Were you sent to PT or are you coming to PT?

We are going to get a little brainy today rather than physical.

There are stages to making a life change:

  • Precontemplation
  • Contemplation
  • Action
  • Maintenance
  • Relapse/Termination

Let’s talk about each one individually and how it applies to you and your success in physical therapy.

Precontemplation

This is the stage where you aren’t in pain necessarily or if you are it doesn’t bother you enough to seek out treatment or wonder if there is something you could or should do something about it.

Contemplation

This is the stage where you think about how you are in pain or you can’t do something as easy and you begin to think about what you should do.

Action

You’ve decided to talk to your doctor about your symptoms and your doctor provides you with a referral to PT.

This is where the big question comes though: Are you coming to PT or are you being sent to PT?

What’s the difference between these two options?

  • Those who are sent to PT may feel like their symptoms or treatment is out of their control and that it is up to the medical system to improve them.
  • Those who come to PT may feel that even though their symptoms may be severe they want to work with their PT and the medical system to improve their outcomes.
  • If you feel like you are being sent to PT that train of thought can change, you’ve already taken action to begin improving your circumstances. You may have had symptoms for a long time.

and so making the leap to change can take a long time too. Don’t fret, your PT is there to help you.

Maintenance

This is where everything you and your therapist did comes together as a plan to help you to continue to improve. This may be exercise, dietary modifications, new specialists, you name it. But it’s up to you to keep up the good work!

Sometimes people may need PT for a brief check-in, and we would much rather see you a few times a year if you need a little help to get back into your routine or to help progress you into your next best steps. (Ask about our wellness program)

Termination/Relapse

Now I didn’t pick these words because they sound like failure.

Let’s start with what termination could mean.

  • You’ve stopped the exercises your PT recommended because you found a different activity or set of exercises that you enjoy more.
  • You’ve stopped your diet because you managed to lose the weight you wanted to and feel happy in the place you are and now feel comfortable with making smarter food choices. This helps us move into relapse.

Let’s use the previous example that you have lost weight and feel confident in your new body but the holidays are approaching and winter is coming. You pack on a few extra pounds that nobody intends to put on. Have you had a relapse? Sure, just a small one and returning to your smarter choices fixes that quickly.

A different way to think about a relapse is when your symptoms come back and you think to yourself, ‘I haven’t done my exercises in a while.’ And once you do them your symptoms improve.

Regardless of where you, a friend, or family member are in the process CBAY is here to help you get back to work, play, and recover.

Osteoarthritis

OSTEOARTHRITIS: WHAT IS IT AND HOW CAN PHYSICAL THERAPY HELP?

Osteoarthritis is a progressive, degenerative joint disease affecting the articular cartilage of the bones. The articular cartilage is a tissue that provides a cushioning effect at the ends of the bones that forms the joint, making the movement of the joints smoother and easier. Osteoarthritis is known as OA or the “wear and tear” of the joints.

Osteoarthritis manifests pain and stiffness of joints. Usually, it affects the weight-bearing joints of the body, such as the knees and the hips. However, it can also affect the spine and the small joints of the hands and feet. Other signs and symptoms of OA include:

  • Swelling of the joint
  • Grinding, Clicking, Cracking sounds during joint movements
  • Inflexibility
  • Aching of joints
  • Weakness of muscles around joints
  • Difficulty doing functional activities, such as walking, due to

Aging is one of the risk factors in osteoarthritis. According to the American College of Rheumatology, OA mostly affects middle-aged to elderly individuals. It is considered to be a disability in the elderly population. Additionally, people’s weight plays a factor in osteoarthritis. Obesity can increase the risk of having OA as extra weight increases the stress placed on the joints. Moreover, an individual can also have osteoarthritis if other members of their family have OA as well. Lastly, trauma to the joints from overuse can cause OA as well.

Unfortunately, osteoarthritis does not have a cure, but it can be treated in order to delay the progression of the disease, and physical therapy is one of the treatments! How can physical therapy help individuals with osteoarthritis?

1. It can help to increase the range of motion of the affected joints since osteoarthritis can cause stiffness of the affected joints

2. It can teach and help patients with OA to strengthen the muscles that support the affected joint.

3. It can help to improve the balance of individuals. In OA, balance is affected due to muscle impairment/weakness, decreased function of the joint, and decreased mobility.

If you are suffering from osteoarthritis, what are you waiting for? Chesapeake Bay Aquatic and Physical Therapy can help you!

Sources: https://www.rheumatology.org/I-Am-A/Patient-Caregiver/Diseases-Conditions/Osteoarthritis
https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/osteoarthritis.htm

Do I really need PT 2-3x/week?

When you come to your physical therapy evaluation your therapist will probably tell you that you should come in 2 or 3 times per week, which can seem very daunting and time consuming. You may be finding it difficult to commit that much time with your busy schedule. When you have had a fresh injury or an onset of pain it is important to get PT right away to keep you moving and strong. It can take some time to regain mobility and strength, which is why it is important to have a trained therapist assist and progress you through a program without making anything worse. Coming in those 2-3x allows you to build that strength and receive manual therapy if appropriate to decrease pain and improve your function, which helps you participate in things you enjoy without pain. PT and exercise programs are not something you can do here and there. Having the skilled eyes and hands of a therapists ensures proper strength building and safety when working to eliminate your pain.

Another important part of compliance with PT is performing your home exercise program when you are not attending therapy. Therapists prescribe you safe and useful exercises to keep you moving and gaining strength while you are at home. If you do the exercises, you will ultimately feel better, allowing you to get through the day without hurting more quickly.

Lets talk about the other side of this situation – if you don’t get PT right away or you don’t come in as often as recommended. When you are in pain your body tries to protect you, which causes your muscles to shorten and spasm causing more pain while other ones shut down completely causing weakness. Another thing to remember is if you are trying to exercise at home, you may not be performing the correct regiment or executing an activity in a not so ideal way – which can add to your pain and make injuries worse. Some injuries can get worse if you do not care for them properly, so now an easy fix can be extended into a lengthier recovery time.

Importance of Hip and Pelvis Functional Stability

Importance of Hip and Pelvis Functional Stability

As humans, we tend to be moving around a lot throughout the day in many different positions. In order to complete these activities as they become more challenging or as we age, it is important for us to have strength and stability throughout our body. This idea is called Dynamic Kinetic Chain Integration that helps us to coordinate global movement patterns involving the upper body, trunk/core, and lower body to enhance our overall stability.

The overall goal when you come to Physical Therapy is to get you back to doing the activities you enjoy in a safe way, and that is with global dynamic functional stability. Most people have underlying weakness that we need to address, which may mean we are starting with more simple exercises (steady and stable) in simple positions (lying on your back). The reason for this is to gain strength and stability locally so when we progress to higher level global and dynamic tasks that are more activity specific, you are able to demonstrate better mechanics, which means – less pain!

One of the most important stabilizers in our body is our pelvis, and the muscles that surround it to assist in this stabilization is hip and core muscles.  Your body needs to recruit as many muscle fibers as it can within the full range that a joint has – and with good control and form– to gain speed and endurance. We also want to move in different planes of motion including back to front, up and down, side to side, and even some reciprocal and rotary movements, as you get stronger some of these movements will also be combined to replicate more day to day activities. Starting with lying on your back, to lying on your side, then your stomach, then hands and knees, and finally – standing upright. We need to focus on strength and control locally (just legs, or just arms) then progress into movement patterns (combining movements) in each of these positions.

I know this may sound slow and boring; but understanding breathing patterns and pelvic positioning for optimal stabilization when lying on your back will be key with progressing to more challenging positions. Then we can progress to added resistance and increased speed and time in each position to prepare your body for the challenges of our more complex day to day movements. Whether you’re retired, a working individual, a high level athlete, or a weekend warrior this progression for optimal stabilization is the key to success with all your daily and recreational activities!

Chesapeake Bay Aquatic & Physical Therapy is privately owned and operated by highly-trained physical therapists.

Keeping Your Spine Healthy as We Age | Physical Therapy

Keeping Your Spine Healthy as We Age

Our bodies go through many changes as we age, and this does not exclude our spine. Studies have found that as you age, instances of low back pain in older adults increases. Studies have found that 1 in 3 individuals over the age of 65 report spinal pain. But what is this pain from? There are many normal changes that occur in the spine with age including postural changes of increased thoracic kyphosis and decreased lumbar lordosis. This change in posture alone effects the way your body is supported. Some other changes that occur with age is a decrease in muscle strength, decrease in joint range of motion, decreased sensation and reflexes, and flattening of the spinal discs. These changes have the potential to cause stress on your body leading to pain in your neck or back.

Many people with lower back or neck pain obtain imaging to see what could be causing their irritation, however we have to remember that these changes are a normal part of aging, and studies have shown that there are high rates of false positives and false negatives with imaging studies. It is also important to remember that 60% of individuals who have no pain at all also have these abnormal findings. So to sum up, imaging does not always play a role in diagnosis, everyone responds differently to these changes. The best option would be to obtain conservative treatment before imaging if appropriate

What is conservative treatment you ask? It’s Physical Therapy! Your therapist is trained in evaluating your posture, movement, and strength that all play a role in your day to day activities. They are also trained in screening you for any red flags that may warrant referral back to your doctor. Once evaluated, your therapist is able to create a program for you including posture training, muscle stabilization, endurance, strengthening, and manual techniques that will help you improve those day to day activities that you have been limited in, which could be anything from walking, sleeping, sitting, picking things up off the floor, turning your head while driving, and much more!

Each session will be different for each person based on their needs. This includes (but definitely not limited to) range of motion to help improve or centralize your symptoms, strengthening exercises and functional training like transfers and steps, balance, endurance, joint movement, or outcome measures to track your progress. All of these things in combination with your motivation will help to improve overall postural control to support your spine and functional strength to address activity limitations. Your therapist will classify you based on treatment needs, symptoms, movement control, and functional optimization to allow for the most successful plan of care.

So, in the end, Choose Physical Therapy First!

What is the Difference Between PTs, PTAs, and PT Techs

In an outpatient setting like Chesapeake Bay Aquatic & Physical Therapy, there are two primary types of clinical staff: PTs, PTAs, as well as PT Techs. There is also a whole team of Front Desk staff who work a very different type of magic than what I, a clinical staff member, can do. The Front Desk staff are usually the people you talk to first.

The clinical staff consists of Physical Therapists (PTs) and Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs), who treat patients. Physical Therapist Technicians (“Techs” or “Aides”) assist both the PTs and PTAs to help a clinic run smoothly and help patients with exercises with which they are already familiar. PTs and PTAs are both licensed healthcare providers. This means they are required to attend and graduate from specific educational programs, and to pass a national and state Board of Physical Therapy Exam at the conclusion of this education. PT Techs often have experience in related fields, or are students preparing to become PTs or PTAs.

While both PTs and PTAs are Board-certified clinicians, the education programs for these two professions are different. PT educational programs emphasize learning how to diagnose physical problems so that they can create an appropriate Plan of Care to help solve these problems. This means PTs are also able to evaluate how well the Plan of Care is working. This is why you generally have the same clinician for your Evaluations and your Re-Evaluations (“Evals” and Re-Evals”).

PTA programs emphasize learning various treatment options for solving the problems and attaining the goals outlined in PT’s Plan of Care, but do not teach students to diagnose physical problems or assess how much progress a patient has made. PTAs can perform many of the same treatments as PTs, but do not diagnose problems or add treatment options not already included in the PT’s Plan of Care.

Hopefully you enjoy the time you spend with everyone you work with, but these important distinctions can help you direct your questions (and you should have questions!) to the appropriate staff member throughout your sessions.

Sonya PTA

Dry Needling: What is the Hype All About

Dry needling is growing in popularity across the county. Now-a-days most of us know someone who boasts about the miracle of dry needling for their shoulder, low back, headache pain, etc. This is especially true in the fitness community-it’s all the rave! But what exactly is dry needling and is it for everyone?

Dry needling is named such because the needle does not contain any medication. People often mistakenly think that because it does not contain medication that it cannot possibly be all that beneficial. One research study found dry needling to be just as effective, and in some cases last longer, than trigger point injections that contain the medication Lidocaine. During the procedure, a very thin needle is inserted into a muscle knot. Muscle knots are a constant source of pain and restrict the motion of a given body part. By eliminating the muscle knot with dry needling, the overall effect is that of significant pain reduction, range of motion improvements, and improvements in muscle activation.

Is dry needling for everyone and who performs this procedure? A certified physical therapist is qualified to perform this procedure. Each person is screened beforehand to determine if they are a candidate for dry needling. Dry needling can be use for all body regions including low back, neck, shoulder, knee, and headache pain just to name a few. It is an uncomfortable procedure followed by some muscle soreness over the next 1-2 days. However, most patients feel temporary discomfort is worth it for longer lasting pain relief. Dry needling can also definitely be used with chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia, to slowly reduce a person’s overall pain levels. More chronic conditions typically require more dry needling treatment sessions compared to someone who just hurt themselves. Dry Needle

So if you feel like your progress has plateaued or want to get out of pain faster, then I definitely recommend you give dry needling a try! We have several physical therapists who perform dry needling. Any additional questions or to learn more feel free to email me at laurenarihood@cbayaquapt.com.

Relieve Those Pounding Headaches with Physical Therapy

What do you do when you wake up and have a headache or you are working on a report and suddenly start to get a headache?  The common response is to take some form of pain medication and this may relieve headache pain in the short-term. If you regularly get headaches or migraines, pain relieving medications will not offer you the long-term relief that physical therapy will provide.

Majority of headaches are cervicogenic headaches, which means that in some form they are related to the neck. Slouch posture, anxiety, and other reasons can contribute to strain, and injury to the cervical/neck muscles and joints. The neck pain can refer up into the back or side of the head, and may even go till the forehead, (depending on the part of the neck involved).

Approximately 70-80% of people across the U.S. deal with random or recurrent tension headaches. Acute (temporary or constant) and chronic headaches can be cured with physical therapy at any of our 5 locations. Request your appointment today!

What can a physical therapist do to help me with my headache?

If you have headaches, contact our office today. At Chesapeake Bay Aquatic & Physical Therapy we are committed to providing you with the best treatments for your headaches.

At your first appointment, one of our highly trained physical therapists will conduct a thorough physical evaluation including asking questions about your health history and symptoms.  The evaluation will determine what type of headache you have and the origin of the pain/headache. The therapist, along with your input, will formulate a treatment plan and develop functional goals.

What are the different types of headaches?

The three main types of headaches include:

    • Musculoskeletal Headache

A musculoskeletal headache is experienced when there is increased tension in the neck. This is usually a result of physical imbalances or weaknesses, although emotional stress/state can also be a causative factor. Injury to the neck (whiplash) is a common source of musculoskeletal headaches. With neck injuries the muscles and connective tissues in the neck can be strained and sometimes torn. This can cause pain in the head and shoulder, either one sided or both sides, depending on the area of injury.

    • Tension headaches

These types of headaches can occur due to repetitive motions, quick movements, or poor posture in the neck. This type of headaches is caused by a strain on the delicate membrane that covers the brain called “dura mater”. The pain is presented in small muscles at the base of the skull that go into spasm when the dura mater becomes tense, shooting pain signals to the brain, and triggering the headache.

    • Cervicogenic headaches

This type of headache is related to neck pain and usually involves the top three cervical spinal levels. These headaches can be caused by certain disorders like arthritis, or at times due to a concussion. Work-related stress can also cause a cervicogenic headache. Those people who have professions that require you to look down or slouch, are the most likely to develop this type of headaches. This may include hairdressers, IT professionals, teachers etc.

How can I relieve my headaches and book an appointment?

Man suffering from a severe headache.

At Chesapeake Bay Aquatic & Physical Therapy, our individualized treatment plans for headaches focus on relieving pain, educating patients about proper posture, strengthening muscles in the neck and upper back as well as using various manual therapy techniques. The personalized treatment plan will help make your everyday life much more comfortable and manageable – minus the headaches! To schedule an appointment or speak with a therapist, contact us today in anyone of our 5 locations close to you. If you are uncomfortable coming into the clinic for treatment, we also offer TELEHEALTH visits at all 5 locations!

What Is Cupping

What Is Cupping

What is cupping?  Is that with the glass and the fire?, or some variation of this, is probably the first question we get asked by our patients when we discuss introducing cupping to their physical therapy.

“Cupping” is a term that is used in several professions. When most people think of cupping they usually do picture glass cups that have had the air inside them heated so that they create a vacuum when applied to the skin. This technique has its origins in ancient Eastern medicine and is still used by many practitioners in that field today. As a PT and a PTA, we don’t use glass cups and fire, instead we use a soft silicone cup and create the vacuum by compressing the air out of the cup before applying it to the skin. In our scope of practice, cupping is a form of manual therapy for trigger point and myofascial release and we use a combination of soft tissue mobilization, stretching, and negative pressure to lift, separate, and stretch underlying soft tissues.

What do you do with it?

Dynamic techniques involve moving the cup over the area of musculoskeletal tension or restriction in a gliding motion. Static cupping involves placing a cup directly over a trigger point or adhesion and left in place for a short time. This technique may be used in combination with “active release” movements performed by the patient when tolerated to increase effectiveness. When we introduce you to cupping for the first time, we’ll start by placing the cup on a non-painful body part and letting you see how it feels.

How is this going to help me?

Benefits of cupping include decreasing pain caused by soft tissue restrictions, improving scar tissue mobility and adhesions, and improved blood flow to treated areas. While other manual trigger point and myofascial release techniques such as foam rolling involve a compressive force being placed over the muscle tissue, cupping provides a decompressive force, which may be more effective for patients who are not responding to more traditional techniques.

Will it hurt? Will I have big circles all over my body?

Like other trigger point techniques, cupping does involve treating areas of the body which patients may note are tender or painful to the touch, so cupping may be initially uncomfortable, which is why we show you on a non-painful spot the first time. It is important to give your therapist feedback when using this technique so that they may adjust the cup position, amount of suction, cup size, or technique being used if needed. Patients may note discoloration in the treated area after cupping ranging from light red/pink to a darker purple. The greater the suction created with the cup, the more restricted the tissue, and the longer cupping is performed – whether dynamic or static – the more blood is drawn to the surface, which causes more discoloration. This will usually fade within a few days to a week, however because of this effect people with bleeding disorders or who are on anticoagulant medications are not appropriate candidates for cupping therapy. Treated areas may present with some mild soreness, however post treatment discomfort is usually temporary. Again, it is important to provide your therapist with feedback during your treatment as well as your response afterwards to ensure that cupping is an appropriate intervention for you.

Overall, cupping is an effective addition that can be used to improve your outcomes during physical therapy with other manual techniques and exercise. For more information, reach out to Mark or Kelly at our Severna Park location 410-315-9080.

Gardening and Back Pain: The Importance of Proper Body Mechanics

Gardening can be a great hobby. It adds value and curb appeal to your home, but most importantly, it is relaxing. However, back pain often gets in the way making gardening can excruciating!

This could very well be because you are using improper body mechanics.

Improving your Body Mechanics while Gardening

Shoveling: Shoveling dirt (or snow) can put a tremendous amount of strain on your back. To minimize the stress and excess muscle tension shoveling puts on your back, you must use your body as leverage. Be sure to move your entire body, not just your arms and back.

Weeding: Instead of constantly bending over, try sitting on a stool. You will be amazed at how this simple solution can really minimize your back pain.

Heavy Lifting: Gardening sometimes requires some heavy lifting. To avoid injury, make sure you bend from the hips and knees, rather than the waist.

Wheel-Barrowing: Just like heavy lifting, be sure to lift with the knees, not the back. This will save you from any unneeded back strain.

Mowing the Lawn: The easiest way to help avoid back pain is to invest in a self-propelled or riding lawn mower. However, some of us are not lucky enough to be able to afford this luxury. To avoid back strain, be sure to position yourself in a comfortable position. Make sure you are not bending over. After an hour of mowing the lawn, this could prove to be pretty painful.

Treating Back Pain using Physical & Aquatic Therapy

Chesapeake Bay Aquatic & Physical Therapy offers physical and aquatic therapy to treat a full range of outpatient physical therapy needs, including back injuries, back pain, and much more. Our therapists have a wide range of experience treating professional and recreational athletes as well as individuals who have suffered injuries at work or in accidents involving personal injury.

If you have any questions about Body Mechanics or Aquatic Therapy, please Contact Chesapeake Bay Aquatic & Physical Therapy by visiting cbayaquapt.com today!

Thank you for choosing Chesapeake Bay Aquatic & Physical Therapy!

We are privately owned and operated and have been proud to serve the communities of Bowie, Laurel and Severna Park, Maryland for nearly 10 years. Our company’s goal is to provide the highest quality rehabilitation services in our region. We keep our patient volume low in order to spend more time with each patient at every visit.