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Experiencing-Discomfort-In-Your-Neck-and-Back
Experiencing Discomfort In Your Neck and Back? PT Could Alleviate Your Pain!

Back and neck pain can occur for a variety of causes. Back and neck pain can be mild to severe, and it may be accompanied by other symptoms. Fortunately, physical therapy can help you get rid of back and neck discomfort and get back to enjoying a pain-free life.

Muscle strains, which can arise as a result of a cervical herniated disc, cervical degenerative disc disease, or cervical osteoarthritis, are the most common causes of neck pain. Back pain can be caused by anything that causes the structure of the spine to alter, such as lumbar disc herniation, lumbar degenerative disc disease, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, or osteoarthritis.

You don’t need to continue living in constant pain and discomfort, especially when there are resources available to you to help you feel better. Relieve your back and neck pain today by contacting Dubuque Physical Therapy office to schedule a consultation!

How pain in the spine is connected to your neck

We don’t typically think about it, but we use our spines for many of our daily activities. Even simple things, such as turning to grab something out of the cupboard or looking over your shoulder, requires the interaction of the entire spinal joints, muscles, and nerves.

Your spine is connected through a series of muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints where movement in one region influences movements in another. As with any type of interconnected system, breakdowns can happen at any time. This is why dysfunction in one area can lead to pain in the other.

Pain in your back and/or spine can range from a mild, dull, annoying ache to persistent, severe, and disabling pain. Often the pain in your back or neck restricts mobility and interferes with normal functioning and quality of life.

When you have limited motion in your neck, your body compensates by twisting more than it usually would allow you to complete the task. Our spine requires the coordination of the entire spine; otherwise, movements can cause pain or limitations that impair your ability to complete the activity.

If you are experiencing neck pain, back pain, or a combination of both, our physical therapists would be more than happy to meet with you for a consultation to discuss how they can help!

How is the cause of neck and back pain diagnosed?

Back pain and neck pain can lead to a loss of productivity, and it is a common cause for disability. Because of this, it is important to seek the assistance of a medical professional immediately if you are suffering from back or neck pain.

If you’re having back or neck pain, you should see your primary care physician immediately. They will almost certainly do a physical examination and may request x-rays or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test.

Your doctor will be able to examine your soft tissues, ligaments, tendons, and blood vessels clearly with an MRI, which can reveal the source of your back or neck pain. Once this has been determined, your doctor will recommend a treatment plan, which will almost certainly include physical therapy!

How will physical therapy help my back or neck pain?

Physical therapy is an effective treatment for both back and neck pain. The goals and expected outcomes of these treatments include:

  1. Prevention of further issues. By learning proper body mechanics, you can avoid future injuries and prevent pain from recurring.
  2. Decreased pain and stiffness. By using passive treatments such as manual therapy, your physical therapist will help alleviate pain in the affected area and accelerate the healing process.
  3. Increased range of motion. Your physical therapist will implement flexibility exercises into your treatment plan, which will help increase the range of motion in your back and neck.
  4. Improved quality of life. Physical therapy can help you return to your normal routine much quicker, allowing for an overall improvement in quality of life.
  5. Improved strength. Your physical therapist will create a specific exercise plan for your particular needs, which will aid in the strengthening of muscles in the affected area.

Treatment plans are made up of both passive and active methods. Passive treatments work to relieve pain, inflammation, and stiffness, while active treatments work to improve strength, flexibility, and function.

Common passive treatments for back and neck pain include ice and heat therapies, manual therapy, electrical stimulation, and ultrasound. Active treatments include targeted stretches and exercises that your physical therapist will prescribe. Your therapist will be the one to decide which kinds of therapies are right for your condition and your therapy treatment will be created that way.

Call our clinic to schedule your one-on-one evaluation

You deserve to live a life that is pain-free. Dealing with neck or back pain (or both!) on a daily basis shouldn’t be something that you’re forced to do. If this is your current reality, it’s time to say hello to a new one with the help of physical therapy.

Contact us today to confirm your appointment and get started on the first steps toward pain relief.

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Overcoming-a-Sedentary-Lifestyle
Overcoming a Sedentary Lifestyle Doesn’t Have To Be Hard!

It’s true that finding time to workout during the day can be difficult at times from your sedentary lifestyle. You work for 8 hours a day, commute home, drive your kids to their activities, cook supper, get ready for bed…it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get the physical activity you desire!

For many people, exercise appears to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Finding the time and energy to do so can be tough, but fortunately, there are a number of simple methods to include physical activity into your everyday routine without having to go to the gym or schedule a session.

Dubuque Physical Therapy has put together a list of ways you can easily increase your physical activity. Keep reading to learn more, and give us a call at our clinic to schedule an appointment for a tune-up with us!

7 ways you can get in better shape without heading to the gym

1. Do chores – but stretch while you’re doing that!

By doing chores and daily tasks for 20 or 30 minutes a day, you can live a cleaner and healthier lifestyle. In addition, you can get some exercise! Vacuuming, dishwashing, trash removal, and laundry all necessitate physical movement.

You may get exercise while also doing the housework you’ve been putting off if you take time out of your day to accomplish duties around the house. It’s a win-win situation!

2. Stand up and move around.

Simply standing in place may be one of the simplest methods to get some exercise. While it may not appear to make a difference, standing is far healthier than sitting. Standing burns more calories and is better for your posture because it reduces your capacity to slouch or hunch over. It also induces more exercise and helps to keep blood sugar levels stable after a meal.

3. Take the stairs and park far away from entrances.

We all want to move from one place to another as quickly as possible. We use elevators, park near entrances, and enter and exit through the closest doors… But, except for saving a small bit of time, this adds no long-term value. Make it a habit to take the stairs at work or park in the back of the parking lot at your grocery store. These simple actions can greatly increase your daily physical activity.

4. Find excuses to walk.

We all get a lunch break, and we can take use of it to make healthy choices. Instead of dining at the office cafeteria, order food from a restaurant down the street (and make sure it’s nutritious!) Alternatively, you can spend your entire lunch break walking or going to the gym.

You can bring a sack lunch and eat it at your desk before or after your workout if you choose this option. This will allow you to set aside time each day for physical activity.

5. Hang your workout equipment in plain sight.

By keeping your equipment in sight, it’ll increase the probability of you using them (because let’s face it, who’s going to rummage through their hall closet to find their yoga mat at the end of the day?)

So, keep workout equipment in an easy-to-see view around the house. Put your yoga mat beside the tv. Store your 5-pound weights on the side of the desk. Make it a habit of working out around the house while doing your daily activities, such as watching the news, cooking dinner, or even sitting at your computer.

6. Be sneaky!

Ideally, we’re supposed to get up and move around every 30-60 minutes throughout the day to initiate stronger blood flow, and to allow our bodies to stretch and warm up. But how many of us actually do that? (The answer – not many.) However, you can achieve this by tricking yourself into getting up more often.

Perhaps you drink your water from a smaller glass than normal, forcing you to get up and go to the sink every time you complete it. Alternatively, instead of having your own stapler or hole puncher on your desk, you go to the copy room every time you need one. You’ll be able to get up and walk around far more than you would otherwise if you get rid of these minor “conveniences” that we make for ourselves.

7. Give our clinic a call for more advice!

If you’d like more assistance on how to get yourself moving, don’t hesitate to contact us today.

Your physical therapist can provide you with a personalized workout plan to help get you moving in the ways you want. If pain is an issue, he or she can also provide you with pain relief methods and techniques. Physical therapy are movement experts, so they are great resources to utilize when looking to achieve physical goals.

We’re here to support you on your fitness journey!

Do you have pain that prevents you from participating in as much exercise as you’d like? Do you want a more systematic strategy to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine? Do you have no idea where to start?

Physical therapy can help you enhance your physical activity and achieve your goals, whatever the situation may be. We’ll devise a strategy to assist you in increasing your physical activity as quickly as we can so call us today!

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Sprains-and-Strains-Can-Cause-Long-Term-Pain
Sprains and Strains Can Cause Long-Term Pain…But With Physical Therapy, They Don’t Have To!

Does this scenario seem familiar? You’re walking down the sidewalk, when suddenly – your ankle slips off the curb. You feel an immediate twinge of pain, but you’re unsure whether or not it requires a trip to the doctor.

It is true that many mild injuries can be treated with the R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compression, elevation) method; however, some injuries require the help of a medical professional.

It can be difficult to determine where your injury is, and it can also be difficult to determine if the injury you sustained is a sprain or a strain. Fortunately, consulting with a physical therapist at Dubuque Physical Therapy helps you get everything sorted out as quickly as possible, so you can recover and get back to your daily life!

What’s the difference between a sprain and a strain?

One of the first and most common questions people ask when they hurt a part of their body: is it a sprain, or is it a strain? While they may seem similar, the distinctions are actually easier to make than you may think. In order to know the differences between a sprain and a strain, you must first know the differences between a tendon and a ligament.

Tendons are fibrous, tough structures that connect bone and muscle. Ligaments are connective tissues that are similar to tendons, except they connect bone to bone rather than muscle to muscle.

When the tendons that connect your muscle to your bone are stretched or ruptured, a strain ensues. A strain can be acute, meaning it occurs right after an accident, or chronic, meaning it develops over time as a result of repeating the same repetitive motions over and over again.

A sprain occurs when the ligaments connecting your joints are damaged. This can affect your ankles, knees, elbows, or wrists. With a sprain, the joint is so violently twisted that the tissues are stretched or torn. The ankle pain may be mild, subsiding in a few minutes or hours, or it can be more severe, requiring physical therapy or even surgery.

So, what can physical therapy do to help?

Our physical therapists have a lot of experience with sprains and strains, both diagnosing and treating them. Your physical therapist will assist you in recovering from your injury and will give you advice on how to avoid further injuries in the future. Physical therapy treatments can often eliminate the need for dangerous medicines or invasive surgical repairs.

When treating a sprain or strain with physical therapy, 3 steps are typically followed.

  1. Your physical therapist will focus on pain relief. This is done with passive physical therapy methods, including manual therapy, ice and heat therapies, light stretches, ultrasound, or electrical stimulation.
  2. Your physical therapist will focus on promoting the healing process of your injury once your discomfort has been addressed. This will include strengthening and range-of-motion exercises to help the damaged area regain its full function.
  3. Following the healing of your injury, your physical therapist will focus on preventing injury in the afflicted area in the future. This will be accomplished through focused strengthening workouts that will help you build muscle around the injured area and lower your chance of re-injuring it.

Ready to get back on your feet? Give our clinic a call

Do you think you may have a sprain or strain? If so, contact us today for assistance with returning to the things you love doing.

We’ll provide you with the best treatment methods for your needs, so you can relieve your pain without the use of harmful medications or expensive surgical procedures. We are here to support you every step of the way!

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