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If you are having hip or groin pain with activity, it could be FAI or Hip Impingement.

Were you or someone you know diagnosed with FAI or Hip Impingement and not sure what that means?

FAI stands for Femoral Acetabular Impingement. The hip is a ball and socket joint and impingement happens when there is an abnormal rubbing between the two surfaces. This can happen based on the shape of the joint. There can be an over coverage on the socket, a miss-shape of the ball, or often a combination of both. Impingement in adolescents or young adults can lead to a tear in the labrum or cartilage which causes pain in the hip or can cause early arthritis in the joint.
 

Physical therapy can often be a great way to treat symptoms including:

• Improving range of motion and decreasing soft tissue restrictions
• Strengthening the surrounding muscles to decrease load to the joint
• Learning to modify activities to avoid impingement.

Unfortunately, we cannot change the shape of the bone, so depending on the severity or age of the individual surgery is often required. The intent of the surgery is to correct the shape of the bone and then repair or replace the labrum in the hip. Patients are typically able to make a full return to sport or previous activities via arthroscopy (scope) surgery and following 4-6 months of rehab.

The best way to preserve the joint is to catch it early!
If you are having hip or groin pain with activity, see your local Peak physical therapist and get a diagnosis as early as possible.

Tackling Stairs with Crutches!

Often overlooked until the moment comes when you are looking up or down a staircase with crutches in hand thinking... now what?

If you have an upcoming surgery or have suddenly found yourself having to use crutches, stairs can be the most challenging part of getting around your house or even gracefully hopping up a curb onto the sidewalk.

Here are our quick tips to ensure you can make it around your house and your community safely.  

1. Up with the “Good” (uninjured), Down with the “bad” (Injured) 
2. When stepping up the stairs, Leave crutches below the step and place weight through your hands on the crutches, step up with the uninjured leg. Bring the crutches up the step to meet you.  
3. When stepping down the stairs, stand on your uninjured leg and hold your injured leg in front of you hanging over the step and place the crutches on the step below. Then support your weight through your hands, and bring your uninjured leg down the step to meet the crutches.  

Patellar Mobilizations  - What is it? Why is it done? 

If you have recently had surgery, you may have noticed your physical therapist frequently moves your kneecap, or patella, up and down and side to side. Why is this performed you may wonder? Well, if you tense your quadricep muscle on the front of the thigh on your uninvolved side you will see that the patella moves up, or superiorly.  

The quad and the patella have a working relationship for the knee joint to function properly. When the quad fires, the knee extends, and the patella moves superiorly. Inversely, when the knee flexes, the patella moves downward, or inferiorly.  

Immediately following surgery, the ability of the quad to fire decreases due to swelling and atrophy. Sometimes adhesions can form around the patella during this time, so it is important to get the patella moving again. Your physical therapist will often mobilize the patella in different directions. The purpose is to help the quad to fire or to restore range of motion in the knee joint. Your quad can’t fire without a superior movement of the patella. Also, if you have increased superior movement of the patella, you will gain more knee extension. Have you ever noticed feeling more range of motion in the knee following manual therapy? This is one of the reasons why PT works! 

Stress is one of the most pervasive issues adults face every day. It comes from your job, your social life, your financial health, and sometimes the community at large. Whatever the cause of your stress is, the longer you experience those feelings, the more impact it can have on your health and wellbeing. Though getting physical therapy in Aurora, CO, can help you manage the physical symptoms of your stress, it’s still best if you understand how stress can impact your health. The sooner you can recognize the signs, the faster you’ll be able to seek proper treatment and get your life back on track. 

Frequent Aches and Pains
One of the most common symptoms of stress is seemingly inexplicable aches and pains that pop up without warning. This happens because your muscles are overly tight and, as long as you’re stressed, will stay that way without being given the chance to relax and let go. Over time, those tight muscles can lead to changes in your posture and your body’s natural alignment, making it harder to enjoy the activities you normally do. Worse, by overcompensating for those sore muscles with other muscle groups, you increase the number of pain points across your body. 

Increased Blood Pressure 
Stress doesn’t just make your muscles sore. It can also have far-reaching consequences with your heart health and blood pressure. When you get stressed and stay that way, your blood pressure goes up on its own. This is true even if your blood pressure levels are normal when you’re less stressed. It’s part of your body’s natural response to external stress triggers. Unfortunately, high blood pressure can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke over time. The sooner you can de-stress and unwind, the easier it will be to get your blood pressure levels back down where they belong.

Intestinal Upset
If you’ve ever been so stressed and anxious that you’ve felt sick to your stomach, you’re not alone. It’s more common than you might think and while stomachaches are relatively rare and reserved for people experiencing the highest levels of stress, it’s normal to have digestive upset during periods of increased emotional or mental strain. In most instances, this will show up as increased bloating, gas, nausea, and even a lack of hunger. Though dealing with those symptoms in the short term is doable, they can become particularly troublesome for your health if you have to cope with them for days on end. 

Weakened Immune System
Stress can also wreak havoc on your immune system. It causes it to weaken or become less effective at fighting viruses and bacteria that you get exposed to at work, the store, or in public. This is because your body is diverting energy away from your immune system to help you maintain your fight or flight response. The weaker your immune system is, the harder it will be for you to stay healthy throughout the year. Once you find ways to de-stress, you’ll be able to boost your immune system and get things back in shape.

Trouble Sleeping
One of the biggest symptoms of serious stress is the inability to get to sleep or stay that way throughout the night. Insomnia doesn’t just hurt your sleep schedule. It can also have a major impact on your health. Remember, your body rests, heals, and recharges when you’re sleeping. If you’re not getting enough sleep each night, your body won’t be able to recover fully. You’ll likely notice changes in your productivity at work, your focus, and your ability to enjoy the little things in life.

Increased Risk of Injury
Remember those tight muscles you have when you’re stressed? Well, they can end up increasing your risk of muscle strain and injury just from your normal activities. When your muscles are tight, they have less of their natural range of motion and aren’t able to withstand the shifting, pushing, and pulling that you do in your regular movements. Instead, they’re more vulnerable to strains and tears. Those strains can take months of work and recovery to heal fully. Though a physical therapist will be able to help you speed up your recovery, you’ll still need to find ways to lower your stress if you want to avoid injuries in the future.

Weight Gain
Though some people experience digestive issues and upset when they’re stressed that can cause them to stop eating or eat less, others don’t. Some people end up eating more than they need to or start indulging in junk foods that they shouldn’t eat on a regular basis. Unfortunately, eating more junk and more calories each day can cause you to gain weight even if you’re otherwise maintaining the same healthy habits you do when you’re not stressed. The more weight you gain, the more it can impact your stress levels and your overall health. Remember, carrying more weight than is healthy can be tough on your joints and your cardiovascular system.

What You Can Do
One of the best things you can do for your overall health and wellbeing is to find ways to relax and unwind even when you’re stressed. This might mean stepping away from situations that you find stressful or taking time for yourself each evening to meditate or read a favorite book. These simple acts of self care can help you avoid the common issues caused by stress in the long run. 

Put Yourself First
Stressors are everywhere. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or stressed and notice aches and pains that just won’t go away, schedule an appointment with your physical therapist as soon as you can. The sooner you can find ways to help your body heal, the better off your body and your wellbeing will be. Remember, asking for help isn’t something to feel ashamed of. It just means you’re recognizing your own limits. Reach out to our team and schedule a consultation with our experienced physical therapists. We’ll help you find the appropriate treatment protocol to help you overcome any stress-related injuries.

What is IT Band Syndrome and What You Can Do To Heal It.

Do you experience pain the knee that has slowly started and you don’t know why?
Do you avoid activities you used to love because of pain?
Do you feel like your knee just isn’t as mobile as it used to be?

You could be experiencing something called IT Band Syndrome. 

Where is the IT Band?

The IT Band stands for the Iliotibial Tract or Band. It is a band of tissue that is a mix of muscle and tendon, it starts at the pelvis along, what is called the Iliac crest, and goes straight down the side of the leg and ends just below the knee at the Tibia. Its biggest job is abducting your leg (bringing it out to the side or stepping to the side). 

So what causes the pain?

Most commonly, the IT Band can get overused and start to cause problems that relate to the knee. Typically, if you are having knee pain with walking, pain when you bend your knee, tenderness when touching the side of your leg towards the knee; this is irritation, a strain, or overuse of the IT Band.

How do I get out of pain?

At Peak, we see a lot of people with tightness and tenderness in this area and it can be treated with a consistent regiment of stretching, soft tissue mobilization, and strengthening of surrounding structures. Deep tissue massage, cupping, and massage with a medical grade instrument (similar to Graston) can be very helpful in decreasing tightness that most commonly occurs from overuse.

A resolution of this commonly overlooked issue can range from a quick 4 weeks to 2-3 months depending on how consistent you are with your therapy and stretching. You also need to make sure you aren’t doing any of the activities that flare it up. Remember if it is an overuse cause you need to let it rest. 

If you feel like you are being affected by this stubborn IT Band, come in and let us help guide you down the road of recovery, don’t suffer over something that can easily be addressed.