Stretch of the Week: Pelvic Tilts
Pelvic Tilts: Therapeutic Stretches for the Lower Back
Welcome to the weekly stretch for March!
This month we have been focusing on more therapeutic stretches for the low back. If you have ever been in therapy for low back pain you may have recognized one or two of these. Let’s continue this with Pelvic Tilts for week 4!
Stretch of the Week: Crossed Legged Low Back Reclined Twist
Crossed Legged Low Back Reclined Twist
The third week of March brings us to the gentle Crossed Legged Low Back Reclined Twist stretch. It is simple despite its long name. This stretch will help you to gain flexibility in those stiff lumbar muscles that can cause muscle imbalances and contribute to low back pain. You will not need any equipment for this stretch.
Stretch of the Week: Hero’s Pose in Yoga
The third week of November brings us to a stretch called hero’s pose in yoga. We have visited this stretch before but today we will focus on the shin and front ankle. (more…)
Recognizing the signs of Lymphedema
Recognizing the signs of Lymphedema
Are you recovering from a mastectomy or lumpectomy surgery? If so, have you begun to notice some new sensations in your arm? You may have feelings of swelling, heaviness, tightness, pain, burning sensations, limited motion in the arm, and/or numbness at the arm, shoulder or chest. These could be signs of lymphedema, an inflammatory disease caused by failure of the lymphatic system.
Stretch of the Week: Revolved Triangle
I can’t believe it’s the final week of July already! This weeks stretch is a yoga posture called Revolved Triangle. It is a great upper body twist as well as a stretch for the Lateral side of the leg.
You will need some wall space as well as a yoga block (or something similar) for this stretch. Contraindications for this stretch are if you’re experiencing any of the following; Low blood pressure, Migraine, Diarrhea, Headache, and Insomnia please don’t do the stretch.
Summer Injury Prevention: Tools to Avoid Pain
Regardless of the time of year each season brings certain risk factors for injuring your back. In the Spring and Summer many people get outside and become more active drastically increasing work or exercise intensity and frequency. In a past post I discussed how physical therapists can help your back pain but today I thought we could focus more on prevention. Below you will learn some common sense strategies, postures, and or body mechanics to help you minimize risk of back injury in the first place.
High Heels: Great for Fashion, Bad for Your Body
Every lady loves the way her legs look in a killer pair of high heels. But what most women don’t know is that habitual use of those great shoes can have severe effects on joint health. High heels change foot posture, which then in turn changes the alignment of the entire lower body and the direction of the pull of gravity in relationship to those joints, thus stresses muscles in an abnormal fashion. (more…)
How Do I Get Rid of This Hip and Back Pain?
Are you experiencing pain towards the back of your hip or on one side of your lower back? Perhaps you fell onto one buttock or maybe you stepped off a curb or missed a last step and landed, hard, on one leg. You might just have pain in this area but don’t know the cause. What you should know is Physical Therapy can help! For pain that occurs with walking, prolonged sitting or standing, bending forward, standing up from a sitting position or climbing stairs, our physical therapists are here to help. (more…)