Rapid Rehab LA Pilates Based Physical Therapy Brentwood California

Physical Therapy has a rich history that spans continents, cultures, and centuries. It has been suggested that the study of Physical Therapy can be dated back to 460 B.C., when physicians like Hippocrates and Hector introduced the practice in its primitive form. Both of them used alternative treatments, and were assumedly the first to introduce hydrotherapy (water pressure) and massage therapy into the world of whole body healing.

The earliest evidence we have of physical therapy implementation dates back to the year 1894. Four nurses introduced the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy to England right before the turn of the century. Even to this day in most countries physical therapy is referred to as Physiotherapy. Only in the United States is physiotherapy referred to as physical therapy.

It wasn’t even until the early 1900’s that physical therapy began to branch out into other parts of the world, besides England as an accepted form of bodywork. It began with the two physicians in the year 1917 that acted as the pioneers paving the road for widely accepted forms of Physical therapies in the United States.

This land bridge between the United States and England was under construction during World War II by two doctors, Frank Granger and Joel Goldthwait. These two gentlemen were summoned by the Surgeon General to investigate British forms of treatment, and what they discovered was the early stages of physical therapy.

It seemed that the British had developed a new way of healing their wounded that was extremely effective, and the United States wanted to develop its own form of physiotherapy to heal our own wounded.

From that point it seemed that Physical Therapy was to be considered one of the most effective ways to treat ailments and injuries. However, training and patient education for practitioners and patients concerning the act of physical therapy needed to be further development.

In 1914 the Walter Reed General Hospital was established in Portland Oregon. This was the beginning of physical therapy inundation in the United States. Some of the most well trained individuals from all over the globe began teaching at the Walter Reed program to and its programs began to shape potential students into highly trained individuals. Upon graduation these early physical therapists were known as “reconstruction aides”.

Within five years there were 45 new hospitals that offered physical therapy, not to mention were fully equipped with proper facilities in which to administer it. From passive exercises to corrective exercises, hydrotherapeutic modalities, massage, and a variety of adaptive equipment; all became readily available and common practice within the medical community.

As is common for the medical profession, continuing research needed to be documented for this newfound landscape of medical proficiency if physical therapy wished to secure it’s footing in the medical community. This marks the time when the profession of physical therapy began to take shape and become more scientifically sound. When the polio epidemic swept the nation in 1924, physical therapy was the first plan of defense on the physically debilitating disease.

Acute neck pain isn’t nearly as serious as chronic neck pain. When neck pain is acute it will disappear quickly and without much intentional effort. The body will naturally become less inflamed after the irritated area has time to heal. When neck pain is of more concern is when the pain has lasted for longer than three months. A pain that remains constant without any recovery is called chronic.

There are a few recommended treatments for neck pain. Medication is the “quick fix”, which will dull the pain but not heal it. Chiropractic visits have been used; physical therapy, and even acupuncture are also options for those seeking relief from the pain.

Pilates based rehabilitation does not only relieve the pain, but it begins the healing process from the inside out. One constant recommendation for neck pain, all across the board, is active recovery. Letting an injury remain in its state will not perpetuate change. Physical therapy does focus on the injured area allowing for stimulus within the neuromuscular circuitry of the neck, but the main difference between physical therapy and Pilates is the approach to treatment.

Whenever a muscle comes under stress there are reasons why that injury took place. Sometimes an injury does happen instantaneously from an outside force, such as a car crash or is sports related but more often than not an injury is years in the making.     Pilates uses its innovative approach to exercise to retrain faulty patterns of movement that have created divots in the landscape of our health. Sleeping on one side of the body, slight spinal abnormalities, and poor posture could all be the potential culprits for neck pain. Without changing the behavior that caused the injury, healing will only be temporary.

Pilates uses each muscle surrounding the injury and even recruits areas not affected by injury to rebalance an off-center pattern of movement. While its strengthens the stabilizing muscles within the body, a safe haven “bed” of sorts is created. Within this “bed” seeds of injury prevention and correction can begin to grow. Once you can change the way your body moves, you can begin to not only heal an injury temporarily but also remove the situational matter in which fed the promotion of the injury in the first place.

The eight basic principles found in Pilates rehabilitation is: alignment, relaxation, breathing, concentration, centering, ease of movement, coordination, and endurance. When the body can begin to re-train itself to accept these eight principles it instinctively begins the healing process. When the correct muscles do the work, there is a lower chance of overuse or weakening of the muscles. This imbalance within the body is what causes injuries in the first place.

Stress is an indicator of mental-muscular imbalance. With a neck injury, stress acts as the evidence of an outside force causing tension within the muscles surrounding the central nervous center. This can be solved through Pilates-based rehabilitation. When body movement flows, the strain of everyday stress is melted away and replaced with a higher ability to handle stress and allocate energy, not to mention heal the injury in a safe and timely fashion

Headaches tend to be extremely commonplace in today’s society. What isn’t as common is an understanding as to why these headaches occur. While some headaches, neck stiffness and general head discomfort can stem from stress; however there are quite a few other issues that can add to the problem. If the potential causes of these problems are not identified and corrected, pesky headaches can later turn into acute or even chronic neck injuries.

The neck acts as the connector between our mind and our entire being. Where the spinal cord meets the brain, an encasement of flexors, extensors, rotators and lateral flexors is found. Within the house of the neck, all planes of movement can be achieved, making it unique. In the framework of the body, the neck tends to be one of the more sensitive areas and often bears the brunt of stress. The old saying “a pain in the neck” rings true, but neck pain is usually an indicator of another underlining problem.

Most people blame stress for their neck injuries or headaches. When our muscles tighten in the jaw, neck and at the base of the neck, stress does accumulate. Whenever a muscle is tight, whether it is a large muscle group or a small one (like the longus colli, capitis and infra hyoid flexors found in the neck), stiffness can lead to injury. Some neck pain and headaches can stem from soft-tissue dysfunctions like TMJ, but stress isn’t the only factor in neck pain causes.

Neck pain can happen due to an awkward sleeping position, poor office stature, poor functional posture at home or at play or even a pinched nerve within the spinal column. When poor posture is to blame, the position of the head is greatly compromised and will gradually move forward.

With each inch that the head moves away from the line of the body, an additional 10 pounds of force is added to the neck and upper back muscles.When the range of motion within the neck is limited all other movements are affected. Neck injuries tend to be serious, because the neck serves as the “ball” in the body’s “joint” of movement. Most physicians tend to treat headaches, or neck pain with medication.

However, medication can only mask the problem and not “fix” the instigator of the pain. Because of this, postural education needs to be reintroduced to the body; joint mobilization concentration needs to be practiced, as well as implementation of an upper body-conditioning regime. The symptom of the pain needs not to only be diagnosed, but it needs to be treated. Through routine movement and conditioning this can be made possible.

Neck health isn’t usually on the top of the list for people trying to get “into shape”, however what isn’t realized, is how the neck can dictate the entire health, flexibility, and efficiency of the body. Pilates based-rehab is the perfect combination of control and gentility when neck pain becomes an issue in the quality of everyday living.

When it comes to signal health, a bulging disk is one of the biggest predators, not to mention one of the most common. Bulging disks usually develop overtime and are more common in the elderly. In the lower back a disk may shift out of its normal placement within the lumbar, and when this occurs a piece of the cushion that surrounds the vertebrae is compromised. The condition can even go unnoticed for periods of time, since it is usually only noticed when it pinches a nerve or becomes a herniated disk.

A bulging disk is therefore considered a secondary condition and is usually only identified through diagnostic image tests or routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Postural imbalances can add to the potential of a bulging disk, and since Pilates based rehab is exceptional in realigning the spine and heightening body awareness it is a great alleviator of the condition.

Rudimentary movements that are executed improperly over time cause injuries. Steps need to be taken to rectify faulty postures, and to lubricate joints through increase flexibility exercises, and Pilates is one of those most important steps.

One case study from Rehab Management Journal found that a client who suffered from a bulging disc greatly decreased the severity of her condition once she introduced Pilates based rehab into her rehabilitation regime. Her pain level on a scale of 1-10 was a 7 at the beginning of her treatments, after 12 sessions she had lowered that pain scale to 4.

Pain limited this client’s range of motion and she was charted at only having 15% of her flexibility at the beginning of treatment. After the twelve sessions her range of motion around the area had increased 35 degrees. For her rehabilitation it was found that soft tissue work and joint mobilization greatly improved her condition as well as alleviated pain.

By engaging the whole body in a quest to address a bulging disk, an entirely new rhythm of everyday activity is found. Pilates based rehab introduces an energy efficient methodology of movement that will change the way you pick up a box or run a mile. Its wellness proponents are easy on the joints and especially on the lower back where a bulging disk may be occurring. This makes it a perfect addition to any lower back or spinal abnormality rehabilitation program.

The advantage to participating in a low-impact recovery program, like a Pilates based rehabilitation program, is that for a bulging disk the area may be inflamed and even be painful. Yet it can be addressed without adding to the level of discomfort that one may feel during the exercises themselves. The exercises found in Pilates based rehab highlight gliding motions, incorporate purposeful and effective breathing patterns.

Since the low back is found within the trunk of the body, it is essential for long term recovery that the core muscles are used and strengthened. When the muscles within the trunk of the body are weak that is when an individual is at the greatest risk for developing harmful and improper postural alignment and muscular imbalances, which can result in a bulging disk.

Injuries to the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), is the most common found in the realm of sports.  It has been estimated that somewhere between 100,000 and 200,000 individuals have experienced some sort of damage to their ACL. The ACL has a normal range of flexibility, which unfortunately can be stretched beyond its ability. When this occurs a “tear” or “rupturing” takes places within the ligament itself.

This happens quite often in sports, usually when a played makes too sudden of a movement or puts too much stress on the area when an individual torques the body away from the a planted foot. Athletes that wear cleats are also at a bigger risk of a torn ACL, however surprisingly women make up a bigger percentage of ACL injuries than men. The biggest problem with an injured ACL is that they don’t heal themselves. This is one area of the body that will remain “loose” without proper attention.

A rehabilitation program for an ACL injury should include flexibility exercises, strengthening movements, increased endurance training, coordination integration and agility training. The goal of all ACL physical therapy treatments is to reintroduce balance between the two legs. The injured leg needs to be reinstated as a equal counterpart of the hip girdle before treatment can be exchanged for regular activity. The therapy itself will focus on strengthening the muscles surrounding the knee, to reinforce the area that has been affected by the non-operating ACL.

First of all, the initial stages of physical therapy will focusing on developing a full range of motion in the knee. This will be essential to the overall health of the injured area in the long run. After flexibility had increased, then strength training will be introduced into the program.

How fast an individual recovers from an injury is dependent upon an influx of factors. Age is a big factor, since healing becomes more difficult the older you are. Consistency in your rehab exercises is of great importance since that will be the key to a speedy and safe recovery. The health of the injured individual before the injury will also dictate the rate at which physical therapy will enable healing after the fact.

Another factor that will affect recovery time is if your ACL has or has not been surgically operated on. If the physical therapy is a post-surgical program it may be more painful and the rate of recovery will be slower. If it is non-operative therapy than it tends to be easier. However, with this injury most physicians will prescribe a lifelong rehabilitation program to keep the body in working condition for the years to come.

Instability may always be a concern with those that suffer from an ACL injury, but with the proper dedication to the strengthening of the muscles surrounding the injury, most people can continue normal activity within three years. This estimation is of course dependent on the seriousness of the injury.

There are two different forms of physical therapy that can be used to aide in the recovery of back pain. Passive Physical Therapy is one, which includes modalities that are done to the client by a therapist and Active Physical Therapy is when a client actively pursues relief through patterns of exercises.

Passive therapy includes the most common form of therapy: heat and cold therapies. Depending on the injury and the client’s response some find more relief with heat therapy (i.e.: heat packs), while others find release from cold therapy (i.e.: ice massages). Each compression usually last 20 minutes. However, cold and heat therapy is best implemented early on in an injury (the first 72 hours), where back pain is concerned. These modalities prevent muscle spasms and reduce inflammation.

Iontophoresis is another passive therapy option, which means that a steroid is topically given to the injured area and shortly thereafter followed by an electrical current. This is also an anti-inflammatory therapy, however it is most appropriately applied when the injury is acute in nature.

On the heels of electrotherapy options another popular form of passive physical therapy is TENS. TENS is an abbreviation for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator. This “unit” releases electrical signals to the brain, which assist in the adaptation of the pain in the lower back. It “overrides” the pain signals and provides relief. TENS is usually only prescribed to clients who have gone through trial with the equipment and experienced success. If TENS does decrease the lower back pain, a home device can be found, and used for temporary relief and comfort in the home for however long the client may need it.

Another form of “deep heating” can be found in using an ultrasound. When an ultrasound is applied to the pain in the lower back, sound waves enter the soft tissues to alleviate the pain. If the back pain is acute, an ultrasound is a probable option for tissue repair enhancement.

Active Physical Therapy revolves around three necessary elements of rehabilitation. For generalized spine health it is imperative to incorporate deep stretching, elongating strength training, and low impact aerobic conditioning. Making time for these essential active recovery exercises should be a priority.

Deep stretching can be accomplished through Pilates based rehab as well as the more traditional styling of active physical therapy. For back pain, hamstrings need to be paid attention to. Even though the pain isn’t originating in the legs, a tightening of the hamstrings can cause pinching and spinal dysfunction. Timing of stretching should be scheduled out so that your body can begin to adjust to the exercises and so that you can chart personal progress on a consistent basis.

To strengthen weakened muscles in the back, which is the number on cause of back pain due to imbalanced muscles configuration. There needs to be at least 20 minutes a day of lumbar stabilization exercise. Gentle lifting and slow and controlled movements will begin to build up endurance in the back as well as create a graceful line of everyday activity within the body.

Low impact conditioning can be cardio-based Pilates routines, walking, swimming, and bicycling. Cardio needs to be used in conjunction with passive or active Physical therapy to maintain overall health of the body and to increase energy utilization.

Exercise in general is very beneficial to the body. It strengthens bones and regulates blood pressure, as well as keeps the body lean by enhancing the amount of calories burned daily. To maintain a level of healthy living an exercise routine is essential.

However, some sports related exercises and training methods are very hard on the body’s design. Runners can suffer from knee, joint and back pain; golfers tend to have strains in their backs or muscular imbalances due to a particular routine of movement, and professional athletes run the gamut of potential and probable injuries.

There is an endless roster of active people in which sports related injuries could affect. Most athletes that are involved in competitive sports push their bodies beyond limits of normal activity, stretching the threshold for pain and endurance beyond what it can normally bear. This can result in injuries, which lead to sports physical therapy and the road back to optimum health.

Each individual will have one –on-one attention of a physical therapist. A physical therapist is defined as an expert in “the science of healing and the art of caring”. Rehabilitation is a scary place to be for most accomplished athletes, because it defines them as different than they were before. But sports physical therapy is not characterized by the injuries that define the clients, but rater is focused on the reestablishment of their confidence in a healthy and strong able person.

Sports physical therapy is centered upon pain management, body mechanic education and physical reconditioning. Many different aspects of sports physical therapy have been developed over the years. An evaluation of each individual is considered first before any program is designed. Some program designs may revolve or involve the following treatments.

To just name a couple, heating and cooling an injury is a common form of rehabilitation, and in sports therapy methods they may use paraffin waxes, whirlpools, cyrotherapy, or hot packs. Electrical stimulation is another offshoot, which is technically called, “functional electrical stimulation”. FES is a way to “jump start” momentarily paralyzed neuromuscular systems within the body.

Sports conditioning programs are a safe way to reintroduce athletic training to an injured person. These programs slowly reinstate former levels of activity at a much lower rate and intensity. This gradual improvement will guide a client to the proper recovery that will last and enable them to once again perform at full throttle.

Sports physical therapy has been known to treat the following conditions: TMJ, Back pain, carpal tunnel, running injuries, post surgical rehabilitation, shoulder and knee pain, motor vehicle accident injuries, plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, weakness, muscular imbalance, overuse injuries, and work injuries. Internal biochemistry issues can also be improved through sports physical therapy such as: impingement syndrome, joint separation, rotator cuff tears, tendonitis, labral tears, ligament repair, and shoulder dislocation.

While sports injuries can take time to heal, there is no better environment to be in than in an atmosphere where you are encouraged to reach beyond inhibiting pain. Nothing is more disconcerting than defeat, and sports physical therapy is the key to unlocking the healthy and strong individual inside of each patient.

Strengthening the back muscles and increasing the back’s flexibility is the best way to begin a rehabilitation program for a back injury. Pilates’ unique approach to muscle strengthening is perfect for those with injuries because its lengthening moves are easy on the body yet they require the utmost in muscle integration. Once the back can be reintroduced as a balanced component of the body’s musculoskeletal system, injuries are less likely to occur and will be much less painful if they do.

Pilate’s rehabilitation exercises focus on lumbar stabilization, which is achieved through a series of movements that incorporate The Core. The Core muscles include: Transverse Abdominis, The Pelvic Floor Muscles, and the Multifidus-, which is the deep muscles of the back. Some refer to the strengthening of The Core as tightening your body’s corset. This acts as a visual guide for those who don’t understand the concept of The Core. Once the corset around the spine is tightened it creates a safety cage for the muscles to move with ease and as a result remain protected from injury.

Pilates elongates the muscles in the back and engages them proactively with every pose. In other forms of strength training such as weight-bearing exercises, or weight machines, isolation of the muscles is encouraged. This however, increases the possibility of imbalance.

The goal of Pilates it to create a whole body approach to exercise, which can correct imbalances, realign bad postural habits, and strengthen the muscles surrounding the spine. Range of motion is also increased through Pilates, which allows for further flexibility in the body. Flexibility is key in keeping the joints limber and lubricated.

Postural education is one of the more unique factors implemented in Pilates based rehab programs. Pilates based rehabilitation instructors take the time to explain why certain movements change injury potential and work with you to master them. Pilates is not only a rehabilitation program, it is a great way for those with injuries to reestablish the quality of life they knew, pre-injury.

Instead of just trying to treat an abnormality in the body, Pilates physically recreates patterns of movement. If the back injury was a product of poor posture or spinal misalignment, or improper form in activity, Pilates aims to correct that.

Re-injuring oneself is of great concern in the rehabilitation world. Active recovery is one way to avoid that.  When you are actively using and strengthening the muscles that are involved in the injury, they have less capacity to be strained. The more a muscle goes un-used or un-trained, the higher the chances that their dormancy will lead to an injury again.

Whether a patient takes a Pilates Mat class, or a machine-based class both will challenge the back muscles. Machine Pilates based rehab pushes against spring-loaded resistance for an even glide of exercise. This enables people of all ages with back injuries to begin where they can, dependent upon physical ability. Pilates based rehabilitation is not only rehabilitation; it is a way to return to a whole life.

Back pain is one of the most common injuries cited by physical therapy patients. Pain can develop from bad posture, incorrect office stature, improper body mechanics, around-the-house- duties, or even through more serious chronic muscle damage. Even though it is the most commonplace medical issue it is also the most difficult to treat. This makes it not only frustrating for those dealing with back pain, but it also makes a diagnosis elusive and more often that not, a series of trial and error.

Identifying the instigator of back pain is essential to recovery. Once the cause of the pain is correctly identified, then the road to healing can begin to be paved. Without an understanding of what’s wrong, “doing” recovery will not be enough, and can even worsen the condition.

An official diagnosis can only be given by a medical professional, but there are a few common back pain conditions that can be identified by their symptoms. Lumbar muscle strains happen frequently and develop into either acute or chronic pain. Most people, who suffer from back strain can’t pinpoint the reason why they suffer.

Muscle spasms, which are an after effect of an acute muscle strain, can develop into knots within the muscle. These “trigger points” within the strained muscle can be surrounded by excess connective tissue or involve abnormal protein deposits. Most people only go to a physician on the account of a “knot” because they tend to be more painful than muscle spasms. However, spasms in the back shouldn’t be ignored, because they are usually acting as the call center informing the body that something is wrong.

Another potential back-pain culprit is a ruptured disc. How to treat this condition is solely dependent upon the nature of the problem. Herniated discs have different levels of intensity based upon the incurrence of the injury and the longevity of its presence. The spinal discs in the back need to have a safety space, or “cushion” between each spinal vertebrae to protect the health of the spine. When a spinal disc is forced outside of its normal placement, the nerves within the spine can become pinched or impinged causing extreme pain.

Another common cause is discogenic back pain. This happens when damage has happened to the intervertabral disc itself. No disc herniation is involved in discogenic back pain, which sometimes takes the use a discogram for appropriate diagnosis.

Spinal stenosis and lumbar spine arthritis are causes found particularly in the aging population, and are caused by fusing of the joints, or constriction of the spinal column. Spondylolisthesis is a degenerative spine condition, where vertebrae might “slip”. Osteoporosis is a result of compounded vertebrae, making the back very susceptible to pain and fracture.

While the symptom of back pain can be as nominal as a spasm here and there, it can potentially be as debilitating as paralysis if not treated or assuaged.  When looking for treatment for back pain, Pilates based rehabilitation may be the perfect supplemental exercise for healing.

Around the same time that Joseph Pilates was beginning his methodology of whole-body wellness, a group of physical therapists were forming an organization. In the year 1921, The American Women’s Physical Therapeutic Association was formed. The association was led by President Mary McMillan, and included 274 members.

It wasn’t until the end of the 1930’s that men were admitted into the association, swelling the number of member attendance to nearly 1,000. Since then Physical Therapy has helped millions of people rehabilitate their bodies and reenter a whole new world of personal health.

During the 1940’s and 1950’s, a nationwide attack of Polio swept through the United States and created an even higher demand for physical therapists to the tune of 8,00o additional during that time. Today there is over 71,000 members and is currently called The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Physical therapy has had the same goals throughout its century long existence, to “foster advancements in physical therapy practice, research, and education.”

With support from the health care specialty community, physical therapy is one of the leading responses to musculoskeletal disorders. Physical Therapy’s integration of movement furthers the physical freedom of natural movement within the injured and recovering client. To be a professional physical therapist, a master’s degree or a doctorate is required. This level of educational inundation is one of the reasons that physical therapy has grown in its success, as each physical therapist is extremely apt to handle the responsibilities at hand.

Which specific responsibility each therapist has is dependent upon their area of expertise. There are five different departments, which focus on different aspects of physical therapy. Those areas of concentration are orthopedic, geriatric, neurological, pediatric and cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy. Orthopedic Physical therapists focus on outpatient treatment, which is often associated with post-surgical procedures, as well as sports injuries and arthritis.

Geriatric physical therapists concentrate on those that are going through the normal, yet sometimes painful, stages of aging. Neurological therapy focuses on those who suffer from brain damage, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and strokes. Heart surgery patients would most likely be referred to a cardiovascular or pulmonary rehabilitation therapist, to increase their functional independence. Pediatric physical therapy works close at hand with children and infants when an early detection of a birth defect or disease is discovered.

There are a wide variety of facilities that offer physical therapy. From the halls of hospitals to the comfort of small studios, you can find all kinds of outpatient and rehabilitation clinics to choose from. Even some yoga and Pilates studios offer physical therapy as component to their repertoire since physical therapy treatment circumvents the principles found in “whole-body” healing methods.

Oftentimes a physician as a form of beneficiary outpatient treatment prescribes physical therapy. Its wide spanning clientele are a testament to the tried and true methods involved in physical therapy, and will continue to grow in its successes as more and more patients are prescribed involvement.