Cortisone Injections Vs Physical Therapy In Injury Recovery

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Two options that are commonly recommended to treat injuries and chronic joint issues. These are PT and Steroid Injections (Cortisone, etc). 

Cortisone Injections are an anti-inflammatory medication injected directly into the joint or tendon to reduce pain. Physical Therapy provides a patient specific plan including, manual therapy techniques, modalities (moist heat, ice, electrical stimulation), therapeutic exercise, and functional training to minimize discomfort, prevent reinjury, and return to normal activity participation.

PT may be for you!!!

Multiple studies have been completed on commonly injured joints indicating the benefits of PT vs cortisone injections. It is important to note that cortisone injections in these studies did show significant improvement in recovery from pain and can be even more effective in conjunction with PT. However, that does not consider some of the side effects that can come with injections such as increased blood sugar, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis (with long term use).

PT has been shown to provide effective recovery and decreases in pain, during and immediately following a consistent bout of participation, but the benefits don’t stop there!!  Studies have shown that compared to cortisone injections, PT has required less one year returns to the doctor for related issues, and less pain and functional disabilities after a full year following completion compared to cortisone injections.

Not only is PT effective in the present but it’s been shown to be more effective in the long term without the side effects or repeated need for injections in the future. Your body is an investment worth making, and if you have any ailments, PT is a decision worth investing in!

April is National Move More Month

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April is National Move More Month and April 3rd, 2024, is National Walking Day! Join Red Canyon Physical Therapy and the community as we move more this entire month of April.

 

National Move More Month was created by the American Heart Association (AHA) with the aim of improving the health of Americans and those all around us.

 

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week. We know this may sound difficult, but sessions can be broken up into shorter periods of time throughout the week.

Example: walking 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week would reach this goal.

 

Walking is a great way to implement physical activity and achieve the associated health benefits. Walking is simple enough that all ages and fitness levels can participate. Walking requires no special skill, equipment, or gym membership to perform.

 

Research shows that walking can:

  • Help you sleep better
  • Increase energy and endurance
  • Improve blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels in the blood
  • Supports health immune system and boosts metabolism
  • Improve overall mental and emotional well-being
  • Improve bone strength and prevent against the risk of osteoporosis
  • Prevent weight gain and maintain a healthy weight
  • Alleviate joint pain
  • Lower your risk of mortality

 

Add walking as a part of your daily routine and feel better. Every step counts so get up and move!

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3 Ideas to Improving Physical Health in 2024

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2024 is here and individuals are always trying to make all types of New Year’s resolutions. Make your physical health a priority throughout 2024 by following these three activities highlighted below.

 

Stretching Routine

Make stretching a priority going into 2024. Performing stretches everyday has many effects to improve physical health. Stretching is beneficial to prevent injury, improve flexibility, and improve posture. Finding 5-6 stretches that you can perform throughout your day focusing on muscles you find tighter than others will give you the most benefit. Be sure to hold the stretches for 30-60 seconds and stop if you experience increased pain as you might do more harm than good. One easy way to make stretching a habit is to perform them once in the morning and before you go to bed.

New Sport or Hobby

Finding a new hobby or sport is a great way to stay active throughout 2024.It is important to find an activity that you are interested in and can keep up with. Whether it is pickleball, swimming, running, walking, hiking or other activities they are all great to improve strength, flexibility, and endurance. Finding friends or family and setting goals are great ways to make it fun and  stay engaged.

Strengthening program

A good strengthening program is another way to stay active going into and throughout 2024. Strengthening has many health benefits like improving muscle and bone health and improving ability to perform daily activities. Body weight exercises and using items like a gallon jug or can of corn are great ways to start a strengthening program without breaking the bank on a gym membership or equipment. Finding a routine of 3-4 days a week with rest days in between will be important to see good benefits. Setting goals to progress weight, sets, and reps with exercises when they are easy will allow you to continue to improve strength over time.

Blood Flow Restriction Therapy (BFRT)

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What it is/background:

BFRT was first invented by Dr. Yoshiakia Sato from Japan in 1966. BFRT has become popular with weightlifters, professional sport athletes, and medical professionals over the recent years. BFRT is a strengthening technique that uses a device similar to a blood pressure cuff, which safely restricts blood flow to a muscle. Read more

What is the McKenzie Method

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The McKenzie method is a physical therapy treatment classification that was first introduced to the physical therapy world in the 1950’s by Robin McKenzie. Robin McKenzie had a clinic in New Zealand and that is where he first observed the phenomena of centralization, and it was by accident. McKenzie had a patient he was treating with lower back pain that radiated to his left buttock and down his leg. The patient was not responding to conventional treatment and one day the patient happened to lie on a treatment table on his stomach that was elevated on one side. The patient was lying there for 10 minutes waiting for McKenzie to return to the room. Once McKenzie returned to the room the patient noticed his leg and buttock pain was gone. McKenzie realized that extension was the factor that reduced the pain in the patient’s back and that was the start of the McKenzie Method. Read more

Practices to Prevent Burnout

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As we all know, these past three years have been more than crazy. Stress is on the rise throughout the world, due to the everlasting pandemic. But how much stress is too much stress? And how should we healthily deal with it?

According to Herbert Freudenburg, burnout describes a severe stress condition that leads to severe physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. Burnout is more than ordinary fatigue; it makes it challenging for people to cope with stress and more difficult for them to handle day-to-day responsibilities. We have all heard of many people, including medical staff, leaving their career field due to the overwhelming load that they have on their shoulders during this time. Katie Gerten found that from December “a whopping 76% of Americans are experiencing burnout” from the current state of the pandemic. Read more

The Throwers Ten Exercise Program and the Overhead Athlete

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The Throwers Ten Exercise Program was originally designed with 10 exercises to target strengthening for injury prevention in baseball pitchers, however has evolved as a more robust program that is beneficial to other overhead athletes. The exercises included in this program were specifically chosen as they are able to be completed outside of a gym. There is minimal exercise equipment needed and therefore allows the athlete more freedom to complete this strengthening program at home or as part of a warm-up. This exercise program would be an excellent place to start strengthening muscle groups in the shoulder in order to prevent injuries when competing in overhead sports.

Goal: To improve the strength, power, and endurance of the shoulder complex needed for the throwing or overhead athlete Read more

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

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Pelvic Floor Dysfunction can include a variety of diagnoses involving the impairment of the pelvic floor muscles and ligaments. Diagnosis can include urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, bowel incontinence, vulvodynia, pelvic organ prolapse, and many more. Pelvic Floor muscles include multiple muscles that attach to your sacrum and pelvis and support your bladder, uterus, prostate, and rectum. It involves the inability to correctly relax and coordinate the muscles to urinate or to have a bowel movement.
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Shoulder Mobility

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Many of us have struggled with how to get a good stretch for our shoulders and how to maintain mobility in our shoulders over time. One method I enjoy using for myself and with my clients is using a simple PVC pipe. This could also be a broomstick, a baseball bat, a golf club, a yardstick, etc. Here are some simple stretches that target the entire shoulder joint capsule.
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The Benefits of Running Versus Walking

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There are many people who would argue that walking is a better form of exercise than running or vice versa. In reality, each of these forms of exercise have some benefits that separate it from the other. In this review, we will identify the risks versus rewards of both to help identify what type of program is right for you. Read more