Do you experience pain with squatting, prolonged sitting, or climbing stairs? Are you living with persistent pain, swelling, or mechanical symptoms, such as catching and locking? Do your knees make it difficult to perform daily tasks that once seemed simple? If so, Total Performance Physical Therapy can help you find relief.
PHYSICAL THERAPY N E W S L E T T E R
Do you experience pain with squatting, prolonged sitting, or climbing stairs? Are you livingwithpersistent pain, swelling, ormechanical symptoms, such as catching and locking? Do your knees make it difficult to perform daily tasks that once seemed simple? If so, Total Performance Physical Therapy can help you find relief. (Continued Inside) ALSO INSIDE: • Ditch Your Pain & Hit Your Stride With Total Performance! • Patient Testimonial • Staff Spotlight
WALK AWAY FROM UNWANTED KNEE PAIN! WITH THE HELP OF PHYSICAL THERAPY
PHYS I CAL THERAPY N E W S L E T T E R
WALK AWAY FROM UNWANTED KNEE PAIN! WITH THE HELP OF PHYSICAL THERAPY WE’RE VACCINATED! We’re happy to share that all of our physical therapists are fully vaccinated against Covid-19!
is another common cause of knee pain. This is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes the joints to become swollen and inflamed, with varying levels of severity. • Fracture . A fracture occurs when one of the bones in the knee (including the kneecap, or patella) become damaged. Fractures are typically the result of some type of trauma, such as a harsh fall or collision. • Torn ACL. An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear occurs when one of the ligaments connecting your shinbone to your thighbone becomes torn. This is a common injury for athletes who participate in sports that are physically-demanding on the knees, such as basketball, track and field, or soccer. • Torn meniscus. The job of the meniscus is to act as a shock absorber between the shinbone and thighbone. It is made up of thick cartilage, but it can be torn if your knee twists too suddenly while weight is still being put on it.
Knee pain can be debilitating, making it difficult to walk, run, and move. It may even hinder your ability to do some of the activities you love. Fortunately, our physical therapy treatments at Total Performance Physical Therapy can get you moving once again by relieving your pain and enhancing your body’s natural healing process. What Are Some Common Knee Injuries? Your knee is one of the largest joints in your body, made up of a complex system of bones, tendons, and ligaments. Because of this, the knee can be easily injured due to overexertion or repetitive motions. Some common knee injuries include: • Arthritis. The most common type of arthritis for knee pain is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage surrounding your joints deteriorates from “wear and tear.” This causes uncomfortable friction as the joint no longer has a sufficient cushion between the bone. Rheumatoid arthritis
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• Patellar tendinitis. Your tendons are thick connective tissues that attach muscles to bones. Tendinitis occurs when one or multiple tendons become inflamed. The patellar tendon, located in the knee, typically becomes inflamed through repetitive jumping motions common in sports such as skiing, cycling, or hurdling. • Knee bursitis. Bursae are small fluid sacs that act as cushions outside of your joints. Knee bursitis occurs when the bursae in your knee become inflamed, limiting the ability of your tendons and ligaments to move smoothly over the joint. How Can Physical Therapy Help? Our licensed physical therapists at Total Performance Physical Therapy will examine your knee for signs of misalignment or structural damage, in addition to examining your stance, posture, gait, and range of motion. After your physical exam is complete, your physical therapist will prescribe a physical therapy plan for you, aimed at relieving unnatural stresses and strains, and normalizing your joint function. Treatment plans for knee pain typically include: • Activity modification and manual therapy to allow for appropriate off loading and healing. This may include joint/soft tissue mobilization, custom foot orthotics, over-the-counter bracing, or kinesio taping in the short term, in order to reduce symptoms and open a window to symptom-limited exercise. • Graded strength, dynamic stability, and capacity training targeting the quads, glutes, hamstrings, foot/ankle complex, and core. Strength training of the quads and glutes has been shown to be highly effective with regard to reduction of pain, and it mitigates the risk of recurrence/flare ups in the future. • Restoring range of motion in the knee. A knee with poor range of motion that is constantly flexed can cause persistent painful symptoms. Restoring range of motion will help it bend easier and ease stress on the knee, thus relieving pain. • Graded exposure to previously painful activities, as gains in strength, tolerance, and capacity allow. DITCH YOUR PAIN & HIT YOUR STRIDE WITH TOTAL PERFORMANCE!
• E ducation regarding activity modification and the role of the nervous system in pain. What Can I Do On My Own To Keep My Knees Healthy? While physical therapy is the most effective form of treatment if you are currently experiencing knee pain, there are some precautions you can take to lower your risk of developing unwanted knee pain and injuries altogether: 1. Stretch your hamstrings, quadriceps, and adductor muscles each day. By keeping these muscles flexible, the forces on your knee joints stay balanced, which allows you to bend and rotate the knee. 2. Keep themuscles around your hips and knees strong, especially the gluteal and quadricep muscles. Studies show that adults (especially those 55 or older) who have stronger gluteal and quadricep muscles tend to have less back pain and a greater ability to perform daily activities. 3. Exercise regularly. While this is good for the whole body, the knees especially need exercise to keep their cartilage healthy. The cartilage does not have much blood supply and requires its nutrition from joint fluid. Most of the joint fluid absorbs into the cartilage only through movement and compression of the knee. Therefore, it is important to do weight bearing exercises, such as walking, running, or playing a sport. However, if you have arthritis, it is advised that you do activities with less of an impact, such as biking, elliptical machines, or aquatic exercises. Contact Us Today! Are you living with knee pain? If so, don’t hesitate to contact Total Performance Physical Therapy today. We’ll help relieve your pain so you can get back to living your life comfortably, without limitations!
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DEALING WITH SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER Has your mood darkened with the shorter days and longer nights of fall andwinter? If you’re likemany people, getting less sunshine and being less active this time of year can contribute to feelings of sadness and apathy that may be associatedwith Seasonal Affective Disorder (or SAD). The good news is that regular exercise can help boost your mood and guard against symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. EXERCISE AND SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, 14 % of people in the United States experience SAD (also known as seasonal depression). But research shows thatmany people canmanage or avoid SAD with 30 to 60 minutes of exercise and 20 minutes of exposure to sunlight each day. In addition, data show exercisers have lower rates of recurrent depression compared with study participants who do not exercise. These figures emphasize the importance of exercising throughout the winter. Try the tips for maintaining your winter exercise routine this winter: • Arrange your schedule to start and end later or earlier so that you can exercise outside after sunrise or before sundown. • Get outside towalk, jog, run, snowshoe, or cross country ski. The exposure to sunlight can help increase your vitaminD levels and elevate yourmood. • Enlist the services of a personal fitness trainer. Many people findmeeting with a personal fitness trainer helps themstickwith their exercise routine. GET PROFESSIONAL HELP FOR SAD IF YOU NEED IT Although lack of sunlight and activity often are culprits of seasonal affective disorder, genetics and hormonal changes also may contribute to the condition. If exercise alone doesn’t improve your mood and your sadness persists for more than 2 weeks, schedule an appointment with one of our physical therapists. We will provide you with techniques in addition to exercise to manage stress.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT DR. LINDSEY FISHER, DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL OPERATIONS In her short time at TPPT, Dr. Fisher has become act ively involved as the medical director of sports team training. She has been instrumental in developing exercise programs for individuals to become better athletes . She al so recei ved her Functional Movement Systems Level One certification in order to deliver patients with the best and most appropriate care possible. Dr. Fisher has also been very active as a youth soccer club coach of all ages for the past 10 years. She currently trains and coaches three U-13 girls’ soccer teams. She has a passion to help prevent injuries for athletes of all levels, while also rehabbing them back to the playing field.
Hear Why Our Patients Love Us! I love everything about Total Performance! There is such a feeling of positive energy when I’m there and I actually look forward to going to PT! Lindsey is wonderful (as is everyone who has worked with me) and totally gets the limitations I have. I’m so glad to be getting my PT at Total Performance! — J. K.
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