6 Expert Tips to Protect Your Back When Raking Leaves in New England Here in Portsmouth, NH, and across New England, fall foliage is beautiful — until all those leaves end up in your yard. As a local physical therapist, I often see an increase in back pain and strain injuries this time of year from people raking leaves without realizing how much stress it puts on their...
Do your joints crack or make noises every time you move a certain way? If you’re like most people, these noises concern you. Does it mean something is wrong with your knees? Are your joints deteriorating? What happens if it continues? First of all, cracking in your knees (as well as your other joints) is quite common, and most of the time there’s a reasonable explanation for it. ...
A meniscus tear is one of the most common knee injuries, and it’s known for causing significant pain, swelling, and restriction of movement that can seriously disrupt an active lifestyle. While surgery may seem like the only solution – and perhaps that’s what you’ve been told – many people (80% in fact) can successfully avoid invasive procedures like cortisone and surgery if they want to. The key? Focusing...
Knee pain can be debilitating, making simple tasks like walking, climbing stairs, or even standing up a painful experience. For many, the quick fix seems to be a cortisone shot – an anti-inflammatory injection that offers temporary relief from knee pain. When injected into the knee, the cortisone (a type of steroid) targets the inflamed tissues and aims to reduce the symptoms of pain and swelling. But there...
If you’re one of the many people out there suffering from chronic knee pain – and wondering why it won’t just go away – you’re not alone. Most of the folks I speak with in this situation have been told it’s simply due to arthritis, old age, or general wear and tear – and there isn’t much that can be done about it. First of all, that’s not...
I have a 10.5-year-old Black Lab/Hound-mix rescue pup (named Bodie) who I bring with me everywhere when I’m allowed. But our favorite place to hang out? Hiking trails. Bodie and I have been slowly working on finishing our “NH48”. For those of you not familiar – we’re trying to hike all of the NH White Mountain peaks that are over 4000 feet in elevation – and there are...
If you’ve ever suffered from sciatica – then you don’t need me to tell you how debilitating the condition can be. From shooting and searing pain into your buttocks that can run all the way down to your foot – to numbness, tingling and loss of strength… sciatica has the ability to significantly impact your quality of life. What’s worse? It typically comes out of nowhere – making...
Our bodies are built for movement, yet modern life has us sitting far more than we should. Compared to our ancestors, we’re moving less and sitting more – sometimes for over half the day. While fitness trackers and smartwatches encourage us to stand and get more steps in, it still doesn’t seem to be enough to counteract the effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Physical inactivity has now become...
Walking is one of the most underestimated, yet accessible and beneficial forms of exercise for folks over 50. As we age – the saying “use it or lose it” gets closer to home – and maintaining an active lifestyle becomes even more crucial. The good news is that a regular routine of walking offers a simple and low-impact way to not only maintain an active lifestyle – but...
Fear is a natural, protective response to injury. But sometimes it can do more harm than good if you’re not careful. Reason being… When we experience pain or injury of any kind – while the pain can range from mild to excruciating – the real “pain” comes from not knowing what you just did. Was it anything serious? Will it go away on its own? What should I...
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Portsmouth, NH’s people-first physical therapy studio. We help active adults 40+ find the root cause of their pain and build a long-term plan to fix it, so they can get back to doing what they love most.
