Latest News & Blog

Neuromuscular Eletric Stimulation shows rapid improvement in recovery and is shockingly effective!

Neuromuscular Electric Stimulation (NMES) and is a tool that can significantly improve the function of muscles in certain situations.  Following a surgery or injury, swelling and inflammation are common.  This swelling can affect the way that our nerves are able to control muscle movements and control.  This is especially common in knee injuries involving the ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) and Meniscus.

A Physical Therapist can use specifically directed electric stimulation in order to counter the effects of this impairment and improve the muscles ability to function.  This can lead to improved ability to stand, walk, squat, and decreased pain.  By appropriately activating a non-functioning muscle, our joints can move the way that they were intended.  Similar to a machine with a defective gear, our body cannot function appropriately when a muscle is not doing its job to the full potential.
 

NMES can show rapid improvements in muscular function that are visible immediately.  Usually this intervention is only required for a few sessions before the muscle is able to function appropriately without external help.  NMES can be used throughout the body on a multitude of muscles. 

If you're having feelings of instability, pain, or general dysfunction?  Ask your therapist if NMES might be right option for you!

As a runner, you know that your stride sets your pace and controls your stamina throughout every run. When it’s great, you’re able to keep up your pace for long periods of time without taxing your body. When it’s less than ideal, your gait can leave you struggling to hit your times and keeps you from being able to go those long distances you used to handle with ease. Believe it or not, your gait can change as you age and as your muscles develop after you’ve established your running habit. By getting a gait or running analysis from your trusted Denver physical therapy provider, you’ll be better equipped to understand and address those changes for the long run. Here are a few key reasons why getting a running analysis is a great idea for both amateur and semi-professional runners of all skill levels.

Identifies Potential Problems
When you undergo a running analysis, you’ll run in front of an experienced physical therapist that knows what the human body is supposed to look like at all paces. They’ll ask you to run on a treadmill and will analyze how you run. Through that analysis, they’ll be able to identify certain parts of your stride that may cause problems down the line. This allows you to prioritize your training and make adjustments to avoid problems before they have a chance to develop. Over time and over the course of your running career, you’ll be able to improve and avoid injuries that other runners might succumb to.

Helps You Find the Right Shoes
There’s a lot to be said for running shoes. They control the amount of impact your muscles experience during each footfall and can reduce or cause pain the longer you run. Unfortunately, many runners end up choosing the wrong shoes for their running style, body, gait, or foot type and that can lead to serious problems down the line. The last thing you want to do is be in so much pain that you have to give up the sport you love. Part of your running analysis will involve looking closely at the shoes you wear on your runs and making sure they’re the right fit for your stride. If they’re not, your therapist will be able to assess the way your foot lands with each step and make the appropriate recommendations to help you find the best shoe possible. 

Pinpoints Your Weak Areas
Every runner has things they need to improve on. This helps them increase their pace, stamina, and avoid pain. When you’re running on your own, you may be able to identify certain weak points and make the necessary adjustments to improve them, but you won’t be able to seem everything at once. This makes it hard to fully improve your gait and your running style. When you schedule a running analysis, you’ll be able to pinpoint where your weaknesses lie. Even better, you’ll be able to use their knowledge to identify the exact exercises that will help you strengthen your weak areas so you can be a better and healthier runner in the long run.

Lets You Know What You’re Doing Right
Many running analysis appointments focus almost entirely on what you’re doing wrong and what you need to improve. Though those are important factors, you also need to know what you’re doing right so you can keep doing it on all of your runs. During a professional running analysis, you’ll find out exactly what you’re doing that’s working for your body and find ways to make sure you don’t alter those movements when you address the weaknesses in your gait. This can make a huge difference when you’re trying to maintain or improve your pace. 

Helps You Break Through Plateaus
If you’ve been running for a while, you’ve likely encountered at least a few plateaus on your journey. Plateaus happen when you can’t seem to improve your pace, your gait, your stride length, or your general performance when you run. And they can happen without warning. If you’ve ever burst through a plateau on your own, you know just how hard it can be. When you schedule a running analysis, you’ll have an expert working to help you overcome those plateaus quickly. With their analysis and advice, you’ll find out what you can do to make improvements even if you feel like you’ve been stuck for months. Sometimes, all it takes is an outside perspective to find a different way to help you improve.

Improves Your Time
If you’re a competitive runner, you know that the clock matters. When you can increase your pace, you’ll edge out the competition and place higher in every race. On your own, you may find that improving your time is almost impossible. You’re limited to making the changes that you can identify. With a running analysis, you’ll be able to leverage someone else’s experience to improve your time and make a huge difference in your performance.

Reduces the Risk of Injury 
Nothing derails a running career like an injury. Unfortunately, injuries can happen when you least expect them and when they do, it can take months for you to fully recover. That means months that you’ll have to stop running and, worse, months of progress that you’ll lose by being less active. When you work with a running analyst, you’ll identify the movements that you need to change to avoid injury in the long run. This means you’ll be on the road more often and won’t have to worry about spending months on the couch dreaming about your next run.

Schedule an Analysis Today
Your running career is important whether you race or just do it because you love the feel of the wind in your face. Make sure you can enjoy the sport for years to come. Contact us to schedule a running analysis today and let our experts show you what you can do to improve your gait, lengthen your stride, and reduce your risk of injury so you can keep pounding the pavement without pain.

What is causing your shoulder pain and how you can remedy it!

Many types of shoulder pathologies are contributed to by decreased subacromial space. Thats the space between your arm bone (humerus) and shoulder-blade bone (scapula). The soft tissue of our body can get impinged or "pinched" between these bones causing irritation. The soft tissue that most frequently get impinged is the biceps tendon, the supraspinatus (a rotator cuff muscle), and the subacromial bursa (a fluid filled sac that acts as a cushion). Very commonly, when there is an issue with the shoulder joint, our patients often complain of aching or sharp pain in the shoulder joint. Often times these symptoms occur during overhead reaching, forward reaching, and reaching behind the back. 

Seeking timely medical attention from your orthopedic doctor or physical therapist is critical to prevent permanent damage of these soft tissue structures. Additionally, lack of timely treatment may cause secondary issues such as stiffness, weakness, and instability of the shoulder. A lot of the time, pain and inflammation after an initial injury persists with lack of shoulder motion. 

With these kinds of injuries the old "no pain no gain" adage DOES NOT APPLY.

First, the goal is to reduce inflammation through a combination of anti-inflammatory medications and pain-free motion. Initially physical therapy should include soft tissue mobilization to relax tight or "guarded" muscles. PT should also start by including exercises such as pendulum or Codman's exercises to temporarily increase the subacromial space (check out this post for those exercises).

During this time it is crucial to work on range of motion to combat stiffness. After inflammation and stiffness begin to subside, it is important to work on strengthening (pain-free!) to begin regaining stability in the shoulder joint.

To seek a more specific plan of care tailored to your specific needs, come in and get an evaluation from one of our licensed doctors of physical therapy!

Posture: How to assess & correct your posture to improve your physical quality of life

What is good posture

Simply put, good posture is the correct alignment of your bones so that your body can function at its highest capacity. Just like feeding your body a well-balanced diet for energy, good posture provides the body with the proper support to move in the way it’s supposed to. This decreases wear and tear on the body helping to postpone conditions and symptoms such as joint pain, arthritis, stiffness, and muscle tears. 

Why should I care?

Posture is not something most of us think about on the day to day, and when we do, it feels more like a chore than a necessity. Unfortunately, with an increase in the usage of electronics, our postures are degrading rapidly. This is causing an increase in aches, pains, medications, surgeries, and a decrease in overall health. Poor posture can lead to issues with your breathing as it can compress your ribcage and can affect heart health. Posture is more important that you think. 

How to assess your own posture

1. Standing in front of a mirror check to see 

• Are your shoulders even?

• Are your toes pointing forward?

• Is your weight evenly distributed through your feet?

2. Standing to the side in front of the mirror

• Is your chin slightly tucked?

• Are your shoulders inline with your rib cage?

How to improve your posture

When sitting 

• Make sure your sitting up straight with a natural curve in your lower back

• Your shoulders are down and back 

• And your chin is slightly tucked
   

This may feel strange at first but know you are on your way to a better posture. 

 

Scar Management: Tips and Tricks

What is it? Scar management includes a variety of techniques to optimize healing following a surgery or injury.

Scarring is a natural part of the healing process where the body begins to form fibrous tissue in order to stabilize surrounding structures. This includes any bone, ligaments or tendons in that area. Anyone who has had an open surgery will require scar management. Your Occupational or Physical Therapist can provide you with scar management techniques such as:

• Scar massage: After your sutures are removed, ask your therapist about doing scar massage. This is typically done 2-3 weeks after surgery once the incision site has healed. You can use a light lotion such as cocoa butter or vitamin E oil to gently rub along the scar with enough pressure to change the skin from pink to white. Massage the scar in all different directions: i.e. side to side, up and down, circles, etc. (See picture 1). Perform 5-10 minutes, 2-3x/day. 

• Scar pads: These are available over the counter, or if your scar is an unusual shape your therapist can provide you with a silicone scar pad made of Otoform or Elastomere. This will help soften your scar to allow increased mobility.

• Desensitization: If your scar is sensitive, try using different textures or vibration to rub along the scar. Use a light massager or the end of an electric toothbrush to apply vibration to your scar. Do for 1-2 minutes, 2-3x/day. 

• Modalities: Ask your therapist about the use of modalities for scar management. This may include ultrasound, electrical stimulation, cupping, or iontophoresis. 

• Sun protection: It is important to keep an immature scar out of the sun. Apply SPF daily to your scar or cover with a band-aid or clothing for additional protection. 

 

Why do it?

Scars can take up to two years for scars to fully mature.  If scars are not treated properly, this may cause you problems in the future.  Your scar may not only have unpleasant looks, but can also cause pain and limit your range of motion. This may make it difficult for you to perform ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) depending on where your scar is.

If your scar crosses over a joint, it is especially important to perform these techniques daily to restore your range of motion. Scars of the wrist and hand are therefore especially important to manage properly.