Glendale, AZ
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7 Tips to Reduce Chronic Joint Pain While Traveling During The Holidays
7 Tips to Reduce Chronic Joint Pain While Traveling During The Holidays
7 Tips to Reduce Chronic Joint Pain While Traveling During The Holidays
Glendale, AZ
623-486-3333
7 Tips to Reduce Chronic Joint Pain While Traveling During The Holidays
7 Tips to Reduce Chronic Joint Pain While Traveling During The Holidays
7 Tips to Reduce Chronic Joint Pain While Traveling During The Holidays
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Joint Pain

7 Tips to Reduce Chronic Joint Pain While Traveling During The Holidays

7 Tips to Reduce Chronic Joint Pain While Traveling During The Holidays

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Traveling during the holidays can, without a doubt, be dreadful if you have chronic joint pain. Some people even miss out on seeing their families over the holiday season because they just can’t handle sitting down for the duration of the trip. We encounter many people who have traveled to another state, whether it may be by car or by plane, and return home with major back, neck, hip, or knee issues.

Patients often come to us and ask, “I want to see my family. What can I do to make traveling less painful for me so that I can go see them?”.

The answer is simple.

Bad posture and little movement prove to be the two main causes of chronic joint pain flare-ups following a trip.

We have put together some tips and tricks in order to make travel during the holidays a little less painful.

Driving Tips To Avoid Chronic Joint Pain Flare-Ups

We all know being stuck in a car for an extended amount of time can be brutal- especially for the driver. Having bad posture while sitting down for hours at a time can lead to severe back problems. Bad posture, little to no movement and the wrong clothes all play a factor in the aches that we often experience when we take a road trip. Here are some tips to avoid common mistakes while on a road trip during the holidays:

Adjust your seat

To stop the pain before it begins, adjusting the car seat before you begin your journey can help immensely. Putting your seat in a position that is tilted slightly backward will allow your elbows to relax and your body to sit naturally. This in turn will reduce the stress placed on the spine because the seat will carry some of your weight.

Avoid tight clothes

Wearing loose and comfortable clothes will allow more movement within the tiny space you might find yourself. Tight clothing or belts can restrict your movement and cause the body to gradually become stiffer over the duration of the trip.

Stop and Stretch

It can be tempting to keep on driving in order to get to your destination as quickly as possible. But people tend to forget that giving the body a break after a certain amount of time in the car is essential. Pulling over to a rest stop or gas station will allow you to get out, walk around and give your legs a much-needed stretch. To help encourage these breaks, drink lots of water!  If you are having low back pain, read this blog about ways to relieve it.

 
 

Flying Tips To Avoid Chronic Joint Pain Flare-Ups

Flying instead of driving does have its perks. One of them is that you can sit back and relax rather than having to keep an eye on the road.  Anytime we can reduce stress when traveling will give you the best chance of lowering chronic joint pain.  Here are some tips to help maximize the perks of flying to help ease chronic joint pain.

Drink Water

When choosing to fly, you have the option to consume alcohol while you are on the way to your destination. While you’re up in the air, it’s important to stick to water due to the fact that drinking alcohol can cause the body to rapidly dehydrate. Dehydration can exaggerate muscle stiffness and cramps, ultimately doing more bad than good.

In-flight Exercises

While on the plane, it can understandably be difficult to get up and move around. Unless you’re walking to the back to use the restroom, you probably aren’t getting much movement. A solution to this would be to do tiny in-flight exercises such as shoulder shrugs and foot circles (think writing the ABC’s with your feet). This will assist blood circulation throughout the body and help to avoid blood clot formation in your legs. This will have a huge impact on the way you feel after landing.

Avoid Moving Walkways

Once you’ve landed, walk, don’t slide, to the baggage claim. Instead of taking a moving walkway, walk to baggage claim!  Our joints and muscles are nourished with movement and walking after a flight is the fastest and easiest way to get our joints and muscles moving again.  Walking also triggers our skeletal muscle pump, the pump responsible for returning blood flow back to the heart, to start working.  This will help reduce the risk of blood clots after a long flight.  Restoring blood flow is vital for people suffering with chronic joint pain.

Push Don’t Pull

The final piece of advice is to push your suitcase, rather than to pull it. Pulling your suitcase from behind as you cross the airport causes the body to twist in a motion that can be harmful to your back. Pushing the suitcase in a forward direction alleviates strain on the back and upper body.  This may require purchasing new luggage, especially if the wheels are no longer rolling as easily as they used to.

 

Tendonitis: How Ice Will Make It Worse

Tendonitis: How Ice Will Make It Worse

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This week’s topic…. Tendonitis.

I’ve had a few cases of tendonitis at my Physical therapy clinic in Glendale, Arizona this past month and they’ve got three things in common…

There’s a weakness in the muscle or one of the surrounding muscles, lots of muscle tension, and a history of repetitive movement under load.

All of these affect each other and one will cause the other to get worse. A weak muscle puts a lot of pressure on the surrounding muscles. This then causes tension to increase in these muscles. As a result, other muscles have to work harder and this overuse causes tension.

So What is Tendonitis?

It might sound very complex but it’s pretty simple…. watch this video explanation for more clarity.

Tendons attach all the muscles in our body to our bones and without them, muscles could not do their job. Tendonitis is an overuse injury, making it chronic in nature. Often times my clients say they feel it building up slowly over time.

The pain that’s felt is because the tendon becomes irritated and inflamed. This irritation becomes worse and eventually, it hurts every time that muscle and tendon are in use.

If you are suffering from a condition called tennis elbow with pain over the outside of the elbow when you move your wrist or grip anything watch this video for more explanation.

So Why Does This Happen?

This happens as a result of a biomechanical imbalance causing the muscles to do too much or do a different job than what it was designed for. This imbalance can also cause the tendons to do work in a different path, causing irritation or inflammation.

When there is localized irritation over a tendon the muscle becomes stronger than the tendon itself. This puts the tendon under a lot of pressure, as it cannot support the action that the muscle is performing.

I’ve seen this with one of my patients who came to us after having surgery. He told me at first, his Achilles tendon pain started as an ache and he tried to push through it until sadly it became so damaged that the tendon snapped away from the bone when he stepped down from his truck.  He said he thought someone had hit him in the leg with a bat!

Tennis elbow isn’t just for tennis players? Click here to read this blog.

How Do You Treat Tendonitis?

Tendons work under the concentric (shortening phase) and eccentric (lengthening phase) contractions of the muscle and are put under more load during the eccentric phase.  The eccentric phase is targeted with repeated movements under load like a backhand in tennis, running or jumping, or with follow-through in the throwing motion. Taking time out of certain activities like golf, pickleball or tennis will help the tendon calm down.

This creates space for cross-training and resistance training to help keep the activity load-balanced over multiple muscle groups.

Tendonitis is a warm injury so icing while resting is essential. This allows the tendon to cool and reduces the pain you’re feeling.

Physical therapy can also help to remove any swelling in the tendon and release the tension in the surrounding muscles, with plenty of hands-on treatment including an instrument or tool-assisted soft tissue mobilization (also known as “scraping”), joint mobilization, cupping, or trigger point dry needling.

This allows the muscles and tendons to go back into the position that they were designed to be in. Stretching can also be a vital part of recovery by relieving the pressure on the tendon.

Strengthening the surrounding muscles and the tendon itself then becomes necessary.  Watch this video for some example exercises to treat tendonitis of the elbow or lateral epicondylitis.

For example, the bicep bends the elbow; so to strengthen the tendon you must resist lengthening of the elbow.  For more examples of this exercise see our video here

This ‘training’ can last up to 4 weeks. But don’t worry, this means that the pain has less chance of coming back.

 

What’s The Worst Thing You Can Do For Tendonitis?

…. And I’ve seen it countless times, it to just rest and ice, then go back to the original activity. Do not do this. It will only end up making things worse in the long run.

Strengthening the tendon is vital!  See this video for some simple exercises to help.

I hope this has helped.  If you or someone you know thinks that they may have tendonitis give us a call.

How to tell if it’s Ligament Damage or Muscle Damage?

How to tell if it’s Ligament Damage or Muscle Damage?

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This is a question I hear from clients when I tell them they’ve damaged their ligaments and it may take longer than it would take to heal the same degree of muscle damage.

In order to fully answer this question, I have to explain a little further about ligaments first…

Let’s Define Ligaments.

Ligaments are tough, small bands of connective tissue joining bone to bone. More importantly, they provide support and structure to a joint. Ligaments are made up of many fibers of collagen, a strong dense material providing the joints with strength.

They even provide feedback to the brain, telling us what position our joints are in without us having to look.

So How Badly Can They Be Damaged?

Just like a muscle, there are varying degrees of damage that can happen to ligaments. Grade one damage is where a few fibers are damaged, causing local pain in the joint. Especially in any movement that the ligament would support.

Grade two damage consists of a lot more fibers being damaged. This causes a significant amount of swelling in that area as well as restricted movement and high pain.

Grade three is a complete tear of all of the fibers. This means that the joint is no longer supported and the ligament is no longer intact. This often, but not always, requires surgical intervention to repair the damage.

Watch this video to learn some exercises to help stabilize your muscles to help with balance. Click here

How Do They Heal?

As with any damage to the body, once the inflammation stage is over, the body begins to lay down new muscle and scar tissue.

Think of it like playdoh. At first, it’s nice, soft, and workable. But, if you leave it alone for too long or don’t apply proper stress to it, it becomes very hard. Therefore, it’s essential that the joint is slowly moved and stretched to return to its full range of motion.  Did you know they used to cast shoulders after an injury and cast knees after surgery! Doing this causes a great deal of stiffness and muscle wasting. Now you’ll notice these same patients are in removable splints or braces to allow them to get out of the protective, yet damaging immobilization so they can move and speed up recovery.

It then needs to be strengthened so that everything in that area (ligaments, tendons, and muscles) can add more protection to the joint.

This is a common mistake that we see time and time again here at my clinic. Mostly with ligament injuries and especially with ankles…. A runner or sports player suffers a grade one or two ligament damage and simply ices it and rests.

All this does, hardens that scar tissue. This means that 2 to 3 weeks later it might be okay to walk on, but as soon as any stress is placed on the joint, it causes pain and restriction in the range of motion.

As a result, this makes our job twice as hard as we have to loosen up and stretch this scar tissue. Unfortunately, it also takes twice as long to repair the damage, compared to if we’d seen it 4-5 days following the initial damage.

Repeated damage is something that we see a lot of too. In this case, the ankle has too much movement because the ligaments are overstretched as a result of the repeated injury.

This makes the problem even more difficult due to the fact that even though you may feel ok, there is a high risk of re-injury.

In cases like these, I like to use this rule… if it just feels ‘alright’ or ‘ok’ then it isn’t… wait until it feels strong.  Meaning, if just walking is your goal then you are probably fine.  But if you want to return to running, cutting, twisting, jumping, or changing directions then you need to be strong.

To answer the original question, just like muscles, ligament damage can be repaired. BUT it’s essential to start within 10 days of the injury once the new tissue begins to grow. This will allow the new fibers and scar tissue to be molded correctly and thus strengthened according to the needs of the individual’s body, sport, or daily life.

P.S If you’re experiencing a sports injury, click here to download my free sports injury report which includes actionable tips that I give to my patients here at Preferred Physical Therapy:

 

How to tell if it's Ligament Damage or Muscle Damage?

7 Reasons You Should Stop Living With Chronic Joint Pain

7 Reasons You Should Stop Living With Chronic Joint Pain

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If you’ve been suffering from Chronic Joint Pain and you’re wanting to break free and:

  • 1) Stop taking painkillers
  • 2) Stop bothering your doctor and spend that time doing something LESS frustrating and more enjoyable than sitting in waiting rooms and traffic.
  • 3) Avoid wearing a back or knee support (which only makes things worse, not better like you hope) and isn’t that healthy or comfortable to wear
  • 4) Suffer less swelling or pain, AFTER you’ve been for a walk
  • 5) Spend more time in the garden, playing with grandchildren, walking with your friends, getting to and staying in the gym.
  • 6) Find more energy when you can sleep better with less aches and pains which won’t be waking you up
  • 7) Live free from the frustrations and restrictions of always having to think and wonder if your knee or lower back will even let you do what you want to do tomorrow, or go where you want without suffering so much pain or stiffness….

…And honestly, I could go on!  The effects of chronic joint pain leak into every aspect of life.

Living With Chronic Joint Pain is Awful.

And getting RELIEF from chronic joint pain is Awfully Wonderful.  People come to us on a daily basis asking what can be done to help find relief from long-lasting problems such as knee, lower back pain, migraines, or neck pain.

One way to fight joint pain with a totally new and different approach is called Trigger Point Dry Needling.  This treatment doesn’t involve pills, injections, or lots of exercise.

This is a treatment MANY people aged 40+ find relief from when suffering from chronic joint pain…

…and if it’s combined with 4 other very natural therapies (in one treatment plan), that is PERFECT for people who really wish there was another way to diminish joint pain, other than the painkillers routinely given out by GPs, then chances are high you will find relief.

If you think you’d like to find a way to get NATURAL relief from any joint pain you’re currently suffering from, what’s holding you back from giving it a closer look?

Too many people are suffering and I want to remove the obstacles to help you make better, more educated, and more informed decisions about whether you think it’s right for you.

Call our clinic to set up a discovery session and ask about Trigger Point Dry Needling!

Or you can always email. After all, I’m here to help!

Have a great day!

Ease Aches & Protect Your Joints From Damage This Winter

Ease Aches & Protect Your Joints From Damage This Winter

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We’re going to guess that you’re reading this article because you enjoy running (or know someone who does)…

Or you’ve read the title and thought it sounds crazy – what could possibly be good about running in the cold, right?

We’re not going to pretend that we ‘enjoy’ stepping outside on a fresh cold morning in our running shorts…

But, this doesn’t mean that you should just stop pounding the pavements just because the temperatures outside have suddenly dropped.

Just the other day, we caught up with a previous patient who, at the end of the year, decided to take up running to live a more active lifestyle.

Each morning, without fail, he got outside and upped his mileage, and as a result, told us that he’s feeling great!

He can now walk further for longer, doesn’t get out of breath when taking the stairs, and has a lot more energy throughout his day.

But, the other day he admitted that now that it’s colder in the mornings, his desire to get out and run is fading away – even though he doesn’t want to stop this good habit he’s kept so well!

We know a lot of people are likely to be feeling this way too and that’s why we want to share five good reasons why running in cold weather is actually good for you. So don’t stop!

So lace up your running shoes, bundle up, and get outside to run after reading this…

watch this video to learn why running is beneficial.

1. It’s The Ideal Weather For Running

Believe it or not, cold weather is actually an ideal running condition.

The colder the weather, the less heat, and stress are placed on the body, which makes it significantly easier to run.

Running in hot weather is taxing on the body. You’ve got to hydrate even more to make sure that you don’t overheat – there’s a reason why most marathons are held near the end of the year.

2. Running In The Cold Promotes Weight Loss

Running in the cold can actually burn more calories as the body has to expend more energy on staying warm.

During the fall and winter months, it’s a lot more tempting to move less and eat more. So taking your run outside is a great way to maintain your weight (and shed some if you want to).

3. Running Can Keep You Feeling Great

As the nights begin earlier and earlier, levels of a feel-good chemical in your brain fall, which can bring on something called Seasonal Affect Disorder in some people.

Running helps release powerful hormones that combat this ‘dull’ feeling, increasing positive mood states during the colder months. This is also known as a “runner’s high”.

4. It Strengthens Your Heart

Cold weather also makes the heart work harder in order to distribute blood flow throughout the body. If you exercise on a regular basis, running in the cold can make your heart even stronger and will help you prepare for your summer workouts. Not to mention, you’ll be able to run further for longer!

5. You’ll Keep In Shape

Many people wait to run until the weather warms up, attempting to cram in their workouts and get in shape for the holidays. Maintaining your regular routine, no matter what the weather condition, keeps excuses at bay and helps you stay on track all year round!

So there you have it! Five reasons why running in the cold is actually good for you, and why you shouldn’t stop, even if the colder mornings aren’t so appealing.

Pro tip: If you are running now that it’s cooler outside, proper warm-ups and cool-downs are even more crucial to keeping the body in top shape and free from injuries. Be sure to do dynamic stretches before and static stretches after runs, and even treat yourself to a sports massage, to keep your body free from any nagging pains and injuries.

Properly Recover From an Ankle Injury

Properly Recover From an Ankle Injury

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Most people have twisted their ankles in some way at this point in their life. Whether it be stepping off of a sidewalk wrong, stepping incorrectly in high heels, or even playing your favorite sport, the sharp pain that comes with twisting your ankle inwards can be pretty hard to forget, giving you an ankle injury.

When dealing with a sprained ankle, it’s important to understand what exactly you’re dealing with down there. The ankle is comprised of and held together by extremely strong ligaments. These ligaments assist the ankle through the stress that’s placed upon it when moving throughout the day.

In most cases, taking up exercising or playing sports again after a long period of rest can affect the ankle’s ability to balance properly, therefore making it easier to twist.

Just like any other injury, ankle injuries take time to heal, sometimes up to 6 weeks! This is why it’s crucial to prepare yourself before beginning sports or taking up exercise.

Here are 5 tips that I have put together for you, so that you can recover from an ankle sprain and get back to doing what you love, quickly and safely.

1) Improve Your Balance

There is absolutely no excuse for poor balance! There are so many opportunities, techniques, and exercises that can help your ability to improve your balance. This will drastically decrease your chances of an ankle injury. One way to do this is to stand on one leg while brushing your teeth. Alternate legs for a minute each, all while doing a task you already plan to do! Such an easy and simple way to make sure your balance is on its A-game!

2) Strengthen Your Ankle Muscles

Muscles play a huge role in providing support to the ankle, so it’s important to keep them strong and secure. Luckily there is a technique that can be done in order to make sure this happens. Try sitting on the floor, with your knee straight and the outside of the foot touching the wall. While keeping your knee perfectly still, push your foot out into the wall and hold it there for 5 seconds, ten times. Try repeating this at least three times with each leg.

Check out this ankle mobility stretch.

3) Use ICE, not heat on ankle injuries!

When the ankle twists a little too far, the tendons have a tendency to tear which causes swelling to the area. We may not think that taking a hot shower can have a negative effect on our recovery… Don’t do this! Within the first couple of days following an ankle injury, the best thing to do is ice the area for 10 minutes, around 3 times a day. BUT make sure to leave at least one hour in between each time you ice. Ice has the ability to reduce swelling and speed up recovery time.

4) Don’t Rush Back to Activities Too Soon

Resting is an essential part of the recovery process. But the amount of resting time needed depends upon how badly the ankle is injured. Usually, if the area around the ankle is significantly bruised, it signifies a serious ankle sprain. As we discussed earlier, twisting the ankle causes the ligament to slightly tear.

Scar tissue molds around the damaged area in hopes of joining the damaged area back together, just like repairing a broken vase with glue. During initial formation, the scar tissue is very weak. So if the proper rest isn’t taken, it’s liable to tear again before it has the chance to harden.

5) Physical Therapy

Once the scar tissue has a chance to harden, it isn’t very flexible, similar to a scar when you cut yourself. To make the tissue less brittle and more flexible, it’s important to seek out your local physical therapist and ask about a cross friction massage or tool-assisted soft tissue mobilization. This is the best way to break this scar tissue down. So stay active, remember my tips and enjoy the upcoming spring weather!

Properly Recover From an Ankle Injury

How to Ease Ankle Pain as Soon as it Strikes

How to Ease Ankle Pain as Soon as it Strikes

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Sometimes it happens…

You’re out on a run, enjoying the pace. You finally feel like you can run a little farther than you did last time, then all of a sudden- OUCH! Something in your ankle doesn’t feel quite right…

So you slow down, give it a stretch, and give running another attempt, but nope! Your ankle won’t have it, it’s just too painful…

Sound familiar?

Well, this is exactly what happened to one of our patients, Leanne, just a few months ago.

Just before Thanksgiving, Leanne decided to take up running again, in addition to walking her dogs at Thunderbird Park every morning, just to try something different to keep active.

She started slow, running gently for 15 minutes at a time on the weekends and finishing off with a slow walk to cool down.

Gradually over the next few weeks running felt easier, so she decided to pick up the pace one weekend, running a few extra miles uphill. All of a sudden- ping! Shooting ankle pain came out of nowhere. Leanne hasn’t been able to run since…

In fact, her ankle pain has been so bad that she hasn’t been able to get out and run for a whole 6 WEEKS! Which can feel like a long time when you’re missing out on doing something that you enjoy!

In an ideal runner’s world (and this applies to people who enjoy walking, too!), every step of every mile would be one hundred percent pain-free.

That means, no aches, no twinges, no lingering soreness from yesterday’s activity. But the reality is, this is one of the most common problems we see with people who enjoy running or walk long distances.

Here’s the thing… we’re not designed to run and walk uphill for long periods of time, nor do we need to!

Sure you might work a bit harder by running uphill, but this adds a huge amount of stress to your ankle and Achilles tendon in doing so.

Let me explain why it’s likely to do more harm than good…

Think of your Achilles tendon as an elastic band. When running or walking uphill, this elastic band gets stretched too far. The Achilles tendon connects the 2 major calf muscles to the back of the heel. Under too much stress, the tendon can tighten and become irritated, causing you pain every time you go running or even walk up the stairs!

This is not an injury that you should run or walk through. If you catch a minor strain early, a few days off might be sufficient healing time. But if you keep running, as usual, you could develop something more serious that may even take up to six months to heal!

So what’s the number one thing to do right away if you’re suffering from this pain right now? Or if it strikes in the future?

watch this video to learn pre and post-exercise stretches. Click here.

Complete rest of the ankle for a few days (think arms only swimming, or heels only pedaling on a recumbent bike) and LOTS of ice!

Swap your footwear for soft, comfy shoes. There’s no need to wrap your ankle up or wear supports- just apply ice. We recommend applying ice for 10 minutes every hour if possible.

After 2-3 days, begin to apply some deep massage and gentle stretching, working on the ankle joint to prevent stiffness and get rid of swelling.

Pro tip: If you’re going to walk or run uphill (because sometimes these things can’t be avoided), stand as tall as possible and spend a month before you start running. Use a balance ball, core, and pilates exercises to make your back and ankle strong, so that you can safely run and avoid this happening to you!

How to Ease Ankle Pain as Soon as it Strikes

Still Have Elbow Pain? Here’s 1 Simple Thing You Haven’t Tried

Still Have Elbow Pain? Here’s 1 Simple Thing You Haven’t Tried

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Elbow pain can be caused by a number of reasons.  Over the years we’ve talked about a majority of them! Some causes include the elbow joint itself, the wrist and forearm, and even higher into the neck and shoulder.  One cause of elbow pain we have not talked a lot about is how weak rotator cuff muscles in the shoulder can cause tennis elbow because of overcompensation.

How Do The Elbow and Shoulder Connect?

The elbow is a hinge joint that connects your forearm to your upper arm bone called the humorous and allows you to bend and straighten your arm.  Additionally, it allows you to turn your palm up and turn your palm down.

The shoulder gets its name “ball-and-socket joint” from the rounded shape at the top of your upper arm that resembles a ball. It fits perfectly into a cup-shaped hollow (socket) in your shoulder blade. These ball-and-socket joints are highly flexible. In fact, your shoulder has a broader, more diverse range of motion than any other joint in your body.

The shoulders and elbows are held together by various tissues known as ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. Ligaments connect the bones to other bones. Tendons connect bones with muscles. And a layer of slippery tissue called cartilage covers the ends of the bones. This helps them glide against each other during movement.

If something harms a part of your joint – whether it’s a bone or the tissue around it – you may have pain, weakness, numbness, and other symptoms that make it difficult to use your arm or shoulder.

Additionally, we have a rigid and flexible connective tissue called fascia that layers between muscles and across joints.  Injury in one joint can manifest pain in another joint because of these myofascial connections.  This type of injury is called myofascial pain patterns or syndrome.  Injuries to the muscles of the rotator cuff can cause pain to travel down the arm bone and manifest in the elbow.  Since the shoulder muscles have to contract to stabilize to allow for movement of the elbow, a shoulder injury can fool people into thinking the injury is in the elbow.

How Do I Treat It?

Treatment only to the elbow is often unsuccessful or can lead to only temporary improvements. Common treatments that produce minimal lasting benefits include medications, injections, braces, ultrasound, laser, or electrical stimulation. Often, muscle weakness at the elbow and neighboring areas are contributing to this persistent elbow pain.

Research suggests there is an association between posture and shoulder muscle weakness in people with tennis elbow and other elbow conditions.

There has been a link between tennis elbow and muscle strength of the serratus anterior, lower, and middle trapezius muscles. Poor rotator cuff strength is also linked to tennis elbow.

These muscles are important for orienting and positioning the shoulder blade during functional activities involving the arm. Poor strength or endurance of these muscles results in overload to the elbow and wrist muscles. Strengthening of the scapular stabilizers is an important part of rehabilitation for patients with tennis elbow.

Strengthen The Shoulder Muscles To Stop Elbow Pain

Strengthening the shoulder is an integral part of rehabilitation from an elbow injury. Perhaps, more importantly, shoulder exercises can reduce the risk of elbow injury before the pain starts. Strengthening exercises for the elbow and wrist are also important considerations.

However, the shoulder and upper back regions are often neglected when it comes to improving elbow function. This is one reason why elbow injuries and pain often persist longer than expected. Human movements are more complex than isolated muscles or joints. Therefore, exercise programs should integrate the entire body in order to restore or optimize function.

If you need more tips and advice on how to ease pain and get back to living a pain-free and independent life, you can download our free report here that goes over the top 47 most Frequently Asked Questions About Physical therapy

FAQs

… OR call or text us at 623.486.3333

How Do You Treat Tendonitis?

How Do You Treat Tendonitis?

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At Preferred Physical Therapy we often get patients coming to us with a diagnosis of tendonitis in some form which in some cases is accurate, but often this isn’t completely accurate. Often patients have overuse injuries in their tendons related to an overload of the surrounding area versus an area that is just inflamed. The area is usually related to poor tissue that we are demanding too much from. Common areas of tendinosis or tendinopathy you may have heard of or experienced may be lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), Achilles tendinopathy, biceps tendinosis, or patellar tendinopathy.

So now that we are more clear that this is related to overloading our tissues versus just inflammation in the area we can talk more easily about what to do about it! The first step is making sure that you are properly diagnosed. If you aren’t diagnosed correctly, you likely won’t receive the correct treatment. This is where a medical professional such as a doctor, PA, PT, etc. can help you make sure you are on the right track. Here are a few things to do to start getting on the right track.

Stop Overusing or Overdoing Movements that Cause Pain!

Now that doesn’t mean just rest it and do nothing! When you go back to doing the activities that you enjoy or need to do, nothing will have changed. However, finding different tools or equipment that are more ergonomically correct allows you to avoid unnecessary strain on your body. Also breaking up necessary job tasks into shorter durations if possible and then going on to a different task to decrease the amount of repetitive strain on your body.

Read this blog to find out what you can do right now about your elbow pain.

Treat the WHOLE Area!

It’s easy to focus your attention on the area that hurts, but often you may have increased tightness or weakness in a surrounding area that is contributing to the increased demand on your painful tendon. For example, “if my elbow hurts I should investigate if I have some weakness or tightness in my shoulder or wrist that may be making my elbow do more work?”

Do Some ECCENTRIC Exercises!

Eccentric exercises are great for working overloaded tendons. These will help the tendon regenerate or heal by improving blood flow and strength to the region. Eccentric contraction is the motion of an active muscle while it is lengthening under the load. Eccentrics tend to be stronger and require less energy than a concentric contraction.

If you’d like more tips and advice on how to properly treat your elbow pain, check out this technique video where our PTA, Colton, demonstrates a few common mistakes that people make at the gym that typically contribute to elbow pain. Check it out here:

Protect Your Joints From weather

Protect Your Joints From weather

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There’s no denying that it’s officially winter here in the southwest with this cold weather we’ve been having the last couple of weeks. And because of this drop in temperature, we’ve had a lot more people struggling with aches and pains in their joints.

Have you been feeling the cold in your bones too?

If you have, and as a result, have been experiencing more joint pain than usual, we wanted to share some tips with you this week that has helped our patients ease their aches and pains, so that you can get by each day with less pain.

Let’s dive in…

Exercise With Care

To protect your joints from cooler weather in Arizona, frequent exercise is a must!

If you’re not a fan of exercise, don’t worry. We’re not talking about doing anything strenuous. We’re talking about simply moving your body and taking part in low-impact exercises that don’t strain your joints. Think swimming, walking on the treadmill, or a leisurely-paced cycle on an exercise bike.

Pilates and yoga are also excellent for keeping joints loose. Aim to add some form of movement into your day, every day.

Always Warm-Up

It’s important to warm up before any exercise, but even more important during these colder months! And when you’re done exercising, treat yourself to a nice warm bath to relieve any post-exercise aches and pains.

Eat Fatty Fish For Dinner

Are you fond of salmon and mackerel? These delicious, oily fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which, aside from their myriad benefits, help to reduce joint inflammation and ease the pain associated with arthritis.

These types of fish also contain vitamin D3 which plays an important role in keeping your bones healthy.

Tip: Try to eat at least two to three portions of fatty fish a week, or think about supplementing your diet with fish oil capsules.

Stock Up On Supplements

You might hear a lot about the importance of taking supplements. That’s because taking certain supplements overtime works perfectly to soothe joint pain and can even protect your cartilage from damage.

Get your hands on supplements such as glucosamine, omega-3 fish oils, and vitamin C. As always, before starting any dietary supplement, check with your doctor to see if it’s a safe supplement for you to take.

Listen to our podcast about arthritis and learn what it really is. Click Here

Be Footwear-wise

Being conscious of what you wear on your feet is especially important this time of year. Given the potential for icy pavements, falls are more common and many people who suffer from arthritis report worsening symptoms in the winter.

So, what shoes should you wear? Ideally, wear flat, supportive, rubber-soled shoes or boots so that you don’t slip.

What not to wear? Avoid wearing high heels if you can. Not only do heels increase the chance of having a fall, but they also put extra stress on your legs and back. So, they aren’t the best type of shoe to wear daily, or for prolonged periods of time.

Keep Your Joints Warm

Whether you’re susceptible to achy joints or not, keeping warm is crucial. When you’re feeling cold, your muscles tend to tense up and stiffen, making them more prone to injury and general discomfort.

Treat Your Pain Naturally

You don’t have to resort to medication to soothe aching joints. For instance, heat is a wonderful joint pain reliever. Try alleviating your aches with a warm compress, heating pad, or a warm bath.

To learn the benefits of low-impact exercises: watch this video.

Keep Yourself Warm and Look After Your Joints

Following these tips should help you on your way to having a lot less pain during these cold winter months.

P.S. If you’ve got any aches or pains right now, and your hips are feeling the brunt of your joint pain, click below to download our free tips guide with plenty more actionable advice to help ease the pain:

Hip Pain Report