Shoulder Specialist in Carlsbad for Rotator Cuff Rehab

Do You Need a Shoulder Specialist in Carlsbad?

Before you have rotator cuff surgery you should seek out a shoulder pain specialist in Carlsbad. There are conservative treatments available that for many, are just as effective as surgery.

Let’s review the rotator cuff and problems associated with it:

  • The rotator cuff is made up of a group of 4 muscles, each that end in a tendon that attaches to your arm bone called the humerus.
  • The rotator cuff’s job is not to move the arm, but to keep the ball joint of the arm in the shoulder blade socket while the larger muscles of the shoulder, chest, and back move the arm.
  • The rotator cuff can easily become irritated or torn if you do any heavy lifting and/or repetitive arm movements.
  • A chronic tear of the rotator cuff, which happens over time with repeated actions of the arms working overhead (think of pitchers, swimmers, painters, drywall installers, etc.), can be the result of certain occupations or sports and jobs.
  • Rotator cuff tears can be so severe they extend from the top to the bottom of the muscle/tendon (full-thickness tears), or involve at least some portion of the muscle/tendon (partial-thickness tears).
  • Rotator cuff tears can happen along with injuries or irritation of the shoulder at the biceps tendon, or in combination with tears to the ring of cartilage, called the glenoid labrum, at the shoulder joint.

Prevention

The long-term changes that occur in and around the shoulder joint because of everyday wear and tear cannot be totally prevented. But you may be able to prevent some rotator cuff problems if you:

  • Keep the muscles in your shoulders flexible and strong. Daily exercises to maintain strength and flexibility may be the best defense against rotator cuff disorders.
  • Have good posture at all times. Stand straight and relaxed, without slumping.
  • Don’t lift objects that are too heavy for you-especially over your head.
  • Don’t catch falling objects.
  • Avoid sports or other activities where forceful contact or falls are likely or common.
  • Don’t keep your arms out to the side or raised over your head for long periods of time, such as when painting a ceiling. If you must do these activities:
    • Take frequent breaks, and ice your shoulder several times a day and at night.
    • Take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug to relieve any swelling and pain in the tissues that are being pinched. Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
    • Ask your doctor if it would be helpful to take an anti-inflammatory medicine before activities that may stress your shoulder.

Reference: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/rotator-cuff-disorders-prevention

If you haven’t required surgery for your rotator cuff problems, your shoulder pain specialist in Carlsbad will help you recover your strength and mobility so that your activities of daily living are easier to perform and to help you become pain free again.

For those who’ve had surgery, our physical therapists will put together a unique, personalized treatment protocol based on the feedback from your surgeon so we can optimize the recovery process.

Our physical therapists are trained in a variety of techniques including manual therapy, soft tissue work, neuromuscular retraining, therapeutic exercise and functional retraining.

Treatment

Treatment typically starts with painless motion of the shoulder joint and shoulder blade (both must work together). It progresses to active exercises that only involve the weight of your arm. Next is a progression to light resistive exercise to improve the function of the nerves and muscle. Recovering your strength is not the only concern. Recovery of functional and pain-free movements of the shoulder are important. For example, we want to help you get back to:

  • Activities involving overhead movement.
  • Putting on your shirt.
  • Sleeping on your shoulder.
  • Fastening your car safety belt.
  • Return to your sport or recreation of choice.

Please contact us if you have rotator-cuff pain and irritation, or if you’ve just had rotator cuff surgery. We have successfully rehabilitated many and chances are we can help you too. Simply give us a call at
(760) 707-5080 to schedule an appointment.

A Review of Neck Pain Treatment in Carlsbad

Looking For Neck Pain Treatment In Carlsbad?

Are you are seeking neck pain treatment in Carlsbad? If so, you should seek the care of a physical therapist that is an expert in the care of neck pain, its causes, and the many ways to treat it. You will find just those experts at Gaspar Doctors of Physical Therapy.

The first thing your therapist will ask you is your lifestyle and medical history. This will help to determine if your neck problems were caused by major trauma or disease. They will also test your strength, range of motion, and attempt to rule out any serious underlying issues that may need attention.

Your personalized neck-treatment plan will:

  • Relieve stiffness and pain
  • Strengthen your neck
  • Improve your motion

US News Health says this about neck pain:

Neck pain doesn’t get nearly the attention that back pain receives, says Dr. Steven P. Cohen, director of the Johns Hopkins Blaustein Pain Treatment Center. “Neck pain is one of the top five causes of pain worldwide and in the United States,” he says. “But people don’t talk about it.”

More than 30 percent of people suffer from neck pain each year. Feeling stressed can hunch your shoulders, clench your jaw and tense your neck muscles – all of which contribute to neck pain. For most people, it fades away without treatment. But nearly half go on to have chronic or recurring pain, Cohen reports in the February Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Women are more at risk. So are people who do manual labor, health care workers, computer workers and military pilots, among others. Reference: https://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2015/06/26/pain-in-the-neck-passing-crick-or-chronic-agony

There are many ways your physical therapist can help to manage your pain and get you moving again. Here are just a few:

  • Hot and/or cold packs
  • Soft tissue mobilization
  • Modalities such as ultrasound and electrical stimulation
  • Stretches and exercises for your home program

Posture is very important. How you sit, stand, and hold yourself can play a huge role in your pain. We will teach you how to take pressure off of your neck and spinal muscles so that can you do your everyday activities without pain. We can even show you things you can do at home or work to modify your workstation and computer to decrease your chances of bothering your neck.

 

Do you need neck pain treatment in Carlsbad? Contact us at 760-707-5080 for a complete evaluation. We are experts at evaluating and managing neck programs.

Osteoarthritis Specialist In Carlsbad

You’ll Find An Osteoarthritis Specialist In Carlsbad At Gaspar PT

As people age, they commonly develop osteoarthritis in frequently used joints such as the knees, hips and even the spine. If you are local, the good news is there is an osteoarthritis specialist in Carlsbad.

Osteoarthritis is a disease that primarily affects the slippery tissue, called cartilage, that allows bones to glide over one another with ease. With osteoarthritis, the cartilage breaks down and wears away. This can lead to pain and problems moving the joint.

Medications cover up the symptoms but only offer short term relief. Physical therapy gets to the problem itself and helps to provide relief from pain associated with osteoarthritis. Many people with the disease have stiff joints because they avoid activity that causes pain. The goal of a physical therapist is to get patients back to the point where they can perform their normal, everyday activities easier and with less pain.

A good range of motion is important in helping to perform activities. Increasing that range in affected joints and lessening joint stiffness is one of the main goals of physical therapy. Another very important goal is building up your strength. For example, your therapist will often work on strengthening the quadriceps muscles in the front of your thighs as a way to help protect knee joints by stabilizing them and decreasing the pressure on your knee.

The Centers for Disease Control states:

Research shows that exercise is one of the best treatments for osteoarthritis. Exercise can improve mood and outlook, decrease pain, increase flexibility, strengthen the heart and improve blood flow, maintain weight, and promote general physical fitness. Exercise is also inexpensive and, if done correctly, has few negative side effects.

The amount and form of exercise prescribed will depend on which joints are involved, how stable the joints are, and whether a joint replacement has already been done. Walking, swimming, and water aerobics are a few popular types of exercise for people with osteoarthritis.

Your doctor and/or physical therapist can recommend specific types of exercise depending on your particular situation. Attention to rest and periods of relief from stress on the joints is also important.

Reference via: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

In addition to strengthening exercises, your physical therapist can also teach you how to work out stiffness on your own without further damaging your joints. You can also learn how to best move from one position to another, such as how to stand up or get into and out of a car.

Other treatments can include thermal modalities such as ice packs or heating pads placed on the affected area or even ultrasound to relieve joint pain.

Don’t let arthritis control your life. To schedule a consultation with an osteoarthritis specialist in Carlsbad, call Gaspar Doctors of Physical Therapy at (760) 707-5080.

A Top Ankle Specialist in Carlsbad

Looking for an ankle specialist in Carlsbad? Come see us.

Ankle sprains and fractures top the list of the most common ankle injuries. Seeing an ankle specialist in Carlsbad, especially one of our doctors of physical therapy, can be a conservative and cost-effective means to manage conditions of the ankle.

Most ankle sprains & fractures occur during some form of athletic activity. However, ankle injuries can also occur from daily activities such as workplace activity and regular exercise. More serious injuries due to a fracture or sprain can lead to persistent pain and stiffness. You may feel discomfort when walking for long periods of time or while jogging or running.

It is important to pay attention to the pain you are feeling. It is the way your body tells you that something is wrong. Even minor pain could mean your ankle has a hairline fracture or damaged tendons. Although you may feel fine when at rest, if your pain returns once you are active again, it is time to treat your injury.

Common causes of ankle pain:

Sprains and Strains

Your ankle ligaments help to keep your ankle stable and secure. When you sprain your ankle these ligaments are stretched beyond the normal range of motion and are injured. The ligament may have small tears or be completely torn.

From the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: About half of U.S. ankle sprains occur while patients are playing sports, with basketball taking most of the blame, according to the largest study of this common injury to date. Of the sprains that occurred during sports, 41.1% were sustained on the basketball court, Brian Waterman, MD, of William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Tex., reported at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons meeting here. Coming in a distant second was football (9.3%), followed by soccer (7.9%) and running (7.2%).

“To our knowledge, this is the first large-scale, descriptive epidemiological study of ankle sprain in the general population of the U.S.,” Waterman said.
Reference – https://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AAOS/19019

Fractures

When there is a partial or complete break in a bone, it is a fracture. The ankle can have breaks in the tibia and/or fibula bones. Stress fractures are tiny breaks in the bone that grow over time.

Arthritis

Another common cause of ankle pain is osteoarthritis. This occurs when joint cartilage has worn down between the joint and bone. When this happens, it leads to irritation and pain, which makes it difficult and painful to move the joint.

Do-It-Yourself Treatments

If your pain is minor, you can perform home treatments such as elevating your feet or icing your ankle to help slow or reduce swelling. You can also compress your ankle with an elastic bandage to keep it immobile and supported.

Remember, our doctors of physical therapy can properly evaluate your ankle. After diagnosis, your doctor will teach you balancing, strengthening, and mobility exercises. We will also develop a program made specifically for you to help you regain normal function of your ankle.

If you are looking for an ankle specialist in Carlsbad, look no further than Gaspar Doctors of Physical Therapy. Contact us today at (760) 707-5080 at our Bressi Ranch location to schedule a consultation. Our highly skilled, trained staff are ready to help.

Need a back pain doctor in Carlsbad? Call Gaspar PT today!

Looking for a back pain doctor in Carlsbad? Don’t wait it could cost you.  When it comes to having back pain, there are a few signs you should watch for so you can know when to seek out a back pain doctor. Some of these signs include the following:

  • Back pain from sitting too long.
  • Back pain from standing in one spot too long.
  • Back pain from walking too much or too long.
  • Back pain from bending over just for a short amount of time.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states:

If you have lower back pain, you are not alone. About 80 percent of adults experience low back pain at some point in their lifetimes. It is the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work days. In a large survey, more than a quarter of adults reported experiencing low back pain during the past 3 months.

Men and women are equally affected by low back pain, which can range in intensity from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp sensation that leaves the person incapacitated. Pain can begin abruptly as a result of an accident or by lifting something heavy, or it can develop over time due to age-related changes of the spine. Sedentary lifestyles also can set the stage for low back pain, especially when a weekday routine of getting too little exercise is punctuated by strenuous weekend workout.

Reference – https://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/detail_backpain.htm

Physical Therapy Can Help

Having this type of back pain can be a sign that something is wrong and you should see a back doctor immediately. Physical therapy treatment can help your back pain in a short amount of time and with less cost to you than other types of medical care.

Which Diagnoses Do We Treat?

Here’s a list of diagnoses we treat and more information.  This is from our Medical Library:

Low Back Pain
Postsurgical Rehabilitation
Scoliosis
Lumbar Stenosis

When you come to Gaspar Doctors of Physical Therapy, we will teach you a different approach toward the management of your back pain. If you stick to the program we teach you, chance are, even after your physical therapy is over, you will see a major difference with the pain. It will be reduced or will be gone for good as long as you continue the program.

There is never a reason to suffer from back pain. If you are experiencing it for any reason, contact Gaspar PT today at 760-634-9750 to find out what you can do to ease the pain or get rid of it altogether.