A mistake that people often make is waiting too long to start physical therapy treatment for their aches and pains. This commonly occurs because you may be thinking, “this will go away on its own,” or, “it’s just normal for me to feel like this at my age.” I want to clear up some confusion on mechanical pain versus normal muscle soreness that does not require skilled therapy or treatment.
Muscular Pain:
Experienced after a sudden increase in activity or exercise.
Running 6 miles when you typically only run 2 miles
You increased the intensity or length of time to your typical workout
Will be experienced 1-2 days after the increased activity has been performed and will typically begin to dissipate or be gone in 3-5 days after onset.
Is typically vague pain or experienced in a general area. The pain will not be sharp or pin-point to a specific area.
If you’re educated on what muscles perform which actions, the sore muscles will correlate with what activity you were performing.
Does not have increased or decreased pain associated with positions.
Mechanical Pain:
May have a sudden onset without explanation of occurrence (you woke up with pain for no apparent reason).
Will typically have a loss in range of motion. For example: it may be difficult to stand up straight in the morning or after prolonged sitting or driving.
Will have positions that will increase or decrease symptoms. For example: pain increases with sitting, pain is better while lying down.
If you’re experiencing mechanical pain the sooner you seek physical therapy treatment, the better! A good Physical Therapist can determine which exercises will reduce your symptoms and get you back to doing the activities that you love!
Waiting to start PT after an accident can actually INCREASE your healing time
Some people are told to “rest” for 4-6 weeks before starting therapy after an accident. The problem with this? There are many things a person can do immediately after a car accident to facilitate healing and prevent dysfunction.
All too often, we see people 6 months or more after a car accident or motor vehicle accident (MVA).
Without exercises at home, the picture is this: limited, painful movement of the spine or joints, global weakness, and poor posture that becomes painful when corrected.
The same is true for other types of trauma as well! Prolonged rest causes stiffness, and can lead to increased pain.
Nick Rinard Physical Therapy has a very effective treatment protocol that helps patients avoid loss in range in motion, and decrease pain!
Vertigo is different than just feeling dizzy from time to time.
It is an episode that can come on quickly, resolve just as quickly or last for hours and even days.
Vertigo can be caused by no apparent reason, antibiotics, jumping, sneezing, allergies, sleeping, falling to name a few. It can have serious effects on your safety while walking and driving.
Nick Rinard Physical Therapy has had many patients call his/her MD only to be told vertigo will go away on its own or scheduled an appointment to receive a generic hand out-that is not patient individualized. We have found this one size approach does not fit all. These self-help hand-out are most beneficial with the guidance of a physical therapist.
Please do not spend days or even weeks trying to heal yourself or wait for your symptoms to go away.
In as few as 2 visits our tailored approach can get you back on solid ground. Safely walking and driving around without fear of falls or a sudden onset of dizziness while driving.
Thank you Troy for sharing your Nick Rinard Physical Therapy experience on google.
“As a competitive weightlifter, the pain in my back was seriously stalling my training.
Nick really listened and understood my goals and my issues and helped me get rid of the pain I’d been dealing with for over 6 months with only 2 visits and some assigned stretches.
I couldn’t believe it!
I’d seen doctors and other PTs and was about to get an MRI so I could get cortisone shots which was going to take months and only mask the pain if it solved it at all.
If you trying to find the best physical therapy clinic in the Portland Oregon area, look no further!
Nick Rinard Physical therapy is here to help!
But you don’t have to take our word for it….
“I can’t say enough on how pleased I am working with Nick as my Physical Therapist. His approach to PT gets results and his thoroughness with educating his patients on how to get better and stay better is second to none. If I ever run into physical pain/issues again, he’ll be my first stop.” Andy
If you have moved out of state Nick Rinard Physical Therapy offers telehealth that gets great results, but if you find yourself with a condition that needs in-person visits, here are some questions you might want to ask when looking for a physical therapist.
Is the PT known among patients and providers for getting the best results in the fewest visits?
Does the PT prioritize teaching the patient how to actively self-treat rather than provide a lot of passive treatment to the patient?
Is the PT disciplined in using evidence based care and applying logic to their assessments to find the most likely source of the problem and treat it with the simplest intervention possible?
Is the PT certified in MDT at a minimum?
Has the PT been successfully practicing at the above level for 20+ years?
Does the PT have a lot of patients who choose to return to them for their other issues?
Has the PT taught the methodology to other PTs?
Does the PT put their patients’ outcomes above their own ego and ambition?
Is the PT quick to refer out to another, more appropriate practitioner as soon as the patient fails to show improvement?
