The National Osteoporosis Foundation of Ormond Beach
Support Group will meet on Tuesday, October 11 at 4 PM at the Ormond Beach Library Auditorium.
The guest speaker will be Sheila R. Vidamour, a Certified KeenFit Pole Walking Instructor, who will do a presentation/demonstration on the benefits and the techniques used to walk with poles; she will also have demo poles available for anyone in the group who wishes to try them.
For more information & to let us know that you are coming, please call Barr & Associates Physical Therapy at 673-3535.
Proper Posture for the Low Back
Source
One of the most common causes of low back pain is poor sitting posture. When you sit, especially for long periods, excessive strain is put on the muscles, tendons, and discs in the low back. This strain can lead to low back pain.
Anatomy of the Spine
The low back, or lumbar spine, is comprised of 5 bones called vertebrae. Between these bones are spongy shock absorbers called discs. There are two parts to the disc: the inner part called the nucleus pulposes, and the outer part called the annulus fibrosis. The nucleus pulposes is a jelly-like material, while the annulus fibrosis is stiffer. The discs can therefore be thought of as mini jelly doughnuts between the bones. There are many muscles and ligaments that attach to the lumbar spine.
When viewing the spine from the side, a forward curve can be seen in the low back. When sitting, many people slouch. This slouched position causes the forward curve in the low back to reverse. The reversal of the forward curve puts excessive strain on the front side of the disc, and the jelly in the middle of the disc gets pushed towards the back. When the jelly pushes out far enough, nerves are pinched and low back pain may occur.
How to Attain Correct Sitting Posture
Normally there should be a forward curve in the low back. When sitting, you must use a small towel roll or lumbar pillow to help support the curve in the low back. To use a lumbar roll properly, sit in a chair with your hips pressed all the way up to the back of the chair. Then lean forward slightly and place the roll at the small of your back, at the level of your beltline. This will help keep the proper curve in your low back.
Poor sitting posture is one of the major causes of low back pain. It puts excessive pressure on the discs, muscles, and joints in the back. Exercising1 and maintaining proper sitting posture are important steps to eliminating or preventing low back pain.
One of the most common causes of low back pain is poor sitting posture. When you sit, especially for long periods, excessive strain is put on the muscles, tendons, and discs in the low back. This strain can lead to low back pain.
Anatomy of the Spine
The low back, or lumbar spine, is comprised of 5 bones called vertebrae. Between these bones are spongy shock absorbers called discs. There are two parts to the disc: the inner part called the nucleus pulposes, and the outer part called the annulus fibrosis. The nucleus pulposes is a jelly-like material, while the annulus fibrosis is stiffer. The discs can therefore be thought of as mini jelly doughnuts between the bones. There are many muscles and ligaments that attach to the lumbar spine.
When viewing the spine from the side, a forward curve can be seen in the low back. When sitting, many people slouch. This slouched position causes the forward curve in the low back to reverse. The reversal of the forward curve puts excessive strain on the front side of the disc, and the jelly in the middle of the disc gets pushed towards the back. When the jelly pushes out far enough, nerves are pinched and low back pain may occur.
How to Attain Correct Sitting Posture
Normally there should be a forward curve in the low back. When sitting, you must use a small towel roll or lumbar pillow to help support the curve in the low back. To use a lumbar roll properly, sit in a chair with your hips pressed all the way up to the back of the chair. Then lean forward slightly and place the roll at the small of your back, at the level of your beltline. This will help keep the proper curve in your low back.
Poor sitting posture is one of the major causes of low back pain. It puts excessive pressure on the discs, muscles, and joints in the back. Exercising1 and maintaining proper sitting posture are important steps to eliminating or preventing low back pain.
Preventing Hamstring Injuries
Source
With autumn approaching, many people will be returning to the soccer field. This intense sport requires players to be in top physical form to play well. Maintaining physical fitness can also help prevent injuries while playing soccer. While not all injuries can be prevented, proper training may help to reduce the number and severity of injuries incurred. Hamstring strains are a common soccer injury. Running, sliding, and kicking all place a great amount of stress on the knee and on the supporting ligaments and muscles. One of the functions of the hamstring muscle is to bend the knee.
In high velocity sports like soccer, the hamstring muscle also helps control the forces on the knee while it straightens. This can put a great amount of tension on the muscle, and it is thought that these high tension forces can lead to muscle strains. A recent study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine examined a specific type of exercise to prevent hamstring strains. The researchers found that players performing eccentric hamstring exercises had significantly fewer acute and recurrent hamstring injuries than players who did not add eccentric hamstring exercises to their training regimen. What are eccentric exercises ? An eccentric contraction is a muscle contraction that occurs while the muscle is lengthening. To illustrate an eccentric muscle contraction, bend your elbow. Now hold something heavy, like a gallon of milk, and slowly allow your arm to straighten. The bicep muscle in the front of your arm had to lengthen while performing the contraction. That is an eccentric contraction. By training the hamstring muscle eccentrically, it may be possible to reduce your chance of injuring the hamstring during high demand sports like soccer. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist to learn if eccentric hamstring training is right for you
With autumn approaching, many people will be returning to the soccer field. This intense sport requires players to be in top physical form to play well. Maintaining physical fitness can also help prevent injuries while playing soccer. While not all injuries can be prevented, proper training may help to reduce the number and severity of injuries incurred. Hamstring strains are a common soccer injury. Running, sliding, and kicking all place a great amount of stress on the knee and on the supporting ligaments and muscles. One of the functions of the hamstring muscle is to bend the knee.
In high velocity sports like soccer, the hamstring muscle also helps control the forces on the knee while it straightens. This can put a great amount of tension on the muscle, and it is thought that these high tension forces can lead to muscle strains. A recent study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine examined a specific type of exercise to prevent hamstring strains. The researchers found that players performing eccentric hamstring exercises had significantly fewer acute and recurrent hamstring injuries than players who did not add eccentric hamstring exercises to their training regimen. What are eccentric exercises ? An eccentric contraction is a muscle contraction that occurs while the muscle is lengthening. To illustrate an eccentric muscle contraction, bend your elbow. Now hold something heavy, like a gallon of milk, and slowly allow your arm to straighten. The bicep muscle in the front of your arm had to lengthen while performing the contraction. That is an eccentric contraction. By training the hamstring muscle eccentrically, it may be possible to reduce your chance of injuring the hamstring during high demand sports like soccer. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist to learn if eccentric hamstring training is right for you
Watch your ankles when running and walking!
The position of the foot just before ground contact during running and walking may put people at risk for ankle sprains, according to a new study published by a University of Georgia kinesiology researcher.
The results of the study, which appear in the June online edition of the American Journal of Sports Medicine, found that people who have a history of repetitive ankle sprains demonstrated lower clearance heights between their feet and the floor during running, and pointed their toes down more during walking. Ankle sprains are the most common sports-related injury, and many who experience a sprain will go on to develop chronic instability, suffering repeated sprains during their lifetime.
"Almost everyone who is physically active will suffer an ankle sprain at some point," said the study's lead author, Cathleen Brown Crowell, an assistant professor in the UGA College of Education's department of kinesiology. "Many people develop repetitive ankle injuries that are painful, can decrease performance and increase the risk of ankle osteoarthritis. We were able to identify factors in foot positioning prior to contact with the ground that may pre-dispose some people to these repetitive injuries. These findings can help clinicians develop rehabilitation programs that address movements that may have been ignored in the past."
The study collected data on more than 30 male recreational athletes, some with a history of repetitive ankle sprains and some without. Motion capture equipment analyzed joint movements and forces in the participants during walking and running. This study was unique in that it analyzed all three possible motions of the ankle, and included participants who had different types of ankle instability, explained Brown Crowell.
While such motion capture equipment may not be available for analysis of patients in rehabilitation clinics, the findings can be applied to physically active individuals at any level who sprain their ankles.
"We can apply our findings to clinical practice," said Brown Crowell. "Our study demonstrates there are differences in movements at the foot and ankle in an injured population, which may respond to rehabilitation interventions beyond typical stretching and strengthening. The next step is to see if targeted interventions, trying to influence how people run and walk, can treat and even prevent ankle sprains."
Written by Michael Childs
Source:
Cathleen Brown Crowell
University of Georgia
Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/230230.php
Main News Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Also Appears In: Arthritis / Rheumatology, Bones / Orthopedics, Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy,
Ormond Beach Steps for Strong Bones
Ormond Beach Steps For Strong Bones – this 3k walk at Ormond Beach Central Park is being hosted by the National Osteoporosis Foundation Support Group of Ormond Beach and Barr & Associates Physical Therapy.
In conjunction with National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, the group is sponsoring a walkathon on Saturday, May 21st at Central Park in Ormond Beach. Registration will start at 7:30am. Join them for an morning of fun and take part is the first Ormond Beach Steps for Strong Bones Walk.
Steps for Strong Bones is a fundraising program that promotes healthy bones through weight bearing activity such as walking or running. The National Osteoporosis Foundation Support Group of Ormond Beach was formed in June 2009 with a goal of providing education and encouragement to those who have osteoporosis. The group holds monthly meetings at the Ormond Beach Public Library featuring guest speakers from the local medical community. Guest speakers have included Drs. Kevin Free, Albert Gillespy, Lisa Gonzales, David Subich, Sara Droker, Andrew Green and others including pharmacists, dieticians and nutritionists. The group has over 100 members and averages about 30 members per meeting.
Be part of this national effort to increase awareness of osteoporosis while raising funds to support NOF's programs of awareness, advocacy, education and research.
One hundred percent of all proceeds will be donated to the National Osteoporosis Foundation in Washington, DC.
Get Registration Form here
Sciatic Pain: It’s Not Always a Pinched Nerve
“My doctor recently told me that I have sciatica and the pain that I feel in my butt was actually coming from my back. But, I do not have any pain in my back.”
As a physical therapist, this comment is not uncommon to hear and causes confusion with patients. So, what is sciatica? “Sciatica” is more commonly referred to symptoms felt from the back, buttocks and down the leg. The symptoms can range from pain, numbness/tingling or weakness. The symptoms can be constant, varying in intensity or can come and go.
Nerve referral patterns
The pain can be dull, aching or sharp. Sciatica symptoms can often be described as muscle spasms or sharp electric jolting down the leg. Also, weakness can be felt in the legs or foot with sensations of the legs giving away. Sciatica can be confused with symptoms that mimic a hamstring strain, hip pain, ankle sprain, calf cramp, and heel pain. As you can see “Sciatica” is a broad term used to describe many symptoms.
So what causes sciatica symptoms? It is common for patients to visualize a nerve being “pinched” by a herniated disc. There are many other sources of pain in the spine that can cause sciatica and people should not always fear that the disc is injured. Spinal stenosis is another common diagnosis that can cause sciatica, where the nerve is compressed as it exits the spine. Bone overgrowth (osteophytes) and joint stiffness can also irritate the nerve as it exits the spine to cause “sciatica”
A thorough examination and assessment of low back pain is performed by the physical therapist with the patient’s history, symptoms location, symptoms behavior, and neurological examination (sensory, motor and reflexes). This is important for figuring out whether the pain is coming from the back or not.
When sciatica symptoms are caused by irritation to a specific nerve root, the symptoms can follow a dermatomal pattern (area of skin that is mainly supplied by a single spinal nerve). For example, the L5 and S1 nerve root referral pattern has a consistent dermatomal pattern to the foot.
If you are experiencing or think you are experiencing sciatica symptoms, it is recommended to seek proper medical attention and treatment. The doctor may order diagnostics such as an X-ray or MRI to figure out what is irritating the sciatic nerve. Physical therapy intervention is usually successful for patients with low back pain with or without sciatica symptoms. Physical therapist can treat sciatica using various interventions that can include but not limited to: manual therapy, exercises, modalities, traction, postural education, activity modifications, pain management and neuromobilization.
Source
References
As a physical therapist, this comment is not uncommon to hear and causes confusion with patients. So, what is sciatica? “Sciatica” is more commonly referred to symptoms felt from the back, buttocks and down the leg. The symptoms can range from pain, numbness/tingling or weakness. The symptoms can be constant, varying in intensity or can come and go.
Nerve referral patterns
The pain can be dull, aching or sharp. Sciatica symptoms can often be described as muscle spasms or sharp electric jolting down the leg. Also, weakness can be felt in the legs or foot with sensations of the legs giving away. Sciatica can be confused with symptoms that mimic a hamstring strain, hip pain, ankle sprain, calf cramp, and heel pain. As you can see “Sciatica” is a broad term used to describe many symptoms.
So what causes sciatica symptoms? It is common for patients to visualize a nerve being “pinched” by a herniated disc. There are many other sources of pain in the spine that can cause sciatica and people should not always fear that the disc is injured. Spinal stenosis is another common diagnosis that can cause sciatica, where the nerve is compressed as it exits the spine. Bone overgrowth (osteophytes) and joint stiffness can also irritate the nerve as it exits the spine to cause “sciatica”
A thorough examination and assessment of low back pain is performed by the physical therapist with the patient’s history, symptoms location, symptoms behavior, and neurological examination (sensory, motor and reflexes). This is important for figuring out whether the pain is coming from the back or not.
When sciatica symptoms are caused by irritation to a specific nerve root, the symptoms can follow a dermatomal pattern (area of skin that is mainly supplied by a single spinal nerve). For example, the L5 and S1 nerve root referral pattern has a consistent dermatomal pattern to the foot.
If you are experiencing or think you are experiencing sciatica symptoms, it is recommended to seek proper medical attention and treatment. The doctor may order diagnostics such as an X-ray or MRI to figure out what is irritating the sciatic nerve. Physical therapy intervention is usually successful for patients with low back pain with or without sciatica symptoms. Physical therapist can treat sciatica using various interventions that can include but not limited to: manual therapy, exercises, modalities, traction, postural education, activity modifications, pain management and neuromobilization.
Source
References
Germinate Your Garden And Your Health This Spring
As Americans anxiously await the arrival of spring's milder temperatures, many are also looking forward to springing back into the garden. A place where plants, veggies and flowers thrive, a garden is also where people of all ages, fitness levels and shades of green thumb can enjoy physical activity. As with all types of exercise, there is a risk of injury if done improperly. According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), it is important that gardeners take a health-conscious approach to both prevent injuries and reap the health rewards of gardening.
"Many gardeners injure themselves because they don't view gardening as a workout," says APTA spokesperson Mary Ann Wilmarth, PT, DPT. "Gardening is a strenuous activity and it is very easy for people to overdo it, especially for seniors or those who have pre-existing conditions, limited mobility or who are normally inactive."
Common gardening tasks, such as digging, planting, weeding, mulching and raking can cause stress and strain on muscles and joints, primarily in the shoulders, back, neck and knees. APTA recommends the following tips to minimize the risk of injury:
- Warm up before you begin. Get your heart rate up by taking a 10-minute walk followed by some stretches for your upper and lower back, neck, arms and legs. Roll your shoulders back in a circular motion and slowly move your head from side to side a few times to loosen up.
- Don't overdo it. Be mindful of how your body feels. If you experience an aching back or neck, then slow down and stretch or stop and switch to a different task.
- Use a garden cart or wheelbarrow to move tools and heavy planting materials.
- Don't kneel on both knees. Keep one foot on the ground to give your back more stability. If you have to kneel, use knee pads or a pillow to absorb some of the pressure.
- Change positions and take frequent breaks to avoid stiffness or cramping.
- Start with smaller projects and build gradually. Don't try to do it all at once.
- Practice proper body mechanics. Bend at your knees when you grab something or pull a weed, bend your knees and contract your abdominal muscles to avoid straining your back.
- End your gardening session with a short walk or some light stretching. Take a warm bath or shower to help prevent next-day soreness.
- If you experience pain, contact your physical therapist.
Source:
American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
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