Heat and Cold therapy How it works When we apply Heat therapy, it improves circulation and blood flow to  that area due to increased temperature. Heat therapy can relax and soothe muscles and heal damaged tissue. Types Dry Heat therapy includes sources like heating pads, dry heating packs, and even saunas. This heat is easy to apply. Moist Heat therapy includes sources like steamed towels, moist heating packs, Theratherm heating pads that take moisture from the air, or hot baths. Moist heat may be slightly more effective as well as require less application time for the same results. Contraindications diabetes dermatitis vascular diseases deep vein thrombosis multiple sclerosis (MS)  Heat is useful for relieving: osteoarthritis strains and sprains tendonitis, or chronic irritation and stiffness in the tendons warming up stiff muscles or tissue before activity relieving pain or spasms relating to neck or back injury, including the lower back Cold…

Labyrinthitis is an inner ear disorder. The two vestibular nerves in your inner ear send your brain information about your spatial navigation and balance control. When one of these nerves becomes inflamed, it creates a condition known as labyrinthitis. Symptoms: dizziness vertigo loss of balance nausea and vomiting tinnitus, which is characterized by a ringing or buzzing in your ear loss of hearing in the high-frequency range in one ear difficulty focusing your eyes Causes respiratory illnesses, such as bronchitis viral infections of the inner ear stomach viruses herpes viruses bacterial infections, including bacterial middle ear infections infectious organisms, such as the organism that causes Lyme disease If you would like to learn more about Labyrinthitis, please check out this link. Diagnosis Tests to check for the condition may include: hearing tests blood tests a CT or MRI scan of your head to record images of your cranial structures electroencephalogram…

The topic of concussion has been in the media quite frequently in the last several years. Top athletes, like Sidney Crosby, have definitely put concussion in the spotlight. Crosby was unable to return to his game for almost a whole year because of persistent symptoms related to concussion. Furthermore, research has shown that 96% of deceased ex-NFL players have a form of brain damage called Chronic Traumatic Encephelaphathy (CTE), which may be related to repeated head traumas like concussions. Safety Of Athletes Involved In Contact Sports This calls into question the safety of athletes involved in contact sports. In contact sports, there seems to be a higher incidence of these injuries. However, concussions do not just happen to the famous pro-athlete. They can happen to athletes playing at any level or any age. They can do more than take away playing time. Rowan Stringer, a high school rugby player, sadly…

Signs and Symptoms of ACL tear This blog will talk about signs and symptoms of ACL tear. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament, or ACL, is a very important structure of the knee joint. Its main function is to stop the shin bone from moving too far forward when the knee is straightened. The ACL also prevents the knee from rotating too far inward. As a result, a tear to this ligament can have very negative effects on knee function and stability. A potential injury to the ACL has fairly easily recognizable signs and symptoms. Mechanism of injury of ACL Tear The mechanism of injury is very important in identifying an ACL injury. The ACL ligament is often injured when the leg is pivoted with the foot planted. It can also result from a direct blow to the outside of the knee. It is common to see ACL injuries in soccer and…

Pelvic Floor: Posture PELVIC FLOOR: POSTURE is a very important area if you have issues with urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, etc.  The muscles of the pelvic floor support the abdominal and pelvic viscera.  These muscles are active in standing and sitting. Furthermore, because the abdomen is a fluid-filled cavity, intra-abdominal pressure  is distributed in all directions.  The Pelvic Floor muscles, which form the floor of the abdominal cavity, contribute to its muscle control. As a result of this contribution to control of intra-abdominal pressure, the muscles of the pelvic floor are likely to contribute to control of the spine and pelvis. The slouched posture places a lot of pressure on our internal organs and pelvic floor. This can cause a worsening of: urinary incontinence, pelvic pain,  symptoms related to prolapse, and rectus diastasis. Pelvic Floor: Posture, sitting slumped Research has shown that when we sit in a slumped posture, our pelvic…

Neck Pain Treatment Pain in your neck can happen for several different reason  . Neck Pain Treatment can help get you back on your feet quickly.  It can happen suddenly from an accident or fall.  Even sleeping in an awkward position can cause neck pain. Other times it can build up over several months or even years and gradually get worse. And sometimes, it may seem like there is no reason and you just wake up one day with neck pain. Neck Pain Treatment:  Possible symptoms you may feel The way you feel the pain can also vary depending on how the  injury happened. Some neck injuries will have just pain as the symptom. Other neck injuries will include pain but also have weakness and pins and needles as well. Sometimes you will have pain that is just in the neck itself. In other cases, pain is felt more in the…

A Baker’s Cyst, also known as a popliteal cyst, is a fluid-filled swelling that causes a lump at the back of the knee. This leads to tightness and restricted movement. The Baker’s Cyst can be painful when you bend or straighten your knee. ? Causes of a Baker’s Cyst Synovial fluid is a clear liquid that normally circulates through the spaces in your knee joint. Sometimes the knee produces too much of this fluid. The increasing pressure forces the fluid to the back of the knee via a one-way valve. This creates a bulge. This  swelling of the knee causes a Baker’s Cyst to form. The most common causes of a Baker’s Cyst are: damage to the knee’s cartilage (meniscus) arthritis of the knee rheumatoid arthritis other knee conditions that cause joint inflammation ? Symptoms of a Baker’s Cyst Some patients may have no pain and may not even notice the…

Acupuncture: Neck pain Almost everyone will experience some sort of neck pain or stiffness during their lifetime. However, certain occupations appear to be predisposed to neck symptoms.  Acupuncture: Neck pain may be able to help. Manual laborers, for instance, have more symptoms than office workers.  The type of work seems to affect the risk. A person’s age and a history of twisting and bending during work can also contribute. Studies have shown acupuncture: Neck Pain to be effective in relieving certain types of neck pain.  This is especially true for neck pain  caused by whiplash. Some studies suggest acupuncture can treat degenerative neck disorders such as ankylosing spondylosis and cervical spondylosis.  In many cases, acupuncture: Neck pain has worked for patients whose conditions could not be solved using conventional approaches. ¬ Mechanism of action of Acupuncture: Neck pain Release of opioid peptides.Opioids are naturally occurring chemicals in the brain that…

Peroneal tendinopathy Peroneal tendinopathy or peroneal tendonitis is characterized by an aching pain and swelling in the perineal tendons. These are located in the lower, outside portion of the ankle. A tendon is soft-tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone. The muscles involved in this condition are the 2 peroneal muscles in the lower leg, called the peroneus longus and the peroneus brevis. Anatomy ?There are two peroneal tendons that run along the back of the fibula. The first is called the peroneus brevis. The term “brevis” implies short.  It is called this because it has a shorter muscle and starts lower in the leg. It then runs down around the back of the bone called the fibula on the outside of the leg and connects to the side of the foot.  The peroneus longus takes its name because it has a longer course. It starts higher on the leg and…

De Quervain’s Disease/ Texting thumb. De Quervain’s Disease De Quervain’s Disease or nowadays known as texting thumb is a painful inflammation of tendons in the thumb that extend to the wrist. The rubbing of the inflamed tendon against the canal it passes through causes pain at the base of the thumb and into the lower arm. It is commonly seen in females over 40 years of age. Causes of De Quervain’s Disease 1. Simple strain injury to the tendon. 2. Repetitive motion injury. Workers who perform rapid repetitive activities involving pinching, grasping, pulling or pushing are at increased risk. Specific activities including intensive mousing, trackball use, and typing. Other activities including bowling, golf, fly-fishing, piano-playing, sewing, and knitting can also cause De Quervain’s Disease. 3. Frequent causes of De Quervain’s Disease include stresses such as lifting young children into car seats, lifting heavy grocery bags by…