Why Sooner Is Better Than Later

In all aspects of healthcare, you often hear the phrase, “early detection.” Over the span of lives of mankind, medicine of all disciplines has changed their focus from a tendency toward reactive treatment to a model of preventative care. From dental disease to diet and cancer to cardiology, the human body is linked intricately together. The sooner small problems can be measured and managed, the less likely larger problems will develop down the road. The same is true with physical therapy. Treatment of acute injuries or illnesses take much longer to treat than a preventative plan of care that addresses minor pain or weakness swiftly and effectively.Faster Treatment for a Faster RecoveryThe extent of an injury is oftentimes not immediately apparent after an injury. Some injuries, especially soft tissue injuries, can start out as mild pain, but lead to more serious complications down the line. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), “80% of adults experience back pain at some point in their lives. [https://www.nih.gov/]” This high number could indicate that people often simply live with the pain in lieu of treatment, and it’s less of an issue of “if” than “when.”The early treatment of soft tissue can help to improve range of motion, allowing for strengthening and stretching, and it can also work to prevent more dramatic interventions such as surgery or injections. Having a “wait and see” mentality may be a healthy mindset when it comes to life’s little problems, but when you only get one body to live in, it’s better to be safe than sorry.Long Term Injuries and OpioidsAnother reason that early detection, evaluation, and treatment are so important is because of the long term effects on the body of opioid painkillers. According to an article by Science.com, “At high doses, opioid painkillers actually seem to amplify pain by changing signaling in the central nervous system, making the body generally more sensitive to painful stimuli [shorturl.at/aLNZ3].” A phenomenon called hyperalgesia, it is mostly uncharted territory that scientists are still attempting to understand better.As odd as it may sound, pain is a vital evolutionary gift given to us to keep us from worse harm or injury, and to force our bodies to rest and recover in the face of severe injuries. Without it, we wouldn’t know to pull our hands off of a hot stove. In a way, pain is our bodies own “early detection,” and we can’t mask it indefinitely with opioids any more than you can inject a linebacker with a broken femur and send him back in the game.When it comes to saving time and resources, early treatment at the first sign of injury or neurological illness is probably more efficient, but the benefits of early detection for preventing further or worse injury is undisputed. We have several convenient locations to serve you and we have a 24-48 turnaround policy on evaluations for new patients. We specifically hold blocks of time on our schedule open each week to ensure that new patients can get in at the first sign of injury or illness. Don’t live in pain a moment longer than you have to! Call us today to start your path to a pain free holiday season!

How can Physical Therapy help me?

Physical Therapy for Psoriatic Arthritis: 6 Things You Should Know |  Everyday Health

Physical Therapy is a trusted healthcare industry dedicated to evaluating and treating certain injuries and illnesses. The goal of Physical Therapists is to ease pain by helping you to move, live, and function better. [Source: bls.gov]. Also known as physiotherapists, these highly trained professionals go through a doctorate program with specific emphasis on kinesiology, or the movement of the body, biology, and the musculoskeletal system.

Developing a Plan of Care

Since insurance companies determine payment by a therapist’s outcomes, developing a plan of care based on an initial evaluation or re-evaluation is the first thing your therapist will do with you. An evaluation is a consultation between you and your therapist in which your level of injury will be determined. Your therapist will ask you about pain, exercise, and sometimes even sleeping and nutritional habits to determine the root cause of your pain. From there, your therapist will likely prescribe a regimen of PT that can take days, weeks, or months, depending on the illness or injury. Common illnesses and injuries treated by physical therapists are arthritis, post surgical care, pre surgical conditioning and care, low back pain, TMD, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, and joint issues [Source: apta.org].


After the Evaluation
After your evaluation and plan of care are complete, you will begin treatment. Since the goal of therapy is to minimize or eliminate pain, your PT will likely develop a combination of treatments, in addition to exercises to strengthen your muscles, improving your stability. Your therapist will likely treat you with massage, mobilization, and stretches until you are comfortable enough to perform more complex movements. You may be recommended to try cold and hot compresses, electronic stimulation (e-stim), and dry needling. Some patients are unable to properly work out because their injury or illness is too acute [Source: apta.org].


Discharge
When your therapist has reached the outcomes he or she set during your initial evaluation, you will be discharged from Physical Therapy. After being discharged from PT, you can continue to follow up with PT once a month or PRN as a preventative measure. You may be asked to keep up a home exercise program or keep up your normal activity level pre injury-we will always be working towards your activity goal [Source: WebPT.com]. Many insurance companies actually require PT before and after surgeries because it has been deemed the most effective way for surgeons to improve their own outcomes. PT can help you to live a life pain-free, flexible, and comfortable [Source: cms.gov]. As of 2016, you do not need a prescription from a medical doctor for PT. You can simply walk into any of our clinics, and we will schedule an appointment with you. October is National Physical Therapy Month, so there is no better time to come in and start your healing process today!

When Backs Go Bad: Part II

Back pain is very common, yet many people are unaware of actual causes, types and cures for back pain. We are here to help and educate you for those moments when your “back goes bad!”  Follow along and learn with us as we continue our “When Backs Go Bad” Blog Series featuring more information about Lumber Stenosis!

What Does It Look Like?

  • Pain with bending backwards
  • Pain in the middle of the low back
  • Pain can radiate into both legs at the same time
  • Pain increases with walking longer distances
  • Pain is better with sitting or leaning forward on a shopping cart

What Does it Sound Like?

  • “When I’m walking in the store, my back starts hurting. I have to lean on the cart to keep walking.”
  • “When my back really starts hurting, I have to sit down and my pain goes away, after a while.”
  • “My back hurts if I lay on my back for too long but if I bring my knees to my chest, it feels better.”
  • “Laying on my side feels much better.”
  • “I’ve had back pain for years but now I feel that both of my legs are weak”
  • “Ther other day, I was walking around in the yard, and for no reason, my legs gave out and I fell”

What Are Other Names for Stenosis

  • Advanced Arthritis
  • Central Canal Stenosis
  • Moderate to Severe Degenerative Disc Disease

5 Facts About Lumbar Stenosis

  1. Stenosis is a condition that affects the center of the spinal canal. The arthritis compresses on the spinal cord itself and can affect both legs at the same time.
  2. Stenosis is typically seen in an older population. (>65 years old)
  3. Patients with stenosis may have worsening weakness in both legs, which can cause falls.
  4. Weakness in legs can also cause issues with getting out of a low chair, getting out of the bathtub, or getting into a larger vehicle.
  5. When a person bends forward, this actually “opens up” the spinal canal by almost 20%. This gives the spinal cord more room to move and can help decrease pain.

How Can Physical Therapy Help with Stenosis

  • Through hands-on techniques, we can work to “open up” the spinal canal and allow for the spinal cord to have more room to move. This will decrease pain and give proper activation to the muscles in the legs.
  • On top of this, we will work on the muscles in the low back to help keep the spinal canal more open. We will also give exercises to help with any strength loss in the legs.
  • With decreased strength in the legs, you may also have a loss of balance. We have a series of techniques and exercises to help improve balance in the home, in the community, and even walking outside on uneven surfaces.

At Precision Rehabilitation, we can answer any questions that arise in order to help you understand your specific issue. Our team strives to instill confidence in your health and allow you to live a healthier lifestyle. We will teach you how to move properly and help you to take control of your own health.

Find your nearest location and schedule an appointment with us!

written by Beau Saunier PT, DPT, FAAOMPT

When Backs Go Bad – Part I

Did you know that 80-90% of people have low back pain at some point in their lives? Back pain is very common, yet many people are unaware of actual causes, types and cures for back pain. We are here to help and educate you for those moments when your “back goes bad!”  Follow along and learn with us as we share our “When Backs Go Bad” Blog Series!

Arthritis/Degeneative Disc Disease

What Does it Look Like?

  • Pain with bending backwards or side to side
  • Pain with prolonged standing
  • Pain with lifting heavier objects
  • Weakness in the core muscles
  • Change in walking pattern due to pain
  • Pain mostly in the Low back but can radiate into the buttock or the leg.
  • There may be nerve irritation.

What Does it Sound Like?

  • “My back is always sore”
  • “My back hurts when I lift something too heavy”
  • “I have pain when I stand for too long or stand up from sitting too long”
  • “It feels like I keep pulling muscles in my back”
  • “I have pain on one side of my low back and sometimes it moves down into my buttock region”

What are some other names for Arthritis?

  • Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Spondylosis
  • Lateral Foraminal Stenosis
  • Old Age

5 Facts about Arthritis/Degenerative Disc Disease:

  1. 80-90% of people have low back pain at some point in their lives.
  2. 80% of people, over 40 years old, have some degree of arthritis in their low back.
  3. Nerves may get “pinched” due to arthritis, this is why there will be pain into the buttock and even into the leg.
  4. Your body may compensate due to pain, you may experience hip, knee, or even foot pain that may be a result of your low back.
  5. Arthritis is a normal occurrence, this does not mean that you have to have low back pain.

How can Physical Therapy help with arthritis?

  • While we cannot reverse any arthritis that is present, we can get your low back joints moving better. This takes pressure off of any  structures that have arthritis, as well as nerves that may be compressed due to arthritis. We also address any compensations that come from the low back pain and alleviate any pain or poor movement that results.
  • In addition to this, we can give you a specific set of exercises that will help to address specific muscle weaknesses as well as keep the low back joints moving and help to decrease any compensations in the hip, knee, ankle, foot, etc.

At Precision Rehabilitation, we can answer any questions that arise in order to help you understand your specific issue. Our team strives to instill confidence in your health and allow you to live a healthier lifestyle. We will teach you how to move properly and help you to take control of your own health.

Find your nearest location and schedule an appointment with us!

written by Beau Saunier PT, DPT