All Posts tagged pain

How to decrease neck tension and headache

How to decrease neck tension and headache

I have a question for all of you fellow laptop cradlers and cell phone junkies:  Are you often plagued by neck or shoulder pain or tightness which slowly works its way up the back of your head and becomes a nagging headache?  Often you eventually feel the headache settle behind your eyes and you can even get blurry vision.  More often than not you blame it on your desk, on staring at the computer screen or on your work.  Although these are contributing factors, the biggest problem is with your posture!  Today one of our spine specialists, Cameron Garber, PT, DPT is talking all about shoulder and neck tension/pain – what it is, why you get it, and what you can do to eliminate it!

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Do Inversion Tables Help Low Back Pain

Do Inversion Tables Help Low Back Pain

Will an Inversion Table help my Low Back Pain?

As a physical therapist, I have heard many, many very interesting treatment approaches for low back pain (LBP).  We as human beings have actually gotten pretty creative in treating LBP.  From the more mainstream approaches of modern medicine, to the more “alternative” approach, there is much to choose from out there.  Because of the myriad of options, it can be pretty difficult to know exactly where to start, and what to focus on.  Today one of our back pain specialists, Toby Bluth, PT, DPT, weighs in on one of these treatments – inversion tables. Learn the how, why, and what behind this treatment and whether or not you could benefit from it! Keep reading for more…

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5 Most Common Types Of Hip Pain

5 Most Common Types Of Hip Pain

In our Fit Stop clinics one regular complaint that we hear from our patients and gym members is related to hip pain.  Whether it occurs in the front, the side, or the back – it’s amazing how debilitating pain in this area can be! One would think that issues in this area should be fairly straight-forward to rehabilitate.  However, given the multiple muscles, tendons, joints, and bones that are located in this area this pain can actually be quite tricky to diagnose. Today we have one of our orthopedic specialists, Toby Bluth, PT, DPT, here to discuss the 5 most common kinds of hip pain as well as the most likely cause of that pain. Keep reading for more!

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How to treat frozen shoulder

How to treat frozen shoulder

Today on the Fit Stop Blog I would like to discuss one of the most painful conditions that I see regularly – the dreaded, miserable, absolutely debilitating – frozen shoulder (FS), (AKA adhesive capsulitis).  Now, FS is truly a painful son of a gun.  Growing up as the son of a physical therapist, I used to observe my father from time to time in the clinic.  I remember watching him work with these poor patients who had FS, and they would be in tears from the stretching.  I used to think to myself, well, that doesn’t look like a whole lot of fun, for either patient or therapist!  I wondered if the field of PT was really for me after observing some of those treatments.  Well, fast forward a few years later, and here I am blogging about this all-too-common condition.  FS is a very interesting condition, and actually not very well understood.  Today, I will discuss what it is, and why we think certain people actually get it.

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Heat Or Ice For Pain?

Heat Or Ice For Pain?

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Should I put heat or ice on my injury?

We’ve all heard that you’re supposed to put ice on an injury. We’ve all heard that heat can help, too. But which one is it? And how do you know? As physical therapists, this is a question that we answer all day long from our patients, so today we wanted to share this knowledge with you! One of our sports injury experts, Jared Beckstrand, PT, DPT is here to answer your questions about the implications for heat vs ice when it comes to injury management. Keep reading for more!

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How to treat Achilles Tendonitis

How to treat Achilles Tendonitis

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Achilles Tendonitis (AT) is a relatively common pain in the Achilles tendon, the major tendon that connects the heel bone to the calf muscles.  As with any term that contains the suffix “itis”, AT indicates inflammation of the Achilles tendon.  This condition can affect anybody, but is most common in active populations (runners) who have experienced some sort of increase in training intensity or duration.  It has been reported that 50% of runners will experience AT at some point in their life. Repetitively pushing off from the ball of the foot over miles of training can definitely cause some pain and inflammation.  If you’ve been running or playing extra hard lately, have a pain in the heel or lower calf area that has been lingering for more that a few days, and is quite tender when pushed on, you probably have the dreaded AT.  So, what now?  Well, you are in luck, because today on the Fit Stop blog Toby Bluth, PT, DPT is breaking down Achilles tendonitis: what it is, why you get it, and steps you can take to help it to feel better! Keep reading for more!

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How to treat a rotator cuff tear

How to treat a rotator cuff tear

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?  

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How to fix chronic pain

How to fix chronic pain

We’ve all been there before. You have an injury that, for some reason, is hanging around a lot longer than it should. You’ve “tried everything” including ice, ibuprofen, rest/taking time off, and every rub/salve/pain patch you can find, and yet your pain persists. What gives? How come you just can’t heal like when you were younger (we get that question A LOT!)?? Well chances are you’re doing a lot to treat the SYMPTOMS of your pain, but nothing to address the CAUSE of your pain. Today one of our specialists, Jared Beckstrand, PT, DPT, is discussing why you might be hurting for longer than necessary and what you can do to start to feel better. Keep reading for more!

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Physical therapy for neck pain

Physical therapy for neck pain

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?

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Best Conservative Treatment For Shoulder Tendinitis

Best Conservative Treatment For Shoulder Tendinitis

“Shoulder pain” can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For some it means rest, don’t use it for three days, and maybe it will go away. For others it might be a signal that “I just need to go work it out and it will feel better”. But how do you really know which treatment is right for you? Today on the Fit Stop Blog, Tyler Bluth, PT, MPT is sharing his thoughts on shoulder tendonitis = what if is, why you get it, and some simple steps you can take to help it to feel better. Keep reading for more:

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