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Our blog will feature our Healthy Lifestyle article on Ang Peryodiko Newspaper: Rehab and Exercise Tips. This will also be a guide to our Rehab and Therapy clients.
10/1/2018 0 Comments Osteoarthritis of the knee part 1Written by: Taylor Post BA-Kin, CAT(C)
Athletic Therapist Arthritis is a disorder involving painful inflammation of one or more joints. While the term arthritis represents hundreds of different conditions, there is one that is far more common, especially in adults over age 50. Today we focus on the signs, symptoms and treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent form of arthritis. It is often described as a “wear and tear” or degenerative type of an injury, but this may not be completely accurate. Recent studies show that this painful condition may also be linked to the body’s failure to repair joint damage. In either case, osteoarthritis is characterized by the breakdown of the cartilage along the surfaces of the joint and the bone underneath. This causes the protective spaces between the bone surfaces to become very rough and increasingly narrow. If left untreated, the joint space eventually becomes so small that the bone ends up rubbing against bone. The knee is the most common lower-limb joint to be affected by osteoarthritis. While each individual is affected differently, symptoms of osteoarthritis often include; knee pain, heat, swelling and stiffness. During an assessment, a physician or other medical professional will also assess joint range of motion, joint stability and gait changes (limping/ trouble bearing weight). X-ray’s are ordered to confirm the presence and location of OA within the knee(s). Degenerative changes are most commonly found on the medial (inside) of the knee or under the patella (knee cap). It is less common to occur on the lateral (outside) part of the knee. Unfortunately there is no cure for osteoarthritis. However, there are a few treatment options that can help manage pain and help keep people active and doing what they love. Most treatments are non-surgical but more invasive procedures can be necessary in severe cases. Here we focus on lifestyle changes and options for bracing and supports. - Lifestyle Changes Some small changes in an individuals’ daily habits can help slow down the progress of osteoarthritis. Limiting certain activities that aggravate knee pain, such as running or stair climbing may be necessary. That being said, a person with knee OA should still be as active as possible without irritating the knee excessively. Low impact exercise (swimming, cycling etc.) can help lubricate the joint and maintain range of motion, while strength training can keep the muscles surrounding the knee strong. Maintaining a healthy weight can also be beneficial. Due to the load bearing nature of the joint, any excessive body weight leads to increase deterioration and strain on the knee structures. A healthy diet and regular exercise are both great places to start for any weight loss program. - Knee Bracing and Supports Wearing a knee brace can help support the joint and even prevent osteoarthritis from getting worse. In most cases, an “unloader” knee brace is most appropriate. This type of brace shifts body weight away from the affected side of the knee and helps maintain joint space. With a prescription from a doctor, braces for OA can often be covered through Manitoba Health, or through private insurance plans. In addition to a knee brace, some people may use a cane or a walker for additional support while walking. - Medication Several medications can help deal with the pain and inflammation that comes with knee OA. Physicians will work closely with patients to discuss the pros and cons of each one, and to determine what dose will be both safe and effective for them. Over the counter pain relievers and/or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are often the first option, for conservative treatment. - Corticosteroid Injections Oral medications may not always work or may cause too many side effects. In this case an injection of medicine directly into the joint may be more effective. Steroid injections usually only provide short-term relief, and more than one injection may be needed over the course of a year. - Athletic and Physical Therapy Both Athletic Therapists and Physiotherapists are great resources to help with knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. Manual therapy can help to reduce the pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joint. They can also prepare an exercise program with OA friendly exercises and stretching to keep the knee strong and maintain mobility. - Surgery Surgical intervention (arthroscopy, partial or total knee replacement etc.) is often seen as a last resort. Surgery is usually only recommended for individuals with severe osteoarthritis in multiple compartments of the knee, or for those whose pain causes disability and is not relieved with nonsurgical treatment. If you have persistent knee pain it is important to seek medical advice, before it affects your quality of life. Osteoarthritis can be very painful and make certain activities of daily living seem almost impossible to perform. Without treatment it can lead to lost work time and a serious disability for many people. However, with the right knowledge and lifestyle it is a condition that can be managed. A diagnosis of osteoarthritis does not need to stop you from living a fulfilling and productive life. To book an appointment with Taylor please email her at taylorpost19@gmail.com subject: athletic therapy appointment.
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9/19/2018 0 Comments Golfer's Elbow Part 2Written by: Melanie Talastas-Soriano BA-Kin, CAT(C), ISSA-CPT
Athletic Therapist, Personal Trainer Golfer’s elbow also known as medial epicondylitis (inflammation of the wrist flexor tendon), can be managed by simple rehabilitation exercises and at home pain management. ACUTE EPICONDYLITIS For an acute condition of elbow pain, I recommend to first decrease the swelling, decrease the pain, decrease redness by cryotherapy (ice). Specifically, use the ice massage technique using ice cubes or ice in a dixie cup or styrofoam cup. You need to apply the ice directly to the painful area but moving it around in a circular motion as if you’re massing that area. The ice massage technique have been proven to be very effective for this type of injury where the painful area is on the bony part of the elbow (body). A lot of my clients have been happy with the result of the ice massage for their injury to have decrease pain and swelling to the injured area. Using the ice pack is ok but it may not reach the painful area due to bony parts of the elbow, however, if this is all you have, you can try your best to position the ice pack around the medial elbow. CHRONIC EPICONDYLITIS For individuals that have been experiencing pain on the elbow possibly from repetitive motion at work for example will need to rehabilitate the elbow/forearm muscles to restore strength by introducing wrists, elbow and hand exercises. Also, the muscles at this stage of the injury will be stiff and sore that applying heat will help loosen the muscles to prepare for rehab exercises. Overtime, one of the most important strength that you need to restore is the grip strength. You can work on your grip strength by using stress balls, hand puddy or finger webbing. Complete grip exercises 3 sets of 20 repetitions. Other exercises are to strengthen the forearm muscles because these muscles and muscle tendon is attached to the elbow. Use light weight from 5lbs – 10lbs depending on your fitness level. Lighter weight is better to start with and then increase from there. Complete these exercises 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Another exercises to restore the forearm strength is the elbow supination and pronation (rotating the forearms) using a hammer. Perfect weight to control the rotation of the forearm on the fixed elbow. 3 sets of 10 repetitions are recommended. Elbow strap helps temporarily to decrease pain during work and sports activity. You can get this strap at a medical store like innovative medical supplies, liberty athletic + medical supplies, diamond athletics which ever store is near your area. IN CLINIC CARE If you seek Athletic Therapy at Insahyu Training + Therapy, expect to feel better and understand how to take care of your elbow pain. There are other modalities that we use in clinic care like, ultrasound to apply deep heating into the injured area, apply heat and most importantly, hands on massage to reduce residual swelling and to help stiff muscles return to its proper alignment. Aside from in clinic care mentioned, you will have home program just like the above rehab tips and more. We also apply rock tape/kinesio tape on the elbow to help with activities for the next couple of days. I hope this rehab and exercise tips helped you aid your aching elbow. If at home pain management does not help, come and see us at our clinic located at 250 Saulteaux Crescent near Boeing and MacDon industries. Call Melanie at 204-999-0933 or book your appointment on line. 8/6/2018 1 Comment GOLFER'S ELBOW Part 1Written by: Melanie Talastas-Soriano BA-Kin, CAT(C), ISSA-CPT
Athletic Therapist, Personal Trainer Golfer's elbow is a term used to describe an injury on the medial (inside) part of the elbow. The game of golf requires concentration, precision and full body motion that little movement like missing the ball, hitting the ground overuse movements or improper swing techniques can affect the wrist or elbow joint that may lead to inflammation of the tendon, medical term known as medial epicondylitis. Medial and lateral epicondyle is where the flexor and extensor (forearm) muscle tendons are attached. Although the medial epicondylitis is not limited to golfers, there are other daily activities that can cause injury to the medial elbow. For example, cooking, painting, computer work and racket sports can also contribute to elbow pain. Improper or overuse wrist movements or gripping are other contributing factor in the development of medial epicondylitis. The pain you feel will be deep to the medial part of the elbow, by the bony prominence (epicondyle), you may also feel muscle soreness above and below the elbow joint. Tightness and stiffness on the forearms when trying to move your wrists can be present as well. Mild swelling or redness around the area can also be present. Acute epicondylitis: expected symptoms
There are rehab exercises and self treatments you should try to aid your sore elbow. These recommendations will be on our next article Golfer’s Elbow Part II – Rehab. to edit. |
AuthorTeam Insahyu: Certified Athletic Therapists. CategoriesAll Anatomy Arms Athletic Tape Athletic Therapy Back Pain Conditions Elbows Exercises Healthy Lifestyle Hips Knees Orthotics Pregnancy Rehab Tips Running Shoulders Stretching Tips Treatments Winter Wrists |
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