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Louisville NE 68037 & Plattsmouth NE 68048

Family Health and Fitness

May 30, 2023

Witte Full Service Physical Therapy

As we continue to look at our overall wellness and the role that physical therapy (and our 24/7 Wellness Center) can play it is important to note an upcoming date. The second Saturday in June (June 10th) is Family Health and Fitness Day. It is a day designed to promote the parks and rec departments of our local communities, county, and state. It notes the importance using these local and state resources to get our with your family, enjoy the outdoors, and get active. 

For some people getting and being active can create two problems. The issues that come with starting to become more active and the issues that come with an increased or prolonged active lifestyle. Physical therapy can help with both of these issues. Sometimes before starting a new activity it is important to get checked out in the muscles and joints that will be challenged with that activity. Physical therapy can be used to check out for issues before you start something new. You can get specific stretches or exercises to make sure that you are prepared for the new activity. Once you have started the new activity sometimes the repetition of your new favorite activity can cause issues over time. Repeatedly doing the some routine or movement can wear out joints and muscles faster and thus physical therapy could be needed to help with these issues. Physical therapy can work to identify the movement pattern, ensure that it is being done correctly and without compensation, and work to adjust your activity to avoid these repetitive motions. 

At Witte Physical Therapy we also have the benefit of  having a 24/7 Wellness facility attached to our clinic. This allows for our patients to go back and forth and utilize both facilities and see our therapists in both places. We can use traditional physical therapy methods in the clinic or more advanced work in the wellness facility. If you would like a chance to see our facilities, meet our therapists, or have a free consultation to discuss your options give us a call!

Movement is Medicine: Physical Therapy & Arthritis

May 23, 2023

May is national arthritis month. Arthritis may seem relatively benign – everyone knows someone who has arthritis. But here are some numbers that help put the problem of arthritis into perspective:

  • Arthritis is the leading cause of disability.
  • Arthritis affects 1 in 5 adults and 300,000 children
  • 1/3 of working-age people with arthritis have some kind of limitation in their ability to work
  • Arthritis costs $156 billion each year in medical expenses and lost wages
  • Nearly 1 million hospitalizations happen each year due to arthritis

It’s a serious condition, and a serious problem. The good news is that physical therapy is one of the most effective treatments for arthritis.

The Benefits of Physical Therapy for Managing Arthritis Symptoms

Arthritis comes in 2 forms: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs because of wear and tear on the joints over time. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory, autoimmune disease. It occurs because of the immune system attacking the joint lining. Physical therapy can reduce joint pain, improve mobility, and help to prevent further damage to the joints. Using individualized exercises, physical therapists help people manage their condition and reduce discomfort. Physical therapists often combine advice on lifestyle modifications with exercise to maximize improvement. Let’s look at the types of exercise that can help manage arthritis symptoms next.

Range of Motion Exercises

These gently move affected joints through their entire range of motion. This can help reduce stiffness and improve mobility. Examples would include things like gentle stretching, tai chi, or gentle yoga.

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise creates repeated motion, moving the synovial fluid in the joints. It also increases blood flow and releases endorphins which reduce pain. Aerobic exercise also helps to control weight. Weight loss is proven to reduce the stress on your joints, which can reduce pain. Aerobic exercise for people with arthritis should be low impact. This would include things like walking, cycling, or swimming.

Strength Training

Strength training is an important part of managing arthritis. It decreases pain, improves strength, and function. Stronger muscles around the affected joints provide better support and protection.

Aquatic Exercise

Exercising in a therapeutic pool can be a great way for people with arthritis to get started. The buoyancy of the water helps to relieve some of the body’s pressure on the joints. The water pressure also provides compression on the joints. This offers some stability and pain relief. The movement of your body through the water creates resistance for your muscles. This allows them to get stronger in a protective environment.

Education

Besides designing a custom exercise program, a physical therapist will educate people with arthritis on lifestyle modifications to help mange their symptoms. Some suggestions might include weight loss, getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and managing stress. A PT can also modify daily activities to help protect joints affected by arthritis. This can slow down or prevent progression of symptoms.

 

Physical therapy is a safe and effective treatment for arthritis. Current clinical guidelines for treating arthritis include strong recommendations for exercise and other physical therapy treatments. If you’re one of the 53 million Americans with arthritis, give your PT a call. They’re a great provider to help you reduce pain, manage your symptoms, and move better.

 

References:

 

Benefits of Exercise for Osteoarthritis | Arthritis FoundationHow Can Physical Therapy Help to Avoid Surgery? – Tucson Orthopaedic Institute

What are the different types of arthritis?

May 16, 2023

When we hear the word “arthritis” most of us think about replacing our hips or our knees. Some of us might think about replacing our shoulder or the pain at the base of our thumb that we feel. But there are different kinds of arthritis and how they are treated depends on what type of arthritis you have. 

According to the CDC the types of arthritis are:

Osteoarthritis: This is the most common type of arthritis and it is the one that we think about when we talk about joint replacements. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in a joint breaks down causing a “bone on bone” situation. These changes are gradual and tend to cause stiffness and pain.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease where the body attacks its own joints and causes pain and inflammation. We often see this type of arthritis in our wrist and fingers that cause some deformity and swelling. You can get pain and stiffness, but also show signs of infection such as fever and weight loss.

Childhood Arthritis: This is another type of rheumatoid arthritis and is often seen in children and juveniles.  This often makes any tasks difficult for that child to do. Remission of this disease is possible so there is hope for the children to “overcome” it. 

Fibromyalgia: This condition causes widespread pain throughout the body and is often diagnosed after testing for all other medical issues have come back negative. It tends to cause issue with sleep, fatigue and emotional or mental stress. 

Gout: This is a very painful, inflammatory condition of a single joint (usually) that occurs is it flares up in the body. It is often managed with medications, diet, and other activity adjustments. Limiting processed foods and alcohol can help keep uric acid levels lower in your body to help prevent flare ups and keeping them in remission.

Lupus: It is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of your body. Symptoms can include pain, fever, rash, hair loss, amongst others. 

As you can see there are several different types of arthritis. There are some common items (inflammation, pain) and some uncommon items between them. However all can be assessed and treated with physical therapy. Physical is not a cure all for these things, but it can help make life better, decrease your pain, and improve your activity level. 

 

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/types.html

How to Prepare Your Shoulder For Softball, Baseball, or Adult Leagues

May 9, 2023

As we work to wrap up spring ball and get into summer ball activities it is important to remember to take care of our throwing shoulders. In the spring as we ramp up our throwing activities it is easy to remember to get your shoulder ready for the seasons. However, as the season progresses and it gets warmer outside it is often forgot to take care of our shoulders as well as we did before. We all know about pitch counts and how important they are, but just as important is a proper warm up before throwing, cool down after throwing, and icing after activity.

An easy program to remember to help get our shoulders strong, warmed up, and to try to avoid injury is the Thrower’s Ten program. This program was been developed over the years to work on all aspects of shoulder strength and stability. Addressing scapular strength, tracking, rotator cuff strength and stability, and all accessory muscles it ensures that your arm is ready for the season.

A great resource for diagrams and descriptions of each exercise of the program can be found at: https://www.ortho.ufl.edu/sites/ortho.ufl.edu/files/handouts/Throwers-Ten_0.pdf

It is important to note that to fully maximize the benefits of this program is should be tailored to what you need. Exercise adjustments, set and reps, and frequency should all be set by an appropriate medical professional so that you get what you need. The therapists at Witte Physical Therapy can help with this!

Functional Ankle Stability

May 2, 2o23

 

Most of us are aware of our loss of balance as we begin to age. We no longer have the ability to keep upright and in line as easily as we once did. Growing up, we could run, jump, ski, or hike and never feel a sense of unsteadiness. Over the years the body changes, and we are suddenly all too aware of the uneven ground beneath our feet. Our joints feel every curve, bump, and slant, creating a sense of hesitancy as we walk and even a fear of falling. What many of us don’t realize is that this can be aided! With skilled care, we can take back control of our bodies as we walk about our homes or communities. It all starts with proprioception. But what is proprioception? And how do we re-train our bodies to maintain balance?

                Proprioception, according to Physiopedia, is our sense of joint or limb positioning. This sense essentially tells our brains where our bodies are in space. It allows us to replicate a position our arm or ankle, for example, was just placed in. Proprioceptors have the ability to send this information to the brain and allow us to react appropriately to avoid falling. Natural wear and tear of our joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles causes a deficit in our proprioceptors, making it more challenging to stay on our feet.

                With an increase in hesitancy and heightened fear of falling, our anxiety has a tendency to take over. Being overly cautious with our movements can sometimes be detrimental to our recovery. This caution may create a greater reliance on assistive devices, such as walkers or canes, further decreasing our proprioception and balance if used for a prolonged period of time. Luckily for us, the cure may be easier than you think! With persistent practice in balance, we can re-gain the confidence needed to walk independently.

                There are many different ways to practice improving balance and proprioception. It could be as simple as standing with your feet together while you brush your teeth at night. Too easy? Try standing on a folded blanket or pillow! If you break down the walking sequence, you will see we spend about half our time on only one foot! Practice this—standing on one foot, first on a solid and flat surface, then on something a little wobblier. Soon you will gain the courage needed to walk without assistance, without a device, and without the fear of falling! 3 easy exercises to begin your proprioception training are as follows:

                As suggested, begin with your feet close together or with one in front of the other. When you feel confident and steady, you can progress to just one foot.

                While sitting on a ball isn’t actually replicating your standing activities, it is a great way to train the entire body in stability! This will carry over into your daily activities! If sitting still is too easy, place a couple items around you and practice reaching for them while keeping steady!

                Standing on an uneven surface is a great way to train the muscles and proprioceptors needed to walk on gravel or grass. To make it harder, you can add leg or arm movements in different directions.

 

Balance is an issue for many patients that come to see us, young or old, injured or not. It is an aspect of our health that we must be diligent in training if we want to keep upright and avoid falls. If you are struggling with balance and aren’t sure where to begin, call us therapists down on Witte Physical Therapy for an assessment, and we will create a treatment plan to help you reach your goals!

 

 

Resources:

https://www.physio-pedia.com/Proprioception

https://www.friendsofpolarbear.com/post/proprioception-training-exercises-after-sprained-ankle

https://www.physio.co.uk/treatments/physiotherapy/proprioceptive-exercise.php

 

How to Deal with Shin Splints

April 25, 2023

Shin splints can be a painful part of being an active person, especially one who enjoys running. You can get shin splints when you first start to ramp up an activity or when you are logging a lot of miles. Shin splints are caused by the irritation of the inside border of the tibia (shin bone) as our ligaments and tendons pull apart from that bone. Symptoms include pain that worsens with activity. If left untreated shin splints can lead to stress fractures. Shin splints are one of the more common overuse injuries one can get and usually can be resolved with rest and ice. 

What if ice and rest do not work of if you don’t feel like you can take time off from these activities? Physical therapy can help to improve the healing time of shin splints. Using ultrasound and other modalities we can work to decrease the inflammation. Physical therapy will work to find and correct any issues in your mechanics. We can use exercise, manual therapy, shoe and activity modifications to help with these mechanics and to work to keep you active. Some examples of these are improving lower extremity flexibility, managing your exercise load, strengthening and supporting your hips, knees, and feet. Knee compression sleeves or orthotics can also be utilized. As the pain gets better and you are healing we can work to help you gradually return to full activity and running to work to avoid other flareups and issues. 

 

References:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17467-shin-splints#:~:text=Shin%20splints%20are%20a%20very,into%20a%20tibial%20stress%20fracture.

https://www.choosept.com/health-tips/8-tips-prevent-shin-splints

Witte Physical Therapy….to….Witte 24/7 Wellness

April 18, 2023

We often think of physical therapy as the place to go after a surgery or major injury. Over the years physical therapy has become more of a place to go when we have pain, issues with balance, or problems doing things that we want to do. But physical therapy can also be a place to go to prevent injury and promote wellness. This last aspect of physical therapy is often the one that gets overlooked.

When Witte Physical Therapy moved into its new location in Louisville in 2019, we wanted to provide resources to the community beyond basic and normal physical therapy. We opened Witte 24/7 Wellness as an avenue for that. Witte 24/7 Wellness is a fitness facility that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It provides an outlet for anyone to improve their aerobic capacity, baseline strength, and overall wellness. With equipment ranging from treadmills, bikes, and ellipticals to cable machines, free weights, and a Smith machine, we have equipment for every member of the facility to utilize. We even have a stair stepper, a water rower, a personal trainer, and an exercise physiologist.

Our exercise physiologist, Alex Trautman, is also one of our physical therapists. This allows us to work with patients on injury prevention in the clinic and then transition our patients into our Wellness center for continue to work on lifetime gains and benefits. This is one of our goals with our patients. Whether you are recovering from an injury or surgery or working to prevent any future injuries or surgeries, our therapists can work with you on a transition plan from our clinic into a Wellness facility. Alex has special training in this area and enjoys getting to work with patients in both settings. Imagine being able to take your PT “with you” after you leave the clinic, what an advantage!

At Witte Physical Therapy our goal is to never see you twice for the same thing. We want to work to get you pain free, moving and feeling better and then give you the tools to maintain and prevent future injuries. Our therapists are trained in this and our facilities allow us to work with to transition you away from the clinic and into your home or a Wellness center.

 

Physical Therapists Help Active People Live Better

April 11, 2023

Physical therapy has lots of benefits for active people. Athletes, performers, weekend warriors, and people who work in physically demanding jobs can all benefit from the expertise of a physical therapist. Here are 3 ways physical therapists help active people stay that way.

Injury Treatment

Active people get hurt. Physical therapists have the knowledge and skills to help people recover from injuries faster. In addition to helping people recover, physical therapists will look for the root cause of the injury and address that as well, to help keep the injury from coming back. If the injury is severe and requires surgery, a physical therapist will guide the recovery and make sure the person gets back to their activity. But in some cases, a physical therapist can help an injured person avoid surgery in the first place.

Injury Prevention

Surgery isn’t the only thing physical therapists can help people avoid. A physical therapist can also help with injury prevention too. A thorough assessment of an athlete’s strength, mobility, balance, and coordination helps to identify issues that could lead to injury. A PT can then design a program to improve the problem areas before they lead to injury. A PT can also assess an existing training plan and help to identify areas that may lead to sprains, strains, or overtraining.

Improve Performance

In addition to helping people improve areas where they’re weak, therapists can help people get better in areas of strength. A physical therapist can create a program to improve strength, flexibility, coordination, agility or speed. Physical therapists are movement experts. They can break down the requirements of a specific physical task like lifting or throwing, then design a training program that will help people meet those demands.

Physical Therapy is more than just a way to get back on your feet after an injury – it can also help you stay at the top of your game. Whether you’re an athlete, a dancer, or someone who wants to stay in shape, physical therapy can help you reach your performance goals. With the right exercises and treatments, physical therapists can help you improve strength, flexibility, and endurance so that you can perform at your best and lower your risk of injury.

 

References:

 

Ways to Address Stress

April 4, 2023

April is Stress Awareness Month and I know we all feel the stress and its negative effects sometimes. There are times when we are treating our patients and their stress levels have a direct impact on their progress in therapy. There are times when we therapists are feeling the stress of our lives, inside and outside the clinic. Step one is always to recognize when we are stressed and understand what we can do about it. Stress is often a response to an external stimulus and can often be relieved by removing that stimulus.

There are several ways to cope with stress. We can use technology to download an app that helps us relax, eating a healthy diet, exercise regularly, stick to a sleep routine that works for you, avoid drinking excessive caffeine, keeping a journal, or asking for help. Just finding one or two positive ways to cope with your stress can go a long way to helping you feel better about it.

Taking time to know ourselves, what makes us stressed, and how we can combat our stress are all very important. Please remember to take your time to understand what you need and to work to balance that with the other demands in your life. Never be afraid to ask your family, friends, our trusted healthcare providers for help and direction in how to deal with stress.

 

 

References:

https://hr.nih.gov/working-nih/civil/national-stress-awareness-month

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/so-stressed-out-fact-sheet

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/about/copingwith-stresstips.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fviolenceprevention%2Fpublichealthissue%2Fcopingwith-stresstips.html

Physical Therapy and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

March 28, 2o23

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome is a painful condition of your upper quarter that is caused by compression of neurovascular structures just before they enter your arm. The pain and other symptoms could include coldness, numbness and tingling, swelling, arm feels heavy, change of skin color, headaches, hand clumsiness, intolerance to cold, etc. These symptoms are usually made worse when you raise your arm/hand above your head. 

What can physical therapy do to help? There are many things that a PT can do to help a patient suffering from this condition. Patient education is first. How can you expect to get better if you don’t understand what is causing the issue, what you could be doing to make it worse, and how you can help make it better. We will talk through these items and start to work with you to guide you in pain management strategies and modalities that you can do at home. We will then work with you to start a range of motion program to restore your motion while working to decrease your symptoms. We can use manual therapy to increase the space between your clavicle and first rib to decompression the neurological structures. We can also help you move your joints and muscles to help restore normal motion for all your soft tissue structures in your upper quarter. Once ROM is restored we will work to begin to strengthen this area of your body. With proper strength and good foundation the last phase of rehab can start. This phase focuses on functional stability and movement so that you can begin to return to all of your activities without compensation or pain.

At Witte Physical Therapy we take the time to investigate your complaints, educate you on what is going on and how we can help fix it, and then work with you through a program tailored for your needs. Your individualized program will be progressed as you are ready and will be fully customizable to your goals. Give us a call today to get started!

 

References:

https://www.choosept.com/guide/physical-therapy-guide-thoracic-outlet-syndrome