Patient Questions
Plain-English answers to the questions our patients ask most, from back pain and dizziness to bladder leaks and getting started with physical therapy.
Staying in one position for a long time loads the same tissues in your back without a break, and stiff hips and tired back muscles add to it. Changing position often, and building strength and mobility, usually helps more than finding one “perfect” posture.
For most back pain, keep moving. Medical guidelines recommend staying as active as you comfortably can, because bed rest tends to slow recovery. Gentle walking and normal daily activity, adjusted for pain, are usually the best start.
Usually not at first. Medical guidelines advise against routine imaging for new back pain unless there are warning signs, because most back pain improves with time and active treatment, and scans often show changes that aren't causing the pain.
Yes, for most people. Staying active and doing the right exercises is a main part of treating a herniated disc, and many disc herniations settle down on their own over time. The key is choosing movements that don't make your leg symptoms worse, and building up gradually.
Usually because your back has been still for hours. Joints and muscles stiffen without movement, and an awkward sleep position or a mattress that doesn't suit you can add to it. Stiffness that eases within 30 minutes or so of moving around is very common and usually not serious.
For many people, sciatica gets much better within a few weeks to about three months. Leg pain often eases first, while numbness or tingling can take longer to fade. Some people take longer, and it can come back, but most improve without surgery.
Either one is fine, but for most back pain, heat tends to help a little more. Research suggests heat can ease pain and stiffness in the first days and weeks of low back pain, and there is less evidence for ice. Use whichever feels better and helps you move.
Most back pain is not serious, even when it hurts a lot. How much it hurts doesn't tell you how much damage there is. What matters more are certain warning signs, like numbness in the groin, new bladder or bowel problems, fever, or weakness in a leg. If you have none of these, it usually improves with time and staying active.
Gentle movement, yes. Hard stretching, usually not. Sciatica is an irritated nerve, and nerves don't like being pulled on hard. Pulling into a strong hamstring stretch can make leg pain worse. Easy movements that don't increase your leg symptoms are often a better place to start.
Not as much as most people think. Research hasn't found that slouching or one “bad” posture causes back pain on its own. Staying in any position for too long, being less active, poor sleep and stress seem to matter more. Moving often is more helpful than sitting perfectly straight.
Bending forward loads the muscles, joints and discs of your low back, so if one of them is irritated, bending is often the first thing that hurts. Common causes include a strained muscle, a sensitive disc or stiff joints. Your spine is built to bend, and most bending pain gets better as you keep moving and slowly get used to bending again.
Standing still keeps the same muscles working and your low back slightly arched for a long time, so the joints and muscles can get tired and achy. It's common in people who stand at work. If the pain spreads into your buttocks or legs and eases when you sit or lean forward, it may be spinal stenosis, especially after age 50.
Most often it comes from strained or stiff muscles and joints in the upper back or neck, after long hours at a desk, looking down at a phone, sleeping awkwardly or lifting. A pinched nerve in the neck can also send pain there. Less often, it comes from the heart, lungs, gallbladder or a major blood vessel, so pain with warning signs needs fast care.
One-sided low back pain is common. It usually comes from a strained muscle, an irritated joint in the spine, or the sacroiliac (SI) joint, where the spine meets the pelvis. A disc pressing on a nerve can also cause pain on one side, often with pain down that leg. Less often, the pain comes from a kidney or another organ.
There isn't one best position for everyone. The best one is the one that lets you sleep comfortably. A pillow between your knees when you lie on your side, or under your knees when you lie on your back, eases strain for many people. Changing position during the night is normal and healthy.
The golf swing twists your body quickly and with force. If your hips or upper back don't turn well, your low back often ends up doing more of the work. Long range sessions, skipping a warm-up, and bending to tee up add to it. Most golf back pain comes from muscles and joints and gets better with the right changes.
For most common back pain, yes, with some changes. Your spine is built to handle load, and exercise, including strength training, often helps long-lasting back pain. During a flare, lower the weight, swap moves that hurt, and build back up slowly. Stop and get checked if you have numbness, weakness or pain spreading down a leg.
Tailbone pain, called coccydynia, usually comes from irritation of the small bone at the bottom of your spine and the tissues around it. Common causes are a fall onto your bottom, childbirth, or long hours sitting on hard seats. Sometimes there's no clear cause. Sitting presses right on the area, so it often hurts most when you sit or stand up.
Usually from spending hours in an awkward position, often with a pillow that's too high, too flat, or sleeping on your stomach. Most morning stiffness eases within a few days with gentle movement.
Yes. Long hours at a screen can tire and stiffen the neck and upper back, and some headaches actually start in the neck. Movement breaks, a better setup and targeted strengthening often help.
Usually it's harmless. The sound is most often a small gas bubble releasing in a joint, or a tendon sliding over bone. Painless cracking is common and isn't known to cause arthritis. It's worth getting checked if it comes with pain, numbness or dizziness, or if you feel you need to crack it all the time.
This is common. After a crash, stress hormones like adrenaline can mask pain at first. Then, over the next day or two, irritated muscles, ligaments and joints in the neck become sore and stiff. Delayed pain doesn't mean it's worse, but it's a good idea to get checked by a doctor after any car accident.
Usually because the small cushion (disc) inside your jaw joint shifts slightly as you open and close. Jaw clicking is very common, and if it doesn't hurt and your jaw moves normally, it's often nothing to worry about. Pain, locking or trouble opening your mouth are reasons to get it checked.
A pinched nerve often causes sharp, burning or electric pain that travels along a line, such as from the neck down the arm or from the low back down the leg. It may come with tingling, pins and needles, numbness or weakness. Muscle pain, by contrast, is usually achy and stays in one area. Most pinched nerves improve without surgery.
Yes. Stress doesn't mean your pain is “all in your head.” Stress can tighten muscles, disturb sleep and make your nervous system more sensitive, so the same body parts hurt more. Worry about pain can also lead to moving less, which can keep pain going. Managing stress alongside regular movement often helps.
It can be a helpful part of migraine care, but it isn't a cure. Many people with migraines also have neck and shoulder pain, and physical therapy can help with that. Regular exercise and steady daily routines may help some people have fewer or milder migraines. Your doctor should lead migraine treatment, including diagnosis and medicines.
Most often it's the rotator cuff, the group of muscles and tendons that steadies the shoulder, becoming irritated or overloaded. A stiff shoulder, as in frozen shoulder, can also make these movements painful. Most people improve with the right exercise, without surgery.
Lying on a sore shoulder presses on irritated tendons, and at night there are fewer distractions from pain. It's very common with rotator cuff problems and frozen shoulder, and it usually improves as the shoulder is treated.
The most common cause is carpal tunnel syndrome, pressure on a nerve at the wrist that gets worse when your wrists are bent during sleep. A nerve pinched in the neck, or conditions like diabetes, can cause it too.
Often a long time. Frozen shoulder commonly takes one to three years to run its course, and timing varies a lot from person to person. Most people get much of their movement back, though some stiffness can remain. Treatment can ease pain and help you keep moving along the way.
Often, yes. A torn tendon doesn't usually knit back together on its own, but many people with partial tears and wear-related tears get back good strength and use, with less pain, through exercise. Surgery is more often considered for a sudden tear from an injury, especially in younger, active people.
Most often it's tennis elbow, an overloaded tendon on the outer side of the elbow where your wrist and grip muscles attach. Pain on the inner side is often golfer's elbow. Both are common in people who never play sports, and most improve without surgery, though it can take a few months.
Yes, for many people a wrist brace is a good first step, especially at night. A brace that keeps your wrist straight lowers pressure on the median nerve while you sleep. Most people get the most benefit from wearing it at night rather than all day.
Clicking or popping with no pain is very common and usually harmless. It can come from tendons sliding over bone or small gas bubbles in the joint. Clicking that comes with pain, catching, weakness or a feeling that the shoulder might slip out is worth getting checked.
Usually not completely. Easing off the activity that flares it up is often wise, but full rest tends to leave a tendon weaker, so pain can return as soon as you go back to normal. Most tendon problems improve best with the right amount of gradually increasing exercise.
Most often, something is pressing on a nerve somewhere between your neck and your hand. Common causes are sleeping on your arm, leaning on your elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, or a pinched nerve in the neck. Brief tingling that fades when you move is usually harmless. Sudden numbness or weakness, especially with face drooping or chest pain, is an emergency.
Pain at the base of the thumb, near the wrist, is very often thumb arthritis, especially after age 50. Pain along the thumb side of the wrist when you grip or lift may be an irritated tendon called De Quervain's tenosynovitis. A thumb that catches or locks may be trigger thumb. Most of these improve with a brace, activity changes and exercise.
Push-ups, planks and pushing up from a chair bend your wrist far back while it carries your weight. If the wrist is stiff, weak or irritated, that position can hurt, often on the back of the wrist. Changing your hand position and building wrist strength gradually helps most people. Pain after a fall on your hand should be checked.
Pain on the outside of the upper arm, partway between the shoulder and elbow, very often comes from the shoulder itself. Irritated rotator cuff tendons or bursa usually send pain to that spot. It's often worse when lifting your arm, reaching behind you or lying on that side. A pinched nerve in the neck can also cause arm pain, usually with tingling.
Warm up before you play, build up your playing time slowly, wear court shoes, and don't backpedal for lobs, which is a common cause of falls. Strength and balance training for your legs, shoulders and forearms helps too. Most pickleball injuries are sprains, strains, falls, and overuse pain in the elbow or shoulder.
Sometimes. A brace can ease pain or help your knee feel more stable for certain problems, like knee arthritis or a recent ligament injury. For most knee pain, though, a brace is a helper, not a fix. Strengthening the muscles around your knee usually does more over time.
For many people, it can help delay surgery, and some never need it. Exercise is a first-line treatment for knee arthritis, and many people manage well for years with strength work, staying active and other non-surgical care. It can't regrow cartilage, though, and for some people a knee replacement is still the right choice.
Swelling after exercise usually means something inside the knee is irritated and the joint is making extra fluid. Common causes include knee arthritis, a meniscus tear, or simply doing more than your knee is used to. It's a sign to adjust your activity, not always to stop it.
Kneeling puts direct pressure on your kneecap and the tissues in front of it. Common causes of pain are an irritated bursa in front of the kneecap, kneecap pain, knee arthritis, or a sore tendon just below the kneecap. Most of these improve with padding, changing how you kneel and strengthening the muscles around the knee.
Common causes include a Baker's cyst (a fluid pocket behind the knee, often linked to arthritis or a meniscus tear), an irritated hamstring or calf tendon, a tear in the back part of the meniscus, or arthritis. Rarely, pain behind the knee is a blood clot. Calf swelling, warmth or redness needs urgent care.
For sports with cutting, pivoting or jumping, research supports waiting at least about nine months after ACL reconstruction, and only going back once you pass strength and movement tests. Time alone isn't enough. Your surgeon and physical therapist decide with you, based on how your knee is doing, not just the date on the calendar.
Going down stairs puts more load on the front of the knee than going up, because your thigh muscles work as brakes while the knee bends. Kneecap pain and knee arthritis are the most common reasons it hurts, and both usually improve with the right strengthening.
Aching around or behind the kneecap with squatting, running, stairs or long sitting is usually patellofemoral pain, often called runner's knee. It's treated well with hip and thigh strengthening and adjusting your training load.
No. Many meniscus tears, especially wear-related tears in people over about 40, improve with exercise therapy. Studies found that for these tears, exercise can work as well as arthroscopic surgery. Surgery is more likely to be needed if the knee truly locks, or for some tears in younger people after an injury.
Often it's irritation of the tendons on the outside of your hip, called gluteal tendinopathy or greater trochanteric pain syndrome. It used to be blamed mostly on bursitis. Lying on that side presses on the sore tendons. It's common, especially in women over 40, and usually improves with the right exercise and a few daily changes.
It depends, and there are several common causes. Groin pain with walking or running often comes from a strained inner-thigh muscle or a problem in the hip joint itself, which usually hurts in the groin rather than the side of the hip. Less often it's a hernia, a stress fracture or pain coming from the back.
It can be. Low back problems often cause pain in the buttock and back of the hip, sometimes down the thigh. Pain in the groin or front of the hip more often comes from the hip joint itself. Pain on the outside of the hip is often the tendons there. Many people have more than one source, so a hands-on exam is the best way to sort it out.
Walking is generally good for hip arthritis. Movement helps keep the joint healthy and the muscles around it strong. The key is pacing: walking an amount your hip can handle, then building up gradually.
Stiffness when you first stand up that eases after a few minutes of walking is a common sign of early hip arthritis, and tight hip muscles can add to it. Regular movement and strengthening usually make it better.
It varies, but it often takes several months, and sometimes up to a year. The good news is that most people get better without surgery. Starting the right care early, rather than waiting it out, often helps it settle sooner.
Morning stiffness that eases once you get moving is a classic sign of Achilles tendinopathy, an overload problem in the tendon at the back of your heel. It usually comes from doing more than the tendon is ready for. It's common, and strengthening exercise is the main treatment.
Cutting back on the activity that caused them is the main fix. Shin splints usually come from doing too much running or jumping too soon. Easing off for a while, staying active in gentler ways, strengthening your legs and building back up gradually helps most people recover.
It depends on how badly the ligaments were stretched or torn. Mild sprains often feel much better within a few weeks, while more severe sprains can take a few months. Ligaments keep healing even after the pain is gone, so balance and strength work matter for a full recovery.
Often it's metatarsalgia, which means the area under the bones at the base of your toes is overloaded and sore. Common causes include high heels, thin-soled shoes, lots of running or jumping, bunions or hammertoes, and the fat pad under the foot thinning with age. Burning or tingling between the toes may be a Morton's neuroma.
Physical therapy after bunion surgery usually starts once your surgeon says the foot is healing well enough, often a few weeks after surgery. It focuses on easing swelling, getting your big toe moving, and helping you walk normally and get back into regular shoes. Your therapist follows your surgeon's protocol, because the rules vary with the type of surgery.
For most mild to moderate sprains, yes. After the first day or two, walking as pain allows helps the ankle heal. But if you can't take four steps, or the bone itself is tender, get it checked for a fracture first.
Shoes with good arch support, a cushioned heel and a slightly raised heel usually feel best for heel pain, and going barefoot on hard floors often makes it worse. Shoes help, but stretching and strengthening are what fix it.
Sometimes, but often not on their own. Kegels help many women, as long as they're done correctly and progressed over time. Many women don't do them correctly from written instructions alone. And not every pelvic floor problem is weakness. Some women have muscles that are too tight, and Kegels can make that worse.
Yes, for many women. Pelvic floor muscle training, taught by a pelvic floor physical therapist, can ease symptoms like heaviness and bulging, especially when a prolapse is mild to moderate. It may not reverse a prolapse completely. It can work alongside other options like a pessary or surgery.
Common signs are a ridge or dome that pops up down the middle of your belly when you sit up, or a soft gap you can feel above or below your belly button. It's very common in pregnancy and often gets smaller in the months after birth. A simple self-check can give you a clue, and a pelvic floor physical therapist can measure it properly.
There are several possible reasons, and many are treatable. For women, common causes include a urinary tract infection, an overactive bladder, drinks that irritate the bladder, a habit of going "just in case," and pelvic floor muscles that are tight or weak. Your doctor should check for infection first.
Your visit is one-on-one with a physical therapist. It starts with a conversation about your symptoms and goals. Your therapist explains everything before doing it, and any internal exam is optional and only done with your consent. You can say no or stop at any time.
It can for some women. If your pelvic floor muscles tighten instead of relaxing when you try to have a bowel movement, stool is hard to pass even when it's soft. Pelvic floor therapy, often with biofeedback, teaches those muscles to relax and work together. It works best alongside your doctor's advice on diet, fluids and medicines.
It's very common, and it's usually not about weight. Often the two sides of the belly muscle stay apart after pregnancy, called diastasis recti. But not every belly is diastasis recti: often the deep muscle that stabilizes your core has gotten weak, and your posture changes, with ribs that flare out and a sway in your lower back that pushes the belly forward. Both usually improve with the right exercises.
It's common, especially after pregnancy and around menopause, but it isn't something you have to live with. It's called stress urinary incontinence, and supervised pelvic floor muscle training is recommended as a first treatment for women.
Gentle walking, breathing and pelvic floor exercises can usually start in the first days to weeks after birth, as you feel ready. Harder exercise like running is best built up gradually, and many experts suggest waiting until at least about 12 weeks and getting a pelvic floor check first.
Some discomfort the first few times is common, but ongoing pain is not something you have to accept. Healing tissue, scar tightness, dryness while breastfeeding and tense pelvic floor muscles are frequent causes, and all are treatable.
"Dizziness" is a broad word for feeling off. Vertigo is one type: the false feeling that you or the room is spinning or moving. Other kinds of dizziness include feeling lightheaded or faint, or feeling unsteady on your feet. The type, what triggers it and how long it lasts help point to the cause.
The Epley maneuver is a series of head and body positions that moves loose inner-ear crystals back where they belong. It treats the most common type of BPPV, which causes brief spinning when you move your head. Some people can do it at home, but it's best to have BPPV confirmed first and learn it from a trained clinician.
Brief spinning, lasting less than a minute, when you roll over, lie down or look up is usually BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo). Tiny crystals in the inner ear move out of place. It's very treatable, often in just a few visits.
Not entirely. Balance can slip with age, but much of it comes from things that can be improved: weaker legs, less activity, inner-ear problems, medications and vision. Balance and strength can be trained at any age.
Yes, for many people. Exercise is one of the most strongly recommended treatments for osteoarthritis of the knee and hip, and physical therapy can reduce pain and make daily activities easier. It can't rebuild worn cartilage, but stronger muscles and better movement often matter more for how you feel.
Usually not on its own. Walking is great for your heart, balance and overall health, and it's a good start. But bones respond best to strength training and, when safe, some impact, and balance exercises lower your risk of falling. Most people need all three.
Only when your surgeon says it's OK. There's no fixed date. It depends on which leg was operated on, whether you're off narcotic pain medicine, and whether you can brake quickly and firmly. Some people are cleared within weeks, others take longer.
There are clues. Arthritis pain is usually felt deep in the joint, comes on gradually, and causes stiffness after rest. Tendon pain is usually in a specific spot near the joint, often starts after a change in activity, and hurts when you use a certain muscle. You can have both, and both often improve with the right kind of exercise.
Most joint aches from overuse, minor strains or osteoarthritis are not emergencies. Get care quickly if a joint is hot, red and swollen, especially with fever, if you can't use it or put weight on it after an injury, or if it looks out of place. Several swollen, stiff joints with long morning stiffness also need a doctor's check.
Some do, for some kinds of pain. Anti-inflammatory gels, like diclofenac gel, have the best evidence, especially for knee and hand arthritis, and less of the medicine reaches your bloodstream than with pills. Cooling menthol rubs and capsaicin creams help some people. Creams can ease pain, but they don't fix the cause. Ask your pharmacist or doctor which is safe for you.
Weight-bearing exercise, strength training, balance work and posture exercises are all recommended for osteoporosis. What to change is repeated or loaded forward bending and twisting of the spine, like sit-ups and toe touches.
Most people are back to many daily activities within about 3 to 6 weeks, keep improving strength and comfort for several months, and may notice gains for up to a year. Regular physical therapy and home exercise make a big difference.
Many babies first roll from tummy to back somewhere around 4 to 6 months, and from back to tummy a little later. The CDC lists rolling from tummy to back as a milestone most babies reach by 6 months. Every baby moves at their own pace, but if your baby isn't rolling by about 6 months, or you're worried, talk with your pediatrician.
Many babies can sit for a short time while leaning forward on their hands around 6 months. The CDC lists sitting without support as a milestone most babies reach by 9 months. Some sit steadily earlier and some a bit later, but if your baby can't sit on their own by about 9 months, talk with your pediatrician.
Many babies start crawling somewhere around 7 to 10 months, but the timing varies a lot, and some healthy babies never crawl on hands and knees. The CDC's milestone checklists don't include crawling for that reason. What matters more is that your baby finds some way to move around and keeps gaining new skills, like sitting and pulling up to stand.
Usually, yes. Many healthy babies skip crawling on hands and knees and still walk on time, which is why the CDC's milestone checklists don't include crawling. What matters more is that your baby moves around in some way, uses both sides of the body, and keeps reaching other milestones like sitting and pulling up to stand.
Many babies take their first steps on their own around their first birthday, though some walk earlier and some later. The CDC lists taking a few steps alone as a milestone most children reach by 15 months, and walking without holding on by 18 months. If your child isn't walking on their own by 18 months, talk with your pediatrician.
Start tummy time in the first days after you bring your baby home, a few minutes at a time, a few times a day, while your baby is awake and you are watching. Build up slowly as your baby gets stronger. The World Health Organization advises at least 30 minutes of tummy time a day, spread out, for babies who aren't moving around on their own yet.
Lots of babies fuss during tummy time at first, because lifting their head is hard work, and most complain less as they get stronger. Try shorter sessions more often, do tummy time on your chest or lap, and get down face to face with your baby. If your baby still cries hard every time, or always turns their head one way, talk with your pediatrician.
Often it's a tight muscle on one side of the neck, called torticollis, or a habit from how your baby lay in the womb or how they rest now. A flat spot on the back of the head can make the habit stronger, because the head rolls toward the flat side. Mention it to your pediatrician, because a tight neck usually gets better faster when treatment starts early.
Sometimes a very mild case improves with positioning alone, but it's hard to know ahead of time which babies will get better without help. Physical therapy guidelines recommend getting babies evaluated as soon as torticollis is noticed, because starting early usually means shorter, easier treatment. Waiting can let the neck muscle get tighter and a flat spot get worse.
It varies from baby to baby: babies who start treatment early, in the first few months of life, and who have milder tightness often improve faster. Babies who start later or have a tighter neck usually need longer. Your baby's physical therapist can give you an idea after the first visit and will track progress as you go.
Most flat spots come from steady pressure on the same part of a baby's soft, growing skull, often from lying in the same position for long stretches, which is called positional plagiocephaly. A tight neck muscle (torticollis) is a common reason a baby keeps resting on the same spot, so keep putting your baby to sleep on their back, and change positions while they're awake.
Many babies with a flat spot don't need a helmet. Mild and moderate flat spots often improve with repositioning, tummy time and treating any neck tightness. A helmet may be considered when a flat spot is more severe or isn't improving, and that decision is made by your baby's doctor or a specialist, not by a physical therapist.
No. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises against baby walkers, the seats on wheels that let a baby roll around before they can walk. Walkers let babies move fast and reach stairs, hot drinks and other dangers, and they don't help babies learn to walk sooner, so floor play is a safer choice.
Used for short breaks, like a few minutes while you cook or shower, they are generally fine. The concern is too much time: babies learn to roll, sit, crawl and walk by moving freely on the floor, and time held in a seat takes away from that practice. Use them for short periods while you're nearby, and never for sleep.
A pediatric physical therapist helps babies, children and teens move, grow and get stronger. For babies, that often means treating a tight neck (torticollis), helping with a flat spot, and helping with milestones like rolling, sitting, crawling and walking. For older kids and teens, it often means recovering from sports injuries and getting back to play.
The first visit is an evaluation that takes about 45 to 60 minutes. The physical therapist asks about your baby's birth, health and daily routines, then watches your baby move and play and gently checks their neck, strength and movement. You stay with your baby the whole time, and you leave with a plan and simple things to practice at home.
The best thing you can do is give your baby lots of awake time on the floor: tummy time, playing on their back and side, and reaching for toys. Limit time in car seats, swings and bouncers to travel and short breaks. Play and move with your baby every day, and bring up any worries at well-baby checkups.
Many toddlers walk on their toes now and then while they are learning to walk, and most settle into a heel-to-toe walk by about age 2. If your child still walks on their toes most of the time after that, can't stand with their heels flat, or toe walks on only one side, it's worth having it checked.
For most kids, no. W-sitting, where a child sits on the floor with their knees bent and feet out to each side, is common in young children and is usually comfortable for them because of how their hips are shaped. It's worth checking if it's the only way your child can sit, or if it comes with pain, stiffness or delays in other skills.
Yes. Almost all babies and toddlers have flat-looking feet, and the arch usually develops slowly through early childhood. Many kids and adults keep flexible flat feet that never cause any trouble. Flat feet are worth checking if they hurt, feel stiff, or affect only one foot.
In-toeing, often called pigeon toes, is very common in babies and young children, and most of the time it improves on its own as they grow. It usually comes from a natural twist in the foot, the shin bone or the thigh bone. It's worth checking if it affects one side only, causes pain or a limp, or isn't getting better with time.
Yes. Most babies and young toddlers have bow legs, and the legs usually straighten on their own over the first few years. Many kids then go through a knock-kneed stage before their legs settle. Bowing that gets worse after about age 2, affects one leg more than the other, or comes with pain or a limp should be checked.
Growing pains are common in young children. They usually cause aching in both legs, often in the thighs, calves or behind the knees, in the evening or at night, and are gone by morning. Pain in one leg only, pain in a joint, a limp, swelling, or pain with fever is not typical of growing pains and should be checked.
In active kids and young teens, pain and a tender bump just below the kneecap is most often Osgood-Schlatter. It happens when the thigh muscle tendon pulls on a growth area at the top of the shin bone, usually during a growth spurt in running and jumping sports. It is common, usually settles once growth slows, and often doesn't mean stopping sports completely.
In active kids, heel pain during or after sports is often Sever's disease. It is an irritation of the growth area at the back of the heel bone, where the Achilles tendon pulls. It is common during growth spurts in running and jumping sports, and it usually settles with less impact for a while, stretching and strengthening, and time.
You can't prevent every ACL injury, but you can lower the risk. Warm-up programs that train strength, balance, landing and cutting have been shown to reduce ACL injuries in young athletes, especially girls. They work best when done regularly, all season long, as part of practice.
It depends on the injury, but the best answer is when your child is ready, not just when a set number of days has passed. That usually means no pain or swelling, full movement, strength close to the other side, and the ability to run, jump and change direction without limping. After a broken bone or surgery, follow the doctor's or surgeon's plan.
Yes, for most kids, when it is supervised, age-appropriate and focused on good technique. Strength training doesn't stunt growth, and it can make young athletes stronger and less likely to get hurt. Most injuries in young lifters come from poor technique, lifting too heavy too soon, or no supervision.
Elbow pain in a young pitcher is often Little League elbow, an overuse injury of the growth area on the inside of the elbow. It is linked to throwing too much without enough rest. Elbow pain in a young thrower is a reason to stop throwing and get it checked, not something to play through.
A heavy or badly worn backpack can make a child's back, neck and shoulders sore and tired. But there isn't good evidence that backpacks cause lasting spine damage or scoliosis. Back pain that lasts more than a couple of weeks, wakes your child at night, or comes with other symptoms should be checked, whatever the backpack weighs.
It shouldn't hurt a lot. Some exercises may feel uncomfortable, and mild soreness for a day or so after a visit is common, much like after a workout. Your therapist adjusts treatment to what you can handle, so always tell them how you feel.
Both use exercise to help you, but their roles differ. A physical therapist is a licensed health care provider who evaluates and treats pain, injuries and medical conditions. A personal trainer is a fitness professional who helps generally healthy people get fitter, stronger and stay motivated.
For many common injuries, like sprains, strains and back pain, starting within the first days to weeks often helps. You don't need to wait until the pain is gone. After a broken bone or surgery, follow your doctor's timing.
Common reasons are going back to full activity before your body is ready, the original cause not changing, like weakness or a heavy workload, and a nervous system that stays sensitive after pain. Stress and poor sleep can play a part too. A flare-up doesn't always mean new damage. Building strength gradually and having a plan for flares helps.
For many common aches, like back pain, arthritis and tendon pain, often yes. Mild discomfort that stays manageable, doesn't keep building during the exercise and settles by the next day is usually OK. Sharp pain, pain that keeps climbing, or pain that is worse the next morning means you should do less. Fresh injuries and recent surgery have different rules.
Sometimes, but usually not on your own. In California workers' comp, physical therapy is prescribed by your treating doctor and approved by the claims administrator. If your employer uses a Medical Provider Network (MPN), your therapy usually needs to be with a provider in that network. You can ask your doctor or claims adjuster about a clinic you prefer.
It depends on your plan. Most people pay a copay, a set amount per visit, or coinsurance, a percentage of the cost, often after meeting a yearly deductible. Physical therapy usually means several visits, so these costs add up. It's worth checking your benefits before you start, and our front desk can help.
Wear comfortable, loose or stretchy clothes you can move and exercise in, plus supportive athletic shoes. Your therapist needs to see and move the area being treated, so pick clothes that make that easy, like shorts for a knee problem, or a tank top or loose T-shirt for a shoulder problem.
Bring a photo ID, your insurance card, a referral or prescription if you have one, your surgeon's protocol if you've had surgery, and a list of your medications. Wear comfortable clothes you can move in. A short list of your questions and goals helps you get the most from the visit.
No. In California you can see a physical therapist directly, without a referral, for up to 12 visits or 45 days, whichever comes first. Some insurance plans still require a referral or authorization to cover your visits.
Your first visit is a thorough evaluation that takes about 45 to 60 minutes, one-on-one with a licensed physical therapist. We listen to your story, examine how you move, explain what is most likely causing your symptoms, and build a treatment plan around that, your lifestyle and your goals. We also set clear expectations together from the start.
It depends on your condition, how long you've had it, your goals and how you respond. Some problems, like BPPV vertigo, can improve in one to a few visits. Others, like recovery after surgery, take several weeks or more. Your therapist will give you an estimate after your evaluation.
Yes. Medicare Part B covers outpatient physical therapy that is medically necessary. With Original Medicare, you usually pay 20% of the approved amount after your Part B deductible, and a supplemental (Medigap) plan may cover some or all of that.
Both are licensed health professionals who treat pain. Chiropractors focus mainly on the spine and joints, often using adjustments. Physical therapists focus on movement and function, using exercise, hands-on care and education across the whole body.
These pages are general information, not a diagnosis. If you have symptoms, a licensed clinician should evaluate you.