Oftentimes patients coming to physical therapy ask us the question, “What’s the difference between a chiropractor, a physical therapist; and who do I see for the problem I have?” Chiropractor: A chiropractor is a health care profession that diagnoses, treats and assists in the prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, particularly the spine, as theoretically these disorders affect a patient’s general health via the nervous system. A chiropractor’s purpose is to restore function and stability to the spine. This is done by realigning the vertebrae in a patient’s spine by manipulation. Releasing tension in the spine allows for muscles to be relaxed and thus relieving pai

“How is physical therapy going to improve my balance?” The general rule of thumb with is “if you don’t use it, you lose it.” However, not all balance issues are caused by lack of activity. There are many reasons why a patient would require physical therapy for balance issues. He or she may be experiencing loss of balance resulting from a stroke, sports injuries, medications, inner ear problems or a spinal cord injury. One very common diagnosis that a physical therapist can treat is Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo, or BPPV. Inside the inner ear is a labyrinth made of canals with fluid that flows and moves according to the position of your body. Inside these canals are otoliths, or ear ro

Mizuta & Associates would like to extend their gratitude to the City Ballet Company for a very warm receptive welcome of Nicole Fox, MPT. Nicole was invited to give a presentation on injury prevention for ballet dancers. She and her assistant, Mary, who both have many years of experience in ballet and other forms of dance, thoroughly enjoyed providing information and demonstrating the potential risks for injury to the dancers, who ranged in age from ten to twenty-eight. As Nicole described the different injuries, Mary demonstrated certain positions and movements to further aid the dancers visually. Nicole began by elaborating on injuries that could potentially occur, what could contribute to

With the school year starting soon, many parent’s minds are on back to school shopping. There are a few things parents should know before letting children pick out their favorite pack. While backpacks are a great way for children to carry their books and homework to and from school, improperly sized, poorly designed, and incorrectly packed backpacks can lead to back pain in children. Before heading to the store, here are some tips to help with shopping: Lighten the load. The number one rule for backpack usage is to keep the load down. While research is still developing on an appropriate load, some studies agree that loads of more than 10% of a child’s body weight may induce negative spinal

Pain with driving is a common complaint in the physical therapy office. We are asked often about the best way to set up a car seat ergonomically to decrease pain. Improper ergonomic set up in the car can cause or exacerbate symptoms in your neck, back, upper or lower body. Here are some tips to adjust your car seat correctly for those long days spent driving. Most importantly, never adjust your car in a way that will impede your ability to drive. Seat: • Raise/Lower the seat until your knees and hips are at a level position. In this position, you should also be able to comfortably see both the road and your dashboard. A cushion may be necessary if your seat doesn’t go high enough. • Bring

It is common practice to see patients in physical therapy within the first week after a total knee replacement, but what about before their surgery? Many patients disregard the effects of PT before a joint replacement with statements like “I’m just going to have surgery anyway.” However, evidence is increasing that many patients do better if they come to PT during the early signs of knee osteoarthritis, prior to their replacement. A total knee replacement is a surgery to combat knee osteoarthritis, which is a generalized breakdown of the joint. Because the hardware doesn’t last forever, patients tend to put this surgery off as long as possible as a means of preventing a revision later in li

Planks are a commonly recommended exercise to increase core and abdominal strength. This single exercise works many muscles effectively and efficiently…. if done properly! Planks do require a decent amount of strength and stability and an individual may need to take progressive steps in order to master this exercise. A complaint that is heard most often is feeling a “pinch”, “strain”, or “pain” in the lower back, neck pain or overall discomfort. There are many reasons someone may be unable to tolerate planks, however, some common reasons that an individual may feel these sensations are listed below: 1. Buttock is too high up into that air and spine is not aligned. This causes more force to b

News and Noteworthy! The APTA (American Physical Therapy Association) posted an article summarizing a recently published study from JAMA internal Medicine that linked ties between “moderate to vigorous” physical activity and cancer prevention. It concluded that the relationship may be much stronger than previously discussed. It reports that one could drop their risk by as much as 20 % for 13 different types of cancers, including 3 out of 4 most commonly diagnosed. FOR YOUR INFORMATION [Moderate exercise was defined at 3 or more METS: for example this would include brisk walking at >3mph or biking at 50 watts Vigorous exercise was defined at 6 or more METS: for example this would include jogg