‘Aches and Pains’ Archives

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5 Tips for Surviving the Aches and Pains of Mardi Gras

posted on February 8th, 2012, by Rich. Comments Off posted so far.

Avoid Mardi Gras aches and painsWe’ve talked about float riders preparing for the ride of their life in Mardi Gras parades, but what about those of us in the crowd?

While great fun is usually had by all, attending parades can leave lots of aches and pains. These aches and pains are in addition to the headaches and hangovers afflicting many parade-goers. The most common pains we see after Mardi Gras are plantar fasciitis, low back pain, and neck pain.

To avoid these problems try these 5 simple tips:

  1. Lower back pain: Lower back pain often accompanies prolonged standing. Always bring a portable lawn chair with you. Take every opportunity to sit down. While sitting, stretch your low back by forward bending. Reach for the floor with your hands so as to completely round out your back. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds.
  2. Compression socks: Compression socks help your circulation and will leave the feet feeling much better. Any athletic store should have a selection of compression socks, but in reality almost any kind of long athletic sock would do. Get a pair of colored baseball socks and make it part of your costume.
  3. Beads: While they look cool and are the ultimate reward for all of your effort, tons of beads around the neck usually leads to pain. Pick the best of the best, and limit the bead necklaces to 6.
  4. Ladder standing: Widen the step you stand on so your whole foot rests on the step. This can easily be done at the hardware store, or with a little handiwork around the house.
  5. Shoulder riding: Proceed at your own risk! Make sure to check the size of the back end getting on top before agreeing to it. If already committed, make sure the rider sits back across your shoulders and not on your neck. Good Luck!

I hope these tips help you enjoy Mardi Gras PAIN FREE!

For more tips on management of low back pain, foot pain, or neck pain, follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook. If you need a free consultation, please contact our office.

Happy Mardi Gras!!

Image: DoctorWho via flickr


filed under Aches and Pains, Fun.

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7 Tips to Prevent Back Pain Caused by Airline Travel

posted on November 8th, 2011, by Rich. Comments Off posted so far.

Do you travel often for work? Will you be flying to see friends and family over the holidays? While we all love the speed of air travel, trips can be down right painful. Uncomfortable seats, confined spaces, and heavy bags. Here are some simple tips to help you manage the stresses of air travel:

1) Get some exercise the day of the trip before going to the airport. This will help you relax while on the plane and decrease muscular tension. If you are unable to exercise before getting to the airport, take a brisk walk focusing on long strides and big arm swings in the airport.

2) Use a back pack. Forget the brief case or fancy hand bag, check your luggage and use a back pack to carry your personal items. This will allow you to keep your hands free, support the weight with your body and decrease the stress to your back and neck.

3) Secure an isle seat. This will allow you to get up easily while in flight to stretch and move around. You should try to get up every 45 minutes or so.

4) Bring a lumbar roll. These rolls are cheap and easy to carry along with you. A lumbar roll supports your lower back to decrease the strain of prolonged sitting. If you don’t have a roll, grab a pillow, blanket on board or even use a sweater. Anything will work to take the tension off.

5) Use the following isometric exercises to reduce muscular tension:

Head press. Press head back into head rest tensing the muscles in the back of your neck.  Hold for 10 seconds repeat 3-4 times.

Overhead reach if able reach both arms overhead and back as far as they will go. Hold for 10 seconds.  If unable to do both do one arm at a time.

Sitting up tall, arch your low back while squeezing your shoulders back. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 3-4 times.

6) When you arrive, take a brisk walk to loosen things up.

7) Finally, prepare to pull your bags off of the conveyor belt. Give yourself room and have a plan to grab your bags as they come around. Free yourself of your other luggage so you can safely retrieve your bag.

These are some of the strategies that I use to help me with long flights.  Let us know what you do to avoid neck and back pain on airplanes.

For more tips on avoiding neck and back pain, like Baudry Therapy on Facebook or follow Baudry Therapy Center on Twitter.

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filed under Aches and Pains, Back pain, Holiday travel tips, Neck pain.

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3 for Thursday

posted on September 29th, 2011, by Rich. Comments Off posted so far.

There are many benefits to working out before you go to work, but it’s hard not to hit the snooze button and roll over. Use these tips to get up and get going. Tips for getting up to workout in the morning.

Dr. Julie Silver talks about the 4 rules for when to worry about pain.

Do you have chronic pain from an old injury that is  taking you away from the things you love. ASTYM may be just the thing you need to get back in the game.  Check out the ASTYM site to see if ASTYM treatment can help you.

filed under Aches and Pains, Exercise.

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Ask Rich Series – Sleeping Postures

posted on September 27th, 2011, by Rich. Comments Off posted so far.

I received this question in response to my post on Neck Pain- Physical Therapy Can Help:

Rich,

I have some issues with my neck/back that usually only disturbs me in the morning. I’m guessing the reason is how I sleep at night.

Blake,

Thanks for the comment. Sleeping postures can certainly affect and even cause painful pathologies. When you think about it you can certainly understand how sleeping in any one position for 6-8 hours could present a problem. Try holding your arm behind your back or completely extended overhead for even 10 minutes and see how it feels. The most common problem areas that I see with sleeping are in the shoulder, neck, and back. Generally, I advise people to avoid end range stress on their joints by maintaining a relatively neutral spine. This can be achieved by taking a number of measures including the following:

1) Avoid sleeping on your stomach, or with your arms overhead.

2) Use a pillow that supports your head by keeping it from a twisted or bent position.

3) Get a new mattress. If your mattress sags or is lumpy it’s probably the time for a new one.

4) Avoid sleeping in the same position all of the time.Vary your sleeping positions, preferably on either side or on your back.

5) Use extra pillows to support your body in neutral positions, to avoid extremes of motion in the neck and shoulder.

6) If you must sleep on your stomach use a pillow under your hips.

Here are a few pictures for good sleeping postures.

For more tips like these, follow Baudry Therapy Center on Twitter or like Baudry Therapy on Facebook.

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filed under Aches and Pains, Back pain, Neck pain, Shoulder pain.

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Neck Pain- Physical Therapy Can Help

posted on September 13th, 2011, by Rich. 5 Comments posted so far.

neck painNeck pain is all too common, and it’s really no surprise why. Just look at what the neck does. It rotates, bends, twists, and turns in all kinds of directions enabling us to move with coordination and skill. But with more moving parts comes an increased risk of injury. Necks are vulnerable to overuse, whiplash, and postural type injuries.  But they don’t have to be. Physical therapy is a proven treatment strategy to help those dealing with acute or chronic neck pain.

As a series of bones with multiple joints, and movement patterns, our necks are subjected to repetitive postural trauma. Habitual  postures and movement patterns can put stress on certain joints in the neck. How we sit, sleep, and drive can all lead to chronic tightness, weakness, and mobility issues.

The good news is that a healthy neck can be just a physical therapy visit away. A little knowledge and a good strategy can go a long way to avoiding long term neck problems and even surgery. Physical therapists are experts in human movement and are skilled evaluators. Physical therapists can tell you “why” your neck hurts, and provide you the tools needed to prevent serious neck problems.

So if you get occasional neck pain, a headaches, or “cricks” in your neck, call us to schedule an physical therapy evaluation today. Let us show you how to feel better.

For more specific neck pain information read this article from the American Physical Therapy Association or contact our office.

By: Rich Baudry, PT, DPT, OCS

Photo 1: The Brit_2

Photo 2: Menage A Moi

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filed under Aches and Pains, Neck pain, Physical Therapy.

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Run Training – Post Run Recovery Tips

posted on September 6th, 2011, by Rich. Comments Off posted so far.

Run training involves not only the pre run training but also the post run recovery.

For those who are scheduled to or have just run a big race, what is the best way for you to recover from the race?

Immediately after the race focus on:

  • Replenishing the fluids lost - There is no consensus on what to consume after a race, but replacing fluids lost and your carbohydrate supply is of prime importance to restoring normal energy levels. For more specific details seek the professional advise of a sports oriented dietitian.
  • Rewinding the system - Try walking backwards. You’ve just spent 45 minutes or more moving forward, rewind the system by walking backwards.
  • Avoiding cramps/muscle spasm - The quads, the calves and the lower back muscles are very active while running and commonly tighten up. Gently stretch these muscle groups to improve circulation and inhibit muscle cramping. Hold stretches for 20 – 30 seconds.
  • Inhibiting pain - Pain can indicate a significant injury. If there is any pain use ice and elevation to improve circulation, inhibit spasm, and pain. Ice for up to 10 minutes at a time as prolonged icing can cause “freezer burns”.

In the days that follow focus on promoting tissue recovery and healing by:

  • Performing light exercise – Rapid walking forwards, sideways, and backwards helps restore normal muscle flexibility, improves circulation and decreases muscle tightness.
  • Continuing with good nutrition habits – Stay hydrated. Make sure to eat proper amounts of protein to help you rebuild and repair damaged tissue. The American Dietetic Association recommends between .54-.77 g   of protein per day per pound of body weight for active individuals.
  • Lightly massaging sore muscles – to increase circulation and speed soft tissue recovery.

Try these strategies to recover faster, train better, and to enhance your next performance.

For more tips on run training, sports performance, and injury prevention, please contact our office, or respond through the comments section.  And for more tips like these just follow Baudry Therapy Center on Twitter, or like Baudry Therapy on Facebook.

Rich Baudry

Photo credit: Raul Lieberwirth

filed under Aches and Pains, Exercise, Running, post-run recovery.

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Performance Training – How to Identify Overtraining Injuries

posted on August 30th, 2011, by Rich. Comments Off posted so far.

Too much of a good thing might not be great. Many of you have taken the challenge to get in better shape, compete in a sport or competition, or reach for personal fitness goals. We applaud you for your effort and think it is great! We encourage our clients daily to reach for their goals. Unfortunately, some find injury and setbacks due to overtraining.

Overtraining occurs when we push too much, too fast , and for too long. Each workout puts stress on the body. That stress stimulates the body to to respond by rebuilding the tissue stronger. The body is very good at responding to the stresses we put on it. The problem comes when the breakdown process of the exercise or activity, outpaces the bodies ability to heal and recover. When this occurs, injury, performance lulls and even illness can follow. Often, our minds are ahead of our body’s abilities.

Are you training and having any of the following symptoms?

1) Mood changes.

2) Persistent aching in the joints and muscles.

3) Increased frequency of illness.

4) A drop in performance level.

5) Drop in enthusiasm or passion for the activity.

6) Loss of sleep.

If so, you may be suffering the effects of overtraining. The key to avoiding the performance training injuries is to recognize the warning signs. Although we may be working out with good intentions, it is easy to fall into the trap of overtraining. We adopt the “if a little bit is good, more must be better” philosophy. A little success breeds the drive for more. So we push a harder expecting greater improvement only to find the opposite. Unfortunately, improvement takes time. Our bodies have limits, depending on our current level of conditioning, age, and ability. No matter what the activity, knowing the right amounts to push or train is important. Recognize the signs of overtraining, and train smarter and more effectively.

If you would like more information on performance training and how to train efficiently and effectively, please contact our office, or respond through the comments section.

For more tips like these just follow Baudry Therapy Center on Twitter, or like Baudry Therapy on Facebook.

Rich Baudry

Photo credit: VinceHuang

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filed under Aches and Pains, Exercise, Overuse injuries, Performance Training, Sports injury.

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4 Ways to Decrease Acute Pain

posted on August 16th, 2011, by Rich. Comments Off posted so far.

muscle pain therapy | inujury therapyAcute pain and soreness is inevitable. Everyone has it at one time or another. Whether from playing too much volleyball at the picnic or going for that extra mile on your Saturday run, its going to happen. Just a quick twist of an ankle, or overuse of a muscle, or tendon and there it is.  Any activity that causes trauma to a body part causes pain and triggers an inflammatory response (our body’s natural healing mechanism). The amount of trauma determines the amount of inflammation and usually the amount of pain.

While pain from a soft tissue injury, or inflammation are not the only types of pain, how well you deal with acute inflammation, will play a large roll in how fast you recover from the pain.

If you find yourself hurting after an injury, try these techniques to manage the acute pain:

  1. Ice early on to the site of pain helps with circulation and inhibits the pain. Limit icing to 10 minutes at a time to prevent skin burn.
  2. Elevation of the body part above your heart will help with circulation and dissipate inflammation.
  3. Massage: mobilizing the soft tissue in the area inhibits pain, stimulates circulation, and helps with healing.
  4. Light exercise: Using the involved muscles for light activity helps improve circulation, decreases inflammation, and promotes tissue healing. The activity should be with light resistance and completely pain free to be effective.

Other mechanisms that we use in our physical therapy clinic to reduce pain and inflammation include electrical stimulation, compression, dosed therapeutic exercise, and manual therapy with joint and soft tissue mobilization.

As always for the fastest recovery possible, a professional evaluation from a MD, physical therapist, or athletic trainer is advisable. These individuals are trained to provide you with appropriate advise for handling an acute injury.

If you would like more information on how to manage pain and inflammation, please contact our office, or respond through the comments section.

For more tips like these just follow Baudry Therapy Center on Twitter, or like Baudry Therapy on Facebook.

image credit: raechiropractic.net
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filed under Aches and Pains, Sports injury, injury.

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Plantar Fasciitis – Success with ASTYM

posted on August 2nd, 2011, by Rich. Comments Off posted so far.

plantar fasciitis treatmentPlantar fasciitis one of those diagnoses that can be difficult to deal with. It has been reported to occur in 2 million Americans per year and in 10% of the population over a lifetime. I frequently see patients with a long history of plantar fasciitis or heel pain who have tried many things and seen many experts, before getting to my office.

One of the reasons plantar fasciitis is so tough is that the cause is usually multi-factoral. In addition to foot wear, trauma, or environmental hazards, there is usually a combination of flexibility, mobility, and strength issues that contribute to the problem. Without addressing all of the factors, the treatment fails. The best treatment approach I have come across for plantar fasciitis is physical therapy utilizing the ASTYM technique. This treatment approach is thorough and looks at the many factors involved with plantar fasciitis.

Click here to watch a short video of the ASTYM process.

Here is a recent patient account of their experience with this condition:

Rich:

Just a note to thank you for your help in resolving my heel problem with ASTYM therapy treatments and stretching exercises.  When I was referred to you by my son-in-law, who as you know is also a physical therapist, I was literally at the end of the road in trying to resolve the pain in my heel from plantar fasciitis, which started about 6 months ago.  I  tried a podiatrist whose primary therapy was steroid injections, alternating hot and cold wraps, a walking boot, a splint at night, various insoles and orthotics, and ultrasound treatments, all to no avail.  After 10 ASTYM treatments over a period of approximately 2 1/2 months, along with your prescribed stretching exercises, I can report that I am virtually pain free.  From your initial evaluation through the last treatment, you and your staff have been professional, thorough and efficient.  You must continue to spread the word about the benefits of ASTYM, as will I.

Have you had plantar fasciitis? Are you looking for treatment for your plantar fasciitis right now? We want to hear from you. Don’t let plantar fasciitis stop you in your tracks. Tell us about your experience and let’s see if together we can get you back to tip top shape.

- Rich

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filed under Aches and Pains, Athletes, Physical Therapy, Running, Sports injury.

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7 Strategies to Reduce Headaches

posted on July 19th, 2011, by Rich. Comments Off posted so far.

tension or stress headache treatmentsDo you ever suffer from headaches brought on by stress? You’re not alone. Studies show that 45 million Americans suffer from headaches. That is almost 1/6 of the population. And while not all of them are stress induced, we’ve all had that bad day that ends up triggering the even worse headache.

The good news is that if you are a headache sufferer there may be a simple solution. Because many headaches are caused by stress, tension, or other mechanical dysfunctions of the upper neck, exercise can help. Limitations in upper neck and jaw movement, poor posture, and increased muscle tension can all produce headache symptoms. Given that so many of us spend our days looking into computer screens, a simple set of exercises and an improved sense of posture and movement may be your answer to more headache free days.

Try these strategies:

1) Adjust your computer monitor so that you have to look slightly down at it ( top of monitor at your brow). Prolonged sitting at a computer can increase the tension in the upper neck.

2) Adjust your seat in the car to be more upright. Car seats promote poor posture. Prolonged driving with poor posture can contribute to headaches.

3) Be aware of your chin position, and try to hold it 1/4″ lower than you normally do. Most people stand and sit with there chin held high. This can cause increased pressure at the base of your skull.

4) Use your knuckles to apply pressure to the muscles just below your skull.  Apply pressure in these areas as tolerated holding for 8-10 seconds. This can help decrease muscle tension.

5) Avoid sleeping on your stomach. Sleeping on your stomach can strain the upper neck which can trigger headaches.

6) Take time to lie in a dark quiet room and focus on your breathing. Lie quietly for 5 -10 minutes trying to relax the muscles of your neck. This will provide you with much needed down time to reduce muscular tension in the area.

7) Add these neck exercises to your everyday routine:

tension headache treatment

CERVICAL NODS
Lie on your back with head supported by the table.  Without lifting head off the supporting surface gently bring chin towards the chest. Slightly press your head into the table. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat 3-4 times to relieve symptoms.

RETRACTION / CHIN TUCK
tension headache treatmentSit tall.  Draw your head back so that your ears line up with your shoulders. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times to relieve headache symptoms.

While these techniques can be helpful, headaches can be a sign of a more serious condition. If you do suffer frequent headaches, consider talking to your physician or physical therapist for a complete evaluation. It is vital that you identify the source of your headaches to find a successful treatment approach.

For more information regarding treatments for headaches, please contact our office or just leave us a comment on this post.

And if you’re getting more tips like these, just follow Baudry Therapy on Twitter or Like Baudry Therapy on Facebook.

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filed under Aches and Pains, Healthy Living, Neck pain, Physical Therapy.

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