Strokes occur on average every 40 seconds and don’t just affect the elderly but people of all ages. Knowing what to do to help reduce your chances of getting a stroke but also knowing the signs to look for in yourself and others is extremely important in helping save a life. Finally, if you do have a stroke then there is a long line of physical therapy that has to be done to regain normal strength and abilities.

There are multiple guidelines that can be followed to help decrease the chances of getting a stroke. By knowing what your blood pressure is and working to reduce it (if it is too high) is extremely important. Also, knowing about and finding out if you have atrial fibrillation or in other words an abnormal heartbeat is a major factor since it causes blood to clot. Smoking is of course never good for you but to add to it’s list of negative effects is the fact that it doubles the risk of having a stroke by weakening the heart and causing arteries to clog. Another substance that has been shown to lead to stroke is alcohol. Drinking in moderation is okay but not drinking is better. Knowing your cholesterol levels and controlling it as well is another preventative measure. If you have diabetes or circulation problems then make sure they are treated properly. Finally, exercising and eating a healthy diet is one of the most important things someone can do. Maintaining a healthy weight, not eating a lot of salt or saturated fat and eating fruits and vegetables is one of best way to prevent a stroke.

Even after following these preventative ways, it is never 100% guaranteed you will not have a stroke so knowing the signs for yourself and others is always helpful. There are five areas including walk, talk, reach, see, and feel that can be looked at and asked about to know if someone is having a stroke. If they seem weak in one side and either veer, slump, or drag a foot on one side, it is a sign. If the way they talk is slurred, they don’t make sense, or their mouth droops, then it’s another major sign. Another thing to look at is if their reach is strong on both sides which can be tested but having them raise their arms, hold something, or squeeze your finger. Next, you can ask the person if there is in change in their vision such as things being blurry or seeing double. Finally, having a severe headache that is increased by light and noise is an indication of stroke. If you or someone else is experiencing these symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately.

If you are to experience a stroke then rehabilitation will be in order. Some of the activities you will have to go through include strengthening muscle strength and coordination, regaining range of motion, mobility training to be able to support your own weight and walk again, and learning to use the affected limb again. Physical therapy and rehab should start as soon as possible after a stroke to regain normal functioning.

Shoulder pain is a common occurrence for many adults. The diagnosis is usually what is called frozen shoulder, which consists of a loss of range in motion in the shoulder joint. The more scientific name for this is adhesive capsulitits. This happens to many people who have had any previous problems with their shoulder or had an injury or immobility in that area. If there has been previous inflammation, scarring, thickening or shrinkage around the shoulder, then having frozen shoulder is easier to occur. Frozen shoulder can be diagnosed through an examination and confirmed with an injected dye and x-ray or an MRI scan.

If you come to find that you do have this shoulder joint problem, then there are some treatment options. Those who keep up with physical therapy can see great results and get back full range of motion. Physical therapy for frozen shoulder can include ice pack, exercises, electric stimulation, ultrasound and strengthening. There is also the option to have surgery to manipulate the shoulder and break up the scar tissue. Sometimes a cortisone injection into the shoulder is also used to reduce inflammation and reduce pain. After this surgery or injection, physical therapy or an exercise program is important so the shoulder fully heals and maintains mobility.

The most popular form of ‘thawing’ a frozen shoulder is to use a combination of mobility, strengthening, stretching, and massage to get rid of the pain and regain motion. You can be instructed on the correct exercises and movements by a physical therapist to ensure you do all of the motions correctly and do not further injure your shoulder.

Mobility: The joint in the shoulder can move in many directions and every motion affects other motions. Therefore being able to move that joint in all directions is essential to having a fully functional shoulder. There are some main motions that are usually worked when dealing with a frozen shoulder but making sure every natural direction can move is important.
Strengthening: Strength training should be done all around the shoulder joint. Using light weights and resistance bands will improve the movement. Once your shoulder has improved then adding more weight will strengthen your shoulder and help you from getting having reoccurring episodes of frozen shoulder in the future.
Stretching: With the large number of muscles that are connected to the shoulder, it is important to get all of them stretched in order to get full range of motion back. To stretch all the muscles and tendons surrounding the shoulder, different types of stretches need to be performed with stretching in multiple directions. A physical therapist can give instruction on how to ensure you stretch all the muscles and get the best results possible from these exercises.
Massage: Finally, massaging the muscles, tendons, skin and tissue around the shoulder is extremely helpful in healing. Massaging makes the tissue healthy and able to work better. Whether you do it yourself, or pay to have a massage you can work towards getting rid of tightness and pain.

Many people are usually unsure if a certain injury requires heat or ice to aid in pain management and help remedy the injury. Below will explain when to use which treatment and exactly how to apply for the best results.

First of all, it is important to know and understand the two different types of injuries. There are acute injuries which usually cause a very intense pain but don’t last very long. This type of pain comes very suddenly and is usually a sharp pain. People are able to identify the cause of this pain easier because there is most likely some type of impact at the site of injury that starts the pain. The site has common signs of being tender, red, warm, and swelling. The second type is a chronic injury, which may not be as extreme of a pain and may happen on and off for an extended period of time. This type of pain is usually dull and sore instead of sharp and sudden. Chronic pain is usually the cause of overuse of the injured site or from ignoring an acute injury and not treating it.

Now that we have the types of possible injuries sorted out, we can identify how to treat it. For acute injuries, cold therapy or ice is best to reduce swelling and pain. Cold treatment causes the blood vessels to narrow which keeps the area from bleeding internally. Using ice can also be helpful on some chronic pain that flares up after exercise so that there is no further inflammation. If you do decide using ice is what best for your injury, then you should only ice for about 10 minutes at a time. You can ice multiple times a day but make sure the skin returns to normal temperature before icing again. There are a couple different forms of ice therapy that are effective such as an ice pack (made specifically for injuries), a bag of frozen vegetables (peas usually work best), or just ice from your freezer in a bag or wrapped in a thin towel.

On the other hand, if you are suffering from a chronic injury where there is no swelling then heat is the best option. Heat is good for relieving joint and muscle pain because it allows the joint to be more elastic, stimulates blood flow, and relaxes tight muscles. Since heat causes increased circulation and draws fluids into tissues it should not be used on acute injuries that are already swelled and sometimes internally bleeding. If heat is the right choice for your injury, then apply for no longer than 20 minutes and ensure beforehand that the source is not hot enough to burn your skin. The types of heat that work well are a hot wet towel, hot pack or heating pad.

Applying the correct treatment is important and if you use the wrong one then it could make an injury worse. Some chronic problems may need an alternation of heat and cold applications. You should of course not rely solely on ice or heat to treat an injury but should see a doctor or physical therapist to ensure it heals correctly.

Many people suffer from chronic pain due to health conditions such as arthritis and menstrual cramps. while others experience acute pain as a result of injury or surgery. If you’re a pain sufferer, you have plenty of options to ease those pains. While most pain relief medications come in the form of a pill, there are a number of alternative pain relief treatments such as snake oil which is now sold various shapes and sizes.

However, before trying any of these pain relief approaches, always make it a point to consult with your doctor. Some alternative pain relief therapies may not be appropriate for you or may have serious side effects, even if they are of the non-pharmaceutical type. There are factors to be considered including medical condition as well as patient history before undergoing any treatment.

Bear in mind that not all available options are perfect alternative pain relief treatments. While a certain pain relief may work to some people, the same remedy may not work with others. There are some pain relievers that do not provide complete pain relief. You may have to try a number of different strategies and combine some of them before finding an acceptable level of pain relief. As with any treatment, there may also be risks and side effects.

Many people would do anything to find a relief for their pains. One of the advantages of trying out a number of alternative pain relief remedies is that you may find a pain relief treatment that works for you. Penney Cowan, executive director and founder of the American Chronic Pain Association advises pain sufferers to take an active part in their own rehabilitation. People should learn pain management and to know their role in how to regain control of their life in order to live with the pain which seems to have taken over.

While there is no specific cure to pain, physical therapy is very effective alternative pain relief and highly recommended. Hayes Wilson, MD, chief rheumatologist at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta and national medical adviser to the Arthritis Foundation, recommends physical therapy to almost all his patients because it teaches people how to take care of themselves. He believes in the cliché, “give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish, and feed him for life.”

Physical therapists are like fishing instructors who teach patients the self-management skills of pain management. Therapists encourage arthritis patients how to deal with pain in a day-to-day basis by showing them how to build up strength and improve range of motion, and how to make sensible decisions about activities to prevent arthritic flare-ups.

However, keep in mind that physical therapy is not intended to act as an elixir for pain, but rather, as an alternative pain relief treatment. In the case of patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis, which can take 10 to 15 years off a patient’s life, physical therapy serves only as a supplement to immune-modulating drugs. While physical therapy can help decrease inflammation in osteoarthritis, the condition could worsen if swelling isn’t fully addressed with the appropriate medicines.