Physical Therapy Specialties: Walk away from knee pain

Physical Therapy Specialties: Walk away from knee pain

Health & Fitness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

WALK AWAY FROM UNWANTED KNEE PAIN —WITH THE HELP OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

Health & Fitness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

WALK AWAY FROM UNWANTED KNEE PAIN — WITH THE HELP OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

Do you experience pain with squatting, prolonged sitting, or climbing stairs? Are you living with persistent pain, swelling, or mechanical symptoms, such as catching and locking? Do your knees make it difficult to perform daily tasks that once seemed simple? If so, Physical Therapy Specialties can help you find relief. Knee pain can be debilitating, making it difficult to walk, run, and move. It may even hinder your ability to do some of the activities you love. Fortunately, our physical therapy treatments at Physical Therapy Specialties can get you moving once again by relieving your pain and enhancing your body’s natural healing process. What are some common knee injuries? Your knee is one of the largest joints in your body, made up of a complex system of bones, tendons, and ligaments. Because of this, the knee

can be easily injured due to overexertion or repetitive motions. Some common knee injuries include: • Arthritis. The most common type of arthritis for knee pain is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage surrounding your joints deteriorates from “wear and tear.” This causes uncomfortable friction as the joint no longer has a sufficient cushion between the bone. Rheumatoid arthritis is another common cause of knee pain. This is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes the joints to become swollen and inflamed, with varying levels of severity. • Fracture. A fracture occurs when one of the bones in the knee (including the kneecap, or patella) become damaged. Fractures are typically the result of some type of trauma, such as a harsh fall or collision.

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Exercise Essentials Try these simple exercises to help keep you loose and pain-free... Share this with a friend or family member to help keep them healthy, too!

Helps relieve knee pain.

Helps relax knees and hips.

QUAD SET While lying or sitting with a small towel rolled under your ankle, tighten your top thigh muscle to press the back of your knee downward towards the ground.

IT BAND - STRETCH - SIDELYING Start by lying on your side with your back near the edge of your bed or table. Your affected leg should be on top. Next, let the top leg lower behind you as you maintain an extended knee as shown. You should feel a gentle stretch along the side of your leg. Hold for 30 seconds.

Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.

Who do you know that needs our help?

Refer a Friend Do You Have Friends or Family Unable to Do The Following? 9 Move without pain 9 Bend and move freely

9 Balance confidently and securely 9 Sit for long periods comfortably 9 Walk for long distances 9 Live an active and healthy lifestyle

If you know someone suffering from aches and pains give the gift of health. Refer them to Physical Therapy Specialties today. Pass along this newsletter or have them call us directly for a Physical Therapy Consultation.

Call Today! 925.417.8005

Patient Spotlights What our patients have to say! “Ankita has taken a lot of care to give me a personalized therapy program that has really helped my shoulders to become much stronger.”

“I was referred to Physical Therapy Specialties by my Doctor because of sports related injuries to my shoulders. It has been a great experience. Ankita has taken a lot of care to give me a personalized therapy program that has really helped my shoulders to become much stronger. The pain in my shoulders is almost gone and I have been able to rock climb again.” - Jon Hall

”I was on Facebook when I saw PT-Specialties advertisement about the Free Shoulder Workshop. I signed up by filling out a simple form and I attended. It was a very educational class. I started going to PT sessions at a different facility in December 2019 and I saw very little improvement with both my pain and my range of motion. Then COVID hit, and I took a break. I restarted at PT-Specialties in June and immediately had a different response. I was given a home exercise program with varied exercises each visit, and my strength improved! I’m very happy with the experience I had with Ankita, and should I need PT in the future I will get referred here immediately. Thanks so much!” - Mary B.

“The talented and caring team at PT-Specialties were quick to understand and explain the problem.”

“ I came to PT-Specialties for post-op recovery from an operation on my lower back. The talented and caring team at PT-Specialties (notably Dina and Catherine) were quick to understand and explain the problem. They worked with me, teaching the best exercises and on what frequency/exertion to do them with. Having improved quickly I overworked my back at home and the pain came back. Again they were quick to diagnose the issue and gave remedies which worked quickly and effectively. I am now over 6 months post-op and I continue to do the exercises I learned. I am pain free and able to continue with my previous active lifestyle, they even taught me how to ride my bike correctly to avoid future injury. If only I had known this from the start I might have avoided the need for an op in the first instance!” I highly recommend PT-Specialties and I am eternally grateful for their assistance.” - Andy W.

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WE CAN TREAT YOUR FOOT & ANKLE ISSUES

FOOT AND ANKLE SPECIALISTS AT PT-SPECIALTIES Your feet have a big job to do considering they support the entire body. Each step you take involves a remarkably intricate network of bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. That complexity accounts for why feet can be prone to problems. PT-Specialties has four highly trained, foot and ankle specialists. They have received the highest quality of training and are delivering care for foot and ankle disorders suffered by patients. A detailed assessment of your condition is recommended. PT-Specialties has the therapists that can help you get back on your feet. Call us today at 925-417- 8005 to get the help you need!

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OUR PATIENTS ASKED & We Provided Them Free Workshops!

Talk to the experts! • Caitlin Cooper, PT • Jennifer Freitas, PT • Stephen George, PT • Ida Hirst, PT

Physical Therapy Specialties has been hosting Free shoulder and back pain workshops, bi-weekly for the past few months. We are excited to say they have been well attended and are becoming very popular within our community. It is a great way to get the help you need and answers to your questions as to why you are experiencing

shoulder or low back pain. We also offer Free screening sessions for people in pain who want to learn what to do to get back to normal naturally, without pain pills, injections, or surgery. Like us on Facebook to see when the workshops are offered. Workshops are currently virtual until we can make a full recovery fromCOVID19.

• Michael Petrak, PT • Shahrin Ahmad, PT • Shabeeba Shafi, PT • Dina Stepanek, PT • Ankita Shah, PT • Catherine Noel, PTA

Email us: [email protected] CALL TODAY! 925.417.8005

& we provided them FREE WORKSHOPS

How to Relieve Knee Pain • Torn ACL. An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear occurs when one of the ligaments connecting your shinbone to your thighbone becomes torn. This is a common injury for athletes who participate in sports that are physically-demanding on the knees, such as basketball, track and field, or soccer.

• Restoring range of motion in the knee. A knee with poor range of motion that is constantly flexed can cause persistent painful symptoms. Restoring range of motion will help it bend easier and ease stress on the knee, thus relieving pain. • Graded exposure to previously painful activities, as gains in strength, tolerance, and capacity allow. • Education regarding activity modification and the role of the nervous system in pain. What can I do on my own to keep my knees healthy? While physical therapy is the most effective form of treatment if you are currently experiencing knee pain, there are some precautions you can take to lower your risk of developing unwanted knee pain and injuries altogether: 1. Stretch your hamstrings, quadriceps, and adductor muscles each day. By keeping these muscles flexible, the forces on your knee joints stay balanced, which allows you to bend and rotate the knee. 2. Keep the muscles around your hips and knees strong, especially the gluteal and quadricep muscles. Studies show that adults (especially those 55 or older) who have stronger gluteal and quadricep muscles tend to have less back pain and a greater ability to perform daily activities. 3. Exercise regularly. While this is good for the whole body, the knees especially need exercise to keep their cartilage healthy. The cartilage does not have much blood supply and requires its nutrition from joint fluid. Most of the joint fluid absorbs into the cartilage only through movement and compression of the knee. Therefore, it is important to do weight bearing exercises, such as walking, running, or playing a sport. However, if you have arthritis, it is advised that you do activities with less of an impact, such as biking, elliptical machines, or aquatic exercises. Contact us today! Are you living with knee pain? If so, don’t hesitate to contact Physical Therapy Specialties today. We’ll help relieve your pain so you can get back to living your life comfortably, without limitations!

• Torn meniscus. The job of the meniscus is to act as a shock absorber between the shinbone and thighbone. It is made up of thick cartilage, but it can be torn if your knee twists too suddenly while weight is still being put on it. • Patellar tendinitis. Your tendons are thick connective tissues that attach muscles to bones. Tendinitis occurs when one or multiple tendons become inflamed. The patellar tendon, located in the knee, typically becomes inflamed through repetitive jumping motions common in sports such as skiing, cycling, or hurdling. • Knee bursitis. Bursae are small fluid sacs that act as cushions outside of your joints. Knee bursitis occurs when the bursae in your knee becomes inflamed, limiting the ability for your tendons and ligaments to move smoothly over the joint. How can physical therapy help? Our licensed physical therapists at Physical Therapy Specialties will examine your knee for signs of misalignment or structural damage, in addition to examining your stance, posture, gait, and range of motion. After your physical exam is complete, your physical therapist will prescribe a physical therapy plan for you, aimed at relieving unnatural stresses and strains, and normalizing your joint function. Treatment plans for knee pain typically include: • Activity modification and manual therapy to allow for appropriate off loading and healing. This may include joint/soft tissue mobilization, custom foot orthotics, over-the-counter bracing, or kinesio taping in the short term, in order to reduce symptoms and open a window to symptom-limited exercise. • Graded strength, dynamic stability, and capacity training targeting the quads, glutes, hamstrings, foot/ankle complex, and core. Strength training of the quads and glutes has been shown to be highly effective with regard to reduction of pain, and it mitigates the risk of recurrence/ flare ups in the future.

Come Back In For A Consultation Whether you want to come in for a check-up, suffered a recent injury or you want to improve your health, a doctor referral is not needed. In the state of California, you have direct access to physical therapy!

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See our physical therapists for: • Recent injury • Nagging aches and pains • Back and neck pain • Joint pain and movement problems • Walking or balance difficulties

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