August 3rd, 2011
My doctor says I have an impingement syndrome in my shoulder. What does that mean?
Impingement syndrome is a condition in the shoulder in which there is some sort of mechanical compression on the rotator cuff tendons. Your rotator cuff is a series of four muscles that connect the shoulder blade to your humerus (upper arm). The rotator cuff is primarily responsible for maintaining the head of your humerus within the glenoid (socket) during normal function. Normally, the rotator cuff runs smoothly between the acromion (bone as the tip of your shoulder) and your humeral head.
How did this happen to me?
Your impingement condition can occur due to a multitude of factors. Common causes include weakness or degeneration of the rotator cuff tendons due to aging, the formation of bone spurs and/or inflammation within the space above the rotator cuff and overuse activities. Overuse activities are most commonly seen in tennis and baseball players and swimmers.
How do I get rid of this painful condition?
The first step is investigating what factors are contributing to your condition. The may mean temporarily avoiding aggravating activities. Anti-inflammatory medication may assist in pain reduction. Your physical therapist can teach you exercises to restore normal flexibility and strength to your shoulder. This includes exercising the muscles of the rotator cuff and those that control movement of your shoulder blade. Occasionally, an injection of cortisone may be helpful in treating this condition.
What about surgery?
Surgery is not necessary in most cases of shoulder impingement. Once a course of nonsurgical treatment has been taken and symptoms still persist, may a physician begin to feel that surgical intervention is necessary. This type of surgery usually involves debriding the tissue that is irritating the rotator cuff. This can be done through either an open approach or arthroscopic techniques. Outcomes are favorable in 90% of cases using nonsurgical interventions.
Tags: impingement, rotator cuff, shoulder
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July 26th, 2011
What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis (OA), or degenerative joint disease (DJD), is the most common form of arthritis that affects nearly 20 million Americans. This condition gradually wears away the protective covering of the joint ends known as cartilage. Once this cartilage wears down, it cannot be recreated and often times progresses to painful bone-on-bone contact.
How is osteoarthritis treated?
The best treatment approach to combat OA is with early intervention in the form of a well-designed exercise program. For those that suffer from OA, a moderate intensity exercise program has shown to have a protective effect on the articular cartilage. Through proper exercise, nutrition and activity modification, most individuals are able to perform daily activities with little to no difficulty. The key is maintaining an active lifestyle. Each person will have different goals for an exercise in terms of OA treatment. Primarily, regardless of location, the goals include:
- Reduced pain and inflammation
- Improved flexibility and motion
- Improved muscular strength
- Enhanced balance and coordination
- Improved muscular and cardiovascular endurance
- Loss of excess weight
What should your exercise program entail?
There are four basic elements to an exercise program that include:
- Warm-Up – helps the body prepare for activity by elevating your heart rate slowly and increasing your body temperature.
- Stretching/Flexibility – everyone’s degree of flexibility variees. Stretching may be uncomfortable but should never be painful.
- Aerobic – a stationary bicycle may be the best exercise for a patient with OA because it is easy on the joints and helps maintain your flexibility, strength and endurance.
- Anaerobic – strength training is crucial for the prevention and treatment of OA. Always use light to moderate resistance with your exercise selection.
The exercise program should last about 30 to 45 minutes in length. Ideally you should perform this program between 3 and 5 days per week.
If you or someone you love is having pain in a joint, feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. We would love to hear from those currently diagnosed with OA and your experiences to help educate a patient that may have been recently diagnosed with OA. Feel free to comment below!
Tags: arthritis, exercise
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July 11th, 2011
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July 11th, 2011
You can now “Be a Fan” of ours on Facebook and even follow us on Twitter @PTinNEPA!
We look forward to hearing from you…
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March 10th, 2011
Physical Therapy Associates of NEPA would like to inform you that March is National Athletic Training Month. Check out our Sports Medicine Page to the right as well as the Sports Medicine Resources available to learn more. Please note the newly added information form on Athletic Training.
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February 23rd, 2011
Therapists in each of our three locations have recently been certified to treat by Direct Access, meaning you no longer need a physician’s prescription to begin treatment.
Be sure to check out the handout to the right under Patient Resources, titled “Direct Access Information” for more on how Direct Access can benefit you.
You can also watch this video for more information.
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January 14th, 2011
We are pleased to announce that we have just recently purchased new Biodex equipment that is now available for your rehabilitation program.
This is our new Biodex Isokinetic machine that can provide a variety of exercises and/or testing protocols for most areas of the body.
Here is our new Biodex Balance System that allows both patient and Physical Therapist with immediate feedback on balance, coordination and weight bearing ability. The Balance System is used for a wide variety of conditions, Fall Risk assessments and programs, and even Concussion Management. A great piece of equipment that can be customized to any patient’s needs.
We now have an Unweighing System with Gait Trainer Treadmill available for our patients. The Treadmill can be used alone to provide feedback on stride frequency as well as stride length. It can also be used for exercise and testing protocols like most conventional treadmills. The Unweighing System can be used with the Treadmill to allow patients a more pain-free walking/jogging experience during their physical therapy session. The patient is set up in the harness as shown above and your Physical Therapist has the ability to unload a percentage of your body weight to remove any unnecessary stresses that may be hindering your progress.
More information will be provided in the near future as to additional benefits these new pieces of equipment can provide you towards recovery. Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions and ask your doctor to refer you to Physical Therapy Associates of NEPA to take advantage of state of the art rehabilitation equipment!
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July 2nd, 2010
We are pleased to announce we have added the Abington Heights School District as another School District in which we provide Athletic Training Services. Ashley Ciabocchi will be the Athletic Trainer at Abington Heights. You can access the Comet Schedule to the right under Sports Medicine Resources!
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February 26th, 2010
Check out this video on how the ACL is reconstructed using a patellar tendon graft.
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