Category: Health and Wellness

Physical Therapy Clinic in West BloomfieldBlogHealth and Wellness
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By manish 0 Comments Health and Wellness, Natural Pain Relief, Physical Therapy

How to Stay Active When You Have a Desk Job

At Premier Therapy Centers, we see hard-working patients who want to excel in their careers and provide for their families—but it’s hard to do that when dealing with an injury. Unfortunately, many people eventually realize that it’s the sedentary nature of their job that’s directly impacting their health and job performance.

Everyone needs to move a lot throughout the day. But if you sit for the majority of your work day, it’s essential to find a way to get moving more frequently. Not only will regular movement help mitigate the risks associated with excessive sedentary behavior (like back pain, obesity, and even heart disease), but research suggests it can also increase your productivity, mental focus, and job satisfaction.

Need some tips to stay moving? Check out these helpful ideas from our physical therapist staff.

Here’s How to Move More If You Sit at a Desk for Work

  • Do mini “workouts” throughout the day. At least once per hour, pause what you’re doing and take a few minutes to run through some simple exercises or stretches. These can be done in the privacy of your own office or even out in the open (hey—maybe you’ll inspire your co-workers!). Ask a physical therapist to provide you with an individualized program that can address your specific needs and be tailored to your job duties.
  • Drink water. Staying well-hydrated on the job offers multiple benefits: it helps your tissues and joints stay healthy, it improves focus, it eases headaches, and yes—it will make you need to get up more frequently to use the bathroom!
  • Use the building to your advantage. Come up with ways to move more on and around your work area. Can you park farther away from the building? Allocate 10 minutes of your lunch break to a brisk walk around the campus or neighborhood? Take the stairs instead of the elevator? Walk down the hall to chat with your colleague or employee instead of sending an email or text?
  • Wear a pedometer. Research shows that wearing a simple pedometer (you can find super inexpensive options online and in sports retail stores) helps increase the number of steps you take per day. This kind of objective data can be inspiring and get you to move more frequently than you may otherwise. You may even consider getting some colleagues to join the “pedometer club” and create a little friendly competition to see who can get the most steps in throughout a typical workday or week!
  • Get nagging injuries addressed. It’s hard to stay focused and comfortable at work if you’re in pain. And while we know that sitting for longer than 7 to 8 hours per day is associated with health problems, sometimes the idea of increasing your physical activity can seem like a huge obstacle. By consulting with a physical therapist, you can get underlying health problems diagnosed and managed. Our therapists use non-invasive, evidence-based techniques that work with your body’s natural healing power—it’s not just about masking the pain! Doctors of physical therapy can also prescribe expert guidance on ergonomic improvements around your office and can help you maximize your posture, core strength, and other elements of health so you can function better while on and off the clock.
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By manish 0 Comments Back and Neck Pain, Health and Wellness, Physical Therapy

Get Back to Comfort with These Back Exercises – All of Which You Can Do at Home!

Are you feeling back pain after being quarantined to your home? You may be wondering, “Why is this? I’ve barely left the couch!” Well, therein lies the issue.

The sedentary lifestyle that I’m sure many people have experienced since being quarantined to their homes can actually lead to more aches, pains, and discomfort than one may think – especially in the back.

Your body, quite simply, was made to move! With gyms and exercise classes closing down, for the time being, it can be difficult to find the motivation to get your daily physical activity while sitting at home. Luckily, there are several easy exercises you can do on your own to relieve your back pain and get moving!�

Always exercise and stretch within your comfort zone. Never push into pain and if you are unsure of doing any of the exercises below, simply consult your physical therapist first.

6 exercises to stretch those back muscles:

  • Lumbar Rotation Stretch in Lying. Back giving you troubles? Try a Lumbar Rotation Stretch in Lying. Lying sideways with your top knee bent and bottom knee straight, gently rotate your torso so your head is facing the opposite direction of your legs. Hold the stretch and then switch sides. This will stretch out your back and get you feeling comfortable once again!

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/333092920/1dbb30daae

  • Bird Dog (Leg Slide). With major businesses shutting down, we know how disappointing it is to not be able to attend the weekly yoga classes you enjoy so much. Fortunately, you can bring the same yoga stretches to your own home. Begin on the floor with your knees bent beneath you and your hands flat in front of you, so your back is flat toward the ceiling. Stretch your left arm out in front of you and your right leg out behind you, so your toes are pointing down at the ground. Hold this stretch and then repeat on the opposite side, with your right arm and your left leg. The Bird Dog (Leg Slide) exercise is great at targeting the back muscles to give you that relieving stretch you’re looking for!�

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/371130374/85ad5de4ee

  • Hip Bias Lunges (Back Heel Down). Who doesn’t love a good lunge? This is a great exercise to get you moving. As a bonus, it not only targets your back but also focuses on your knee muscles. Begin standing in a slight lunge position with one leg slightly bent out in front of you and the other leg straight behind you. Lean your torso forward so it is almost in a 90-degree angle with the floor (this will cause your back leg to bend, as well). Hold this stretch and continue reps on the side you are on, then switch sides repeating the same steps.

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/391227766/dc90917bdc�

  • Standing Hip Abduction 45 Degree Angle Back Arom. This exercise may have a lengthy name, but we promise it’s not that difficult! For this exercise, you will need a chair or something else to steady yourself. Stand with your left hand on the back of the chair and place your right hand on your hip. Keeping your back straight and face forward, slowly kick your back leg out behind you until you feel the stretch in your back. Continue a few reps and then switch sides, placing your left hand on your hip and kicking your left leg out behind you. Make sure to always keep the opposite hand on the chair to steady yourself.�

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/285854056/0165cea4f4

  • Standing Shoulder Flex/Hip Extension With Back Arch (Wall). Another exercise that has a lengthy name but is very easy to do! For this exercise, you will begin standing with your hands outstretched directly in front of you on a wall. In a fluid “swinging” motion, extend your right arm and left leg behind you so your back is arched, then bring them both toward the wall. Continue doing this in fluid motions. After a few reps, repeat this exercise on the other side of your body, with your left arm and right leg.

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/394420569/71808708d0

  • Neural Mobility SLR (Outward Turn). Looking for a great way to stretch your back, legs, and glutes at the same time? This exercise is for you! Begin by laying down on your back with both arms clasped around your right hamstring. Raise that leg in the air, keeping the left one bent with your feet flat on the ground. Flex your right foot that is in the air so that the bottom of your foot is flat facing the ceiling, then point that foot so that your toes are straight up toward the ceiling. Then, slowly bring that leg back down to a bent position between your hands. Continue for a few reps and then switch legs, repeating the same steps.

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/370059225/1087fe3a40

Questions?

If you have any questions about any of these exercises or if you are looking for more ways to relieve back pain during the quarantine, call or message Premier Therapy Centers at any time. We want to make sure you are as comfortable as possible while also staying active at home!

By manish 0 Comments Health and Wellness, Physical Therapy

3 Reasons to attend post-surgical rehab for a better recovery.

Every year, our physical therapy team meets thousands of individuals recovering from surgery. Whether you’re undergoing a joint replacement, a back surgery, or some other procedure, we’re confident that working with a physical therapist can help you heal up and get back to your active lifestyle as efficiently and safely as possible.

Curious about why physical therapy is so important in the post-surgical window? We’ve got three reasons to pique your interest.

1. Control and minimize your pain.

A physical therapist can teach you exercises, provide manual interventions like massage, and implement non-invasive modalities that can work together alleviate your pain and even reduce your reliance on pain-relieving medications, including opioids. Many of the interventions we provide in physical therapy work directly on the central nervous system to help modulate pain signals being sent to your brain, while others help reduce inflammation, swelling, and stiffness.

Of course, pain is normal and expected following certain types of procedures, including hip and knee replacements, and taking your pain medication as prescribed can help you participate in your physical therapy more fully. So, it’s important to talk to your doctor about your pain medication options and not to stop or start taking anything without his or her input.

That said, research shows that physical therapy is a safe alternative or beneficial component to effective pain management in the post-surgical window. So be sure to talk to your doctor about setting up a referral to see a physical therapist, too!

2. Reduce the risk of complications.

Any surgery comes with at least some level of risk for complications including post-operative bleeding, infections, range of motion limitations, and hardware malfunction. Working with a physical therapist may help reduce the likelihood of experiencing a complication, which reduces stress, saves money, and protects your short-term and long-term health.

For example, physical therapists are skilled in teaching you safe ways to move and function in your daily life. If your surgeon requests that you follow certain precautions or activity restrictions for a while following your operation, your physical therapist can teach you how to follow these restrictions and progress or modify them appropriately as time goes on. Physical therapists can also prescribe and fit adaptive equipment such as walkers and braces to further protect your healing tissues and help you mobilize more safely.

Your physical therapist can also act as a supportive liaison between you and your surgeon and keep him or her updated with your progress and needs. This way, if any concerns arise there can be faster communication between all the need-to-know members of your medical team.

3. Accelerate your recovery.

Our bodies are incredibly powerful and capable of healing themselves. The type of non-invasive and drug-free services and techniques a physical therapist can offer can enhance self-healing power and work with the body—instead of just covering up symptoms. And by minimizing pain and reducing the risk of complications, your physical therapy team can help you stay on track during your recovery period so you can regain and maximize your strength, balance, range of motion, endurance, and overall function as quickly as possible.

It’s never too early to start seeing a physical therapist! Contact�Premier Therapy Centers today to schedule an appointment for your post-surgical rehabilitation.

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By manish 0 Comments Back and Neck Pain, Health and Wellness, Herniated Disc, Physical Therapy

What Herniated Disc pain feels like and when you should see a physical therapist

Did you know that a herniated disc can occur anywhere in your spine? At Premier Therapy Centers, we see disc herniations frequently among our patients with back, arm, and/or leg pain.

If you believe your pain and dysfunction is caused by a herniated disc, we encourage you to contact Premier Therapy Centers today to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist. Our experienced team can help you understand the source of your symptoms and heal the injured disc so your relief is longer-lasting.

How to Know if Your Back Pain is Caused by a Herniated Disc

Spinal discs are small soft structures found between vertebral bones. Their main jobs are to absorb shock and maximize mobility within the spine. On the outside, these discs are tough and fibrous, but on the inside, they are soft and gel-like. A herniated disc occurs when the tough outer layer of the disc (called the annulus fibrosis) ruptures. This allows the inner gel substance (called the nucleus pulposus) to leak out. The ruptured this disc tissue can trigger an inflammatory response and compress nearby structures, including joint receptors and spinal nerve roots.

Interestingly enough, not all herniated discs will lead to pain (especially because the discs themselves are relatively low in innervation and vascularization). However, when a herniated disc does cause symptoms, these symptoms often include:

  • Neck or back pain, stiffness, and muscle spasms at the level of the injured disc
  • Arm or leg pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness (if the herniated disc compresses on an adjacent nerve root that innervates the affected limb)
  • Pain that worsens with forwarding flexion or prolonged sitting—forward flexion may also cause the pain to “peripheralized” or move further away from the spine
  • Pain that improves or “centralizes” (moves toward the spine) with spinal extensions, such as when lying down or lying prone

A herniated disc is similar to a bulging disc; in the latter condition, the disc tissue may protrude out of place but will not rupture.

Risk Factors for Herniated Disc

In addition to analyzing your symptoms and performing various tests and measures, a physical therapist can help you determine if you have a herniated disc by assessing your medical history and lifestyle. We’ll look for risk factors known to be linked to herniated discs, including:

  • Physically demanding occupation
  • Frequent bending, heavy lifting, or twisting
  • Age between 30 and 50
  • Male gender
  • Obesity
  • Smoking
  • Acute trauma, e.g., auto accident or fall

When to See a Physical Therapist for Herniated Disc Treatment

Research shows that physical therapy is effective in treating herniated discs. If your symptoms are affecting your activities of daily life or work, or if your symptoms persist for longer than two weeks, we recommend consulting with a physical therapist. Physical therapy interventions like spinal traction, corrective exercises, and non-invasive modalities like electrical stimulation or diathermy can heal the injured disc, alleviate pain, and help you avoid recurring issues.

Physical therapy may also be indicated if you’ve been told by a surgeon that you could need spinal surgery to fix the herniation. In many cases, surgeons ask their patients to work with physical therapy before undergoing a spinal fusion or disc decompression procedure to preemptively improve core strength and spinal health. This can maximize surgical outcomes and reduce the risk of complications post-operatively.

Interestingly, research shows that even “idiopathic” cases of back pain (conditions with no known cause) respond positively to physical therapy. In other words, even if it’s not entirely clear whether you have a herniated disc, our services can still help. Contact�us today!

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By manish 0 Comments Health and Wellness, Natural Pain Relief, Nutrition

If you don’t think nutrition has an effect on your aches and pains, think again.

If you have chronic pain, have you ever considered that your nutrition choices could be making your aches and pains better—or worse?

Scientific evidence shows that the things we eat can influence our experience of pain—whether by alleviating an underlying health condition or exacerbating it. Our physical therapist team is happy to educate our patients about ways to make smarter choices in their diets so their physical therapy treatment plan will be more effective overall. We encourage you to call Premier Therapy Centers today if you’d like to set up an appointment with a physical therapist and see how your food can help with your mood and function.

Creating A “Pain-Free” Plate—3 Tips to Improve Your Nutrition

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to nutrition, but the following suggestions are good places to start:

1. Avoid foods that promote inflammation.

Chronic inflammation has been linked with everything from arthritis to Alzheimer’s disease. Foods known to promote damaging inflammation in the body include dairy, gluten, trans fats, and perhaps the most notorious of all—sugar.

Eliminating or minimizing these pro-inflammatory foods from your diet is one of the best ways to help reduce your chronic pain. Keep in mind that if you eat these things regularly and then take a “diet vacation” from them, you may actually notice a brief flare-up of your pain and other symptoms like headaches, food cravings, and irritability. This can happen if your body is so used to having these substances in your body that removing them causes withdrawal-like symptoms! Fortunately, most people see these issues resolve within a week or two.

2. Consume plenty of healthy fats.

Omega-3 fatty acids—found in foods like fish, eggs, and nuts—decrease inflammation and promote a healthier gut and immune system, all of which can lead to improved pain management. Eating more of these foods and adding a high quality omega-3 fatty acid supplement is essential for people with chronic pain. This is especially true since many of us consume too little omega-3 and too much omega-6, which is found in things like vegetable oils. In fact, the standard American diet has a high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, which has been shown to promote inflammation. Increasing omega-3 fatty acid consumption helps normalize this ratio and will improve tissue health throughout the body.

Other nutrients that help reduce inflammation include antioxidants, phytonutrients, and vitamins and minerals like magnesium and Vitamin C, which are rich in foods leafy green vegetables and berries.

3. Drink More Water!

Our bodies are mostly water, and we need to be replenishing ourselves sufficiently throughout the day to replace the water we lose with movement, metabolism, sweating, and other basic physiological functions. Drinking enough water can also keep your tissues healthy and may help reduce stiffness in your joints. So in addition to consuming water-rich foods like veggies and fruits, it’s also important to drink filtered or spring water regularly.

How much is enough? Aim for about one-third to one-half of your body weight in fluid ounces per day, but you may need more or less depending on your health, activity, and environment.

Ready to See How Nutrition Choices Can Improve Your Pain?

If you want help dishing up healthy and pain-relieving meals that can enhance your injury recovery or chronic pain condition, contact�Premier Therapy Centers today and schedule an appointment. We’d be happy to offer you comprehensive and customized guidance.

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By manish 0 Comments Health and Wellness, Natural Pain Relief, Physical Therapy

How to stay active when you have a desk job

How much time do you spend in a chair or on a couch?

Did you realize that sitting for 6-8 hours per day—or watching 3-4 hours of television—has been shown to increase the risk of chronic illness and early death? It’s stunning research, especially considering that the average American sits as much as 12 hours per day!

Sitting too much is simply hard on the body. Excessive sedentary behavior—common and seemingly “unavoidable” if you have a desk job—can increase the risk for back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and other types of work-related musculoskeletal injuries.

At our physical therapy clinic, it’s our mission to help people move better and feel better—and minimizing chair time is a huge part of this. Talk to our physical therapist at Premier Therapy Centers staff if you’d like to set up an appointment and get going on a treatment plan that will help you start feeling (and standing) better than ever.

In the meantime, check out these tips for increasing your physical activity during your workday.

Stay Active at Work—A 5-Step Cheat Sheet to Get out of That Seat

1. Have Your Meetings in Motion

Instead of holding your meeting or phone calls while sitting in a boardroom, see if it’s possible to take that appointment on the move and talk while you walk. Bonus: walking has been shown to boost creativity and problem solving.

2. Stay Hydrated

Drinking at least one third to one half your body weight in fluid ounces per day can keep your body properly hydrated. It’ll also force you to get out of your chair more, because you’ll find yourself needing to relieve yourself more often!

Keep a stainless steel or glass water bottle handle, drink regularly, and thank your body for the frequent signals that are sending you to the bathroom.

3. Get an Adjustable Sit to Stand Set-Up

Many companies now offer sit to stand desks because they’ve seen the research: employees who get to stand more may experience increased job satisfaction, alertness, and productivity—while also reducing their risk for the physical effects of “sitting disease.”

Even if you can’t get an adjustable desk for your office, it may be possible to make your own DIY version with some sturdy boxes and other material. Get creative…and don’t hesitate to ask your supervisor or office manager about investing in adjustable desks or attachments.

4. Take the Stairs

Physical activity may not be able to offset all the negative effects of sitting too much, but it may help some. Meeting the American Heart Association’s minimum recommendation of 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise is important, but those “non-exercise” activities add up, too.

So: park farther away from the office, take the stairs, and if necessary, talk to a physical therapist about custom orthotics and other strategies to make activity more comfortable.

5. Use Technology to Your Advantage

Wear a pedometer to track your steps and motivate you to get up and move around the office more often. Also, consider setting a timer to go off once per hour to alert you when it’s time to take a break from sitting and get out of your chair.

The bottom line: sitting for too long just isn’t good for your body or your lifespan. Our physical therapy staff can help you manage an injury or condition that has limited your standing tolerance, and get you on your feet with greater confidence. Call Premier Therapy Centers today to schedule an appointment!

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By manish 0 Comments Health and Wellness, Physical Therapy

Stress no more over stress-related headaches! Physical Therapy can help relieve the pain.

Can you feel it? Starting with tension in your neck or shoulders and creeping upward through the base of your skull? You may have even tried stretching and optimizing your work station, but if you are suffering from stress-related headaches, you know that the only relief comes from either reducing stress or taking medication. Why live this way when a physical therapist can help you relieve the pain and get rid of stress headaches once and for all?

What Are Stress-Related Headaches?

Stress-related headaches, also known as cervicogenic headaches or tension headaches, start in your neck and radiate to other areas of your body. The back, side or top of your head may become painful.

Your shoulder may start to ache on the same side where your headache began. As a result, you may even experience weakness, dizziness or nausea.

What Causes Stress-Related Headaches?

Stress-related headaches are often the result of stiff joints in your neck. As these joints become immobile, the soft tissue around them becomes tight, irritating the nerves in the area. Once communication from the nerves is limited, your brain begins compensating in an attempt to return your body to proper function. As a result, you experience pain, stiffness, tension, even numbness, and tingling.

Our sedentary lifestyle is partly to blame. According to one study by the Centers for Disease Control, one in four Americans spends more than 8 hours a day sitting down. With more and more work happening at computer terminals, many of these hours are spent using poor posture as we slump over a computer screen and keyboard.

Of course, the natural solution has been ergonomically designed workstations that place your entire body into proper place before beginning work, but the sheer volume of time we spend sitting down during the day often contributes to the amount of stress-related headaches the typical person experiences.

How can Physical Therapy Help Stress-Related Headaches?

Most people associate physical therapy with surgery. While it plays a vital role in the recovery after going under the knife, physical therapy is also designed to help you live a happier, healthier life. A physical therapist can examine not only your current shape, but they can also dive into the details of your work life to find ways to help you beat the sedentary slump contributing to your headaches.

First, a physical therapist will take a detailed history, including an accounting of how you spend your time.

This will be followed by diagnostic testing that evaluates your muscle strength, balance, ability to stand, walk and sit, and your typical working posture.

Next, the physical therapist will prescribe pain-relieving manual therapy and stretches as well as targeted exercises designed to improve your posture and help fight the immobility at the root of your headaches. Periodically, the physical therapist will evaluate your progress and make suggestions for getting the most out of your physical therapy experience. Best of all, treatments are non-invasive and do not involve prescription pain medications that may make your symptoms worse.

Still unsure whether physical therapy is right for you? Call�our office to talk to our physical therapist and find out how you can beat your stress headaches.

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By manish 0 Comments Health and Wellness, Physical Therapy

Do you stretch before and after your workout? If not, you should start.

Do you make time to go to the gym a few times per week? If so, you should commend yourself for your efforts. But at our physical therapy clinic, we notice an interesting trend with a lot of our active patients: they go to the gym regularly, but they largely neglect stretching and mobility work.

We’re not sure why this is so common—maybe because stretching doesn’t seem as “exciting” as an actual workout. But proper stretching before and after exercise has many proven health benefits and can improve your workout, too! Talk to a physical therapist today about which types of stretching you should focus on and find out which areas on your body have a limited range of motion and flexibility. In the meantime, keep reading to learn why stretching is so great for your body and mind. Contact Premier Therapy Centers today!

5 Benefits of Stretching Pre- and Post-Workout

1. Stretching can prepare your body for exercise.

Dynamic stretching before a workout can help your muscles, ligaments, tendons, joint capsules, and other tissues become loosened up and prepared for exercise. Pre-workout mobility also increases core body temperature and stimulates increased blood flow throughout the body so your tissues will have an adequate amount of oxygen to work.

Meanwhile, stretching after a workout helps you cool down appropriately and reduce tissue tightness and pain.

2. Stretching can enhance your workout performance.

A personalized stretching routine that addresses your specific areas of postural imbalances and tightness can help you improve your range of motion. When you combine this with strength training and aerobic conditioning, you can expect to function more efficiently during your workouts and enjoy greater stamina, power, and speed.

Since pre-workout mobility also prepares your body for exercise, it’ll also help you safely reach your desired workout intensity more quickly since you’ll be able to start a workout already warmed up and ready to go.

3. Stretching may reduce your risk of injury.

The research isn’t a slam dunk, but some studies do show that stretching may reduce your risk of muscle strains, ligament sprains, joint damage, and other painful injuries common with sports and athletics.

4. Stretching can reduce stress.

Stretching regularly—especially when combined with deep breathing and mindfulness exercises—is a great way to ease mental stress and even reduce signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety.

5. Stretching can improve your overall health.

Regular stretching has been shown to improve your blood pressure and heart rate as well as maximize your overall mobility, especially as you age.

What Kind of Stretching Do I Need?

You may have heard that stretching “cold” muscles aren’t ideal—which is true. Our bodies need to be adequately warmed up prior to stretching, especially static holds at end range—otherwise we increase our risk for injury and tissue damage.

This doesn’t mean you should never stretch at all before a workout, however. A simple 5-minute warm-up such as light jogging, brisk walking, and arm circles and leg swings is usually sufficient to get your joints and tissues warmed up and prepared for mobility work.

For many folks, dynamic stretches are the most effective for pre-workout mobility. Meanwhile, they’ll save static stretches and foam rolling for after the workout. Wondering what works best for you? Our physical therapist staff is happy to help you problem-solve and figure out the best routine for your body.

Do You Need to Add More Stretching to Your Routine?

If you’d like to become more disciplined with a mobility routine and need some inspiration and education on the best mobility moves your body needs, schedule an appointment with a physical therapist today.

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By manish 0 Comments Health and Wellness, Joint Stiffness and Pain, Physical Therapy

Is Joint Pain Making Simple Activities Seem Difficult? It’s Time to Seek Help.

Do you have more trouble getting dressed or penning handwritten notes than you once did? Are you having trouble keeping up with the basic demands of your job? Do you look for excuses to withdraw from some of your favorite activities simply because it hurts to move? Joint pain can turn even the most routine tasks into dreaded chores — or make them totally impossible to perform at all. You need to address this issue before it gets so bad that you can’t do anything. Fortunately, you can get much of the help you need through physical therapy. Our physical therapist can help you optimize your mobility without drugs or surgery, so contact Premier Therapy Centers in Commerce today!

Understanding Joint Pain

If you’ve ever ruptured a joint ligament or fractured a bone in a joint, you probably experienced a lot of pain over a set, limited time period. This is known as acute joint pain. But in some ways, chronic joint pain can be much more debilitating as it haunts you for months after month, and year after year. This kind of joint pain is commonly caused or worsened by:

  • Osteoarthritis – Osteoarthritis is a progressive, usually age-related degeneration of the cartilage that normally cushions a joint’s bone ends.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis – Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by abnormal immune system responses that attack the linings of joints, producing bouts of swelling, pain, stiffness, and joint damage.
  • Non-ergonomic working conditions – An improperly-positioned workstation or other awkward workplace arrangements can force your body into stressful, painful positions.
  • Excess weight – The heavier you are, the more pressure your weight-bearing joints must withstand. These pressures can lead to premature joint deterioration and joint tissue strain.
  • Musculoskeletal imbalances – If your muscles suffer from uneven development, you may be unable to sustain asymmetrical posture. This can create muscle spasms and trigger points that refer pain to the joints.
  • Degenerative disc disease – Age-related bulging discs, spinal stenosis, and other spinal changes can cause serious joint pain in the neck or back.

How Joint Pain Hurts Your Life

Joint pain isn’t just annoying; it can be downright disabling or even dangerous. If, for example, you can’t reliably turn your head to see traffic, you could easily end up in an auto accident. Stiff joints that affect stance and gait can increase your risk of falls. Simply buttoning your shirt, cooking a meal, or writing a check may be beyond you. Joint pain needs to be slowed, arrested, or reversed so you can continue to live the life you want.

Physical Therapy Helps Joint Join

Most cases of joint pain will respond to conservative, non-surgical forms of care. But not all such forms of care are equally useful. For example, you may have already noticed that pain-relieving drugs only go so far to ease your symptoms, while doing nothing to address their causes.

That’s where physical therapy shines. Our physical therapist can help your joints function more normally, improving your musculoskeletal health, with greater pain-free freedom of motion as a natural result. Physical therapy options for joint pain include:

  • Walking, swimming, or cycling exercises to keep your joints moving
  • Strength training to build up the strength in your joints’ supporting tissues
  • Stretches to increase your joint flexibility
  • Massage, heat, and ice therapy to control joint pain and inflammation without drugs
  • Lifestyle/ergonomic recommendations to help you perform daily tasks more comfortably

Want to get your everyday life back? Call our physical therapist today!

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By manish 0 Comments Health and Wellness, Physical Therapy

Do you have an upcoming surgery? 3 Reasons to attend post-surgical rehab for a better recovery.

Facing surgery can be a little scary. Not only are you unsure how the operation itself will go, but you also may not be clear about what to expect once the anesthesia has worn off. Fortunately, our physical therapist can walk you through the precise recovery process for your surgery. Call Premier Therapy Centers in Commerce & West Bloomfield Township, MI, to schedule a consultation. In the meantime, these reasons to attend post-surgical rehab will shed some light on how physical therapy leads to a better recovery.

1. Scar Tissue is Real. And it’s Painful.

Surgery and scar tissue go hand in hand. Anytime a surgeon has to cut layers of skin, fatty tissue, connective tissue, and muscles, they must repair them as well. In the process of the body finishing what the surgeon started, scar tissue forms. Scar tissue forms from inflammation and irritation around joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments, making it difficult for the area to move.

Once scar tissue has formed and solidified, it is difficult and painful to break. The sooner a physical therapist can help create movement in the area that has been affected by surgery, the less scar tissue will develop, the less pain a person will have during recovery. Even though physical therapy is often uncomfortable right after surgery, it is far less painful than waiting to begin rehabilitation.

2. Safe, Early Movement is Key!

Once upon a time, a person did not begin physical therapy until after their incision has healed. Now, a physical therapist will often begin the therapy process within 24 hours of surgery. Multiple studies have found that patients who are up and moving right after surgery have faster recovery times than those who are allowed to rest and recover before rehabilitation. Patients who have a knee or hip replacement are required to stand and walk within 24 hours. Patients who have surgery on other areas of the body are often referred to a physical therapist even before surgery, so they can begin therapy as soon as they are discharged from the hospital.

The sooner you begin rehabilitation after surgery, the faster your recovery, the better your outcome.

3. Your Physical Therapist is a Specialist

We often forget that a physical therapist is a medical specialist. Not only have they completed extensive training and education, but they are also skilled diagnosticians. In your first meeting, your physical therapist will assess your current movement capabilities and discuss your surgical procedure. They will then schedule your post-surgical rehab appointments in a way that is appropriate for your goals and procedure.

Your first thought maybe, “It’s too soon!” or “There’s no way I’ll be ready.” Trust their skills, experience, and expertise. Committing to physical therapy the way it is prescribed, with the recommended timing and order, will have you back to optimal health much faster than fighting the process.

If you are facing surgery, don’t wait to schedule your appointment with a physical therapist. Not only will they be able to outline your rehabilitation schedule and recovery process, but they may also have valuable insight into things you can do now to prepare for your surgery date. Contact�Premier Therapy Centers in West Bloomfield Township, MI to schedule an appointment today.