Bear Lodge Rehabilitation - Upton

Stretching and physical activity is key in physical therapy. Although you might not always need it, incorporating physical therapy exercises (particularly the stretching portion) will help improve your life more than you know! Everyone enjoys feeling their best, and light activity/stretching is the way to do so. We’ve compiled some of our favorite stretches, and why you should do them, all in one place! If you are considering getting in to a new physical activity routine, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Wyoming/Nebraska physical therapist or your primary care physician. 

The following are common stretches that we recommend, as well as things we have used with clients in the past. Give them a try - it should take five minutes!

• Runner’s Stretch - The easiest way to describe this is that it looks like a lunge, except you have a knee on the ground! Lean forward into the stretch and hold for thirty seconds. REpeat on both sides.
• Standing Toe Reach - Stand with your feet together, and bend at the waist. You’ll extend your arms straight in front of you and try to reach your toes. Hold for thirty seconds. 
• Arm Circles - This is a good way to keep moving! Hold your arms straight out so they are at your side, even with your shoulders. Next all you have to do is make 10-20 circles forward and backward. 

There are some benefits to stretching and light activity every day. Here are the two of the biggest benefits from regular stretching/physical activity.
Muscle Strength: Everyday activities can be much easier if you have some built-up muscle strength. It particularly comes in handy when performing yard work or moving boxes, but we can promise it won’t just make household chores easier! Improved muscle strength will have you feeling better and healthier in no time. 
Flexibility: This one is a big one - through regular physical activity and stretching your flexibility will increase. This too will have you feeling better, but it will also help to prevent injuries that can happen if you overexert your muscles. 

It can be hard to fit physical activity in to your schedule, we recommend the following: 

• Schedule - Create a schedule that you can stick to! For example, we have several clients who fit into a workout in the mornings around 7 am. Once you get into a habit, it’ll become easier. 
• Prioritize - Prioritizing your workout is important. It’s easy to let work, children, and household chores get in the way but if you have an hour to watch TV you have 20 minutes to get a stretch in! Do both at the same time!
• Workout Buddies - If you need to be held accountable, a workout buddy is the best way to do that! Once you start setting gym times to meet up it’ll become much easier.

If you are experiencing any pain, or are looking to get into a physical fitness routine, your primary care physician or physical therapist can help. Here at North Platte Physical Therapy, are here to help meet your needs. Physical therapy can be essential in healing from any knee-injury, and with proper care you can be back to your normal routine in no time. 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.


 

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 prevent neck strain. Something important to note, there is no 100% way to prevent an injury, but you can do your best to cut back on lifestyle habits that might heighten your risk.

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 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 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 for assistance. If you are experiencing body aches and pains, also be sure to reach out 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.

Hopefully you rang the New Year in with nothing more than friends and family! If you were unlucky and happened to sustain an injury in the New Year, there is no need to fret. Physical therapy can be your key to resuming your normal activities with little risk of additional injury, and hopefully very little downtime. However your “downtime,” will be dependent on the severity of your injury. We’ve compiled our four reasons as to why Wyoming/Nebraska physical therapy is beneficial.

Pain
Physical therapy can help you prevent additional pain and ease any pain you are currently feeling. Through a range of motions, low-impact exercises, taping techniques or electrical stimulation, physical therapy has a wide variety of treatment options. The ultimate goal of physical therapy is not only to get you back to 100%, but also to prevent and eliminate any pain you are currently feeling.

Recovery
As just mentioned, the ultimate goal of physical therapy is recovery. By the end of physical therapy, you will be back on your feet operating as normal. One of the most important things you can do is follow all of your physical therapist’s recommendations - they are trained to built a treatment plan that will help you resume normal activities as fast as possible, without risk of additional injuries. Physical therapists may also be seen in the event of a stroke, or other neurological injuries. 

Avoiding Surgery
Looking to avoid a surgery? Physical therapy might be your best bet! There are quite a few instances in which physical therapy is a suitable treatment option instead of having to go through a long and costly surgery process.

Motion Improvement
Physical therapy is for more than just recovery after an injury. If you are experiencing mobility issues, physical therapy can be a great way to help you reach your goals. The low-impact exercise and stretching can help restore your muscle’s normal movement patterns. No matter your age, consider chatting with your local physical therapist about how it can help with mobility issues.

No matter what your injury is, we at North Platte Physical Therapy, are here to help meet your needs. Physical therapy can be essential in healing from any knee-injury, and with proper care you can be back to your normal routine in no time. 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.
 

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 prevent neck strain. Something important to note, there is no 100% way to prevent an injury, but you can do your best to cut back on lifestyle habits that might heighten your risk.

At Night
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. 

Your Phone
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.

Let’s Stretch!
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 your local Wyoming/Nebraska physical therapist today. 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.

 

Have you been told you’ll need to have back surgery? Back surgery can certainly be overwhelming, and even a little scary...but it doesn’t have to be.There are some important things you should know about back surgery and if you are on the fence knowing the pros and cons of pursuing back surgery can help you make your decision. If you still have questions, reach out to your local Wyoming or Nebraska physical therapist, or your team here at North Platte. 

There is always a reason your doctor is recommending back surgery - keep that in mind. While it can seem extreme, or even scary, you don’t need to be worried. Having the back surgery your doctor recommends can result in several benefits, including improved physical fitness/ability, improved mood, and ultimately getting back to your normal mode of operation. Post surgery, there might be some additional work needed...and that’s where we come in. Physical therapy after back surgery is extremely important - it’ll help you return to your normal day to day routine faster, and with less complications.

Now, there are a few different types of back surgery, and while the list is exhaustive here are some of the most common surgeries to help solve for back pain:
Spinal fusion: If you are having a spinal fusion surgery, your doctor will be joining your vertebrae. This is a common type of surgery, however the surgery will limit your motion between the vertebrae. Despite this, most likely you will not experience any limit in your range of motion. 
Laminectomy: This is a surgery in which parts of your bone, bone spurs, or ligaments will be removed. While this will help relieve any pressure you are feeling...it can lead to a more unstable spine. Often times you might have this surgery, and then a spinal fusion to assist in stabilization. 
Disk replacement: This is exactly what it sounds like - a surgeon will remove a damaged disk and replace it with an artificial one. This tends to be similar to a spinal fusion, but recovery time is much shorter and this surgery will allow you to continue to move your spine.

If you have questions concerning an upcoming back surgery, we recommend that you reach out to your primary care physician and/or your physical therapist. You should always ask questions if you are having questions or doubts about an upcoming surgery or even treatment. 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.