What Are Common Sports Injuries And How Can PT Help?

Actively participating in sports is considered one of the best ways to improve cardiovascular health, maintain flexibility, and relieve stress. However, with the frequent movements that sports require, injuries can often occur as a result of insufficient stretching, or contact with other players. In some cases, taking steps on your own to strengthen key muscles and managing the health of the body can make some sports-related injuries preventable. Unfortunately, in many other cases, injury occurs by chance with no way to prepare. Because sports-related injuries are so common, your team could be suffering from an abundance of players who are missing time due to injury. The physical therapy in Farmingville team at Block Sports Chiropractic, and Physical Therapy have been trusted since 1993 to deal with injury prevention and recovery. Specializing in sports-related injury and care, you can trust our staff in providing the most effective treatment options available!

How Can PT Help?

Physical therapy is one of the best ways to help reduce your pain, strengthen the injured muscle or muscles surrounding an injured bone, and ultimately help you return to the playing field. Here are some common sports-related injuries and how physical therapy can likely help:

• Shin Splints – Often caused by repetitive stress to the legs such as running or jumping, shin splints refer to the painful inflammation of the tendons and muscles surrounding the tibia. Treatment with physical therapy involves ice and compression therapy, stretching, strengthening the surrounding muscles to prevent future injury, and making any necessary modifications to your current running form.
• Sprained Ankle – These usually occur when the foot twists inward, causing the weak outer ligaments to stretch or tear. Physical therapy for ankle injuries is essential for restoring stability and flexibility, while limited, exercising with an injured ankle is essential in maintaining what strength remains to prevent re-injury after healing.
• Pulled Groin – Soreness or inflammation of the groin or inner-thigh muscles caused by side-to-side motion. Gentle exercises are used to recover by increasing blood flow and range of movement in the hip area. Stretches and warm-up exercises are often recommended to prevent future groin injuries.

Physical therapy in Farmingville is made possible with the team at Block Sports Chiropractic & Physical Therapy. When left untreated, many conditions caused by sports can either get worse or cause persistent pain in the future. These injuries do not have to keep you on the sideline any longer; recovery with physical therapy is an ideal way to become stronger and prevent future injury.   

Physical Therapy in Farmingville

If you are looking for physical therapy in Farmingville, Block Sports Chiropractic & Physical Therapy has been serving the local sports communities for over 25 years. You do not have to struggle with your pain and recovery alone, reach out, and schedule an appointment with us today!

How Do You Treat a Tendon Injury?

Tendons are the small, fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. Peroneal tendon injuries are either acute, which occur suddenly, or chronic, which develops over some time. A combination of factors normally causes a tendon injury. The primary causes could involve overuse of the tendon, age, injury, or disease. You may be at more of a risk for tendon disorders if you are using excessive force on your tendons, using repetitive movements, or have an awkward posture. 

Common Tendon Injuries:

Block Sports Chiropractic & Physical Therapy can diagnose your tendon disorder. Physical therapy in Hauppauge can also help you heal from your injuries by using a variety of techniques. The most common injuries associated with the tendons normally include the following:

• Tendonitis – occurs when the tendon becomes inflamed, often developing in the wrist and fingers. The central signs of tendonitis are swelling, pain, and discomfort. Tendonitis is sometimes related to various diseases, such as diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis. It is normally caused by repetitive activity, an impact on the affected area, or from a serious injury.
• Tenosynovitis – inflammation of the tendon sheaths that enclose the tendons. Both tendon and sheath, usually, become inflamed simultaneously. 
• Tendonosis – involves the degradation of the tissue in the tendons. Block Sports Chiropractic & Physical Therapy offers physical therapy in Hauppauge, to make sure your tendonitis doesn’t lead to tendonosis. Symptoms of tendonosis include pain and stiffness in the affected area and, in some cases, the appearance of a tender lump.

How to Treat Tendon Injuries:

In order to get the best results for pain relief, please consider doing the following for your tendon injuries:

• Rest the painful area and avoid any activity that will make the pain worse.
• Apply ice or cold packs for ten to fifteen minutes at a time as often as twice an hour for seventy-two hours. Continue to use ice as long as it continues to help.
• Incorporate natural anti-inflammatories such as turmeric, cumin, ginger, or pineapple into your diet which can help to reduce painful inflammation, aiding in long-term recovery. 
• Do gentle range-of-motion exercises and stretching while at physical therapy in Hauppauge to prevent stiffness.

Are You Continuing to Have Problems?

If you have attempted the treatments previously mentioned, or you need guidance, come to Block Sports Chiropractic & Physical Therapy. We have been providing physical therapy in Hauppauge since 1993. For more information, visit our website or call us at 631-543-0004 today!

Physical Therapy After a Shoulder Replacement

Each year, approximately 53,000 Americans undergo shoulder replacement surgery. Total shoulder replacement is a significant improvement to the function of your shoulder joint. However, this notable alteration takes time. Physical therapy can help bring the full function back to your shoulder. At Block Chiropractic and Sports Physical Therapy, our manual physical therapists help you recover as fast as possible. Start your path to better health today.

After shoulder replacement surgery, it is critical to prevent your shoulder from staying immobile. Slow, small motions of the shoulder will help with everyday tasks in the future weeks. Most patients can perform simple tasks such as getting dressed a few weeks post-surgery. Your physical therapist will create an individual plan for the following weeks. Below are some exercises for Physical Therapy in Farmingville. Do not try these before consulting your physical therapist, as inconsistency can cause more harm. 

Exercises To Try: 

• Scapula Retraction – Pull your shoulder bones together by expanding your chest. Hold for ten seconds, release, and repeat. This exercise should be repeated 30 times, 3 times a day.
• Supported Arm Pendulum – Bending forward so that your torso is parallel to the floor, use your non-surgical arm to lean on a chair, couch, or another object for support. With your other arm, make small circles in clockwise and counterclockwise motions. Like the previous exercise, repeat 30 times 3 times a day.
• Shoulder Forward Elevation – Start by keeping your arms straight at your side. Raise your hand slowly without twisting your wrist. Repeat 5-10 times for 3 times a day. Be careful to prevent yourself from raising your shoulders, too.

Other exercises improve blood circulation from your fingers, up to your shoulder.

• Grip Strengthening – Use a stress ball or other soft object to grip and flex your fingers into a tight fist. Repeat as necessary.
• Elbow Motion – Slowly bend and straighten your arm, and then retract. This motion will decrease stiffness in your elbow from your sling.

Contact Physical Therapy in Farmingville:

At Block Chiropractic and Sports Physical Therapy in Farmingville, we will gladly answer any questions you may have. Our physical therapists are experienced in more than just shoulder conditions. If you have an upcoming shoulder replacement surgery, are considering surgery, or would like to know more information, schedule an appointment today.

Physical Therapy After Orthopedic Surgery

Orthopedic surgery is meant to correct problems within the musculoskeletal system. The different types of surgeries can include reconstruction, spinal fusion, traction, joint replacements, and amputation. The recovery period for most orthopedic surgeries can seem to drag on. During this time, your orthopedic surgeon may refer you to physical therapy in Farmingville. At Block Sports Chiropractic & Physical Therapy, our team can make your road to recovery as quick and painless as possible.

Why is physical therapy important?

Physical therapy in Farmingville can be a crucial part of the recovery process. It’s important to work towards increasing the strength of your muscles surrounding the recovering area. Aside from building your strength back up, physical therapy can also help: 

• Restore your usual movement in the joint
• Relieve swelling and pain
• Prevents blood clots by helping with your circulation
• Allows you to quickly get back to your usual everyday activities

Naturally, your doctor will have you starting an exercise plan as soon as you can do so. Depending on the amount of pain you are experiencing, you might start as soon as the day after the operation. Keeping up with your physical therapy routine can help keep your muscles flexible and strong, which can help prevent further injury.

How do you start?

Your orthopedic surgeon or the team at physical therapy in Farmingville will help create the perfect exercise routine for your condition. However, it is important to remember that you have a say in this as well. Below we have listed a few important tips you should keep in the back of your head throughout this recovery process:

• Start slow– It takes time to build muscle. Over time, you will begin to notice that you will increase your amount of repetitions or add weight to an exercise.
• Address pain– You should not be experiencing serious pain while exercising. If you begin to feel pain, stop exercising.
• Don’t push yourself too hard– It’s natural to have that post-exercise soreness. If the soreness is so severe you can barely move, this is a sign that you may have overdone it. 
• Ask questions– Your physical therapist is there to help you and guide you in the right direction to recovery. 

If you are recovering from orthopedic surgery, you may benefit from physical therapy in Farmingville. Here at Block Sports Chiropractic & Physical Therapy, we can help you get right back on your feet after your surgery! Contact us for an appointment today.

Physical Therapy After A Hamstring Injury

Your hamstring is made up of three muscles located behind your thigh. These are the muscles that allow you to bend your knee. When your hamstring becomes strained, these muscles might begin to tear. Activities such as running, jumping, or sudden starting and stopping can trigger a hamstring strain. If you have a hamstring injury and feel you may benefit from seeing a physical therapist, visit us at Block Chiropractic and Sports Physical Therapy. 

Causes

There are many potential causes of a hamstring injury. Some of these causes include:

• Lack of warm-up or stretching exercises
• Weak muscles or imbalance in muscle strength in or near the hamstring
• Improper footwear
• Recurring injury

Symptoms

If the strain is mild, the pain will not be too bad. However, a more severe strain can make it impossible to walk. Some other symptoms include:

• Sudden pain during exercise
• Popping or snapping feeling during exercise
• Tenderness
• Pain in the back of the thigh or lower buttock, especially when walking or bending
• Bruising

A physical examination from your doctor would be the best way to diagnosis a hamstring injury. 

Treatment and Recovery

The recovery time for a hamstring injury will depend on the severity of the tear or strain. A minor strain may only take a few days to recover from, however, a partial or complete muscle tear can take weeks to months. 

While it depends on the severity of the hamstring injury, it may be able to heal by itself. Within the first two to three days of experiencing this pain, try to speed up the healing process by utilizing the RICE method:

• Rest
• Ice
• Compression bandages
• Elevate your leg

Also, taking anti-inflammatory painkillers may speed up your recovery time!

However, if the strain doesn’t go away on its own, it’s important to seek professional help. Those treatment options involve:

• Physical therapy- Your physical therapist will give you different exercises that improve your muscles’ range of motion, flexibility, and strength. 
• Surgery- If other methods don’t work, surgery may be an option. The muscles are stitched in place.

If you are experiencing a hamstring sprain, contact us at Block Chiropractic and Sports Physical Therapy at either our Smithtown or Selden location today!