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5 Reasons YOU Need Physical Therapy!

Here are some of the top reasons why you need Physical Therapy and how it can help:

1. You have pain that you do not know how to manage.  A Physical Therapist will evaluate your areas of pain and discomfort and then tailor a plan that works to restore function, improve mobility, and increase strength all at a pace you are comfortable with.  Physical Therapy is a 1:1 approach to a program that works specifically to target your pain. There is no generic plan that works for everyone. It is our goal to find what works for you! Therapeutic exercise and manual therapy combined with modalities like ultrasound, electric stimulation, and Kinesio taping are all techniques used in Physical Therapy to help relieve pain, restore mobility, and help pain from returning while providing an education and instruction through the entire rehabilitation experience.
2. You don’t have a stretching routine.  A Physical Therapist can provide a complex stretching routine that targets all areas of the body and fits into your pre-existing daily routine that helps benefit your overall health and mobility. Tight muscles tend to cause other muscles to work harder and may lead to injury. Stretching gives the muscles time to relax and increases blood flow which promotes proper blood circulation.  Stand up to stretching. Physical Therapy can show you how!
3. You want to improve posture.  Poor posture is an easy bad habit to fall into. It can often lead to head, neck, back, and shoulder pain.  The good news? Physical Therapy can help. Physical therapy can provide assistance with proper workplace ergonomics, corrective exercise designed to decrease pain and increase flexibility to help you get up and move around, and improve overall health avoiding your risk for chronic and painful conditions from poor posture over a long period of time.
4. You have fallen more than one in the last year.  A PT will then tailor an exercise program designed to improve coordination, educate proper use of assistive devices, and practice balance techniques that carefully challenge the mind in body all under the direction of a healthcare professional.  Over a period of time, Physical Therapy will help you to get the right muscles to facilitate with standing and walking and improve strength in areas of weakness that may contribute to previous falls.
5. You are planning to have or want to avoid surgery.  Physical Therapy is designed to eliminate pain and heal injury.  In ideal circumstances, Physical Therapy can help you avoid surgery all together.  In cases where surgery cannot be avoided, Physical Therapy can benefit you by assisting you be the strongest version of yourself going into surgery which can lead to overall faster and healthier recovery time.

How Massage Therapy Can Help With Pain Management

Massages used to be thought of as a luxury. Now it’s available everywhere, from hospitals and clinics to airports and grocery stores. If you suffer from pain, massage shouldn’t be a once-in-a-while special treat, but a powerful tool that can improve your well-being and complement other therapies for pain management.

Benefits of Massage for Pain Management

Massage is now offered alongside standard treatment for many conditions.

“While I wouldn’t recommend using massage to replace standard medical treatment, it’s a wonderful complementary treatment to aid in your healing that can help the standard treatment work better,” says Marse.

Some of the many conditions massage therapy may help include:

• Anxiety
• Digestive disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Lower back pain
• Myofascial pain syndrome
• Nerve pain
• Soft tissue strains or injuries
• Sports injuries
• Temporomandibular joint pain
• Upper back and neck pain

The health benefits of massage are reason enough to try it. According to Marse, “Not only does massage help reduce pain, muscle soreness and tension, it can also improve circulation and immune function, add to your energy levels and make you more alert. It can lower your heart rate and blood pressure. Many patients love it simply because it reduces stress and supports relaxation.”

Massage therapy is a great supplement to decrease pain and increase your overall health. Ask your doctor or physical therapist if a regular massage regimen might be helpful for you.

OC Sports and Rehab offers massage therapy services at our Lake Forest, Foothill Ranch, and Placentia locations. Call or text us at 949.716.5050 to learn more.

Physical Therapy Can Prevent Unnecessary Surgery

Recent research is showing that surgery might not be needed as often as we think. A large review estimates that 10% to 20% of surgeries might be unnecessary and that in some specialties such as cardiology and orthopedics, that number might be higher. The reasons for so many unneeded surgeries being performed are varied, but the most common are that more conservative options aren’t tried first, or lack of knowledge by the operating physician.

Physicians undergo long and rigorous training programs to become surgeons, but if they don’t work hard to keep learning, their knowledge often stops growing when they leave residency. Recent research is showing that certain common surgeries aren’t any better than a placebo. Two such examples are kyphoplasty – a procedure for spinal compression fractures, and partial meniscectomy – a procedure used to treat tears of the meniscus in the knee. If a surgeon hasn’t continued to learn, they won’t know that these surgeries often don’t offer any more benefit than a non-surgical treatment and will continue to perform them.

Every surgery, even “minor” ones carry risks. These include complications from anesthesia, blood clots after surgery, delayed healing of the incision, infection, and unintended damage to nerves or other organs near the surgical site. Some of these risks cause discomfort for a period after surgery and go away, but others can result in permanent disability or even death. For some patients and conditions, surgery is a great treatment option, but with all the associated risks, when surgery can be avoided, it should be.

For musculoskeletal problems like back and joint pain, sprains, and strains, seeing your Physical Therapist before a surgeon can help keep you out of the operating room and get you back to life without surgery. Studies have shown that physical therapy is just as good if not better than surgery for a multitude of conditions and carries less risk. Some examples would include rotator cuff tears, meniscal tears, spinal stenosis, low back pain, and osteoarthritis.

Physical therapy can’t fix every problem, and for some patients surgery is the best choice. However, research is showing that surgery isn’t a cure-all, and is sometimes just a very expensive and risky placebo. In most cases, starting with physical therapy is the right choice, and for many patients, PT is the only treatment necessary.

Contact our Foothill Ranch Physical Therapy or Lake Forest Physical Therapy locations to learn more.

How To Recover Properly After a Long Race

Training for a run properly means you not only pay attention to the training needed prior to the race but also after to ensure quicker and safer recovery.

Here are some steps you can take after your race:

Right After the Race:

• Replenishing the fluids lost – There is no consensus on what to consume after a race, but replacing fluids lost and your carbohydrate supply is of prime importance to restoring normal energy levels. For more specific details seek the professional advice of a sports-oriented dietitian.
• Rewinding the system – Try walking backwards. You’ve just spent 45 minutes or more moving forward, rewind the system by walking backwards.
• Avoiding cramps/muscle spasm – The quads, the calves and the lower back muscles are very active while running and commonly tighten up. Gently stretch these muscle groups to improve circulation and inhibit muscle cramping. Hold stretches for 20 – 30 seconds.
• Inhibiting pain – Pain can indicate a significant injury. If there is any pain use ice and elevation to improve circulation, inhibit spasm, and pain. Ice for up to 10 minutes at a time as prolonged icing can cause “freezer burns

In the Days After a Race:

• Performing light exercise – Rapid walking forwards, sideways, and backwards helps restore normal muscle flexibility, improves circulation and decreases muscle tightness.
• Continuing with good nutrition habits – Stay hydrated. Make sure to eat proper amounts of protein to help you rebuild and repair damaged tissue. The American Dietetic Association recommends between .54-.77 g   of protein per day per pound of bodyweight for active individuals.
• Lightly massaging sore muscles – to increase circulation and speed soft tissue recovery.

Try these strategies to recover faster, train better, and enhance your next performance. Our physical therapists also specialize in run mechanics and therapy, contact us to learn more!

Do You Wake Up With Morning Back Pain? Here are 4 Stretches that Could Help.

Having back pain in the morning, either because of sleeping in an awkward position or on an uncomfortable bed, is very common.

To keep your back loose and to rid yourself of morning back stiffness, try these exercises:

1. Lie on your side with your knees up. Reach your upper arm back and to the side while keeping your hips on their side. Hold this stretch for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
2. Now roll onto your stomach. Press up your upper body so as to extend your lower back. Hold the stretch for 5 seconds and repeat 10 times.
3. Next, rise up into the 1/2 kneeling position. Holding a cane overhead, rotate your shoulders to the left and right while maintaining a tall posture. Repeat 10 times with each leg up.
4. While standing, hold a cane overhead. Step forward while reaching your arms up and back to stretch the front side of your body. Make your body as tall as possible for this stretch. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 3 times on each leg.

You can also see more videos of back exercises you can do at home by checking out our physical therapy videos.

Don’t Ignore These 5 Signs to See a Physical Therapist

It’s always important to listen to your body, and any signs it might give you regarding aches and pains.

Here are five signals (that you may ignore) that you should see a PT:

1. You’re having to modify exercises, your recreational activities, or daily function. While the pain doesn’t restrict you from activity, you still must modify or make small compromises. You may feel sore, so you limit your activity. PTs can help determine the root of the issue and fix it before an injury occurs or reoccurs.
2. You’re starting a new workout or training program. Physical therapists are movement experts and understand how best the body functions.  They help you understand the proper mechanics, so you can train correctly and reduce the risk of sustaining an injury.  Why leave it to chance?
3. Your recovery period is way longer than normal. It is normal to experience soreness following a race or post-workout if it dissipates in a few days.  However, if routine activities cause pain lasting more than 3 days, you should call your PT immediately.  It could involve a muscle, tendon, ligament, or joint that should be addressed.
4. You’re waking up sore, but you didn’t do any strenuous activity. You shouldn’t wake up from sleeping feeling sore.  Sure, you may need time to warm up your body, but you shouldn’t be in pain.  More than likely, it is your sleep position, poor mattress or pillow.  A PT can help determine the cause of soreness and help you get a more restful night of sleep.
5. You’re noticing unusual pain, or unexplainable, visible changes. If you observe swelling or other changes to your joints or other parts of the body, especially after a training session, you should contact a physical therapist as soon as possible. You could be making an underlying injury even worse.

Don’t neglect the beginning stages of pain and let them turn into bigger issues.  Call OC Sports and Rehab today if you are experiencing any of the 5 signs above.

Are You Planning a Long Trip? Here Are Some Tips to Avoid Pain While Traveling.

Avoid Back to School Backpack Pain

Summer is coming to a close and our kids will be heading back to school soon. Here are a few tips to conquer what has become a big concern: the heavy school backpack.

First of all, let’s hope the kids are putting those books to good use and not just carrying them around unopened, collecting dust bunnies! If they do have to carry the books around, let’s look at it from the positive side. Carrying a backpack can be a great exercise. Across our society we see and hear about our youth getting less and less exercise…less P.E. and outdoor play and more time spent on the computer, playing video games, and watching TV. The SAID principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands) states that the body responds to the demands that are put on it. Provide resistance and the body will develop the muscles and strategies to move it. In this instance, the resistance is the backpack. While they may be big and heavy, backpacks can provide a bit of exercise for our children after hours of sitting in class.

Here are some additional tips for your children for handling that heavy backpack:

1. Only carry the books you need.
2. Perform some squats, backbends or other stretches before carrying your bag.
3. Use both shoulder straps and the waist strap if the pack has one.
4. Tighten the straps so the pack sits tightly against the back.
5. If the backpack seems too big or heavy, take two books out and carry them under your arm. This will help counterbalance the weight.
6. If you are walking long distances take breaks and put the pack down.
7. Don’t run with your backpack on.

If your kids are experiencing back pain due to heavy backpacks, contact one of our Physical Therapists at our Lake Forest Physical Therapy, Foothill Ranch Physical Therapy, or Mission Viejo Physical Therapy locations.

Benefits of Pre and Post-surgical Rehab

Pre and post-surgical rehab is often recommended for those having orthopedic surgery. These types of surgeries could include foot, ankle, knee, hip, wrist, hand, shoulder, neck, and spine surgeries. Rehab can, however, be beneficial for just about any type of surgical procedure. Our trained Physical Therapists can put together both a pre and post-surgical rehabilitation plan for an individual preparing for surgery. The following are several important benefits of having pre and post-surgical rehab.

Benefits of Pre-Surgical Rehab

This is often called prehabilitation, and it helps an individual prepare physically and mentally for a surgical procedure. There are several benefits of going to rehab before your surgery.

• Faster Recovery– Learning the exercises you’ll need to do before surgery trains your muscles in advance. This will make post-surgical rehab easier and more effective. PT in Motion News states that even a few sessions of physical therapy prior to surgery can reduce post-operative care for some patients.
• Fewer Complications– The weaker and frailer an individual is, the more likely it is that the person will experience complications such as infection after a surgical procedure. Prehab can increase strength and immunity prior to surgery.
• Less Anxiety– Patients that have undergone some sort of prehab are often less prone to anxiety or stress prior to the surgery. Starting a process of physical activity that improves strength, endurance, and flexibility can improve overall confidence that the procedure will be successful.

Benefits of Post-Surgical Rehab

It’s important to start a post-surgical rehabilitation plan as soon as your doctor states that you’re ready. The following are a few of the benefits of post-surgical rehab.

• Improve Circulation– Improved circulation not only facilitates faster healing but reduces the chance of a blood clot forming. Something as simple as massage can improve circulation. Many types of basic exercises and simple movements prescribed by a physical therapist can promote increased blood circulation.
• Reduce Pain and Swelling– The right type of post-surgical treatment can help reduce the amount of pain and swelling you experience after your surgery. Icing and ultrasound are both techniques a physical therapist may use to reduce localized swelling and pain. According to PT in Motion News, patients that received the same day, post-operative physical therapy needed fewer opioids after knee surgery.
• Regain Lost Strength– The more quickly you regain strength and stamina, the more quickly you’ll get back to your daily routine. A physical therapy program can be designed to target the specific areas in your body that need to be strengthened after surgery.

Contact our Foothill Ranch Physical Therapy, Lake Forest Physical Therapy, or Placentia Physical Therapy locations to learn more.

7 Simple Activities To Increase Your Physical Health

Did you know that 80 percent of the U.S. population falls short of the Physical Activity Guidelines recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services? Here are seven simple activities from our physical therapist to increase your physical health.

1. Walk Instead of Drive

Many people automatically get into their cars even for a brief trip to the mailbox or corner store. What if you spent an extra few minutes each day walking instead of driving? It might not sound like much of a workout, but walking increases circulation exercises your legs and feet, sheds excess pounds, keeps your joints limber, and helps to release stress.

2. Get a Bicycle

If that trip to the corner store takes too much time on foot, maybe it’s time you remembered how to ride a bicycle. Cycling exercises different muscles than walking, making it a valuable complement to that discipline when you need to go a little farther and a little faster. It also provides you with a significant cardio workout.

3. Take Up a New Sport

Getting that extra activity doesn’t have to be a chore; it could just as easily take the form of new fun. Have you thought of taking up tennis, golf, surfing, swimming, running, or a team sport such as soccer or softball? These sports all offer different physical benefits, and they all get you up and moving.

4. Join a Yoga Class

Physical activity isn’t always a matter of running or jumping around at a frenetic pace. Yoga offers profound benefits to the body and mind by releasing stress, stretching muscles, increasing your range of motion, and helping you master your breathing. A yoga class offers structured learning as well as a positive social environment.

5. Stand at Your Desk

Standing desks have become all the rage in workplaces, and for good reason. Standing at your desk instead of sitting can help prevent unwanted weight gain, regulate blood sugar levels after meals, ease back pain, elevate your mood and energy level, reduce your heart disease risk and add years to your life expectancy. You may even find that you get more work done!

6. Turn “Couch Potato Time” Into a Workout

There’s nothing wrong with spending some quality time watching your favorite TV shows or movies — but you don’t necessarily have to spend all those hours sprawled on your couch, motionless. Consider getting a stationary bike or treadmill that you can use while you’re catching up on your stories. You’ll have just as much fun, but you’ll be working out instead of sacking out.

7. Exercise With Your Dog

Have you ever marveled at the sheer energy and endurance displayed by your dog? Dogs love to walk, run, play catch and explore. Join in these activities, and you’ll find that your dog gives you one heck of a workout.

You can also contact one of our Physical Therapists at our Lake Forest Physical Therapy, Foothill Ranch Physical Therapy, or Mission Viejo Physical Therapy locations.