How to Manage Shoulder Pain

If you’re living with shoulder pain, it can be hard to figure out how to manage that shoulder pain. Ongoing discomfort in your shoulders can have a big impact on everyday life, from affecting the activities you normally enjoy to disrupting your sleep. Working out what treatments and strategies can help control the pain is often stressful and time-consuming too! That’s why we want to share our tips for better managing shoulder pain. By bringing together evidence-backed advice with empathy, we hope these insights will provide some comfort if you or someone close to you is dealing with this condition.

Understand what is causing your shoulder pain – a doctor can help with this
Experiencing shoulder pain can be discomforting and inconvenient, and it can be difficult to know exactly what is causing it.

Causes of Shoulder Pain

There are many possible causes of shoulder pain, including:

Rotator Cuff Injury: The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint. An injury to the rotator cuff can cause pain, weakness, and limited mobility.

Frozen Shoulder: Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition in which the shoulder joint becomes stiff and painful. It is caused by inflammation and tightening of the shoulder capsule.

Bursitis: Bursitis is inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs (bursae) that cushion the joints. When bursae in the shoulder become inflamed, it can cause pain and limited range of motion.

Tendinitis: Tendinitis is inflammation of a tendon, which is the tissue that connects muscle to bone. It can cause pain and limited mobility.

Arthritis: Arthritis is a condition in which the joints become inflamed and can cause pain, stiffness, and limited mobility. It can affect the shoulder joint as well as other joints in the body.

Shoulder Impingement Syndrome: Shoulder impingement syndrome is caused by the compression of soft tissue in the shoulder joint. It can cause pain, weakness, and limited mobility.

Manage Shoulder Pain

If you’re dealing with shoulder pain, we understand the discomfort and hassle it can cause. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to treating shoulder pain, but there are a few steps you can take to reduce your pain levels and increase comfort.

Rest and Ice Therapy The first step for managing shoulder pain is rest. This means avoiding activities that require you to move your shoulder too much or put too much strain on it. You should also use ice therapy to reduce any swelling in the area and reduce inflammation. Apply an ice pack directly to the affected area for 15-20 minutes at a time throughout the day.

Stretching Exercises Stretching exercises can improve joint mobility and reduce tension in muscles. Begin slowly and only stretch to your comfort level. As you progress, increase repetitions or hold stretches longer. Avoid pushing yourself too hard to prevent further damage or increased pain.

Physical Therapy If rest and stretching exercises don’t alleviate your shoulder pain, consider physical therapy. It can help restore full range of motion in the joint and reduce inflammation with treatments like ultrasound or electrical stimulation. A physical therapist will also guide you through targeted strengthening exercises to improve range of motion and reduce discomfort.

Conclusion

Shoulder pain can be managed with proper treatment. Options include rest, ice therapy, and physical therapy to restore normal joint functioning. These treatments can alleviate symptoms and prevent interference with daily life activities. Find what works best for your individual needs to quickly relieve shoulder pain.

ACL injury rehab in Malvern, PA

ACL injury rehab in Malvern, PA

It is difficult to be knocked out of your favorite game due to injury.  This post will help those who no longer participate in the sports because of ACL injury. Understand how physical therapy plays important role in your recovery.

ACL injury can occur in two different ways:

In contact mechanism a blow to the outer side of the knee results not only ACL tear but also in MCL and medial meniscus, usually termed the “Unholy triad” injury; whereas in non-contact mechanism lower leg twists on a planted foot.

Common symptoms after ACL injury:

Knee pain or swelling that lasts for 48 hours, instability and popping or giving out while walking, inability to put weight on knee while walking, knee bending to guard injured area are the common signs and symptoms one may experience after ACL injury.

What do you experience after ACL injury?

In acute stage, knee cannot bear weight and the person needs assistance while walking; while in complete tear, there is instability, and the knee gives out while walking.

In cases of acute sprain or partial tears, conservative treatments are enough for return to a desired level of function as long as you are not returning to sports or high-level work activities.

Conservative treatment includes RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) followed by Physical therapy exercises after acute phase of healing.

Physical therapy exercises play important role after ACL injuries.

Whether or not you need surgery, physical therapy helps to regain normal ROM (range of motion), balance control, normalization of gait, strengthening of muscles that support and stabilize knee joint during functional activities.

Quadriceps and hamstring strengthening are crucial in ACL rehab exercises as it may help to avoid or delay the surgery. ACL rehab alone may be enough for elderly people, or those who do not want to return to sports or high-level activities. Also, research shows that pre-op ACL rehab gives positive long-lasting effects after surgery and speeds up surgical recovery.

Performing these ACL rehab exercises under an expert’s supervision is important to ensure that the exercises are appropriate and the progression is right for you; otherwise, you may risk your ACL recovery and end up with a weak supporting structure around the knee which could lead to an unstable knee and the re-injuring of your knee in the future.

Learn more about how can a physical therapist help in ACL injury recovery. If your knee pain persists after conservative treatment at home after injury, schedule an appointment with Potential Physical Therapy to start your care with specialist guidance.

Here are few strengthening exercises you may perform to strengthen the knee joint after ACL injury.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrAKJrh_QAY

https://www.facebook.com/Potentialphysicaltherapy/videos/556861075028356/?v=556861075028356

About Potential Physical Therapy:

Our physical therapist designs a personalized exercise program according to individual needs for your ACL injury. We use an evidence-based approach to educate and treat you that speeds up your recovery. We teach proper form of exercises and home exercise programs for faster recovery. In most of the cases physical therapy will be enough to recover from an ACL injury. Contact Potential Physical Therapy today to learn more about our programs and how they can help relieve your pain.

Call (610) 249-0001 with any questions and we will be happy to assist you.

 

 

Preparation Before Knee Replacement

How to properly prepare before Knee Replacement

Knee replacement surgery is a serious undertaking that leaves an impact on your present and future. Is there a knee replacement on the calendar in your future?  In this article we lay out the preparation before knee replacement to ensure best and positive outcomes surgery.

     1. Plan For It

Before you set a date for surgery, think about how knee replacement will affect your life and how you’ll deal with the changes. Things can be quite stressful for some time, so start prepare yourself to have a smooth and successful surgery with rapid recovery. 

     2. Ask Queries

Here are few things will help you in preparation before knee replacement. Visit your doctor and gather some important information regarding the surgery. How long the surgery will take? What type of rehab will you be facilitated in? What type of devices and equipment will be used? Ask these types of questions and jot down the answers to ensure the credibility of the doctor’s services and whether the information will benefit you or not.

    3. Lose Weight If Required

It is always said that the body tends to recover from any ailment or surgery faster if you are physically fit. Because of this, it is better to get in shape ahead of time so you are able to recover more quickly for your knee replacement surgery. You can consult with your doctor to know which exercises may be better for you before your treatment. If you are a bit heavy, then losing some weight can lessen the stress on your knees.

     4. Quit Bad Habits

Bad habits like smoking or drinking slows down the recovery process. Moreover, these habits can cause infections before or after surgery. Quitting these habits can help to jump start your health recovery and make your wounds heal as soon as possible.

     5. Medication Adjustments

You might be taking medications for other health reasons, so it is important to consult with your doctor about this prior to surgery. Ask your doctor whether you can continue with your prescribed medicines or if you will need to stop. This step will ensure that you don’t face any complication during or after the treatment.  

     6. Prepare home environment

Make sure to move items in your home that may hinder your movement so it is easier to get around. Clear your room and hall area to get enough space for moving crutches or using a walker.

      7. Exercise routine

Before treatment, start learning the physical therapy exercises that will be required before and after knee replacement. Exercises done before surgery are called pre-habilitation and exercises done after surgery are called rehabilitation exercises. Pre-habilitation helps you to be in exercise routine and strengthens muscles for faster recovery. This will also allow you to start rehabilitation right away instead of taking precious time after surgery to learn them.

 

 Aside from all of these tips, also make sure to always follow the instructions given to you by your doctor.

CONTACT US  at 610 240 0001 to discuss precautions to take before and after knee replacement.  All the Best!