Wisconsin Orthopedic Physical Therapy - Blog

Wisconsin Orthopedic Physical Therapy

Concussions: To Rest, Or Not To Rest? That Is The Question!

2/16/2017

Concussions have been a hot topic in medicine over the course of the last few years. As new evidence continues to emerge regarding concussions’ true affects on our bodies, various treatment protocols have followed. In general, the standard post-concussion treatment at this time involves a period of mental and physical rest. Although the timeframe of rest is frequently disputed, people suffering from post-concussion symptoms are usually instructed to avoid stressors that tax both their mind and body.

Contrary to this common practice, new research from the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests otherwise. The study found that individuals who returned to physical activity sooner, actually recovered quicker from their post-concussion symptoms. The difference wasn’t even close either! Despite the results of this study, caution should still be taken anytime suffers a concussion, specifically when returning to sports involving contact. Medical providers should always be consulted, and that’s where we come in! As physical therapists, we are qualified to both assess and treat concussions. Therefore, if you are suffering with post-concussion symptoms, or know someone who is, please let us do what we can to help get you feeling better ASAP. Who knows, it maybe quicker than you expect!
(414) 763-2941

-Dr. PJ

Grool, A.M., Aglipay, M., Momoli, F., Meehan III, W.P., Freedman, S.B., Yeates, K.O., & … Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC) Concussion, T. (2016). Association Between Early Participation in Physical Activity Following Acute Concussion and Persistence Postconcussive Symptoms in Children and Adolescents. JAMA: Journal of The American Medical Association, 316(23), 2504.

Opioids Vs. Physical Therapy

12/15/2016

Prescription medication abuse, specifically relating to “opioids” (the medical word for pain medication), has been well documented. It seems this issue is gaining more and more mainstream attention in the media, however, one problem remains: what is the solution?

Although many solutions have been purposed, one has consistently remained atop the lists of many of these solution-seekers: physical therapy. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General recently penned a letter, which was sent to physicians across the country, addressing this fast-growing issue. In addition to educating people about negative side effects of opioid abuse, related resources specifically listed physical therapy as primary alternative to treatment of chronic pain (APTA, 2016).

At Wisconsin Orthopedic Physical Therapy, we acknowledge the growing opioid epidemic and utilize many treatment interventions specifically aimed at reducing your pain. If reducing pain is your problem, WiscoPT is your solution! Call us today! (414) 763-2941

For more constructive information on the overuse of opioids, please visit http://turnthetiderx.org.

-Dr. PJ

Reference: APTA. (November, 2016). Surgeon General Letter Urges Action on Opioids Recommends Treatment Guideline That Includes Physical Therapy. PT in Motion, 8(10), 46.

PT ASAP

11/29/2016

At WiscoPT, many of our patients have grown accustom to hearing the phrases “don’t put your pain off” or “make your pain a priority”. The rationale behind these statements, and/or other similar ones, stems from one simple fact: it makes our job easier! Why might you ask? It makes our job easier because your body heals faster when we correct problems before they progress.

Just think - if you took the time to pull that one dandelion out of your garden each week, you likely wouldn’t end up with a garden full of weeds, since the spread of their seeds results in rapid multiplication. Similarly, if you paid the interest off your student loans, the interest wouldn’t compound and you wouldn’t have insurmountable debt (I swear I am not speaking from experience). There are countless examples in everyday life that mimic our bodies and reiterate the same concept: the sooner we address issues in life, the better off we are.

An article recently published by the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine confirms this belief. The article looked at 200 athletes who had sustained a stress fracture in their low back. Patients who initiated physical therapy within the first 10 weeks returned to full activity an average of 25 days quicker than their counterparts who waited until after the 10-week mark (Selhorst et al., 2016). That’s an entire month people!!

Luckily, in Wisconsin, our mission of addressing pain ASAP is very feasible with direct access, which allows patients to be treated by a physical therapist without a physician’s referral. So, call us today, and let us help correct that small ache or pain before it becomes a field full of dandelions!
-Dr. PJ

Selhorst et al. (June, 2016). Timing of physical therapy referral in adolescent athletes with acute spondylolysis: A Retrospective Chart Review. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine.

Stress Urinary Incontinence and Pregnancy

11/10/2016

Want to prevent Stress Urinary Incontinence during and after pregnancy?

Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce risk of stress urinary incontinence.

It is healthy for a normal-weight pregnant female to exercise according to the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Exercise during pregnancy can lower incidence of cesarean delivery, gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders.
Want to know if you are healthy for exercise during your pregnancy?

Come see Dr. Lauren Croal for a comprehensive exam for healthy activity during and post pregnancy! (414) 763-2941

We offer FREE consultations or call today to schedule a full exam!

Meet Leah!

10/12/2016

Leah graduated from Lakeland College with a degree in marketing. She formerly worked at the billing office for our clinic, so if you have any specific questions regarding that, she can help! In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two miniature dachshunds, exercising, and visiting her family up north.

Leah will be managing the front desk full time. Be sure to welcome her the next time you stop in!

be sure to welcome her the next time you're in the clinic!be sure to welcome her the next time you're in the clinic!

Dr. Croal and Yoga

9/15/2016

Wisconsin Orthopedic Physical Therapy Yoga

Have you injured yourself doing yoga? Want to get into yoga for the first time or back to yoga after an injury? Did you know that Dr. Croal is a registered yoga teacher? Read more to find out how she can help you!
       Common areas of injury in yoga:
      -Low back
      -Shoulder
      - Knee

Whether you are just starting yoga or a seasoned practitioner, it is always good to return to the basics and alignment in all yoga poses. See below how to protect yourself in a yoga class:

Low Back Pain: In Yoga, there is a great emphasis on extension of the back which can cause unnecessary collapsing into the lower back. To perform any back bend safely, start with pulling your belly button in towards your spine and hugging the rib cage in. Then, start to bend backward maintaining good core control. Create an even bend throughout the whole spine from the low to middle to upper spine. At first you may not go as far as you once did, but your back will thank you!

Shoulder Pain: Repeatedly practicing planks and yoga push-ups (also called chaturanga) can wreak havoc on your shoulder and rotator cuff when not performed properly. To protect your shoulders, start in plank position with shoulders directly over wrists. To lower to chaturanga, shift your shoulders forward a couple inches. Make sure your shoulder blades are squeezing together and down, then bend your elbows hugging them in towards your sides, lowering all the way down to the floor. Avoid collapsing in the front of the shoulders.

Knee Pain: In any standing postures with the knees bent there are two big things to avoid. First, avoid the knee collapsing toward the midline, called “valgus.” Second, make sure the knee remains directly over the ankle, don’t let the knee track forward over the ankle. Focusing on these two things will protect the knee from injury.

Set up an appointment with Dr. Croal- a Physical Therapist and Registered Yoga teacher - to go over postures and exercises for your specific condition.
Call today (414) 763-2941

Meet our new therapist!

6/22/2016

Please help us welcome Dr. PJ Christopherson to the clinic! Dr. PJ comes in with a lot of enthusiasm and great skills and ideas on how to help you get better. He has experience with sports medicine, can treat all orthopedic conditions, and he can dry needle. He strives to educate patients on their conditions and is helping the physical therapy profession by helping people to understand that they can see a physical therapist before a primary physician or surgeon. Read more about Dr. PJ in his brief bio here.

Call and schedule with Dr. PJ today for any aches and pains you are having!
(414) 763-2941

Dry Needling: A Quick Lesson

1/5/2016

What is it?
Dry needling is a skilled technique performed by certified Physical Therapists using a thin filiform needle to target myofascial trigger points, or “knots.” The thin needle (see size comparison below) is inserted directly into the muscle belly to disrupt and release the trigger point.

What does it do?
Decrease pain, release trigger points, and return YOU to activity.

What conditions will it help?
Any conditions where trigger points are identified. This can include radiculopathies, joint dysfunction, disk pathology, tendonitis, craniomandibular dysfunction, migraines, tension-type headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, computer-related disorders, whiplash associated disorders, spinal dysfunction, and many others.

What does it feel like?
Some patients have reported a dull ache with dry needling. In most cases, the discomfort associated with dry needling is less than when we use our hands for manual therapy.

Will it benefit you?
Call us today to ask us about how dry needling can help you return to activity!
414-763-2941

Resources: Description of Dry Needling In Clinical Practice: An Educational Resource Paper. Produced by the APTA Public Policy, Practice and Professional Affairs Unit. February 2013.

Wisconsin Orthopedic Physical Therapy Dry Needling

Here Comes Basketball Season—Is Your ACL Ready?

11/3/2015

Did you know there are known risk factors for tearing your ACL? Some we can’t do anything about, such as female gender and bony structure of the knee joint, but some we can be very proactive about preventing. These include:

Poor core stability
The angle of your knees when you land from a jump
Weak hip muscles
Muscle group imbalances
Too much training in one sport year round

A recent study by Gilchrist et al. investigated a specific warm-up program (called the PEP program—Prevent injury and Enhance Performance) designed to prevent ACL tears in collegiate female soccer players by decreasing these common risk factors. The results were powerful! They found that the athletes who regularly performed the PEP warm-up suffered less than half the number of noncontact ACL tears than the athletes who did not perform the PEP warm-up. These results included athletes who already had a history of ACL tear, which puts them at greater risk for tearing the ACL in the other knee. For more specific details, you can check out the article we have attached for your convenience.
So what does this PEP program consist of, and how often should you do it? The athletes in the article performed the PEP warm-up at least 3 days per week before starting practice or a game. Here is a brief overview of the exercises in the program:

Warm-up (50 yards each):
1. Jog line to line of soccer field (cone to cone)
2. Shuttle run (side to side)
3. Backward running
Stretching (30 s × 2 reps each):
1. Calf stretch
2. Quadricep stretch
3. Figure 4 hamstring stretch
4. Inner thigh stretch
5. Hip flexor stretch
Strengthening:
1. Walking lunges (20 yards × 2 sets)
2. Russian hamstring (3 sets × 10 reps)
3. Single toe-raises (30 reps on each side)
Plyometrics (20 reps each):
1. Lateral hops over 2 to 6 inch cone
2. Forward/backward hops over 2 to 6 inch cone
3. Single leg hops over 2 to 6 inch cone
4. Vertical jumps with headers
5. Scissors jump
Agilities:
1. Shuttle run with forward/backward running (40 yards)
2. Diagonal runs (40 yards)
3. Bounding run (45–50 yards)

For more specific details, we have attached the PEP program in its entirety with explanations of each exercise and cues for proper form. Please make sure you look through this thoroughly if you decide to use the program.
This is a great program that coaches and athletic trainers could implement in their practice and game preparations to help protect their players from ACL injury. If you are an athlete of any age, consider using the PEP program to maintain proper muscle balance, avoid injury, and stay on the field as long as you can!

If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email your friendly, neighborhood physical therapists at Wisconsin Orthopedic Physical Therapy.
info@wiscopt.com
(414)-763-2941

PEPprogram.pdf
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article pep experiment.pdf
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Problems with your overhead squat?

10/25/2015

Having worked extensively with CrossFitters over the years, I've had plenty of patients complain that they don't have the mobility to perform an overhead squat and that all of the daily stretching and foam rolling they do doesn't help. That no longer has to be the case! Wisconsin Orthopedic Physical Therapy offers a technique called Dry Needling to get you back in the game faster. Below are two videos of a fellow CrossFitter who had this exact problem. The video on top was before we performed dry needling to the pectoral muscles and addressing form at the hips and core, while the video on the bottom is only 11 days following. Watch the results!!!

Before Dry Needling - October 2nd

Lack of shoulder mobility
Non-use of correct core muscles
Non-use of correct hip muscles
Falling forward
Lack of stability at both shoulders

After Dry Needling - October 13th

Excellent shoulder mobility - now clearly behind his head and over the center of his body
Strong use of core
Proper use of hips
Stable and strong throughout the entire movement!

There are many reasons outside of having "tight pecs" that may be limiting your overhead squats. This includes, but is not limited to lack of thoracic mobility, ankle mobility, and hip strength. The great news is - all of these can be fixed with physical therapy! Call us today if you are having trouble with overhead squats and want the same results as seen above!

Dr. Mike Roberts, PT, DPT, CMTPT