KICK AWAY THE PAIN Effective Solutions for Your Knees &Hips MarkTwain 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 moredifficulttocopewith,stepafterstep. There is an endless list of reasons as to why knee or hip pain may develop, from a slip or 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 therapist is the best course ofaction.Workingwithaphysiotherapist, chiropractor , or osteopathic manual therapistsoonafteran injurydevelopscan helpreduceyourrecoverytime.Yourability to copewith the pain and discomfort can beimprovedbyintroducingyoutotargeted exercises and stretching techniques that can enhance your ability to recover from the injury. When you are dealing with a knee or hip injury,everysteprequiresmoreeffortthan 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 Therapy Do to Help? Physiotherapy is not a one-stop cure-all forpainmanagement.This isa long-term solution to pain and suffering through the use of targeted exercises and stretching techniques that are designed tostrengthenthetargetedareasandhelp the body recover and heal. By identifying
the exact points on the body that are not movingastheyoughttobe, it ispossibleto makeaplanto increaseflexibility,motion, strength and even improve coordination. Who Needs Therapy? Are you moving like you should be? Your hips and knees are essential to everyday movement; whether you are 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 are moving, causing you to change the flow and pace of your gait,which isthewaythatyouwalk.Other times, prolonged pain can cause you to stopdoingmovementsthatare indicative of healthy joints. Ifyou’veexperiencedanyhiporkneepain and are considering whether therapy at Kinetesis isagoodchoiceforyourhealth needs, consider the following: • From a standing position, are you able to lean over and touch your toes? If so, thenthis indicatesthatyouhaveproper hip and low back flexibility. If not, then youmayneedto improveyourflexibility and joint range of motion, and therapy could be helpful. • Inasittingposition,canyoucomfortably cross your legs, leaving your ankle to restcomfortablyontheoppositeknee? 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 therapy.
• Fromastandingposition,withyourfeet planted flat on the floor, can you push your body into a squatting position? You should be able to squat all theway down so that your buttocks are almost touchingyourheels. Ifyouaren’tableto do this, then 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 therapy may be able to improve balance and coordination. Thegoalofanyphysiotherapyprogram is to restore range of motion and improve flexibility and strengthwhile reducing the generalexperienceofpain.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 allowthese jointstoactuallyrestfollowing an injury.Physiotherapyprovidestargeted exercises that support the joints with precise movements that help reinforce strength and range of motion. For more information, contact Kinetesis today to learn more about how our services can suit your health needs.
Bedford: (902) 407-7207 Fall River: (902) 861-3900
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