“Getting old isn’t for sissies.” This bit of wisdom has been told to me more than once by clients following joint replacement surgery and many of them prove the statement to be true. Dealing with the movement impairments related to aging takes its toll, physicaly and mentally. As we get older there are certain things we know to expect- the occasional strain or pain, creaking, cracking, or stiffness. All joints start to wear out at some point and we know that as we get older we lose muscular strength. There comes a point where a little stiffness here and there or strain in an area can lead to lasting changes that can really impair movement, mobility, and a person’s quality of life. Read the rest of this entry »
Posts Tagged health
For centuries we have tried to escape the inevitable: aging. There may be Botox, but there is no fountain of youth that can stop all of the effects of gravity and time. Luckily for our joints and muscles, we do have exercise. I’m not simply proposing that any random activity or exercise will combat aging — you need to focus exercise on key joint and muscular areas. Mindless stomping, pulling, and pushing in our active lives will benefit the heart, lungs, joints, and muscles, but focus is required to combat the aging process. Normal daily activities won’t keep you from ending up hunched over and unable to get out of a chair without assistance.
As we age our muscles lose elasticity and strength. Our joints become stiffer and compacted. We develop arthritis. These are things that are inevitable and cannot be changed, however, you can decrease the speed at which these events occur and improve or maintain your mobility throughout life by staying active, strong, and limber. Did you know that you can improve your strength at ANY age? Even if you’re 90 years old you can get stronger by doing resistance exercises and lifting weights, even as age is taking strength away! Read the rest of this entry »
Joints allow us freedom of movement; without them we lose our ability to stay active, mobile, and independent. Walking, squatting, biking, reaching, hiking, stooping, lifting, sitting, running… all impossible without the ability for joints to move freely, stay stable, and work together. As important as they are to living an active life, are we really taking as good of care of them as possible? In physical therapy sessions, I get asked about my recommendations for good joint supports and braces. Looking for a good joint support? Why not start with your muscles? A joint’s stability is maintained by its joint capsule, cartilage, ligaments, tendons (end points of muscles), and the muscles. Research hasn’t found a way to replace cartilage yet; ligaments can be repaired, but this requires surgery. There is no way to strengthen or tighten a joint capsule. So what does that leave? Read the rest of this entry »
Did you know that what you do when you aren’t moving will affect how you move later on? Our body responds to the stresses placed on it everyday and adapts. The sustained positions we put ourselves in may contribute to certain inflexibilities and a loss in joint range of motion. Inflexibility and a loss of joint range of motion eventually impairs how we move and our ability to do certain tasks as well as we could. There are several times when we may be in one position for a long time: sitting, standing, sleeping, lounging… and muscles and joints will adaptively shorten and stiffen based on these positions. Think about the times during the day when you are in one position for a long time. For many of us it may be sitting due to increased use of the computer for work and life. If you work in a profession that requires lots of sitting, Read the rest of this entry »
“Tobacco use, particularly cigarette smoking, is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the United States” – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Everyone has heard about the negative effects of smoke, second-hand smoke, and now even third-hand smoke. How does smoking impact physical therapy? Smokers actually take longer to heal than nonsmokers, thus more time is required to rehab an injury. Most people have to quit before any elective surgeries for this reason. Less likely to heal = more complications. Smoking also affects your heart and lungs, making exercise more difficult. Below I share a few facts about how smoking affects the body, its risks, and the benefits of quitting.
About one-third of all cancers are due to cigarette smoking. Also, cigarette smoking increases the risk of stroke by approximately 50%. Stroke is an interruption in blood flow to the brain that results in brain damage. It is the leading cause of adult disability, and the third leading cause of death in America. Read the rest of this entry »
