Athletico Health Resources

Are you planning on having a knee replacement? Or maybe you’ve just recently had one? Knee replacements are one of the most common types of replacement surgeries. It is estimated that over 850,000 knee replacements are performed each year. As a physical therapist, one thing that I have seen with a majority of my patients navigating post-knee replacement is that they weren’t exactly sure what the recovery process would be like for them post-surgery. In this blog, we’ll dive deeper into the recovery process from start to finish and how to set yourself up for success.

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A stroke can be a life-altering event, impacting not only the physical health but also the independence and quality of life of those affected. However, the journey to recovery is not without hope, and physical therapy plays a crucial role in helping stroke survivors regain their independence. In this blog, we will explore four key ways physical therapy can make a difference in the lives of stroke patients.

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Are you someone who has been avoiding something that you enjoy doing because of pain? Are you nervous about falling? Does eating your favorite food cause jaw pain? There are many reasons that you should consider going to physical therapy, especially if your New Year resolutions include improving your health and wellness. Here are just a few reasons to consider incorporating physical therapy into your goals.

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When it comes to headaches, not all are the same. While they all cause disruption to daily activities and it can be agreed upon that they’re certainly uncomfortable, to find out which type of headache you’re experiencing, and what options you have, take the quiz below:

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Something didn’t feel quite right. You were shoveling snow or helping a friend move a heavy couch, and there it went. Your lower back tightens up or seizes up on you. It was hard to move normally, and your back just felt “off.” You “pulled” your back; now what? Let’s first take a brief look at the anatomy of the lower back, then a couple of lower back injuries, followed by what to do next.

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Physical therapy (PT) is a great treatment option for people with all sorts of ailments. In this blog, we will dive into four signs you could benefit from physical therapy treatment.

Physical therapy treatment is made up of four primary components: therapeutic exercise, functional activities, neuromuscular re-education, and manual therapy. Therapeutic exercise refers to exercises designed to help address a physical problem or ailment. Functional activities are interventions that cater more to your daily activities. Getting up from a chair, walking a long distance at work or getting in and out of your car, to name a few. Neuromuscular re-education references the connection between the brain and nerves to tell the body what to do and how to do it. Finally, manual therapy is a “hands-on” treatment like deep tissue mobilization, passive range of motion, or mobilization of a joint.

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Physical therapy (PT) is a great treatment to address aches and pains of varying kinds. It can be utilized for general discomfort or pain associated with surgery. PT is designed to help reduce pain and improve range of motion, strength, and overall function. Whether it’s your knee that has been hurting for decades or your back you tweaked shoveling snow, often, physical therapy can help. Let’s look at injuries physical therapy can treat and who exactly should start physical therapy.

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Approximately over 250,000 people tear their ACL every year, with the most at-risk population being young female athletes.¹ Despite being a common injury, every ACL reconstruction rehabilitation is different. Protocols depend on graft type, concomitant injuries like meniscus or MCL, and surgeon preference. For this reason, ACL protocols need to be a combination of both criteria-based and time-based. From a criteria-based perspective, physical therapists need to make sure athletes can get back to squatting, jumping, landing, cutting, and all other sport-related tasks with good mechanics to set them up for success as they return to sports. From a time-based perspective, physical therapists need to consider tissue healing time and appropriate tissue loading. Each athlete achieves their objective criteria at different times. It can take anywhere from 6 months to 24 months post op for athletes to get back to full participation, with a majority of athletes returning to sport between the 9- and 12-month mark.

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