For Patients
What Hurts?
Headaches:
The World Health Organization estimates about 50% of the world’s population has experienced a headache in the past year. Most often, headaches or “migraines” resolve on their own. But if headache pain persists, physical therapy can help. Specific exercise combined with hands-on manual therapy techniques and education have been found to improve headache pain. Addressing our work station set up, sleep patterns, stress management and understanding how pain works, also set us up for success. Dry needling is another option to address headache pain.
Neck Pain:
How many of us have woken up with a stiff neck at some point? Neck pain is becoming more common and may be due to an accident or injury, worn joints, strained muscles or an irritated nerve. The good news is movement is good for healing. And studies show physical therapy treatment can provide both short and long term relief for people with neck pain. Whether you have arthritis in your neck, difficulty turning your head, stiffness & tension, or a pinched nerve, physical therapy can help. In physical therapy alone, patients save $260 compared to those who seek other medical care first. (Denninger et al, 2018 ).
Shoulder Pain:
Shoulder pain can impact all aspects of your life, especially when it’s your dominant arm. It can really become bothersome when it interrupts your sleep. The good news is whether the pain is coming from your shoulder joint itself, impingement, your rotator cuff and bicep muscles, AC joint, or frozen shoulder, physical therapy can help. The neck and spine work hard to support movement at the shoulder, so when we zoom out and include neighboring areas in your treatment your outcome improves.
Elbow Pain:
Pain in your elbow most often comes from the muscles or nerves surrounding the elbow joint. You may have heard the terms: “tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow.” Most elbow pain improves with a few simple treatments such as strengthening, nerve mobilizations, or trigger point dry needling. The shoulder and spine support the elbow in your daily tasks. So when we zoom out and treat the shoulder and/or spine as needed, we promote long-lasting results.
Wrist & Hand Pain:
Our wrist and hand are one of the most versatile parts of our body. When they are working well, we perform both simple and complex tasks with ease. When pain limits the use of our wrists and hands, it often greatly impacts our daily activities, our ability to work, or even care for ourselves. The good news is, our body is a good healer. So conditions like carpal tunnel can improve with a few simple techniques such as nerve mobilizations or adjusting our ergonomics. Arthritis in our hands and fingers may leave us feeling stiff and sore. We can not change arthritis in physical therapy, but we can change how the joints move to reduce the pain. Your shoulders and spine support your arms and hands, so even treatment directed at your shoulder and/or spine can improve wrist and hand pain.
Back Pain:
Low back pain is like the common cold. Despite our best efforts, 80% of us will experience low back pain in our lifetime (Moseley, 2003). Most of the time, low back pain resolves on its own if we keep moving. But sometimes pain sticks around longer than we’d like. If that’s the case for you, early access to physical therapy will get you back on your feet quickly and cost you less. While surgical procedures are often suggested first, physical therapy is often more effective and non-invasive. The clinical guidelines for treating back pain support hands on manual therapy techniques combined with an active exercise approach. (Delitto et al, 2012). Whether you have acute, recurrent or chronic back pain, True North Physical Therapy will meet you where you are at and design treatment specific to your needs and goals as well as fend off future problems. Click here to see what the Washington Post says about low back pain and physical therapy.
Hip Pain:
If you are experiencing pain over the front of your hip, or your groin, it may be coming from your hip joint. The pain may be coming from the joint itself, or it could be overuse or weakness of the muscles surrounding the hip. Often times, pain at the side of your hip comes the muscles and/or other supporting structures. You may even feel your hip pop or click at times. Worried arthritis may be causing your pain? In physical therapy, we can not change the arthritis in your hips, but we can change how the joint moves. And joints that move better have less pain. Motion is lotion—get moving today and see how physical therapy can get you on your feet again.
Knee Pain:
Knee pain is a common experience for people. Our pain can begin from an injury, overuse, or we may just wake up with pain one morning. Some examples include: ACL & MCL tears, meniscal tears, hamstring strains, patellofemoral syndrome or patellar tendinitis. No matter what the onset of your knee pain, I can determine the cause. Many knee injuries can be treated with rest, mobilization and physical therapy. Worried arthritis may be causing your pain? Did you know 50% of people with arthritis in their knees do not experience any pain? (Bedson & Croft, 2008) In physical therapy, we can not change the arthritis in your knees, but we can change how the joint moves. And joints that move better have less pain. Motion is lotion—get moving today and see how physical therapy can get you on your feet again.
Ankle & Foot Pain:
Our ankles and feet serve a very important purpose. Each time our feet touch the earth, they give us intricate feedback about where our body is in space. They establish our foundation to navigate the world. We rely on our ankles and feet to steady us and carry us throughout our daily life. When injury like an ankle sprain, heel pain from plantar fasciitis, or achilles tendonitis disrupts the feedback coming from our ankles and feet, physical therapy can restore the coordination, strength, balance and motion we need. Worried that peripheral neuropathy may limit you? Research supports strength training, aerobic exercise and retraining the nerves to improve pain and function in the presence of peripheral neuropathy (Kluding et al, 2012).
Nerve Pain:
Nerve pain comes with many names including: “sciatica, radiculopathy, radicular pain, or a pinched nerve.” It often feels like sharp shooting pain down one leg or arm and can be quite debilitating, even feel unpredictable. And when we hear terms like “sciatica and pinched nerve” it can be scary and confusing. Nerve pain may also feel like it spreads, as in the case of fibromyalgia. Physical therapy helps you take back control of the pain. With skilled physical therapy treatments, we bring space, movement, and blood flow back to the nerves. As a result, they calm down and the pain subsides. The nerve can be irritated at any point along its path, so it also comes in the form of “thoracic outlet syndrome or carpal tunnel syndrome.” Gentle exercise and movement restores the health of our nerves and allows us to get back to doing what we love, pain free.
Myofascial or Referred Pain:
Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic pain disorder. Muscles develop “knots” or taut bands (trigger points) that can cause pain in the muscle or other parts of the body. This is known as referred pain. For example, trigger points in gluteus minimus can mimic “sciatica” or nerve pain down the leg. Trigger points in upper trapezius can produce headache pain. Most people have experienced muscle tension pain that resolves on its own, but the discomfort of myofascial pain syndrome lingers. Trigger point dry needling is an effective treatment in conjunction with exercise, relaxation techniques and hands on manual therapy to release these trigger points and relieve your pain.
Chronic Pain:
Come as you are. Bring your story and all you have gone through related to your pain. I will meet you where you are at. You choose the destination; I provide the roadmap and the tools to get there. There are no expectations, time frame, or “number of PT visits allowed.” It’s your journey, so you set the pace. I walk alongside you and carry the knowledge and treatments needed to both prepare and sustain you on your journey. Unpack past experiences too heavy to carry. Learn why old beliefs may be holding you back or why past treatments failed. Make space for a new approach- one that marries cutting edge research related to how pain works, clinical expertise and your preferences. Stop managing the pain and start treating it. Choosing to pursue better health is brave, especially when pain dominates your life. As you put in the hard work, you will discover your body's strength and resilience. Your mind will be empowered by pain education and your thoughts will start to shift to greater things. Your heart will remember the hope it holds for a brighter future. It will take hard work. but hard work does not necessarily mean always doing more or pushing on. It also means learning to rest well. Gratitude and awareness of the milestones you achieve along the way are worthy of pause and will serve to refuel you.
There is hope. Just one step in the right direction is one step closer to a healthy and fulfilling life.
Jaw Pain (TMD / TMJ):
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your jaw bone to your skull. Temporomandibular disorder (TMD), a type of TMJ disorder, produces jaw pain that may occur with clicking, difficulty opening or closing the jaw, or facial and ear pain. Stress, clenching and grinding the teeth can make pain persist. Specific exercise combined with hands-on manual therapy techniques and understanding how pain works have been found to improve jaw pain. Addressing posture, stress management, and dry needling are other tools that set us up for success.
Headaches:
The World Health Organization estimates about 50% of the world’s population has experienced a headache in the past year. Most often, headaches or “migraines” resolve on their own. But if headache pain persists, physical therapy can help. Specific exercise combined with hands-on manual therapy techniques and education have been found to improve headache pain. Addressing our work station set up, sleep patterns, stress management and understanding how pain works, also set us up for success. Dry needling is another option to address headache pain.
Neck Pain:
How many of us have woken up with a stiff neck at some point? Neck pain is becoming more common and may be due to an accident or injury, worn joints, strained muscles or an irritated nerve. The good news is movement is good for healing. And studies show physical therapy treatment can provide both short and long term relief for people with neck pain. Whether you have arthritis in your neck, difficulty turning your head, stiffness & tension, or a pinched nerve, physical therapy can help. In physical therapy alone, patients save $260 compared to those who seek other medical care first. (Denninger et al, 2018 ).
Shoulder Pain:
Shoulder pain can impact all aspects of your life, especially when it’s your dominant arm. It can really become bothersome when it interrupts your sleep. The good news is whether the pain is coming from your shoulder joint itself, impingement, your rotator cuff and bicep muscles, AC joint, or frozen shoulder, physical therapy can help. The neck and spine work hard to support movement at the shoulder, so when we zoom out and include neighboring areas in your treatment your outcome improves.
Elbow Pain:
Pain in your elbow most often comes from the muscles or nerves surrounding the elbow joint. You may have heard the terms: “tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow.” Most elbow pain improves with a few simple treatments such as strengthening, nerve mobilizations, or trigger point dry needling. The shoulder and spine support the elbow in your daily tasks. So when we zoom out and treat the shoulder and/or spine as needed, we promote long-lasting results.
Wrist & Hand Pain:
Our wrist and hand are one of the most versatile parts of our body. When they are working well, we perform both simple and complex tasks with ease. When pain limits the use of our wrists and hands, it often greatly impacts our daily activities, our ability to work, or even care for ourselves. The good news is, our body is a good healer. So conditions like carpal tunnel can improve with a few simple techniques such as nerve mobilizations or adjusting our ergonomics. Arthritis in our hands and fingers may leave us feeling stiff and sore. We can not change arthritis in physical therapy, but we can change how the joints move to reduce the pain. Your shoulders and spine support your arms and hands, so even treatment directed at your shoulder and/or spine can improve wrist and hand pain.
Back Pain:
Low back pain is like the common cold. Despite our best efforts, 80% of us will experience low back pain in our lifetime (Moseley, 2003). Most of the time, low back pain resolves on its own if we keep moving. But sometimes pain sticks around longer than we’d like. If that’s the case for you, early access to physical therapy will get you back on your feet quickly and cost you less. While surgical procedures are often suggested first, physical therapy is often more effective and non-invasive. The clinical guidelines for treating back pain support hands on manual therapy techniques combined with an active exercise approach. (Delitto et al, 2012). Whether you have acute, recurrent or chronic back pain, True North Physical Therapy will meet you where you are at and design treatment specific to your needs and goals as well as fend off future problems. Click here to see what the Washington Post says about low back pain and physical therapy.
Hip Pain:
If you are experiencing pain over the front of your hip, or your groin, it may be coming from your hip joint. The pain may be coming from the joint itself, or it could be overuse or weakness of the muscles surrounding the hip. Often times, pain at the side of your hip comes the muscles and/or other supporting structures. You may even feel your hip pop or click at times. Worried arthritis may be causing your pain? In physical therapy, we can not change the arthritis in your hips, but we can change how the joint moves. And joints that move better have less pain. Motion is lotion—get moving today and see how physical therapy can get you on your feet again.
Knee Pain:
Knee pain is a common experience for people. Our pain can begin from an injury, overuse, or we may just wake up with pain one morning. Some examples include: ACL & MCL tears, meniscal tears, hamstring strains, patellofemoral syndrome or patellar tendinitis. No matter what the onset of your knee pain, I can determine the cause. Many knee injuries can be treated with rest, mobilization and physical therapy. Worried arthritis may be causing your pain? Did you know 50% of people with arthritis in their knees do not experience any pain? (Bedson & Croft, 2008) In physical therapy, we can not change the arthritis in your knees, but we can change how the joint moves. And joints that move better have less pain. Motion is lotion—get moving today and see how physical therapy can get you on your feet again.
Ankle & Foot Pain:
Our ankles and feet serve a very important purpose. Each time our feet touch the earth, they give us intricate feedback about where our body is in space. They establish our foundation to navigate the world. We rely on our ankles and feet to steady us and carry us throughout our daily life. When injury like an ankle sprain, heel pain from plantar fasciitis, or achilles tendonitis disrupts the feedback coming from our ankles and feet, physical therapy can restore the coordination, strength, balance and motion we need. Worried that peripheral neuropathy may limit you? Research supports strength training, aerobic exercise and retraining the nerves to improve pain and function in the presence of peripheral neuropathy (Kluding et al, 2012).
Nerve Pain:
Nerve pain comes with many names including: “sciatica, radiculopathy, radicular pain, or a pinched nerve.” It often feels like sharp shooting pain down one leg or arm and can be quite debilitating, even feel unpredictable. And when we hear terms like “sciatica and pinched nerve” it can be scary and confusing. Nerve pain may also feel like it spreads, as in the case of fibromyalgia. Physical therapy helps you take back control of the pain. With skilled physical therapy treatments, we bring space, movement, and blood flow back to the nerves. As a result, they calm down and the pain subsides. The nerve can be irritated at any point along its path, so it also comes in the form of “thoracic outlet syndrome or carpal tunnel syndrome.” Gentle exercise and movement restores the health of our nerves and allows us to get back to doing what we love, pain free.
Myofascial or Referred Pain:
Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic pain disorder. Muscles develop “knots” or taut bands (trigger points) that can cause pain in the muscle or other parts of the body. This is known as referred pain. For example, trigger points in gluteus minimus can mimic “sciatica” or nerve pain down the leg. Trigger points in upper trapezius can produce headache pain. Most people have experienced muscle tension pain that resolves on its own, but the discomfort of myofascial pain syndrome lingers. Trigger point dry needling is an effective treatment in conjunction with exercise, relaxation techniques and hands on manual therapy to release these trigger points and relieve your pain.
Chronic Pain:
Come as you are. Bring your story and all you have gone through related to your pain. I will meet you where you are at. You choose the destination; I provide the roadmap and the tools to get there. There are no expectations, time frame, or “number of PT visits allowed.” It’s your journey, so you set the pace. I walk alongside you and carry the knowledge and treatments needed to both prepare and sustain you on your journey. Unpack past experiences too heavy to carry. Learn why old beliefs may be holding you back or why past treatments failed. Make space for a new approach- one that marries cutting edge research related to how pain works, clinical expertise and your preferences. Stop managing the pain and start treating it. Choosing to pursue better health is brave, especially when pain dominates your life. As you put in the hard work, you will discover your body's strength and resilience. Your mind will be empowered by pain education and your thoughts will start to shift to greater things. Your heart will remember the hope it holds for a brighter future. It will take hard work. but hard work does not necessarily mean always doing more or pushing on. It also means learning to rest well. Gratitude and awareness of the milestones you achieve along the way are worthy of pause and will serve to refuel you.
There is hope. Just one step in the right direction is one step closer to a healthy and fulfilling life.
Jaw Pain (TMD / TMJ):
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your jaw bone to your skull. Temporomandibular disorder (TMD), a type of TMJ disorder, produces jaw pain that may occur with clicking, difficulty opening or closing the jaw, or facial and ear pain. Stress, clenching and grinding the teeth can make pain persist. Specific exercise combined with hands-on manual therapy techniques and understanding how pain works have been found to improve jaw pain. Addressing posture, stress management, and dry needling are other tools that set us up for success.
What Hurts?
Headaches:
The World Health Organization estimates about 50% of the world’s population has experienced a headache in the past year. Most often, headaches or “migraines” resolve on their own. But if headache pain persists, physical therapy can help. Specific exercise combined with hands-on manual therapy techniques and education have been found to improve headache pain. Addressing our work station set up, sleep patterns, stress management and understanding how pain works, also set us up for success. Dry needling is another option to address headache pain.
Neck Pain:
How many of us have woken up with a stiff neck at some point? Neck pain is becoming more common and may be due to an accident or injury, worn joints, strained muscles or an irritated nerve. The good news is movement is good for healing. And studies show physical therapy treatment can provide both short and long term relief for people with neck pain. Whether you have arthritis in your neck, difficulty turning your head, stiffness & tension, or a pinched nerve, physical therapy can help. In physical therapy alone, patients save $260 compared to those who seek other medical care first. (Denninger et al, 2018 ).
Shoulder Pain:
Shoulder pain can impact all aspects of your life, especially when it’s your dominant arm. It can really become bothersome when it interrupts your sleep. The good news is whether the pain is coming from your shoulder joint itself, impingement, your rotator cuff and bicep muscles, AC joint, or frozen shoulder, physical therapy can help. The neck and spine work hard to support movement at the shoulder, so when we zoom out and include neighboring areas in your treatment your outcome improves.
Elbow Pain:
Pain in your elbow most often comes from the muscles or nerves surrounding the elbow joint. You may have heard the terms: “tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow.” Most elbow pain improves with a few simple treatments such as strengthening, nerve mobilizations, or trigger point dry needling. The shoulder and spine support the elbow in your daily tasks. So when we zoom out and treat the shoulder and/or spine as needed, we promote long-lasting results.
Wrist & Hand Pain:
Our wrist and hand are one of the most versatile parts of our body. When they are working well, we perform both simple and complex tasks with ease. When pain limits the use of our wrists and hands, it often greatly impacts our daily activities, our ability to work, or even care for ourselves. The good news is, our body is a good healer. So conditions like carpal tunnel can improve with a few simple techniques such as nerve mobilizations or adjusting our ergonomics. Arthritis in our hands and fingers may leave us feeling stiff and sore. We can not change arthritis in physical therapy, but we can change how the joints move to reduce the pain. Your shoulders and spine support your arms and hands, so even treatment directed at your shoulder and/or spine can improve wrist and hand pain.
Back Pain:
Low back pain is like the common cold. Despite our best efforts, 80% of us will experience low back pain in our lifetime (Moseley, 2003). Most of the time, low back pain resolves on its own if we keep moving. But sometimes pain sticks around longer than we’d like. If that’s the case for you, early access to physical therapy will get you back on your feet quickly and cost you less. While surgical procedures are often suggested first, physical therapy is often more effective and non-invasive. The clinical guidelines for treating back pain support hands on manual therapy techniques combined with an active exercise approach. (Delitto et al, 2012). Whether you have acute, recurrent or chronic back pain, True North Physical Therapy will meet you where you are at and design treatment specific to your needs and goals as well as fend off future problems. Click here to see what the Washington Post says about low back pain and physical therapy.
Hip Pain:
If you are experiencing pain over the front of your hip, or your groin, it may be coming from your hip joint. The pain may be coming from the joint itself, or it could be overuse or weakness of the muscles surrounding the hip. Often times, pain at the side of your hip comes the muscles and/or other supporting structures. You may even feel your hip pop or click at times. Worried arthritis may be causing your pain? In physical therapy, we can not change the arthritis in your hips, but we can change how the joint moves. And joints that move better have less pain. Motion is lotion—get moving today and see how physical therapy can get you on your feet again.
Knee Pain:
Knee pain is a common experience for people. Our pain can begin from an injury, overuse, or we may just wake up with pain one morning. Some examples include: ACL & MCL tears, meniscal tears, hamstring strains, patellofemoral syndrome or patellar tendinitis. No matter what the onset of your knee pain, I can determine the cause. Many knee injuries can be treated with rest, mobilization and physical therapy. Worried arthritis may be causing your pain? Did you know 50% of people with arthritis in their knees do not experience any pain? (Bedson & Croft, 2008) In physical therapy, we can not change the arthritis in your knees, but we can change how the joint moves. And joints that move better have less pain. Motion is lotion—get moving today and see how physical therapy can get you on your feet again.
Ankle & Foot Pain:
Our ankles and feet serve a very important purpose. Each time our feet touch the earth, they give us intricate feedback about where our body is in space. They establish our foundation to navigate the world. We rely on our ankles and feet to steady us and carry us throughout our daily life. When injury like an ankle sprain, heel pain from plantar fasciitis, or achilles tendonitis disrupts the feedback coming from our ankles and feet, physical therapy can restore the coordination, strength, balance and motion we need. Worried that peripheral neuropathy may limit you? Research supports strength training, aerobic exercise and retraining the nerves to improve pain and function in the presence of peripheral neuropathy (Kluding et al, 2012).
Nerve Pain:
Nerve pain comes with many names including: “sciatica, radiculopathy, radicular pain, or a pinched nerve.” It often feels like sharp shooting pain down one leg or arm and can be quite debilitating, even feel unpredictable. And when we hear terms like “sciatica and pinched nerve” it can be scary and confusing. Nerve pain may also feel like it spreads, as in the case of fibromyalgia. Physical therapy helps you take back control of the pain. With skilled physical therapy treatments, we bring space, movement, and blood flow back to the nerves. As a result, they calm down and the pain subsides. The nerve can be irritated at any point along its path, so it also comes in the form of “thoracic outlet syndrome or carpal tunnel syndrome.” Gentle exercise and movement restores the health of our nerves and allows us to get back to doing what we love, pain free.
Myofascial or Referred Pain:
Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic pain disorder. Muscles develop “knots” or taut bands (trigger points) that can cause pain in the muscle or other parts of the body. This is known as referred pain. For example, trigger points in gluteus minimus can mimic “sciatica” or nerve pain down the leg. Trigger points in upper trapezius can produce headache pain. Most people have experienced muscle tension pain that resolves on its own, but the discomfort of myofascial pain syndrome lingers. Trigger point dry needling is an effective treatment in conjunction with exercise, relaxation techniques and hands on manual therapy to release these trigger points and relieve your pain.
Chronic Pain:
Come as you are. Bring your story and all you have gone through related to your pain. I will meet you where you are at. You choose the destination; I provide the roadmap and the tools to get there. There’s no expectations, time frame, or “number of PT visits allowed.” It’s your journey, so you set the pace. I walk alongside you and carry the knowledge and treatments needed to both prepare and sustain you on your journey. Unpack past experiences too heavy to carry. Learn why old beliefs may be holding you back or why past treatments failed. Make space for a new approach- one that marries cutting edge research related to how pain works, clinical expertise and your preferences. Stop managing the pain and start treating it. Choosing to pursue better health is brave, especially when pain dominates your life. As you put in the hard work, you will discover your body's strength and resilience. Your mind will be empowered by pain education and your thoughts will start to shift to greater things. Your heart will remember the hope it holds for a brighter future. It will take hard work. but hard work does not necessarily mean always doing more or pushing on. It also means learning to rest well. Gratitude and awareness of the milestones you achieve along the way are worthy of pause and will serve to refuel you.
There is hope. Just one step in the right direction is one step closer to a healthy and fulfilling life.
Jaw Pain (TMD / TMJ):
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your jaw bone to your skull. Temporomandibular disorder (TMD), a type of TMJ disorder, produces jaw pain that may occur with clicking, difficulty opening or closing the jaw, or facial and ear pain. Stress, clenching and grinding the teeth can make pain persist. Specific exercise combined with hands-on manual therapy techniques and understanding how pain works have been found to improve jaw pain. Addressing posture, stress management, and dry needling are other tools that set us up for success.
Headaches:
The World Health Organization estimates about 50% of the world’s population has experienced a headache in the past year. Most often, headaches or “migraines” resolve on their own. But if headache pain persists, physical therapy can help. Specific exercise combined with hands-on manual therapy techniques and education have been found to improve headache pain. Addressing our work station set up, sleep patterns, stress management and understanding how pain works, also set us up for success. Dry needling is another option to address headache pain.
Neck Pain:
How many of us have woken up with a stiff neck at some point? Neck pain is becoming more common and may be due to an accident or injury, worn joints, strained muscles or an irritated nerve. The good news is movement is good for healing. And studies show physical therapy treatment can provide both short and long term relief for people with neck pain. Whether you have arthritis in your neck, difficulty turning your head, stiffness & tension, or a pinched nerve, physical therapy can help. In physical therapy alone, patients save $260 compared to those who seek other medical care first. (Denninger et al, 2018 ).
Shoulder Pain:
Shoulder pain can impact all aspects of your life, especially when it’s your dominant arm. It can really become bothersome when it interrupts your sleep. The good news is whether the pain is coming from your shoulder joint itself, impingement, your rotator cuff and bicep muscles, AC joint, or frozen shoulder, physical therapy can help. The neck and spine work hard to support movement at the shoulder, so when we zoom out and include neighboring areas in your treatment your outcome improves.
Elbow Pain:
Pain in your elbow most often comes from the muscles or nerves surrounding the elbow joint. You may have heard the terms: “tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow.” Most elbow pain improves with a few simple treatments such as strengthening, nerve mobilizations, or trigger point dry needling. The shoulder and spine support the elbow in your daily tasks. So when we zoom out and treat the shoulder and/or spine as needed, we promote long-lasting results.
Wrist & Hand Pain:
Our wrist and hand are one of the most versatile parts of our body. When they are working well, we perform both simple and complex tasks with ease. When pain limits the use of our wrists and hands, it often greatly impacts our daily activities, our ability to work, or even care for ourselves. The good news is, our body is a good healer. So conditions like carpal tunnel can improve with a few simple techniques such as nerve mobilizations or adjusting our ergonomics. Arthritis in our hands and fingers may leave us feeling stiff and sore. We can not change arthritis in physical therapy, but we can change how the joints move to reduce the pain. Your shoulders and spine support your arms and hands, so even treatment directed at your shoulder and/or spine can improve wrist and hand pain.
Back Pain:
Low back pain is like the common cold. Despite our best efforts, 80% of us will experience low back pain in our lifetime (Moseley, 2003). Most of the time, low back pain resolves on its own if we keep moving. But sometimes pain sticks around longer than we’d like. If that’s the case for you, early access to physical therapy will get you back on your feet quickly and cost you less. While surgical procedures are often suggested first, physical therapy is often more effective and non-invasive. The clinical guidelines for treating back pain support hands on manual therapy techniques combined with an active exercise approach. (Delitto et al, 2012). Whether you have acute, recurrent or chronic back pain, True North Physical Therapy will meet you where you are at and design treatment specific to your needs and goals as well as fend off future problems. Click here to see what the Washington Post says about low back pain and physical therapy.
Hip Pain:
If you are experiencing pain over the front of your hip, or your groin, it may be coming from your hip joint. The pain may be coming from the joint itself, or it could be overuse or weakness of the muscles surrounding the hip. Often times, pain at the side of your hip comes the muscles and/or other supporting structures. You may even feel your hip pop or click at times. Worried arthritis may be causing your pain? In physical therapy, we can not change the arthritis in your hips, but we can change how the joint moves. And joints that move better have less pain. Motion is lotion—get moving today and see how physical therapy can get you on your feet again.
Knee Pain:
Knee pain is a common experience for people. Our pain can begin from an injury, overuse, or we may just wake up with pain one morning. Some examples include: ACL & MCL tears, meniscal tears, hamstring strains, patellofemoral syndrome or patellar tendinitis. No matter what the onset of your knee pain, I can determine the cause. Many knee injuries can be treated with rest, mobilization and physical therapy. Worried arthritis may be causing your pain? Did you know 50% of people with arthritis in their knees do not experience any pain? (Bedson & Croft, 2008) In physical therapy, we can not change the arthritis in your knees, but we can change how the joint moves. And joints that move better have less pain. Motion is lotion—get moving today and see how physical therapy can get you on your feet again.
Ankle & Foot Pain:
Our ankles and feet serve a very important purpose. Each time our feet touch the earth, they give us intricate feedback about where our body is in space. They establish our foundation to navigate the world. We rely on our ankles and feet to steady us and carry us throughout our daily life. When injury like an ankle sprain, heel pain from plantar fasciitis, or achilles tendonitis disrupts the feedback coming from our ankles and feet, physical therapy can restore the coordination, strength, balance and motion we need. Worried that peripheral neuropathy may limit you? Research supports strength training, aerobic exercise and retraining the nerves to improve pain and function in the presence of peripheral neuropathy (Kluding et al, 2012).
Nerve Pain:
Nerve pain comes with many names including: “sciatica, radiculopathy, radicular pain, or a pinched nerve.” It often feels like sharp shooting pain down one leg or arm and can be quite debilitating, even feel unpredictable. And when we hear terms like “sciatica and pinched nerve” it can be scary and confusing. Nerve pain may also feel like it spreads, as in the case of fibromyalgia. Physical therapy helps you take back control of the pain. With skilled physical therapy treatments, we bring space, movement, and blood flow back to the nerves. As a result, they calm down and the pain subsides. The nerve can be irritated at any point along its path, so it also comes in the form of “thoracic outlet syndrome or carpal tunnel syndrome.” Gentle exercise and movement restores the health of our nerves and allows us to get back to doing what we love, pain free.
Myofascial or Referred Pain:
Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic pain disorder. Muscles develop “knots” or taut bands (trigger points) that can cause pain in the muscle or other parts of the body. This is known as referred pain. For example, trigger points in gluteus minimus can mimic “sciatica” or nerve pain down the leg. Trigger points in upper trapezius can produce headache pain. Most people have experienced muscle tension pain that resolves on its own, but the discomfort of myofascial pain syndrome lingers. Trigger point dry needling is an effective treatment in conjunction with exercise, relaxation techniques and hands on manual therapy to release these trigger points and relieve your pain.
Chronic Pain:
Come as you are. Bring your story and all you have gone through related to your pain. I will meet you where you are at. You choose the destination; I provide the roadmap and the tools to get there. There’s no expectations, time frame, or “number of PT visits allowed.” It’s your journey, so you set the pace. I walk alongside you and carry the knowledge and treatments needed to both prepare and sustain you on your journey. Unpack past experiences too heavy to carry. Learn why old beliefs may be holding you back or why past treatments failed. Make space for a new approach- one that marries cutting edge research related to how pain works, clinical expertise and your preferences. Stop managing the pain and start treating it. Choosing to pursue better health is brave, especially when pain dominates your life. As you put in the hard work, you will discover your body's strength and resilience. Your mind will be empowered by pain education and your thoughts will start to shift to greater things. Your heart will remember the hope it holds for a brighter future. It will take hard work. but hard work does not necessarily mean always doing more or pushing on. It also means learning to rest well. Gratitude and awareness of the milestones you achieve along the way are worthy of pause and will serve to refuel you.
There is hope. Just one step in the right direction is one step closer to a healthy and fulfilling life.
Jaw Pain (TMD / TMJ):
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your jaw bone to your skull. Temporomandibular disorder (TMD), a type of TMJ disorder, produces jaw pain that may occur with clicking, difficulty opening or closing the jaw, or facial and ear pain. Stress, clenching and grinding the teeth can make pain persist. Specific exercise combined with hands-on manual therapy techniques and understanding how pain works have been found to improve jaw pain. Addressing posture, stress management, and dry needling are other tools that set us up for success.