How to Keep Yard Work from Throwing Out Your Back Every spring, it happens like clockwork. You finally get a stretch of nice weather, head outside with good intentions, and start tackling everything that’s been waiting all winter—yard cleanup, spreading mulch, pulling weeds, maybe even reorganizing the garage. And here in Portsmouth, Hampton, and across the Seacoast, that urgency feels real after a long New England winter. It...
If you’ve ever felt a sharp, shooting pain that starts in your lower back and travels down your leg, you’ve probably been told you have sciatica. And if you’re like most people here in Portsmouth or the Seacoast—you’ve already tried a handful of things to fix it. Rest. Stretching. Maybe chiropractic care. Maybe even physical therapy or injections. Maybe some of it helped… but the pain keeps coming...
If you’ve ever Googled “how to fix back pain,” you’ve probably seen advice suggesting consistent movement, stretching, and core strengthening. And while that’s not wrong, it’s incomplete. At our Portsmouth, NH physical therapy clinic, we see people every day who have been doing all the “right” core exercises—and still struggling with back pain. Here’s why. The Problem with Generic Core Strengthening for Back Pain Yes, movement matters.Yes, stretching...
If you’re dealing with back pain in Portsmouth, NH or the Seacoast area, your first instinct is probably to stop everything and rest. That feels logical — when something hurts, you avoid it. But when it comes to back pain, that instinct may actually be keeping you stuck in a cycle of pain. After more than 20 years of helping people overcome back pain at CJ Physical Therapy...
Herniated Discs and Cortisone Shots: What Most People Get Wrong About Back Pain Treatment in Portsmouth, NH If you’ve been told you have a herniated disc and that your next step might be a cortisone shot, you’re not alone. This is one of the most common treatment paths recommended for people dealing with back pain after an MRI reveals a disc bulge or herniation. Many people assume that...
Seven Smarter Ways to Manage Arthritis Pain – Without Drugs or Surgery (Portsmouth & Seacoast, NH) Arthritis is one of the most common causes of chronic joint pain and mobility limitations, affecting nearly 60 million adults in the United States. Many people in Portsmouth, NH and throughout the Seacoast live with persistent stiffness, swelling, and joint pain that can interfere with daily activities, exercise, and quality of life....
If you live in New England, you already know — this winter has arrived with a vengeance. After several mild seasons, we’re finally seeing the kind of snowstorms that turn everyday homeowners into part-time weightlifters overnight. Shovels come out. Snowblowers get dragged from garages. Driveways, walkways, decks, cars, and mailboxes all need to be cleared — often quickly and in freezing temperatures. In other words, snow removal involves...
Back Surgery Is Rarely the Answer — Here’s What to Know First The number of times this week I’ve heard people talk excitedly about their upcoming back surgery has genuinely left me disheartened. Not because surgery never has a place — but because it highlights just how misunderstood non-surgical healing for back pain still is. No matter how much education I share, or how much research exists showing...
Why New Year’s Fitness Goals Backfire — And How to Protect Your Back Every January, it happens like clockwork. Gyms fill up. Fitness challenges kick off. People recommit to moving more, getting stronger, and finally prioritizing their health. And honestly — that motivation is a great thing. But then February and March arrive… and we start seeing a different pattern here at our physical therapy clinic in Portsmouth,...
What If Your Back Pain Didn’t Have to Follow You Into 2026? As the year winds down here in the Seacoast, many people in Portsmouth and the surrounding New Hampshire area take time to reflect on the last twelve months. You might think about your accomplishments, challenges, and the changes you hope to make in 2026. It’s a natural rhythm as the calendar turns over — and with...
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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.
