OrthosportsPT_Determining The Origin of Your Pain

OrthosportsPT_Determining The Origin of Your Pain

Health & Fitness

DETERMINING THE ORIGIN OF YOUR PAIN

Sometimes it happens when a pain develops that you can immediately identify the cause. A new pair of shoes may cause a sharp pain in your heel, or an old chair at workmay cause your back to grow sore and uncomfortable as time goes on. But there are other situations in which pain develops, and the cause of the pain is unclear. Different types of bodily pain can tell you different things about your body and overall bodily health. Sometimes, a pain in your armor your legmay have little to nothing to do with an actual issue in your arm or leg. Physical therapists are like well-trained detectives when it comes to identifying the causes of pain. A physical therapist knows theway that the nervous system works, making it possible to identify the potential causes of pain, even if the pain ismanifesting itself in an unusual or seemingly inexplicable way.

Whether you are suffering from pain in your head, your back, your neck or anywhere else in your body, working with a physical therapist can help you find the relief you are looking for. Physical therapists are trained in identifying and treating the cause of your pain, giving you the opportunity to shift away from the ongoing use of pain medication and instead find relief from your pain with a series of strategies that include stretching, muscle building and flexibility training. Understanding Your Pain When you meet with a physical therapist to understand where your pain may be coming from, one of the first things you’ll do is have a conversation about your pain. How long you’ve been experiencing pain, where it developed and how the painmanifests itself are all very important distinctions that can help shed some light on what may be causing your discomfort.

Here are a few things you may want to consider before heading into physical therapy: • Consider exactly where the pain occurs in your body, and research what the different parts of the body are called so that you can have an accurate and helpful conversation about your pain. For example, back pain has a lot of different differentiations, and lumbar pain (which is in the lower back) is frequently caused by factors different from what would cause upper-back or neck pain. • How does the pain feel when it develops? Is it a lingering ache? Is it a sharp stab? Is it more of a tingling feeling? Each of these sensations are actually associated with different types of problems, so describing your pain appropriately may be helpful in determining the best treatment methods for your body’s needs. WHAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE PHYSICAL THERAPY

Call 716.839.3705 (Amherst) or 716.634.1578 (Clarence) to schedule today!

• What do you thinkmay be causing the pain? Of course, it happens that a painwill develop, and you are dumbfounded as to why, but more often than not, there is something that you think could be influencing it. If the pain started around the same time as a change in environment or life circumstances, then it is worth telling your physical therapist about the association. Further Considerations Another thing to consider about your pain is whether or not it develops at particular times of the day or year. There are plenty of situations when someone begins to experience pain when the weather starts to change, and it turns out that the pain is a result of arthritis and inflammation. There are other situations in which the pain will develop as a result of prolonged sitting or the opposite — such as when things get crazy at home or at work, and you find that you are not getting asmuch sleep as usual. Considering any changes in your daily habits or environmental factors can be very helpful in determining what is causing your pain. Regardless of where your pain is, how long you’ve been dealing with it, or how intense the pain feels, the smart thing to do when pain develops is to speak with a physical therapist. Working with a physical therapist can help you finally get a step ahead of your pain, finding treatment options that are designed to provide you with long-term relief instead of temporary relief frommedication.

Call Orthosports today (Amherst: 716-839-3705, Clarence: 716-634-1578) to learnmore about physical therapy and how we can help you recover from your pain.

Relieve Pain In Minutes Try this exercise if you are experiencing knee pain.

KNEE SQUEEZE / TOE TOUCH PROGRESSION Standing with good posture, place a foam roll or pillow between knees. Reach overhead, engage the core, and squeeze the foam roll or pillow. While holding the squeeze, bend forward at the hips and reach toward your toes. Hold for 2 seconds before releasing the squeeze and return to upright position. Repeat the exercise 5 times. Exercisescopyrightof

2

1

Visit orthosportspt.com for more information!

GET FIT WITH THESE SAFETY TIPS FOR YOUR SUMMER WORKOUT GET FIT WITH THESE SAFETY TIPS FOR YOUR SUM ER WORKOUT GET FIT WITH THESE SAFETY TIPS FOR YOUR SU MER WORKOUT

passages, so you can breathe a little easier when the air is humid. Summarize Your Intervals To keep your fitness level up, do your regular cardio at a slightly slower pace, but add in 30-second speed bursts every three to five minutes. You’ll maintain your conditioning and burn more calories without having to go all-out the entire time. Refuel with Fruit They’re more than 80 percent water, so fruits such as grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew are a tasty way to replenish fluids and boost your energy post-workout. Keep them frozen or grind them into a smoothie for a refreshing treat! Put the cool factor back into your workout routine with these tricks this summer! Always remember to stay hydrated and listen to your body to avoid dehydration or stressing any muscles. passages, o you can breathe a little easier when the air s humid. Sum arize Your Intervals To keep your fitness lev l up, do your regular cardio at a slightly slower pace, but add in 30-second speed burst ev ry three to five minutes. You’ll maintain your conditioni g and burn more calories without having to go all-out the ntire time. Refuel with Fruit They’re more than 80 percent water, so fruits such as grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew are a t sty way to replenish fluids and boost your en rgy post-workout. Keep them frozen or grind them into a smoothie for a refreshing treat! Put he cool factor back into your workout routine with t es tricks this summer! Always remember to stay hydrated and listen to your body to avoid dehydration or stressing any muscles. passage , so you can br athe a little asier when the air is humid. Su marize Your Intervals To keep your fitness l vel up, do your regul cardio at a s ight y slower pace, but add in 30-second speed bur ts very three to five minutes. You’ll maintain your cond tioni g and burn more calories wi hout having to g all-out the entire time. Refuel with Fruit They’re more than 80 percen water, so fruits such as grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew are tasty way to replenish fluids and boost your energy post-workout. Keep them frozen or grind them into a smoothie for a r freshing treat! Pu the cool factor back into your worko routine wit th se trick this su mer! Always rem mber o stay hydrated and lis en to your body to avoi dehydrati n or stressing any mu cles.

Adjust Your Body Temperature Hop into a cold shower before your workout. Studies show that a pre-exercise cool down improves performance in the heat — probably because it lowers your heart rate as well as core and skin temperatures. Get the Dirt Try to walk, run, or cycle on dirt or gravel paths, since asphalt and concrete tend to radiate heat and reflect the sun’s rays, making you feel hotter. Live near water? Take advantage of the breeze on even steamy days; if possible, start out with the wind at your back, so when you’re finishing you’ll be running into a headwind, which feels cooler. Cool Down with Essential Oils Dabbing a few drops of peppermint or eucalyptus oil on the back of your neck and at your temples just before your workout provides a cooling effect and also opens up your nasal Adjust Your Body Temperature Hop into a cold shower before your workout. Studies how that a pre- x rcise cool down improves performance in the heat — probably because it lowers your heart ate as well as core and skin temperatures. Get the Dirt Try to walk, run, or cycle on dirt or gravel paths, since asphalt and concret tend to radiate heat and refl ct he sun’s rays, making you feel hotter. Live near water? Take advantage of the breez on ev n steamy days; if possible, start out with the wind at your back, so when you’re finishing you’ll be running into a headwind, which feels cooler. Cool Down with Essential Oils Dabbing a few drops of pe permint or eucalyptus oil on the back of your neck and at your temples just before your workout provides a cooling effect and also pens up your nasal Adjust Your Body T mpe ature Hop into a cold shower before your workou . Studie show that a pr - x rcise cool down improves performance in the heat — pro ably because it lowers your he rt rate as well as core and skin t mperatures. Get the Dirt Try to walk, run, or ycle on dirt or gravel paths, since asph lt and concr te tend to radiat heat and r flec the un’s rays, making you feel hotter. Liv near water? Take advantage of th bre ze on ven steamy days; if possible, star out wit the wind at your back, so when you’re fi ishing you’ll be runni g into hea wind, which feels cooler. Co l Down with Essential Oils Dabbing a few drops of eppermint or eucalyptus oil on the back of your neck nd at your temples just before your workout provides a cooling ffect and als opens up your n sal

Upcoming Workshop! Low Back Pain & Sciatica Tuesday, July 16 | 7:00 pm at the Clarence Office. Call (716) 634-1578 now to reserve your spot! Upcoming Workshop! Low Back Pain & Sciatica Tuesday, July 16 | 7:0 pm at he Clarence Office. Call (716) 634-1578 now to res rve your spot! Upcoming Workshop! Low Back Pain & Sciatica Tuesday, July 16 | 7: 0 pm a the Clarence Office. Call (71 ) 634-1578 n w to r s rve your spot!

Follow and review us on social media! Follow and review us on social media! F llow and review us n social media!

PATIENT SUCCESS SPOTLIGHT

“I clean carpets for a living. Over the years I developed shoulder pain that made it difficult to do not only do my job but almost any activity that involved lifting my arm over my head. I figured surgery was going to have to happen eventually but I’m self employed and I didn’t see that happening anytime in the near future. Long story short... I got referred to them and after going there for treatment, I not only do not need surgery but I am 100% pain free. They also taught me techniques and exercises that I can do to stay pain free.” - E. B.

Fill in empty squares using digits from 1 to 9. Each digit must be found once and only once per line, per column and per region. Fun + Games Sudoku Level Hard