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.

Difference between physical therapy and chiropractic care

Do you know the difference between physical therapy and a chiropractic care? We examine similarities and differences in this quick-read article.

Many patients do not know the difference between physical therapy and chiropractic care. They both treat same conditions and body parts. They both treat and manage pain and improves mobility without using medicine or shots. This article will guide you on how to choose between physical therapy and chiropractic care when you have pain and mobility issues.

Similarities between physical therapy and chiropractic care

First, let us see the similarities between these two professions. Physical therapist and chiropractor are licensed health care professionals. Both professionals keep their license active with continued education courses. Both primarily focus on treating pain with natural way without injections, shots and surgery. They both use hands on approach and manual techniques to fix the underlying issue causing pain.

Difference between physical therapy and chiropractic care

Next, let’s see the difference between physical therapy and chiropractic care. Physical therapy focuses on injured body part along with the adjacent body parts causing pain or mobility issues, so treatment approach depends on body movements and functions as a whole. Chiropractic care focuses on finding spinal and muscular malalignments that might be leading to pressure within nervous system and causing chronic pain. Physical therapy focuses on reducing pain and improving ability to perform daily activities in the pain free range. On the other hand, chiropractic focuses on achieving pain relief and fixing spine alignment.

Along with above mentioned differences, there is one more difference which is related to the treatment approach both use to treat patients. When injury or illness affects strength, mobility, balance and endurance physical therapy mainly uses manual therapy techniques like myofascial release, deep tissue massage, instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, joint mobilization and other techniques along with stretching and exercises to reduce pain and improve mobility and strength and assist natural healing. Chiropractic care mainly perform spine manipulations and joint adjustments along with other manual techniques to allow the body heal naturally after any injury or illness or chronic pain.

If you are currently experiencing back pain or chronic pain, both physical therapy and chiropractic care could help you to manage pain and improve quality of life. It really depends on the type of treatment you are looking for. Use this information and perform some of your own research to make the best decision for you.

If you’d like to meet with a physical therapist in Malvern, PA, contact us today to learn how physical therapy can help you to manage pain.

About Potential Physical Therapy:

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

Experience the difference physical therapy can make for you.

Schedule your call at (610) 249-0001

 

 

Lower back pain management

Lower back pain management

Are you sick of lower back pain controlling your life? In this article, you learn about lower back pain management and how to relieve your back pain naturally with conservative methods and exercises.

Low back pain is a very common condition. About 80% of adults experience back pain at some point of time in their life. Good news is most of the time the back pain goes away on its own in two to six weeks. In some cases it can stay longer or can occur recurrently.

Among the different types of back pain mechanical/non-specific back pain is most common. Origin of this type of pain includes strain, trauma, poor health, poor posture, lack of physical activity.

Poor postures or movements burden lower back:

Prolong sitting in a desk chair without good lumbar support is the very common reason seen these days in population working in front of computer. Standing for long period of time without proper weight distribution in both legs burdens back muscles. Repeated bending, frequent and repeated turning and twisting creates overuse injury. Heavy lifting without proper bio mechanics create tension in the back. Apart from these common reasons ssmoking, overweight, physically strenuous work, anxiety, stressful or dissatisfying job are the common factors that may increase chances of getting back pain.

Staying active is the most effective way to relieve and prevent back pain.  Physical therapy helps to relieve back pain naturally without medicine or injection and reduces healthcare monetary burden. Healthcare providers recommend physical therapy first than any other intervention for lower back pain management in conservative way which is cost effective way too.

Performing aerobic exercises like walking, swimming, stationary bicycle, along with stretching and strengthening exercises, provide great benefit to recover faster. Exercise too soon in the recovery phase may worsen the symptoms. It is recommended to talk to your physical therapist to learn which exercises are good to start with to avoid re-injury to muscles.

Things to do at home to relieve back pain:

Rest is important; however, research shows that physical activity during recovery has more benefits over resting. Therefor, staying active is much important. Ice pack for 15-20 min for every 2-3 hours over the area of discomfort. Use it for 24-72 hours after first episode of pain, and after that start using hot packs. Add natural supplement like turmeric in your diet. Learn here how turmeric/curcumin has potential to reduce back pain naturally.  Practice good postures in the office and daily activities as it helps to reduce stress on muscles and spine.

Benefits of exercises:

It improves the blood circulation and thus reduces inflammation and speeds up healing process, strengthens core muscles and improves posture. Exercise increases stamina, reduces weight and keeps back healthy and strong.

Now you know the importance of exercise in lower back pain management, it is recommended to perform exercises with a specialist’s supervision; however, if you are performing exercises at home and still do not see any improvement, or if your lower back pain persists for more than few days or becomes worse, schedule an appointment with Physical Therapy to start your care.

Learn here how physical therapist can help you to relieve your lower back pain naturally without medicine/shots.

Here are few stretching exercises you can do at home to relieve lower back pain.

About Potential Physical Therapy:

Our physical therapist designs a personalized exercise program according to individual needs. We use an evidence-based approach to educate and treat you in a way that speeds up your recovery. We also teach proper forms of exercises along with manual therapy, electrotherapy modalities for faster recovery. In most of the cases physical therapy will be enough to recover from lower back pain.

Contact Potential Physical Therapy today to learn more about our services and how they can help you relieve pain.

Reference:
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002119.htm

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!