Search the Community

Have you ever asked yourself, "Does my kid's injury need to be looked at by a professional?" No easy answers here…that’s for sure! Fall sports is definitely a time where we see more acute injuries in the clinic. It can be pretty tough to know as a parent when to bother getting seen by your doctor or a physical therapist versus just letting things settle on their own with some rest and ice. Most high school athletes have an athletic trainer at the school – so that’s a great starting point. But for some the hours don’t match up to be seen or things are so busy it might be harder to get looked at. There’s plenty of injuries that are minor bumps and bruises and “sort of” strains that probably don’t need to have you running off to the emergency room or urgent care right away. We’ve all seen those. It seems so painful in the moment and first hours and then the next day they’re (or you’re) up and running around like nothing happened. Quick recoveries are awesome aren’t they! But we’ve also seen in the clinic those times where somebody was days out and still limping. A week out and not able to use their arm normally. Or even two days later and the joint was sharply painful or making odd noises. Or just couldn’t be used properly. When a possible broken bone is the concern...if there’s obvious deformity or it swells really dramatically/quickly, if it’s exquisitely tender right over the bone itself, or the part won’t accept weight, then call your doctor or consider heading to the emergency room or an urgent care. You might need x-rays done to be sure there isn’t a fracture. But there are plenty of injuries that don’t immediately require x-rays but leave you wondering when to pull the trigger on seeing a professional. Plenty of minor injuries are painful but improve quickly. If the pain is lessening steadily and function (the ability to use the body part) is significantly improving day by day then monitoring things may be fine. But the more moderate an injury is, the more delayed the recovery process can be…and delaying treatment can add more time to that day you make it back to playing or work or just living normally again. And it’s often avoidable. If substantial improvements aren’t happening steadily, let’s say at least as you look back every day or two, then see a professional who can evaluate the injury or pain and make recommendations. Be demanding. Expect significant improvement. It’s much easier to get a quick treatment response when you get help sooner versus later! If you’re not sure what to do for your pain or injury, give one of our physical therapists a call at 218-0240 and we’ll try to help you through this. Karen

Friend, I'm gonna come right out and say it: Ice doesn’t reduce swelling. Does that feel like a pretty big shock to you? Like maybe I bumped my head and got my facts confused? With school sports back in the schedule some of you are sure to know a young athlete who has tweaked something and wants to use ice as that first self-treatment. It can be a great idea to get the injured tissue cooled quickly too, since studies of ice actually DON’T support the ages old recommendation that using ice will decrease swelling. A bit surprising I'll bet! Here’s the key…once the tissue has already swollen it can be tough to get it down quickly, by any means. But ice CAN reduce the metabolism temporarily in the area and reduce pain. And those ARE good things. So try to apply it quickly after an injury. And remember that even though you may already have some swelling that applying cold still may help control your pain and minimize the formation of even more swelling from activity. So it can still be worthwhile. But how do you ice properly? Well, I’ve got a trick for you that I learned many years ago. It’s actually a really cool scientific fun fact for you. Think about your windshield wipers in the winter. Your windshield fluid doesn’t freeze the moment it hits the windshield, does it? Why is that? The chemicals in there help lower the freezing temperature so it doesn’t harden as quickly. While some people choose to create this SLUSH ICE PACK using windshield washer fluid, I'd recommend using isopropyl alcohol…it does the same thing. You just get two large (quart or half gallon size, depending on the body part) seal-able plastic storage bags. Water test the seals on them first, just for safety. Then use 3 parts crushed ice with just a bit of water and add 1 part isopropyl alcohol. Do this with the bag laying relatively flat on a tabletop over a towel, with the opening pointed up to minimize any mess. Get most of the air out and then seal the bag. It should be a relatively flat pack and not a big blob/ball. Place the other bag over the top just as an extra layer of protection in the event of a leak. Your bag should then remain a moldable, flexible slush pack rather than a block of ice. It’ll easily mold around rounded body parts. If it’s too watery after the first overnight in the freezer you can add more crushed ice. If it’s too hard, add a little more isopropyl alcohol. (Just be careful… if your freezer is set really low, like 28 0 F, the slush pack may get cold enough to more quickly cause frostbite if you don’t use protective layering properly.) Usually ice treatments are around 20 minutes or so. It’s safest to use a protective layer like a paper towel or a damp hand towel (if not damp it’ll just block the cooling!) to avoid the chance of overcooling your tissues. I’ve seen these reusable slush packs last years if taken care of properly. Always check for leaks as you don’t want to ruin other things in your freezer. If you need to use ice in the future this is a great way to have a reusable cold pack that molds around curved body parts nicely without the pockets of air that occur with most ice packs or frozen veggies we use. See ya, MikePS...There are some people who have trouble with topical icing. If you have a cold allergy or have gotten frostbite easily in the past or have been advised by your doctor that you shouldn’t use ice then just pass this info along to your friends instead! If you’re not sure that a medical condition you have(especially circulatory problems or nerve related issues or wounds) is safe to use ice with then it’s always best to check with your doctor.

After a car accident, I came to Peak Performance for back and neck pain. I was unable to sit without pain or even drive comfortably. After two months of PT with Andrew, I am able to go back to my day-to-day activities without any pain. I am looking forward to getting back to the gym and enjoying the outdoors with my husband and our granddaughter running around. Thank you, Andrew, for teaching me daily strengthening to help me increase my movement and quality of life. J Jeanette B.

Right after the injury, I couldn’t move my lower leg at all, and now I can do that! But seriously, the enforced three months locked in extension resulted in major quad atrophy and reduced range of motion. Mike’s superior training—look at all those letters after his name—vast experience and keen attention to detail elevate him above most PTs! I have benefited immensely from the attention to my particular issues, the application of expertise in PT, and the encouragement I received at Peak Performance. Mike’s belief that I could have a full recovery was evident. This gave me hope throughout a process that was long and difficult at times. He was always pulling for me and for that and the kindness of all the staff at Peak Performance, I am truly grateful! Jeff C. November 16, 2016