be disappointed by the usefulness of painkilling drugs or even alarmed by the potential dangers of such drugs. Fortunately, you have a safer, more effective path toward arthritis pain management: physical therapy.

How and Why Arthritis Causes Pain and Stiffness

Arthritis includes an entire family of painful joint conditions. For some individuals, it may take the form of painful gout in a toe joint; in others, it can strike due to a bacterial joint infection. The majority of arthritis suffers, however, suffer from one of two agonizing conditions:

• Osteoarthritis – This most common form of arthritis is usually a natural consequence of a lifetime of joint motion, coupled with certain changes that take place during aging. Healthy joints contain not only a lubricating fluid to keep the bone ends moving smoothly, but also a layer of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber and anti-friction component. Over time, however, the production of lubricating fluid can start to dry up, while the cartilage becomes thinner and more worn until it finally breaks down completely. This leaves you with pain, stiffness, and inflammation that usually feels worse whenever you try to move or put weight on the joint.
• Rheumatoid arthritis – This form of arthritis is caused by an auto-immune disease or dysfunction. The same protective mechanisms that normally fight off disease germs decide to turn on your joints, treating them as the enemy and attacking them. This results in painful inflammation that may come and go, leaving joint swelling and deformity in its wake.

Many arthritis sufferers naturally turn to medication in the hopes that it will ease their symptoms. NSAIDs, steroids and (and in the most severe cases) opioid drugs may produce such relief, but only temporarily. These drugs can’t address the physical problems that actually cause your symptoms; they can only mute the symptoms themselves. What’s more, painkilling and anti-inflammatory drugs can pose significant risks if they’re used constantly. NSAIDs can damage the internal organs, while steroids may contribute to everything from cataracts to osteoporosis. Opioids can be extremely dangerous, not only because of their addictive properties but also because overdoses can (and often do) prove fatal.

Our Physical Therapist Can Develop Customized Pain Management Plans

If you want an arthritis pain management plan that improves your health without presenting you with the dangers of drugs, turn to physical therapy. Our physical therapist can examine your joints to see how advanced your arthritis has become and how it may be affecting your stance, gait or mobility. You’ll then receive a customized pain management plan that may include:

• Exercise – Exercise can aid arthritis sufferers by boosting circulation, easing inflammation, strengthening joint tissues and increasing range of motion. It can help you improve your balance, if that’s become a problem for you.
• Physiotherapy techniques – You may benefit from massage therapy, cold/heat therapy or laser therapy.
• Corrective devices – Your physical therapist can recommend specialized insoles and train you in the use of devices such as walkers or canes.
• Lifestyle guidance – Your physical therapist can recommend specific changes to your everyday ergonomics or lifestyle that will ease your pain.

Don’t just numb your arthritis pain — manage it the smart, safe, effective way. Contact Next Level Physio!

Source:

• https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/4-ways-exercise-helps-arthritis
• http://www.apta.org/Blogs/PTTransforms/2016/5/26/Arthritis/
• https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/pain-management/understanding/types-of-pain.php
• https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/treatments/natural/other-therapies/what-is-physical-therapy.php
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/disease
• https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/treatments/medication/drug-types/corticosteroids/benefits-risks.php

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