Category Archives: Health and Wellness

Do Muscle Creams Eliminate the Need for Exercise?

For aching muscles following surgery or from arthritis, you have probably considered using a variety of topical creams and gels for pain relief. Some of these pain relievers contain salicylates, the same ingredient that gives aspirin its pain-relieving quality. Some contain capsaicin, while others use ingredients that relieve pain by providing a counterirritant. When applied, […]

Don’t Be Felled by a Fear of Falling

Fear of falling increases as we age—and with good reason. About one of every three adults aged 65 and older falls each year. In 2010, more than 2.3 million nonfatal falls were treated in emergency rooms, resulting in more than 662,000 hospitalizations. A staggering 95% of all hip fractures are related to falls. In people […]

Exercising Despite Asthma

Your physician has said you have exercise-induced asthma (EIA). Can physical therapy benefit you? Absolutely! The key is to find ways of working out that minimize the opportunity for an asthma attack to occur. Interestingly, symptoms most often arise five to 20 minutes after a workout, rather than during one. Along with your physician, we […]

Moving Past Metabolic Syndrome

Being overweight can result from overeating or eating fattening foods, or it can be caused by a condition called metabolic syndrome, a combination of disorders that, when occurring together, increases the risk of coronary heart disease and other diseases related to plaque buildups in artery walls (e.g., stroke and peripheral vascular disease) and type 2 […]

Don’t Get Apoplectic Over Apophysitis

Your preteen soccer player comes home from practice complaining of knee pain, and there is a tender swelling at the top of his shin. Your 8-year-old starts limping and talking about a gradually increasing ache in his heel. In both cases, the culprit may be apophysitis, a relatively common condition where an apophysis—a type of […]

Exercising While Taking Blood Thinners

If you have been prescribed blood thinners, you may wonder if it is safe to exercise while taking them. The answer is a little tricky, because it depends on what type of exercise you are referring to. Plus, the reasons why you need to use caution may not be what you expect. The first thing […]

TENS Ways to Alleviate Pain

One approach used in a rehabilitation program, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) uses an electric current to stimulate muscles to contract. Electrical impulses are thought to interrupt messages sent by pain receptors from the nerves to the brain. If the brain does not receive these messages, it does not recognize pain, and you do not […]

Osteochondritis Dissecans: The Guide To Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment Options

Understanding The Broken Bone You Never Knew You Had Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) can sound alarming when you learn that a small piece of cartilage and bone can break off inside a joint, sometimes floating around and causing discomfort or pain. While this condition most commonly affects adolescent boys involved in sports, anyone can experience it. […]

Make Your Winter Workouts Work

Exercise is essential—there are no two ways about it. But for many people, the ability to exercise is severely affected by their environment, especially people who live in areas with cold winters. Fortunately, a drop in temperature does not have to mean a drop in your exercise routine. Your exercises can be modified depending on […]

Joint Supplements: Can Popping a Pill Cure What Ails You?

Walk through the supplement aisle of your local pharmacy, and you will likely see row upon row of “joint supplements”—pills or liquids that promise to relieve joint stiffness and pain, and increase mobility. If there are so many of these products on the market, they must be effective—right? Unfortunately, the answer is not quite so […]