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How Cheyenne, WY Physical Therapy Can Help with Post Cancer Treatment


May 3, 2017

How Cheyenne, WY Physical Therapy Can Help with Post Cancer Treatment
After you have finished cancer treatment, you will be on the road of recovery. While you have looked forward to this stage of our treatment since day one, there is still work to be done. However, there are quality resources available to help manage pain and help you through this stage. Learn what to expect after your treatment, top tips for recovery and how to incorporate premier Cheynne, WY physical therapy.

What to Expect After Your Treatment

Once you have finished your treatments for cancer, you are on the road to recovery. However, it will take time to get back to your normal self. You can work with your doctor to make sure the way that you feel is normal, but there are many common symptoms that people feel during this stage. One of the top symptoms is fatigue. You may feel drained and out of energy as your body is working to recover. Work on making sure you consume healthy foods and have a good diet to help you while you are on the mend. Others may experience lymphedema, which is a swelling of an area where lymph fluid has built due to your treatment. It is best to discuss this with your doctor on ways to treat. There may also be general pain as well for a variety of reasons depending on the different types of treatment you have had. A variety of medicine, plus proper nutrition, can help with these. Learn more about caring for your body after treatment.

Recovery

In order to recover quickly, it is crucial to care for your body during this time. Even when it’s hard to move or function, pushing yourself will help you recover more quickly. First, make an effort to exercise, even it if it is walking a little outside. You don’t need to focus on hardcore workouts at the gym, just work to build your strength up. Next, make sure you are you eating a proper diet. Work to incorporate vegetables, protein and healthy carbohydrates in with each meal. In addition, eating fats are important as well. This can be from things such as nuts or avocado. Protein is also very important, you just want to make sure you focus on lean meats, fish, poultry and other healthy proteins.

How to Incorporate Physical Therapy

There are many ways a physical therapist can help with your post-treatment recovery. As you work to regain strength and begin to become more active, they can help teach a variety of exercises and training to help you regain your strength. Also, if you are experiencing lymphedema, they can help create a plan for your to help those fluids in the areas drain.

As you are recovering from your cancer treatment, North Platte Physical Therapy if your local physical therapist that can help. Our go-to post cancer treatments range from caring for lymphedema to helping to increase your energy levels and get you back to regaining strength for day to day activities. Contact us today to see how we can help you or a loved one.
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Benefits of Joint Physical Therapy in Douglas, WY


April 26, 2017

Benefits of Joint Physical Therapy in Douglas, WY
For many, the weather impacts them in a variety of different ways. It can alarm your allergies, make your hair frizzy or bring discomfort to your joints. Some notice joint pain before it rains, while others might struggle once it begins to get cold. Did you know there is a connection between the two? Learn about the correlation between weather and joint pain, tips for coping with weather related changes in your body and the overall benefits of physical therapy in Douglas, WY.

Correlation Between Weather and Joint Pain

If you start to feel aches and pains before weather changes, you aren’t alone. How is this possible? It’s possible because the barometric pressure, also known as atmospheric pressure, changes. For an in-depth look into barometric pressure, read Britannica’s Atmospheric Pressure. For many, when these changes happen and the weight of air presses the earth’s surface, it causes a variety of problems for people from headaches to aches and pains. Physical therapy can help with this type of discomfort.

Tips to Coping with Pain Due to Weather Changes

There are a variety of symptoms for those who experience pain when the weather changes. For some, it’s headaches and migraines. For others, joint pain plays a huge role. There are even some individuals to have muscles tighten. If you experience pain, it’s important to speak with your doctor. They can also go over with you if you have any vitamin deficiencies. While seeing your doctor is a top priority to manage pain, there are additional things you can do as well like increasing the amount of time spent warming up before exercising. You can also use a heating pad as well. Next, make sure you’re getting proper nutrition and be aware of food groups that may not agree with you. Consuming these foods plus changes in barometric pressure can make things worse.

Benefits of Physical Therapy

If you experience joint pain, working with a physical therapist can help. You can meet with a physical therapist to discuss any triggers and techniques to help cope. A physical therapist will also help you develop proper form and posture for you to carry out with exercising or just every day normal tasks. Together, you will develop a plan for treatment in hopes to make pain management a little easier. They can also go over additional methods for pain management in addition to physical therapy, such as diet and how to properly use heat and cold. Once you have been working with a physical therapist for some time, you may find some relief when the winds of change come and the weather changes.

If you are experiencing any type of joint pain, whether it is general or you think there is a correlation to the weather, North Platte Physical Therapy located in Douglas, WY can help. To learn more about when you would help ease joint pain with cold or heat, be sure to read our article Treating Pain with Ice vs. Heat, What’s the Difference? To get started on your treatment plan, contact us today!
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​Spring Sports Training Tips From Your Physical Therapist in Newcastle, WY


April 19, 2017

​Spring Sports Training Tips From Your Physical Therapist in Newcastle, WY
As the weather warms up, spending more time outdoors is a treat! Spring and summer are a great time to play sports outside, such as basketball, soccer or tennis, or for go for a nice jog. If you haven’t been as active during the winter, it is best to ease yourself into a regular fitness routine. From how to get back into the swing of things and proper warm-up and cool down techniques to top ways to avoid an injury, try some of these tips from your local physical therapist in Newcastle, WY.

How to get back into the swing of things

When getting ready to get into a workout routine, you will want to start out slow. Create a plan of how many times per week you would like to work out. Even if you want to be ambitious, you need to go easy on yourself to avoid injury. Mix up your activities and make sure to give yourself at least a day or two of rest each week. It is also a great time to set some goals to work toward. Add this to your plan and set realistic milestones—so whether you would like to run a certain distance or lift weights at a certain amount. If you are looking to lose weight, be sure to set realistic goals there too. While it’s easy to say “I want to lose 10 pounds in a month!” It might not happen as easily. Avoid setting yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals.

Proper warm up and cool down

A good workout should begin and end with a warm up and cool down. According to the Mayo Clinic’s article, Aerobic Exercise: How to Warm Up and Cool Down, a proper warmup and cool down session is crucial for reducing stress on your heart and muscles. To warm up, you want to gradually get your blood flowing by stretching some of your larger muscle groups. The Mayo Clinic says to focus on the big areas and then any target areas that you’ll use most often during your activity. You can also go for a walk as well. Then once your workout is complete, don’t forget to do your cool down. This can consist of a nice walk. It will help lower your heart rate back to normal and end your workout on a great note.

Ways to avoid a sports injury

During your workout, injuries might seem inevitable. Of course, accidents happen. However, if you can, it is best to avoid situations that can lead to them. Your warm up and cool down will help to decrease your chances, but that isn’t all. Make sure you are using proper form at all times. If you need to refresh your memory on form for your sport, talk to a local coach, gym employee or someone knowledgeable. When running and twisting, use caution to avoid an injury to your knee. Last, be careful to not overdo a workout. While certain exercises can be difficult, you don’t want to be doing anything that causes pain.

If you become injured due to an injury, North Platte Physical Therapy is your premier physical therapist. Our sports medicine services will provide you with quality one-on-one time with a physical therapist to help you recover. Contact North Platte Physical Therapy today to get started.
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Have Neck Pain? Symptoms to Watch and How Nebraska Physical Therapy Can Help


April 12, 2017

Have Neck Pain? Symptoms to Watch and How Nebraska Physical Therapy Can Help
Are you one of the over 60 percent of Americans dealing with neck pain? Neck pain can be a painful condition that leads to many other issues and symptoms that you may not have even realized stemmed from your neck. However, you do have options to help ease symptoms and potentially cure some of your top issues for a better quality of life. Learn what neck pain is, signs and symptoms to watch out for and how physical therapy in Nebraska can help you recover.

Overview and causes

For many, pain in the neck region can start small and gradually get worse over time. In fact, according to the American Osteopathic Association’s Chronic Neck Pain, neck pain is the third highest reason for chronic pain. For many, it could have stemmed from an injury or wrong movement, and if not cared for over time, worsens. Poor posture, improper lifting techniques at the gym, odd movements, torn muscles or ligaments and more are some of the leading causes the American Osteopathic Association says leads to neck pain.

Signs, Symptoms and Common Issues

While pain in the neck area is one of the go-to signs of an issue, there are many other issues that can occur that stem down from neck pain and injuries. Neck pain sufferers may experience frequent headaches, dizziness, issues picking things up, numbness in the arm and various types of pain such as quick, sharp pains, overall soreness or a burning sensation. For many, their neck pain is due to degenerative disease, a herniated, bulging or ruptured disc, cervical fusion or cervical laminectomy/discectomy. Each of these things should not be ignored and treated by a local physician and physical therapist.

Treatment and How a Physical Therapist Can Help

As a neck pain sufferer, it is best to self-care in addition to what your doctor has told you for treatment. Make sure you always maintain good posture, avoid activities that lead you to lean your neck to one side for long periods of time and take an anti-inflammatory medication. Applying heat or cold to your injury can also help, and varies from person to person. You can test out on your own to see what helps or work with your doctor or a physical therapist to see which of the two is better for you. Last, working with a physical therapist can help. Learn more about physical therapy treatments for neck pain from your premier physical therapist in Nebraska.

If you live with chronic neck pain, or have recently sustained an injury that has led to neck pain, help is available. When it comes to any of your neck pain issues, North Platte Physical Therapy is your local therapy group. With over 22 offices, you are sure to find one near you to help you overcome your neck injury. We will support you with a customized plan to get you on your way to recovery. Don’t live with chronic neck pain any longer! To get started, contact North Platte Physical Therapy today and discuss with us your issues.
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Casper Physical Therapy for Balance Issues


Casper Physical Therapy for Balance Issues
If you have good balance, it means you can walk in a straight line, stand up without stumbling, and bend over without falling to the ground. Unfortunately, many people are unable to do these activities because of balance issues. Anyone can suffer from balance problems, but senior citizens are at a much higher risk. If you have balance problems that are interfering with your life, it’s important to understand how Casper physical therapy can help.

Prevention Strategies
What shoes do you wear on a regular basis? Do you have loose rugs in your home? A physical therapist can assess these different areas of your life to determine if any steps need to be taken to reduce your fall risk. For example, a physical therapist may recommend you buy a pair of slip-resistant shoes and secure all rugs that could trip you. Learn more about the causes, risk factors, and prevention of falls.

Build Confidence
If you’ve ever fallen before and seriously injured yourself, you may live in a constant state of fear that it’s going to happen again. No one should have live to like this. A physical therapist can help you build confidence in your ability to stay balanced so you can face your fears and move on with your life.

Build Strength
If you are concerned about your balance, a physical therapist will most likely recommend that you build strength in your core. Experienced therapists can show you low impact exercises that target your core and build strength that will help you improve your overall balance.

Balance Exercises
There are two types of balance: static, which occurs when you are either sitting or standing still, and dynamic, which occurs when you are in motion. A physical therapist will determine which type of balance you need to improve, and then customize a treatment plan based on your individual needs. The treatment plan will include exercises that are designed to improve static, dynamic, or both types of balance. As you move through each exercise, your physical therapist will stand by and adjust your body as needed or provide pointers on how you can get more out of each move.

Correct Posture
Not only can poor posture lead to long-term pain, but it can also throw your body off and cause balance problems. Luckily, a physical therapist will be able to closely examine your posture while sitting, lying, and standing to determine if any adjustments need to be made. You may only need a few tweaks to see a huge improvement in your ability to balance.

At North Platte Physical Therapy, we’re dedicated to helping clients get back on their feet. But accidents happen, so if you do lose your balance and suffer an injury during a fall, contact North Platte Physical Therapy to learn more about how we can help you recover. Our staff is praised throughout the Wyoming and Nebraska areas for our commitment to our clients. We can fulfill comprehensive physical therapy services, and would be happy to customize a treatment plan for your personal needs.
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