Health Blog Category: Health and Wellness
Getting to the Root of the Problem! Don’t Mask the Symptoms With Meds
Chronic pain and other types of pain can put a dent in your lifestyle. If you’re suffering from pain, be sure to give our office a call to learn how our physical therapists can get you on the path to a pain-free life. Don’t make the mistake of relying on meds, as meds only mask the symptoms. Physical therapy is a natural treatment and a non-invasive treatment that works. You won’t have to curl up with pain in bed anymore, give Nebraska Orthopaedic Physical Therapy a call after reading!
Read full blog9 Reasons Why You Need to Start Stretching
If you haven’t made stretching a part of your daily life yet, here is the only question we have for you: Why not? A good stretch is the perfect way to start your day, whether you’re young or old, fit or unfit. There are tremendous benefits to stretching, and we’re going to talk about why you need to start doing it today. If you don’t know where to start, get in touch with Nebraska Orthopaedic Physical Therapy because our physical therapist team can help!
Read full blog5 Quick Tricks to Stay Active!
As humans, we are on a never-ending hamster wheel that demands we get as much done as possible, but it’s time that we all become a little more realistic about what is and isn’t possible through sheer willpower, especially with regards to staying active.
Repeat after us: My willpower has limits.
Try as you might, you can’t accomplish world peace (or even your to-do list) within a 24-hour period. Instead, you must employ tricks and tips to stay engaged, motivated, and active on your quest to do it all.
Read full blogThe Unexpected Benefits of Stretching
Many non-athletes — and even a few actual jocks — are guilty of either rushing through their warm-up stretching, or skipping the cool-down moves after the workout. Yet, along with cardio and strength-training, stretching also delivers significant health benefits.
You probably already know that stretching extends your overall range of motion, while also elasticizing your muscles and enhancing coordination. But those improvements, in turn, bring about other health benefits. We can discuss more of these during your visit, but in the meantime here are some of the frequently-overlooked benefits of stretching.
Read full blogStill hurting? Your Diet Could Be Why
What you put in your mouth can make your aches and pains worse. Like they say, “You are what you eat.” There are many foods that can cause inflammation and actually result in pain. Eating a healthier diet can help you feel better, without those nagging aches and pains.
Foods To Say “No” To
While it may be difficult to resist sodas, chocolate bars, pastries, and desserts, it’s smart to just say no.
Read full blogThe Undeniable Link Between Nutrition and Pain
Every day, we learn more about the key role that proper nutrition plays in decreasing pain. Of course, the opposite is also true — poor dietary habits can lead to, or worsen chronic pain.
It’s not unusual for physical therapists to walk their patients through their lifestyle habits in order to pinpoint habits that might be contributing to their chronic pain. For that reason, helping a patient examine his or her diet is often part of an initial physical therapy evaluation, when appropriate.
Read full blogPlantar Fasciitis: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Plan
Some people wait longer than they need to when it comes to getting help for lower foot pain. Yet physical therapy can not only ease the immediate pain of plantar fasciitis but improve the condition itself.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Because the plantar fascia runs from the ball of your foot to the heel and is fairly wide, this band of tissues may cause pain throughout much of the lower foot, or it can happen in specific areas.
Read full blogMassage Away Your Pain with Massage Therapy
Once considered a luxury that only the rich and pampered could afford — or justify as treatment — massage is now considered an integral part of many physical therapy programs. With a variety of massage techniques to address a range of health problems, the respected practice has been proven to help significantly reduce temporary or chronic pain.
For patients needing immediate pain relief, or who are seeking to avoid drug or surgical therapies for ongoing pain and discomfort, talking to a physical therapist about using massage for some or all of their treatment plans is the ultimate “feel good” move.
Read full blogHow PT Can Reduce the Need for Opioids
With unintentional drug overdoses on a sharp increase within the U.S., more medical professionals are seeking treatment options that don’t carry the risk of painkiller addiction. Certainly, reducing pain through opioids can be a legitimate treatment. Yet mushrooming addiction rates make it obvious that methods such as physical therapy can often be a better first-line treatment than opioids, without the long-term consequence of drug addiction.
When is Physical Therapy Right for You?
It’s never too late to discontinue long-term opioid use (under your doctor’s supervision) in favor of physical therapy.
Read full blogFall Prevention Tips for the Elderly
Physical therapy is too often seen as a “last chance” to help prevent further falls, especially for older patients who have already had a few close calls. Yet physical therapists do so much more than guide patients through helpful balance-enhancing movements — as crucial as those are. These professionals, can also be counted on to help patients assess their lifestyles in order to remove as many fall risks as possible.
Medical Checkups are Crucial
Seniors should never skip annual eye exams, because changes may have happened gradually that they didn’t notice, but which are affecting their perception of light, distance and depth.
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