Does Rehab Really Work?

Whether you’ve been dealing with chronic pain for months or have recently suffered an injury, it’s very likely that your doctor or surgeon will prescribe some form of rehab, or physical therapy. Physical medicine and rehabilitation is a subspecialty of medicine that aims to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to those with injuries to the muscles, bones, joints, spine, and nervous system. While it’s common for patients to focus primarily on the injury or surgery, it’s helpful to look past that and toward getting back to normal activities. Here are just a few of the reasons that it is so important to do your rehab after surgery or injury.

Faster Recovery - Anyone who has had surgery recently can tell you that the sooner you get up and moving after your operation, the smoother your recovery will be. Gone are the days of extended bedrest after surgery. In fact, especially after a joint operation (think knee, hip, or shoulder), many patients start their physical therapy the same day! This leads to shorter hospital stays and improved outcomes.

Ease Swelling and Pain - Swelling is part of the normal post-surgical healing process, but it can cause pain and limited movement. Your physical therapist will prescribe exercises designed to reduce fluid buildup, thus reducing swelling and the associated pain.

Regain Mobility -  One thing that patients look forward to most after surgery is getting back to their normal activities. Whether that is walking the dog, running a race, or playing a round of golf, the muscles in and around the site of surgery or injury must be strengthened. If you’ve been limping because of knee pain, for example, it’s likely that your ankles have become weak, or your hips and lower back have gotten stiff. Mobility exercises help patients to regain normal range of motion and functionality. Your Physical Therapist will study your unique situation and put together a plan of action to get you back to normal as quickly as possible.

Increase Strength - Once range of motion has been restored, your Physical Therapist will work with you to regain your strength.  Strengthening the muscles above and below the site will help create stability and lessen the likelihood of further injury.

Get Back to Your Life - The ultimate goal of any rehab program is to allow the patient to return to their daily activities. Sticking with your rehab by working with your therapist and adhering to your program will improve your chances of making a full recovery and resuming your normal activities for years to come.

If you have recently had surgery, a sports injury, or other orthopedic condition, the providers at The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics Robinwood are here to help you. Visit us online, or call 301-665-4950 for more information or to schedule your appointment.

May is National Osteoporosis Prevention Month

May is National Osteoporosis Prevention Month and Robinwood Orthopedic wants to help spread awareness! Osteoporosis means “porous bones.” With old age, our bones age and their constant changing tends to slow down, meaning we lose more bone than we add. This results in thinner, weaker, bones. Studies have shown, according cms.gov,”one out of every two women and one in four men over 50 will have an osteoporosis- related fracture in their lifetime.” 

Signs You Might Have Osteoporosis 

Osteoporosis comes as a surprise to most people who have it, so that’s why you should get a yearly check up, especially you have noticed yourself slowing down, your height as changed, or you are simply are just aging. If you notice height change, you are at high risk of Osteoporosis. Height change, hunched back, or bumps on the back of the neck are major signs that you are at risk. It’s often called the silent disease because bone loss happens without symptoms. If you are a man or woman over 50 years of age, it is recommended that you get checked for Osteoporosis. A check up involves a diagnoses through a bone density study or a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry or DEXA study. These test are painless and measure bone strength. Before menopause, women are recommended to have a bone density study. 

Osteoporosis Prevention

To prevent osteoporosis, taking care of yourself with proper eating habits and exercise can help a lot. Exercises that involve lifting weights and challenging yourself will help build bone mass. Calcium and vitamin D rich food are necessary to add to your diet. These are all small steps you can do to help prevent osteoporosis. Osteoporosis prevention steps are the same steps you will have to take if you have osteoporosis. We can offer a medication that stops bone loss and increases bone density . 

Robinwood Orthopedics offers a wide variety of services, such as surgery, physical medication, rehabilitation, sports medicine, fracture care, diagnostic services, spinal care, and interventional pain management. We will provide expert care to you and you family. Anyone can suffer an orthopedic condition at any time, and we want to be there for you! For more information about National Osteoporosis Month or our services give us a call at 301-665-4950. Or visit our website at robinwoodortho.com/.

Impact of Obesity on Joint Pain

Being overweight or obese can cause you to have more aches and pains than a normal-weight person would have. But are you aware that being overweight or obese has the potential to permanently damage your joints? Sore knees, hips, and back are definitely more common in obese individuals, and tend to get worse with age and increased weight gain. Unfortunately, the more pain an individual is feeling, the less likely he or she may be to do those things necessary to lose the extra weight, thus setting them up for a cycle of weight gain and increased pain over the years. If you’re noticing sore knees, swollen ankles, or tight hips, it’s possible that you may be suffering from osteoarthritis. Being overweight or obese increases the likelihood of an individual getting arthritis from 1 in 5 to 1 in 3. 

Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that protects the ends of your bones starts to wear away. Arthritis is caused by normal aging, and can be made much worse when combined with obesity. As an individual gains weight, the load on joints is increased by a factor of 3. This means that, for every extra 20 pounds of weight a person is carrying, an extra 60 pounds of pressure is put on their joints! The reverse of this is fortunately true as well - even a loss of 20 pounds means 60 pounds less stress on those sore joints. 

Obesity is also very hard on your back, especially in cases where most of the excess weight is carried in the belly. The forward pressure causes compression in the spine, disc damage, and eventually can lead to back pain. Another issue with excess belly fat is that it is typically associated with weak abdominal muscles. Weak abdominals start a chain of events that causes other muscle groups to take up the slack, leading to decreased flexibility and mobility, which also leads to more back pain. 

Common signs of osteoarthritis are joint pain, swelling, tenderness, stiffness and noise when the joint is flexed. While arthritis typically can’t be cured, there are a number of treatments and therapies designed to manage the symptoms and improve function. If a patient is overweight, weight loss is almost certain to be recommended. This can be accomplished through dietary restriction combined with increased activity through exercise. Be sure to consult your physician before starting any exercise program.

 For more information, please contact us at http://robinwoodortho.com/. 

March is National Athletic Training Month

This March, National Athletic Training Month highlights the vital work and value of athletic training in injury prevention and rehabilitation. As greater awareness grows about sports injuries, such as concussions and the number of youth athletes participating in team and adventure sports increases, so does the demand for athletic trainers. Athletic trainers implement training, safety, and diagnostic practices designed to minimize injuries. 

Athletic trainers: In high demand

According to U.S. News and World Report, at least 45 million U.S. children play team sports. At the same time, every 25 seconds, someone visits an emergency room with a sports-related injury. 

Athletic trainers act as “first responders” on the field, being equipped to evaluate injuries and their seriousness, as well as perform initial diagnostics and treatment. Many of them work closely with a physician to develop rehabilitation and therapeutic plans after an injury, and provide recommendations for gradually returning to sports. 

A full time athletic trainer at a school will most likely work closely with the athletic department, coaches, and students to develop a comprehensive injury prevention program. They also can track and keep records on injuries to address areas needing new strategies to preventing further injuries.   

Athletic trainers can also provide:

• Nutritional counseling
• Selection and fitting of protective gear
• Psychological and physical assessments of athletes throughout the season
• Recommendations based on existing medical conditions and/or disabilities
• Warm-up and stretching recommendations

Coaches cannot be expected to professionally diagnose and treat injuries and medical conditions. School physicians have competing demands and areas of attention to devote their time to, making a full time athletic trainer a wise choice for many school districts today. 

The demand for athletic trainers isn’t just growing for secondary schools. Universities, performing arts, occupational safety, professional sports, and the military are just some of the areas demonstrating an increased need for athletic training.  

For more on National Athletic Training Month, visit https://www.nata.org/advocacy/public-relations/national-athletic-training-month. 

At Robinwood Orthopaedic Specialty Center in Hagerstown, MD, we offer preventative care, diagnostic services, and surgery for sports injuries. Please visit our website for more information, or call (301) 665-4950.