Prime Therapy and Pain Center

Ways to prevent neck pain! 1. Optimize your sitting posture: -Use a lumbar pillow placed in the small of your back to maintain proper posture.... -Hold your smartphone at eye level to prevent strain on neck. -Support your arms by propping your elbows on armrest -Use a headrest to support your head and neck. 2. Take breaks often: -Limit the amount of time and frequency spent using technology. -Take 3-minute breaks every 15-20 minutes. -Put variety into the day with frequent interruptions such as going for a walk and taking a stretch break. 3. Strengthen and stretch neck muscles: -Keeping your neck and shoulder muscles warm and flexible will reduce risk for pain and injury. -Try performing the following movements during the day: -Chin Tuck: While looking straight forward, move chin straight back. Hold for 5 seconds and slowing release. Repeat as many times as needed, at least 10 times. -Side Bending: Tilt head down to touch right ear to right shoulder. Repeat on left side. Hold for a couple seconds. Use hand on same side to add over pressure stretch. -Side rotation: Rotate chin to the right shoulder and then to the left shoulder. Use your hand to push chin a little farther for a larger stretch. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat as needed.

Does Cold Weather Affect Chronic Pain? Tips to Relieve It? When the temperature drops, less blood circulates to our extremities. This can lead to feelings of stiffness and pain in our moving parts. Here are some tips to prevent cold weather pains this winter and spring:... 1. Warm Up! Taking Epsom salt baths, warm showers and saunas are a great way to relieve cold weather pains. The warmth improves circulation and mobility in those cold, stiff joints experiencing cold weather pains.. 2. Stay Hydrated. Sometimes when the weather is colder, we may not drink enough water. Water helps keep your system balanced, your joints lubricated and your system flowing. It allows for easy secretion of wastes and helps your body run smoothly. 3. Keep Moving! If you can’t exercise outside, get inside and exercise daily. Whether at a fitness center or in your living room, 30-45 min. per day of strength, cardio and flexibility training is important to keep those cold weather pains away 4. Check your Vitamin D. In the winter months, we are more susceptible to being Vitamin D deficient, especially if we live in a climate that lacks sunlight in the winter. Oregon State University researcher, Adrian Gombart, reports that 70% of Americans have insufficient levels of Vitamin D. Low levels of Vitamin D can cause muscle, bone and joint pain. Check your levels with your family doctor.

Happy New Year from our family here at Prime Therapy! 2020 was a difficult year for many of our friends, families, and community... So we're very excited to kick off 2021 and welcome in the new year! It's time to start fresh with new hope and new opportunities. This is YOUR year to live the healthy and active lifestyle you deserve!... We're ready to help you hit all of your health, wellness, and fitness goals! Whether you're looking to get active again after a long time out of the gym, overcome pain or discomfort from inactivity, or prevent injuries as you return to exercise, we're here to help! Give our team a call at 951-684-2865 and let's discuss your goals and a plan to get you there!

How Physical Therapy for Headaches Can Improve Your Life! Physical therapy for tension type headaches focuses on muscle relaxation and retraining and prescribed exercises to promote relaxation at home. Physical therapy for tension type headaches also includes hands-on manual therapy and soft tissue mobilization. Education on pain sensitization is also essential in the recovery from tension type headaches. Commonly, the upper neck is to blame for cervicogenic headaches. These ...headaches come from a neck problem and the pain is referred into the head. We focus treatments on correcting the neck problem, and typically within the treatment session the headache pain is reduced or eliminated. Once manual therapy is performed to improve the function of the neck, posture correction and physical therapy exercises are prescribed. These changes allow the neck to heal and recover. As the neck heals and starts working better, the headaches will resolve. See more

Dry Needling: What You Should Know... Why Dry Needling? In cases when physical therapists use dry needling, it is typically 1 technique that's part of a larger treatment plan.... What Kind of Needles Are Used? Dry needling involves a thin filiform needle that penetrates the skin and stimulates underlying myofascial trigger points and muscular and connective tissues. The needle allows a physical therapist to target tissues that are not manually palpable. Physical therapists wear gloves and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when dry needling, consistent with Standard Precautions, Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings, and OSHA standards. The sterile needles are disposed of in a medical sharps collector. What is a Trigger Point? A trigger point is a taut band of skeletal muscle located within a larger muscle group. Trigger points can be tender to the touch, and touching a trigger point may cause pain to other parts of the body. Physical therapists use dry needling to release or inactivate trigger points to relieve pain or improve range of motion. Preliminary research 2 supports that dry needling improves pain control, reduces muscle tension, and normalizes dysfunctions of the motor end plates, the sites at which nerve impulses are transmitted to muscles. This can help speed up the patient's return to active rehabilitation. As part of their entry-level education, physical therapists are well educated in anatomy and therapeutic treatment of the body. Physical therapists who perform dry needling supplement that knowledge by obtaining specific postgraduate education and training. When contacting a physical therapist for dry needling treatment, be sure to ask about their particular experience and education.

Amplified Pain Syndromes: What You Should Know Amplified pain syndromes (APS) is an umbrella term used to describe increased sensitivity to pain due to abnormal nerve connections in the nervous system. Diagnoses in children that fall under this umbrella term include juvenile fibromyalgia, central sensitization, and generalized chronic pain, among others. In combination with a variety of factors, APS may be caused by:...Continue reading

8 Tips to Prevent Shin Splints Shin splints, also known as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), is a term used to describe symptoms of pain in the front of your lower leg and at times along the inside of the lower leg, next to the shin bone (tibia). It occurs when too much stress is put on the tibia or when the muscle next to the tibia is overworked. It most commonly happens from high-energy exercise or sports that involves running and jumping, and at the beginning of a spor...Continue reading

What are modalities? Modalities are techniques used by physical therapists to aid with healing. Different modalities used in a custom treatment plan may include heat, cold, and laser therapy to help strengthen, relax, and heal muscles. It's important that whatever PT you go to, takes the time to fully evaluate and examine the injury or cause of pain and uses a custom combination of treatment modalities to help you recover.... Drop a question in the comments if you have one!