Reach For Your Wallet

The painful condition known as “sciatica” is often the result of compression or irritation of the longest nerve in the body, which runs from the spinal cord to the buttock and hip area and down the back of each leg. While compression of this nerve is often the result of a herniated disc, there is also another unsuspected cause. Oddly enough, the rear pockets in pants are located close to the sciatica nerve’s most vulnerable areas. As thick wallets in pants’ back pockets press on the sciatic nerve, they produce a sharp pain in the buttock that can radiate down the leg on that side. Fortunately, simply simply relocating the wallet to another pocket can easily avert “wallet sciatica”.

At PERSONAL CARE PHYSICAL THERAPY, our friendly therapists have the expertise necessary to determine the source of your sciatic pain. We will work with you, one-on-one, to create a treatment plan tailored to your unique set of needs with a focus on preventing future pain and loss of function. Call us at (928) 214-7430 to make an appointment or visit our facility at 1515 E. Cedar Ave.

Navigating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel is a debilitating condition that involves symptoms such as tingling; weakness; numbness; and or pain in the thumb, fingers, or hand. Your risk of developing carpal tunnel increases with time spent doing activities that involve forceful or repetitive finger/wrist movements. Computer and construction workers are often at risk. If you are having difficulty with sensation and grip strength you may have pressure on the median nerve, which runs through the wrist’s carpal tunnel to the hand. Left untreated, this condition can cause permanent damage to the nerve and require surgical intervention. An experienced physical therapist can teach people how to uses their hands and work tools throughout the day to minimize or prevent damage to the median nerve. Physical therapists can assess ergonomics, recommend changes to body mechanics, and suggest appropriate exercises.

Naturally, preventing carpal tunnel syndrome is ideal. But if you’re already suffering from this painful condition, then you need to call PERSONAL CARE PHYSICAL THERAPY today. We specialize in the treatment of hand injuries, as well as orthopedic, industrial, and arthritic issues. Our friendly therapists will work with you to design a therapy regimen and help you reduce or eliminate pain. Call us at (928) 214-7430 to make an appointment or visit our facility at 1515 E. Cedar Ave.

Don't Throw Away A Promising Future

Young athletes are developing more overuse injuries largely because many are specializing in only one sport. Among the most prevalent of these injuries are sprained elbows that are putting young pitchers’ arms at risk. In many cases, the specific problem area is the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). This relatively small, half-inch-long ligament is closely linked with maintaining elbow stability when a person throws. When the ligament tears or becomes stretched, the pitcher will likely experience pain and lose the ability to throw. This injury is also fairly common among any athletes who throw or swing their arms, such as tennis players, javelin throwers, quarterbacks, and weightlifters. All should be careful not to strain their arms by over training/over playing. The best way for young athletes to avoid overuse injuries is to cross train.

An athlete’s recovery is quicker and more successful if the injury is addressed early. Our therapists at PERSONAL CARE PHYSICAL THERAPY have the expertise necessary to help athletes play their best throughout the season and prevent future injury. Call us at (928) 214-7430 to make an appointment or visit our facility at 1515 E. Cedar Ave.

Shoulder Injuries Most Comon Among High Schoolers

High school players’ risk of injury varies in accordance to the sport they play, but the risk is greater for boys than girls. As for the most common type of injury experienced by young players, shoulder injuries topped the list among football players, followed distantly by wrestlers and baseball players. Boys were twice as likely as girls to experience shoulder injuries, which were three times more likely to occur during competition than practice. Sprains and strains accounted for 39.6% of all shoulder injuries, followed by dislocations/separations (23.7%), contusions (11.5%), and fractures (6.6%). The most common mechanisms of injury were player-to-player contact (57.6%) and contact with the playing surface (22.8%). According to the study mentioned above, athletes returned to play within a week of a shoulder injury in 44.8% of cases, but 22.9% of the injuries kept players on the bench for more than three weeks.

Whether you’re a student athlete, a weekend player, or a professional, injuries are just part of the game. If you’re recovering from an injury on the field or off, call PERSONAL CARE PHYSICAL THERAPY today. Our friendly certified therapists understand the unique needs of all kinds of athletes and create a program designed to get you back in the game. We can also help you recover from an auto accident, work injury, fall, or surgery. Call us at (928) 214-7430 to make an appointment or visit our facility at 1515 E. Cedar Ave, Ste E2.

Talk May Not Come Cheap

Your cell phone’s unlimited minutes plan may come at a cost that has nothing to do with your monthly bill. Prolonged flexing of the elbow may give rise to tingling and pain in the forearm and hand, which are symptoms that are being increasingly reported by cell phone users. While the popular term used to refer to these symptoms is “cell phone elbow,” the medical term is “cubital tunnel syndrome.” No matter what term you use to describe the painful symptoms, it is caused by compression of the ulnar nerve, which runs along the bony bump on the inside of the elbow. Repetitive and prolonged stretching of the nerve while holding the elbow bent causes it to misfire and short circuit. “Cell phone elbow” responds best to prompt treatment. For more severe or chronic cases physical therapy may help relieve your symptoms. Treatment may include switching to a headset, massage, and the use of ultrasound to loosen scar tissue that sometimes forms around the ulnar nerve as a result of inflammation.

Our therapists at PERSONAL CARE PHYSICAL THERPAY are experienced at relieving symptoms of cubital tunnel syndrome. Call us today at (928) 214-7430 to make an appointment or visit our facility at 1515 E. Cedar Ave, Ste. E2.

Sending Kids Packing

While no one remembers exactly when schoolchildren began looking more like they were heading off on mountain expeditions than to the classroom, we are sure that overloaded backpacks can lead to back pain and other physical ailments. The good news is that, when worn properly, backpacks are better than book bags at distributing the weight of books and other paraphernalia. To begin with, the contents of a backpack should not exceed 15 percent of a student’s body weight. In addition, so that the load is allocated as intended, students should use (and tighten) both shoulder straps and hip belt. Otherwise, a child may bend forward at the hips or arch the back, which can cause the spine to compress unnaturally. Wearing only one shoulder strap of a backpack leads to poor posture and muscle pain in the shoulders and neck. Adults and college students should follow these recommendations as well.

If you or your child are suffering from neck, shoulder, or back pain give the therapists at PERSONAL CARE PHYSICAL THERAPY A CALL. We can help eliminate your pain and provide you with the knowledge you need to prevent future symptoms. Call us at (928) 214-7430 to make an appointment or visit our facility at 1515 E. Cedar Ave, Ste. E2.