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Tired of Your Hip and Knee Pain? Find Lasting Relief with Physical Therapy

If you have been struggling with hip and knee pain for very long, it may feel like your pain is here to stay. After all, can you really get any lasting relief from serious joint pain? Actually, you can, and physical therapy is one of the best ways to do it. With the right physical therapy treatments, you can lessen the pain you experience in your hips and knees – and possibly even eliminate it altogether.

How to Get Lasting Pain Relief – Physical Therapy for Hip and Knee Pain

Hip and knee pain can be so frustrating – it seems like no matter what you have to do if you move you are going to experience pain. But there are ways to reduce your pain over the long term. It may take some time and effort on your part, but physical therapy has proven time and again to help reduce hip and knee pain for patients of all ages and backgrounds.

Why does the pain relief you get from physical therapy last for so long? There are a few reasons, including:

Getting to the source of the problem. If you just treat the symptoms of a hip and/or knee issue, you are almost guaranteed to see the problem pop up again later on. But if you can identify the source of the problem, you can actually treat what is causing the pain. Physical therapists have a process to identify the causes of hip and knee pain so that they can give you targeted treatments designed to get to the bottom of what is causing your pain.
Making you stronger so you don’t sustain further injuries. One of the big frustrations with joint pain is that it never seems to fully go away. Even if you rest for a while and feel better, when you go out and start moving again the injury can flare up all over again. But with physical therapy exercises, you get much stronger than you were before. The added strength allows your muscles to better support your joints, so you are less likely to experience additional irritation in the joint.
Helping you move in a healthier way. Many times the pain you are experiencing in your hip and knee is related to unhealthy movement patterns. They may have been learned over time or in response to an initial injury. Those unhealthy movements cause added strain on your joints and lead to further pain and injuries. Your physical therapist will help identify unhealthy movement patterns and give you the advice to replace those patterns with ones that will protect your joints from further injury.
Making it easier to lead an active lifestyle. Chronic hip and knee pain can be improved significantly through regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Of course, you have to be able to move without significant pain to exercise – something that is made much easier by physical therapy. Your physical therapist can help you improve your hip and knee pain significantly and teach you ways to exercise so that you avoid injuring your joints. Through physical therapy, you can regain strength and mobility so that you can lead a more active lifestyle.

Let Us Show You the Benefits of Physical Therapy for Hip and Knee Pain

If you are currently struggling with hip and knee pain, we want you to know that we are here to help. Our physical therapy team can help you reduce your pain over the short term and the long term. Please contact Synergy Rehab & Wellness Center at our Verona, VA, or Waynesboro, VA location today to schedule an appointment with your physical therapy team and get the relief you deserve!

Get Moving at Home! Tips for Achieving a Full-Body Workout!

Just because you’re in the confines of your home during this time, it doesn’t mean you can’t still achieve a full-body workout. Yes, it is true that gyms, workout classes, intramural leagues, and the like are closed/postponed for the time being – but it is still important to remain active and get your whole body moving as often as you can.

While, like many of us, you may not have a home gym or the resources that a fully functioning brick-and-mortar gym may have, there is still plenty you can do at home – you just have to know the right exercises! For a full-body workout that will leave you feeling as if you just had your normal session at the gym or your workout class of choice, follow the exercises below.

5 full-body exercises to feel the burn at home:

Dumbbell Wood Chops. Looking for exercises to do with your dumbbell at home? Dumbbell Wood Chops are a great full-body exercise to get you moving. Begin by holding the dumbbell with both hands above one side of your head. Swing the dumbbell in a controlled motion diagonally down across your body, toward your opposite hip. Use the power from your hip rotation to make this swinging motion. By engaging your back, shoulder, legs, and abdominal muscles, you can feel good knowing that you’re getting the full workout you’re looking for!

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/380487900/01e9d5eb56

Running Man. Are you an avid runner or cycler? When quarantined at home, it can seem disheartening when unable to go outdoors and do the activities you enjoy. Exercises like the Running Man can simulate the feeling of those activities by focusing on the same muscles. Begin by lifting your right leg so that it is parallel to the floor. Bend your arms into proper running positions, with right arm bent in front of your torso and your left arm bent behind your torso. In one motion, extend your right leg so that it is behind you and lean forward with your torso, extending your right arm in front of you and your left arm behind you.

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/266320240/e24492ba6e

Split Stance Side Plank with Arm Raise. Planks are always a good choice for working out at home, since they are easy to do and great at targeting several muscles at once. With these planks, you’ll be taking your home workouts to the next level! For the Split Stance Side Plank with Arm Raise, begin by lying on one side of your body, propping yourself up with your bent arm on that side. Lift your hips so you are in a side plank position, and lift your opposite arm to the sky. Hold this position for 30 seconds or until you begin to feel tired. Repeat these steps on the opposite side.

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/365312407/f94fc2ebb9

Dynamic Hamstring Warm Up. It is important to stretch those hamstrings while you’re stuck at home to prevent them from becoming tight! This exercise will help you do just that. Begin standing up straight. Bend your right knee, and extend your left leg out in front of you so the heel of your foot is to the floor and your toes are to the sky. Bend your torso over your outstretched leg in a 90 degree angle, feeling the stretch in your left hamstring. Repeat these steps on the opposite side, making sure to alternate between each of your legs to get a good stretch on both sides.

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/359766215/7c4c1251d0

Dynamic Hip Flexor Warm Up Straight. This exercise is great for getting your body all stretched out either before or after a workout. It is easy to do and targets several muscles in your body! With this one, you will also begin by standing up straight. Place one foot in front of you in a slight lunge position and reach your arms to the sky. Arch your back and look up to feel the stretch in your back, shoulders, and neck. Repeat these steps on the opposite leg. This exercise is also very helpful to do whenever you are feeling tight or achy in your back, neck, or upper extremities!

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/359766170/4aa490e69d

Questions?

As always, if you have any questions about these workouts or if you’d like to inquire about additional advice to get moving from the comfort and safety of your own home, don’t hesitate to call or message Synergy Rehab & Wellness. We are still here to help you reach your physical goals!

Get Control over Your Joint Pain! Physical Therapy is the Solution.

Chronic joint pain is typically associated with arthritis, although there are other physical ailments that can lead to joint deterioration and pain. While physical therapy is not a cure for arthritis, it can help to alleviate the pain, increase your range of motion in the affected joints and help you get control over the problem so that it doesn’t get worse. If you are not proactive when it comes to joint pain, it likely will worsen over time. If you’ve been suffering from joint pain for a while, call us to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist.

Arthritis and Joint Pain

There are two main types of arthritis that are the most common culprits when it comes to joint pain: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Here is a closer look at these types of arthritis:

Osteoarthritis: This is the most common type of arthritis by far. It typically develops later in life and can be caused by poor body mechanics, overuse of the joint or an injury. The cartilage in joints serves as a natural barrier that lubricates and distributes force during physical activity. When that cartilage breaks down and no longer provides a cushion between adjoining bones, the result is osteoarthritis. The hands, hips, knees and spine are the most common body parts impacted by osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: This is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s healing systems attack the joints. This causes inflammation of the joints, which can be extremely painful. Rheumatoid arthritis usually begins in the hands, wrists or feet, but it can spread to the hips, knees or shoulders — getting progressively worse — if you aren’t proactive in combating it. If you have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, your doctor will likely prescribe pharmaceutical treatments to stave off the symptoms. However, physical therapy can be a tremendous help as well.

Certain ailments like gout, bursitis, lupus or tendinitis can also contribute to joint pain. The source of your joint pain may cause the specific course of physical therapy that is recommended for you to vary.

Physical Therapy for Joint Pain

During your first visit with a physical therapist, be prepared to talk about your symptoms. If your doctor has already diagnosed the condition that is causing your joint pain, your physical therapist should know this. Your therapist will need to know about the type of joint pain you are experiencing, the times of day when the pain is worse, and any physical activities that you engage in on a regular basis (for example, do you have a job that requires physical labor or sitting at a desk all day or are you retired and less active?).

Your therapist will likely run you through a series of simple tests during your first visit. These will be done to test your range of motion, balance and posture. This information will be used to help create a customized physical therapy regimen to help you relieve the joint pain, while strengthening muscles to help support the joints.

Your plan of physical therapy will likely contain a combination of body mechanics work, exercises and manual therapy. Body mechanics involves teaching you the proper way to move, sit, stand, lift objects and engage in other daily activities, without causing pain to your joints. The exercises will likely be low-impact to relieve pressure on the joints while strengthening your muscles, such as water aerobics. Manual therapy is a specialized type of therapeutic massage that your physical therapist is trained in; manual therapy can help to soften tissues and relieve pain associated with your joint condition.

The goal of your physical therapy will be to help you take back control of your life by minimizing the joint pain. Call Synergy Rehab & Wellness today to schedule your first appointment with a physical therapist.

So You’ve Been Having Back Pain… Could it be Caused by a Herniated Disc?

Something is terribly wrong with you, but you’re not quite sure what it is. Strange neck pains, back pains, or extremity symptoms can indicate a variety of potential problems — including one or more herniated discs. How can you tell for sure whether you have this specific problem? If you do have a herniated disc, what can you do about it? These questions don’t have to add confusion and frustration to your physical woes. Here are some helpful tidbits of information from our physical therapist about herniated discs, their common symptoms, and how physical therapy can you overcome your distress.

What Is a Herniated Disc?

“Herniated disc,” “slipped disc,” and “ruptured disc” are all just different ways of describing the same physical problem. Your spinal discs are squat discs of tissue that lie between the vertebrae. A disc consists of a fluid-filled center called the nucleus pulposus encased in an outer structure called the annulus fibrosus. This arrangement makes the disc both tough enough and spongy enough to absorb shocks.

Unfortunately, that toughness has its limits. Sometimes a disc will lose hydration over time, causing the nucleus pulposus to shrink. The disc loses its height, which stresses the spinal joints and may cause the disc to bulge outward. Eventually these changes can cause part of the annulus fibrosus to balloon and tear open; this is herniated disc. Herniated discs can also occur suddenly due to an auto accident, workplace accident, or sports injury that traumatizes the spine.

Telltale Signs and Revealing Tests

Herniated discs don’t always cause symptoms, but the symptoms that they do cause can help you troubleshoot the nature of your problem. The most common symptoms include:

Neck pain (if it’s a cervical disc)
Back pain that seems to grow worse when you sneeze, cough, stand up or sit down
Pain, tingling, or loss of sensation in a limb (the result of a herniated disc pressing against nerve roots)
An inability to walk more than a few steps without pain
Symptoms that started shortly after an accident, extreme twisting of the neck or back, or an attempt to lift a heavy object
Symptoms that began after you gained a lot of weight (since obesity is a risk factor for disc problems)

If your symptoms seem to be soothed by massage, heat, or cold, you’re more likely to have a strained muscle or tendon than a herniated disc. Ultimately, the most accurate way to confirm a herniated disc is through medical imaging. X-rays can reveal not only the abnormal shape of a herniated disc, but also whether the herniation is pinching a nerve.

Physical Therapy to Help You Treat Your Herniated Disc

A herniated disc can cause a lot of misery — but don’t panic. Most herniated discs can be treated successfully without surgery. Physical therapy can be instrumental in helping you reduce or eliminate your symptoms. Our physical therapist can recommend specific exercises to build up the strength in your back or neck. These exercises can counter any atrophy or weakness you’ve experienced due to your herniated disc. They can also reinforce your neck and back, lending these structures extra support and making them less vulnerable to future herniation. We may also recommend other non-invasive techniques to complement your physical therapy exercises and help you heal.

Are you ready to learn more about herniated discs and get the answers to your neck or back needs? Contact Synergy Rehab & Wellness Center today at our Verona, VA, or Waynesboro, VA location – to schedule a consultation with a physical therapist today!

An Active Lifestyle Can Improve Your Health. Try These 5 Activities to Get Moving.

If you spend your days hobbling painfully from your bed to your reclining chair and back, the notion of pursuing any kind of vigorous activity may be the furthest thing from your mind. The truth, however, is that getting active can vastly improve your health, your comfort, mobility, and overall quality of life. Here are five activity suggestions from our physical therapist that you might genuinely enjoy adding to your lifestyle.

Activity #1: Walking

Walking is one of those ideal activities that requires no special equipment and makes perfect practical sense. If you have to make a short trip, why waste gasoline when you can get some fresh air and low-impact exercise instead? Walking gives your circulation a healthy boost without making excessive demands on your body. It also gets your weight-bearing joints moving — and that’s a huge benefit if you struggle with arthritis.

Activity #2: Running

Running is more demanding on the heart, lungs, and knees than walking, but these demands can turn to be very good for what ails you. The famous “runner’s high” you may have heard so much about seems to offer its own pain-reducing benefits for chronic pain sufferers. The phrase “No pain, no gain” also seems to apply here. That routine e you get from running could encourage your brain to step down its baseline pain sensitivity, making your other aches and pains seem less bothersome.

Activity #3: Cycling

Cycling gets you where you want to go while offering a number of health benefits. The aerobic workout can help you improve your heart health, while the simple act of operating the bike exercises your balance and builds leg strength. If you have back pain or knee problems, cycling is also lower-impact than running.

Activity #4: Swimming

If even walking hurts too much these days, maybe you should take a dip in the pool instead. Swimming is tremendously helpful for people with arthritis or extremity injuries because the water eases the forces of gravity on the body. Even if you can’t swim, try some healthy walking or dog-paddling in the water.

Activity #5: Weight Training

Lifting weights isn’t just for “muscle-heads.” Weight training can help you build the muscle tissue that helps to support your joints. Stronger muscles tire less easily and are less vulnerable to painful strains. Working with weights also helps you maintain your bone density and avoid age-related muscle wasting.

Part of Your Balanced Physical Therapy Program

You can pursue any or all of these activities at your leisure, or you can ask our physical therapist about integrating them into a full-scale physical therapy program. The latter approach could prove especially wise if you’re rehabilitating an injury, unsure of your exercise tolerance, or battling a particular chronic pain issue.

Our physical therapist can evaluate your health and prescribe the right activities for your needs and goals. At the same time, you may be able to enhance the benefits of your activities with other safe, helpful modalities such as massage, ultrasound therapy, dry needling, cold and heat treatments, acupuncture or laser therapy. These therapies can promote tissue repair, ease inflammation, reduce pain, and increase your ability to keep moving and having a great time.

Don’t Take Pain or Illness Lying Down — Get Moving and Visit Our Physical Therapy Center

Life is too wonderful to spend it in bed or in your chair. Get up right now and schedule a visit to Synergy Rehab & Wellness Center. It’s the healthiest move you could possibly make!

Did You Know Nutrition Can Relieve Pain and Inflammation?

Are you living with chronic pain or inflammation? If so, there may be a simple solution for you: changing your eating habits. Proper nutrition can play an important role in managing your discomfort. Many people live with chronic pains every day, unaware that simply eating the right foods can actually help them find relief. Maintaining a healthy diet, in addition to frequent exercise and reduced stress, can help alleviate your inflammation and chronic pain. For more information on how nutrition can help you find relief, contact Synergy Rehab & Wellness in Staunton and Waynesboro, VA today.

Why do we experience inflammation?

In many cases, inflammation is natural. Without inflammation, injuries would not be able to heal completely. It is the body’s way of promoting healing in response to physical harm or sickness. Pain and inflammation typically go hand-in-hand, so if you are feeling pain in a certain area, there’s a good chance that it’s also inflamed. With any wound, infection, tissue damage, or buildup of toxins in your body, your immune response will be triggered in order to initiate the healing process, thus resulting in inflammation.

While inflammation generally is a positive response, chronic inflammation can be an indication of a deeper underlying condition. Without treatment, chronic inflammation can lead to much worse outcomes, such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers. If your pain or inflammation has persisted for three months or longer, it is important to consult with a physical therapist as soon as possible, in order to get it under control.

Treating pain and inflammation with nutritious foods is a natural, easy, and healthy way to ease your discomfort.

A nutritious, anti-inflammatory diet:

Several patients who choose to participate in an anti-inflammatory diet report a significant decrease in symptoms. You can help speed up the healing process as the body purifies itself during the inflammation process by switching to a diet that complements the removal of toxins. The three basic components to an anti-inflammatory diet include:

Less dairy and grains. In order to strengthen your body’s immune response as much as possible, you’ll want to try and avoid simple carbs and sugars completely. That means no pastries, no donuts, and no white breads. Dairy products should also be extremely limited, so be mindful of serving very little cheese or milk with anything. Whole grains such as barley, oats, brown rice, and wheat are best when practicing an anti-inflammatory diet.
Less red meat. It is best to avoid red meat altogether in an anti-inflammatory diet, but if you must add some in there, it should be very scarce. One small piece of steak, one time per week, should be your maximum limit. The proteins in red meat require extra work from your kidneys to process; therefore, eating a lot of it will slow down your healing process. The good news is that chicken and fish are just fine for an anti-inflammatory diet.
More vegetables. One of the best ways to reduce inflammation is to increase your veggie intake. This diet is most successful if you eat up to nine servings a day, with the vegetables preferably served raw. Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli are some the best options. It is okay to substitute fruits for a couple of your servings, in order to break it up, but vegetables should be your main ingredient for the most part.

Contact us for assistance:

The diet above should help reduce your pain and inflammation. Additional steps you can take to relieve discomfort and improve your health include exercising daily, managing your stress, and maintaining a healthy body weight.

If these tips don’t prove to be successful, or if you’d like more assistance in making them a part of your everyday lifestyle, don’t hesitate to contact Synergy Rehab & Wellness. We’ll set you up with a consultation to discuss how we can help you achieve your health and wellness goals!

Find Better Balance By Strengthening Your Core

Core strength training is a powerful and effective part of physical therapy. Your core is comprised of a set of muscles that anchor your center of gravity. This allows you to maintain your constant balance, whether you are moving or standing still. By strengthening your core with physical therapy treatments, you can improve your balance and correct any stability issues you may be facing. To find out more about how our core strength training treatments can benefit you, give our office a call today!

How do core muscles affect my balance?

Before you can work on strengthening your core, it is important to understand where your core muscles are located. Many people will be under the impression that they are exercising their core muscles when they are actually exercising their upper abdominal muscles. These are an important part of core strength, but they aren’t the exact muscles you are looking for. Your exclusive core muscles are located in your pelvis, hips, and lower back, along with the transversus abdominis muscles that make up the “pelvic corset.” These core muscles serve as your body’s natural stabilizers, making constant adjustments in response to nerve cells called “proprioceptors,” which give you your sense of spatial awareness.

As your core becomes stronger, you will be able to steady your balance much easier. When muscles are weak, it is more difficult to balance yourself from your center of gravity. This increases your risk for falls, and it can affect your arm and upper body movements. Back pain, difficulty in standing up from a seated position, and incontinence may also indicate an unstable core.

How can physical therapy help?

Our practice will provide you with the tools, techniques, and skills required for helping you rebuild your core strength. At your initial evaluation, one of our experienced physical therapists will evaluate your gait and stance, in addition to the function and development of your core muscles. This will help in determining where the weakness is centered and which muscles will need the most strengthening. After your evaluation, our physical therapist will create a specialized treatment plan based on your needs, which could include any of the following treatment services:

Abdominal exercises. These may include situps, pushups, and crunches. Abdominal exercises help strengthen the abdominal muscles that work with your core.
Gentle exercises. Depending on the severity of your balance impairment, it may be best to start off slow. Our physical therapist may suggest beginning with gentle and safe exercises, such as leg lifts or pelvic tilts. These types of exercises can help strengthen your back, pelvis, and abdominal core muscles.
Stability boards. Various types of physical therapy balance boards have a flat surface and a curved underside. Standing on these devices and working to maintain your stability can greatly improve your core balance.
Tai chi. Tai chi is a slow-motion form of Chinese martial art. The poses and transitions done within this type of treatment can help your body develop the core muscles it needs in order to retain the necessary stability from one move to the next.

If you are experiencing a balance impairment, don’t hesitate to give our office a call today. Schedule a consultation with one of our physical therapists and we will help you get steadily back on your feet as quickly as possible!

5 Ways Physical Therapy Can Help You Avoid Risky Treatment Methods

Have you been suffering from chronic pain, or pain lasting longer than three months? If so, you are not alone. According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, at least 100 million Americans are living with chronic pain. Because of this, there has been a larger and larger demand for prescription pain medications within recent years. To put this in perspective, in the year 2013 alone, physicians prescribed nearly a quarter of a billion opioid prescriptions. That equates to about one bottle per person living in America! This rising demand for pain medications has led to the opioid crisis we face today, due to the excessive abuse and overdose of the drug. Opioids contain dangerous and addictive chemicals that many people have unfortunately fallen victim to.

In response to this public health epidemic, many people have been searching for safer pain relief strategies. Luckily, physical therapy has been a successful solution. Whether your pain is acute or chronic, a physical therapist can help you get back to your normal life through natural and non-invasive treatments, without the need for potentially dangerous drugs.

How does physical therapy relieve pain?

Physical therapists are highly experienced in the fields of movement and dysfunction. With their knowledge, they are able to provide a combination of passive and active therapy treatments that are aimed at relieving pain due to injury or another condition. They are able to do this in several ways, including:

1. Providing techniques and services that have been studied and supported by scientific research.

Rigorous study and strong research are just two of the many ways that the successes of physical therapy have been proven. These studies have provided credible evidence toward physical therapy treatments, illustrating how they can significantly reduce a vast number of pain-related conditions. The implementation of care backed by scientific research allows physical therapists to greatly improve their patient outcomes.

2. Using a series of techniques that have little-to-no side effects.

Some common treatments that physical therapists provide include massage, ultrasound, joint mobilization, electrical nerve stimulation, and diathermy. These are all-natural treatments that have a very low risk of side effects, especially when compared to other methods of pain relief, such as surgery and medication.

3. Addressing pain at its root.

Part of the reason why physical therapy is so successful is that it gets to the base of the problem in order to alleviate pain completely, rather than just masking the issue. Pills may be easier to pop in your mouth for pain relief, but their success is short-lived. The effects of many medications only last for 12-24 hours, meaning you’ll have to continually pop pills if you want to maintain your relief. Essentially, it masks the pain but doesn’t fix the problem.

Fortunately, physical therapy does. Your physical therapist will perform a thorough evaluation at your initial appointment, in order to determine where the pain is stemming from and what the best treatments for it will be. Physical therapy gets to the root of the problem in order to provide long-term relief, whereas medication only works in the short-term.

4. Implementing individualized exercise programs for your needs.

In addition to your passive treatments, your physical therapist will create an active exercise plan for you that is specifically tailored to your recovery process. Physical activity can help in reducing your pain significantly, in addition to reducing swelling, improving range of motion, promoting healing, and increasing overall strength and endurance.

5. Increasing your activity.

Participating in physical therapy is an engaging process that can inspire you to take a more active role in your pain management. Physical therapy sessions last anywhere from 30-60 minutes, allowing you to work closely with your therapist to achieve your goals. At the end of the day, physical therapy is the only natural, risk-free, and active method of pain relief, providing long-lasting effects.

If you or a loved one are currently dealing with pain, give our office a call today. We would be happy to schedule a consultation with one of our physical therapists to discuss how they can help you get back to a normal, active, and pain-free life!

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