June 2021

How to Avoid Back Injuries

At OC Sports and Rehab we regularly see patients with back pain due to heavy lifting.  Surprisingly, healthcare workers are among the most likely to be injured on the job due to moving, transferring, and lifting patients from awkward positions with little to no assistance.  In some cases, the injuries are worse than our patients in a construction job or jobs involving manual labor.

Being conscious of your posture and limitations is one way to avoid a lower back sprain or injury. But here are more ways to protect your back.

• Have a plan for your lift and transfer of the object or person. Test the weight first to make sure it doesn’t exceed what you’re capable of.  If you have access to any aid, whether it’s another person or machinery, use it!
• Get as close as possible to the item you are moving. This will reduce the amount of strain on your back.
• Lift your head up while keeping your back straight. You should lift with the strongest muscles in your hips and legs.
• Tighten and use your abdominal muscles to protect your back.
• Keep your nose between your toes. When moving an object, pivot on your feet rather than twisting the spine.

These simple yet effective points will keep your back healthy, strong, and pain-free.  But in the event you find yourself in pain, back physical therapy is always a great way to work out the kinks. Call or text us 949.716.5050

The Importance of Rest and Recovery

A key part of staying on the field and performing optimally is making sure you’re fueling your body correctly and allowing for adequate recovery. Recovery allows the body time to repair and rebuild between workouts and adapt to the stresses the body endures during workouts. This is especially true for high-level, elite athletes, as the demands they put on their bodies are extremely high.

Recovery can come in many forms, both physically and psychologically. These include, but are definitely not limited to, adequate sleep, nutrition, massage therapy, cryotherapy (ice) and recovery tools such as percussion massage and compression boots. Let’s dive a little deeper into a few of these recovery strategies to see how they can help and why they’re important.

Sleep

One of the easiest ways to elevate your game is to get quality sleep every night. Sleep has traditionally been under-prioritized among athletes. Elite athletes often have a very difficult time getting adequate sleep due to busy training schedules, frequent travel and jet-lag between time zones. Getting quality sleep, however, may be one of the most important things an athlete can do. Sleep allows the body time to recover, repair and replenish stores that were depleted after an intense workout. Most people require 7-9 hours of sleep per night, but just as an athlete requires more calories due to high energy expenditure, they may also require more sleep than the average adult.

Recovery Tools

Athlete Recovery System tools, such as percussion massage (ie. Hypervolt, Theragun) or compression boots (ie. Normatec boots) become more popular, more people have questions about their roles and uses in recovery.

There are several theories for how percussion massage can aid in recovery. One proposed benefit is that it can reduce the onset of DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness. You’ve probably noticed that ~24-48 hours after an intense workout, your body feels an intense soreness – this is referred to as “DOMS.” Percussion massage may provide an added benefit in mitigating the effects of DOMS to help your body recover faster. Another proposal is that percussion massage alleviates pain through the gate control theory. Remember the last time you hit your head on a cabinet door and instinctively applied pressure to your head to make the pain go away? This is an example of gate control theory. The pressure from your hand is “overriding” the pain that your head just experienced, making it feel better. In the same way, the vibration from the massage gun is alleviating the pain sensation you are experiencing, allowing for better recovery. Either way, percussion massage can be an easy way to help your muscles recover and prepare your body for the next workout.

Contact OC Sports and Rehab to learn more about the importance of rest and recovery for peak performance.

Improve Your Balance By Increasing Your Core Strength

The relationship between core strength and balance is something that has been widely discussed within the physical therapy field for several years. Your trunk contains multiple core muscles that work to prevent physically limiting conditions, such injuries, lower back pain, or balance and gait disorders. When your core is strong, it helps keep you upright and decreases your risk of falling. If you are interested in learning more about how our services can improve your balance, contact  OC Sports and Rehab today!

How are core and balance related?

There are three systems in your body that help to control your balance: The visual system, the vestibular system, and the proprioceptive system.

The visual system refers to the messages that your brain and eyes send to each other, in order to help you see. Your eyes send signals to your brain about your position in relation to the world around you.

The vestibular system refers to the liquid in your inner ear that functions as a sort of “carpenter’s balance,” in order to keep you level. If you’ve ever felt dizzy, it generally means that the liquid in the vestibular system is a little bit off-balance.

The proprioceptive system is the one that involves your core. Proprioception nerves are sensory nerves that situate throughout the body. They make you aware of your posture and aware of spatial things around you.

In order to stay balanced, one must have equilibrium in all three systems. A weak core is one element that can make you feel off-balance and cause you to fall down.

The impact of core muscles on stability:

When many people think of core muscles, they immediately picture the abs – but there are so much more! In fact, there are two separate groups of core muscles: the inner core and the outer core.

The inner core muscles are attached to your spine and they help to stabilize your core. The outer core muscles work in conjunction with the inner core muscles whenever you need to move your body from point A to point B – or, essentially to do most physical activities.

When we think of “core stability,” we are thinking of the inner core muscles. When we think of “core strength,” we are thinking of the outer core muscles. Engaging in physical therapy will help you to train both your inner and outer core muscles, in order to achieve better balance and movement.

If you have been struggling with your balance, we can help. Contact us today to learn how our core strengthening services can improve your balance and get you back on your feet!

How Physical Therapy Can Help with Arthritis

Anyone living with arthritis knows how debilitating it can be. Several people dealing with arthritic aches and pains end up resorting to steroid injections, antirheumatic drugs, or even joint replacement surgery, in order to manage their pain. However, physical therapy itself has proven successful for many arthritis sufferers. Before turning to potentially harmful drugs or an invasive surgical procedure, give physical therapy a try! Contact our Foothill Ranch Physical Therapy location today to schedule a consultation and learn how we can treat your arthritis the safe and easy way.

Isolating painful joints:

Rest can sometimes be the best cure for arthritic joints. However, too much inactivity can actually worsen the problem by weakening the surrounding muscles.

Your Lake Forest Physical Therapist can help you isolate the painful joint, so you can remain active while finding relief. Bracing provides natural pain relief for your arthritic condition. Depending on where your arthritis is rooted, a specialized neck collar or wrist splint can also provide specialized support for that joint. By isolating the painful area, you will be able to go about your daily life without worrying about the aches and pains you are carrying with you.

Building range-of-motion:

Anyone with arthritis can vouch for the painfully stiff joints that accompany the condition. If you try to push the affected joint further than it can move, the resulting sensation can range from a nagging twinge to sheer agony. Flexibility exercises learned in physical therapy sessions gradually allow your joints to become more limber, while resistance exercises work to strengthen the muscles that support those joints. By participating in such treatments, your complete physical therapy session will allow you to achieve lessened discomfort and greater freedom of movement.

Incorporating manual therapy:

Physical therapy isn’t just about doing specialized exercises. In fact, manual therapy is a crucial part of many physical therapy treatment plans. It is the hands-on component of PT that not only gives arthritic patients much-needed pampering, but also helps to ease discomfort. Manual pain relief treatment often occupies a significant portion of an arthritic patient’s physical therapy session.

Additional treatment methods may include ice and heat therapies, massage, and even specialized machines, in order to ease aching joints. Your physical therapist can alternate heating pads and ice packs to naturally relieve pain. Targeted massage boosts circulation and creates a soothing, warming sensation for arthritic areas. No matter what methods and modalities you are prescribed, you can find solace in the fact that your physical therapist designed your treatment plan specifically for you.

Find relief today!

Each arthritis case is different. Because of this, your treatment plan will be dependent upon the location and severity of your condition, as well as any physical limitations you may have. At your initial appointment, you will undergo a thorough assessment in order to determine which methods will provide you with optimum pain relief. If you are looking for a safe and easy way to treat your arthritis pains, look no further! Request an appointment today and get started on your path toward long-lasting pain relief.