By fitstoppt 02 Nov, 2015 Advice, Exercise, FAQ, Health, Health Tips, Healthcare, Injury, Physical Therapy, Shoulder Pain best, injury, options, pain, physical therapy, rotator cuff, shoulder, treatment As a physical therapist, I enjoy hearing the different terminology for the rotator cuff (RC): “I think I tore my rotor cup” is one of my favorites. However, the thought of a torn rotator cuff is never amusing and with good reason conjures up fear and worry. In today’s post here on the Fit Stop Blog, our shoulder specialist – Toby Bluth, PT, DPT – is discussing the rotator cuff. What is it? Why is it so important? And finally, what should be done if you suspect or have been told that you have a torn rotator cuff?
More By fitstoppt 14 Oct, 2015 Advice, At Home, FAQ, Fitness, Health Tips, Healthcare, Injury, Pain Management, Physical Therapy, Wellness injury, neck, pain, physical therapy, rehab, rehabilitation, treatment What a pain in the neck!
At some point in life, your neck will likely cause you pain. Neck pain is right up there with pain related to the low back as far as how common it is. According to some sources, the burden placed on the economy because of neck pain, is second only to low back pain. In fact as many as 54% of individuals have experienced some neck pain in the past 6 months. Once this neck pain comes, it is very likely to stay for a long time and to come back again after it has initially resolved. So you can see that neck pain truly is a pain in the neck for a lot of people (including myself). My job as a physical therapist is a physically active job, requiring physical exertion at times that puts a bit of stress on my upper back and neck. By the end of my work week, I go home with a pretty tired, and sometimes outright painful neck. So what is the deal? What is typically causing our neck pain and why is it so common after all?
More By fitstoppt 02 Oct, 2015 Advice, FAQ, Health, Health Tips, Healthcare, Injury, Pain Management, Physical Therapy, Tips, Wellness healing, injury, physical therapy, PT, recovery, rehab, rehabilitation As physical therapists we frequently see patients who are recovering from some kind of surgery. Knees, hips, shoulders, backs, and necks are among the most popular post-surgery issues that we work with. In the United States joint related surgeries are increasing at a rapid rate. For example, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), in the USA between the years 2000-2010, total knee replacement surgery (TKA) rates doubled. In fact, the TKA is the most common inpatient surgery being performed nowadays. From shoulder surgery (which is the most common in our clinics), to knee and back surgery, there certainly is a time and place for these surgeries. However, the cost, time away from work for recovery, and risk associated with these surgeries is significant, and I often remind my patients of these factors when considering surgery. Most of the time, my patients seem pleased with the outcome of their surgery. However, as the obviously biased PT that I am, I often wonder – could this surgery have been avoided using conservative physical therapy? Well today, I am going to answer that question.
More By fitstoppt 01 Aug, 2015 Advice, Exercise, FAQ, Healthcare, Injury, Pain Management, Tips exercise, fascia, fasciitis, foot, heel, pain, plantar, walk, walking, workout CLICK HERE TO BE TAKEN TO PART ONE OF THIS POST
INCLUDING “WHAT IS PLANTAR FASCIITIS” AND “WHY DO YOU GET IT”
In a previous post I discussed the what and why of plantar fasciitis (PF). To put it simply, PF is one of the most painful conditions I treat as a physical therapist, and also one of the most challenging to treat. There are a myriad of options available for treatment, however, there is no tried and true single treatment available to cure PF. But before you get too discouraged, read on to learn about the best approach to treating your nasty PF pain using physical therapy.
More By fitstoppt 27 Jul, 2015 Advice, FAQ, Health, Health Tips, Healthcare, Physical Therapy advice, copay, deductible, faq, health, information, insurance, medical, physical therapy, PT, what to expect Health Insurance in the United States has been a pretty hot topic over the last few years. The Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as “Obamacare”, has been a controversial change that has made an impact in many areas of healthcare, including physical therapy (PT). With the changes, it seems that more Americans have access to affordable health insurance. However, does this insurance include coverage for PT services, and with that coverage, does in now make PT more affordable? Today on the Fit Stop Blog Toby Bluth, PT, DPT, answers your questions about health insurance coverage of physical therapy.
More By fitstoppt 15 Jul, 2015 Health Tips, Healthcare, Physical Therapy best, bike, cycle, dam, fun, harmons, MS, multiple sclerosis, ride Twelve years ago, our son, Tyler, was just beginning the Masters of Physical Therapy program at the University of Utah. He complained of neck pain, so an MRI was performed. To our surprise, he didn’t have a disc injury, he had Multiple Sclerosis. Further testing revealed that he not only had lesions in his spinal column but also in his brain. This was a difficult time for Tyler and our family.
More By fitstoppt 03 Jul, 2015 Advice, Exercise, Fitness, Health, Healthcare, Physical Therapy, Tips advice, back pain, exercise, faq, fitness, health, healthy, physical therapy, Pilates, PT, wellness Have you ever tried Pilates? I don’t care if you’re a guy or gal, 25 or 65, all of us could stand to improve our bodies and our health! As physical therapists we often get asked, “What can I do after physical therapy to stay healthy and keep from getting reinjured?” It’s a great question that we love to hear and can have a variety of answers depending on the individual. For many patients, Pilates can be an awesome way to continue the progress made in physical therapy. Today we’re sharing our top 5 reasons we believe Pilates is an excellent choice following completion of physical therapy.
More By fitstoppt 01 Jul, 2015 Advice, FAQ, Health, Health Tips, Healthcare, Knee Pain, Pain Management, Physical Therapy chondroitin, fitness, glucosamine, health, joint, pain, supplements, wellness As physical therapists we deal with joint pain on a daily basis. A common question we get from our patients is “Is their something I can take, a supplement of some sort, that can help my joint pain? I’ve heard glucosamine and chondroitin is helpful. What do you think?” Today on the Fit Stop Blog Toby Bluth, PT, DPT, shares the best answer to hopefully help you clear up some facts about these supplements and joint pain. Keep reading for more!
More By fitstoppt 26 Jun, 2015 Advice, FAQ, Health, Healthcare, Physical Therapy advice, faq, health, healthcare, physical therapy, PT Your back has been hurting for weeks now. You thought it would “just get better on its own” like it has in the past, but for some reason this pain is lingering a lot longer. You’ve finally had it and decide to go see your doctor. After a thorough examination he hands you a piece of paper – a referral for physical therapy. “Physical therapy?? What are they going to do?”
Plenty of people have had this exact same question. Today one of our physical therapists, Tyler Bluth, explains all about what you can expect heading in to your first physical therapy visit.
More By fitstoppt 18 Jun, 2015 Advice, At Home, Exercise, Fitness, Health Tips, Healthcare, Injury, Pain Management, Physical Therapy active, advice, back pain, exercise, faq, function, health, healthy, injury, physical therapy, PT, wellness As a doctor of physical therapy, one of the simplest and yet most valuable pieces of equipment that we have in the clinic is the foam roller. This one simple tool offers numerous exercises with a myriad of benefits: increase joint flexibility, improve posture, injury prevention, and injury recovery (to name just a few!). Today on The Fit Stop Blog, I wanted to share with you my 10 favorite foam roller exercises to ascertain you enjoy a full summer of sun-filled, healthy, injury-free moving!
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