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Aches and pains can be just that...a pain. It’s estimated that 60-80 percent of adults will experience back pain sometime in their lives, and 20-70 percent of adults will experience neck pain. You may have noticed you are beginning to experience pain for longer than 24-48 hours...and sometimes that’s okay. Perhaps you’ve had a hard work, or are even recovering from a major injury/medical procedure. But here is when you should start to consider it might be something more serious. 

As you start to wonder if it can be a sign of something more serious, you should ask yourself the following questions: 

• How long has the pain been going on?
• Is there anything that makes the pain worse? Perhaps a movement or when you sit/lay down a certain way.
• Do you have pain when walking? 
• Is the pain associated with numbness or weakness? 
• Are you having any trouble with walking? 

These are all questions that your doctor is likely to ask you, and it could be indicative of something more serious. As you start to answer these questions yourself, make sure you are mindful of the answer so you can discuss with your primary care physician. Here are the true signs you should begin to look out for, and when you should certainly seek medical attention: 
Sudden onset of pain: If you have sudden onset of pain whether that be in the back or neck, you should definitely seek medical attention. Particularly if this pain wakes you up at night, or is something that happens consistently. 
Numbness: Are you having bouts of numbness? This could signal issues with your nerves - make sure to call your doctor sooner rather than later to avoid more permanent and more serious damage.
Fever: Fevers are indication of infections, and infections can get serious if left untreated. 
Constant pain: Besides the fact that constant pain can be an annoyance, it can also affect your daily life and get worse over time.
Traumatic injury: If you’ve experienced a traumatic injury such as a bad fall, car accident, etc., it’s important to get treatment right after the event. If you’ve delayed this and are experiencing pain after the fact...get in to a doctor immediately.

If you are experiencing long-lasting  pain, be sure to reach out to your primary care physician or our team.  At North Platte Physical Therapy, we are here to help meet your needs. We serve the communities of Wyoming and Nebraska with 22 clinics offering a full range of physical therapy services. Contact us today for more information.
 

Are you suffering from back pains? Perhaps you don’t know where it’s stemming from, or how best to start to manage the pain? Don’t worry - your experts at North Platte Physical Therapy are here to help! From causes, to things you can begin doing at home we have some of our best tips straight from your favorite Wyoming/Nebraska physical therapists. Take a look at what we have to say, and if you think you might be experiencing a more serious problem...reach out. We are here to help you.

Symptoms
Let’s start with the basics. Are you experiencing any of the following symptoms? All of these are indicative of a back pain, or something deeper, but it’s important to note that these do not represent all symptoms you might be experiencing. Think of this as the starting point.

• Pain that shoots down your leg
• Muscle aches
• Shooting/stabbing pain in any part of your back
• Pain that increases with any physical labor/strain on your back
• Pain that improves when you lay down

Causes
Most lower back pain results from an injury. However, there are some underlying causes that could be responsible for lower back pain, including: 

• Cancer
• Sciatica
• Arthritis
• Kidney infections
• Ruptured/herniated discs
• Infection

If you are having back pain for longer than two weeks, and it doesn’t improve with stretching, rest or compressions/ice. Be sure to see a primary care physician. In the meantime, we do recommend rest and relaxation. However, in this case rest just means lighter activity. Light stretching and even walking can sometimes help ease back pain, but be sure not to overdo it. When you are experiencing back pain, it is not the time to start a full exercise routine. For the first 24 hours apply ice, then for the 48+ hours apply heat to the affected area. 

If you are experiencing long-lasting back pain, be sure to reach our to your primary care physician or our team.  At North Platte Physical Therapy, we are here to help meet your needs. We serve the communities of Wyoming and Nebraska with 22 clinics offering a full range of physical therapy services. Contact us today for more information.


 

The winter months are notoriously hard for fitness junkies - the cold weather keeps people inside, the holidays can make eating healthier a little bit of a challenge, and there are many events that require your attention. However, we have a few ways you can start to transition into healthy habits now...preparing you for success this winter! Here are our favorite healthy tips from your Wyoming/Nebraska physical therapist. 

Working Out
Finding time to work out during the holidays can be more difficult than ever. However, there are a few smaller things you can do to help stay active. One of them being to incorporate physical activity into family activities - such as enjoying time on a wii fit with the family or going through a Christmas light walk. In addition, start blocking time on your calendars to ensure you workout and maybe even consider signing up for a few exercise classes. Making these minor adjustments can help you stay on your game this winter.

Carbs
Carbs are challenging year round, but it’s even harder during the winter. Your body often times can crave carbs, thinking that it’ll make you happier. And your body would be right...for a period of time. Carbs can cause temporary boosts in serotonin, but after the boost is gone you are going to be craving carbs more than ever. Avoid the temptation, and avoid the unnecessary calories and carbs!

Additional Nutrition
During the winter months, try to avoid sweets as much as possible. While everything is okay in moderation, sweets tend to pack on the pounds when you aren’t as physically active as normal. Try incorporating more Omega-3 fatty acids, and beef up the leafy vegetables you are consuming on a daily basis. All three of these minor changes can have a major impact on your health and fitness goals.

Vitamins
While we always recommend using vitamins, we recommend you consider a vitamin C supplement this winter. Winter months keep you inside, and oftentimes aren’t very sunny. Vitamin C supplements will help you stay energetic, youthful, and help to keep you skin looking healthy and happy. Before you start on your vitamin regime, we recommend contacting you primary care physician. Too much of particular vitamins can cause issues - so we recommend that you always contact your doctor.

Not everything works for everyone, but these are our favorite tips for staying healthy this winter. If you need additional assistance, reach out to your primary care physician. If you are experiencing body aches and pains, also be sure to reach out to your primary care physician or our team. At North Platte Physical Therapy, we are here to help meet your needs. We serve the communities of Wyoming and Nebraska with 22 clinics offering a full range of physical therapy services. Contact us today for more information.
 

Stretching. It’s commonly associated with exercising, but did you know completing a few quick stretches every night could be the key to lessening your chance for injury? To help you get started, we’ve compiled four of our favorite back stretches - straight from some of our Wyoming physical therapy “playbooks.” 

Kneeling Lunge Stretch 
This one is not as hard as it might sound, and it’ll have you feeling amazing in no time. Get in a lunch position, with one knee bent at 90 degrees and the other resting on the ground. You’ll then need to lean forward into your lunge. Make sure you keep your back straight, with a good posture. You’ll most likely feel this in your hip flexor as well, but posture is essential for this one. Hold for 30 seconds and switch sides.

Back Flexion Stretch
Start laying on a flat surface, on your back. You will then bring your knees up to your chest, and pull them closely with your arms. While you are doing that, roll your chin up to your chest and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat as needed. 

Seated Toe-Touch 
Sit on the ground, with your legs straight out in front of you. Take a deep breath, and while breathing out reach forward with both arms and work to touch your toes. To feel this stretch in your back, you’ll need to keep your head down during the whole stretch. Hold for 30 seconds, repeat as needed.

Cat Pose
Yes, this is one of the more popular yoga poses but we assure you it’ll have your back feeling relaxed in no time. Get on the ground, on all fours as if you are a cat. Your knees should be on the ground, and your arms should be directly under your shoulders. Take a deep breath, and arch your back outward so that it forms a nice curve. Hold for 10 seconds, and slowly return to the starting point.

This is not all of the stretches in our playbook, but it certainly gives you an idea of how we like to prevent injuries. If you are experiencing body aches and pains, also be sure to reach out to your primary care physician or our team. At North Platte Physical Therapy, we are here to help meet your needs. We serve the communities of Wyoming and Nebraska with 22 clinics offering a full range of physical therapy services. Contact us today for more information.
 

Whew - no one likes a back neck strain. Neck strains can keep you from living a normal life every day, and can even make you uncomfortable. Sometimes neck strains can cause you to lay in bed each day you have issues, or it could even cause you to have to go to the doctor. The good news, is that while you can prevent every injury there are a few things you can do to stop yourself from getting injured ahead of time. We’ve compiled some of our favorite tips for preventing neck strain:

Sleeping
Neck strain/pain can be prevented simply by how you sleep - and this includes the type of pillow you are using. If you are already experiencing some light neck pain...try a new pillow. Sometimes a firmer, or even softer pillow, can help adjust your body. Somethings can be very difficult. Not only can the type of pillow you are using can make a difference, but the sleeping position itself can also make a difference. Try laying on your back if you can, sleeping on your side can cause undo stress. 

Technology
Technology can cause additional stress on your body - stress you might have not thought of. For example, if your computer is not at eye level...looking down or up can cause a lot of neck pain. What about texting? Are you spending all day texting? Looking down at your phone could cause unnecessary strain as well. Keep an eye out on where your eye sight is for each piece of technology.

Wellness
Wellness covers quite a few things, including physical fitness and nutrition Physical fitness is important to help prevent neck strains - and we aren’t talking about regularly working out (although we do recommend that). We are talking about stretching your neck muscles often. Healthy nutrition is also important, but be sure to drink plenty of water to keep your body healthy.

Have a neck strain? Be sure to contact us or your primary care physician for assistance. If you are experiencing body aches and pains, also be sure to reach out to your primary care physician or our team. At North Platte Physical Therapy, we are here to help meet your needs. We serve the communities of Wyoming and Nebraska with 22 clinics offering a full range of physical therapy services. Contact us today for more information.