Common Painful Conditions That Physical Therapy Can Treat

No matter where it hurts, physical therapy can deliver effective relief and help you move more easily

Aches and pains can develop just about anywhere in the body. Sometimes pain greets you the first thing in the morning and then dissipates by the time lunch rolls around, while in other cases it becomes a daily visitor that seems to overstay its welcome. But regardless of how long it lasts, pain can always interfere with your ability to get through the day and degrade your quality of life in the process.

When pain arises, the natural reaction for most people is to hope that it goes away on its own. While this outcome is a reasonable possibility, it’s certainly not the best strategy, especially when pain continues to rear its head. For these cases and for pain that just won’t seem to dissipate, additional interventions are needed.

Physical therapy represents one of the safest and most effective treatment options available for all types of pain. Whether it’s short-lived (acute) or long-term (chronic) and no matter where it is in the body, there is an appropriate physical therapy plan that will address your pain with a variety of tactics and techniques.

Below, we offer a brief overview of what physical therapy strategies are typically used to treat some of the most common types of pain:

Searching for Back Pain Treatment in Visalia?
The back is far and away the most common location for pain in the body. At any given time, about 25% of Americans report experiencing low back pain at least once within the past three months, and at least 75% of people will experience at some point in their lifetime. Symptoms vary significantly, as pain could be dull, burning, or sharp, and it may be concentrated or spread over a broad area.

Physical therapy for low back pain also varies depending on the type and severity, but certain interventions are likely to be used in most cases. These include manual (hands-on) therapy techniques like spinal manipulation to improve the mobility of joints and soft tissues, strengthening and flexibility exercises, patient education about how better care for your back, pain-relieving modalities, and training on how to properly lift, bend, and sit to avoid further aggravation.

Need an Expert for Neck Pain Treatment in Visalia?
Neck pain is the third most common cause of chronic pain and it affects about 30% of adults each year, particularly those in the 30-50 age range. It usually manifests as a sharp, stabbing or dull, aching pain and tends to make it difficult to turn one’s neck and perform activities like working, driving, or playing sports.

Physical therapists will first identify the source of each patient’s pain and then target symptoms with a variety of interventions. This may include stretching exercises to improve the range of motion of the neck, strengthening exercises for the arms and upper back, massage and other manual therapy techniques, and posture training if posture is believed to be a contributing factor.

Looking for Shoulder Pain Treatment in Visalia?
Most shoulder problems that lead to pain result from a tear or inflammation of a tendon, instability, arthritis, or a fracture. People who perform lots of overhead activities on a regular basis like painters, carpenters, swimmers, and baseball players are all at an increased risk for developing shoulder pain, and bad posture can contribute as well. It usually manifests as pain and discomfort that occurs when moving the arm overhead and a restriction in shoulder motion.

A typical treatment program for shoulder pain will include both active and passive interventions. Stretching and strengthening exercises are often needed to improve flexibility and build back strength, while manual techniques like soft-tissue massage and shoulder stretches will help to improve range of motion. Heat, ice, and other modalities are often used to reduce pain levels, while patient education and functional training may also be needed.

Trouble Finding Knee Pain Specialist in Visalia?
Knee pain is also extremely common and represents the biggest cause of disability in people aged 65 and older. It may develop from a traumatic event or a chronic condition like osteoarthritis, and the resulting pain could range from mild to severe.

Treatment depends on the specific condition present, but usually involves stretching exercises to decrease tension and help restore the normal motion of your joints, strengthening exercises to address any muscle weakness or imbalances, manual therapy techniques to guide your joints into a less stressful movement pattern, and functional training. Braces and other assistive devices may also be prescribed for some types of knee pain.

How Physical Therapy Can Help If You’re Looking for Hip Pain Relief in Visalia
In most cases, hip pain is the result of a chronic condition like osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, but it can also be caused by injures like fall-related fractures. Symptomatic hip osteoarthritis will affect about 25% of the population at some point, which typically leads to a sharp, shooting or full, achy pain, along with stiffness, weakness, and difficulty performing daily activities.

Physical therapy can be used to help you avoid surgery, or in the cases when surgery is required, to help you recover. A physical therapy will prescribe interventions to reduce your pain, boost your strength and flexibility in the leg, hip, and back, and improve your balance and walking ability. Active and passive exercises, as well as guidance on how to return to activities will form the basis of your program.

Ankle Pain Expert in Visalia – Try PT First
The most likely cause of pain in the ankle is a sprain. Ankle sprains are the most common injury in the athletic population, accounting for 45% of all sports injuries. They are most frequent in sports such as basketball, football and soccer, but can occur during any sport or activity when the ankle moves beyond its normal range of motion.

Physical therapy for ankle pain from a sprain will first involve a period of RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), followed by a structured rehabilitation program. This program usually involves range of motion exercises to restore ankle movement, strengthening exercises to help you regain your strength and prevent any long-term ankle disability, balance training to improve your stability, and functional training that will help you complete activities you might have difficulty with like walking, running, or jumping.

The Role of Physical Therapy

As you can see, physical therapists know how to approach any type of pain in any region of the body with a specific and customized treatment approach. So if you’re currently dealing with pain of any sort, contact us to get started on a treatment program today.

Contact Us at (559) 733-2478 for more information.

Physical Therapy After Back Surgery in Visalia or Hanford

A recovery from back surgery can only be completed with physical therapy

Back pain is a class of its own. As the most common painful disorder, about 85% of Americans will experience low back pain at least once in their lives. So if you’ve never dealt with bothersome pain or stiffness in your spine, you are technically part of the minority.

Anyone can get low back pain and it can develop for a variety of reasons, but there are certain factors that increase one’s chances of getting it. These include older age, poor physical fitness, a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight, other diseases like arthritis and cancer, risky occupations that may strain the back, smoking, depression, and anxiety.

Though it can be a bothersome condition that may interfere with your daily life, fortunately, most cases of low back pain will improve over time and with non-surgical, or conservative treatment. Conservative care is strongly recommended in nearly all cases of acute low back pain, and physical therapy is typically regarded as a fundamental component of this approach. Physical therapists implement a variety of interventions that are designed to decrease pain, increase function, and prevent further recurrence, and the majority of patients will notice these benefits as they progress through their program.

But a small percentage of patients don’t respond to physical therapy and continue to experience cumbersome back-related issues. These non-responders may be considered good candidates for surgery because conservative methods have failed to produce satisfactory improvements. Surgery may also be recommended for patients with persistent and disabling pain that’s due to certain conditions, including herniated discs, bone spurs, spinal stenosis, broken bones, or more serious problems like spinal infection and spinal tumors.

Explaining the necessity of physical therapy after surgery
If you fall into one of these groups and come to decide that surgery is the best path forward, your surgeon will explain what to expect before, during, and after your procedure. In particular, your surgeon will tell you that while the surgery itself will correct the anatomical problem that is responsible for your symptoms, it doesn’t guarantee a positive outcome in and of itself. Physical therapy begins as soon as the day after surgery and is regarded as an integral part of the recovery process that strongly increases the chances of success. Post-surgery physical therapy programs vary depending on the procedure and patient, but some of the most common interventions you’re likely to see include the following:

  • Pain-relieving modalities: ice, heat, electrical stimulation, and other passive modalities will be administered in the immediate days after surgery to reduce your pain levels
  • Stretching exercises: in the first week after surgery, your therapist will teach you gentle stretching exercises for the hamstrings and quadriceps muscles of the thigh; as you continue to heal, you will progress to stretching the back and abdominal muscles as well
  • Strengthening exercises: starting in week 2 of your recovery, you will begin basic strengthening exercises to build back the core muscles of your lower back and abdomen; these exercises will also increase in intensity as you progress, with elastic bands, exercise balls, and yoga stretches being incorporated staring around week 6
  • Manual therapy: your therapist will probably perform several manual—or hands-on—therapy techniques to increase mobility and alleviate pain, such as massage around the surgical incision, mobilization, and manipulation
  • Aerobic exercise: starting around week 9 after surgery, you should be ready to begin engaging in low-impact aerobic exercises, such as brisk walking, swimming, bike riding, and stair climbing; your therapist will guide teach you to perform these activities in the safest possible manner that keeps your risk for reinjury low

While surgery can generally be avoided for most cases of low back pain, as we’ve shown, there are certain circumstances when it may become a necessity. If you decide to have back surgery and want to get back to your pre-injury levels as safely and quickly as possible, physical therapy is the best way to get there, and we can help. Contact us today to learn more or schedule an appointment.

Benefits of PT Over Other Interventions for Pain

Seeing a physical therapist first will save you time and money while helping you avoid unnecessary tests and interventions

Every October, physical therapists around the country come together to celebrate National Physical Therapy Month. The purpose of this annual campaign is to highlight the many ways that physical therapy can benefit individuals of all ages and ability levels with an individualized approach to treatment. In honor of these efforts, we’d like to discuss a few of the key reasons why seeing a physical therapist first for any sort of pain is always the best treatment decision that you can make.

For anyone that encounters pain or gets injured, relief often becomes the number one priority. There are many treatment options available to address painful issues, and it may be difficult to determine which approach is best for you. But regardless of your condition or its severity, one universal truth applies: trying physical therapy first is a smart move that will usually help you avoid other unnecessary tests and treatments down the road.

Physical therapy is not a magical cure-all that will immediately fix any physical problem, but it does have an incredibly wide range of applications and is appropriate for the vast majority of painful conditions. Every physical therapy treatment program is individually tailored with each patient’s abilities and goals in mind, and by carefully guiding them with exercises and movement-based techniques, significant improvements can usually during treatment and upon discharge.

Physical therapy vs. surgery, injections, and opioids

Other commonly used treatment options for pain include surgery, injections, and prescription medications like opioids, but research continuously shows that physical therapy is a superior option that will save patients money and time while leading to similar—if not superior—outcomes.

For example, one study showed that physical therapy was just as effective as surgery in the midterm and long term for reducing pain and improving function and flexibility in patients with various tendon disorders. Similarly, another study found only minimal differences after five years between patients treated surgically compared to those who had physical therapy for ACL tears. Surgery has great value that can often lead to positive outcomes, and it may be necessary in certain situations, but it does come with some potential downsides as well. These include high costs, long recovery times, and risks associated with the procedure. Physical therapy, on the other hand, is universally regarded as an affordable, safe intervention with minimal to no associated risks.

Physical therapy can also help patients avoid taking prescription drugs like opioids, which are a significant problem in the country today due to alarmingly high rates of addiction, overdose, and death. One study of 454 patients with low back pain found that those who participated in physical therapy had a lower chance of being prescribed opioids in the following year, while another found that those who saw a physical therapist early were 33% less likely to use narcotic analgesics like opioids and 50% less likely to receive non-surgical invasive procedures than patients who did not.

Do Not Wait if You Have Pain – It’s Likely to Cost You Money

The earlier a patient sees a physical therapist, the more likely they will be to experience positive outcomes with lower overall healthcare costs. This is exemplified in other research, in which 308 patients with neck pain were divided into different groups depending on when they consulted a physical therapist: early (within 14 days), delayed (15-90 days), or late (91-364 days). Results showed that early physical therapy was associated with an average savings of $2,172 on healthcare costs over one year compared to late physical therapy, as well as a lower risk for patients being prescribed opioids, having a spinal injection, or undergoing an imaging test.

Physical therapy in hospitals associated with higher costs

Avoiding the hospital for elective reasons like surgery will further lower costs for patients, as receiving physical therapy in a hospital is typically lower than when it is received at a clinic or office. One study compared these costs, and results showed that the average prices were 41% higher for therapeutic exercises and 64% higher for manual (hands-on) therapy in a hospital than a community setting. A 15-minute session of manual therapy, for example, was an average of $58 in a hospital versus $35 in a clinic.

On top of all of this, you can see a physical therapist much sooner than your primary care doctor and many other healthcare professionals. While it could take several days, weeks, or longer to get an appointment with many healthcare professionals, many physical therapy practices can schedule in as soon as the next day. This yields further dividends, since the sooner you see a physical therapist, the better your outcome will be.

With this in mind, if you’re currently dealing with a painful condition of any sort, we strongly recommend seeing us before consulting with your primary care doctor. We can quickly identify the source of your problem and get you started on a tailor-made treatment program right away that factors in your needs, abilities, goals, and preferences.

Contact Us at (559) 733-2478 for more information.

Treatment for Runner’s Knee

Treatment for Runner’s Knee in Visalia & Hanford – If runner’s knee is holding you back, physical therapy can put you back on track

Whether you’re entering the final stages of a long-term training program for an upcoming marathon or you’re a casual runner that logs a few miles every week, you’ve probably dealt with an injury of some sort in the past.

Runners can be affected by a wide array of potential injuries, but some consider patellofemoral pain syndrome—or runner’s knee—to be the most common. Accounting for about 20% of all running injuries, runner’s knee can actually result from any activity that requires repeated knee bending—such as walking, biking, or jumping—but as you might expect, it’s more prevalent in runners than any other population.

Runner’s knee is not a specific condition itself, but a loose term used to describe several similar disorders with different causes, and for this reason, it’s not always easy to peg down the exact reason why it develops. Misalignment of the kneecap (patella), weak thigh muscles, overuse, flat or over-arched feet, and direct trauma to the knee are all factors that can contribute, and if any one or a combination of these factors is strong enough, the result can be runner’s knee.

Stress from running causes irritation where the patella rests on the thighbone, and symptoms of runner’s knee include tenderness behind or around the patella, pain—especially when walking downhill—swelling and a popping or grinding sensation in the knee. For runners of any level, these symptoms can really interfere with training and prevent you from keeping up with your running schedule. Fortunately, you may be able to avoid runner’s knee by making these basic changes to your running routine:

  • Run on softer surfaces, keep your mileage increase to less than 10% per week and gradually increase your hill workout without overdoing it
  • Go to a specialty shoe store and have a gait analysis to ensure you’re using proper shoes for your foot type and gait
  • Be sure you’re using proper running form; click here for more information
  • If you do experience any pain, cut back your mileage significantly and avoid knee-bending activities and downward slopes until it subsides

If pain continues even if you’re following these tips and after cutting down your mileage, it’s best to see a physical therapist for further guidance. A physical therapist will help to identify any issues that may be causing your pain and provide you with an exercise program that focuses on improving the strength and flexibility of your thigh muscles. The program may also include manual therapy, in which the therapist carefully and systematically moves your joints and muscles to alleviate pain and improve your function. The benefits of this type of approach to runner’s knee are highlighted in a study published last year, which concludes with the following statement:

The data from this review cautiously suggest that manual therapy may be helpful in the short term for decreasing pain in patients with patellofemoral pain (runner’s knee). Several studies integrated manual therapy into a comprehensive treatment program.

So if you’re concerned with your risk for runner’s knee or are looking for treatment for runner’s knee in Visalia or Hanford, we strongly recommend seeing one of physical therapist as soon as you can to figure out what’s causing your pain and how to properly address it.

Specialists for Swimming Injuries

Year-round swimmers can reduce their risk for shoulder pain
by taking time off and seeing a physical therapist

For the hardcore swimmers out there, training is a year-round affair. Over one million Americans are involved in recreational or competitive swimming, and more than one-third of these individuals practice and compete throughout the entire year. Competitive swimming is certainly a great way to stay fit all year, but it also carries with it a risk for shoulder pain that can be managed with certain precautions and staying conditioned.

Swimming is a great form of physical activity that strengthens multiple regions of the body and improves flexibility and endurance. The lack of impact helps swimmers avoid lower-body injuries, but its intense involvement of upper-body muscles increases the chances for overuse injuries.

Overuse injuries occur gradually over time and primarily result from fatigue and failure to adhere to proper stroke techniques. About 90% of swimmers’ complaints relate to their shoulders, and the most common injury overall is swimmer’s shoulder, which is a general term to describe any type of shoulder pain. Swimmer’s shoulder is usually due to tendinitis of the rotator cuff—a group of muscles and tendons that surround and stabilize the shoulder—and if left untreated, it can cause more pain and other injuries.

Other swimming-related injuries include foot and ankle issues, hip pain, breaststroker’s knee (knee pain related to ligament or tendon damage), and back pain. As with shoulder injuries, most of these problems occur when swimmers push their bodies too hard without enough time to recover. The best way to reduce the risk for shoulder pain and other swimming-related injuries is to ensure that you’re practicing and competing with the proper technique. While it’s best to consult with a swim trainer, here are some general tips to keep in mind:

  • Warm up and stretch thoroughly before entering the water
  • Avoid overuse injuries by mixing up strokes and spending less time practicing those that are causing pain; also be to take enough time to rest and recover
  • Practice good communication between coaches, swimmers and sports trainers
  • Perform core strengthening and cross-training exercises

Physical Therapists can Help Prevent and Treat Swimming Injuries

Another effective way to both prevent and treat swimming-related injuries is physical therapy. Physical therapists can create sport-specific training programs that will keep swimmers properly conditioned throughout the year and reduce their risk for enduring an injury to the shoulder or elsewhere in the body. If any injury does occur, they can also provide patients with an individualized treatment program that addresses their symptoms and focuses on the mechanics and muscles involved in swimming. The benefits of physical therapy for swimming injuries are highlighted in a published study in 2017, which evaluated whether surgery or non-surgical (conservative treatment) was better for tears of the rotator cuff. The conclusion states the following:

There is limited evidence that surgery is not more effective in treating rotator cuff tear than conservative treatment alone. Thus, a conservative approach is advocated as the initial treatment modality.

This shows that swimmers and any other patients with suspected rotator cuff injuries should see a physical therapist first before considering surgery. Doing so can help them reduce their pain levels and regain shoulder function with significantly lower costs and less risk for complications compared to surgical interventions.

Contact Us if You Have Questions or Need Help

Baseball Injury Specialists in Visalia

Baseball can put extreme stress on the shoulder and elbow and sometimes, and maybe you are a player looking for a baseball injury specialist in Visalia. If so, we read on to learn more about how we can help.

Every year, approximately three million children play baseball in the U.S., and many continue to play on through their adolescence into high school. Due to the mechanics involved in baseball, strain on the elbows and shoulders is unavoidable, and injuries are therefore more common in these areas than anywhere else in the body. Young players of all positions are at risk for getting injured, but the risk is significantly higher for pitchers. In fact, research has shown that as many as 45% of pitchers under the age of 12 already experience pain in their elbow on a regular basis.

Most of this pain is due to performing the same motions repeatedly, which is referred to as overuse. One of the most common causes of elbow pain in young athletes is a condition called little league elbow—or medial epicondyle apophysitis—an overuse injury to one of the growth plates on the inside of the elbow. Little league elbow is most commonly seen in young pitchers and occurs because the growth plates are weaker than the muscles that attach to them. As a result, the stress placed on the growth plates from repetitive throwing can cause them to become inflamed, and the result is pain and swelling that makes it challenging to throw normally.

Other common overuse injuries of the elbow in youth baseball include the following:

  • Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury: often results from pitchers throwing too often or too hard, and can range from minor damage to a complete tear
  • Flexor tendinitis: inflammation of the tendons of the elbow that attach to the upper arm bone (humerus), which leads to pain on the inside of the elbow
  • Valgus extension overload: a condition in which the protective cartilage on the bony point of the elbow (olecranon) wears away and a bony growth develops
  • Ulnar neuritis: irritation of the ulnar nerve, which stretches around the bony bump at the end of the humerus; the result is numbness, tingling, and pain

Since these elbow injuries result from overuse, the best way to prevent them is to ensure that young athletes are training within their limits and not pushing themselves too far. Parents and coaches can do their part by monitoring participation levels and pitch counts for young pitchers, and encouraging rest and recovery when it’s needed. Another key component of injury treatment and prevention is physical therapy. A physical therapist can provide a specific prevention program for young players, which will include stretching and strengthening exercises individualized to their specific needs and based on any weaknesses that might be present.

One, study published in 2017 shows just how effective physical therapy can be for baseball-related elbow injuries and why it should be the treatment-of-choice for these patients. The study, which focused on UCL injuries in throwing athletes, concluded with the following statement:

Non-operative management of sprains of the medial UCL of the elbow should be considered as first-line treatment in the majority of cases. After adequate rest, a structured return-to-sport interval-training program is crucial for successful return. Prevention of further injury may be provided by evaluating the athlete’s throwing technique and training regimen.

Our physical therapists are trained to help with both of these recommendations: they can provide a return-to-sport training program that is personalized for each athlete, and they can also evaluate the athlete’s throwing technique and guide them with prevention techniques that will reduce their risk for future throwing-related injuries.

To learn more or book an appointment with one of our clinical specialists, click here for additional contact information.

Hand Arthritis Treatment in Hanford

Physical therapist-led exercises are the best solution for any type of hand arthritis

Despite what you may have read about arthritis, it’s often NOT a debilitating disease.  If you have chronic pain in your hands, you should seek out the expert advice of our therapists…they provide exceptional hand arthritis treatment in Hanford.  Here’s more about the hand and how we can help.

The hand is made up of 27 bones, and the end of each of these bones is covered by a smooth, shiny surface called articular cartilage. This cartilage protects the bones where they meet one another—a joint—and provides them with a smooth surface that allows the bones to slide freely and not come in contact during movement. Articular cartilage usually does a great job at helping these joints to move smoothly, but over time, it can wear away. When this occurs, the condition is called arthritis.

Arthritis is general term that’s used to describe the loss of articular cartilage in one or more joints in the body. Approximately 54 million people are currently affected by arthritis to some extent, making it one of the most common medical conditions in the U.S. There are over 100 different types of arthritis, but the two that are seen most often are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis, by far the most common type of arthritis overall, involves a gradual wearing away of cartilage in certain joints, which makes them more vulnerable to bone-on-bone contact and damage over time. It typically affects weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips, but can also occur in various joints of the hands. Older adults—especially those over the age of 40—are most at risk for developing osteoarthritis, which is primarily related to age-related changes like bones become more dense and less water in the cartilage.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, meaning it’s caused by the body’s own immune system mistakenly destroying healthy cartilage in joints unknown reasons. It can affect any joint of the body, but usually starts in the small joints of the hand. Rheumatoid arthritis also tends to be associated with older age, but unlike osteoarthritis, does not occur due to age-related changes and is usually seen earlier in life. The average age for onset of rheumatoid arthritis is between 30-60, but it’s also seen in younger individuals as well.

Regardless of the type, these and other types of hand arthritis typically lead to a similar set of symptoms, which may include:

  • Severe pain and aching in the hand
  • Weakness and/or loss of range of motion
  • Stiffness, swelling, and/or redness
  • A sensation of “cracking” or “crushing” in the hand joints
  • Increased size or deformity of the hand

Unfortunately, there is currently no cure available for arthritis. Instead, treatment focuses on relieving pain and managing the patient’s underlying condition, and the best way to accomplish this is through physical therapy. By working one-on-one with each patient, your physical therapist can identify the particular type of arthritis that’s present, and then design a personalized treatment program to address your most bothersome symptoms. A typical treatment program for hand arthritis will consist of the following:

  • Manual (hands-on) therapy: may include soft-tissue massage, stretching, and joint mobilizations to reduce pain and improve alignment, mobility, and range of motion
  • Stretching exercises: to improve the flexibility of joints affected by arthritis
  • Strengthening exercises: to build back up strength of the muscles of the hand
  • Modalities: ultrasound, electrical stimulation, ice, and/or heat to decrease pain and inflammation of the involved joint

The results of a 2017 study show just how beneficial physical therapist-led exercises can be for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Its conclusion reads:

A hand exercise program is an effective adjunct to current drug management to improve hand function (for rheumatoid arthritis patients)

Arthritis of any sort can truly prove to be a nuisance that interferes with your ability to function normally in everyday life. So if you’re affected by hand arthritis, contact a physical therapist and get started on a road to less pain and better function.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment in Visalia

A course of physical therapy can bring about relief carpal tunnel syndrome

From turning door knobs and driving cars, to picking up children and pointing out stars, we all use our wrists on a nearly constant basis. Sometimes this can lead to tingling and numbness. If you are looking for carpal tunnel syndrome treatment in Visalia, keep reading and we will share with you why seeing one of our physical therapists is a great choice.

The wrist is the converging point where the hand meets the forearm, and it consists of 15 unique bones. Often thought of as a single joint, the wrist is actually made up of three primary joints and several other smaller joints where each of these bones connects with one another. Muscles, ligaments, and tendons further reinforce these connections, and communication is accomplished through a series of nerves. But with such a complex arrangement, there are also many things that can go wrong with the wrist and lead to pain.

The 15 bones that make up the wrist are as follows:

  • 5 long bones in the hand (metacarpals) that connect the fingers to the wrist
  • 8 small bones in the center of the wrist, which are arranged in two rows of four
  • The ends of the 2 bones of the forearm (radius and ulna), which make up the largest joints of the wrist

These bones are connected by numerous ligaments and surrounded by cartilage, which allows for movements and cushion the bones from rubbing against each other. Any of the structures of the wrist can be damaged by extreme movements—like twisting, bending, or a direct impact—that force it beyond its normal range of motion. The result of this damage may be a sprain, strain, fracture, or dislocation, all of which are most commonly seen in sports and other physical activities.

If You Have More than Pain (i.e. tingling and numbness), It Could be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Another frequently seen wrist condition is called carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The carpal tunnel is a space at the base of the palm that contains a number of tendons and the median nerve, which provides sensation to most fingers. If these tendons thicken or any other swelling occurs, this tunnel narrows, which puts pressure on the median nerve and causes CTS. The greatest risk factors for CTS are repetitive hand motions, awkward hand positions, mechanical stress on the palms, and vibration, and symptoms usually start with a burning or tingling sensation, but eventually pain, weakness and/or numbness develop in the hand and wrist, and then radiate up the arm.

Other common wrist-related issues include rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, tendinitis (inflammation of one or more tendons), De Quervain’s tenosynovitis (tendinitis on the thumb side of the wrist), Dupuytren’s contracture (abnormal thickening of tissue between skin and tendons in the palm), and ulnar tunnel syndrome (similar to CTS). All of these conditions have their own unique characteristics and arise for different reasons, but they do share one thing in common: each can be effectively treated with physical therapy.

Despite What You May Have Been Told, Surgery is NOT Your Only Treatment Option

Physical therapists are movement experts that can work with patients to identify the source of their symptoms, and from there, will design a treatment program that’s customized to each patient and based on their personal abilities and goals. This one-on-one approach to treatment has been proven to work because it identifies the patient’s impairments and targets them with a unique set of active interventions meant to reduce their symptoms. The findings of a recent study highlight the effectiveness of a physical therapy intervention for CTS called manual therapy based on neurodynamic techniques. The conclusion reads:

The use of neurodynamic techniques in conservative treatment of mild to moderate forms of CTS has significant therapeutic benefits in the short term

So if you’re dealing with symptoms that might suggest CTS or any other wrist-related problems that are getting in the way of your daily life, physical therapy may be the very solution you’re seeking.

Contact us for more information at (559) 733-2478

Physical Therapy Instead of Opioids For Seniors

Even seniors are at risk for opioid overuse and abuse, but steering towards physical therapy is a much safer option

Pain is the number one reason people seek out medical care, and painful conditions are more common in the U.S. than diabetes, cancer, and heart disease combined. This is one of the driving forces behind the opioid epidemic, which continues to rage on and claim lives in its wake. There were more than 47,000 opioid-related overdose deaths in just 2017 alone, meaning that about 130 people die because of opioids every day.

In thinking about the opioid crisis and who is affected by it, you might have a general picture of the types of individuals who use and abuse these drugs. For most of us, senior citizens are probably not the first group that comes to mind, but the truth is that they are also impacted by the prevalence of opioids in this country in very alarming ways.

Chronic pain is particularly common in seniors, and about 8 in 10 of them struggle with multiple health conditions at once. As a result, many of these seniors are being prescribed opioids to cope with their pain, with the same types of risk for abuse as are seen in other age groups. Two government reports published in 2018 warn that opioid prescriptions for older adults are very high and often associated with a number of negative effects.

Issued by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a team focused on trends regarding opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits in the senior citizen population. Their findings included the following key points:

  • Opioid-driven complications were the cause of nearly 125,000 hospitalizations and more than 36,000 emergency department visits for seniors in 2015
  • Between 2010-2015, there was a 34% jump in the number of opioid-related inpatient hospital admissions among seniors
  • Nearly 20% of seniors (one in five) filled at least one opioid prescription between 2015-2016, which equated to about 10 million seniors; more than 4 million of these individuals (about 7%) filled prescriptions for four or more opioids, which was characterized as “frequent” use

Why physical therapy is a great alternative to opioids

Whether you’re surprised by it or not, older adults are still at risk for being caught up in the opioid epidemic, which can have some seriously negative consequences. This is why it’s crucial to promote alternatives to opioids in this population, and the best possible option out there is physical therapy. Unlike opioids, which only mask the sensation of pain, physical therapy focuses on identifying its source and helping patients overcome it with a series of carefully designed movements and exercises. And perhaps best of all, physical therapy is universally regarded as a safe intervention with nearly no risk for side effects, and the more sessions that are completed, the better the outcomes are.

So if you’re an older adult that’s currently dealing with pain or you have a loved one that falls into this category, we strongly recommend that you consider physical therapy over opioids as a movement-based strategy that’s proven get to the root of pain and relieve it.

Physical Therapy for Lower Back Pain Instead of Opioids

Seeing a physical therapist early reduces chances of being prescribed addictive opioids

Back pain, especially low back pain, is one of the most common medical problems out there. In fact, if you’ve never experienced low back pain, you’re part of a small minority, and there’s a strong chance you’ll deal with it at some point. The statistics should help put matters in perspective: about 80% of Americans will be affected by low back pain to some degree at least once in their lifetime.

Low back pain can develop over time in a gradual manner or it may come about suddenly. For some, this leads to symptoms on a nearly constant basis, while symptoms only arise every so often for others. Symptoms vary in each individual as well, but typically include the following: pain, tenderness and/or stiffness in the lower back, difficulty with bending, lifting or twisting, weak or tired legs, discomfort in the back while sitting, difficulty standing or standing for extended periods, and pain that spreads to the buttocks or legs.

Short-lived—or acute—low back pain is most common, while pain that lasts for more than three months is considered chronic and requires additional care. Anyone can get low back pain and it can develop for a variety of reasons, but there are certain risk factors that increase one’s chances of getting it. These include older age, poor physical fitness, a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight, other diseases like arthritis and cancer, risky occupations that may strain the back, smoking, and depression/anxiety.

For individuals with acute low back pain looking to improve, there is a wide range of options available. These range from simply resting and waiting for the pain to go away on its own, to having surgery to address it in more severe cases. Today, many patients with low back pain are also prescribed opioids by their doctors, which usually provide a “quick fix” for their problem. Unfortunately, opioids don’t really solve the issue, as they only mask the pain temporarily without actually addressing the cause of it. Opioids are also highly addictive and associated with abuse and overuse, as over 45,000 individuals died of an opioid-related overdose in 2017 alone.

Physical therapy, on the other hand, offers a hands-on approach to treating low back pain that actually gets to the heart of the problem and targets it with various interventions that are known to be effective. This is why physical therapy—especially early physical therapy that begins soon after the pain starts—is strongly recommended for patients with low back pain. Following this course can help patients work on improving their condition while also reducing their risk for being prescribed opioids, since physical therapists focus on active treatments and avoiding medications.

A recent study investigated how early physical therapy affects each patient’s use of healthcare resources and chances of being given an opioid prescription, and it concluded with the following:

Early physical therapy for acute low back pain reduces healthcare utilization and cost, reduces opioid use, and may improve healthcare efficiency. This may assist patients, healthcare providers, healthcare systems, and 3rd party payers in making decisions for the treatment of acute low back pain.


Patients with low back pain are therefore encouraged to consult a physical therapist before any other medical professional, and to do so as early as possible. Following this course will increase their chances of experiencing a positive outcome while also avoiding addictive and dangerous opioids.

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