Return to Sport vs. Return to Work
Posted on by Chelsea Silva, PT, DPT
The American Physical Therapy Association describes Physical Therapists as “movement experts who improve quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education.” As physical therapists, with our patient’s help, we shape their goals around what improves their specific quality of life. Often, we picture athletes returning to sports or patients relearning how to walk. Less commonly, we think about the importance of injured workers returning to their jobs without limitations. It’s easy to understand why the rehabilitation process for return to sport is so intense and personalized for a patient. The rehabilitation process for return to work should be just as intense and personalized to assist the employee in reaching their goals.
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2 Conditions You Didn’t Know a Pelvic Rehabilitation Specialist Could Treat
Posted on by Ariss Pierce, PT, DPT, Cert. MDT
Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation is beneficial for all genders. Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists treat patients with numerous conditions, such as Erectile Dysfunction, Pelvic Pain, Constipation, and Urinary Incontinence. To understand how a Pelvic Rehabilitation Specialist may help you, you must explore the purpose and function of the pelvis.
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Top Areas to Foam Roll for Gymnasts
Posted on by Tara Hackney, PT, DPT, OCS, KTTP
Warm-up and recovery are important parts of a workout routine that often get overlooked. A dynamic warm-up prepares the body prior to exercise; conversely, recovery or cooling down after exercise can help manage soreness. Active recovery is a great option to help manage normal muscle soreness symptoms after high-intensity workouts. It is normal to have muscle soreness after high- intensity exercise; this can last for several hours up to several days. Active recovery may help reduce muscle soreness and fatigue.
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How to Succeed in PT following ACL Reconstruction Surgery
Posted on by Paige Gibbens, PT, DPT
"I don’t really have the words right now, definitely not the right ones at least,” this was the quote from Odell Beckham Jr. following his 2nd ACL tear during Superbowl LVI. Most people know that an ACL tear is a common knee injury that requires a long, tenacious recovery. Once an ACL is torn, the risk of re-tear or tearing the opposite side is 20-35% more likely4. The above statistic may be alarming and is why ACL reconstruction rehabilitation needs to be taken very seriously.
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Do I Need to Stretch My Ankles?
Posted on by Rebecca Pudvah PT, DPT, CSCS, OCS
If you have been inside a gym or physical therapy office, you may have heard the phrase “stretch your calves.” This phrase can mean so many different things to so many different people. Let’s take a few minutes to clear up the confusion, and ensure everyone gets the most out of their exercise routine.
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The Bare Hand Necessities for Grip Strength and Function
Posted on by Erik Krol, MOT, OTR/L
Tools and technologies can help complete our daily routines, but they are only as skillful as the user. In some instances, our bodies, specifically the hands, are the required tools, yet one might have physical limitations impeding performance and independence. Often, muscle weakness can be the main limiting factor for getting work done. To increase performance, improving one’s grip strength can be most beneficial.
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Heat or Ice for Low Back Pain? Why You Should Choose Movement Instead
Posted on by Andrew C. Thomas PT, DPT, OCS, TPS, CSCS, COMT, CEEAA, FAAOMPT
Society has trained us that when we get an injury, or have an ache or pain, we should always choose either heat or ice to try and relieve the discomfort. One of the most common questions that physical therapists get is whether someone should use heat or ice to relieve back pain. The issue with both modalities is that they are passive, and one study found the depth of therapeutic levels of tissue temperature change is one cm. Most tissues that individuals are looking to target with their heat or ice are much deeper, so you are not effectively applying the modality to the depth you want. So, what is the best thing that we can do for our low back pain? Movement!
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Importance of Work Conditioning For Employers and Employees
Posted on by Brian Whittington, PT, DPT, CMTPT
In 2019, the CDC estimated that 2.4 million workers sustained work-related injuries. Work injuries carry a unique set of stress for the injured worker combining the recovery challenges with the unknown ability to return to work.
Many patients are prescribed physical or occupational therapy to address pain and loss of function associated with their injury. Often, the injured workers can fully recover and return to their prior physical ability. Yet achieving this goal only addresses one of the two concerns for the injured worker. After regaining function, the injured worker is often left wondering if they will be able to make a full return to work.
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