Sports can be a great part of an active, healthy lifestyle, but injuries can sideline even the most careful athlete. Fortunately, many common sports injuries – such as strains, sprains, and overuse issues – can be prevented. A combination of proper warm-ups, strength training, good technique, and adequate recovery can help keep your body strong and injury-free.
The field of physical therapy is always evolving. PT techniques were once niche treatments for training gymnasts or rehabilitating injured soldiers. Now, physical therapy is as mainstream as any other field of medicine. Men and women of any age and physical condition benefit from it. Of course, like everything else in the modern world, innovations in research and new technology continue to push physical therapy forward,
Humans have been trying to live longer for all of recorded history. From the ancient Mesopotamian poem, The Epic of Gilgamesh, through medieval alchemists’ search for the Philosopher’s Stone, up to today’s more scientific investigations, our species is absolutely obsessed with overcoming our own mortality.
While death is still as inevitable as ever,
It’s well known that physical activity is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle. It can reduce the risk of several common mortality factors, including arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, coronary heart disease, stroke and more. However, people don’t often think of physical therapy as a means of creating a more active lifestyle. Physical therapy doesn’t have to be just about recovery – it can be a proactive approach to enhancing your quality of life.
According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, an estimated 10 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis. An additional 44 million have low bone density, putting them at increased risk of developing the disease in their lifetimes. While it’s more common in adults over 50, and more likely to effect women than men, the truth is osteoporosis impacts millions of lives of either sex every year.
Our bodies can present many different challenges as we age, including joints that become stiffer and less flexible. Aging joint cartilage can become thinner, ligaments can shorten and become less flexible, and loss of muscle strength can put extra pressure on your joints. As a result, joints can feel stiff and uncomfortable. This discomfort can be even greater in individuals dealing with osteoarthritis.
As if aging didn’t present enough challenges, 2-5% of us will eventually experience a painful condition known as “frozen shoulder”. Also known as adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder is an inflammatory condition that causes stiffness and pain in the shoulder joint, and significantly reduces range of motion. Frozen shoulder typically affects people 40 and older and is more likely to occur in women.
Recovering from an injury can be a stressful experience. Aside from the physical discomfort, there can be a tendency to think about our limitations and how much less we are able to do at the moment. Questions can arise: How long will it take to recover? When can I go back to work? Will I ever again be able to run/swim/play sports,
Inflammation is a natural part of your body’s immune response to injuries. It is the process through which your immune system recognizes and removes harmful stimuli and promotes healing. In general, it is a good thing. However, when inflammation occurs in healthy tissue or goes on for too long, it can harm your body and cause a range of chronic diseases.
It’s not exactly breaking news to suggest that stretching is important, but it’s easy to think that it’s just for athletes and gym enthusiasts. The truth is that stretching can play an important role in injury prevention and recovery, especially for people who spend much of their time sitting, like many of us do. Our bodies were built to move,