Back pain and injuries are among the most common reasons for doctor and hospital visits. Back pain is also a common reason for missed work and lost wages. In short, it can be a real problem. Not all back pain is the same, however, and understanding the differences can play a role in how effectively you treat it.
Lower back pain is one of the most frustrating and debilitating types of pain a person can experience. It also turns out to be one of the most common, especially as modern lifestyles involve more sitting and less movement. This prolonged sitting, along with poor posture and general muscle weakness can contribute to stiffness and pain in the lower back.
If you’ve ever woken up with a stiff back or suddenly tweaked your back lifting something simple, you’re not alone. Back pain is more common than most people think. Most American adults report that they have experienced back in their lives. In fact, a national health survey revealed that 39% of adults aged 18 and over experienced back pain within the previous three months1.
Often on this blog we refer to personalized treatment or exercise programs developed by professional physical therapists. This personalized approach is often cited as one of the key benefits of physical therapy. How much of a benefit is it really, though? In a world awash in fitness apps, “30-day programs”, and thousands of hours of YouTube workout videos,
Most people don’t look forward to old age, though as the saying goes, it beats the alternative. Aging can bring with it a decline in many of our bodies’ most basic functions. Muscles can weaken. Joints can stiffen. Even our brains can lose the sharpness and acuity we enjoyed in younger years. Luckily, we know that staying physically active can help keep our muscles and joints healthy into our later years.
For many people, winter and the holiday season can mean less movement, more sweets, and a tendency to spend a little more time indoors and less time being physically active. If you find yourself nearing the end of a cold and sedentary winter, you may be looking forward to getting active out in the beautiful spring weather.
Valentine’s Day is often thought of as a day for couples in romantic relationships. For many people, it’s a day full of flowers and chocolates and candle-lit dinners, but it can be more than that. On a day dedicated to love, it can be a good opportunity to think about self-love and personal care. It can be a great reason to remind yourself how important it is to care for your health,
The word mobility may make you think of how well a person can walk or run. When you hear a football announcer talk about a quarterback’s “mobility”, they are talking about how well that quarterback can escape the pocket and make plays with his feet. When a physical therapist talks about mobility, though, they are more likely talking about your ability to move your joints and use your muscles easily and comfortably – not your ability to scramble for a first down.
About 1 in 4 American adults suffer from arthritis. The joint stiffness, pain, and general discomfort can make nearly every aspect of their lives more challenging. Working, playing, and performing basic household tasks can be annoying, frustrating and, at times, excruciating.
Arthritis is a broad term for conditions that affect the joints, joint tissue,
Almost everyone does some amount of walking, and the health benefits are easy to understand. It makes sense to expect running to be even better for your health. If so, how much better is it? How do the risks compare to the benefits? These questions matter because we want to get the most from our exercise routines,
Modern surgery has advanced to a point where it is safer and less invasive than ever before. When needed, it can be almost miraculous in its ability to save or extend lives. However, surgery is not always a quick fix. It is often the beginning of a long recovery process. That recovery process starts in the hospital,
The new year always provides a great opportunity to set goals and make plans for the near future. We often resolve to eliminate a bad habit or create a good one, to improve our health or strengthen our relationships. And while many of these resolutions may go unfulfilled, it’s never a bad idea to aspire to something better.
One of the great joys of the holiday season is reuniting with friends and family members we don’t get to see for much of the year. Of course, this often means traveling long distances. Whether we travel by air or over the ground, it often means long periods of sitting, fitting into cramped spaces, lifting luggage,
Physical therapy can benefit people in far more situations than most realize. Physical therapists help people with chronic pain, mobility issues, balance issues, and are invaluable resources for someone recovering from surgery or rehabbing an injury. They can even help prepare your body before surgery. Because of their training and whole-body approach to medicine,
Our hips are a central part of so much of what we do every day that it’s easy to take them for granted. Hip rotation and mobility affect our walking, sitting, bending, balancing, and so much more. This becomes obvious as soon as we experience some pain or stiffness in our hips. Suddenly, many simple tasks and activities can become excruciating,
It’s easy to ignore many minor aches and pains. With all of life’s responsibilities, obligations, and opportunities, most of us are too busy to worry about some minor discomfort. Even in our hands and wrists, some of our body’s most necessary and useful parts, it’s easy to brush off minor pain as “normal” and expect it to go away on its own.
Your hip joints are the second biggest joints in your body, and are crucial parts of much of what you do. As a bridge between your upper and lower body, they play a vital role in your movement, while also providing shock absorption and protecting your lower back from strain. Walking, running, and jumping would be impossible without them.
You may have heard of a technique called dry needling and wondered what exactly it is. Sticking needles in your skin to treat musculoskeletal pain may sound a little strange. It’s basically acupuncture, right? Not exactly. While there are some similarities, there are some important differences, too. Acupuncture is an ancient technique that has been a part of traditional Chinese medicine for about 3000 years.
Aging bodies go through many changes. Even healthy bodies with good diets and regular exercise cannot escape the inevitable changes that can come with time: declining muscle strength and flexibility, vision loss, cognitive decline, and more. While we can work to slow down these changes and maybe even make some improvements in our senior years,
Many of us have experience with some annoying pain or another: that nagging knee, stiff shoulder, or hip that just won’t quit. Especially as we age, a little joint pain or stiffness can become more likely. Often, we can attribute it to some task we performed recently, whether that pickle ball match or when we helped move that friend’s couch.