WHY ARE MY MUSCLES TIGHT? Do you feel like your muscles are always tight? Do you wish your muscles would relax so you could enjoy some rest? Muscle tightness is quite common, and it may come as a surprise how simple and effective treatments can be in resolving muscle tightness. WHAT IS MUSCLE TIGHTNESS? The …
Are you hoping to participate or even compete in a marathon, triathlon, 5K, or other athletic competitions this year? Hopefully, you’ve taken the past few months to let your body recover from last year’s training and are ready to start increasing your training volume once more. What most people don’t know is that what you …
The COVID 19 pandemic is creating many health challenges in our nation. It is more important than ever that we take responsibility to promote healthy lifestyles. There are many things that we should be doing as a society to improve our overall health and prevent disease. Things like smoking and reducing alcohol consumption, decreasing blood …
There’s still plenty of Summer to be enjoyed, it’s time for that needed vacation! As busy Americans we need this time to relax, re-set, and create special memories with friends and The U.S Travel Association reported that in 2018, U.S. residents logged 1.8 billion person-trips for leisure purposes.1 While most people are very excited for their upcoming …
Poor posture is one of the leading causes of pain in the neck, back and upper extremities. On average, Americans spend 87.5% of their day being sedentary; with a majority of those hours sitting at work. Musculoskeletal disorders have been affected by occupational factors since the 18th century, and began being readily examined starting in …
As humans, the most common and fundamental activity we do is walking. Did you know walking is actually one of the best exercises you can do to help relieve you of your lower back pain? That’s because mobility is a vital component to overcoming pain and walking is a low impact aerobic exercise that helps …
Do you have persistent tightness in your hamstrings despite days of stretching? It could be your lumbar spine holding you back! – RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HAMSTRING AND SPINE – The hamstring is a group of 3 muscles in the thigh that can affect the position of your pelvis, ultimately influencing the lower back. When your muscle …
The popular phrase “Sitting is the New Smoking” has been used to describe how inactivity can lead to a myriad of health problems. A 2011 study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that prolonged sitting was associated with an increase risk of chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. …BUT WHAT IS THE …
Think about how often you use your shoulder. It’s no wonder it is one of the most commonly injured joints in the body! The anatomy of the shoulder alone demonstrates its susceptibility to injury. Most joints in the body have a large surface area to keep the bones in place. Take a look at the …
Determining if you need physical therapy is typically an easy decision. Determining where to go to ensure you’re receiving the best care isn’t always as black and white. Here are the top 5 qualities to look for in a physical therapist so you can overcome your pain or injury and get back to the life …
Do you find yourself rubbing the muscles between your neck and shoulder because they are sore? Or, do you suffer from headaches that affect the back of the neck, side of the neck, or even behind the eye? You’re not alone! This muscle tightness (and resulting headaches) may originate from the upper trapezius muscle in your back. …
This just in — hip mobility isn’t just for dancing! The ability to freely and flexibly move our hips is important for many of the activities we perform as humans. From climbing stairs, standing up, or even something as simple as walking, inadequate hip mobility threatens our ability to perform simple tasks. WHAT CAN OCCUR …
Did you know that Achilles tendon pain is one of the most common complaints among endurance athletes such as runners and triathletes? The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscle to the heel which allows our bodies to perform a myriad of movements including walking, jumping, and running. Although it is one of the largest and …
It’s summertime, and that means baseball season is in full swing! While spring season is wrapping up, many players are traveling more for summer leagues and all-star tournaments which leads to increased practices and multiple games a week. All of this playing time adds up to significant throwing repetitions. The cumulative wear and tear of …
Striving to keep our body healthy as we age can be a challenge! One of the toughest challenges is maintaining a healthy body composition, or the percentages of lean tissue and fat mass. Starting in our mid-forties, we begin to lose muscle mass and progressively accumulate fat mass. On average, between the ages of 40-60, …
Some thoughts ran through my mind this weekend as I was at my wife’s beck and call to deck the halls with boughs of holly. While I had to get into the nooks and crannies of our basement to retrieve box after box of holiday cheer –some small boxes, some big boxes, some light boxes, …
DO THESE SCENARIOS SOUND FAMILIAR? You go to reach into the cupboard for a mug — sharp pain as you lift your arm. You hit a forehand on the tennis court – sharp pain as your arm crosses your body. You’re on the driving range, trying to get ready for the new season – “Wow, …
What in the world are shin splints? Medically referred to as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, the culprit of that intense shin pain results from micro tears in the muscle and bone tissue – typically from doing too much, too soon. Shin splints can occur in two places: below the knee or on the inside of …
Golf is one of the greatest recreational sports enjoyed by many, but a golf swing has a lot of components that can result in injury. Just look at Tiger Woods and the number of surgeries he’s had to stay relevant in the PGA — including one yesterday! One common injury that occurs from golfing is known as medial …
Whether it’s that back pain only affects older people {myth}, people that are unfit {myth}, or that all cases of back pain result in surgery {myth}, there are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to the health and function of our lower back. Another common misconception I hear from many of my patients is …
Warm weather is just around the corner and with that burst of sunshine comes pool season! Swimming is one of the best full-body exercises you can do, but as with any repetitive motion, you can start to develop an injury from overusing your muscles. In this case, the most prominent injury swimmers encounter is ‘Swimmer’s …
While running has an extremely positive impact on your body {i.e. strengthens the heart, improves cardiovascular endurance, aids in weight loss} it can often lead to a varying list of injuries. It is even estimated that nearly 80 percent of runners are injured each year! Don’t worry, though – we’ve got the top 5 most …
Football season is officially upon us, and it’s not all cheese fries and buffalo wings! While we sit around the living room with our closest friends enjoying these delicacies, our favorite players {and fantasy draft teams} are at risk for serious injuries throughout the season. One such injury and a complete game changer is an …
If you are like many Americans, 2016 began with some wonderful ambitions about getting healthy and fit. The typical New Year’s Resolution is stacked with ambitious goals to lose weight, limit calories, avoid junk food and keep to a tough workout schedule. Unfortunately for many of us, those New Year’s goals, though well intentioned, tend to …
Is the emotional joy of delivering your little bundle of joy overshadowed by the physical post-pregnancy pain you may be feeling? Many new mothers still feel like they have a big hole in their abdomen or even begin to develop back pain. I am here to arm you with some simple tips to protect your …
RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU HAVE EVER SACRIFICED A MUCH-NEEDED NIGHT OF SLEEP DUE TO PAIN? Pain is difficult to handle regardless of cause or severity and can have a detrimental effect on sleeping habits. An individual with pain may experience discomfort or anxiety which contributes to their inability to sleep. Unfortunately, though it may …
Muscle and joint inflammation and pain is caused by a myriad of things. One such thing that has been proven to have a detrimental impact on the overall health of our muscles and joints is an over consumption of sugar. Simple dietary changes can help to reduce this inflammation and pain. Diet away your pain! REDUCE …
Pencils Down! How Much do you Know about Stretching? In the past, you may have complained of back pain and heard the tried and true saying “stretch it out.” This leads you to bending and straightening joints in an effort to pin point the tight muscles that need to be pulled and manipulated in order to “stretch” …
Did you ever wonder what was best to use for your injury, pain, or discomfort? If you answered “yes,” you’re in good company. I don’t make it through a day without having a patient ask me, “is it best to apply heat or ice to my injury.” Since there are many factors that come into …
At work do you find yourself constantly shifting in your chair and trying to get comfortable? After a full day of work do you have increased neck or low back pain? This may be due to a chair or workstation environment that is not optimal for you. With a few simple adjustments you could greatly …
Spine Range of Motion: The Problem What do you think of you when you hear these “instructions”: “Pull your knees to your chest” and “Bend over and touch your toes”? These are the two most common low back stretches prescribed by clinicians today for patients with low back pain. Why? Is it because you need more range …
The weather has cooled down and the transition from fall to winter is officially upon us. Everywhere you look outside you see people out training for running events. Ten milers, 5Ks, Turkey Trots, and marathons are becoming more and more popular. One of the most common injuries to a runner is “runner’s knee” or patellofemoral pain …
Did you know that the gluteus medius is one of the most important muscles in the body? It plays a key role in prevention of low back, hip, knee and ankle injuries. The gluteus medius muscle is also key in helping one return from such injuries. What is the gluteus medius? The gluteus medius is …
Many of us experience stiffness and pain in our spine; which can be a pain in the neck {pun intended}! With long hours logged at a desk, a long commute or just a rough night of sleep your back and/or neck may be causing you pain and discomfort. Research suggests that Yoga relieves stress and …
If you sit at a desk most of the day, chances are you have experienced some sort of pain in your neck and shoulders. Proper posture is critical in reducing neck, shoulder and low back pain. This common pain is a result of poor posture and gravity pulling you down all day long. Our society …
One of the more common injuries that can result from weight lifting at the gym is a herniated disc. A herniated disc, also referred to as a slipped, bulging, or ruptured disc is a condition in which the disc slips out of its outer covering, pushing against spinal nerves. Herniated discs can cause extreme discomfort …
Do you find yourself leaving work with headaches, back aches, sore shoulders and neck, or wrist pain? These common complaints are typically attributed to poor ergonomics in the workplace. Ergonomics is the science of blending the workstation with the worker in order to increase health and productivity and decrease work-related musculoskeletal disorders. In this post we will review …
