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How A Stronger Core Can Help With Balance Issues

Have you been feeling shaky and off balance lately? The culprit might be a weak core! Having a weak core might make you feel unbalanced, but the good news is that physical therapy can help you strengthen your core and improve your balance as well.

Physical therapy should include core strength training. Your core muscles play an important part in keeping you balanced whether you’re sitting, standing, or sprinting. The muscles in your core assist in anchoring your center of gravity, allowing you to maintain balance.

Are you trying to find a way to improve your balance? If that’s the case, call Dubuque Physical Therapy in Dubuque, IA to learn more about how our core strengthening services might help you.

What should I know about my core?

There are two types of core muscles: the inner core and the outer core. The inner core muscles are attached to the spine. These are the muscles that balance the core and hold it in the correct place. The outer core muscles work together with the inner core muscles when you need to rotate your body to perform much of everyday physical activities.

Core stability has to do with the inner core muscles. These muscles are stabilizing for the spine. Core strength relates to the outer core muscles, and when properly formed, works to help you move about with ease. It also helps you keep your balance!

Frequent visits with a licensed physical therapist may be able to help you train your inner and outer core muscles for improved balance and movement!

How are balance and core strength related?

It’s crucial to know where your core muscles are located before you can focus on strengthening them. Many folks mistakenly believe they are working their core muscles when they are actually working their upper abdominal muscles. These muscles are vital for core strength, but they’re not the ones you’re looking for.

Your unique core muscles, as well as the transversus abdominis muscles that make up the “pelvic corset,” are positioned in your pelvis, hips, and lower back.

These core muscles serve as your body’s natural stabilizers, making constant adjustments in response to nerve cells called “proprioceptors,” which give you your sense of spatial awareness.

As your core becomes stronger, you will be able to steady your balance much easier. When muscles are weak, it is more difficult to balance yourself from your center of gravity. This increases your risk for falls, and it can affect your arm and upper body movements. Back pain, difficulty in standing up from a seated position, and incontinence may also indicate an unstable core.

How can my balance benefit from physical therapy treatments?

Our physical therapists are highly skilled and dedicated to helping you improve your balance through core strengthening. When you arrive for your first appointment, your physical therapy clinic will conduct a comprehensive exam to assess your stance, gait, balance, and core muscles.

This will help determine the origin of the weakness and will be the foundation of your treatment plan. Treatment plans will be designed specifically for you and your individual needs. These plans for balance improvement typically include:

  • Using stability boards. Various types of physical therapy balance boards have a flat surface and a curved underside. Standing on these devices and working to maintain your stability can greatly improve your core balance.
  • Practicing Tai chi. Tai chi is a slow-motion form of Chinese martial art. The poses and transitions done within this type of treatment can help your body develop the core muscles it needs in order to retain the necessary stability from one move to the next.
  • Slow exercises. Depending on the severity of your balance impairment, it may be best to start off slow. Your physical therapist may suggest beginning with gentle and safe exercises, such as leg lifts or pelvic tilts. These types of exercises can help strengthen your back, pelvic, and abdominal core muscles.

Ab workouts. These may include sit-ups, pushups, and crunches. Abdominal exercises help strengthen the abdominal muscles that work with your core.

Regain your balance and strengthen your core with physical therapy

Are issues with your balance hindering your daily life? If so, don’t hesitate to contact us as soon as possible. We’ll provide you with the core strengthening exercises you need to get back on your feet, feeling better than ever.

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Shrug-Off-Shoulder-Pain-Through-Physical-Therapy-Treatment
Shrug Off Shoulder Pain Through Physical Therapy Treatment

Did you know that your shoulders are the most moveable and flexible joints in your body? They’re made up of a variety of muscles, tendons, and bones, and they’re pretty complicated structures! Your shoulders are what allow you to move around and complete many of your responsibilities during the day. They are capable of a great deal, but they are also extremely vulnerable to injury. If you’ve been suffering from shoulder pain, our physical therapy services can help you discover natural relief.

Call Dubuque Physical Therapy in Dubuque, IA to discover more about how we can help you go back to your normal life without shoulder pain!

Common causes of shoulder pain

Shoulder pain can be caused by a variety of underlying factors. A sudden injury or damage to the shoulders, for example, can make them uncomfortable. Repetitive activities can also create shoulder pain by overworking your muscles, joints, and tendons.

Physical therapy can help with a variety of issues that may be causing the pain or discomfort you’re experiencing in your shoulder. The following are some of the most common causes of shoulder pain:

  • Frozen shoulder. Frozen shoulder is a painful ailment that develops after prolonged periods of immobility, such as being in a sling or cast following an injury. Over time, this condition will deteriorate, causing discomfort and stiffness. Physical therapy can help provide relief while you are recovering. It usually corrects itself after a number of years. It may also aid to hasten the healing process.
  • Torn cartilage. When cartilage tears, you may experience a number of painful symptoms. You may experience decreased strength and a limited range of motion in the affected shoulder. You may also experience pain when moving your arm in certain ways. If you are suffering from torn cartilage, physical therapy can provide relief.
  • Tendonitis. Tendonitis occurs when a tendon becomes irritated or inflamed. It can appear in several parts of the body, and colloquial terms such as “tennis elbow,” “swimmer’s shoulder,” and “jumper’s knee” are usually used to describe it. A physical therapist can treat different types of tendonitis and relieve the inflamed area.
  • Arthritis. Arthritis is a painful and stiffening joint disease. There are various forms of arthritis, but osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most frequent. Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the cartilage between your bones breaks down, causing the bones to rub together. Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by swollen and inflamed joints. Physical therapy can help with pain alleviation and movement for both of these diseases.
  • Bursitis. Bursitis is a type of joint inflammation that affects the fluid-filled sacs that surround the bones, muscles, and tendons. It frequently happens in body parts that are subjected to repetitive activities. You may feel stiff or achy in the affected area, which may also become red or inflamed if you have bursitis. Physical therapy can help with the inflammation as well as the pain you’re experiencing.
  • Sprains and strains. When a ligament is strained or torn, it is called a sprain. When a muscle or tendon is stretched too far or torn, it is called a strain. Strains and sprains can cause persistent shoulder pain, making it difficult to exercise or perform regular duties. If the strain or sprain is minimal, it may be treated at home with ice and rest. Physical therapy is typically required for more serious strains and sprains.

How can a physical therapist help with shoulder pain?

Two of the biggest goals of physical therapy are 1) to alleviate your pain and 2) to improve your function. Your physical therapist will work with you to make sure that both of these are achieved throughout your physical therapy sessions.

Physical therapy for shoulder pain focuses primarily on giving you much needed pain relief using modalities, manual therapy, modalities, exercises, and at-home treatments. Your physical therapist’s ultimate goal is to restore mobility and range of motion to the affected shoulder.

He or she will design a treatment plan specifically for you, which will include targeted stretches and exercises. It may also include any additional methods or modalities that your physical therapist deems fit, including ice and heat therapies, manual therapy, ultrasound, aquatic therapy, or electrical nerve stimulation.

Get rid of your shoulder pain today!

There’s no reason you need to risk the harmful effects of over-the-counter medication or spend a ton of money on an expensive surgery to gain relief from shoulder pain. Call Dubuque Physical Therapy in Dubuque, IA today to learn more about the benefits of physical therapy for shoulder pain, and begin your journey toward living a pain-free life!

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Are You Curious How Physical Therapy
Are You Curious How Physical Therapy Can Improve Your Overall Wellness?

Everyone aspires to live a healthy, active, and powerful lifestyle – or they should, at least!

However, this type of lifestyle is not always simple to maintain, particularly for people who suffer from chronic pain. Physical therapy, fortunately, is an excellent resource for relieving pain and achieving fitness goals.

Give Dubuque Physical Therapy a call today if you want to start living a healthy lifestyle but aren’t sure where to begin. We’ll tailor a treatment plan to your specific needs so you can achieve your objectives using the most effective approaches.

The importance of leading a healthy lifestyle

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle takes effort, but it becomes a lot simpler once you get into the swing of things.

One of the simplest methods to boost your health is to eat nutritious foods (although we know those sweets are hard to kick.) Physical activity is the most difficult part to develop a habit of, especially if you are hampered by chronic pain.

Some people take anti-inflammatory or pain-relieving medicines to disguise their symptoms, while others give up on the idea of being active completely. Fortunately, with the help of a physical therapist, you may restore your pain-free, healthy lifestyle and resume your favorite hobbies!

Major benefits of seeing a physical therapist for improved health

Whatever your reason for obtaining physical therapy services, the goal remains the same. Perhaps you’re still dealing with the effects of an injury. You might be recovering from surgery and trying to regain your range of motion. Maybe your joints aren’t what they used to be, and you’re seeking a way to feel better. Whatever the case may be, physical therapists are committed to reducing your discomfort and restoring your physical health to its previous state.

A physical therapist is a movement specialist, educated in analyzing mobility issues with walking, running, jumping, bending, stretching, and almost every other form of physical activity. Your physical therapist can pinpoint problem areas and create a customized treatment plan aimed at improving those areas.

Through in-office sessions and at-home exercises, patients strengthen their muscles and joints, improve their balance, build endurance, and experience pain relief, all without the unwanted harmful risks of drugs or surgery.

What should I expect with physical therapy?

Pain alleviation, strengthening, and functional integration are the three main components of physical therapy. Some people fear physical therapy because they assume it may cause pain and be hard to take part in, however, this is usually not the case!

Physical therapy aims to relieve pain and build muscles, and your physical therapist will ensure that your treatment plan does not cause you any discomfort. This is accomplished using a variety of therapeutic options, including ice and heat therapy, stretching, bracing, and ultrasound.

Movement is also necessary for an active lifestyle. Your physical therapist will build a treatment plan for you based on particular movements that will improve your strength, flexibility, balance, and overall mobility. Many of these exercises will be assisted by him or her, but he or she will also supply some basic ones that you can do at home.

Physical therapy allows you to live the life you want, free of severe limits. This can only happen if you apply what you’ve learned in your therapy to the real world. Your physical therapist is just as committed as you are, and he or she will push you to achieve all of the goals you set out for yourself at the start.

Call our clinic today for help

Every patient is unique, and we recognize that at our clinic. That’s why we tailor each treatment plan to the individual needs of each patient. When you come in for your first visit, you’ll have some diagnostic tests done to help your physical therapist figure out where to start with treatments.

Your pain levels, balance, range of motion, and overall function will all be assessed throughout these examinations. In addition, your physical therapist will inquire about your medical history. Following the collection of all of this information, your physical therapist will develop a specific treatment plan to assist you in achieving your health goals.

If you are looking to improve your health, strength, and physical activity, look no further. We can help you get there – even if you’re dealing with pain. To get started on the path toward a healthier and happier lifestyle, call our office today to schedule your consultation!

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