By Danielle Schoenthaler - January 18, 2021
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:
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.
By Kelly Thornton, PT, DPT - January 4, 2021
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!
December 28, 2020
By Atalia Diquinzio - December 22, 2020
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.