Improve Your Posture and Relieve Your Back Pain Today!

According to a longitudinal study, approximately 3% of all emergency room visits tend to be the result of back pain or injury. Back pain is the most commonly reported area of pain, which can cause significant limits to one’s daily life.

It is common for back pain to develop as a result of poor posture. If your posture is not correct, it can cause stress on other parts of your body, resulting in pain, inflammation, or dysfunction. Fortunately, posture can be improved with the help of physical therapy.

To learn more about how we can help improve your posture and relieve your back pain, contact TheraFit™ in Hazel Green, AL, and Fayetteville, today.

Why did my posture decline the way it did?

Poor posture isn’t anything to be embarrassed about - very few people have perfect posture, and most people partake in bad posture habits in one way or another. We become so wrapped up in whatever tasks we are doing that we forget to think about the way our bodies are positioned.

Maybe you’re completing a project at work, it’s the end of the day, you’re tired, and you’re slouched sideways in your desk chair with one eye on the monitor and the other on the clock. This position isn’t normal for your body, but you are getting in the position most efficient for you to type up the rest of that file and then zoom out the door.

Poor posture isn’t due to laziness or apathy; rather, it generally has something to do with a physical weakness within our bodies. We slouch, slump, hunch, and droop over when we get feel drained because our bodies literally get tired of holding us up.

Even if you exercise regularly, it is possible that there are still a few weak muscles contributing to your posture that you may not even realize. The muscles in your shoulders, back, abdomen, buttocks, and pelvic floor all play an important role in your posture. If even one of these is weak, your core will be affected, and your posture may suffer.

So, what exactly is going on with my back?

If you are suffering from persistent back pain, there is a good chance it is due to your posture. Poor posture is one of the most common causes of back pain. Do you slouch at your desk? Do you lean forward to read emails? Do you hunch over your keyboard? These are all things that people do subconsciously, without even realizing the toll it takes on the body.

Your posture affects how your body moves - whether you’re sitting, standing, walking, running, jumping, or performing pretty much any other task throughout the day. Your posture may also change depending on what you are doing - perhaps your posture when you stand is perfect, but when you sit at a desk or lay down, your body begins to hunch and fold in ways that it is simply not supposed to.

Get your posture back to normal with us!

Our physical therapists are highly experienced and dedicated to helping patients relieve pain and improve their posture. When you arrive for your first appointment, your physical therapist will conduct a comprehensive exam to find out where your pain is originating and what the best treatments will be for relieving it.

Your physical therapist will design a treatment plan based on your specific needs. This will focus on relieving your pain, improving your strength, and enhancing your posture as quickly as possible. Depending on the nature of your condition, treatment plans may also focus on mobility, balance, flexibility, or stability.

Is your posture causing your back pain? Contact TheraFit in Hazel Green, AL, and Fayetteville, TN today to find out. We’ll provide you with the treatment you need so you can get back to your pain-free life!

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Developing a Hunchback? You Might Have Upper Crossed Syndrome, But Physical Therapy Can Help!

Do you find that you’re always being told to sit up straight? Do you notice that you have shoulder pain after work? Are you developing a hunchback? If you’re nodding yes to these questions, chances are you have Upper Crossed Syndrome, or UCS. This is a muscle imbalance that occurs in the head and shoulders. It is often found in people who work desk jobs or sit with poor posture for most of the day.

As a result of this, they have weak cervical flexors and lower trapezius muscles (which form a straight line when looking from the side) and tight upper trapezius and pectoral muscles (forming the cross when looking from the side). Wow! That’s a lot of wires being crossed! UCS causes a person’s head to seemingly lean forward, their body to appear hunched, and their shoulders to ache often.

If you’ve been diagnosed with UCS, or notice any of the above symptoms, call TheraFit™ today to speak with a physical therapist about correcting the problem before it’s too late.

Symptoms of Upper Crossed Syndrome

People struggling with this condition normally appear stooped over with rounded shoulders. According to Healthline, this is because the deformed muscles put strain on the surrounding joints, bones, muscles and tendons. Below is a list of symptoms that accompany UCS:

  • Headache
  • Neck pain
  • Weakness in the front of the neck
  • Strain in the back of the neck
  • Pain in the upper back and shoulders, as well as the lower back
  • Tightness and pain in the chest
  • Trouble with sitting to read or watch TV
  • Trouble driving for long periods
  • Pain and reduced movement in the ribs

How Can A Physical Therapist Treat Upper Crossed Syndrome?

Physical therapy is the best route to go when it comes to Upper Crossed Syndrome. Not only can a physical therapist relieve pain symptoms, but they can also eliminate underlying causes for your pain. You’d be surprised at what you don’t know about your body!

Your physical therapist can create a custom treatment plan that will address your pain levels as well as your symptoms. Typically, your physical therapy treatment plan will be divided into three parts - stretching the upper trapezius and pectoral muscles, strengthening the cervical flexors and lower trapezius muscles, and training you to make postural adjustments throughout the day to avoid future recurrence.

It seems like a lot, but don’t worry! That’s what your physical therapist is here for. Read on to learn more details about each part of this treatment method for UCS.

  • Stretching - When it comes to Upper Crossed Syndrome, the first thing to focus on is restoring shortened muscles. When one muscle is tightened or shortened, the opposite muscle relaxes. Your physical therapist will recommend a series of stretches and other therapies, like myofascial release and massage, to lengthen the upper trapezius and pectoral muscles.
  • Strengthening - Strengthening exercises in your physical therapy treatment will target the cervical flexors and lower trapezius muscles. The most basic stretch is one called the “chin tuck.” Your physical therapist will instruct you to lay on your back with your knees bent, without a pillow to support your head. Next, bring your chin as close to your neck as possible, while keeping the back of your head on the floor and your mouth closed. Keeping your head straight, hold this position for 10 seconds, 10 to 12 times. This is another exercise that you can do at home by yourself as well, so you can continue to make progress outside of your appointments!
  • Postural Correction - You can do hours upon hours of stretching and strengthening exercises but it’ll be for nothing if you don’t address your posture! This is the problem that landed you with UCS in the first place. So, to address it, practice standing with your back and the back of your head against a wall. Your feet should be about six inches or so from the wall. Your neck should be two fingers-width from the wall. This is a fast and easy way to remind yourself what it feels like to stand up straight and have proper posture. Think of it as a way to retrain your body to know when it’s slouching.

You can also get a standing desk or adjust your own desk to be raised up a bit to allow for a more neutral posture sitting position. Pay attention to your posture as you text, type on a computer, cook in the kitchen, or drive.

Contact Our Office Today!

It’s easy for people to put off correcting something like their posture, because they’ve become so used to slouching or being hunched over. Putting off treatment will only make correcting the problem a longer process in the future!

Not only will you look better from a postural perspective, you will see bigger gains in your athletic performance. For more information about UCS or to find out more about the three part routine for correcting this issue, contact our physical therapy offices in Hazel Green, AL and Fayetteville, TN today. We’re ready and waiting for your call, and we can’t wait to see the improvements you’re bound to make in our care.

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Is Your Back Pain Due to Herniated Discs? Understanding the Cause of Your Discomfort

Living with back pain can be frustrating, especially when it seems like nothing you do makes it better. At our physical therapy clinic, we invite you to call us to schedule an appointment if you're concerned about your back pain symptoms. Could they be caused by a herniated disc? If so, a physical therapist at TheraFit™ Physical Therapy & Fitness Center can help you feel better and even restore health and healing to the injured disc.

What is a Herniated Disc?

A herniated disc happens when the gel-like core inside a spinal disc leaks out through a small tear in the disc's outer layer. We often compare it to jelly leaking out of a jelly donut! When this happens, the injured disc tissue can irritate or compress nearby spinal nerves or joint structures and may cause pain and other symptoms.

Herniated discs are most common among men between 35 and 55 years old, although they can occur to anyone, especially if they have herniated disc risk factors like:

  • Sedentary behavior
  • A physically demanding job and/or frequent exposure to vibration, heavy lifting, or twisting and bending
  • Smoking habit
  • Obesity
  • Family history

Herniated discs can happen suddenly as the result of an auto accident or other acute trauma, or they can develop gradually over time. We see them most often in the neck area or lower back area.

A herniated disc is often mislabeled as a slipped disc. But discs don't actually "slip." They can herniate, as described above, or "bulge" out of place. In the case of a bulging disc, something causes a disc to protrude out of its normal position in the spine, but the outer layer of the disc doesn't tear, so the inner gel-like core doesn't leak out. The symptoms and treatment of a bulging disc are often similar to a herniated disc, however.

Common Herniated Disc Symptoms

Here's something that may surprise you: herniated discs don't always cause pain or other symptoms! Surprisingly, it's not unusual for a herniated disc to show up on an MRI even when the person has no complaints.

But if a herniated disc does cause symptoms, the issues can be incredibly disruptive. Common warning signs of a herniated disc include:

  • Shooting pain and numbness in an arm or leg (if the herniated disc irritates a nearby nerve root that innervates that arm or leg)
  • Weakness and altered reflexes in an arm or leg (at our physical therapy clinic, some of our patients report issues like frequent tripping because the muscles that lift the foot become weak)
  • Decreased range of motion in the neck or back
  • Tense and painful muscle spasms near the injured disc
  • Pain that gets better with certain movements and worse with other movements (for example, herniated disc symptoms often get worse or move further into your arm or leg when you bend forward, and get better or move closer to your spine when you lean back or lay flat)

The only way to know for sure what's causing your back pain is to consult with a doctor, physical therapist, or other health professional. Keep in mind, sometimes it's simply not possible to know for sure what's causing your symptoms. That's okay, though: research shows that when doctors aren't able to provide an exact back pain diagnosis (the so-called "idiopathic" cases), physical therapy treatment can still be beneficial.

How a Physical Therapist Can Help Treat Herniated Discs

Physical therapy is considered the first line of defense for herniated disc treatment. Your physical therapist can perform a variety of examination tests and techniques to help clarify what's going on and identify any underlying factors which may have contributed to your disc herniation.

For example, we often find that people with limited hip range of motion or weak core muscles­ are more at risk for herniated discs. Identifying these types of contributing factors allows us to address them and help reduce your chances of recurring disc problems.

Other common treatments for a herniated disc that your physical therapist may recommend include:

  • Manual therapy, including soft tissue massage
  • Non-invasive tools like therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, biofeedback, cold and hot therapy, and diathermy to promote healing, reduce spasms and inflammation, and improve your movement
  • Therapeutic exercises and stretches to improve core strength and endurance, range of motion, and posture
  • Orthotics and other types of adaptive equipment like walkers or long-handled reachers to help improve skeletal alignment and make it easier to perform daily tasks

Research also suggests that even after a herniated disc heals, a person may still experience prolonged pain. This can happen if the nervous system becomes increasingly sensitive in an attempt to protect you—and it's something physical therapy can address through a technique known as therapeutic neuroscience education (TNE). By helping you better understand what pain is and how it happens, we can actually help you experience less of it!

For our patients with herniated discs and other issues causing low back pain, we also provide education about proper body mechanics, ergonomics, self-pacing techniques, exercise programs, and more.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers physical therapy a good alternative to prescription opioid medications for helping people with low back pain caused by herniated discs and other (non-cancer) related issues. Our physical therapy team also understands that sometimes pain medication is essential in the early phases of an injury in order to alleviate pain and minimize inflammation. That's why we work collaboratively with your whole medical team to ensure you get the most appropriate treatment for your specific situation. If you have questions about your medications, be sure to talk to your prescribing physician.

Is a Herniated Disc Impairing Your Ability to Get Through Your Day?

If you're laid up by herniated disc symptoms and are hoping to avoid surgery or reduce your dependency on medications, contact TheraFit Physical Therapy & Fitness Center today. We're happy to get you scheduled to see a physical therapist who can start you on your pain-relief path ASAP.

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Chronic Back Pain Doesn’t Have to Control You – Reclaim Your Life with Physical Therapy

When you have chronic back pain, it can feel like every aspect of your life gets interrupted. Pain at work can lead to decreased productivity, sick days, and increased stress. Pain at home can prevent you from being able to care for yourself and your loved ones. Chronic back pain can even make it difficult to exercise and stay active, which may lead to even more pain, weight gain, and other issues associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

The good news is, even if you have chronic back pain now, you don't necessarily have to live with it forever. Contact TheraFit™ to schedule a consultation with a physical therapist who can help you start feeling better and feeling more in control of your life.

How a Physical Therapist Can Help Alleviate Your Back Pain

Back pain affects most of us at some point, but for some people, the pain can persist for at least three months or more. While alleviating pain is an important goal, it's also critical to identify and address the contributing factors leading to chronic back pain. Addressing root causes reduces your risk of recurring problems and long-term dysfunction—otherwise, pain can just keep coming back once you stop taking pain medication.

This is one of the reasons why working with a physical therapist is so valuable. Physical therapy services like postural assessments, strength and range of motion testing, and tests of balance, motor control, and coordination can give us a lot of insight into why your back pain is occurring and why the underlying issue developed in the first place. Your physical therapist can then prescribe specific interventions to resolve these root factors while at the same time prescribing symptom-alleviating services.

In other words, we seek to resolve the "why's" of your pain while also resolving the pain itself!

Here are a few specific things you can expect when working with a physical therapist for your back pain:

  • A thorough assessment. We'll look at your body, find out about your medical and family background, compile a list of your symptoms (including pain, stiffness, and weakness or numbness in one or both legs), and learn more about your lifestyle and current challenges to help us clarify your diagnosis. A physical therapist can gain a lot of insight even from looking at your footwear, walking style, posture, and body mechanics, so come in comfortable clothing and be prepared to move.
  • A chance to clarify your goals. Helping you make progress with objective measurements like strength, pain levels, and range of motion is important. But we also will take the time to learn about the things you really want to be able to do and achieve once your back pain gets better. This includes very specific functional activities like playing a round of golf or being able to walk your dog around the block without stopping. What matters to you is what matters to us! We'll always keep your goals in mind as we create a treatment plan so you can really feel and see your progress in therapy. By keeping your goals and personal vision in the front and center of your plan of care, we also help you have more FUN in your physical therapy sessions!
  • A plan of care that combines a customized range of evidence-based interventions. Physical therapy services that are effective for alleviating chronic back pain include soft tissue massage, joint mobilizations, spinal manipulations, therapeutic exercise, therapeutic pain education, and non-invasive modalities like electrical stimulation. We can make practical recommendations on stress mangement, diet, and other lifestyle matters, and refer you to other providers as needed. We can prescribe and fit you for adaptive equipment and support devices like braces or orthotics, teach you safer ways to move or complete daily tasks with efficiency and safety, and help you start feeling better so you can exercise regularly again, which we know is good for spinal health and mental well-being.

Your physical therapist can even help you prepare for or recover from back surgery if this kind of procedure is eventually determined to be appropriate for your needs.

Here are the Benefits of Physical Therapy for Chronic Back Pain

Physical therapy is recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the "first lines" of treatment for most types of chronic pain. Altogether, our approach to diagnosing and treating back pain can benefit you by offering:

  • Longer-lasting relief
  • Improved spinal health
  • Reduced risk of recurring issues and worsening tissue damage
  • Decreased reliance on pain medications or invasive procedures
  • Improved cost-effectiveness
  • Lowered healthcare costs
  • Decreased downtime (unlike back surgeries, which can require months of challenging recovery, often with little or no symptom improvement)
  • Improved productivity
  • Improved activity tolerance
  • Increased sense of control of your health
  • Increased understanding of your pain experience

Is Back Pain Bugging You?

Physical therapy is proven to be an effective back pain treatment and is safe for people of all ages and health backgrounds. Contact TheraFit today to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist and get back on the road to the active and pain-free lifestyle you want and deserve.

Could A Herniated Disc Be The Underlying Cause of Your Back Pain? Physical Therapy Can Help

Have you ever felt the sensation that an electric shock is going from your lower back to your legs? Ever experience weakness in your muscles or numbness in your arms and legs? If you’ve answered yes to either of those questions, it’s time to schedule your free consultation with our office to see a physical therapist…you might have a herniated disc.

What Does It Mean To Have a Herniated Disc?

The spine is comprised of vertebrae that are cushioned by flat, round discs. These discs have an outer layer called the annulus, which surround a gel-like material called the nucleus. Discs are located in between each of the vertebrae in spinal column. Their main job is to act as little shock absorbers for your spine.

You might have heard a herniated disc be referred to as a “ruptured” or “bulged” disc. This issue happens when the disc nucleus gets moved out of the annulus and into the spinal canal – which has limited space as it is!

Because of this movement, the displacement often causes pain. A herniated disc can occur literally anywhere in the spine, from the lower part of your back to the cervical spine areas.

How To Know If You Have a Herniated Disc

Herniated discs can happen for a number of reasons, including a strain or an injury of some sort. Some people are actually predisposed for herniated discs depending on genetics, and some people naturally experience herniated discs naturally as they age.

As a person gets older, disc material slowly degenerates. Ligaments will start to grow weaker, and when this happens, even the smallest of movements (such as twisting or stretching) can result in a herniated disc.

The signs of a herniated disc are different depending on the size of the disc and its location. If the disc is not pushing on a nerve, you might not feel any pain, but if it is on a nerve, there will be pain, weakness, and a feeling of numbness in the part of the body where the nerve is being pressed on.

When there is pressure being applied to the sciatic nerve, a condition called sciatica make occur in the lower lumbar spine. Sciatica causes sensations of pain, burning, and numbness ranging from the buttocks, down the legs, and to the feet. A sharp pain may also be felt when walking, sitting, or standing.

You may feel pain in the neck and between your shoulder blades if a herniated disc occurs in the neck area. This pain will most likely be felt down your arms and into your fingers. Needless to say, a herniated disc in any part of your body can cause a lot of discomfort.

Physical Therapy Can Alleviate The Pain

If you’re suffering from a herniated disc or pressure on your sciatic nerve, your doctor may refer you to a physical therapist. Your therapist will do a thorough examination for you and create a specialized treatment plan that will directly address the pain associated with your condition.

Physical therapy might include massage, ice or heat therapy, pelvic traction and ultrasound, and of course, stretching exercises.

Physical therapy can play a massive role in getting on the road to recovering from a herniated disc. It entails a holistic approach with active and passive treatments. A physical therapist will not only provide pain relief for you, but they’ll also be able to teach you how to prevent this kind of injury in the future.

Call today to schedule your first appointment and learn more about safe and effective ways to reduce and alleviate your back pain!

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Neck Pain, Back Pain, Joint Pain: Why Physical Therapy Is Your Best Option For Treatment

Physical therapy is an extremely beneficial kind of treatment that offers solutions to many of the most common types of pain. The problem? Most people don’t realize the benefits of physical therapy, or even know that the pain they’re experiencing can be alleviated by seeing a physical therapist!

Read the list below. If you’re experiencing any of these common symptoms, it might be time to see a physical therapist and learn the best ways to relieve your aches and pains.

1. Do you experience neck pain?

It’s common for neck pain to develop after sports related injuries or auto accidents, but also as a result of bad posture — including the posture you have while you’re asleep! Neck pain can be hard to live with and treat, but make sure you don’t attempt to do it on your own. Seeing an experienced physical therapist who can help you find the source of your neck pain could be your ticket to a pain free life.

2. Do you experience back pain?

Another common cause of pain in American adults is back pain. Too many people struggle with it and aren’t doing anything about it. There’s been an increase in the amount of people dealing with back pain as well, which can be blamed on all sorts of different factors, from rising obesity rates to working in jobs that don’t allow for much upright movement. Physical therapy can help to ease the cause of your back pain and to relieve tension in your back, thereby reducing the amount of pain you feel.

3. Do you experience joint pain?

The best way to deal with joint pain is to see a physical therapist. Joint pain can develop as a result of arthritis. Your joints aren’t something that you can ignore if they’re causing you pain, and in most cases, attempting to rely on another part of your body to reduce pain (for example, putting more weight on one leg than the other when you walk) will only lead you to experience even more pain in other areas.

4. Do you suffer from headaches?

Headaches are yet another complaint that can be addressed with physical therapy treatment. Chronic headaches can be a sign of tension in the neck and back. Working with a licensed physical therapist on targeted stretching and massage therapy can help reduce the amount and severity of the headaches you experience.

5. Are you having difficult or limited mobility?

There are multiple reasons why someone might experience limited mobility, or become unable to move as well as they could in the past. Stroke victims often find themselves unable to walk with the same gait or speed that they used to, and even after their pain is gone, they might still struggle to move.

People who receive sports related injuries are often liable to having a limited range of motion as well, which is especially true following surgical repair of muscle tendons and/or tissue. Physical therapy can help them retrain their bodies for normal, everyday movement.

So, What Now?

The list of aches and pains that can be relieved with a good physical therapy treatment plan is endless. Whether you have lasting pain from a car accident, work-related incident, or a sports injury, it may be time to consult with a physical therapist about the best ways to go about managing your pain. Contact our office to set up a consultation and get back to living a pain-free life.