Whether you are gearing up for the Albany Half Marathon or just hoping for a short jog around the track, running can often highlight a small malalignment or inefficiency in your stride or body mechanics that you may never have noticed before. These small problems can often turn into big problems – pain or injury that may stop you from running or training.
One common site for injury or pain is the knee – up to 20% of running injuries are at the knee! Women are especially prone to knee pain due to common anatomical differences and muscular imbalances. A PT can identify these issues and help you correct them, eliminating extra stress on the knee. If you are under 30, risk increases for stress fractures. Runners over the age of 40 are more prone to achilles tendon injuries – but runners of all ages can be at risk for plantar fasciitis, achilles tendinitis or foot pain if they are running in the wrong shoes.

How can you avoid injury? A quick warm up before exercise is more beneficial than spending a few minutes stretching (save that for after your run!). If you’ve been having pain (even a small pain that only ranks 1 or 2 on a scale of 1-10) with running, listen to your body! Something isn’t right and a change needs to be made – this is where PT comes into play with a thorough evaluation.
Now this post hasn’t been designed to try and scare you from running – it is a great form of exercise and stress release as long as you address trouble areas in your gait, muscles, and equipment. Physical therapists are trained to evaluate your running stride, shoes, and strength. We can help determine what may be causing the pain you have and prevent it from getting worse. Don’t let a small pain turn into a nagging injury – running through pain is never the answer! We’re here to help – call to schedule your running evaluation today.
– Erin Bell, DPT

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As with any activity it is important to have the right equipment and ensure that the equipment is in good working order. With running or walking your most important piece of equipment (other than strong muscles and good joint mobility) is your shoes! They can wear and break down quickly under the right circumstances. Here are 5 signs that you may need new shoes:

1. Mileage
   Running shoes will last 400-500 miles, minimalist shoes are expected to hold up for 300-400 miles. Like tires on your car there will be a breakdown over time causing you to lose the support and cushion the shoe is supposed to provide your foot.
2. Time
   Athletic shoes of any type have a shelf life of about 6-9 months, after which the components that comprise the shoe will begin to lose their elasticity. At that time, cushioning and support will begin to decrease while the risk for traumatic, repetitive injury begins to increase.
3. Pain
   If you have gradual or sudden onset of pain in your feet, knees, hips, or back without a change in running/walking volume or intensity, it may be time to change shoes.
4. Physical Damage
   While running, barbs, nails, or sharp rocks can puncture the cushioning system of your shoe, whether it’s air, gel, or another system. This will compromise the integrity of your shoe and make you susceptible to injury.
5. Wearing Pattern
   We all have subtle differences in our running/walking mechanics which can lead to uneven wear patterns and contribute to even greater compensatory patterns in our mechanics. Therefore, it is important to regularly check your tread wear pattern to determine if early replacement is necessary to avoid injury.

Finding the right shoe for your running/walking pattern, your foot, and your activity type/intensity is crucial to reduce injury. We hope these tips help, but if you’d like more assistance, give us a call at Corvallis Sport and Spine and our Physical Therapists will get you running/walking in the right shoes and on the right path!

– Carrol Esterhuizen, MSPT

If you are experiencing pain that limits your ability to exercise or be active, exercising in a pool (aquatic therapy) might be a great way for you to get moving without exacerbating your symptoms. Water has many therapeutic qualities that you just can’t replicate on land. Our physical therapists can help use the pool and the qualities of water to facilitate functional recovery of our patients by changing the environment that they exercise in.

Let’s talk about the science behind aquatic therapy. Exercising in the water has many beneficial effects that you can’t get anywhere else. The water can help increase the blood flow to muscle, give you resistance for strengthening, help decrease swelling, and relax or invigorate you after a workout. The primary benefit of exercising in the water is buoyancy – the water can act to unload your spine and other joints to allow you to exercise without pain. This means that some people who find walking or exercising while standing up unbearable, they may be able to walk or perform light exercise in the pool without difficulty.

Before starting an aquatic exercise program to treat your pain, it is important to be evaluated by a physical therapist. They can tell you what exercises would be most helpful and safe for your condition. If you are lacking motion at a joint or need to build up strength of muscles, you could benefit from aquatic therapy. If you have trouble walking or getting out of a chair, you can practice those activities while buoyed by the force of the water.

There are a few people that should avoid the pool including those who have a fear of water, open wounds, air- or water-borne infections, cardiac or respiratory dysfunction, some neurological disorders, or those with uncontrolled bowel or bladder. Be sure to ask your therapist or primary care physician if aquatic therapy might be a good option to treat your pain. If you have questions about aquatic therapy or wonder if it might be a helpful treatment for you, please call us today!

Pregnant? We’ve Got Your Back

When you are pregnant, your body changes to accommodate the growing baby and you may experience discomfort in your low back, pelvis, or hips. 50-70% of women experience back pain during their pregnancy – often in the third trimester due to hormonal changes in your ligaments causing more laxity (looseness) in your joints.

If you have low back pain during pregnancy, a physical therapist can alleviate pain by:

• Determining appropriate exercises to provide stability and strength in your pelvic floor and core muscles.
• Evaluating your symptoms to decide if a sacro-iliac belt (SI belt) would be beneficial to provide stability to your pelvis as joints become more unstable and the load on your body increases as the baby grows.
• Teaching you body mechanics to protect your back and body – both while pregnant and after you deliver.

During pregnancy, you are preparing for the arrival of your bundle of joy and that involves acquiring lots of baby gear including strollers, car seat/carriers, and more. It is important to consider your comfort and body when selecting your equipment. Here’s a few things to consider:

• Stroller: Pick one that allows you to stand tall and take a normal, comfortable stride. You shouldn’t have to hunch forward to reach the stroller! When you’re pushing your baby, make sure to keep your head up, shoulders back, and elbows slightly bent.
• Car seat/carrier: Remember your body mechanics! Core is engaged, bend at the waist (not the back), and keep the carrier as close to your body as you can. When moving your baby in or out of the carrier, try to do so at waist height (counter, table) so you don’t have to squat down.
• Changing table: Pick a table that is the best height for you! The baby should be centered in front of your body slightly lower than your elbows. Keep all your diaper changing tools within arms reach – no twisting! You can also put one foot up on a low stool to help prevent low back pain.
• Carrying: Keep your child close to your body and as centered as you can – avoid the one hip carry! Keep your core muscles engaged and always bend at the waist when lifting your child up from the floor or crib.

If you are pregnant and having pain or just had a baby and all the lifting or carrying is giving you back pain, call us today for an evaluation of your core strength and body mechanics!

– Erin Bell, DPT

Resources:

1. American Physical Therapy Association (n.d.). Parent’s Guide to Safe Use of Baby Gear

Photo courtesy of: Fairview Health Library

“I’ve always had this pain…it’s never going away.”

Have you been diagnosed with chronic pain? You are in the company of more than 50 million people in the United States living with chronic pain. It is the number one cause of adult disability in the US.3 Does your pain cause you stress or change your behaviors? Does it affect your relationships and your ability to work? Two thirds of people with chronic pain believe that pain disrupts their lives.3 There are many myths and misunderstandings about chronic pain leading to frustrated people who may feel hopeless about ever changing their pain. The therapists at CSSPT are well educated about pain (both chronic and acute) and may be able to help you deal with chronic pain.

There have been studies that show that educating yourself about chronic pain may actually reduce your need for medical treatment and intervention.2 Pain is your body’s most powerful defense mechanism – designed to protect your tissues from damage and alert your brain to damage that may have occurred. One thing to take into consideration is that pain is generated from your brain! As David Butler says in his book “Explain Pain” – “No brain, no pain”.1 Even if tissue damage is present, the brain generates the signals that cause your pain. In turn, the brain can also generate those signals even if no tissue damage is present. This is often what happens with chronic pain – even though there may not be any tissue damage, your brain is still sending sending out pain signals. This means that the amount of pain that you experience isn’t always related to the amount of tissue damage that is occurring. We’ve all heard the stories of people with horrific injuries that feel no pain and we’ve all had the tiny paper cut that is extremely painful!

Your tissues are supposed to change over time – this is normal and should not be painful! With chronic pain, your brain may be receiving inaccurate information about the tissues or tissue changes and the pain pathways or mechanisms are altered. Pain can also be worsened by your environment, stressful life situations, and even by imaging. Imagine you get an x-ray of your back and it shows arthritis – suddenly, your back may be a lot more painful that it was before you knew there were degenerative changes. Just because you see something on an x-ray or MRI does not mean that the cause of your pain has been found!

Educating yourself about your anatomy, your pain, and what you can do about it is a critical part of dealing with chronic pain. Our physical therapists can help teach you about your pain and how to safely exercise – which is a great way to help your body relearn to respond to tissue changes without pain.

If you have chronic pain, call CSSPT for an evaluation – our PTs experience and knowledge will help you work, live, and play…again!

Resources:

1. Butler, David: “Explain Pain”.
2. APTA – 9 Things You Should Know About Pain.
3. Chronic Pain Fact Sheet

“But I don’t play any sports…”

If you aren’t a competitive athlete, you may not think that a clinic with “Sport” in the name is the place for you. In a previous post, we defined “sport” as anything that you play in a lively and happy way. Using that definition, we truly believe that everyone is an athlete! It doesn’t have to involve a court, a field, a ball, uniforms or a coach – if you are participating in an activity in a lively and happy way, we think you are an athlete!

At CSSPT, we have experience dealing with all levels of participation in sports from young gymnasts to weekend warriors. We also frequently treat walkers, gardeners, or people who need to chase after their kids or grandkids. If you are having pain that is preventing you from participating in your desired activity, we can help!

In Oregon, depending on your insurance coverage, most people are able to utilize “direct access” – which means that you can be evaluated by a physical therapist without having to see your physician first. Our physical therapists are well educated and trained to identify when your pain may not be caused by your musculoskeletal system and when you should see your doctor. For a lot of people, your injury or pain can be treated with physical therapy alone. At CSSPT, every initial evaluation includes a thorough assessment of your area of pain, as well as your spine and global movement patterns. We truly believe in treating the whole body, not just what hurts. Remember the skeleton song – “the knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone’s connected to the hip bone…”? The entire body is connected and works as a unit. We will address the whole system instead of just looking at one small piece.

This is a great opportunity for any athlete – waiting to see multiple providers can take time and be expensive, limiting your involvement in your activity of choice or increasing your symptoms. With direct access, you can begin your recovery faster. Call our clinic to find out if you are eligible for direct access and schedule your appointment today so you can work, live, and play again. Don’t let your pain or injury limit the athlete in you!

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At Corvallis Sport and Spine Physical Therapy, our name means more than it may seem at first glance. We believe that “Sport” and “Spine” are foundational to every person’s enjoyment of life and their ability to maximize their movement capabilities and overall quality of life. For us, these words extend well beyond their superficial meanings.

When most people think of the word “sport”, they think of a game involving a ball, puck, or at least some running with a winner and probably a few losers. Well that may be one kind of sport, but the dictionary defines sport as, “to play in a happy and lively way”(1). That’s exactly how we define “sport” at CSSPT. Everyone has a sport. Whether it’s kicking the soccer ball around, running, or just enjoying walking and gardening, here at CSSPT we view everyone as an athlete. Every athlete has their own sport, their own activity in which they “play in a happy and lively way”. Our goal is to help people move and feel better so that they can live, work, and play again in their sport – whatever that may be.

One of the main ways we help patients get back to their sport is by treating the spine. The spine is defined as, “a row of connected bones down the middle of the back”. To most people, this definition sounds just right. To us, this definition does the term, “spine”, very little justice. At CSSPT, we view the spine as the keystone to the human body. Just as a keystone can give an archway its strength and stability, the spine can be the link to the human body allowing it to move how it’s intended with decreased risk for injury. A keystone has to be the perfect size and shape for the archway to be architecturally sound. The spine also has to have the appropriate mobility and strength for the rest of the human body to be mechanically and functionally sound.

So if your wrist or ankle hurts and you seek treatment at Corvallis Sport and Spine, you can bet we’ll be taking a look at your spine. The reason those extremities may hurt could be a result of poor posture or movement from abnormal spine mechanics! It could also be referral from the nerves coming from your spine, but that’s a topic for a different day. We won’t just give you stretches for your back and not treat where it hurts, but we will probably address some issues at your spine that are contributing to the pain in your extremities.

So there it is. The Physical Therapists at CSSPT do much more than just treat “a row of connected bones in your back” to help you “play in a happy and lively way”. We look at you as a whole person, including your spine, in order for us to improve your mobility and strength. This approach will help you move and feel better so that you can live, work, and play again, whether that’s walking, gardening, or hitting a game winning home run!

References

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sport

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spine

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Summer break is here! For many of you this means you get to spend a whole lot more time with your kids for the next 3 months. As the use of electronics continues to grow in today’s society, the amount of physical activity individuals (especially kids) get during their week continues to plummet. Sitting is becoming America’s secret health hazard, arguably more than smoking and other harmful activities. It’s important to get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, and for kids, that number should be closer to 60 minutes. So, this summer, we want you and your kids to be healthier, so let’s get moving!

Safe Summer Activities:

• Walking:
  • This is probably the number 1 most underrated exercise around! Walking is a great way to get exercise without overloading your joints or over stressing your muscles. Just 30 minutes a day can help you stay healthy and decrease your risk
• Hiking:
  • If you want a little more challenge and a more scenic view, try hiking. This can be a great way to challenge your heart, lungs, and legs a little more and enjoy the great outdoors while you’re at it!
• Running:
  • Running can be an excellent form of exercise for maintaining and improving your overall cardiovascular health, but it can also put a lot of strain on your muscles and joints if your form, strength, range of motion, or shoes aren’t up to snuff. When building your running, make sure to only add 10% of time or distance each week to help avoid any big injuries.
• Biking:
  • This is a great way to get similar cardiovascular effects of running with less wear and tear on your joints. You can also cover more ground and enjoy more scenery.



• Swimming:
  • This is another great exercise without punishing your joints too much. Beware – swimming can sometimes result in shoulder injuries. If you’ve had any “neutral spine” training in or outside of Physical Therapy, this would be a good time to use it! Don’t overarch at your low back!
• Playing at the Park/Backyard:
  • Activities in your yard or at the park can be fun and healthy! Try some games like frisbee golf, ultimate frisbee, or just some walking around the park to have some fun, enjoy the sun, and improve your health!

While the above activities are relatively safe, if you don’t have proper strength, flexibility, or posture to meet the demands, you could begin experiencing pain. If you want a tune up to have fun with less pain this summer, give us a call at 541-752-0545 to schedule your preferred appointment today!

*Pictures through Google courtesy of: https://www.wordonfire.org/WoF-Blog/WoF-Blog/June-2013/Humor-Ten-Summer-Activities-to-Enhance-Your-Cathol.aspx
https://www.keystoneresort.com/activities/summer-kids-activities.aspx

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Are you taking a trip to Disneyland? The Grand Canyon? Even if you are just trying to get your 30 minutes of walking in each day, it is important to think about your feet! Long summer days and exciting vacations often mean more time walking, standing, and exploring. The high temperatures also mean you might be wearing sandals or flip flops more than any other type of shoe.

While these shoes are stylish and comfortable in the heat, they are often lacking in support – putting you at risk for injury including plantar fasciitis, knee pain, and even back pain. Yes, even your footwear can affect your spine!

Let’s break it down – there are three main types of feet (primarily looking at the arch of your foot). If you want to get an idea of what kind of arch you have, get your foot wet and step onto something that will show the mark – dry pavement if you’re lounging by the pool or even a paper bag works well. Now look at your foot print – you should see all your toes, the ball of your foot, a curve that is about half as wide as the ball of your foot (arch), and then your heel.

• If this is what your foot looks like – you have a normal arch. Look for a shoe in the “neutral” category – it will give you a little cushion, a little arch support but nothing extreme.



• If you barely see any curve or arch – you have a high arch (supinated) foot. This means you need to look for a shoe that gives you some more cushioning. The arch of the foot is designed to be a shock absorber and if you have a high arch, you lose some the natural shock absorption and need to make up for it with your shoe. Pick a shoe from the “cushioned” category. You may have “shin splints” or low back pain when walking or running if you aren’t wearing a cushioned shoe.
• If you see a very wide arch or a flat foot – you have a low arch, flat (pronated) foot. This means that you need more support from you shoe, because you aren’t getting it from your foot. Look for a shoe in the “stability” category. If you are wearing the wrong shoes, you may have hip or knee pain when walking or running.

If you love hiking or walking in sandals, make sure you purchase a pair with some support! There are many different kinds of “sport sandals” that are designed for those of us who want to get out and walk without sneakers. If you do plan on doing a lot of walking or hiking, avoid flip flops! Yes, they are perfect for the pool but often are lacking the kind of arch support you need for more sustained physical activity.

Not sure what shoes or sandals are best suited for your needs? Have you been having foot or back pain? Our physical therapists are trained to evaluate your posture and feet to determine what type of sneaker or sandal will give you the best support for all your summer fun!

References:

https://biosynchronistics.com/how-to-choose-right-fitting-sneakers-and-running-shoes/

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