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If you have a neurological disorder, you know how it affects your life. Your movement may be limited, and you may not be able to work as independently as you wish. Fortunately, there is an option, physical therapy. Working with a physical therapist can help you regain as much mobility as possible and restore as much function as possible.
Neurological conditions span a wide range of presentations, from movement limitations such as Parkinson's, Huntington's, Cerebral Palsy, or a stroke, to central nervous system limitations such as fibromyalgia, overactive sympathetic nervous system, anxiety, insomnia, or chronic pain in general. A few common neurological conditions: Parkinson's Disease - Parkinson's Disease is a progressive neurological condition that affects the brain's nerve cells. Symptoms of Parkinson's disease include tremors, slurred speech, and uncontrollable facial expressions. Multiple Sclerosis - Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord. Signs include pressure, fatigue, and exhaustion. As multiple sclerosis progresses, it can be crippling. ALS - ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. It is a progressive neurological disease. It normally occurs in the hands, legs, and extremities before spreading to the central part of the body. Frequent cramps or weakness in the hands or legs are common. At Rainey Pain & Performance, we have physical therapists and functional pain managers who specialize in neurological conditions. Dr. Mike Davis heads up our neurological department with his assistant Brian Kuhn. They are specially trained in the treatment of individuals with neurological disorders. They are dedicated to utilizing the most current, evidence-based treatments so patients can engage in meaningful and purposeful daily life activities. Dr. Michael Davis routinely speaks and consults with programs around the Cochise and Tucson area delivering best practices including:
First-time visits begin with a detailed, comprehensive examination. Together we look at the entire picture of your health. We work to understand and know the why behind the what to treat and relieve symptoms of neurological challenges. Following the assessment and diagnosis, our therapists will work with you to plan a treatment approach. Treatment is individually tailored to address your specific problem areas to achieve maximum functional potential. We will work on balance, strengthening, and stretching. We will work on retraining the muscles and the brain to work together. Our physical therapists use the LSVT BIG program to treat people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. While there is no known cure for Parkinson’s Disease, the LSVT BIG program significantly improves fine and gross motor control, allowing people to be more confident on their feet and manipulate objects with their hands. Physical therapy is vital for patients who have had or currently have neurological injuries or diseases. The nervous system is complex and regulates all the workings of your body. When something goes wrong with your nervous system, you can have trouble moving, speaking, swallowing, and breathing. Physical therapy can help you perform certain activities to avoid losing your independence. If you're suffering from a neurological disorder that keeps you from living the life you want, give us a call today. Additional Resources: Most people will suffer from some lower back pain at some point in their lives. Low back pain is common. Unfortunately, many people with low back pain don't get treatment that aligns with evidence-based practices.
Low back pain is the most common complaint of patients that visit Rainey Pain & Performance. Our physical therapists and functional pain managers treat all types of low back pain and will help improve and restore your mobility and reduce your pain. Symptoms of low back pain vary. Your pain may be dull, burning, or sharp. You might feel pain at a single point or over a broader area. Your pain could include muscle spasms or stiffness and may even spread into the legs. It used to be believed that the cause of low back pain was related directly to the tissues of the body, but we now understand that low back pain is more complex. Several conditions may relate to low back pain including degenerative disk disease, fractures, herniated disks, and osteoarthritis. One common myth about low back is avoiding or limiting physical activity. Proper stretching of the muscles and active exercise will significantly help maintain a normal range of motion and relieve muscle suffering. Physical therapists are movement experts. We will improve your quality of life and help you relieve back pain. We will begin by determining what kind of back pain you're dealing with. Is it irritation or pressure on a nerve? A disk bulge or spinal stenosis? We will review your health history, ask about your symptoms, and provide a detailed, thorough examination that assesses your movements. Our goal is to improve and restore mobility. Treatments may include manual therapy, specific strengthening exercises, education about taking better care of your back, and proper training for lifting, bending, and sitting. Physical therapy can be a more holistic alternative to surgery, medication, and other treatment methods. One of our patients shares her story, " I am a 61-year-old active female. I saw Dr. Rainey for lower back pain that had exacerbated to the point where I was unable to stand for long periods of time. I had approximately six sessions with him and the pain was mostly gone. During these sessions, Dr. Rainey was attentive, concerned, and answered all of my questions. He appeared to put a lot of thought into his work. During my last session, he massaged my lower back in a manner best described as feeling like a little bit of heaven. I was able to return to the gym and continue walking in my neighborhood and in the Huachuca Mountains. I even hiked the Grand Canyon in November 2019." ~Leslie S. We look forward to helping you find relief from low back pain. Schedule an appointment today and improve your quality of life! Additional Resources:
You may typically think of physical therapy as a treatment for injuries or muscle pains, but did you know that it can also help get rid of your headache pain? Headaches affect 47% of the global population. Many headaches are harmless and resolve gradually. However, frequent headaches and migraines can severely impact your quality of life and your ability to participate in daily activities.
There are different types of headaches, including tension (muscular), neck joint related (cervicogenic), migraines, and secondary headaches from underlying conditions. Tension headaches are rarely debilitating, but there is no need to prolong suffering. Tension headaches are caused when neck and shoulder muscles tighten up. Constant stress is the leading cause of tension headaches. Women are more likely than men to suffer from tension headaches. Cervicogenic headaches stem from the structures in the neck and radiate into other areas. This type of headache may occur gradually or due to an injury. Cervicogenic headaches symptoms include decreased ability to move head or neck, neck pain, muscle tenderness, shoulder/arm pain on the side of the headache, weakness, dizziness, and nausea. Migraines can be severe and disabling. Migraines are disorders in the central nervous system and involve the nerves and blood vessels. Migraines can be triggered by light, noise, odors, dehydration, lack of sleep, and many other factors. Neck pain is a large trigger. There are many treatment options for headaches, but physical therapy is one of the best treatments. It is natural and holistic and comes with no harmful side effects. Medications affect the central nervous system to address dysfunction, while physical therapy works on the muscles and joints and also affects the central nervous system. Physical therapy can provide relief and a long-term solution for headache and migraine sufferers. Headaches are often connected to other injuries that can be treated concurrently if needed. Working with a physical therapist helps decrease or resolve the intensity and frequency of headaches. It reduces medication use, improves function and mobility, and improves motion in the neck. When you see one of our physical therapists, we will perform a clinical examination to diagnose the type of headache and develop an effective treatment plan. We begin with in-depth testing to rule out serious causes and ensure appropriate treatment methods. We will help you uncover the underlying sources that may be leading to your current pain and look for any connections like poor posture or spasms of the face muscles. Treatments vary and are combined. Some treatment options include neck manipulation, dry needling, identifying headache-producing trigger points and applying the correct pressure to help the muscle soften, and specific neck exercises. We will show you how to relieve muscle tension, to further prevent headache pain from returning. We will recommend exercises and demonstrate/teach correct posture so you can alleviate pressure and pain between treatment sessions. We have had patients see immediate improvements, while others need to attend more treatment sessions, this all depends on the severity and root of the pain. One patient shares her experience with physical therapy, "I made an appointment with Dr. Rainey after dealing with chronic migraines for years. I've used all sorts of medications and injections, but physical therapy probably has helped the most. I have never felt rushed or unheard with Dr. Rainey and the staff; they are all very nice and pay attention to what you are saying. If one thing doesn't work, they will try something else. My headaches, neck aches, and tension issues decreased substantially after a few visits and recommended exercises. Super happy with my experience here, and will continue to use the office when my family or myself need PT." ~Rachel S. If you are experiencing recurrent headaches, have tried other remedies with no success, and are looking for more natural treatment, schedule an appointment today with one of our physical therapists. Additional Resources: Fibromyalgia is primarily a central nervous system disorder that has a primary feature of central sensitization. One of the mechanisms of this is mitochondrial dysfunction, which means (at the cellular level), the body does not produce enough energy. This creates the four hallmark features of fibromyalgia- fatigue, widespread pain, difficulty sleeping, and difficulty concentrating. People with fibromyalgia often have other symptoms, but these are the four hallmarks. Other symptoms include muscle pain, burning or twitching, depression and anxiety, insomnia, headaches, and numbness in the face, arms, leg, hands, or feet.
Some of the most known risk factors for fibromyalgia include age, gender, family history, trauma, and other disorders like lupus, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Fibromyalgia affects around 5 million adults, 80-90% of the woman. It isn't easy to diagnose because there is overlap with so many other conditions. It is also a condition without a cure. Unfortunately, the cause of fibromyalgia isn't really known. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia affects the way the brain processes pain signals, amplifying the sensation of pain throughout the body. Although there is no definitive cure at this time, there are treatments that can help. Physical therapy is one of them. We will help you understand and manage your pain, reduce your fatigue and improve your function and quality of life. Improving sleep and exercise are often the two essential areas to make the most significant change. At Rainey Pain & Performance, we have several ways to help with this. One of them is our full-body fibromyalgia stretching and end-range strengthening program that leaves people feeling invigorated. Increasing flexibility and strengthening muscles through a maintainable exercise routine are important ways physical therapists help reduce fibromyalgia pain. If you deal with the aches and pains of fibromyalgia, the thought of beginning an exercise program may make you cringe. However, it can do you a world of good in the long run. Stretching increases flexibility and helps tight, stiff muscles loosen up. We will instruct you on the proper way to stretch muscles, tendons, and ligaments. We will educate which low-speed and low-impact activities are best and less stressful on the joints. We will help you build strength and improve range of motion. We will show you ways to get relief from deep muscle pain and help you make sensible decisions about daily activities will help prevent painful flare-ups. Since fibromyalgia often comes with disrupted or unrefreshing sleep, we work to improve your sleep. We begin with a detailed physical evaluation, considering your overall wellness. Along the way, we will educate about sleep hygiene. A few helpful tips include going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day so you can reset your biological clock, use your bed only for sleep, training your brain that bed equals sleep, and avoid napping during the day, making you more tired at night. If these tips are not enough, we have a trained doctor in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). Living with fibromyalgia can be overwhelming and debilitating, but with the right help, it doesn't have to be. Schedule an appointment today with one of our physical therapists, and we will help increase your quality of life. Chronic pain is ongoing and persistent, lasting at least three months and sometimes many years. Over one hundred million Americans currently live with chronic pain, and all people experience pain during their lifetimes. Unfortunately, pain is often not well understood by many people, including health professionals, creating more frustration for many people. Often people get incorrect information from places and doctors that seem credible and like they know what they’re talking about and it can even make sense, but it is not supported by research or doesn’t explain the full picture.
The causes of chronic pain vary. Certain medical conditions like trauma, diabetes, and fibromyalgia are more likely to cause chronic pain. Even after injury and physical tissue have healed, some may experience chronic pain as pain is created in the nervous system. Chronic pain affects each person experiencing it differently. Common complaints are everything hurting, sudden stabs of pain, fatigue, joint pain, muscles aches, and loss of stamina. For some, it brings great fear and anxiety. These emotions often only exacerbate pain. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience." Many factors contribute to pain. A common term that doctors use is biopsychosocial. Pain affects our bodies, our minds, and our social life. Conversely, our bodies, minds, and social life affect our pain. Pain is not simple. If it were, then it wouldn't be an epidemic in America! At Rainey Pain & Performance, we work with many people suffering from chronic pain. Our physical therapists and functional pain managers take a holistic approach with each person suffering from ongoing chronic pain. We teach the science of pain, self-management strategies, and identify activities that are safe and not safe to do. We identify the recovery limiting factor. It may be a biomechanical problem, it may be a problem with your exercise routine, it may be a misunderstanding of what is safe or not for you, or it could be something else. We pinpoint the source of the pain and provide you with an accurate diagnosis. When attending physical therapy for chronic pain, your first session will be a detailed evaluation. You will be asked questions about your pain, how it affects your life, what makes it better or worse and what previous treatments you have received, and the outcome of those treatments. Our physical therapists and functional pain managers may perform various tests and measures to understand anything contributing to your pain. Through various treatment methods, including manual therapies, personalized exercises and stretches, dry needling, education, and pain neuroscience, we restore balance, coordination, flexibility, and strength, improving your movement and function and alleviating pain. Treating injuries with physical therapy will improve circulation to the joints and tissues, promoting healing. Physical therapy is a safer alternative than opioids for chronic pain. No one wants to live in pain, and no one should put their health at risk to be pain-free. Opioids mimic the chemicals in your body, helping relieve pain, but they do not help your body heal. Long-term consumption is not a good solution for managing pain. Seeing a physical therapist can provide long-lasting pain relief without the risk of harmful opioids. As professionals trained in the science of movement, we help get your body moving, releasing natural endorphins. The side effects include improved mobility, strengthened muscles, and decreased pain. Physical therapy is a safer way to manage your pain. Chronic pain can saturate all aspects of your life. Our unparalleled physical therapy and functional pain management may be your answer. Schedule an appointment today. Additional Resources:
The anterior cruciate ligament, often known as the ACL, is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments in the knee. It provides stabilization for the knee joint. Injuries to the ACL are often sports related. However, a torn, stretched, or ruptured ACL can be caused by repetitive physical stress or a sudden direction change. Women are more likely than men to experience an ACL tear.
ACL injuries generally cause swelling, stiffness, and pain. Sometimes a "popping" noise can be heard at the time the injury occurs. This often comes with intense pain and swelling within an hour. Since the ACL is the major knee stabilizer, any injury to it sometimes causes the knee to give out or buckle when a person tries to walk or change direction. After tearing your ACL, the first goal should be decreasing pain and swelling. When at home, you can treat your torn ACL with PRICE, Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Schedule an examination with one of our physical therapists as soon as possible. When you see one of our physical therapists for ACL pain, we will conduct a detailed, thorough evaluation. We will ask what you were doing when the injury occurred, if you felt pain or heard a pop when the injury occurred, if you experienced swelling within the first few hours following the injury, and if you felt the knee buckle or give out when you walked or changed directions. We will use a gentle hands-on approach to determine the likelihood of an ACL tear. We will run additional tests if needed to assess possible damage to other parts of the knee. Several factors play into a decision whether or not to have your ACL reconstructed. We can help you identify if surgery is needed. If you don't have to have surgery, our physical therapists will work on restoring your muscle strength, agility and balance so you can return to the activities you love. We will use tailored exercises specific to your injury and modify activities to release stress on the knee. The primary problem in ACL reconstruction recovery is that people do not recover sufficient quadriceps strength. Our physical therapists use cutting-edge methods of testing quadriceps strength to ensure that athletes have as low of risk as possible of re-injuring their ACL. If surgery is needed, prehabilitation prior to surgery is extremely important. Our goals before surgery are to help you minimize pain and swelling, restore knee range of motion, especially extension, and restore muscle activation. These should not be overlooked and will help in recovery. After surgery, your orthopedic surgeon will most likely encourage you to see a physical therapist. Your treatment program will include:
Can ACL injuries be prevented? Improving balance and strength can lower ACL injury rates. If you've torn your ACL, had ACL surgery, or suffered from some other type of pain, contact Rainey Pain & Performance. Our team of professionals is here to help you decrease your pain and increase your performance. Additional resources we have available for athletes looking to prevent injury:
According to the CDC, Arthritis is the most common cause of disability among adults in America. It limits everyday activities for millions of people. If you don't have arthritis, chances are someone you know does.
Arthritis is a diagnosis that means you have pain related to changes in your cartilage, the bone below the cartilage, and inflammation of the synovial membrane. These changes often cause joint swelling, stiffness, and pain. You may be at risk if you are older, obese, have had previous joint injuries, or have a family history of arthritis. Osteoarthritis means that bones are getting closer to each other. There may be bone spurs, changes in the cartilage, and the end of the bone, which is commonly called degenerative joint disease. Interestingly, arthritis is often considered the cause of pain as people age. However, many other factors affect the pain, and arthritis may not be the primary cause. Many people are skeptical that anything can be done for their arthritis. This is often because they have friends who haven't found relief, or another doctor has told them that it's only going to get worse. The first steps to dealing with arthritis are learning the facts, understanding the condition, and knowing that there is help along the way. Unfortunately, there is no cure yet for arthritis, but there are a lot of current treatments that help arthritis. Physical therapy is one of them. Our physical therapists are excited when someone comes in with arthritis because of how much improvement these patients typically see. Many people walk out the first day with noticeable relief from their arthritis pain. Rarely do we not see at least a 50% improvement in pain over the course of treatment. Like you, many are skeptical initially, but we do have great success with osteoarthritis. Physical pain from arthritis might tempt you to stay still as movement can cause pain. You can avoid pain by not moving, but that won't help you out in the long run. Joints that don't move will stiffen even more and become even more sensitive to pain! Physical therapy interventions help you increase your range of motion and decrease your pain. How does it do this? It improves the health of all the tissues in and around the joints and makes them more tolerant to activity. We begin by giving a thorough evaluation to determine how much arthritis plays a role in your pain to provide you with the best treatments. The most common interventions include targeted exercise for range of motion and increased load tolerance, joint manipulation, and dry needling. Arthritis is a pain. (Literally!) But that doesn't mean you have to stop living. There are ways to treat it. You can feel better. Call and schedule an appointment today! Additional resources we have available for those with arthritis:
Think about a time you felt pain. If it was related to your back, friends and family might have recommended you see a chiropractor. When you've mentioned pain have these family and friends recommended you see a physical therapist?
Unfortunately, many people don't fully understand physical therapy and how it is different from chiropractic care. Both approach healing more naturally and are knowledgeable about reducing pain and improving mobility. And both focus on not just treating symptoms but function to avoid surgery and expensive medications. The difference between physical therapy and chiropractic care depends on the physical therapist or chiropractor you are seeing! Chiropractors are most famous for performing "adjustments," which is technically a high-velocity low amplitude thrust manipulation. (The word "adjustment" is much easier right!) Many physical therapists perform these, but they also perform other grades of manipulation that can be more gentle, which some people prefer. Physical therapists typically do more movement analysis and focus on more than just treating joints, but, again, it depends on which physical therapist or chiropractor you see. Physical therapists are movement experts who specialize in improving the quality of life through various treatment options, including exercise, joint manipulation, manual therapy, dry needling, soft-tissue mobilization, virtual reality, and patient education. Physical therapists treat a variety of conditions, from arthritis and chronic pain to incontinence and vertigo. In our clinic, we want to help our patients take control of their pain. We want you to live a healthier lifestyle. We begin with a detailed whole-body evaluation when you see one of our physical therapists. We want to hear your health journey to determine the best treatment option for your body. We will improve your mobility, help you see a reduction in pain, and increase your ability to participate in the activities you enjoy most in life. Both physical therapists and chiropractors have the common goal of helping patients heal. For chiropractors treating pain and symptoms is often the primary goal with the secondary purpose of regaining mobility. As physical therapists, our primary goal is to restore mobility and empower our patients to be active in their healing. If you have more questions about the difference between the two professions or would like to try seeing a physical therapist, please reach out to us at notifyrpp@gmail.com. According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, causing about 1 in 4 deaths. This is a frustrating statistic because much of heart disease is preventable. The heart pumps blood through our bodies and keeps us going every single day. We should take our heart health seriously.
There are many ways to support a healthy heart and reduce the risk of heart disease. Avoiding sedentary habits and being more physically active with regular exercise are essential preventative measures. Exercise can reduce your blood pressure, which saves your heart from working as hard each beat. As physical therapists, we help people stay active by reducing pain and increasing heart rates. We encourage regular physical activity that supports heart health and circulation. We are trained in assessing blood pressure response to exercise, creating and monitoring exercise plans to improve cardiovascular fitness, and instructing exercises to improve pain and function while maintaining cardiovascular balance and safety. If you have experienced a heart attack, seeing a physical therapist can play an important role in rehabilitation. We focus on getting the heart back in shape. During your appointment, we will check blood pressure and oxygen levels before and after movements to create a plan of care to meet your unique needs. In our clinic, we see people struggling with the effects of multiple chronic diseases and added challenges recovering from injuries and surgeries. You may be surprised to learn that chronic pain can contribute to heart disease. If you suffer from chronic pain, you don't have to live with it. We focus on getting to the root of your pain and treating your condition by improving mobility, functioning, and strength. Heart disease and heart failure affect endurance and quality of life. Heart disease makes it challenging to keep up with the body's daily demands. We help take care of patients in all phases of healing, from diagnosis to restorative and preventive stages of recovery. We will help you improve your exercise capacity, strength and endurance, and overall health and well-being. You owe it to your heart to be committed to helping you live a long and healthy life. Come see our physical therapists who can create personalized treatment plans that will improve your mobility, manage your pain, decrease your risk of heart disease and help you recover if you have suffered from a heart attack. Call today at 520-459-1386 and take care of your heart health. Are you suffering from pain? When sitting, lying down, walking, bending forward, twisting, or squatting, does your pain get better or worse?
Pain can be very confusing and highly frustrating, limiting you from participating in activities you love and overall enjoying life. We want to lower your pain. One big reason for pain is overuse. When you make the same movements repeatedly, the body's joints, tendons, and muscles become irritated and inflamed. Movement requires multiple areas of the body to work together. To squat, you need mobility in your knees, hips, and back. You rarely move a single joint by itself. What if one of those areas, knees, hips, or back, is stiff or experiencing an issue? You will most likely overcompensate for it. For example, if your back is stiff and you can't extend it, your ankles or hips will pick up the slack. The body part compensating for another part can only sustain for so long, and pain manifests. What can be done? Finding the body area that isn't performing its role is often the solution to long-term pain relief. As physical therapists, who are movement experts, we evaluate and diagnose and determine what areas of the body aren't moving and working as they should. Often treating the painful area is a short-term solution. We seek long-term solutions. We pinpoint the actual problem. Pain medication and surgery are interventions. Working with a physical therapist will tackle the inflammation, stiffness, and soreness that you are experiencing. Your body can begin to heal itself through exercise, manipulation, and other safe, non-invasive treatment methods. We help encourage the production of the body's natural pain-relieving chemicals. Seeing a physical therapist is one of the best choices you can make for pain, even when imaging has shown degeneration, tears, or damage. We will help you get stronger, move better, and experience less pain. We are experts not only in treating pain but also its source. Give us a call today at 520-459-1386 or email us at notifyrpp@gmail.com today to get started. |
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