Eccentric Exercises May Help You Recover from Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles tendonitis causes pain in the tendon that attaches the calf muscle to the heal.  Initially this pain is caused by inflammation.  However, recent research tells us that as time goes on the pain in the tendon is not caused by inflammation.  Rather the pain is caused by nerves growing into the tendon.

Recent research also shows us that as specific type of exercise can alleviate this painful condition.  This specific type of exercise consists of eccentric contractions of the calf muscle.  An eccentric contraction entails a slow lengthening of the muscle as it is contracting.  The exercises are outlined below.  Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions 2 times per day.  You should notice an improvement within 6 weeks.

Also, remember that Achilles issues may be caused by a mechanical problem in the leg and this will need to be addressed to avoid re-injury.  We can help you treat and prevent re-injury at Belmar Physical Therapy.

When you can perform 3 sets of 15 easily with both
legs progress to single leg.

Have you ever experienced nagging pain in your upper arm? Chances are you have a rotator cuff problem. Because of common work and sport activities, including painting, construction work, playing tennis, and swimming, the rotator cuff is a frequently injured structure.

What is the rotator cuff?

Anatomy of the Rotator Cuff

It is a set of four muscles that work together to keep the shoulder stable. Because of the anatomy of the shoulder, there is very little space around the tendons of the rotator cuff, often causing them to be pinched underneath surrounding bone. This causes irritation in the tendon, a condition known as tendonitis or Impingement Syndrome. This condition, if left untreated, may lead to a tear in the rotator cuff. A tear can be very serious because it often requires surgery and a lengthy period of recovery.

Treat Rotator Cuff Injuries with Effective Physical Therapy Exercises

Research has found that the tissue of the rotator cuff deteriorates over time. Normal daily activities cause the tendons to thin and fray. In many middle aged or older patients, this wear and tear alone can cause a rotator cuff tear. Often, a tendon tears with something as simple as picking up a suitcase. The good news is that many rotator cuff conditions can be treated effectively with the proper physical therapy exercises, even a partial tear. A combination of proper stretching and strengthening prevents the shoulder from moving in positions that cause added stress to the rotator cuff tendons.

We have designed a collection of exercises to help treat irritation or tendonitis of the rotator cuff (click the link to download). These exercises can also help prevent a rotator cuff injury in people that are prone to them, such as athletes that perform frequent overhead motions and middle-aged or older adults. If you’re interested in keeping full strength and motion in your shoulders, contact us at Belmar Physical Therapy for more information.

People often talk about stress and tension build up in the neck. The common thought is that massage is needed to “get the knots out.” While massage is usually effective in decreasing pain it is often only short term relief. Usually chronic neck tension is caused by muscle weakness around the scapula (shoulder blades) and neck.  A physical therapist can do the necessary massage techniques to help decrease pain, and then give specific exercises to  help strengthen  muscles to alleviate chronic neck tension.

Another common reason for neck tension and pain is often related to our jobs and computer use. Small repetative motions can seem unharmful, but when repeated hundreds of times a day it is no wonder how common it is to have pain after a days work.

A new website called Ergonomics Simplified offers a free ergonomic evaluation that can be helpful in creating proper positioning at your desk. It also gives technique related tips to help stop the source of pain.

If you’d like more personal attention then make an appointment with a physical therapist at Belmar Physical Therapy. We’ll help you improve specific muscle strength and work with you to properly set up your desk; two simple steps to help you decrease neck tension in no time!

What athlete wouldn’t like to reduce their injuries and extend their career? Does the name Dara Torres ring any bells?

It may be as simple as PEPping up your workouts if recent evidence is any indicator. Recent research indicates that specific exercise training can help reduce the risk of injuries in female athletes, specifically tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which is a common knee injury in athletes that participate in sports such as soccer or basketball.  The ACL is crucial for stability of the knee joint during activities such as jumping and quick changes in direction.  Injuries to the ACL often require surgery and extensive physical therapy, so they are usually season-ending.  Studies show that females may be four times as likely to suffer an ACL injury compared to males competing in the same sports.  This is due in part to a difference in the way that men and women contract the muscles around the knee, along with structural variations in the knee between the two genders. 

Specialized exercise programs such as the  Prevent Injury, Enhance Performance (PEP) program , typically conducted by a physical therapist, involve a combination of stretching, strengthening, agility, and jumping.  This program emphasizes learning and using proper mechanics of the body to avoid compensation movements that could later cause injury.  Through practice, good movement patterns are reinforced so the brain later recognizes them as normal, automatic movements.  A study recently published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine showed that a group of  female athletes performing the PEP program demonstrated a 41 percent lower rate of ACL injury compared to those doing a regular warm-up.

Medical News Today has published an overview of the study along with an endorsement by the the American Physical Therapy Association which concurs with the study’s findings that a specialized program such as PEP could lower the overall ACL injury rate among female athletes.

If you are interested in participating in sports at the highest level possible, contact Belmar Physical Therapy to find out how we can help you add PEP to your training program to boost performance and prevent season ending injuries.

More and more studies are showing that physical therapy is a highly effective alternative to arthroscopic surgery and drugs for sufferers of osteoarthritis.

The most recent of these studies was published in the September 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). This study titled A Randomized Trial of Arthroscopic Surgery for Osteoarthritis of the Knee found that physical therapy was just as effective as Arthroscopic surgery.

Another study which supports the treatment approach that we use here at Belmar Physical Therapy is titled Effectiveness of Manual Physical Therapy and Exercise in
Osteoarthritis of the Knee. This study found that patients treated with specific manual therapy techniques and supervised therapy had significant improvement in self-perceptions of pain, stiffness, and functional ability with total distance walked in 6 minutes. A significant reduction in the need for Total Knee Replacement was also noted. Did the results last? YES, these reported benefits were still present at 1 year!! Many of the patients reported a 20% to 40% reduction in symptoms after only 2 to 3 visits and the entire program only required 8 clinical visits.

“Can I do these exercise at home?” Sure, but in the first instance, these exercises should be supervised by a physical therapist and combined with manual therapy by a licensed physical therapist. Contact Belmar Physical Therapy today to find out how we can help alleviate your knee pain from arthritis or other causes.

Belmar PT treats low back pain

In order to cut costs many physical therapy clinics who treat low back pain are utilizing non-professional staff such as physical therapy assistants and aides to perform treatments.  We believe that this reduces the quality of care and leads to poorer outcomes.

A recent study of over 100 clinics that treated over 16,000 patients with low back pain supports our belief.  This study found that the patients who received treatment by a licensed physical therapist had the best results (largest amount of pain reduction with fewer visits).  Patients seen in clinics where the care was delivered by a physical therapist assistant had worse outcomes with more visits and less pain relief!  Our health care dollars do not grow on trees thus he results of this study confirm that the appropriate choice to reduce your back pain and cut health care costs is to choose a clinic that does not utilize aides or assistants for treatment.

If you live in the Lakewood or Denver metro area, contact Belmar Physical Therapy to discuss how one-on-one treatment with one of our physical therapists can help you manage your low back pain.

You can read the entire article on the …Treatment of Patients With Low Back Pain… here.

Our very own Jim Elliott, PT, PhD will spend the next 3 years in Queensland, Australia working at the world renowned Centre of Clinical research Excellence in Spinal Pain, injury & Health as a post doctoral research fellow.

Although Jim will be sorely missed in our clinic he will remain a valuable resource. Jim will be taking part in the cutting edge research that will help us better assess and treat patients with neck pain and in particular, patients who have had a whiplash injury. Jim will be sharing this information with our therapist as well as providing advice through this blog.

You can learn more about Jim here

Belmar Physical therapy is pleased to welcome Shannon Purrington to our staff. Shannon’s education and experience as a physical therapist and athletic trainer allows her to effectively treat all individuals from the homemaker to the high performance athlete.

Read more about Shannon and the outstanding physical therapy skills and experience she brings to Belmar PT.

We’re excited to welcome Shannon Purrington to the Belmar Physical Therapy family!