Tensegrity Physical Therapy

Anyone over the age of 40, wherever they fall on the activity spectrum — ranging from the weekend warrior to dedicated athlete — knows that injuries happen often and sometimes, they don’t go away so easily.

Physical therapists see many patients in that age group who have goals of getting back to doing their favorite activities. And being over 40 doesn’t mean you have to be less active or deal with aches, pains, and injuries. What these patients need to do is commit to a year-round regimen that can keep them doing what they love.

To people who want to take part in their sport regularly but who don’t want to put in the time with the off-the-field preparation work, Sean Roach (one of the co-owners of Tensegrity Physical Therapy) asks them one question: “Do you have the time to be off for three months?”

Roach says that’s about how long rehabilitation can take for certain injuries. Roach quickly lists three steps everyone should take that will help them remain active for many years:

1) Twice-a-week strength training

2) Regularly using a foam roller to massage muscle groups

3) Employing “active” stretching techniques that engage different muscles.

But strength training is the critical element. Muscles are shock absorbers, motors, warehouses for energy, and home bases for the forces of resistance that battle illness, too. “Muscles are the key,” he said.

Roach asks clients if they participate in sports to actually be competitive or to have fun and stay in shape. If it is because they are passionate about their sport and they want to compete, at Tensegrity, we can help develop a plan to do that. If sports are just a way to have fun, move around, and stay in shape, sometimes we recommend that these patients find other activities to mix in that put less stress on injury-prone areas yet still allow them to take part in their favorite sport.

Lampman, an active runner, noticed immediate improvement once she got on a strength program from Tensegrity. We helped her discover that her left hamstring pain was due to weakness in her feet and ankles, so her Tensegrity physical therapists developed a plan to help her strengthen her leg muscles.

The simple fact is that weekend warriors — those who only hit the basketball or tennis court, run a 10-kilometer race, play 18 holes of golf with little or zero training the other five days of the week — are regularly gambling with getting hurt.

It’s critical, for the 40-and-older crowd to pay attention to the signals their bodies are sending them. “Listening to your body…. You have to listen.”

The original article featured in The Register-Guard by Jim Murez can be found here.

By our very own Sean Dorman.

The term shin splints have been a plague to the running community for what seems like an eternity.  It has been documented that 82% of runners experience injuries and it is well known that shin pain is one of the most common. So when do you know whether rest will cure the problem or if you need to seek further medical attention? 

Shin splints involve inflamed muscles, tendons, and the thin layer of tissue that covers the bone. It is often painful enough to knock you to the sidelines for a while, but most cases can be effectively treated conservatively. Changing running routines, increasing distance too quickly, running on hard surfaces, or even improper footwear are common contributing factors to this impairment. 

Shin splints are often confused with a more serious diagnosis known as anterior compartment syndrome (ACS) since they often present with similar symptoms. ACS is a condition in which pressure increases within the front compartment of the leg, which cuts off blood supply causing swelling and pain resulting in a possible medical emergency. 

The following clues can assist with distinguishing between the two. 

-In ACS, leg pain begins during exercises (not before) and lingers long after you finish. Shin splints often occur during the run and progressively worsen as the run continues and subsides quickly when you are done. 

-In ACS, pain is on the outside front of the leg. Shin splints are more likely to be on the front, inside of the leg. 

-ACS can mimic nerve damage; numbness, tingling, pins, and needles. 

Physical therapists are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of your musculoskeletal injury. Allow them to evaluate you to get the best advice to further your running careers by scheduling an appointment with one of our trained PT’s today.

Riding a bike is a fun and low impact way to commute around town, explore beautiful places and get your exercise in. Even though riding a bike is a low impact, there are still injuries that can happen, and our goal is to reduce the number of cycling patients we see at the clinic.

Some ways to prevent acute biking injuries (one’s that result from a fall or an accident) are a well-fit helmet, front and rear lights, bright-colored clothing (especially in the morning or at night), and a well-mainted bike with inflated tires and properly working brakes.

Some ways to prevent overuse biking injuries (ones that result from extended periods of time) are a properly fitting bike (you can learn how we can help you with that here), strength training to even out any imbalances, stretching to help with tight hip flexors, quads, or hamstrings, and appropriate clothing like padded cycling shorts or gloves to help prevent pressure-related injuries.

We’ll help you identify your health goals and set a plan for reaching them. Get started today by clicking here!