TMJ

Your temporomandibular joint is the muscle that connects your skull to your lower jaw. This muscle is crucial in chewing, yawning, and of course talking. Temporomandibular disorders are those that interfere with the functioning of these activities and any other issues with this muscle and joint. Injury, whiplash and other accidents may cause TMJ but there is no clear reason for the disorder.

How do you know you have TMJ? Temporomandibular disorder is very painful and can affect one or both sides of your face. This disorder is most common amongst women and people ages 20-40 and can be temporary or last many years. You may want to speak to a medical professional if you have jaw problems like pain, swelling, muscle fatigue, locking, or tenderness on that region. Also, if you think you have alignment problems with your upper and lower jaw this is something that should be looked at professionally, especially if it affects your daily life. Your doctor will look for alignment problems like pops and clicks when opening and closing your mouth, possibly taking a full-face x-ray to see these joints better. Your facial muscles and bite are also key indicators of TMJ.

So, what to do now? Well, there are a few options to choose from. There are a few therapies that can ameliorate your symptoms like dental work, medications or a splint. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a therapy aimed at exposing the Temporomandibular joint to electrical currents in hopes of pain relief. Also for pain relief are trigger point injections and radio wave therapy that also stimulates the joint increasing blood flow. Physical therapy is another great option for people suffering with TMJ. Posture education, manual therapy to increase movement and break up scar tissue, specific exercises and special pain treatments from PTs can aid symptoms.

If you think you may be suffering from TMJ speak to a trained medical professional and see if physical therapy can be the right choice for you. Don’t let temporomandibular joint disorder be a pain in the jaw.

What is PRP?

Ever heard of a Platelet Rich Plasma, also known as PRP? Well, if you haven’t, I’m here to give you some insight on just how this innovative solution can help you recover and heal from injured tendons and osteoarthritis. This new technology is completely safe and is a new upcoming health treatment in the health field known as orthobiologics.

The process actually uses your own blood in order to help you heal from pain and injuries suffered in your bones and tendons. Your blood is made up with platelets. If these Platelets are activated in the body, the platelets release healing proteins called growth factors, which help accelerate tissue and heal wounds over time. PRP is a mix of different proteins that help repair and rejuvenate the injured or wounded tendons. PRP has even received a lot of its popularity through the media with its effectiveness in helping athletes heal from sports injuries.

What is so unique about PRP? For starters, cytokines are released through these platelets and help heal bone and soft tissue. However, there are specific proteins that can be isolated or chosen to help decrease anti-inflammatory effects and pain reduction. Scientists have been able to develop natural tools in which they can separate cells in order to meet the needs of each and every individual undergoing PRP treatment. Each patient is very different and science has discovered that we cannot simply place one treatment on all patients. The process is all done with an injection, and the results have showed much more improvement in decreasing pain throughout the body and inflammatory. With cutting edge technology and scientific studies, our health sector is becoming more advanced every day. We now have all these new ways that can help all of us in our unique way. The treatment is personable and looks after what you need, and not how everyone else’s body works.

“Did you know that you have Direct Access to Physical Therapy? No referral is needed. We offer the best Physical Therapy on Long Island where you can get help from our trusted and expert Physical Therapists. We have several locations on Long Island including Massapequa, Valley Stream, Wantagh and Lindenhurst. To start your Physical Therapy evaluation, call Park Physical Therapy and The Physical Therapy Alliance at (516) 568-4444.

How Do Athlets Stay Fresh During Their Off Seasons?

All athletes, no matter what the sport may be, have an offseason. But, how off are they truly feeling during this time? After the Superbowl, World Series, National Championship, or State Tournament, there comes an offseason.  Although these athletes may not be playing games on a consistent basis, they are still working extremely hard for their careers. There are always nutritional goals, workout programs, regular stretching, and specific sports drills to be done.

The nutritional goals in the pros are always set up by the team’s nutritionist. These are specific to that athlete. Some of the athletes may need to gain healthy muscle mass, which makes them more bulky to block people, throw harder, whatever their case may be. There are some that may need to lean out or maintain their weight. While others need to lose a lot because their weight may be slowing them down. There are many different cases as to what types of diets these athletes need. They are also in some cases encouraged to use healthy supplements or types of protein powders.

Workout programs in the offseason are extremely important. Athletes are competitive by nature, during the offseason they take this time to become better and stronger. This time allows them to work on a skill they would like to become more confident with. Coming back to training unprepared could lead to an end in their career. The higher the levels you reach, the more competition there is. When you have not sharpened your skills and everyone else has during the offseason, it becomes easier for you to get left behind.

Avoiding injuries is one of the main reasons these athletes stretch and stay in shape. They are aware of the risk they put themselves in when they let themselves become tight and out of shape. It is always important to stretch before and after a workout. But, even when you are not participating in something physical, daily stretching improves balance, posture, and blood circulation. After regular stretching, your body starts to feel better, making you carry yourself better. You are less likely to pull a muscle or get a cramp while working out.  This is why everyone should stretch, not just athletes.

Every position player has certain drills that they should be doing in the offseason. For pitchers, throwing programs are implemented and should be strictly followed. Pitchers exert their arms so much during the season that rest is very important, but not too much of it. They take time off with some light throwing, and the closer they get to the season, the harder they throw. Football players may have to work on footwork, conditioning, maybe throwing. Everything differs and depends on the sport and the position of the specific athlete.

The offseason is to be enjoyed by athletes; they need time to recoup from the everyday grind of their sports. Baseball players go at least 7 months straight with very few days off in that. Although football is once a week, the athletes are required to train every day of the season. Student athletes are battling classes and practices for months. The offseason gives them a little extra time to focus on their studies. Although these athletes are given some time off from their crazy schedules, there is not that much rest and relaxation as we may think.

Proper Footwear for the Winter

We are in the midst of winter, and many of us are still not protecting ourselves and wearing the proper footwear. Most of us by now know that we should cover ourselves with a warm winter coat, hat, gloves and layer up for the cold weather. But, many of us do not take what we wear on our feet very seriously. Cold feet can lead to poor blood circulation, which leads to headaches, cramps, and dizziness. Moreover, be cautious of your feet getting wet in addition to being cold because wet feet along with cold feet can lead to frostbite. However, there is still plenty of time to change that and avoid any troubles from the cold, harsh winter temperatures.

Firstly, use common sense and wear something on your feet that will keep your feet warm. Although most of us know better, some still can’t let go of the summer and choose to wear flip flops or sandals during the winter time. It is not something to laugh about, but it is concerning to wear on your feet in winter due to the potential risk of frostbite and other harmful effects on your body. For women, flats and heels are okay as long as they are worn with stockings or anything covering your feet and toes. However, the best bet is to always go with something much warmer such as boots.

Evidently, boots appear to be the main footwear that comes to mind when thinking of appropriate footwear for the winter. However, there are many different types of boots. For women, there are tons of different boots, and all of the come in different sizes and styles. During cold temperature days, any pair of boots would seemingly work. Nevertheless, on icy, wet days, boots with heels that may be difficult to walk in can be dangerous. Instead of taking the chance of slipping and getting injured, you may want to go a safer route in choosing your boots. On icy days, wear something with a flat bottom such as UGG boots. On rainy days, you can do the same, or even try to wear a pair of rain boots. After all, all the major designers have stylish rain boots out now as well.

For the men out there, do not put yourself in harm’s way by trying to look too fancy. Avoid wearing boat shoes, or any sort of summer men’s footwear. A pair of boots such as Timberlands would work best. Some of you may not want to carry your work shoes around while you’re on your way to work, which is understandable. Yet, there are many dress shoes out there now that can be considered dress shoes but still are high-tops that cover the ankle and are waterproof and warm.

On days where you’re snowed-in and are stuck shoveling your driveway, snow boots would work best. They may not be the most stylish thing to wear on your feet, but does it really matter how you look when your block is covered in inches in snow?

You should be cautious about what you wear on your feet at all times during the winter. It is better to stay safe and prepared than to suffer from an injury or illness due to not protecting what we need to get by in our daily lives, our feet! We use our feet every day and they are an essential part of our daily activities, so hey, we might as well take good care of them.