PTA Blog

Alternative Lower Leg Treatment

2011-11-02T20:32:40Z

I would like to discuss a new approach to lower leg pain when the direct treatment approach is not successful. It is not new news that exercises alone do not reduce our patient's pain. When a patient's hip, knee, or ankle pain does not resolve or is taking longer than expected to heal, we need to stat thinking outside the box. As a physical therapist, I have the luxury to work at many tissue levels. One area that can commonly be overlooked is myofascial tightness following a surgery, especially in the abdomen. Recently, I have seen several overuse orthopedic injuries that when traced back up the lower kinetic chain stem from abdominal myofascial restrictions. Performing unique myofascial techniques to a c-section incision and associated abdominal myofascial structures the benefits are lengthy. Patients indicate improved breathing, greater length in their posture, longer strides, increased energy and reduced pain in the lower leg. Please consider an old abdominal incision as part of the equation when you have unexplained hip, knee or lower leg pain. Call today to discuss treatment options with our physical therapists!

HELLO TO ALL!

2011-08-30T17:37:11Z

First, I want to thank everyone who has supported Physical Therapy Advantage over the past four and a half years (current and former clients, friends, family, physicians, the North Aurora community and the Batavia and Aurora Chamber of Commerces). We truly appreciate it. You are our best marketing source and because of you, we have grown dramatically since April 2007. Now that the school year has started and our lives are returning to some sort of normalcy (at least those of us with younger kids), don’t forget to take care of yourself. We at PTA challenge you to start that exercise class, call up your running/walking buddy, focus on your posture, take that daily lunch-time walk, or begin that stretching and stress reduction routine. Remember, if you don’t look out for NUMBER #1, then who will? Also, include the entire family (kids, spouses, parents) with a walk, bike ride, jump rope contest or even hula hooping. Change up the sedentary routine with an active and healthy lifestyle regimen.

Thanks again and contact us if you have any questions prior to starting an exercise routine or if you want to take care of that old “nagging” injury prior to starting.

Best wishes,

Joe King PT, ATC

Owner

Gardening

2011-05-20T15:25:15Z

Spring is here and hopefully, the weather will be spring like soon!!!
With spring, comes gardening, which is wonderful hobby for so many people. Spring is a beautiful time for flowers. How pretty the daffodils and tulips are this time of year. The only problem is that along with the pretty flowers, we also get weeds. Picking weeds for someone with a sore back or an arthritic knee can be very difficult.

The Grandpa’s Weeder is a great tool for anyone who has weeds, and with all of this rain, we will all have plenty of weeds. It is a long handled tool that allows you to stand while you are weeding. You place the prongs in the ground around the weed and step on the lever. Slowly pull back on the handle and voila, the entire weed and root come out of the ground. It is simply magnificent. Check out the pictures. This tool is sold in many garden and tool stores.

Other tips to protect your back and knees while gardening:

When shoveling or lifting, use your legs not your back to lift. Bend at the knees and lift using your strong leg muscles.
If doing a lot of work near the ground, get a cart with a seat that allows you to get closer to the ground without putting extra stress on your back or knees. This also helps getting up from the ground easier.
Divide your gardening and yard work into 15 minute segments, always allowing for breaks and rest. Try even doing just 15 minutes a day. You will be amazed at how much work you can get done without overstressing your body.

Persmission was given by the manufacturer of the Grandpa’s Weeder to use in this blog.

Physical Therapy Myth Busters

2011-05-20T15:24:59Z

Let the staff at Physical Thearpy Advantage help you take the myths out of physical therapy.

Myth 1. Patients have to attend physical therapy 3x/wk
Truth We work with patients's busy schedule, so they can benefit being seen 1-2 times a week, if needed.

Myth 2. No pain, no gain
Truth Not all exercises are "painful." We specialize in teaching patients how to move within their own body and reduce pain within the first session.

Myth 3. Physical Theray cliniics are just another gym that patients feel umcomfortable in.
Truth We provide a relaxed and comfortable environment for patients to reach their greatest physical potential.

Myth 4. Clinics are crazy busy and they shuffle patients through an assembly line.
Truth We offer patients one-on-one care without the sensation of feeling rushed just because the next patient walks in the door.

Myth 5. All physical therapists are out to cause the patient pain.
Truth We take a special interest in our patients and listen to their needs and concerns. We avoid repeating their fears in a physical therapy experience.

Myth 6. Patients have to schedule 12-15 sessions at one time.
Truth If a patient is hesitant, we only schedule 2-3 sessions at first. The patient's readiness to commint to physical therapy comes when we bulid the patients's trust. We show that we care for their wellbeing through results and new found lifestyle.

Let us solve other Myths roaming and swaying patients from a better way of life!! Stop by to meet our staff or call today!!

Don't Let Repetition Hurt in the Long Run

2011-05-20T15:24:29Z

Doing anything long enough will cause the body to breakdown....

We specialize in assessing a runner's biomechanics to prevent further tissue breakdown or prevent injuries from occurring in the near or distant future.

Whether you:
* Sit at your computer, day after day, in the same position
* Sit in your car on your one hour drive to work
* Stand with your weight shifted onto one leg
* Sleep on the same side night after night
* Run with the weight to the outside of your foot
* Run without knowing that you have hip weakness
* Run or sit with poor posture

As Physical Therapists we are trained to perform a full postural analysis with all activities. Poor postural alignment from the front or side views can have severe effects on your efficiency of movement over time. When all the diagnostic tests come back negative and you have sought out several experts in the area, and they have not been able to solve your mysterious injury....it just may be how you are doing what you are doing that is the cause of the injury.

Our extensive training facilitates a client to move more efficiently, along with our expertise in video analysis which helps identify postural dysfunction and faulty biomechanics more quickly than ordinary assessments. As clients see the deviation from normal alignment, they start the process of injury prevention. Success is correcting alignment before it becomes an issue to be corrected!

Please contact our staff to participate in a running and/or postural analysis.

Don't let the Repetition of Running stop you from the Long Runs!

Call us today!

Future marketing...(Rebecca's blog)

2011-05-20T15:23:28Z

Who is the new addition to Physical Therapy Advantage….

My name is Rebecca Johnson and my passion to getting to the bottom of an injury has brought me to where I am in the practice of physical therapy today. I have never stopped learning in my professional and personal career in running. It all started during an indoor track season when I began to complain of right knee pain. At the time, I was told to ice my knee before and after each practice session. A little frustrated with my options, I asked the question that rings in my ears still today….“what it causing my pain?” I just don’t want to ice it until I know what is causing it. At the time, I didn’t even realize the implications of that question and how it has shaped my life. My high school career was successful, winning 4th in state in the 1600 m relay!

I went onto college to earn my sports medicine degree with an emphasis in athletic training, It turned out to be a great foundation to build upon. I continued to run in college with problems of repetitive injuries: ilio-tibial band syndrome, hip flexor strain, shin splints, etc. Not much fun yet I gained invaluable medical experience with the variety of sports working as a student athletic trainer. I soon realized that I wanted to know more about my own injury and more involved cases at the collegiate level. At which point, the next part in my educational journey had begun.

I moved onto to get my Master’s in Physical Therapy which has been the love of my life(with the exception of my husband and 2 wonderful children). I am in my 11th year of patient care and still going strong. I am still physically active and finished my first Northface Challenge 10K in the fall of 2009. Upon several areas in physical therapy that I enjoy to treat, I