Dealing with tailbone pain? Here are some tips to find relief!
Sit Smart: Invest in a cushion designed for tailbone relief. It works wonders, especially if you spend long hours sitting! Warmth Therapy: A hot water bottle or warm compress can be your best friend. Apply it to the affected area for 15-20 minutes to soothe discomfort. Gentle Stretches: Incorporate simple stretches into your routine. Try knee-to-chest stretches, figure 4 and/or child's pose to relieve tension in the lower back and the back of your hips. Posture Check: Maintain good posture, whether sitting or standing. It takes the pressure off your tailbone and promotes overall spine health. Move Regularly: Don't be [...]
4 Ways to Treat Joint Pain Without Surgery
4 Ways to Treat Joint Pain Without Surgery As we continue to age, we are unknowingly placing more pressure on our joints. Did you know there are things you can do now to decrease your need for surgery on those joints in the future? Get moving! Maintain a healthy weight Focus on nutrition Take care of yourself at home The article below goes into detail on these topics. Read the article to see what you can work on today to help the longevity of your joints! 4 Ways to Treat [...]
Oov: Activate Your Deep Stabilizing Muscles Without a PT Degree
Oov: Activate Your Deep Stabilizing Muscles Without a PT Degree! Ah, those pesky PTs! Are you activating your transversus abdominis (TrA or TVA) muscle? What? I don’t know!? Hopefully, your PT has explained what your transversus abdominis is. If not, check out our blog about it by clicking on the link below: Do You Know the Importance of Your Transversus Abdominus, Especially Postpartum? Maybe you have even been to a clinic with rehabilitative ultrasound, like Physical Therapy Specialists, and be able to see your muscles contract and relax with real-time ultrasound. But then you go home, perhaps you forget [...]
Why do I have pain and what can I do about it
Why do I have pain and what can I do about it? September is National Pain Awareness Month so let’s take this opportunity to shed some light on pain. What is the point of all this pain? Wouldn’t life be better if we never experienced it? Life would not be better. Life would be a lot shorter without pain. Pain is a protective response. It helps us to learn about things that have the potential to harm us and avoid them. You probably don’t want to hear that if you, like most of our patients, have been dealing with [...]
Do You Know the Importance of Your Transversus Abdominus, Especially Postpartum?
Do You Know the Importance of Your Transversus Abdominus, Especially Postpartum? I vividly remember when my transversus abdominis (TrA) turned back on 8 weeks after delivering my twins. I was blowing my nose in my bathroom and all of a sudden I thought, “There it is! I can feel it again!” It took a little longer than I had anticipated but that muscle got pretty stretched with two babies growing inside me! The transversus abdominis is the deepest layer of abdominal muscles and it acts as a natural brace in our body. Its muscle fibers go across your [...]
We All Have a Story . . . What is Yours?
We All Have a Story . . . What is Yours? At Physical Therapy Specialists, we pride ourselves in taking the time to get to know you and your story. We do this because we have a genuine interest in who you are! What’s more, listening to your story affords us the knowledge to be the most successful in your treatment outcomes. It helps us effectively treat you as a whole person and not just your pelvis or hip, for example. Did you know that, on average, 75% of medical diagnoses can be made solely based on what you [...]
Some Americans Pay More for Back Pain Relief, But Are They Really Getting Less?
Some Americans Pay More for Back Pain Relief, But Are They Really Getting Less? Payless recently conducted a very telling social experiment. You probably heard about the shoe chain’s stunt in the news but just to recap quickly, “The Payless Experiment” tricked consumers into buying their typically budget-friendly shoes at sky-high markups. To carry out the clever ruse, the discount retailer invited style influencers to a (fake) launch party for a new high-end label in one of Los Angeles’ glitziest shopping areas. The attendees believed that they were buying fashionable, high-quality footwear and therefore didn’t object to the [...]
Healthcare for Men and Women is not the Same
Healthcare for Men and Women is not the Same A patient mentioned a 60 Minutes episode that aired several years ago explaining this exact topic. Health care for women is completely different than for men. The medical field has traditionally been a male dominated and has invested little in research to explain specific women’s issues. Women are often dismissed and told it is psychologic or “all in her head”. Drug studies tend to exclude women because, since we are different from men, our results skew the numbers. Check out the article below from Prevention Magazine. It is helpful [...]
October is National Physical Therapy Month
October is National Physical Therapy Month Avoid Addictive Opioids: Choose Physical Therapy for Safe Pain Management #ChoosePT No one wants to live in pain. But no one should put their health at risk in an effort to be pain free. Doctor-prescribed opioids are appropriate in some cases, but they just mask the pain—and opioid risks include depression, overdose, and addiction, plus withdrawal symptoms when stopping use. That’s why the CDC recommends safer alternatives like physical therapy to manage pain. Physical therapists treat pain through movement, hands-on care, and patient education—and by increasing physical activity you can also reduce your risk of [...]
Taking Control of Your Pain: Part 2 The Pain Management Toolbox
Taking Control of Your Pain: Part 2 The Pain Management Toolbox Does your pain define you? When you have been in chronic pain for several years, it can feel like it does! Additionally, chronic pain management occurs best with a team approach. But, what happens when you start to feel better? How can you take what you have learned from your healthcare providers and apply it to your life to continue practicing self-care as you decrease your treatments? This blog is part 2 of a series in which we will unravel what patients can do to manage their [...]
