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Physical Therapy Clinic Spokane Blog

Total Knee Surgery – “Can I Use Heat?”

Aug 9, 2021

If you’ve had Total Knee Replacement (TKR) surgery, you might be wondering if you can safely use heat to ease up the stiffness in your knee…

The most common answer you’ll hear regarding using heat is “No, you should only use ice.”

And while this makes sense on the surface, since the knee is so swollen and irritated after surgery, simply saying “No” isn’t the best answer.

In fact, there are some very good uses for heat following total knee replacement surgery.

In this video, I’ll explain the how/when/where to safely and effectively use heat following TKR surgery, which will help you regain full knee ROM (especially full knee extension).

Disproving the Myth of Aging and Activity Level

Aug 2, 2021

If healthy aging is important to you, a lifestyle that includes healthy habits should be as well. However, some older adults may limit physical activity over concerns about safety, ability, or chronic health conditions. These worries may be due to the myth of aging and activity level, which holds back some older people from starting or maintaining an exercise regimen.

While you may not have the same performance, ability, or endurance that you did when you were younger, that does not mean you cannot benefit from regular exercise. Here is what you need to know to stay active and stop believing in the myths about aging.

Stress Management

Jul 21, 2021

Stress is such a buzz-word these days, isn’t it? From detoxing with ‘green juice’ to staring at the sun and meditating for 8 hours a day, so many activities and media campaigns have now become obsessed with tackling this elusive enemy.

We can’t avoid the presence of some advert, some poster, some model telling us that her solution is the answer to stress, anxiety, and tension.

But, what is the truth? How can we really get to the heart of dealing with stress… and why in the world is it so important to do, anyway?

Fear not – in this post we help make sense of all the mixed messages, we go through what stress really means, and, of course, how you can start defeating it in your own life. Ready? Let’s get started.

Shoulder Pain – Ice or Heat? (which is better for pain relief)

Jul 9, 2021

If you’ve been struggling with shoulder pain, you might be wondering if it’s better to use ice for pain relief vs. using heat for pain relief.

The answer to that question really depends on two things:

– What’s causing your shoulder pain?

– What are you hoping to accomplish?

For example, if you have rotator cuff tendonitis, you might favor ice. And if you have rotator cuff tendinosis, you might favor heat.

At other times, it might be beneficial to use BOTH ice and heat in the same day.

Again, it really comes down to the cause of your shoulder pain, as well as what you hope the ice/heat will do for you.

Working From Home: The Painful Truth

Jul 7, 2021

When the pandemic hit it seemed as though there was a mass exodus to work from home: from store managers to doctors, everyone unplugged their PC’s, loaded them in their cars, and set them up in the kitchen, living room, and garage – for those fortunate enough to have a study, the computer now has pride of place next to the photo of grandma.

Now, working from home has its benefits, right? You can do your laundry and still hop on that Zoom call, or you can help the kids with their homework and still find time to fill out that spreadsheet for tomorrow.

Yet, as good as all that sounds, there are some down sides, too… what about that gnawing pain in your neck? How’s your back today… a little off? How many times have you tried to stretch your shoulder out yet have had no luck?