4 Tips To Protect Your Back While Lifting and Carrying
Did you know that 9/10 people will experience some form of back pain in their lives?! As a physical therapist I have literally seen just about everything – from heavy lifting and falls to simply “I bent over to pick up my toothbrush”. Some of the most-common injuries that we encounter are a result of lifting and carrying objects. This is a frustrating situation that sets the patient back quite a bit, often resulting in missed days at work or play. The most frustrating part for me is that this situation can be avoided altogether with a little bit of education and exercise. Today one of our back pain specialists, Toby Bluth, PT, DPT will discuss proper lifting mechanics – what’s right, what’s wrong, and what you can do to avoid injury:
As a Doctor of Physical Therapy for the past six years at the Fit Stop, elbow pain is probably the second most common arm ailment I treat (following issues related to shoulder pain). This annoying pain in the elbow is usually due to something called “lateral epicondylitis” or “tennis elbow”. What is odd, however, is that only a few of these patients have actually developed this condition from playing tennis!
So what’s the deal? What is lateral epicondylitis and how can PT help this limiting condition? Today on the Fit Stop Blog Toby Bluth, PT, DPT discusses tennis elbow – what it is, why you get it, and what physical therapy can offer you to help you feel better.
Chances are pretty good that at some point or another, you have experienced shoulder pain. In fact, it’s one of the top three complaints we typically see here in our physical therapy clinic. It seems like everything from throwing and working overhead to even just sleeping on it wrong can cause some shoulder pain. So at what point do we need to be concerned that it’s serious? How can we differentiate between “shoulder pain” which will go away in 1-2 weeks versus something more serious like your rotator cuff? Well today Tyler Bluth, PT, MPT, sheds a little light on that subject. Read all about what it rotator cuff pain and what you should do if you suspect you might have it:
“Patellofemoral pain (PFP)” may not be a familiar term, however there is a good chance you are familiar with the pain associated with this condition (especially if you are young and active!). PFP has also been referred to as anterior knee pain or chondromalacia patella. According to the journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy (JOSPT), PFP is the most common reason that active people seek health care. In fact, JOSPT states that 2.5 million runners are diagnosed with PFP each year. It is also interesting to note that women are at higher risk for developing PFP, and the pain is most often recurring, meaning even after the pain has gone away, it is pretty likely it will come back. Recurrence rates have been cited as high as 90%. So what is the problem? What is patellofemoral pain, why do you get it, and what are some things you can do to fix it?
Announcing the newest addition to the Fit Stop family!!
At Fit Stop Physical Therapy our main objective is to help you to achieve you goals and fulfill your potential. Our job isn’t done until you’re completely satisfied with your results. One way we can serve you better is to bring our friendly, professional services a little closer to where you live. We’re thrilled to announce our newest physical therapy clinic to serve the south Salt Lake valley! We just completed an all-new, state-of-the-art facility in Murray at
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.
The scenario is all too common. You’re pushing for one last repetition in the gym on a bench press (or maybe an overhead shoulder press) and you’re stopped by a sudden, immediate pain in the front of your shoulder as that last effort is made to push the weight up. Of course immediately after this pain comes the subsequent frustration from the inability to continue to lift because of that dang shoulder pain. I see it all the time as a physical therapist and have even experienced it myself. It is frustrating. Today on the Fit Stop Blog, Toby Bluth, PT, DPT is sharing a shoulder warm up with us to hopefully avoid this pain, increase your workout tolerance, and help take your fitness to new levels. Keep reading for more…
In my opinion, one of the best parts about working where we do is our amazing facilities! All of our Fit Stop PT clinics sit adjacent to world-class gym facilities with literally millions of dollars of machines and gym equipment at our disposal. That being said, we get quite a few questions from quite a few gym patrons regarding various injuries. One of the most common is the shoulder. If you’ve spent any time lifting weights you know that the shoulder is one of the most-susceptible joints to injury. Today one of our shoulder specialists, Toby Bluth, PT, DPT, is sharing 5 tips to avoid shoulder pain while exercising regularly. Try some of them out and see if you can help eliminate your shoulder pain in the gym!
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.
As a doctor of physical therapy, I see a lot of different patients for a lot of different reasons. Sure there are some with sprains, strains, bumps, and bruises, but would it surprise you to hear that the vast majority of people that I see in the clinic have pain/discomfort simply because they’re weak?! No kidding! I honestly believe that many people wouldn’t have the aches and pains that the do if they would just spend 10 minutes of their day focusing on strength training. Today I wanted to share with you 5 exercises that you could literally do everyday to strengthen key muscle groups in you body to avoid pain and maximize function. Here we go!
