Physical Therapy N E W S L E T T E R
H I T Y O U R FINDING RELIEF FOR YOUR KNEE AND HIP PAIN S T R I D E !
If you’ve experienced any hip or knee pain and are considering whether physical therapy is a good choice for your health needs, consider the following: • From a standing position, are you able to lean over and touch your toes? If so, then this indicates that you have proper hip and low back flexibility. If not, then youmay need to improve your flexibility and joint range of motion, and physical therapy could be helpful. • In a sitting position, can you comfortably cross your legs, leaving your ankle to rest comfortably on the opposite knee? If this is painful, or one knee constantly must be lower than the other, then this may be indicative of knee concerns that could be addressed with physical therapy. • From a standing position, with your feet planted flat on the floor, can you push your body into a squatting position? You should be able to squat all the way down so that your buttocks are almost touching your heels. If you aren’t able to do this, then physical therapy may be helpful in improving your range of motion. • Standing near a wall or countertop, arrange your feet so that you are standing with the heel of one foot touching the toes of the other, as if on a balance beam, and see how long you can stand still. Can you balance for 10 seconds? If not, then physical therapy may be able to improve balance and coordination. The goal of any physical therapy program is to restore range of motion and improve flexibility and strength while reducing the general experience of pain. Unfortunately, hip and knee injuries often tend to linger. Every movement relies so heavily on the hips and knees that it makes it difficult to allow these joints to actually rest following an injury. Physical therapy provides targeted exercises that support the joints with precise movements that help reinforce strength and range of motion. For more information, contact your physical therapist to learn more about options that will suit your health needs. For more information about overcoming knee and hip pain, call us at (773) 541-2020 today!
Mark Twain once said that growing old is an issue of “mind over matter,” but if you struggle with knee or hip pain, then you know that this isn’t true at all. Knee and hip pain can really take the spring out of your step, causing you to move slower and leaving you with pain that becomes more difficult to cope with, step after step. There is an endless list of reasons as towhy knee or hippainmay develop, froma slipor fall-related accident to a sports injury or even a car accident. Don’t Wait Until It Is Too Late! When an injury develops, seeking the support of a physical therapist is the best course of action. Working with a physical therapist soon after an injury develops can help reduce your recovery time and improve your ability to cope with the pain and discomfort by introducing you to targeted exercises and stretching techniques that can enhance your ability to recover from the injury. When you are dealingwith a knee or hip injury, every step requiresmore effort than typical. This can really drain your energy level as you attempt to go about doing even basic tasks, such as taking care of your home or walking around the office. What Can Physical Therapy Do to Help? Physical therapy is not a one-stop cure-all for pain management. This is a long-term solution to pain and suffering through the use of targeted exercises and stretching techniques that are designed to strengthen the targeted areas and help the body recover and heal. By identifying the exact points on the body that are not moving as they ought to be, it is possible to make a plan to increase flexibility, motion, strength and even improve coordination. Who Needs Physical Therapy? Are youmoving like you should be? Your hips and knees are essential to everydaymovement; whether youare sitting, standing, walking or running, you need your hips and knees in great shape. Sometimes, when your hips and knees are in pain, it can cause you to change the way that you aremoving, causing you to change the flow and pace of your gait, which is the way that you walk. Other times, prolonged pain can cause you to stop doing movements that are indicative of healthy joints.
Schedule your consultation with physical therapist today by calling 773.541.2020 !
Learn more by visiting our website at LoopPT.com
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