Physical Therapy Venice, FL
Why Consider Physical Therapy?

OA is a condition that is associated with age but not all those who are over 60 are suffering from it. Common symptoms of OA include pain, stiffness and swelling in the joint which can become extremely limiting. Maintenance of strength, mobility and proper movement mechanics can significantly reduce one’s risk of developing OA which, when severe enough, often results in surgical procedures such as shoulder, hip and knee replacements or spinal surgeries.

Tendinitis is a condition involving inflammation of a tendon which is commonly caused by repetitive stress under compromised conditions. Common symptoms of tendinitis include pain with movement, swelling as well as impaired strength and mobility. Shoulder tendinitis develops in people who use their arms a lot, particularly with overhead reaching or heavy lifting, and are unknowingly weak or lacking mobility in areas that predisposes them to tendinitis. Achilles tendinitis develops in people who spend a lot of time on their feet, whether standing, walking or running, and are weak or lacking mobility in their core and legs to tolerate this type of activity. These are just a few examples of tendinitis as it can occur throughout the body. It is a very painful and limiting condition that is also very preventable.

A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion in our joints. They can be found throughout the many joints in our bodies. Under compromised conditions such as weakness, decreased mobility or poor control one is at a much greater risk of developing bursitis. Another common cause of bursitis is direct trauma or repetitive stress. Common symptoms of bursitis include pain (particularly with pressure over the joint), swelling and limited mobility. Where bursitis develops depends on the activities one regularly participates in. Bursitis is another very painful and limiting condition that often prevents those who suffer from it from doing many things they love to do.

A strain is an overstretching and/or tearing of muscle tissue or tendon that leads to pain, swelling and loss of function. Strains commonly occur when the muscle or tendon tissue is placed under demands which are too great for the tissue to withstand. They can occur during a variety of activities ranging from intense athletic competition to simply getting out of bed in the morning. The severity of the strain dictates the recovery time, functional impairment and necessity for medical intervention. Severe strains are common during intense movement and typically a “pop” is noted at the time of injury. Mild strains can occur with common daily activities such as unloading groceries you’re your car. Mild strains will recover with rest and appropriate treatment while more severe strains often require surgery and/or result in significant loss of function.

A sprain of a ligament is very similar to a strain of a muscle. The difference is that a ligament is an entirely different tissue than a muscle. A ligament is dense fibrous tissue that connects bone to bone. A tendon is tissue that connects muscle to bone. As with strains – some ligament sprains will recover with rest while others will require surgery and/or result in significant loss of function. Common symptoms of ligament sprains include pain, swelling, loss of mobility, instability of the joint and bruising.

Sciatica is a widely used term by physicians and medical professionals to group a variety of conditions associated with involvement of the sciatic nerve. Common symptoms include a relatively constant pain (aching, throbbing, sharp, burning), numbness/tingling, weakness and muscle spasms throughout the lower back and leg(s). It can be caused by herniated or bulging discs in the lower back, bone spurs in the lumbar spine, narrowing of the lumbar spine (stenosis) as well as inflammation or tightness in muscles in the lower back and hips. Those who have experienced true sciatica understand that it is extremely painful and limiting. Severe cases may require surgery.

Stenosis is a fancy term for narrowing. Our spine is a complex series of vertebrae and discs that are stacked on top of one another in a way that, when functioning optimally, facilitates incredible amounts of mobility as well as stability. As we age, or if we participate in activities involving abnormally high amounts of force through the spine, the spaces between each vertebra where our nerves exit the spinal cord to innervate the rest of our body can narrow. This narrowing can also occur from repetitively assuming positions that decrease the joint spaces in our spine. When those spaces narrow then compression of the nerves can occur leading to symptoms of pain (aching, shooting, burning, sharp), weakness, numbness/tingling and muscle spasms – all of which are associated with activity as symptoms often resolve with rest. Stenosis commonly affects the neck and lower back with symptoms experienced in those areas as well as the arms (cervical stenosis) or the legs (lumbar stenosis). Many people suffering from stenosis end up requiring surgery which is statistically shown to be ineffective in many who receive it.

This is a condition most commonly associated with improper posture that so many of us exhibit. It is also associated with repetitive stress under compromised conditions and/or excessive loads placed on the structures about the shoulder. The rotator cuff tendons run from the shoulder blade and underneath a bony prominence called the acromion. In people who develop a forward-rounded posture, the acromion can actually rub against these rotator cuff tendons when they move their arms and create irritation, pain, swelling, weakness and loss of motion. Symptoms are most noticeable when raising one’s arm overhead. If the condition is not appropriately addressed soon enough it can lead to tearing of the rotator cuff which involves surgical repair and a very long, painful recovery.

Disc herniations commonly occur in the cervical (neck) and lumbar (lower back) regions of the spine. We have a disc between every level of our spine, and they act as cushions and separators to maintain space between each vertebra for the nerves to run out. When a disc herniates it most often herniates posteriorly which pushes against the nerve associated with that level of the spine. Herniated discs causing nerve impingement in the neck can create pain, weakness and numbness/tingling in the neck as well as the arms/hands. Herniated discs causing nerve impingement in the lower back can create the same symptoms but in the lower back and legs/feet. Severe disc herniations often require surgery to fix but milder herniations can be greatly improved with behavior modification, patient education and skilled physical therapy.

One does not have to be old to suffer from impaired balance. Loss of balance can occur for a variety of reasons ranging from decreased mobility in the joints and tissues of our legs and feet, weakness in muscles responsible for keeping us stable on our feet, loss of control of those stabilizer muscles and impairments to our vestibular system. Regardless of the cause of your impaired balance – fixing the issue should be a top priority as injuries sustained from falls are very common but also very preventable. Also, once someone suffers a fall, the psychological impact of this can be very straining on their lives due to fear of it happening again.

Plantar fasciitis is a condition involving inflammation of the plantar fascia – the dense band of connective tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot from your heel into the front of your foot. Most often it is caused by repetitive stress combined with decreased ankle and calf mobility along with weakness in the hips. It is more prevalent in women and commonly associated with wearing high heels. It is an extremely painful and limiting condition that prevents many people from being able to walk any more than 50 feet at a time. Symptoms of sharp pain in the heel/foot are often worst in the morning or after periods of prolonged standing or walking. It can take weeks to months to fully recover from an episode of plantar fasciitis and sometimes surgery is even indicated. Preventing the condition is your best option but, if you do notice symptoms, starting treatment as soon as possible will save you a lot of time, money and pain.

A nerve is pinched with surrounding structures (bones, muscle, cartilage, tendon or ligament) place excessive pressure on it. This can occur for a variety of reasons ranging from sleeping awkwardly, repetitive stress, trauma, disc herniations or even pregnancy. Pinched nerves cause radiating pain, weakness and numbness/tingling along the distribution of the involved nerve. A common condition associated with pinched nerves is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome where the median nerve running through the wrist is compressed by swollen tendons or thickened ligament in the area. Nerves can be compressed throughout the body and maintenance/restoration of proper strength, flexibility, movement mechanics and joint mobility is one’s best option for prevention/rehabilitation of a pinched nerve.