Carpal Tunnel

Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome holding you back from enjoying the activities that you love the most? Luckily, there are different types of physical therapy treatments that can help get you back to doing what you enjoy most!

What is Carpal Tunnel? Carpal Tunnel is a syndrome that comes about when the median nerve is compressed at the wrist. The median nerve comes from cervical spinal nerves, which controls movement and sensation to the palmar side of the hand, thumb, and fingers. Some symptoms include, numbness in the fingers, pain that increases at night, weakness in your hand, difficulty gripping objects, making a fist, the feeling that your fingers are swollen, a burning or tingling sensation in your thumb, index fingers, and middle fingers, or pain that shoots up your arm and into your elbow.

What can physical therapy do to help you live a less painful life and get you back to enjoying the activities that you enjoy so much?

There are several different therapy treatments to treat Carpal Tunnel. Gliding exercises, Graston Technique/Manual Therapy, Ultrasound, Traction, and Splints are all treatments that can help lead you to a pain-free life. Gliding exercises includes moving your fingers in a particular pattern of different exercises, which can help both your tendons and your nerves, glide easily and more smoothly through your carpal tunnel. Splints or braces are both nonsurgical treatments and is most commonly used with carpal tunnel. Splints keep the wrist immobilized, which in turn relieves the pain and discomfort. Gliding exercises and splints or braces are most effective when used together. Graston Technique or better known as Manual Therapy is a more hands on approach of treating this syndrome. It uses therapy skills known as myofascial release or Active Release Technique that works to release the tightened tendons and muscles. Ultrasound can help reduce the severity of the pain and numbness while also improving your hand strength by putting the ultrasound deep and directly to the carpal tunnel. Traction is used with a device known as C-Trac that could be done from home and has been found to relieve the symptoms of carpal tunnel.

We feel like we have the best physical therapists around. Did you know you don't need a referral to get help from a Physical Therapist? Direct access is available for you, please call us and set up an evaluation so we can help get you back on your feet. In Orange County we offer Physical Therapy in Chester, Goshen, Monroe, Port Jervis, and Montogmery. Westchester County has Physical Therapy in Armonk, Bedford, and Hawthorne. In Ulster County we offer Physical Therapy in Wallkill, while in Sullivan County you can get Physical Therapy in Ferndale. To round out our 12 locations in New York, those living in Rockland County can go to Physical Therapy in New City as well as Pomona.  If you happen to live in PA, we also have Physical Therapy in Milford and Dingmans Ferry of Pike County.  Give us a call today!

Preparation for the Slopes

It’s that time of year again, ski season! As people from all over the tri-state area travel to their favorite slopes there’s more to think about than which run to hit first. Skiing is a very intense exercise that really strains your body. Between the constant weight shifting and breathing in the frigid air, this can be very taxing on your body. Skiing is a great winter pastime but if you aren’t prepared it can be miserable. There are some very important things to do in preparation before you shred your way down the mountain.

             First off, what to wear: ski hat, gloves, scarf, winter coat, long johns and the usual for winter outings. However, there are a few extra things you may want to get, goggles to block wind and snow, tall socks for the boots and ski pants. Remember also to wear layers; wool is better than cotton in this case because you won’t get cold if you get wet. Don’t forget, besides your actual clothing, your equipment is even more important! Your skis, boots and poles must be properly aligned to your body. You do not want your boots to be too tight, you will be miserable and this will limit your range of motion on the slopes. Your skis will be alerted to your height and weight, this is also extreme important for balance and control on the mountain. All equipment needs to be perfectly fitted for you. Don’t borrow your buddy’s equipment unless you have it tailored to your needs, this is for safety reasons. If you have any pinching or discomfort on your run go back to the lodge and get your equipment checked out as soon as possible.

Your fitness level plays an important role in how your day will go. Skiing is not a walk in the park, it has its ups and downs. During skiing your body is straining muscles it normal doesn’t use in your daily activities. Most of these are internal balance muscles that may take some time to warm up. Skiing is very cardiovascular. If the skier is not used to this type of exercise they may get fatigued early in the day, which will lead to bad form and ultimately less control. Skiing can be very dangerous. You are not surrounded by the safety, warmth and brick walls of your gym. You are out in the wilderness in extreme temperatures doing very strenuous exercise. If you do lose control, the effects could be fatal. The harsh cold air and winds along with altitude changes can also have a big affect on your ski trip. The cold will tighten your muscles so it is imperative you stretch! You do not want to pull a muscle on the mountain. Make sure your body is limber and warmed up before getting on the lifts.

There are many preventative measures that can be undertaken to lessen the chances of an accident. Overall, once you get the hang of skiing you should be good for the day, if not there are many instructor and staff on the slopes to help out. The beginning of your trip may have its moguls but take some time to adjust. As long as you’re dressed properly and the safety precautions have been set it’s all bunny hills from there!

We feel like we have the best physical therapists around. Did you know you don't need a referral to get help from a Physical Therapist? Direct access is available for you, please call us and set up an evaluation so we can help get you back on your feet. In Orange County we offer Physical Therapy in Chester, Goshen, Monroe, Port Jervis, and Montogmery. Westchester County has Physical Therapy in Armonk, Bedford, and Hawthorne. In Ulster County we offer Physical Therapy in Wallkill, while in Sullivan County you can get Physical Therapy in Ferndale. To round out our 12 locations in New York, those living in Rockland County can go to Physical Therapy in New City as well as Pomona.  If you happen to live in PA, we also have Physical Therapy in Milford and Dingmans Ferry of Pike County.  Give us a call today!

What is Tommy John Surgery?

 

What is Tommy John surgery? Tommy John is a surgery that repairs an injured elbow ligament. The surgery is well known for being performed on college and pro athletes, mainly baseball pitchers since it has been named after former MLB pitcher Tommy John. The surgery may also be known as UCL reconstruction. UCL stands for ulnar collateral ligament.

One that is considering having Tommy John surgery would probably want to know how this surgery works. The main concept of the surgery is that a tendon is taken from another part of the patient’s body in order to replace the injured elbow ligament. What part of the body is the tendon taken from? Well, a few different places. The toe, wrist, forearm, foot, hip, knee or hamstring are all the most common. Tunnels are drilled in the ulna or humerus, and the tendon (referred to as a graft) is passed through the tunnels, which is then shaped into a figure eight pattern and the tendon is repaired.

Rehabilitation is one the most important factors of Tommy John surgery. A successful recovery can take up to a year, but many athletes do not return to their previous full strength until up to 2 years after the surgery. This is why physical therapy is one of the most important roles in recovering from this surgery. Your physical therapist and your doctor should be monitoring your recovery and informing you of your progress. During recovery, you will go through a three-step recovery process. For 7-10 days, you will wear a splint on your wrist. You will also being wearing a range-of-motion brace, which will help regain all motion of the elbow joint. As far as exercises go, you will be conducting exercises with your arm, wrist, shoulder and hand in order to regain some strength lost from the surgery.The next phase begins about 6 weeks after surgery, which involves exercises that help strengthen the elbow. However, your physical therapist will be sure not to conduct too many exercises that will put too much stress on the healing elbow.

The final phase involves the patient slowly becoming more active. Your doctor and physical therapist may have you begin to toss a ball 4 or 5 months after the surgery. After 6 months, athletes may begin to use a wind-up motion as a baseball pitcher typically does. A month after that, which is now 7 months post-surgery, a baseball pitcher may return to the mound. It is not usually until after about nine months when a pitcher may start to competitively throw if they have a full range of motion and are pain-free.

After all this rehabilitation, doctor visits and physical therapy, does this surgery actually work? Before this surgery was ever done in 1974, a tear to the UCL was considered a career-ending injury. However, although Tommy John is not fully successful all the time, over 85% of athletes that have had this surgery performed on them have either returned at their previous level of competition, or in some cases, an even better level than they once were.

Tommy John is a surgery that gives athletes another chance at playing the games that they love. An injury that was once so threatening to a career, can now be fixed with surgery and a long, but worthy rehabilitation process. Your doctor and physical therapist are extremely important to you when going through this surgery. It can certainly change your athleticism, career and life for the better and it is well worth having if the opportunity is presented.


We feel like we have the best physical therapists around. Did you know you don't need a referral to get help from a Physical Therapist? Direct access is available for you, please call us and set up an evaluation so we can help get you back on your feet. In Orange County we offer Physical Therapy in Chester, Goshen, Monroe, Port Jervis, and Montogmery. Westchester County has Physical Therapy in Armonk, Bedford, and Hawthorne. In Ulster County we offer Physical Therapy in Wallkill, while in Sullivan County you can get Physical Therapy in Ferndale. To round out our 12 locations in New York, those living in Rockland County can go to Physical Therapy in New City as well as Pomona.  If you happen to live in PA, we also have Physical Therapy in Milford and Dingmans Ferry of Pike County.  Give us a call today!

How to Avoid Frostbite

Frostbite can become a very serious issue, this is why it is so important to make sure to protect yourself from it. Exposed skin is at risk during harsh cold weather. Blood flow moves away from areas like fingers and toes, to work harder at keeping the heart and lungs functioning, avoiding what would be hypothermia. That is why it is so important to make sure you’re taking the right precautions during the winter months.

Everyone knows that you should bundle up during the winter months. Here is why… it is important to protect skin from water and wind. For instance, if your gloves or socks are wet this is going to expedite the dangers of frostbite. If this happens make sure you replace with with dry clothes. Fingers and toes are where 90% of frostbite injuries occur. Hats and earmuffs are also extremely important when it comes to protecting yourself, about 30% of your heat escapes from your head. Staying hydrated and fueled with food while being outdoors needs to be a priority. Your body is working hard to keep you warm so depriving it of things it needs could be catastrophic.

Treating frostbite should be done by a medical physician immediately. If this is not possible for mild cases, use wet heating methods to rewarm the area. If not treated properly you risk losing a finger, toe or skin. There could be long term problems as well like, changes in skin color, lose of nail, sensitivity or change in sensation to the area of skin, and even chance of developing skin cancer.

Frostbite is a serious condition that in most cases is easily avoidable. No need to try and be the tough guy wearing shorts in the snow! Be smart this season and stay warm to protect yourself!

We feel like we have the best physical therapists around. Did you know you don't need a referral to get help from a Physical Therapist? Direct access is available for you, please call us and set up an evaluation so we can help get you back on your feet. In Orange County we offer Physical Therapy in Chester, Goshen, Monroe, Port Jervis, and Montogmery. Westchester County has Physical Therapy in Armonk, Bedford, and Hawthorne. In Ulster County we offer Physical Therapy in Wallkill, while in Sullivan County you can get Physical Therapy in Ferndale. To round out our 12 locations in New York, those living in Rockland County can go to Physical Therapy in New City as well as Pomona.  If you happen to live in PA, we also have Physical Therapy in Milford and Dingmans Ferry of Pike County.  Give us a call today.

New Year, New You

The most common New Year’s resolution is to shed a few pounds and get in shape. Well, that time of the year has come once again and everyone promises themselves that it’s a new year and a new you will be the outcome. Why not? A new year is a great excuse to wake up and smell the roses. It’s December 31st and you’re stuck in the same routine you’re dying to break out of. January 1st finally comes and BAM! Total life change. You have a whole new eating schedule, your grocery shopping lists shifts in items and you find yourself Youtubing workout videos.

In order to maintain this healthy lifestyle you’re preparing to encounter for more than a week, there are a few things you can do. It is crucial that you don’t put your body in total shock. You just came out of the holiday season where binge eating 20 cookies was totally acceptable. Obviously that’s not the case anymore. You can’t limit yourself to only salads and water and expect to lose five pounds in a few days. Setting realistic goals for yourself is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

This also holds true for working out, not only eating. Let’s be honest, it’s probably been a while since you’ve been on a treadmill or lifted some weights. You cannot overdo it the first day you decide you want to be active. You have to ease into things to make sure you don’t injure yourself. Instead of doing an hour of cardio try and do twenty-thirty minutes to see how much your body can handle. Same thing goes for weights. It is so incredibly easy to pull a muscle or tear a ligament by over exerting yourself. Work your way up the weights rack slowly and carefully.

Keep yourself on track with a healthy, positive mind frame and the sky's the limit. Setting yourself realistic goals will not only help keep you focused but it will make sure failure isn’t an option. It’s a new year so try new things. Have fun in the kitchen and create new healthy recipes. Be creative with your workouts to ensure you don’t get bored too quick. Think outside of the box this New Year and stay healthy.

We feel like we have the best physical therapists around. Did you know you don't need a referral to get help from a Physical Therapist? Direct access is available for you, please call us and set up an evaluation so we can help get you back on your feet. In Orange County we offer Physical Therapy in Chester, Goshen, Monroe, Port Jervis, and Montogmery. Westchester County has Physical Therapy in Armonk, Bedford, and Hawthorne. In Ulster County we offer Physical Therapy in Wallkill, while in Sullivan County you can get Physical Therapy in Ferndale. To round out our 12 locations in New York, those living in Rockland County can go to Physical Therapy in New City as well as Pomona.  If you happen to live in PA, we also have Physical Therapy in Milford and Dingmans Ferry of Pike County.  Give us a call today.

The most common New Year’s resolution is to shed a few pounds and get in shape. Well, that time of the year has come once again and everyone promises themselves that it’s a new year and a new you will be the outcome. Why not? A new year is a great excuse to wake up and smell the roses. It’s December 31st and you’re stuck in the same routine you’re dying to break out of. January 1st finally comes and BAM! Total life change. You have a whole new eating schedule, your grocery shopping lists shifts in items and you find yourself Youtubing workout videos.

In order to maintain this healthy lifestyle you’re preparing to encounter for more than a week, there are a few things you can do. It is crucial that you don’t put your body in total shock. You just came out of the holiday season where binge eating 20 cookies was totally acceptable. Obviously that’s not the case anymore. You can’t limit yourself to only salads and water and expect to lose five pounds in a few days. Setting realistic goals for yourself is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

This also holds true for working out, not only eating. Let’s be honest, it’s probably been a while since you’ve been on a treadmill or lifted some weights. You cannot overdo it the first day you decide you want to be active. You have to ease into things to make sure you don’t injure yourself. Instead of doing an hour of cardio try and do twenty-thirty minutes to see how much your body can handle. Same thing goes for weights. It is so incredibly easy to pull a muscle or tear a ligament by over exerting yourself. Work your way up the weights rack slowly and carefully.

Keep yourself on track with a healthy, positive mind frame and the sky's the limit. Setting yourself realistic goals will not only help keep you focused but it will make sure failure isn’t an option. It’s a new year so try new things. Have fun in the kitchen and create new healthy recipes. Be creative with your workouts to ensure you don’t get bored too quick. Think outside of the box this New Year and stay healthy.

- See more at: http://accessptw.com/blog/New-Year-New-You~760.html#sthash.0Gw8mDvE.dpuf

The most common New Year’s resolution is to shed a few pounds and get in shape. Well, that time of the year has come once again and everyone promises themselves that it’s a new year and a new you will be the outcome. Why not? A new year is a great excuse to wake up and smell the roses. It’s December 31st and you’re stuck in the same routine you’re dying to break out of. January 1st finally comes and BAM! Total life change. You have a whole new eating schedule, your grocery shopping lists shifts in items and you find yourself Youtubing workout videos.

In order to maintain this healthy lifestyle you’re preparing to encounter for more than a week, there are a few things you can do. It is crucial that you don’t put your body in total shock. You just came out of the holiday season where binge eating 20 cookies was totally acceptable. Obviously that’s not the case anymore. You can’t limit yourself to only salads and water and expect to lose five pounds in a few days. Setting realistic goals for yourself is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

This also holds true for working out, not only eating. Let’s be honest, it’s probably been a while since you’ve been on a treadmill or lifted some weights. You cannot overdo it the first day you decide you want to be active. You have to ease into things to make sure you don’t injure yourself. Instead of doing an hour of cardio try and do twenty-thirty minutes to see how much your body can handle. Same thing goes for weights. It is so incredibly easy to pull a muscle or tear a ligament by over exerting yourself. Work your way up the weights rack slowly and carefully.

Keep yourself on track with a healthy, positive mind frame and the sky's the limit. Setting yourself realistic goals will not only help keep you focused but it will make sure failure isn’t an option. It’s a new year so try new things. Have fun in the kitchen and create new healthy recipes. Be creative with your workouts to ensure you don’t get bored too quick. Think outside of the box this New Year and stay healthy.