Latest News and 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.
 

We are loving this fall weather! While we wish it was a little cooler - we can’t get enough of the changing colors and delicious football Sunday food. Unfortunately, cooler weather can make it a little difficult to get and stay in shape. We have compiled our XX tips (straight from your favorite Wyoming/Nebraska physical therapists) for you to start incorporating into your daily routine! 

Spend time outside
As long as it is not too cold, and inversely too hot, workout outside. The beautiful fall foliage will help you stay motivated and provide beautiful scenery for your run ahead. The cooler outdoor weather is also perfect to help keep you cool when running or exercising. 

Safety First
No matter what, safety is always first. Run during daylight hours, and if you decide to run in the early morning or later at night be sure to wear reflective clothing. This will help cars see you as they are making early morning/late night drives.

Layers
If it’s a little colder outside, be sure to layer up. A longer sleeve shirt, with a lighter sweatshirt will make removing the layers a little easier. If you are running and decide to remove the sweatshirt, you can easily tie it around your waist so you don’t have to worry about carrying it.

Working Out at Home 
Another easy thing to do? You can start working out at home. It keeps you from having to go outside as the weather gets colder, and it may make it even easier for you to fit in a workout! 

Regular Weigh-Ins
We know...the scale can be scary. But regularly weighing yourself can ensure that you are on track to meet your goals! Just remember though, fluctuating one or two pounds daily is completely normal. And so is bloating. If you feel that you might be a little extra bloated, make sure to have some lemon water and go on a walk. You’ll be shocked at what these little fixes can do.

Not everything works for everyone, but these are our favorite tips for staying healthy this fall. 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.

 

As you get older, you might begin to notice you are already experiencing lower back pain. While that be frustrating - there are a few small lifestyle changes you can begin implementing to help prevent lower back pain, and make your existing pain lesson. Before we get into it, remember that if you have chronic lower back pain, with consistent struggle, you certainly need to see a Wyoming physical therapist. In the meantime, try some of these tips and tricks: 

Fueling Your Body
Fueling your body with the healthiest food you can get is one of the best things you can do to help avoid lower back pain and keep yourself feeling your absolute best. Healthy food not only will help keep aches and pains at bay, but it’ll help fuel you to have a long and healthy life.

Get Moving
Exercise offers more than just helping to maintain a healthy weight and releasing endorphins. Regular exercise can help keep your body healthy, moving, and prevent any aches and pains from holding you back. Staying active physically will also help improve the strength and flexibility of your back as a whole - something that can only help you!

Healthy Habits
While eating healthy and exercising regularly are healthy habits, you should incorporate other healthy habits into your daily routine. Such as avoiding smoking and cutting down on your alcohol intake. Both smoking and alcohol will do more harm to your body then good, and in some cases you won’t be able to undo the damage these bad habits cause.

Mental Wellness 
Wellness extends beyond physical wellness - you need to take care of your mind and soul as well. The best way to do this is to manage stress and anxiety through regular exercise or meditation, and seeing your doctor if you are unable to manage these things naturally. If you feel overwhelmed, it's important to talk to loved ones or therapists as well - mental wellbeing can have an overwhelming effect on physical wellbeing, remember to take care of yourself in all aspects.

Everyone’s physical therapy regime varies, and it truly is based on your body. If you are interested in starting a yoga regime while completing a physical therapy regime be sure to contact your physical therapist. 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.
 

MCL (medial collateral ligament) tears are infamous, and very intimidating if you’ve been diagnosed with one. If you are not the one who has been diagnosed with a tear, and it’s your child...this could be even scarier. However, there is no need to worry! MCL tears can be treated, and most the time a fully healed MCL will allow you to resume your normal activities. If you are an athlete, you might not be at full capacity but it does vary person to person! Your Wyoming and Nebraska physical therapist has compiled the things you need to know when recovering from an MCL tear.

First...How do you know if you are injured? If you are unsure on whether you have an MCL tear, the following should cause you to seek help from a medical professional:

• Swelling on and around the knee
• Popping sound upon injury
• Pain/tenderness on and around knee
• Instable feeling - perhaps it feels like it’ll give out or it locks often

What type of tear do you have? 
The first thing you need to know, and that your doctor will tell you, is what type of tear you have. MCL tears vary in severity from Grade 1 to Grade 3 - with Grade 3 being the most severe. Here is what the grades mean for you:
Grade 1: Ligament is stretched but not torn meaning you should only experience pain and discomfort
Grade 2: Ligament is partially torn, meaning this can cause some instability
Grade 3: Ligament is completely torn, and will cause instability

Knowing the type of tear you have will be important in determining how to treat and heal the ligament. The grade will also affect how quickly you will be able to resume normal activities, and if you are an athlete it’ll determine the likelihood of long term of effects.

Treatment
Once again, the type of treatment you will receive for an MCL injury depends on the grade. But in general, you can expect rehab or even surgery. Rehabilitation for an MCL injury will include: 
Physical therapy - Your physical therapy will be designed and planned to help improve your range of motion, and slowly restore your knee to its normal functionality 
Support - You’ll most likely need to wear a knee brace
Rest - Make sure that you adhere to your doctor’s recommendations and rest as needed 

Surgery is rare when it concerns an MCL injury, and is only used if the ligament and body can’t repair the tear alone. No matter how painful you feel that your injury is, check with your doctor to see if it will be a necessity. All MCL injuries will be treated differently and should be as everyone is different. Once you’ve been diagnosed with an injury, consult us at North Platte Physical Therapy for your physical therapy program. 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.
 

So you’ve started physical therapy in Wyoming, what’s next? You might be looking for additional ways to supplement your physical therapy, and most physical therapists would even recommend light exercise. A great light exercise routine to start is yoga - it’s low impact, is relaxing, and can be done at your own pace. Here are a few ways that yoga can be a beneficial partner to your physical therapy regime.

Recovery Time
Yoga might be able to speed up your recovery time. Not only will it help get you moving, but yoga improves strength and flexibility without a lot of muscle strain. If you are achy, yoga can help to lessen your pain, give you more flexibility and even provide additional muscle stability.

Treatment
Besides helping treat your current issues, yoga can help treat multiple issues besides your immediate strain or problem you are facing. Try practicing very low impact stretches for beginners, and always consult your physical therapist before incorporating too many difficult exercises or exercises that could potentially harm your injury even further. 

Mind 
Exercise in general releases endorphins that can lead you to a happier, healthier, and ultimately omre relaxing life. Nothing can be better for your physical therapy (besides doing your exercises of course), then being relaxed and in a great mental state as you work towards recovery. A relaxed and positive mind does wonders towards managing your pain and recovery.

You might be wondering how to incorporate yoga into your physical therapy routine. As we’ve mentioned, consider consulting your physical therapist first. However, there are a few yoga moves you can start incorporating if you are anxious to get a jumpstart. 

• Staff Pose: A staff yoga pose requires you to sit on the ground with your legs stretched out in front of you - taking deep breaths and working on your spine alignment.
• Chair Pose: Squat as if you are sitting in a pose and place your arms straight above your head. Take deep breaths in and out while looking forward.
• Downward Facing Dog: One of the more common poses, downward facing dog, involves you placing your feet and hands on the ground and placing your body in a “pike position,” once again focusing on spine alignment.

Everyone’s physical therapy regime varies, and it truly is based on your body. If you are interested in starting a yoga regime while completing a physical therapy regime be sure to contact your physical therapist. 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.