Women’s health issues may include problems with incontinence, pre and post partum weakness/pain, and pain in the pelvic floor region which can occur gradually, through trauma, or even after surgery. Physical Therapy can help with scar mobilization, education in techniques to help with voiding schedules and posture and exercises to help strengthen the pelvic floor and surrounding musculature.
Archives: Conditions
Holds our conditions and condition-specific data
Whiplash
Whiplash injuries are often sustained in a rear end motor vehicle accident. The head is often thrust forward and then backward at a high velocity which overstretches and may also compress the muscles, structures and vertebrae of the cervical spine. Physical therapy can help to address the alignment problems, soft tissue damage, and stretching and strengthening needed to restore optimal function. Pleas also see car accident and motor vehicle definitions.
Neural Fibrosis
Neural fibrosis is a thickening or scarring around a nerve. This may be caused by repeated traction, friction or rubbing, constriction or potential rupture of the nerve. At Goodell Physical Therapy a thorough evaluation will be performed and an individualized treatment plan implemented to help patient by decreasing the scarring with manual therapy, assist the structures in proper healing, and educate patients in promoting postures that alleviate pressure on the nerve and retraining postures that contribute toward nerve problems.
Nerve Pain
Nerve pain is also called neuralgia. Is can be caused by injury, inflammation, compression, disease and nerve degeneration. Nerve pain can follow the path of a specific nerve and may involve weakness and/or decreased or absent sensation. Physical therapy can help patients regain strength, centralize the symptoms so the pain is not spread our and educate the patient in preventative measures.
Numbness
Numbness is also known as paresthesia. It is a sensation of a person’s skin that may be described as pins and needles, tingling, or a limb being “asleep”. Numbness may come and go or be more constant. Constant numbness may be a problem with the function of neurons. This may be due to poor circulation, vitamin deficiency or a metabolic problem such as hypothyroidism or diabetes. Nerves can also become inflamed contributing toward numbness. Neck and spine problems may compress nerves and muscle cramps, bad posture, unsafe lifting practices and physical trauma can all contribute towards potential numbness. Physical therapy can help through a thorough evaluation identifying the problem, trying conservative measures such as education in posture, nutrition, manual techniques to help with spinal alignment and myofascial release, and individualized exercises to increase balance and strength.
Muscle Strain / Muscle Tear
After an injury, muscles may spasm, become strained, or even tear. Muscle spasms are tight muscles that usually occur early after an injury. Muscle strains, also called pulled muscles, occur when a muscle or tendon that attaches it to the bone is overstretched or torn. Muscle strains may occur because of improper stretching, lack of warm up, too weak or previously injured and has not had adequate time to recover. At Goodell Physical Therapy a thorough evaluation is performed, exercise and patient education is emphasized to help you recover from and prevent further injury.
Low Back Pain
Low back pain is a common complaint among both genders and affects most all occupations and age groups. Almost everyone experiences back pain at some point in their life. At Goodell Physical Therapy a thorough evaluation is performed and individualized goals and a treatment plan are designed. Patients are educated in proper posture, body mechanics and ergonomics to help protect their spine. Exercises for strengthening, stretching, and stabilization are often provided with the goal of preventing further injury and return to individually desired activities.
Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises help strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor which help support the bladder and sphincter muscles. If the muscles are already weak, people may have difficulty identifying and isolating the muscles of the pelvic floor. At Goodell Physical Therapy we can help make sure exercise is performed correctly and design a resistance program tailored to fit your needs.
Ligament Injuries
Ligaments connect bone to bone and help provide stability within a joint. There are different levels of sprains to a ligament and if the injury is significant a tear may result. Some ligament tears may require surgery. It is possible to damage more than one ligament in the same incident. Ligament Injuries commonly occur in the shoulder, knee, and ankle. The most common ligament injuries in the knee include the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medical collateral ligament (MCL), and less commonly the lateral collateral ligament (LCL), and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Physical therapy can help patients with ligamentous injuries to help strengthen structures surrounding the joint. Patients will also benefit from physical therapy post surgery to help ensure a quick and complete recovery.
Neck Pain
Neck Pain
What causes neck pain?
Neck pain can be caused by many different things. The most common reason in the general population is because of poor posture while working on a computer (laptops especially because poor posture) and looking at our cell phones. This can change the position of the bones of the neck (cervical spine) and pull and tighten the muscles around the area. Not only can the muscles of the neck become tight or weak (or both), but muscles of the shoulder and chest often overlap and can be affected by posture, adding to the neck pain.
The more forward your head is, the heavier it becomes for the muscles to hold up. Think about holding a gallon of milk: if you hold it close to your body it feels much lighter than when you hold it out in front of you with your arm straight. It is heavier when it is more in front of you. Similarly, your head is heavier when it is more in front of you. Physics!
Being in this posture throughout the day as we work at our computers and look at our cellphones, many (or all) days of the week, all the time, leads to the muscles adapting to this posture. This can cause tightness and weakness in muscles in the area and this can worsen the pain over time.
There can be other reasons for neck pain and they are often worsened by this posture many of us have.
Other causes of neck pain include: whiplash from a car accident or fall, joint stiffness between the spines of the neck, arthritis, disc herniation. These can also cause tightness and weakness in the area as well.
Treatment
The most important treatment for neck pain is to work on your posture. Posture is most often the underlying reason for neck pain, and even if it is caused by an actual injury, posture often contributes to the pain or slows down the healing process. Since we spend a lot of time at work, and many of us work a lot on computers, your desk ergonomics are a great place to make your first change. Sit-stand desks are a great way to help with this, however, the set up of each is still important. You can find many resources for this online, or your physical therapist can assist with work station set up.
There are also hands on treatments to decrease tightness, joint stiffness, and strengthening exercises that a physical therapist can help with. Sometimes using tape to help calm down muscles and assist you in using the right muscles is a treatment that may be used.
Surgery is something we often try to avoid for neck pain, but may be something that is needed after trying strengthening, stretching, and changing postural habit. This would be something to discuss in physical therapy and with your doctor. Healthcare providers often recommend trying physical therapy first, before considering surgery, depending on what is causing the neck pain.
Patient Resources
Online search for desk ergonomics
Gross AR, Goldsmith C, Hoving JL. Conservative management of mechanical neck disorders: a systematic review. J Rheumatol. 2007;34(5):1083-1102.
Miller J, Gross A, Sylva J. Manual therapy and exercise for neck pain: a systematic review. Man Ther. 2010;15(4):334-354.
Falla D, Jull G, Russell T, Vicenzino B, Hodges P. Effect of neck exercise on sitting posture in patients with chronic neck pain. Phys Ther. 2007;87(4):408-417.
