Common Ski and Snowboard Injuries

Some people love winter sports and going away to ski or snowboard for a weekend. While both can be fun hobbies, they can also be quite dangerous if not properly prepared or experienced. If your are new the slopes, it would be a good idea to brush up on on the basic safety of skiing and/or snowboarding. There are many common injuries associated with winter sports, but none too life threatening or serious if properly treated.

Common injuries include ligament tears, fractures, and dislocation of the shoulders or knees. Knee ligament injuries are the most common injury for skiers. Major ligament injuries can happen if the user falls as the knee will jerk with the ski. Other known injuries for skiers are spinal injuries, head injuries, wrist, and thumb injuries.

Snowboarding is just as dangerous as skiing and can come with similar injuries. Upper body injuries are common for snowboarders due to the rider using their legs for balance. When they fall, they reach out with their hands, thus resulting in shoulder dislocation as well as hand and wrist injuries. Snowboarders can also be subject to ankle injuries as boarding boots are less stiff than ski boots.

After hearing about the basic injuries skiers and snowboarders can have, it is now important to know how to prevent them from happening to you or someone you care about. When looking to protect yourself, the first step is to check to see if your equipment is up to par, fits well, and works for you. When choosing bindings or boarding boots, make sure they fit properly and are not too loose/big or tight/small as they will help protect you from ankle and knee injuries. It is also recommended that beginners wear wrist guards and/or elbow and knee pads. Learning a new activity like this can take time and it’s perfectly normal to fall in the beginning, so it may be a good idea to pad up if you’re a newbie.

The most vital piece of equipment recommended for everyone to wear is a helmet! This is extremely important as it protects your skull and brain. A bad fall could result in a serious injury if your head isn’t covered up and well padded. Wearing protective gear will keep you alive as it’s been associated with a decrease of 43% head, neck, and face injuries.

If you’ve got your pads on and have checked your bindings, you may think you are ready to go hit the slopes. Not so fast! Always be sure to check the conditions on the mountains and visually inspect where you are about to go. Look for signs in order to determine where it is safe to go and do not venture into closed off trails. Whether skiing or snowboarding, misinterpreting the weather is a common cause for accidents and can lead to injury and even death. Missing a chunk of ice on the slopes or hitting an unexpected drop you didn’t see in the beginning could lead to serious injury. Always look before you leap! It is also recommended to adjust to the altitude for a while before performing. You don’t want to risk passing out while skiing and end up crashing into a tree.

Hydration is also key when you’re out on the slopes. It might not seem like it’s all that important as you’re not in the humid heat, but you need to keep hydrated in winter weather as well. Periodic breaks are also highly recommended and it is advised to not go for hours on end just because you see your friends are doing it. Beginners need to rest and not go too hard as you want to avoid overexerting yourself.

Learning a new sport can be fun, but it is important to take it slow and continue to learn about safety precautions you could be taking to prevent injury. Do not rush to rise above your current level of skill, and remember, practice makes perfect!

At Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare, our physical therapists know what it is like to hit the slopes. Zoe Fackelman, PT is an avid skier and Robert Christakos, PT, DPT is an avid snowboarder. Our physical therapists can provide you with the information and training you need to get your body in peak condition this season.

Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare PC offers the very best physical therapy in Ontario County. We treat all your wants and needs with our trusted and experienced Physical Therapists and staff. To begin to feel pain and stress free, start your Physical Therapy journey today and schedule your evaluation by calling (585) 396-1400.

What is the Graston Technique?

The concept of cross fiber massage may not be a new idea but the instruments used for this procedure is fairly new. The Graston Technique allows soft tissue to mobilize eliminating the formation of scar tissue. These new instruments allow clinicians to effectively detect and help treat scar tissue that may limit a patient’s range of motion and can cause pain. Scar tissue can limit a patient’s healing process. The Graston Technique uses stainless steel to detect and comb through the scar tissue of an affected area. Once the scar tissue is identified, the instrument is used to break up the scar tissue so it can be absorbed by the body.

Treatments are usually done twice a week over a course of 4 to 5 weeks. The healing process is different according to each person but the treatments are known to take effect by the third or fourth time it is done. It is common to feel minor discomfort during the procedure along with possible bruising yet overall you should not feel more pain than the actual injury. A common misconception about the Graston Technique is that it is a surgical procedure. This is not true.  The Graston Technique is similar to a massage which uses the stainless steel instruments to graze over and “comb” the skin. This technique is used with appropriate therapeutic exercise.  Clinicians using the Graston Technique should be trained and accredited to be qualified to use these instruments. Check to see if your local physical therapist is qualified to incorporate the Graston Technique to help aid in your recovery.

The trained professionals at Lake Country Physical Therapy & Wellness find that the Graston Technique has been very successful for our patients.  If you have any questions please feel free to ask as we are always here to help you on the road to recovery.

Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare PC offers the very best physical therapy in Ontario County. We treat all your wants and needs with our trusted and experienced Physical Therapists and staff. To begin to feel pain and stress free, start your Physical Therapy journey today and schedule your evaluation by calling (585) 396-1400.

Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare, PC is proud to offer the Help a Friend Program. The Help a Friend Program is an opportunity to celebrate a double bonus. You have experienced the benefits of our services and when you refer a friend to us you receive a gift certificate to shop in downtown Canandaigua.

Resistance Training for Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that occurs when the flexible tissue at the end of the bones wears down. Resistance training is commonly used by physical therapists in order to increase tolerance and endurance for people experiencing osteoarthritis pain.

Exercises such as walking, swimming, and cycling can increase the heart rate and improve endurance and tolerance for those suffering with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. If walking is too much to endure, a recumbent bicycle can be of help as it helps to extend the angle of the joint, causing less strain. If both of these are too much to tolerate, swimming in a heated pool might be the best solution for you.

A surprising exercise beneficial for people with osteoarthritis is weight lifting. The muscles surrounding the joints are able to be strengthened, helping to take the load off the arthritic joints and relieving pain. Strength training can also lessen the risk of falling, which is a major risk for people with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee.

Yoga is also helpful in building strength and preventing falls in people with osteoarthritis. Yoga and tai chi help to improve balance and aids in the prevention of falls. Remember to keep in mind that being slow and gentle when beginning yoga is essential in order to avoid pain. Strenuous yoga should be avoided by people with osteoarthritis because they may combine other forms of exercise that could be painful for the joints. Gentle yoga includes iyengar, viniyoga, and phoenix rising.

People with osteoarthritis should try these various types of training in order to reduce their joint pain. The physical therapists at Lake Country Physical Therapy can provide you with both an extensive evaluation and step-by-step guidance on how to improve your quality of life and help with your pain management.

Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare PC offers the very best physical therapy in Ontario County. We treat all your wants and needs with our trusted and experienced Physical Therapists and staff. To begin to feel pain and stress free, start your Physical Therapy journey today and schedule your evaluation by calling (585) 396-1400.

Women's Health and Physical Therapy

Although physical therapy is universally helpful to both men and women, physical therapists can tailor exercises to fit the specialized needs of both genders. It is important that these gender specific exercises for both men and women are performed by a specifically trained physical therapist that is also trained in the condition that needs to be improved. For women in particular, physical therapy can be extremely useful throughout various stages of life. 

Female athletes can seek physical therapists as a source of help, whether they be weekend warriors or competitive athletes, in order to learn self-care, proper execution, and  treatment in order to improve what is preventing top performance. Women can also experience incontinence, which may be caused from pelvic floor weakness and other combining factors. Physical therapy can help in assessing the diet of the woman in order to treat them correctly; including restraining bowel and bladder habits and abdominal and pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation with or without electrical stimulation or biofeedback.

After surgical procedures, including radiation and chemotherapy, there can be an increase in fatigue. Physical therapy can help in resuming regular physical activity by lessening fatigue and providing instructions on managing energy. Arthritis aches and pains affect women everyday, and physical therapy is strongly recommended for people that have any muscle, bone, joint, ligament, fascial, or cartilage injury after surgery. Manual therapies can help in breaking the pain cycle to allow motion and tolerance to exercise, which will restore strength, flexibility, agility, and balance for daily living and increased job performance.

Women need to be able to live their day-to-day lives comfortably, without pain, and in order to achieve that, women should include physical therapy into their routine to improve their quality of life.

Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare PC offers the very best physical therapy in Ontario County. We treat all your wants and needs with our trusted and experienced Physical Therapists and staff. To begin to feel pain and stress free, start your Physical Therapy journey today and schedule your evaluation by calling (585) 396-1400.

How Physical Therapy Can Help Vertigo

If you have been suffering from dizzy spells or feel unbalanced, there is a good chance your vestibular system is out of whack. This is often a sign of vertigo. There are treatments that can help strengthen your vestibular system. 

Your vestibular system is actually a sub-system of the nervous system that uses sensory information from the surrounding environment in order to maintain body positioning. Located in the inner ear, the vestibular system signals to the brain information about gravity and the environment. The sensitive nature of this area can trigger many illnesses and can bring about periods of dizzy spells but true vertigo.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and cervicogenic dizziness are two common causes and symptoms of vertigo and can be treated in one to three sessions at Lake Country Physical Therapy. We are unique in that our treatment programs for these conditions can take only 1-3 sessions in order to see results.

In a session with your physical therapist, he or she will actually be able to train your vestibular system so that it can sense environmental conditions more accurately. It also will predominantly train other sensory systems to compensate for a weak vestibular system and help to keep you on your feet. Damage to the vestibular system can be permanent so alternatives must be set in place.

Exercises will include being seated, lying down, standing, and walking  with a focus on utilizing your visual cues in order to gain information from your environment. Eye and neck movements will be used strategically in order to help change the way your nervous system receives sensory signals.

Conducting these exercises with a physical therapist will be not only be the most effective means but also the safest. Vertigo can be a dangerous condition, testing your boundaries without the help of a professional is risky.

A physical therapist will be able to monitor your progress and provide you with a personalized action plan. Every patient is different so there is not just one correct program that’ll cure vertigo. Through mutual hard work and dedication, you will have better footing in no time.

Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare PC offers the very best physical therapy in Ontario County. We treat all your wants and needs with our trusted and experienced Physical Therapists and staff. To begin to feel pain and stress free, start your Physical Therapy journey today and schedule your evaluation by calling (585) 396-1400.

The Jaw and Physical Therapy

Your jaw is guided by the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and issues with this joint is called temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). The disorder is caused due to bad posture, chronic jaw clenching while sleeping, sleep alignment issues, a fracture, or other injuries. TMD can be identified by pain in the jaw, head, neck, and upper back, hearing a clicking, locking, and popping sound when the mouth is being opened or closed, jaw fatigue, or tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

It is recommended you meet with a physical therapist in order to get a proper diagnosis and to help lessen the pain of TMD. A physical therapist can examine your medical history, discuss previous surgeries or injuries, and conduct a physical examination of your neck and jaw. The posture of a patient and the way the neck moves will help the physical therapist determine if the TMJ pain is being caused by the alignment of the teeth.

The physical therapist will be able to treat the TMD in various ways after a thorough and proper diagnosis. Posture education is one way in which the physical therapist will be able to treat a patient, especially if it is found that the patient sits with their head in a position that places strain on the TMJ. While becoming more aware of posture is one way to improve the TMD, another way is to improve the movement of the jaw. Manual therapy will help increase movement in the jaw, relieve pain, and calm the nervous system overall. In severe cases, the physical therapist may want to use electrical stimulation in order to help reduce pain in the TMJ. If you are experiencing any pain or clicking in your jaw, it is advised to stop by your local physical therapist for an examination today!

Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare PC offers the very best physical therapy in Ontario County. We treat all your wants and needs with our trusted and experienced Physical Therapists and staff. To begin to feel pain and stress free, start your Physical Therapy journey today and schedule your evaluation by calling (585) 396-1400.