Author: Physical Therapy Doctors of Florida

Enough of That Pain in the Neck

It’s no wonder we say something is a “pain in the neck” if it’s bothersome, constraining, or wearisome. Actual physical neck pain is something you can’t just ignore. Whether it’s looking over your shoulder to check your blind spot while driving, backing into a parking spot, watching live sports, or shaving or putting on makeup in the mirror, neck mobility is something you constantly employ without ever even thinking about until it causes you discomfort. Neck pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders in the world with an annual prevalence rate of more than 30% of adults in the United States. Sadly, 5% of neck pain sufferers will become disabled as a result, and it’s ranked as the 4th leading cause of disability worldwide.

Causes of neck pain are sundry. Some common ones are:

• Injuries

Rear-end auto collisions can easily result in whiplash injury. This occurs if the head jerks backward and forward, causing strain to the neck’s soft tissues.

• Poor Posture

Hours hunched over a computer, smartphone, or television often strains the supporting muscles of the neck; especially if they are weaker than they should be for lack of proper use. “Text Neck Syndrome” arrive with the advent of the smartphone’s ubiquity and is not only endured by adults, but is increasingly common in children and adolescents.

• Worn Joints

Arthritis of the neck, more properly referred to as cervical spondylosis, occurs when disks and joints in the neck degenerate, possibly forming bone spurs that can painfully grind.

• Obesity

Being unhealthily overweight actually increases the risk of persistent moderate or severe neck pain after a motor vehicle collision, and places you at higher risk to develop osteoarthritis in the neck. Authors of a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology concluded that physical inactivity and high Body Mass Index (BMI) are associated with an increased risk of chronic pain in the neck.

If you are someone who can relate to the problems outlined in this article, we are pleased to be able to end it on a high note of good news. Neck pain is very often treatable. Licensed Physical Therapy Doctors of Florida’s expertise lies in helping you move without pain, and doing it without prescription drugs or surgery. Neck pain is a problem with which our Physical Therapy Doctors and Assistants hold a host of successful patient testimonials. Check out many more stellar reviews on our Google listing. Let’s revisit the above neck-pain-causing problems and learn about how Physical Therapy addresses them.

• Injuries

Injury rehabilitation under the watchful eye and guidance of a pain expert helps to ensure that the recovery is speedy and complete. Poor or slowed healing needlessly extends the amount of time you suffer. Allow our therapists to design a treatment plan specific to your situation.

• Poor Posture

Physical Therapists know how to alleviate muscular imbalances and joint misalignment caused by habitually poor posture. We can retrain your body to hold itself in a posture that is optimum for your body type and habits.

• Worn Joints

Arthritis is not an untreatable condition. We know how to help you learn how to move in a way that won’t exacerbate your joint pain, while simultaneously improving the supporting structures to take the load off painful parts.

• Obesity

Physical Therapists understand whole body health. A plan to strengthen your muscles and joints while decreasing excess fat weight will go farther than you may think possible in remedying your neck pain. One scientific study in Finland showed that strength training caused 75% of neck pain sufferers to report considerable or complete pain relief.

Find out how the Licensed Physical Therapy Doctors and Assistants right here in Bradenton are serving all of Manatee and Sarasota Counties residents by helping them move without pain! Call us at (941) 264-1414, email us info@ptdoctorsfl.com, or send us a direct message here.

Do You Suffer With Shoulder Pain?

Shoulder pain makes life harder than it needs to be. Writing, typing, driving, picking up children and pets, carrying groceries–these are just a few of the daily movements that people take for granted until they suffer an injury or start to develop chronic pain in their shoulders. Not to mention limitations on your golf or bowling swing, or a host of other recreational activities. Difficulties with shoulder pain are extremely common, with its greatest prevalence and severity in the 50-56 year age bracket. It’s more common in women than in men, with approximately 15% of men suffering with it and 10% more than that in women.

The glenohumeral joint is structurally classified as a synovial ball-and-socket joint and functionally as a diarthrosis and multiaxial joint involving articulation between the glenoid fossa of the scapula (shoulder blade) and the head of the humerus (upper arm bone).  All this complicated talk is to say that the shoulder joint is extremely complex and so there are many possible causes of difficulty with it. Everything from the obvious injuries and arthritis, to the more deceptive poor posture or muscular imbalances that can inflame the rotator cuff. The shoulder joint is the most mobile joint of the human body, so suffering a decrease in range of motion and/or pain can be a serious diminishment of your otherwise normal life activities. Assessing the spaces (how much space there is in the joint matters), capsules (tough membranes sheathing the joint), bursae (small, fluid-filled sacs), muscles, ligaments (bone connectors), and innervation (there are 3 nerves supplying the shoulder) of this very busy body part is best left to a pain specialist.

A Licensed Physical Therapist knows how to assess your pain and develop a treatment plan to not merely mask it with side effects-laden prescription medications, but to restore strength, mobility, and the ability to move again without pain. The pain drugs do nothing to heal, and surgery is not necessarily the only answer. If you’ve already had surgery, Physical Therapists have the tools to progressively get your strength back. Our patient Keith reported in one of our many 5 Star Google Reviews that Physical Therapy Doctors of Florida got him back on the golf course less than 8 weeks after rotator cuff and bicep tendon surgery.  Another patient, J. Toomis, happily informed review readers that they were able to avoid surgery for a rotator cuff injury and regain a better range of motion. Physical therapy offers solutions that contribute to your all around wellbeing by correcting postural weaknesses that may exacerbate shoulder pain, strengthen injury-weakened muscles, and increase the functional range of motion of osteoarthritic joints. Physical Therapy Doctors and Assistants are experts in training and rehabilitation. Call our friendly staff today to schedule an appointment and learn about how we can help you move without pain! We can be reached at (941) 264-1414, info@ptdoctorsfl.com, or messaged on our Contact Page and are located in Bradenton, so we’re conveniently located for all of Manatee and Sarasota Counties.

Injured by an Accident?

There were nearly 55.5 million preventable medically consulted injuries in the United States in 2020 (the most recently reported complete year). Over ¾ of those took place in the home, not to mention nearly 8.4 million nonfatal traffic accident-caused injuries according to the National Safety Council. Nearly 21 million unintentional injuries resulted in visits to emergency departments in the same year, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC also informs us that falls are the #1 cause of nonfatal emergency department visits for all ages.

Plans, preparations, and actions can be taken to avoid accidents or stop them from taking place. Accidents often occur due to human factors such as:

• Unsafe Behavior
• Inattention
• Negligence
• Lack of Knowledge
• Inadequate Training

By choosing to be more mindful, we may very well decrease our risk of accidents. Some tips for older drivers that also apply toward preventing non-auto related accidents include:

1. Stay Physically Active

Staying physically active improves your strength and flexibility, giving you more control over the steering wheel, makes it easier to look over your shoulder when changing lanes or parking, and makes you generally more able to physically avoid slips and falls when walking. If you recognize the need to incorporate a physical fitness routine but feel unsure as to how to go about it due to pain related limitations, a Licensed Physical Therapy Doctor is a specialist in helping you move without pain. Physical Therapists have the know-how to improve your quality of life without prescribing drugs or surgery.

1. Eliminate Distractions

Texting while driving is illegal in Florida because it is unsafe. If you use an iphone, you can remove the distraction by utilizing the Driving Focus option. It will silence or limit your notifications while driving, and is fairly customizable; you can even set it up to detect when you begin driving and it will automatically activate.

1. Increase Your Knowledge Base

The State of Florida authorizes drivers who are 55 years of age or older to complete a Mature Driver Discount course that is approved by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). Upon successful completion of the course, the driver can provide the completion certificate to their insurance company for an insurance discount. This is a great way to both learn how to become a safer driver and save a little money while doing it. Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles provides a list of Approved Mature Driver Courses.

If you have already sustained an injury from an accident, or still experience pain or limitation from an older injury that’s never fully recovered, that’s not to say that you have no recourse other than to live with it and expect to miss out on activities you previously enjoyed. Back and neck pain, dysfunction in any of the joints, and balance or walking difficulties are all challenges that physical therapy is designed to address, and all without prescription opioids or invasive surgeries. The state-of-the-art facility of Physical Therapy Doctors of Florida is here for you in Bradenton, Monday through Friday. Our team of Physical Therapy Doctors and Assistants are happy to serve all of Manatee and Sarasota Counties with the best in personalized care. Give us a call today at (941) 264-1414 or email us info@ptdoctorsfl.com. You can even send us a direct message on our Contact page.