Benefits of Multi-Sport Participation

Playing Multiple Sports Is More Advantageous To Young Athletes In The Long Run

In our last blog, we discussed how single-sport specialization is a trend that’s becoming increasingly more common in youth sports, even if it may not be in the best interests of these young athletes. As we noted, children who specialize in one sport are up to 93% more likely to suffer from an injury than those who play multiple sports, and they are also at an increased risk for burnout from fatigue and not giving taking adequate time for recovery.

For these reasons, most experts recommend that young athletes should diversify their pursuits and try to engage in multiple sports throughout most of their childhood. Research has shown that doing so is healthier for athletes and more likely to lead to long-term success. For example, early participation in multiple sports is associated with:

  • Better overall motor and athletic development
  • Longer athletic careers
  • Increased ability to transfer sports skills
  • Higher levels of motivation and confidence in sports
  • Better decision-making, pattern recognition, and increased creativity

It may also come as a surprise and conflict with popular assumptions, but most athletes who play at the collegiate level have histories in multiple sports rather than just one. A study of nearly 300 NCAA Division I male and female athletes found that 88% participated in an average of 2-3 sports as children, and 70% did not specialize in a single sport until after 12 years of age.

If College Scholarship is the Goal – Think About Multi-Sport Participation

It’s also important for parents and coaches to recognize that only about 2% of high school athletes receive scholarships to play at the collegiate level. This should serve as a gentle reminder that the odds of achieving elite-level success are extremely slim, which means single-sport specialization could be for naught in many cases. Therefore, most young athletes should be encouraged to participate in several sports and activities throughout their childhood. For those that do decide to specialize in one sport, here are a few tips to avoid overuse injuries and burnout:

  • Weekly participation (in hours) should not exceed the athlete’s age
  • Athletes should take one or two days to rest each week, as well as one or more longer breaks (up to one month) throughout the year
  • Athletes who engage in more than 16 hours of intense training per week should be monitored for signs of burnout and overtraining
  • Encourage children to communicate clearly about any pain or discomfort

If you’re concerned with your child’s risk for sport specialization, Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy can help.

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Physical Therapy or Surgery for Musculoskeletal Injuries

Exercise Therapy Is A Safe Intervention With A Low Risk For Adverse Events

Physical activity and exercise are regarded as integral components of physical therapy for most musculoskeletal disorders (eg, knee osteoarthritis, shoulder, neck, back pain, ankle sprains, etc.), as well as for losing weight and for treating various other conditions, such as depression, heart disease, and high blood pressure. These interventions are generally extremely safe, with reported adverse events—or side effects—expected to be less frequent and less severe than those associated with pharmaceutical or surgical interventions.

Nonetheless, it’s important to report on the severity, type, and frequency of adverse events that do occur from exercise interventions so that patients are aware of the potential risks involved and how these risks compare with other interventions. Therefore, a powerful study called a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the relative risk of serious and non-serious adverse events from exercise therapy.

Researchers analyze 180 reviews that include 778 primary studies

Before discussing the details of the study, it’s important to state some key definitions:

  • Physical activity: as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure
  • Exercise: a subset of physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive, and has a final or intermediate objective of improving or maintaining physical fitness
  • Exercise therapy: a regimen or plan of physical activities designed and prescribed for specific therapeutic goals
  • Adverse event: an undesirable or harmful outcome that occurs during or after the use of an intervention; can be serious (ie, leads to death, hospitalization, or serious risk of health deterioration) or non-serious (all other reported events)

Using these definitions, researchers performed a search of the Cochrane Library for Cochrane systematic reviews that investigated the effectiveness of exercise therapy for any condition. Exercise therapy had to be the main intervention of the study and each exercise session had to include active exercise therapy for at least 50% of the total time. The exercise also could not be combined with any pharmacological, surgical, or electrotherapeutic intervention.

Analysis of Top Quality Research (i.e. Cochrane Reviews) Shows Exercise Therapy Continues to be a Great Choice

This led to 180 Cochrane reviews being included, and 773 primary studies were identified from these reviews, with 378 reporting serious adverse events and 375 studies reporting non-serious adverse events. The main finding from these studies was that there was no increase in the risk of a serious adverse event from exercise therapy compared to a non-exercise intervention; however, there was an increase of 19% in the risk of a non-serious adverse event. This means that for every 6 people who participated in an exercise intervention, one additional non-serious adverse event occurred in the exercise group. The most common non-serious adverse events reported were pain, fatigue, bursitis, low back pain, and edema (swelling).

NOTE: this study examined exercise therapy prescribed by a number of different healthcare providers…not just physical therapists.  Adverse events with our patients happen far less than 1 in 7 of our patients.  Nevertheless, we wrote this post to let you know that non-serious adverse events in response to exercise therapy can happen, albeit, they are very rare at our practice.

Physical Therapist Directed Exercise Therapy is the Clear Winner for Natural/Conservative Care of Most Musculoskeletal Injuries

These results show that while there was an increase in the relative risk of non-serious adverse events associated with exercise therapy (provided by anyone), it was small. Therefore, exercise therapy can be regarded as a relatively safe intervention. Thus, physical therapists and other healthcare providers that prescribe exercise therapy are appropriately including it as an essential component of treatment for patients with various conditions.

If you’re dealing with pain of any sort, Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy can help.

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Patellar Dislocation Treatment in Visalia

If you’ve experienced a patellar (kneecap) dislocation and are looking for patellar dislocation treatment in Visalia or Hanford, we can help. Another way people often find us is by searching for patellar dislocation expert in Visalia or a patellar dislocation specialist in Visalia.  Quick note, if you are looking for care in Hanford, we also have an office there.

Surgery And Nonsurgical Treatments Lead To Similar Outcomes For Patients With Knee Pain

As a specialist in the conservative treatment of kneecap dislocations, the information below is worth reading.

The knee is the largest and one of the most complex joints in the body. It is a hinge joint that’s responsible for bearing weight and allowing the leg to extend and bend back and forth with minimal side-to-side motion. It primarily joins the thighbone (femur) to the shinbone (tibia), but also includes the kneecap (patella) and other lower leg bone (fibula). The patella is a small, upside down triangle-shaped bone that sits in the front of the knee within the quadriceps muscle, and it’s lined with the thickest layer of cartilage in the body because of the massive forces it takes on.

These structures provide the knee with strength and durability, but the knee also has limits that can be exceeded under certain circumstances. Due to the frequent use of the joint, the knee is among the most common locations for pain and injury, with knee pain being the leading cause of disability in older adults.

Dislocations of the patella account for 2–3% of all knee injuries, which typically occur on the lateral side—outside of the knee—and leads to ruptures of the medial patellofemoral ligament in about 90% of all cases. These injuries are most common in sports, particularly basketball, soccer, and football.

It is unclear whether patellar dislocations should be treated with conservative (nonsurgical) interventions like physical therapy or if surgery is needed when there are other associated injuries. In addition, the literature comparing conservative to surgical treatment for first-time patellar dislocations is scarce.

However, this study that we outlined below is one of the first of its kind and points to the value of seeing a physical therapist first.

20 Patients Undergo Either Surgery or Conservative Treatment for Kneecap Dislocation

Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate the outcomes of conservative versus surgical treatment for first-time patellar dislocations. Researchers recruited patients aged 15 to 40 years with a patellar dislocation in one knee, which led to 20 individuals being included. Twelve of these patients underwent surgery, which was limited to diagnostic arthroscopy followed by a soft-tissue repair of damaged structures, while 8 patients underwent conservative treatment. Patients in both groups were also treated with a brace that allowed for limited flexion and extension of the knee, along with partial weight bearing for 3 weeks, followed by full weight bearing.

Why Conservative Physical Therapy Care is Your Best First Choice – from the Patellar Instability Treatment Experts in Visalia and Hanford

Results showed that 25% of patients overall (5/20) sustained a redislocation, while the remaining 75% remained stable after 24 months. By group, 37.5% of patients (3/8) in the conservative group and 16.7% (2/12) in the surgical group experienced a redislocation; however, more patients (45.5%) experienced episodes of instability in the surgical group compared to the conservative group (37.5%). In addition, overall outcomes were not significantly different between the two groups, with a similar number of patients reporting “fair” and “good” final outcomes in both groups.

The Study Concludes You Should Strongly Consider Physical Therapy Care if You’re Looking for Patellar Dislocation Treatment in Visalia

Based on these findings, it appears that surgical and conservative treatment for patellar dislocations leads to similar results. Patients with a patellar dislocation should therefore attempt conservative treatment first, such as physical therapy, before considering surgery.  Moreover, physical therapy treatment for kneecap dislocation is less likely to cause patellar instability in the future too!

If you’re dealing with knee pain that may be related to a patellar dislocation, Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy can help.  We provide, natural, conservative care for rehabilitation after kneecap (AKA patella) dislocations at our offices in Hanford and Visalia.

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Surgical vs Nonsurgical Interventions for Muscle & Joint Problems

Comprehensive Review Finds That Surgery Is No More Effective
Than Nonsurgical Interventions For Musculoskeletal Disorders

A musculoskeletal disorder is an injury or condition that involves the musculoskeletal system—which includes the bones, muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons. These disorders are extremely common, as about 30% of Americans and 1.5 billion people throughout the world are currently affected by one.

Musculoskeletal disorders can develop anywhere in the body, but the spine is by far the most common location, as low back pain and neck pain are among the leading causes of disability in the U.S. Other common musculoskeletal disorders include osteoarthritis, tendinitis, strains, sprains, fractures, and tears of ligaments and tendons.

Physical Therapist Directed Care is Often the Best First Choice

Patients with a musculoskeletal disorder are faced with several potential options when determining how to address their condition. Among these is whether to have surgery, which is often seen as a last resort, although many patients decide to have it much sooner. Patients should be educated on the risks and benefits of surgery versus other interventions when evaluating if it’s the right choice; however, high quality studies comparing interventions with and without surgery are less common for musculoskeletal conditions than in other medical fields.

100 Trials Covering Nine Areas of the Body are Analyzed

Researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the benefits and harms of interventions involving surgery versus those with no surgery for various musculoskeletal disorders.

For this type of study, researchers performed a search of five major medical databases for randomized-controlled trials that evaluated the effects of a surgical intervention to a nonsurgical intervention for patients with a musculoskeletal disorder. Once collected, the results from these trials were analyzed to determine how surgical interventions compared to nonsurgical interventions.

Researchers identified 100 trials that fit the necessary criteria and provided data on pain, patient-reported function, quality of life, and adverse events. These trials covered 28 different types of conditions at nine areas of the body: the neck, shoulder, elbow, hand, lower back, pelvis, hip, knee, and foot.

Surgery is No Better…So Why Wouldn’t You at Least Try Physical Therapy First?

Of these, in all studies that evaluated function, all studies that evaluated quality of life, and nearly all studies (9 of 13) that evaluated pain, no clinically relevant differences were found between surgical and nonsurgical interventions.

The results of this high-powered systematic review and meta-analysis are aligned with another similar study, which found that surgical interventions were superior to nonsurgical interventions in only 14% of the trials analyzed.

Patients Need to Know Their Options

Patients should continue to educate themselves on the risks versus the benefits of surgery and consider this information when determining if surgery is right for them. And for those of you with a musculoskeletal disorder who are interested in trying a nonsurgical intervention first, we strongly advise you to visit us at Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy for a comprehensive physical therapy program.

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Power Training for Older Adults

Improving Strength Through Power Training Could Improve Safety For Older Adults

As we age, our bodies experience a series of changes that usually tend to make everyday activities more difficult to complete. Decreased flexibility, strength, and balance, a decline in posture and hearing, and less than ideal joints are a few of the many changes that occur throughout the aging process. These changes often have a negative impact on one’s quality of life while also dramatically increasing the risk for falls and other injuries, which can further complicate matters.

For these reasons, health experts strongly recommend that older adults engage in regular physical activity like strength training to improve overall physical function, which can reduce the risk for these types of health problems. One alternative to traditional strength training is power training, in which weights—or other forms of resistance—are moved at higher velocities during the lifting phase, followed by a controlled lowering phase. Previous research has shown that power training is in fact more beneficial than traditional strength training for improving physical function; however, the types of exercises featured in those studies may not have been true power training exercises.

Researchers review 20 high-quality studies on strength vs power training

Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to compare the effectiveness of power training and traditional strength training. For the study, investigators searched for randomized-controlled trials in which healthy, community-living adults with an average age of at least 60 underwent both traditional strength training and power training interventions. Once identified, the findings of these studies were then analyzed and compared to one another to determine which type of intervention was superior.

Twenty Research Studies Were Reviewed

A total of 20 randomized-controlled trials that included 566 patients from six countries were included in the analysis. Most trials lasted 12 weeks and saw patients perform strength training or power training exercises twice per week using free weights, body weights, training machines, or vests. Results from these studies indicated that power training was associated with greater improvements in physical function and self-reported function than traditional strength training.

Power Training Appears to Win for Older Adults

Additional research is now needed to confirm these findings, but it appears that power training may be more beneficial for older adults than strength training, and these benefits may help to reduce the risk for falls and other health complications in this population. Power training exercises can easily be performed with the same instruments as traditional strength training—weight machines, free weights, and bodyweight—and the only difference is the manner in which exercises are performed.

At Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy, we can provide personalized exercise programs that are 100% goal oriented for our older adults. A quality physical therapy program is likely to significantly reduce the risk for falls and other aging-related injuries.

Call us today at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Physical Activity for Depression

Even Small Amounts Of Physical Activity Can Significantly Improve Mental Health

Our modern world can be a stressful one. For many people, dealing with more than two years of fear, anxiety, and debate revolving around the coronavirus pandemic has had a harsh impact effect on the state of one’s mental health.

As a result, rates of depression—which were already high even before the pandemic—have been steadily increasing over the past two years, with no signs of slowing down. Major depressive disorder affects about 15 million American adults (or 6% of the adult population), and some research has suggested that the prevalence of depression symptoms has more than tripled during the pandemic. Depression is also the leading cause of mental health-related disease burden and is associated with a host of negative health effects, including an increased risk for chronic conditions and premature death.

Exercise – an Often Overlooked Treatment Option

Effectively treating and preventing depression often requires a multifaceted approach, and most health experts recommend talk therapy as a central intervention for those suffering from depression symptoms. But another strategy that’s being increasingly recognized as a powerful and vital tool against depression is regular physical activity. Ample research has shown that physical activity can prevent future depression, but no study is yet to describe the strength or shape of this association according to on a dose-response relationship.

Researchers Analyze the Findings of 15 Studies

Therefore, a study called a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to explore the impact of physical activity on the risk of depression. Researchers performed a search of four medical databases for studies with at least 3,000 participants that reported on the relationship between physical activity and the estimated risk for depression. All measurements of physical activity in these studies were then converted to a weekly duration and an activity volume, which was based on whether the activity was light, moderate, or vigorous. For reference, the World Health Organization recommends 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week.

This search led to 15 studies being accepted, which included data on more than 191,000 participants. Results indicated that most participants were not meeting the recommended levels of weekly physical activity, and those with higher rates of depression symptoms were generally less active.

Just Doing Modest Amounts of Exercise is Helpful According to this Review

Physical activity was found to be associated with significant benefits, as participants who completed half the recommended volume of weekly physical activity had an 18% lower risk of depression, and those who met the full recommended volume—about 2.5 hours of brisk walking per week—had a 25% reduced risk. Further analysis revealed that the benefits of physical therapy were most notable when comparing individuals who progressed from no physical activity to at least some activity.

These findings suggest that even small amounts of physical activity may lead to major mental health benefits, as approximately 1 in 9 cases of depression could potentially be prevented if everyone meets the recommended weekly level of physical activity. At

Mental Health is as Important as Physical Health!

Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy, we believe it’s extremely important to address not only physical conditions but mental health issues as well. While physical therapists primarily see patients with physical movement problems, this is another example where the appropriate exercise program can also help with mental health as well.

Have a Movement Disorder?  We Can Help

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Basketball Injury Prevention Program

Basketball Injuries Are Extremely Common, But A Warm-Up Program May Help Mitigate This Risk

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the country, and its popularity continues to grow as athletes are drawn to its fast pace and evolving nature. Unfortunately, one downside of this increased participation in basketball is that it also comes with a higher rate of injuries in a sport that’s already known to be high-risk.

Basketball Results in A Lot of Stress on the Knees & Ankles

To play basketball competitively, players must move at fast speeds and display great agility and coordination on the court. Though every position requires a different set of skills, each player needs to run, jump, make quick changes in direction, and accelerate and decelerate with and without the ball. Though these rapid movements are integral to the game, they also put competitive players at risk for injury.

Basketball Injuries are Common – Ankle & Knee Problems Happen the Most

Injuries can occur in several regions of the body, but the ankle is by far the area injured most. Ankle sprains account for about 25% of all injuries in basketball, which makes them a major concern for basketball players of all ages. Ankle sprains occur any time the foot twists or rolls beyond its normal range of motion, which is usually from a player landing on another player’s foot wrong or twisting the ankle when making a cut. The knees are another problem area in basketball players due to the running, jumping, and cutting motions involved. Jumper’s knee and injuries to the meniscus and ligaments—including the ACL—are all very common in all age groups of basketball players. Ankle sprains, ACL tears, and other injuries can all cause basketball players to be sidelined for an extended period, and in some cases, to miss an entire season.

Study Monitors Players on 31 Basketball Teams for Two Seasons

To help mitigate this risk, many basketball teams have now incorporated injury-prevention programs into their routine, often with successful outcomes. This is exemplified in a recently published study, which highlights the type of impact a program like this can have on young basketball players.

For the study, players on 31 high school or club basketball teams—307 male and female players aged 11 to 18 years—were monitored for two seasons. During the first season, players only participated in a standard of practice warm-up. During the second season, all players participated in a training warm-up program called the Surveillance in High school and community sport to Reduce (SHRed) Injuries Basketball, which was designed to reduce ankle and knee injuries in youth basketball players. The SHRed Injuries Basketball program lasted 10 minutes and consisted of 13 exercises, which were intended to improve aerobics, agility, strength, and balance. A log was then kept of all injuries that occurred during these two seasons and comparisons were made between them to tease out any notable differences.

Study Results Demonstrate that Ankle Sprains & Knee Injuries Can be Significantly Reduced

Results showed that the SHRed Injuries Basketball program was protective of both knee and ankle injuries, as the rate of injuries was 36% lower in season 2 than season 1. This type of program can easily be incorporated into a warm-up routine, and based on these findings, it may yield dividends and keep young basketball players on the court injury-free for longer.

We’re Here to Help

At Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy, we can provide assistance with an injury-prevention program for your basketball team, or if an injury does occur, we can guide players through a comprehensive rehabilitation program that will get them back on the court as quickly and safely as possible.

If You’ve Already Suffered a Sports Injury – We Can Help You Get Back in the Game

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Osteoarthritis Treatment in Hanford – Physical Therapy Wins Again

Exercise Therapy Found To Be Better Than Pain Medications For Knee Osteoarthritis

If you are searching for osteoarthritis treatment in Hanford, we wrote this research summary for you. Before you dig into the summary, please understand that arthritis treatment in Hanford is not the only location we provide care.  We also provide conservative, natural care for those looking for osteoarthritis treatment in Visalia as well.

Arthritis – A Major Issue that Millions Deal With

Knee osteoarthritis is a bothersome condition that disables millions of Americans each year. In a normal knee, the ends of each bone are covered by cartilage, a smooth substance that protects the bones from one another and absorbs shock during impact. In knee osteoarthritis, this cartilage becomes stiff and loses its elasticity, which makes it more vulnerable to damage. Cartilage may begin to wear away over time, which greatly reduces its ability to absorb shock and increases the chances that bones will touch one another.

Typical Signs & Symptoms of Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis typically leads to pain within and around the knee that tends to get worse with activities like walking, ascending/descending stairs, or sitting/standing. Other symptoms include swelling, tenderness, stiffness, and a popping, cracking, crunching sensation. The risk for knee osteoarthritis increases with age, and it represents the most common cause of knee pain in older adults. Overall, about 45% of the population will experience knee osteoarthritis at some point in their lifetime.

Hundreds of Osteoarthritis Treatment Options for Hanford Residents – Which One Should You Pick?

Numerous interventions may be followed to address knee osteoarthritis, including over the counter and prescription medications, lifestyle changes like exercise and diet, physical therapy, and surgery, which is typically only reserved as a last resort for cases that don’t improve with other interventions. Opioids are not usually recommended for patients with knee osteoarthritis due to the risk for overuse and abuse, but some patients—especially those with severe, long-lasting pain—may still be prescribed these medications. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the more commonly used interventions to may provide mild pain relief, but long-term use of these drugs is discouraged. Exercise therapy, on the other hand, is considered a safe and effective way to manage knee osteoarthritis by helping patients move better through stretching, strengthening, and other exercises.

Powerful literature analysis supports the effectiveness of exercise therapy

A recently published study  compared these three commonly utilized interventions for knee osteoarthritis through a systematic review and network meta-analysis, which identifies and analyzes all available literature on the topic to determine which was best.

To conduct the study, researchers performed a literature search of three medical databases for high-quality studies that compared exercise therapy, NSAIDs, and opioids for knee osteoarthritis pain. This search led to 13 studies being included, which featured data on nearly 1,400 patients. A total of 101 supplemental studies were also included.

Exercise Therapy Wins – This is Exactly What Physical Therapists are Trained to Provide

Results showed that exercise therapy ranked as the best intervention overall in the network meta-analysis, followed by NSAIDs, opioids, and placebo.

These findings suggest that exercise therapy is an effective intervention for knee osteoarthritis. Considering the risks associated with opioids and long-term use of NSAIDs, exercise therapy presents a far better option for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Therefore, if you’re currently dealing with symptoms that sound like knee osteoarthritis, we strongly encourage you to contact Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy.  You can learn more about our orthopedic physical therapy services by clicking here.

Contact Us Today – Take the First Step to Getting Rid of Your Pain

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) to learn more or schedule an appointment today.

Preventing ACL Injuries in Female Athletes

In-School Prevention Programs May Be A Viable Solution To Reduce The Risk For ACL Injuries

Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are one of the biggest problems in sports. Approximately 100,000–200,000 ACL tears occur each year in the U.S., and one of the most at-risk populations is adolescents, particularly females. ACL injuries account for about 21% of knee injuries in young athletes, and young females have a two to eight times higher risk for these injuries compared to their male counterparts.

Differences in Development & Behaviors May Lead to Increased Injury Risk

There are several reasons for this disparity, including differences in the structure of the knee joint—which is looser and more flexible in females—landing patterns in sports, genetics, and hormonal and neuromuscular differences between males and females. Strength also develops at different times during puberty for females compared to males, which is believed to be another important contributing factor.

To make matters worse, ACL injuries are often not isolated incidents, as they may damage surrounding tissue and increase the likelihood of chronic knee problems like secondary injuries and early osteoarthritis in the future. But the good news is that research suggests many of these injuries can be prevented because about 70% of ACL tears occur without contact.

For this reason, numerous prevention programs have been established to reduce the rate of ACL injuries in high-risk populations, including adolescent female athletes. ACL prevention programs incorporate interventions like balance training, stretching, strength training, and plyometrics (jumping exercises) into a comprehensive framework that’s performed regularly, and research has shown that these programs are beneficial.

Recent study shows why these programs are frequently recommended

For example, one recently published study investigated the effectiveness of a strength-based prevention program for reducing the risk of ACL injury in adolescent females. For the study, a team of researchers identified 30 healthy female middle school students between grades 6 to 8 and matched them with another group of 30 healthy females of similar age, height, and weight. The first group served as the strength-training group and the second group served as the control group.

Individuals in the first group underwent a six-month strength training program administered through a gym class curriculum that targeted the muscles of the hips and knees, with the intention of improving hip extension and knee extension and flexion. The control group did not undergo any specific interventions. All patients were evaluated before and after the six-month period for various measures of strength and range of motion (ROM).

Study Results – Improve Strength & Agility

Results showed that females in the strength training group had greater strength values in hip extension, hip abduction, and knee flexion compared to the control group. The strength training program also led to significantly lower scores compared to the control group in a test called the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS), which is used to the risk of non-contact injuries during jumping and landing movements. These findings show that a strength training program for middle school females leads to several improvements that are associated with a reduced risk for ACL injuries. This program is also easy to implement since it was performed during gym class and could therefore represent a practical option for addressing the issue of frequent ACL injuries in youth sports.

Contact Us Today for Help

If you’re currently dealing with symptoms suggestive of knee osteoarthritis, Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy can help.

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) to learn more or schedule an appointment today.

Physical Therapy for a Frozen Shoulder in Visalia and Hanford

Are you searching for a specialist that treats frozen shoulder treatment in Visalia or Hanford?  You may not know, but our physical therapy treatment for frozen shoulders is some of the best you’ll find in the area.

Understanding a frozen shoulder/adhesive capsulitis diagnosis is important, so we wrote this article below to help those in need.

Comprehensive Review Finds That Several Types Of Exercise
Lead To Improvements For Patients With Frozen Shoulder

Adhesive capsulitis, or frozen shoulder, occurs when scar tissue forms within the shoulder. This causes the shoulder capsule to thicken and tighten around the shoulder joint, which means there is less room to move the shoulder normally. Although frozen shoulder affects up to 5% of the population, the reasons why it develops have not yet been clearly established. It is generally believed that not moving the shoulder normally for long periods is a leading factor, as most people who get frozen shoulder have kept their shoulder immobilized due to a recent injury, surgery, or pain. People between the ages of 40–60, women, and patients with arthritis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other health conditions are also more likely to develop frozen shoulder.

Frozen shoulder usually develops slowly and gets progressively worse over time with more pain and loss of motion. It is typically divided into the following four stages:

  • Stage 1: consists of the onset of symptoms, which gradually get worse over 1–3 months
  • Stage 2: the “freezing” stage, which generally occurs 3–9 months after symptoms begin and is very painful
  • Stage 3: the “frozen” stage, which involves the shoulder becoming even more stiff and difficult to move
  • Stage 4: the “thawing” stage, which occurs within 12–15 months and involves pain decreasing significantly and range of motion starting to improve

Adhesive Capsulitis Treatment in Visalia & Hanford – Clinical Research Supports Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is commonly used and often recommended for frozen shoulder because it’s effective for addressing symptoms at every stage; however, there are some questions about the exercises used in physical therapy that have not yet been clearly answered. Therefore, a comprehensive study called a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to 1) compare the effectiveness of exercises alone and exercises in combination with other interventions and no exercises and 2) determine what kind of exercises are most effective for frozen shoulder.

Researchers review 33 studies on exercise therapy for frozen shoulder

To conduct the study, researchers performed a search of three medical databases for relevant studies about exercise therapy for frozen shoulder. This led to 33 studies being accepted into the review, which saw patients treated with a variety of exercises, some prescribed individually, and others prescribed as part of a comprehensive treatment program. The findings of all included studies were then reviewed and compared to one another with the goal of answering the two main research questions.

Results showed that exercises—both on their own and as part of a program—improved range of motion (ROM), function, disability, and pain, and the type of exercise performed had little to no impact on these improvements. Also, adding physical modalities to exercises did not provide any benefits to treatment outcomes, and programs that included exercises resulted in larger active ROM gains than programs that did not.

Frozen Shoulder Physical Therapy Visalia & Hanford – Physical Rehab is the Key

These findings support the effectiveness of physical therapy for frozen shoulder and suggest that the type of exercises performed and whether they are completed alone or combined with other interventions may not be important, so long as they are featured in a rehabilitation program.

Therefore, if you’re currently dealing with symptoms that may suggest the presence of frozen shoulder, Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy can help.

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) to learn more or schedule an appointment today.

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