Is Shoulder Pain “Impinging” on Your Lifestyle?

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If you’ve ever had pain in your shoulders when you try to raise your arms overhead, pull off a sweatshirt, grab a gallon of milk from the fridge, or place grocery bags on the counter, you were likely dealing with shoulder “impingement syndrome…” otherwise known as “rotator cuff impingement” or “rotator cuff tendonitis.”

They call it “impingement” because your rotator cuff tendons get pinched between the round head of your shoulder bone and a hook-shaped bone in your shoulder blade called the acromion.

The pinching tends to happens every time you raise your arm above ninety degrees. After a while, the pinching eventually irritates your tendon, resulting in pain and inflammation. These symptoms are exacerbated and pronounced with any arm movements above shoulder height. Most of the time, the root cause of this problem has been there for a long time, but it’s only just now manifesting itself as pain — and this so-called “impingement syndrome.”

So what causes your rotator cuff tendon to get pinched or impinged in the first place?

Most of the time, the answer is POSTURE.

If your upper back is stiff, curved, and lacks adequate mobility, it’s going to impact how your shoulder blades move and position themselves. With a stiff and curved upper back, your shoulder blades will respond by moving out and up. This scenario makes that hook-like bone (the acromion) sit more forward and more down than it should. When this happens, there isn’t enough room for your tendon when you lift your arms above shoulder height. The bony surfaces above and below your tendon create friction, and this eventually turns into pain and inflammation.

The tempting and easy “fix” is to get a cortisone shot or attack the inflammation more conservatively with ice and topical anti-inflammatory agents.

But what you need to understand is that in most cases, “impingement syndrome” is actually the SYMPTOM. The root cause is usually coming from immobility and poor movement patterns in the upper back or neck. If you really want to get rid of your shoulder pain, get back to lifting and carrying things without any worry, and have full and free mobility of your arms, it’s essential that you identify and address the root cause and not just the symptoms. Since there is an 80% chance your shoulder pain is a mechanical or movement problem — the best people to examine and address this FIRST are movement experts like us.

So moral of the story… next time you go to the doctor complaining of shoulder pain and you hear the words “impingement syndrome” or “rotator cuff tendonitis” — don’t assume you need a cortisone shot or surgery to fix it.

Neither of these solutions will likely give you the long-term solution you’re looking for. The very last thing you want to do is get some kind of procedure or surgery that either masks the pain or corrects the wrong problem. You want to do everything possible to preserve the integrity of your tendon, and the best way to do that is by optimizing mobility and using natural movement and strength training prescribed by movement experts.

Interested in seeing if physical therapy could resolve your shoulder pain? Try a FREE Discovery Session on us. This is a chance for you to speak with one of our specialists, tell us everything that’s been going on with you, and determine for yourself if we’re the best people to help you. It’s a completely free, no-obligation appointment that will give you all the information you need to make the BEST decision for YOUR health – whether that’s working with us or not!

Neck stretches

Neck Pain During Crunches? Here’s Why & How to Avoid it

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Abdominal crunches are one of the most popular “ab exercises” around. It’s a movement that emphasizes upper abdominal strength. You start by lying on your back, typically with your hands behind your head and knees bent. You then lift your head and chest off the floor, “crunching” your upper body into a C-shaped curve.

Over the years, many “experts” have dismissed this exercise, claiming it’s ineffective for core strengthening. While I agree that it shouldn’t be the ONLY core exercise you do — the crunch does have its place. I work on this a lot with my private clients, because it’s a functional move that when done correctly, will help you sit up from the floor with more ease and with less risk of injury. And of course you see variations on this movement all the time in Pilates, which is a key part of our practice and our efforts to help people recover from back pain.

I often hear that people don’t like crunches because they’re uncomfortable or hurt your neck. But when you’re doing a crunch, you want to make sure you’re feeling it in your abs… NOT in your our neck. Here are the biggest problems I see with crunches and how to tell if it’s a technique problem or a neck problem:

You’re not actually using your abs

This sounds pretty obvious, right? But a lot of people have trouble figuring this out. During our Pilates 101 class this week, one woman experiencing neck pain appeared to be doing the move correctly — but she couldn’t feel it in her abs, only in her neck.

It’s because she was using her neck and chest muscles to curl her upper body into the crunch instead of initiating the move from her belly (abs). My tips to correct this were to pull her lower belly in toward her spine and the front of her ribs down toward her belly button. Then, keeping this shape locked in, use her breath (exhale) to help her initiate and start the curl from her abs.

Sometimes people don’t have the abdominal strength yet to perform a crunch from lying flat. If that’s the case, you won’t be able to do this correctly no matter how well you follow my cues. If you think that’s your problem, place a small pillow under the back of your head. This gives you a head start into the curl. Once your abdominals get stronger, you can try doing the crunch with your head starting from the floor again.

Your neck is in the wrong position

When you’re doing a crunch, you want your neck to be slightly curled (chin toward chest). Most people either curl their neck too much, or not enough. If your chin is touching your chest, you’re curled too much. And if you feel your chin and neck jutting forward toward the ceiling, you’re not curled enough. Either of these positions could lead to neck problems down the line if not corrected.

The ideal position for your neck is to begin with a slight nod of the chin (like you’re nodding “yes”) and then keep it there. The rest of the curling motion will come from contracting your trunk and abs. As you curl up, I recommend keeping your eyes focused on your belly and keeping a tennis ball’s distance between your chin and your chest.

Sometimes your hand and arm position can be what causes your neck to be in the wrong place. If your hands are behind your head, be sure you’re not using them to pull your neck forward. Your head should be gently pressing into your hands and your elbows should be at a 45 degree angle from your body. Your abs do the rest.

You have an underlying neck problem

In our practice, we specialize in neck and back pain. When you’ve got an underlying neck problem, doing crunches isn’t a good idea until the underlying problem is resolved.

Let’s say you have a small bulging disc in your neck that you weren’t aware of or that you thought was fixed. The curled position of your neck during a crunch can exacerbate this problem, even if you are using your abs correctly and following every tip I just mentioned above.

Some clues that you might have an underlying neck problem could be pain that shoots into your shoulder blade or numbness and tingling down your arm. You might experience these symptoms during the movement, or even up to several hours after.

Either way, symptoms like this could be a sign that there is more to your neck pain than simply incorrect crunch-technique or weakness in your abs.

If this is happening, it’s a good idea to get it checked out by a movement/mechanical specialist like the physical therapists in our practice. The good news is that we can help your neck feel better even if you do have a problem like bulging discs — and you can get back to doing crunches again without any neck pain.

You can also check out our FREE guide to neck and shoulder pain right here!

It comes right to your email inbox and explores seven easy ways (plus a bonus section!) that are PROVEN to help you ease neck and shoulder pain quickly – without pain medication, procedures, or surgery.

If you have any additional questions or want a more personalized assessment, sign up for a FREE Discovery Session with us! It’s a quick, no-obligations opportunity for you to see if working with us could be the best decision for your health.

Carrie working on a client's shoulder

Shoulder Pain not Going Away? This could be why…

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Whether it’s shoulder pain, neck pain, back pain, or knee pain that you’re dealing with — if you have a nagging pain or injury that just won’t go away no matter what you try, it’s a clue that you’re missing something.

We see this ALL the time in our office with shoulders.

Folks just like you come to us wondering why their shoulder still hurts after trying ice, heat, rest, physical therapy, massage, and every possible shoulder exercise you could imagine.

The pain either goes away temporarily, or sometimes it gets WORSE!

When it comes to shoulder pain, it’s critical that you know for certain if the pain is actually coming from your shoulder, or somewhere else. If not, you risk trying to fix the wrong problem… and that explains EXACTLY why your shoulder pain isn’t going away.

So… if your shoulder pain isn’t caused by your shoulder — where is it coming from?

The most common culprit is actually your NECK. Below are a few key signs to help you figure out if that’s the case…

(PS – we’re doing an online workshop on this topic in just a few weeks.)

Where is your pain?

When your pain is coming from your shoulder, the pain will always be localized to your shoulder alone. True shoulder pain is felt directly in front of your shoulder, directly on top, or in a more involved shoulder problem (like a rotator cuff injury) you might feel some achiness down the side of your arm… but it will never go below your elbow.

If the pain goes past your elbow and into your forearm or hand, or radiates above your shoulder into your neck (the upper trap area), or if you feel it deep inside of your shoulder blade in your mid-back, odds are pretty good that you’re dealing with a neck problem and not just a shoulder problem. This could be the reason why your shoulder pain isn’t going away.

Do your symptoms involve numbness, tingling or burning?

These are signs of nerve compression or irritation. If that’s happening, it’s likely coming from your neck – and could be due to a bulging disc or a restricted/faulty movement pattern that is irritating nerve roots in your neck. An isolated shoulder problem typically does NOT involve nerve root compression or irritation. This is much more common in a problem related to your neck, and if that’s what’s happening, you will feel symptoms into your shoulder, shoulder blade, or even down into your arm. What’s particularly misleading is that it’s entirely possible to feel all these nerve symptoms and not actually feel anything localized to your neck. This is a big reason why shoulder pain caused by a neck issue gets missed by so many health practitioners.

Have you lost mobility or range of motion?

Lack of mobility and stiffness are common symptoms associated with a rotator cuff injury or the dreaded “frozen shoulder.” If your neck moves well and is pain free, but your shoulder is stiff and immobile, odds are good that the problem is actually in your shoulder and you just haven’t found the right treatment approach yet. BUT… if you have a stiff and painful neck, and you lack mobility in your shoulder, then it’s absolutely imperative that you investigate your neck. If your care provider only focuses on stretching and improving your shoulder mobility, and never bothers to look at your neck, it’s possible you could be missing a key component to full recovery… and that’s why your shoulder pain keeps coming back.

 

Persistent neck pain and tired of not getting answers?

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Have you been dealing with annoying, on and off neck pain for a while now? Have you tried treating shoulder pain with no real results? Are you frustrated with empty answers?

Or maybe you know someone else who is dealing with this?

Over 30% of people report they have neck pain. Of those, 50% will continue to have problems without any real answers or solutions.

When clients come to us with neck pain, often they’ve already tried several approaches without success. But the real issue I see is that everyone they’ve seen up to that point has failed to give them a full and accurate diagnosis.

Without an accurate diagnosis, treatment fails.

It’s not surprising. The true cause (or causes) of neck pain can be easily missed by many, and is sometimes difficult to diagnose.

Why?

There are a few reasons…

  1. The anatomy of your neck, unlike the rest of your spine, is fairly intricate. Not only does this require special care and accuracy when it comes to examining your neck, it makes it easy for someone who is not expertly trained to miss things.
  2. Shoulder pain is very often confused with neck pain. What I mean is, it’s possible to only feel pain in your shoulder, but the real source of the problem is your neck. If you’ve ever been treated for a “shoulder problem” and it hasn’t gotten any better (or maybe it got worse!), there’s a good chance you were misdiagnosed.
  3. Your core strength has a lot to do with how well your neck functions. When it comes to neck pain – or any problem for that matter – a holistic approach is always best and the most thorough. Sometimes your neck pain can be a “symptom” of a root cause somewhere else. Many times I’ve seen people come in having suffered from neck pain for years – and once we properly strengthen their core or other areas of their body – their neck pain starts to finally improve.

These are just a few of the most common reasons I’ve seen, over the years, of why the true source of your neck pain can get missed. And guess what… if the true cause of your pain is missed… then you won’t get consistent relief or a full recovery.

Check out our free neck report here or request a time to speak with one of our specialists here.

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Steroid injections may do more harm than good, research shows

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Have you been told you need to get a cortisone injection? Have you already tried them more than once? 

Research is now showing that cortisone injections may hurt more than help in the long run! 

The results of a recent study from Radiology has raised concerns in the medical community about potentially adverse effects on joints following corticosteroid injections. These injections are commonly used to treat arthritis, especially osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. The researchers in this study observed patients who had previously received steroid injections and found that some of the patients exhibited further joint damage on medical imaging tests. According to the original article, these patients presented with “accelerated OA [osteoarthritis] progression, subchondral insufficiency fracture, complications of osteonecrosis, and rapid joint destruction, including bone loss.” 

The joint issues that can be triggered by cortisone injections don’t just show up right after the procedure — which makes it easy to see the steroid shot as a quick fix with no drawbacks.

And it’s true that there are usually no short-term side effects. However, when it comes to your joints, it’s all about the long game. And it’s worth noting that an analysis from the Cochrane Review in 2015 found that the benefits of steroid injections usually wear off after about six months…  meaning it’s a temporary “band-aid” solution to a bigger problem — a band-aid with the potential to result in permanent degradation of your joints!  

Arthritis is an issue we see all the time in our physical therapy practice, and that’s why patient and physician concerns with steroid injections are so relevant to us. Many of our clients have had injections suggested to them or have gone through with the procedure but not experienced any long-term healing. In many cases, this can be an overly simplified answer to the very complicated question of individual pain. Physical therapy, on the other hand, isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Our treatment model is entirely based around addressing the root cause of your pain instead of just providing temporary relief. Plus, we’re all about keeping your treatment non-invasive, movement-based, and entirely customized to YOU. 

If you’ve been told that you need a cortisone injection in your back, knee, or shoulder, think twice and get informed about other options!

If you’d like a NATURAL route to pain relief — and one that will make you more mobile and active at the same time — come talk with us! You can even schedule a FREE 30 minute Discovery Session with our Portsmouth, NH physical therapy specialists right now — no strings attached. 

Questions About Your Shoulder Pain? Here are Some Real Answers.

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Often when clients come to us with shoulder pain, they’ve already tried several approaches without success. But the real issue is that everyone they’ve seen up to that point has failed to give them an accurate diagnosis.

Without an accurate diagnosis, treatment fails.

It’s not surprising. The true cause of shoulder pain is missed by many and can actually be difficult to diagnose. Sometimes it really is your shoulder, but in other cases the pain is actually caused by a problem in your neck. If there is irritation or inflammation in your neck, but someone is aggressively treating your shoulder, guess what? You aren’t going to see results and your pain may even worsen.

Here are a few questions to ask if you’re wondering if really have a shoulder problem… or if you should be getting help for your neck instead.

Where is your pain?

 When you have an actual shoulder problem, the pain is always going to be just in your shoulder. The most common areas to experience pain are directly in front of your shoulder, directly on top of your shoulder, or in a more involved shoulder problem – like a rotator cuff injury – you might feel achiness on the side of your shoulder and down into the side of your arm a little. If the pain goes past your elbow, is above your shoulder and into your neck (the upper trap area), deep inside of your shoulder, or in the back into the shoulder blade, it’s entirely possible (and maybe even likely) that your neck is involved or totally responsible for your “shoulder pain.”

Do you have numbness, tingling or burning?

These are signs of nerve compression or irritation. If that’s happening in your neck – say due to a bulging disc or restricted/faulty movement patterns that irritate your nerve roots – you can feel it into your shoulder, shoulder blade, or even down into your arm.

What’s particularly misleading is that all of this nerve difficulty in the neck will only be felt in your shoulder or arm.

When do you feel stiff?

Lack of mobility and stiffness are common symptoms associated with a rotator cuff injury or the dreaded “frozen shoulder.” If your neck moves well, is pain free, and your shoulder is stiff, odds are that the problem is in your shoulder. Now, let’s say you’ve got stiffness in your neck as well as your shoulder. It’s possible the neck stiffness is a result of your shoulder not moving properly. However, you’ll never know for sure without a proper assessment. If there is even a hint of a neck issue being fully or partially responsible for your shoulder problem, it must be addressed or you will never achieve full recovery.

I do everything I’m told, why won’t my shoulder get better?

This is probably the number one sign that your shoulder problem is not really a shoulder problem at all. If you’ve had pain for months, or if you fix your pain but it keeps coming back, then there is a very good chance someone has missed something. Quite possibly, it’s a hidden neck problem. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this happen. I’ve seen people try three different therapists who’ve prescribed the best rotator cuff exercises on the planet. I’ve seen people get multiple cortisone injections in their shoulder. And worse, I’ve seen people get surgery – only for their shoulder to problem return months or years later. If this sounds like you, then someone has missed the boat and your shoulder problem may not be a shoulder problem at all. You need to find a physical therapist who is a specialist and can properly assess you. They’ll know the right questions to ask, take their time doing a thorough and proper assessment, and get you on the right track to getting better. 

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Physical therapy WORKS – Take it From the Ones Who’ve Done it!

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Still not sure about PT? Have you heard a lot of conflicting information about what we really do as physical therapists? Do you need relief from an injury or chronic pain but you’ve been told surgery is your only option?

You’re not alone.

So many of our clients have come through our doors for the first time with those same questions. They may have been told over and over again by doctors that their pain or injury isn’t fixable – or if it is, they need extensive surgery and/or drugs. Many have never tried physical therapy before. Some are nervous because they think that it will be painful, and others doubtful that they’re going to learn anything new or helpful. But time and time again, those same individuals end up seeing amazing improvements in strength, mobility, health, and lifestyle. They consistently report how grateful they are to be simply living pain-free or able to participate in their favorite activities again. And we are always so proud of them for putting in the work and being an active participant in their individualized treatment plan!

I could go on and on about the results our awesome clients have seen, but no one says it better than themselves.

When Jeff first came to us he had a shoulder problem that was keeping him from working out at the gym the way he wanted. He’s also a dentist so leaning over his patients all day wasn’t helping. We worked on strategies during the day to help his mobility and then we tackled his stability! He came in and let us know that he was back to his full chest workout and pushups – with zero pain!

David, age 56, suffered from chronic neck and shoulder pain before coming to us for help.

“I couldn’t run more than 2 miles without radiating neck and shoulder pain and I was really uncomfortable at work. Working with CJ Physical Therapy, I learned how to manage my neck without going the surgery route. Now I can run as far as I like without any neck or shoulder pain.”

Another 56 year old, Kathie, took advantage of both our physical therapy and Pilates programs to resolve her shoulder pain.

“Before coming to CJPT & Pilates I was dealing with a shoulder problem that kept me from things like buckling my seat belt, walking the dog, and putting dishes away. I wanted to try something different from the traditional routes I’d tried in the past. Combining physical therapy and Pilates, and working with someone who understood my personal needs, was the difference that gave me my life back.”

Gale, age 65, experienced a positive difference with our practice that she hadn’t received in the physical therapy that was referred to her following a surgery.

“I was dealing with terrible pain and numbness in my arm and wrist after surgery, and there was still no relief after 15 weeks of regular physical therapy. After coming to therapy here, I can now cook, put on make-up, and I’m no longer worried about getting back to hiking or backpacking which I love. Best experience ever!”

Nothing makes us happier than getting to be a part of a positive change in someone’s life. And we love to hear how PT has impacted not just our clients’ health, but their lives overall! Several of our clients have even shared video testimonials of their experience working with us, which can be found here. They are living proof that anyone can benefit from physical therapy. You can be as skeptical as you want – you just have to be willing to give PT an honest shot. And chances are, you’ll be glad you did!

If you’re wondering if physical therapy is right for you – or if a different kind of physical therapy is right for you – please reach out!  We are so happy to help.  If we can’t help you – we’ll find someone that can.

knee replacement surgery

Surgery versus PT: What You Need to Know

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“I have to get surgery for my torn meniscus. I’m going to be out of commission for a while.”

“My back problems have gotten so bad that my doctor says I need surgery to repair the herniated disk.”

“The MRI doesn’t look so good. Hopefully surgery will be a quick fix.”

Sound familiar? Most of us know someone who has been told that they needed surgery for a knee or back issue – or have received that disheartening news ourselves. A herniated disk is one of the most prevalent back problems in adults, and is often treated with lumbar discectomy as the first option. The goal of this surgery is to remove the herniated portion of the disc from the patient’s back, releasing pressure on surrounding nerves and muscles. The goal is for the patient to be able to live without pain post-surgery, but this process usually involves lots of medication and prolonged periods of rest. Another common injury that frequently leads to surgery is a meniscus tear. Your meniscus stabilizes and cushions the knee joint. A tear would be viewed easily on an MRI, which can cause many doctors to immediately prescribe surgery. Following that type of surgery, you would probably spend about two weeks with your leg completely immobilized. Then you would be introduced to a rehabilitation plan that included physical therapy – not to recover from the original injury to your knee, but to recover from the surgery that supposedly fixed it.

Surgery, in the right circumstances, can be extremely beneficial. But unfortunately, it is over-prescribed and often unnecessary, especially for individuals with back and knee pain. Seeing a herniated disc or torn meniscus on the MRI screen may trigger an automatic prescription of surgery and medication- but these “quick fixes” may not be your safest or most helpful options. In fact, MRIs can produce false positives and lead to invasive surgeries for specific injuries that didn’t even exist in the first place. MRIs are a useful tool, but their readings should always be taken with a grain of salt. When given the opportunity, your body will do its best to heal itself. Why not try careful, guided exercise and strength-building before you submit to incisions and long, medicated recoveries?

This is where physical therapy comes in. Consider working with a specialist physical therapist to address your specific injury or pain- someone who doesn’t just prescribe exercise and passive modalities, but genuinely wants to help you recover in a natural and low-risk manner. A specialist physical therapist will carefully listen to your history, analyze your symptoms, come up with a customized plan of action, and problem-solve WITH you versus trying to solve the problem FOR you. One of the primary goals of our practice is to use guided, natural movement to help your body recover to full strength and health based on your own individual needs. Pilates-based rehabilitation is also a uniquely tailored approach to recovery that can make a huge difference. Most knee, back, and other injuries occur because the surrounding muscles are too weak to support those joints and systems properly. You may think that your regular exercise and stretching is enough, but working specific muscle groups can leave others underdeveloped and makes your body unbalanced as a whole. Pilates is a full body workout that starts from your core and balances you both mentally and physically! It won’t create further damage to any injuries because it’s so low impact, and working with a professional will allow you to customize your session to your own individual needs.

Do you live in the Seacoast area and want to learn more about why surgery shouldn’t be your first – let alone ONLY – option for recovery? Click here to get in touch, ask questions, and schedule an appointment. If you’re struggling with back pain, you can even download our FREE report on five easy ways to get rid of back pain WITHOUT surgery! And don’t forget to browse our selection of Pilates classes located right here in Portsmouth.

5 Ways to Prevent Injury In Your 50s

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Many of our clients are in the 50+ range, and we love seeing how these adults are staying active as they get older! However, as we age, our bodies do need more care and have different needs when it comes to exercise. Here are some tips that we like to pass on to our “more mature” clients, including our Pilates students!

1. Stay Moving

This is true for everyone – if you want to be healthy, you need to keep moving. But it’s especially relevant to older adults who might find that they don’t have the stamina for high impact workouts anymore. There are plenty of ways to exercise that are easy on your joints and still help you maintain the mobility that’s crucial for balance and strength as you age! Walking is often overlooked, but consistent walks will build up your strength and endurance greatly. Also, walking outside is a great way to get some fresh air and enjoy the beginnings of spring! For a more structured exercise regimen, consider trying Pilates! Pilates is a full body workout that is gentle on achy joints and allows you to move at your own pace. It will also improve your balance and coordination!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Maintain a Healthy Diet

What you eat directly affects your ability to keep moving – because if you’re not keeping your bones and heart healthy, you’re not going to be able to exercise! Greens like kale, spinach, and arugula are awesome for your bones. Along with citrus fruits, fish, and nuts, these foods help your bones stay strong and durable, and can help you recover faster from a fracture. It’s also crucial that as you get older, you’re intentional about taking care of your heart. According to Health magazine, “The risk of a heart attack climbs for men after age 45 and for women after age 55.” So as you enter middle-age, be sure to increase the presence of foods like unsalted nuts, unprocessed oatmeal, raisins, blueberries, and even dark chocolate (over 70% cacao) in your diet!

3. Choose Your Activities Wisely

We love seeing passionate adult athletes who still enjoy their sports as they get older! However, it’s important to understand that the risk of injury associated with certain sports tends to increase as you age. Contact sports, like basketball, soccer, etc., may lead to more broken bones and fractures when you’re in your 50s than they would’ve in your 20s. As you get older, your bone mass and cartilage both decrease, so be aware that collisions and falls could result in more severe injury. Also, note that non-contact sports like tennis, golf, and softball aren’t without their risks either.  With these activities we tend to see more soft-tissue-type injuries, like labral or ligament tears in the shoulders or knees. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to give up your sport – or be afraid to continue with them- just be aware of the risks, and take steps to prevent injury by giving yourself longer warm-up and cool-down periods and trying to avoid collisions. If you aren’t sure what an age-appropriate warm-up or cool-down looks like, talk to a physical therapist!  We can help.

4. Work on Balance

Balance is one of the first things to go as a person gets older – and it’s one of the most crucial elements in avoiding injury. Slips and falls can lead to broken bones and fractures that only get harder to recover from as you get older! But if you’re diligent about exercising with the intention of improving your balance, you can maintain it far into your later years. As mentioned before, Pilates is an excellent way to work on balance. It starts with your core, which is essential for good balance, but continues to work the whole body, leaving you much stronger and steadier. Yoga is also a great activity to work on your balance.  You can do simple yoga exercises at home too! It’s always a good idea to talk to a physical therapist about what is safe and practical for you, but one of my favorite home balance is activities is to practice standing on one leg when you brush your teeth! It’s super practical and very easy to implement.

5. Educate Yourself

The best way to prevent injury and make sure that you’re exercising safely is to find a regular healthcare provider -like a PT- whose goal is to KEEP you healthy and mobile versus only helping after an injury occurs. It’s possible to develop a good relationship with your PT to where you can access them and speak directly to them whenever you need them, instead of having to go through all the red tape of insurance and PCPs. Our biggest priority in our office is YOU, the client – your health, your happiness, and your ability to get the help you need, when you need it!

If you think it’s time to find a PT who can help you stay active as you age, want to try Pilates, or both, just let us know! Taking care of your body while staying active is essential to preventing injury, and we are here to help.