Physical Therapy Archives - BabinPT Physical Therapy

Try Physical Therapy for These 5 Common Causes of Shoulder Pain

Physical therapy is a safe, effective and non-invasive treatment option that is designed to relieve pain resulting from a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions, sports injuries, workplace injuries and more. Regular appointments with a physical therapist are ideal for people of all ages. Patients typically see a physical therapist to help manage chronic pain symptoms and prevent future injury. One of the biggest reasons new patients visit our physical therapist each day is to address chronic shoulder pain. Shoulder pain can be caused by a number of different factors and make completing daily tasks nearly impossible without treatment. If you or a loved one is experiencing shoulder pain, Babin Physical Therapy can help!

Top 5 Most Common Causes of Shoulder Pain

The average person probably doesn’t give much thought to their shoulders as they go about their day. But your shoulders actually do quite a lot of work to help you complete everyday tasks, and if they become strained or injured, you could be left experience severe shoulder pain. Some of the most common causes of shoulder pain include:

Tendinitis

This is a common condition that causes inflammation in the shoulder area and has been known to send many people straight to the physical therapist for relief. The condition typically affects those who are very physically active or people who work at a job that requires them to complete lots of repetitive motions. For example, if you’re an athlete who plays tennis a lot or you work as a professional painter, you could be at risk of developing tendinitis in your shoulder. If you are at a high risk for tendinitis, it is very important to remember that along with physical therapy, resting your shoulders regularly can help to prevent chronic pain.

Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder typically occurs after an injury or alongside another shoulder condition. Most physical therapists recommend that patients with frozen shoulder get plenty of rest in between physical therapy appointments to avoid developing scar tissue in the shoulder. If scar tissue does develop, the muscles surrounding the shoulder can eventually freeze up as well, restricting your full range of motion and resulting in chronic pain.

Bursitis

The shoulder is a complicated joint that is made up of an intricate network of many moving parts. One of the key components that make up the shoulder is called bursa. The bursa contains tiny sacs of fluid that work to keep the shoulder joint lubricated. If the bursa becomes irritated or inflamed, you can develop bursitis and will need to schedule a physical therapy appointment as soon as possible.

Tendon Tears

The tendons in your shoulder can tear as the result of an acute injury or certain degenerative conditions. Overuse, the natural aging process and sudden injuries often cause the tendons to split or tear. Whether a patient is experiencing partial or a full tendon tear, the pain can be very intense and require regular appointments with our skilled physical therapist.

Impingement

Shoulder impingement can occur when the top part of the shoulder blade puts a great amount of pressure on the underlying soft tissues in the arm each time that it is lifted away from the body. As the arm lifts, the shoulder blade rubs against the tendons and bursa. If left untreated, impingement in the shoulder can result in bursitis and/or tendinitis.

Physical Therapy Can Provide Fast Relief for Shoulder Pain

If you or a loved one have been experiencing recurrent or prolonged shoulder pain, it is important to speak with a physical therapist as soon as possible. Physical therapy is a safe, non-invasive and holistic treatment option that can help patients of all ages and activity levels. Contact our Kenner, LA office today to learn more about the benefits of physical therapy and begin your journey toward living a pain-free life!

Relieve Hip and Knee Pain For Good with Physical Therapy!

Both the hips and knees are areas in the body where several muscles, tendons, and joints are joined together to help you achieve complex movement. If there is damage and subsequent pain in these areas, it can be difficult to perform daily activities. There are several specific ways that physical therapy can help relieve hip and knee pain. Call Babin Physical Therapy office to find out how a trained physical therapist can help you relieve the pain in your hips and knees!

Common Hip and Knee Conditions

There are several specific conditions that often affect the knees and hips. These conditions can occur due to repetitive motion, traumatic injury, or chronic disease.

Arthritis – Arthritis is a condition that involves inflammation of tissues that surround the joints. This condition can cause knee and hip pain. A physical therapist can teach you correct posture and proper movement techniques to protect your joints.
Strains & Sprains – Strains happen when a muscle or tendon is stretched excessively or torn. A sprain is a stretched or torn ligament. Ligaments may even rupture, causing bruising, pain and limited mobility. A physical therapist can help you recover more quickly while showing you exercise techniques to reduce pain.
Meniscus Tears – This is one of the most common knee injuries people experience. A torn meniscus can cause stiffness, swelling, and varying degrees of pain. This condition could be the result of a sudden injury or repetitive motions. You’re at higher risk if you’re engaging in aggressive pivoting and twisting of your legs. A physical therapist can provide non-surgical treatment for a torn meniscus.
Bursitis – Bursitis occurs when a small sac of fluid known as the bursa becomes inflamed. This is often caused by overuse or repetitive injuries. Bursitis can occur in a variety of locations in the body including the knees and hips. Physical therapy can aid in recovery and the reduction of pain.

How Physical Therapy Can Help

No matter what condition you have, a physical therapy program can help relieve your pain. Your physical therapist will evaluate your condition and create an individualized program to meet your specific needs. Range of motion and strength measurements may be taken during the physical therapy evaluation. The following are several treatment methods a physical therapist may use to help limit or relieve both knee pain and hip pain.

Manual Physical Therapy – A physical therapist might use several hands-on techniques to reduce pain in your hips and knees. This could include stretching exercises or a variety of massage techniques.
Heat & Ice Physical Therapy – Heat is often used during physical therapy to help increase mobility and lessen pain. A physical therapist may also use ice to reduce swelling and inflammation.
Ultrasound Therapy – A physical therapist may use ultrasound to provide deep heating in the tissues. A trained physical therapist can also more easily identify problem areas by using ultrasound.
Laser Therapy – Laser therapy is increasingly being used in physical therapy for pain management. It can help increase circulation, improve the growth and reproduction of cells, and can reduce swelling.
Home Exercises – A physical therapist can teach you exercises to do at home to alleviate hip and knee pain. Physical therapy techniques can be incorporated into a home exercise program that can become part of your daily routine.

Physical therapy treatment may be able to help you remain pain-free and as active as possible. A physical therapist can create a customized program to treat your particular condition.

Contact our Kenner, LA office to schedule an evaluation with an experienced physical therapist. Find out today how physical therapy can reduce or even eliminate your knee or hip pain!

5 Ways Physical Therapy Can Put the Spring Back in Your Step!

Do you currently have an acute or chronic pain condition affecting your daily life? Maybe you’re struggling with back pain, a sports injury or impairments following an auto accident. Perhaps you have someone in your family who is experiencing pain and dysfunction. Whatever you or your loved ones are facing, we encourage you to contact Babin Physical Therapy to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist.

At Babin Physical Therapy, our physical therapists are experts in human movement and employ a wide range of drug-free, non-invasive techniques that benefit our patients in many ways — far beyond “just” symptom management. Check out these top five reasons why working with a physical therapist can help you reclaim the healthy, active lifestyle you want and deserve:

1. Pain-relieving techniques used in physical therapy have a low risk of side effects.

Unlike many medications and invasive procedures, physical therapy services have a very low risk of side effects while remaining highly effective for reducing pain, swelling, inflammation and other impairments related to injury, illness, and disease. Physical therapy techniques require less downtime and can be modified and safely used on everyone from infants to seniors.

2. Physical therapy services are completely customizable.

A standard physical therapy plan of care is completely individualized to the patient. The chief aims of any plan of care are to address the patient’s unique goals, resolve his or her impairments, and optimize his or her recovery, functional independence and long-term health. These outcomes can be achieved through physical therapy techniques such as:

Therapeutic exercises
Manual therapy, like massage and joint mobilizations
Neuromuscular re-education, like balance training
Modalities, like dry needling, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, diathermy, orthotics and prosthetics fitting, and kinesio taping

After undergoing a thorough examination with your physical therapist, you’ll receive an individualized treatment plan that can accelerate your healing. This plan is modified to meet your specific needs and lifestyle and relies on your feedback throughout the process, giving you a more active role in your recovery.

3. Physical therapy can help you avoid opioids.

The current opioid abuse epidemic in our country suggests that these potentially harmful drugs are frequently overprescribed. The CDC recommends physical therapy before opioids for the management of many types of chronic pain. Plus, treatment techniques used in physical therapy are “evidence-based,” meaning they are tested in scientific research studies in order to determine their efficacy, effectiveness and safety.

4. A physical therapist can identify hidden factors contributing to your dysfunction.

A physical therapist won’t just “mask” your pain. Our physical therapists identify and resolve underlying factors contributing to your current condition and increasing your risk of chronic issues. Common factors include shortened muscles, scar tissue, range-of-motion limitations, muscle activation problems, impaired ergonomics and body mechanics, and postural imbalances. If factors like these are left unaddressed, your symptom relief would likely be temporary at best.

Through services such as patient education, work-hardening programs and other techniques previously mentioned, a physical therapist can address both symptom and cause.

5. A physical therapist can help you maximize functional mobility, capacity and performance.

A physical therapist helps his or her patients improve endurance, core stability, coordination, agility, and other physical skills that can carry over into better performance in sports and everyday life. This is essential for young active people as well as the older population looking to avoid age-related debility.

In other words, our physical therapists can manage your injury or disease now as well as help prevent injury in the future.

Ready to find some long-lasting solutions to your pain? To schedule an appointment with a physical therapist today and get started on your journey back to health and healing, contact our physical therapy Kenner, LA clinic today.

Feeling Stiff and Achy? Physical Therapy Can Help!

Everyone wakes up feeling some pain in their joints or muscles from time to time. But if you find yourself consistently waking up stiff and achy, it might be time for pain-relief work with a Babin Physical Therapy physical therapist. Aching or stiff joints may be a minor problem that is easily remedied; in other cases, your doctor may have diagnosed a condition or ailment that will benefit from physical therapy. We’ve worked with a wide range of patients who struggle with aches and pains, and we would be happy to work with you to help you enjoy a better quality of life as well!

Why Am I Stiff and Achy When I Wake Up?

Joint tissues become irritated throughout the day and by the evening, when your mind is tired, you might not even notice it. When you fall asleep and remain mostly immobile overnight, that allows the inflammation to grow thicker and irritate the joints even more. The result is that when you wake up in the morning, your joints are stiff and achy. After you start moving around, the inflammation becomes more liquid-like and the pain will lessen. One common remedy for this, which your physical therapist is likely to recommend, is that you stay properly hydrated throughout the day. Staying hydrated allows your body’s tissues to function at their normal pace, whereas dehydration slows down your chemical processes.

More Serious Medical Conditions

If your doctor has diagnosed you with a more serious medical condition that impacts your joints and tissues, physical therapy can probably help. Here are some of the most common ailments that can be relieved with the guidance of a physical therapist:

Rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis.
Lupus.
Bursitis.
Gout.
Bone cancer.

All of these conditions can cause aching, stiffness and joint pain. A physical therapist will work with you to help you try to achieve a greater range of motion with affected limbs or joints, and to relieve the pain so you can enjoy a better quality of life.

Tips for Stiff and Aching Joints

Your physical therapy regimen will largely depend on your specific symptoms or diagnosis. However, there are a lot of common recommendations that work hand-in-hand with physical therapy. Here are some tips that your physical therapist will likely share with you on your journey to wellness.

Get Good Sleep. Getting enough sleep at night creates a circular benefit with physical therapy exercises. When you get enough sleep, it increases your ability to effectively exercise. When you exercise regularly, it helps you to get better sleep. Better sleep habits and physical exercise are a powerful “one-two punch” for keeping aches and stiffness away.
Use Better Posture. If your work requires you to sit at a desk for long hours, or if you stay sedentary for long periods every day, try to get up every half hour for some light stretches. Move around to keep your circulation going, which helps to relieve joint pain. Proper posture when sitting or standing will help your joints to function properly. When we use bad posture, it puts strain on areas of the body that weren’t meant to be stressed.
Improve Your Diet. Be sure to consume lots of brightly colored fruits and vegetables. These healthy foods have more antioxidants and vitamins, which fight off the inflammation that can lead to joint pain. A better diet also helps you to get better sleep and helps your body receive more benefit from exercise.

Physical Therapy Exercises

You don’t have to be a bodybuilder or an Olympic-class athlete to work with a physical therapist. Most of the exercises and stretches that your therapist will recommend are simple to perform and don’t require any special equipment — and most of our patients are just regular people (not super athletes).

Contact us today at our Kenner, LA office to schedule a consultation on how physical therapy can help you relieve those aches and pains!