PIGEON TOES IN YOUR TOT

Pigeon Toes (Intoeing)

Children who walk with their feet turned in are described as being “pigeon-toed” or having “intoeing.” This is a very common condition that may involve one or both feet, and it occurs for a variety of reasons. 

Intoeing During Infancy 

Infants are sometimes born with their feet turning in. This turning occurs from the front part of their foot, and is called metatarsus adductus. It most commonly is due to being positioned in a crowded space inside the uterus before the baby is born. 

You can suspect that metatarsus adductus may be present if: 

• The front portion of your infant’s foot at rest turns inward. 
• The outer side of the child’s foot is curved like a half- moon. This condition is usually mild and will resolve before your infant’s first birthday. Sometimes it is more severe, or is accompanied by other foot deformities that result in a problem called clubfoot. 

This condition requires a consultation with a pediatric orthopedist and treatment with early casting or splinting. 

Intoeing In Later Childhood 

When a child is intoeing during her second year, this is most likely due to inward twisting of the shinbone (tibia). This condition is called internal tibial torsion. When a child between ages three and ten has intoeing, it is probably due to an inward turning of the thighbone (femur), a condition called medial femoral torsion. Both of these conditions tend to run in families. 

Treatment 

Some experts feel no treatment is necessary for intoeing in an infant under six months of age. For severe metatarsus adductus in infancy, early casting may be useful. 

Studies show that most infants who have metatarsus adductus in early infancy will outgrow it with no treatment necessary. If your baby’s intoeing persists after six months, or if it is rigid and difficult to straighten out, your doctor may refer you to a pediatric orthopedist who may recommend a series of casts applied over a period of three to six weeks. The main goal is to correct the condition before your child starts walking. 

Intoeing in early childhood often corrects itself over time, and usually requires no treatment. But if your child has trouble walking, discuss the condition with your pediatrician who may refer you to an orthopedist. A night brace (special shoes with connecting bars) was used in the past for this problem, but it hasn’t proven to be an effective treatment. Because intoeing often corrects itself over time, it is very important to avoid nonprescribed “treatments” such as corrective shoes, twister cables, daytime bracing, exercises, shoe inserts, or back manipulations. These do not correct the problem and may be harmful because they interfere with normal play or walking. Furthermore, a child wearing these braces may face unnecessary emotional strain from her peers. 

Nevertheless, if a child’s intoeing remains by the age of nine or ten years old, surgery may be required to correct it.

Source - 11/21/2015

Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 (Copyright © 2009 American Academy of Pediatrics)

TIPS TO RECOVER FROM A WORKOUT

Proper recovery following a workout is as essential as the workout itself. Whether you are beginning to work out for the first time or are altering your regimen, proper recovery is crucial to sustaining a long-term workout plan.

Why It's Important:

During exercise, the body undergoes a controlled amount of stress. Tissues in our bodies need this stress in order to improve their function and your performance. In fact, when you exercise, your muscles actually undergo “micro-trauma” due to the imposed demand of your activity. Recovery is your chance to build yourself back up stronger than before; it is the link between short-term, immediate benefit and long-term, lasting outcome.

The following tips can help you attain maximum benefit from your workout and reduce the risk of developing an injury.

Stretching

Stretching is an important part of recovery, but it rarely receives the time or attention it deserves. The purpose of stretching is to maintain the flexibility of tissues that are tight or stiff from an activity or prolonged position.

There are a variety of methods of stretching (using the hamstring muscle as an example):

• Static/Isolated Stretching: Static, or isolated stretching is holding a stretch position for a long period.  (Example: A static hamstring stretch would be when you sit on the ground with one leg pointing outward and you simply reach for your toes and hold for at least 30 seconds.)
• Dynamic stretching: Dynamic stretching is using movement to combine muscle groups. (Example: A dynamic stretch for the hamstring would be walking toe touches, as you bend down and grab your toe with every step for 2 to 3 seconds.)
• Foam Rolling: Foam rolling is a type of self-mobilization and massage. (Example: To foam-roll the hamstring muscle, you will simply put a foam roller under your legs and let your weight rest on top so the foam roller will push out any knots in your hamstring.)

A very general rule for stretching is dynamic stretching before exercise, static stretching after exercise, and foam rolling throughout. Utilizing various stretching strategies will allow you to maintain and improve your mobility.

Refueling (Hydration and Nutrition)

Proper fueling before exercise is important to optimize performance, but nutrition for recovery from exercise is often overlooked. Our bodies rely upon a well-balanced array of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to aid in rebuilding the parts of our body that have been stressed during exercise. Refueling after a workout with a well-rounded set of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats will help your body reap the most benefit from your hard effort

Water is also absolutely essential to overall health. In particular, following exercise, proper hydration is key to replace the fluids that you have lost during your activity. Water also helps regulate your temperature, maintain healthy joints, and eliminate wastes that build up in your system during activity. Pay special attention to your total water intake if you are exercising in extreme hot or cold climates or if you feel as though you may be getting sick. Make a habit of keeping a water bottle in your purse, gym bag, car, or workplace for easy, reliable access.

RICE

RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. If you find yourself having pain or swelling following exercise, particularly in a joint like your knee, ankle, or shoulder, you may consider using this four-part strategy to decrease inflammation and pain. If you continue to have symptoms several days following a workout, it may be important to seek the advice of a healthcare provider to further examine your complaints..

(See "The Difference between Soreness & Pain During Exercise" for more detailed information.)

Listen to Your Body

The only person who knows how your body feels after a workout is you. Allow yourself to listen to your body, and appropriately. This includes recognizing the signs of fatigue, pain or soreness and increasing recovery time between exercise bouts. This may also mean pushing yourself to work harder when you feel well. Don’t succumb to peer pressure at the gym. Trust yourself and what your body is telling you. When you are starting a new exercise program, don’t be afraid to ask your physical therapist for helpful hints on how your body may give you feedback after exercise, and how you should respond to that information.

Cross Training

Even if you love to run, your body may not like you running seven days a week. No matter what your exercise of choice may be (walking, running, swimming, cycling, weightlifting, yoga, recreational sports, etc.), you may considercan benefit from finding another form of exercise.

Cross training doesn't require a special shoe. It’s simply about challenging your body with different tasks so that certain tissues are not over-stressed, which often leads to overuse injuries. For example, a swimmer will benefit from strength training in addition to the hours spent in the pool in order to build different muscle groups and allow momentary rest for those that are used repetitively in the pool. Remember to do the exercises your body needs, not just the exercises you want to do. A physical therapist can help you determine where you have deficiencies or might be at risk for overuse injuries based on your workout regimen.

Planning Ahead

When life is busy, it’s hard to schedule enough time in your day to workout at all, let alone take care of yourself afterward. Try to plan your day or week so you have adequate time following each workout to implement the strategies above. This way you won't feel as rushed and cut out important recovery activities.

Sleeping

Often taken for granted, sleep is your body’s prime opportunity to recover.

When the body is at rest, the repair of our muscular, cardiovascular, skeletal, and immune systems can go to work. The CDC recommends that, in general, teens have 9-10 hours and adults 7-8 hours of sleep each day. These guidelines are especially important if you are demanding more of your body through regular exercise or stressful daily activities.

To get the most out of your shut-eye, strive for consistent bedtimes, avoid stimulating activities in bed (like TV and electronic devices), and a comfortable environment. You may find that you sleep better on days that you exercise, and will definitely notice a more effective, pleasant exercise experience if you are giving your body the rest it needs and deserves.

Fortunately, not only is your physical therapist trained to design an individualized exercise program for you, but she will also provide guidelines and strategies to ensure that you recover in the most effective way.

PT FOR ATHLETES

If you’re an athlete, you know that long periods of training followed by performing at peak levels can take a toll on your body. Whether you’ve experienced an acute injury or have become hurt as a result of overuse, the professional physical therapists from Champion Performance and Physical Therapy in Prairie Village, Kansas can help you get back in the game with their effective sports physical therapy programs.

If you’re an athlete considering sports physical therapy, take a look at some of the ways in which you could benefit from treatment at Champion:

• Less Downtime: Sports physical therapy helps athletes regain muscle strength without damaging the injured area further. This will help you proactively work to repair injured tissue and get back to your training or active recovery period faster and with less downtime.
• Better Odds For A Full Recovery: Instead of letting an injury “ride its course,” physical therapy takes a proactive approach to healing and thus increases your odds of making a complete recovery. Under the care of a physical therapist, you’ll also know exactly when you can resume your normal activity levels again, whereas athletes who don’t seek physical therapy often try to do too much too soon and risk re-injuring themselves.
• You’ll Receive Tailored Treatment: Some athletes make the mistake of trying to rehabilitate their injured body part on their own, but this approach overlooks the fact that each body and injury is unique. The professionals at Therapy Works utilize a number of different treatment methods and have the skills, knowledge, and experience to tailor their sports physical therapy program to the unique needs of each patient.

Click on the contact information tab on our website menu for a full list of contact options. 

www.kcchampionperformance.com

WHAT EXACTLY IS A PHYSICAL THERAPIST?

As described by the American Physical Therapy Association

Physical therapists (PTs) are health care professionals who diagnose and treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to the very oldest, who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives.

PTs examine each individual and develop a plan using treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability. In addition, PTs work with individuals to prevent the loss of mobility before it occurs by developing fitness- and wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles.

Physical therapists provide care for people in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private practices, outpatient clinics, home health agencies, schools, sports and fitness facilities, work settings, and nursing homes. State licensure is required in each state in which a physical therapist practices.

The Physical Therapy Profession

Physical therapy is a dynamic profession with an established theoretical and scientific base and widespread clinical applications in the restoration, maintenance, and promotion of optimal physical function. Physical therapists:

• Diagnose and manage movement dysfunction and enhance physical and functional abilities.
• Restore, maintain, and promote not only optimal physical function but optimal wellness and fitness and optimal quality of life as it relates to movement and health. 
• Prevent the onset, symptoms, and progression of impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities that may result from diseases, disorders, conditions, or injuries.

The terms "physical therapy" and "physiotherapy," and the terms "physical therapist" and "physiotherapist," are synonymous.

As essential participants in the health care delivery system, physical therapists assume leadership roles in rehabilitation; in prevention, health maintenance, and programs that promote health, wellness, and fitness; and in professional and community organizations. Physical therapists also play important roles both in developing standards for physical therapist practice and in developing health care policy to ensure availability, accessibility, and optimal delivery of health care services. Physical therapy is covered by federal, state, and private insurance plans. Physical therapists' services have a positive impact on health-related quality of life.

As clinicians, physical therapists engage in an examination process that includes:

• taking the patient/client history,
• conducting a systems review, and 
• performing tests and measures to identify potential and existing problems.

To establish diagnoses, prognoses, and plans of care, physical therapists perform evaluations, synthesizing the examination data and determining whether the problems to be addressed are within the scope of physical therapist practice. Based on their judgments about diagnoses and prognoses and based on patient/client goals, physical therapists:

• provide interventions (the interactions and procedures used in managing and instructing patients/clients),
• conduct re-examinations,
• modify interventions as necessary to achieve anticipated goals and expected outcomes, and
• develop and implement discharge plans.

Physical therapy can be provided only by qualified physical therapists (PTs) or by physical therapist assistants (PTAs) working under the supervision of a physical therapist.

TMJ DISORDER - JAW PAIN

Temporomandibular joint disorder, or dysfunction, (TMD) is a common condition that limits the natural functions of the jaw, such as opening the mouth and chewing. It currently affects more than 10 million people in the United States. It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as simply “TMJ,” which represents the name of the joint itself. TMD affects more women than men and is most often diagnosed in individuals aged 20 to 40 years. Its causes range from poor posture, chronic jaw clenching, and poor teeth alignment, to fracture or conditions such as lockjaw, where the muscles around the jaw spasm and reduce the opening of the mouth. Physical therapists help people with TMD ease pain, regain normal jaw movement, and lessen daily stress on the jaw.

What Is Temporomandibular Joint Disorder?

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) is a common condition that limits the natural function of the jaw, such as opening the mouth and chewing, and can cause pain. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a hinge joint that connects your jaw to your skull in front of your ear. The TMJ guides jaw movement and allows you to open and close your mouth and move it from side to side to talk, yawn, or chew. TMD can be caused by:

• Bad posture habits. One of the reasons TMD is so common is because many of us spend a great deal of time sitting at a desk, where we often hold our heads too far forward as we work. But there are many other kinds of bad posture. Sitting in the car for a long commute, working at a checkout station, always carrying your child on the same hip—all can place the head in an awkward position and cause jaw problems. The "forward head position" puts a strain on the muscles, disk, and ligaments of the TMJ. The jaw is forced to "rest" in an opened position, and the chewing muscles become overused.
• Chronic jaw clenching ("bruxism"). Many people clench their jaws at night while they sleep, usually because of stress. Some clench their teeth throughout the day as well, especially when dealing with stressful situations. This puts a strain on the TMJ and its surrounding muscles.
• Problems with teeth alignment ("malocclusion"). If your teeth are positioned in an unusual way, greater stress is placed on the TMJ when performing everyday jaw motions, such as chewing.
• Fracture. In a traumatic accident involving the face or head, a fracture to the lower jaw may result and cause TMD. Even when the fracture is fully healed, TMJ stiffness and pain may remain.
• Surgery. Individuals may experience a loss of TMJ mobility and function following certain kinds of surgery to the face and jaw.
• Trismus ("lockjaw"). This condition—where the jaw muscles spasm and the jaw cannot be fully opened—can be both a cause and a symptom of TMD. Other causes of trismus include trauma to the jaw, tetanus, and radiation therapy to the face and neck.
• Displacement of the disc or soft-tissue cushion located between the ball and socket of the TMJ, which causes popping or clicking of the jaw and, frequently, pain.
• Arthritis in the TMJ.

How Does it Feel?

The symptoms of TMD can be temporary or last for years. Jaw pain is the most common symptom.

CAUTION: Jaw pain also can be a symptom of heart attack. Seek medical care immediately if jaw pain is accompanied by: 

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Left arm pain
• Numbness in the left arm
• Nausea

TMD can cause the jaw to lock or get stuck in a certain position. You may experience headaches, feel pain when chewing certain foods, or have difficulty fully opening your mouth.

TMD symptoms include:

• Jaw pain
• Jaw fatigue
• Difficulty opening your mouth to eat or talk
• Ringing in your ears
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Popping sounds in your jaw
• Neck pain
• Locking jaw

How Is It Diagnosed?

To identify the cause of your symptoms, your physical therapist may:

• Review your medical history, and discuss any previous surgery, fractures, or other injuries to your head, neck, or jaw.
• Ask you to describe your pain, including headaches, and observe any pain patterns in the neck and TMJ.
• Conduct a physical examination of your jaw and neck, including the soft tissue and muscles in the area.

Your physical therapist will evaluate your posture and observe how your cervical spine—the upper portion of your spine, situated in your neck—moves. Your physical therapist will examine your TMJ to find out how well it functions and whether there are any abnormalities in your jaw motion.

If, after the examination, your physical therapist suspects that your pain is a result of the position ("alignment") of your teeth, the therapist will refer you to your dentist for further examination.

How Can a Physical Therapist Help?

Your physical therapist can help you restore the natural movement of your jaw and decrease your pain. Based on your condition, your therapist will select treatments that will work best for you. Your treatments may include:

Posture Education. If you sit with your head in an increased forward position, you are placing greater strain on the muscles beneath your chin, causing the lower jaw to pull back and the mouth to be in an open position even when resting, increasing stress on the TMJ. You also might be overworking the jaw muscles to force the jaw closed so your mouth isn't open all the time. Your physical therapist will teach you to be aware of your posture so that you can improve the resting position of your jaw, head, neck, breastbone, and shoulder blades when you're sitting and walking.

Improving Jaw Movement. Physical therapists use skilled hands-on techniques (manual therapy) to gently increase movement and relieve pain in tissues and joints. Your physical therapist may use manual therapy to stretch the jaw in order to restore normal joint and muscle flexibility or break up scar tissues ("adhesions") that sometimes develop when there is constant injury.

Your physical therapist will teach you special "low-load" exercises that don't exert a lot of pressure on your TMJ, but can strengthen the muscles of the jaw and restore a more natural, pain-free motion.

Special Pain Treatments. If your pain is severe, your physical therapist may provide treatments, such as electrical stimulation or ultrasound to reduce it.

Referral to a Dentist. If your TMD is caused by teeth alignment problems, your physical therapist can refer you to a dentist who specializes in TMD, who can correct the alignment with special appliances, such as "bite guards" that create a natural resting position to relax the TMJ, relieve pain, and improve jaw function.

PELVIC PAIN AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

Pelvic pain is pain felt in the lower abdomen, pelvis, or perineum. It has many possible causes and affects up to 20% of the population in the United States, including women and men. Pelvic pain is considered "chronic" when it lasts for more than 6 months. Physical therapists help people experiencing pelvic pain restore strength and flexibility to the muscles and joints in the pelvic region, and reduce their pain.

What Is Pelvic Pain?

Pelvic pain can be caused by:

• Pregnancy and childbirth, which affect pelvic muscles and cause changes to pelvic joints
• Pelvic joint problems from causes other than pregnancy and childbirth
• Muscle weakness or imbalance within the muscles of the pelvic floor, trunk, or pelvis
• Changes in the muscles that control the bowel and bladder
• Tender points in the muscles around the pelvis, abdomen, low back, or groin areas
• Pressure on 1 or more nerves in the pelvis
• Weakness in the muscles of the pelvis and pelvic floor
• Scar tissue after abdominal or pelvic surgery
• Disease
• A shift in the position of the pelvic organs, sometimes known as prolapse

How Does it Feel?

The pain in your lower abdomen and pelvis may vary; some people say it feels like an aching pain; others describe it as a burning, sharp, or stabbing pain, or even pins and needles. In addition, you may have:

• Pain in the hip or buttock.
• Pain in the tailbone or pubic bone.
• Pain in the joints of the pelvis.
• Tender points in the muscles of the abdomen, low back, or buttock region.
• A sensation of heaviness in the pelvic region or even a sensation as if you are sitting on something hard, like a golf ball.

Signs and Symptoms

• Inability to sit for normal periods of time.
• Reduced ability to move your hips or low back.
• Difficulty walking, sleeping, or performing daily activities.
• Pain or numbness in the pelvic region with exercise or recreational activities, such as riding a bike or running.
• Pain during sexual activity.
• Urinary frequency, urgency, or incontinence, or pain during urination.
• Constipation or straining with bowel movements, or pain during bowel movements.
• Difficulty using tampons.
• Imbalance when walking.

How Is It Diagnosed?

Your physical therapist will complete a thorough review of your medical history, and perform a physical examination to identify the causes of your pelvic pain and any joint issues, muscle tightness or weakness, or nerve involvement. The exam may include:

• Pelvic girdle screening.
• Soft tissue assessment.
• Visual inspection of the tissues.
• Reflex testing.
• Sensation testing.
• Internal assessment of pelvic floor muscles.

Your physical therapist also will determine whether you should be referred to a physician to assist in your interdisciplinary plan of care.

How Can a Physical Therapist Help?

Based on the examination results, your physical therapist will design an individualized treatment program to meet your specific needs and goals. Your physical therapist may:

• Show you how to identify the appropriate muscles, such as the pelvic floor, deep abdominals, and diaphragm.
• Educate you on how to use these muscles correctly for activities like exercise, posture correction, getting up from a chair, or squatting to pick up a child or pick something up from the floor.
• Teach you exercises to stretch and strengthen the affected muscles and retrain them, so they work together normally.
• Teach you techniques to improve blood flow and tissue function in the pelvic area.
• Teach you appropriate pelvic floor muscle exercises.

 Depending on your symptoms and level of discomfort, your physical therapist may decide to use biofeedback to help make you aware of how your pelvic floor muscles work, and how you can control them better. Your physical therapist may attach electrodes to the area to measure your muscle activity as it displays on a monitor, and will work with you to help you understand and change those readings. Your physical therapist also may use gentle electrical stimulation to improve your awareness of your muscles.

3 REASONS TO SEE A PHYSICAL THERAPIST EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT HURT

1. You want to boost your ‘athletic’ performance.

We are all athletes. Whether you aspire to play sports in college or just like shooting hoops on weekends, you’re an athlete in my book. Maybe gardening is your thing. If you don't think those dance classes you go to involve athletic ability, just consider how much more clumsy you felt when you first enrolled. Yes, we are all athletes. 

But is your body getting what it needs to move most effectively? Is everything that should be moving moving well? Are the parts that should be nice and stable actually holding things together?

SPJs have the power to keep you running at top speed, no matter what your favorite activities are. They just have to watch you move to see the unseen. It's common to see an SPJ quickly identify a seemingly unrelated part of the body that winds up having a huge impact on your athletic ability – whatever that means to you. SPJs know where to push and pull and allow your body to do the rest. 

2. You don’t want to get injured. 

What if you don't hurt or only hurt "a little?” While it's not always necessary to seek care for the bumps and bruises that come from normal activity, it’s useful to become educated and get answers when small pains begin to stack up and change the way you move normally. 

Our bodies already have a few superpowers. For example, they’re immensely resilient and have an impressive capacity to heal. More often than not, fear of re-injury and compensating for a previous injury by, say, changing your gait slightly, actually leads to more persistent pain. SPJs are great to have around in these cases because they know exactly when and where to apply stress to the body to speed up healing, as well how to help people best understand how to heal themselves. 

3. You want to save money and time. 

Surgery can be expensive, timely and require a frustrating amount of recovery time. But what if I told you that mounting evidence shows that, in some cases, an SPJ’s management is as effective as many surgical treatments for hip, back, shoulder and knee pain? Believe it. Not only can SPJs save people from some unnecessary surgeries, but good SPJs can also be more cost-effective than the many expensive diagnostic tools typically used to "take a look" at those painful areas. Even if surgery is the best option, a well-trained SPJ can guide you along the healing process and get you back to your favorite activities in no time.

ALMOST 1/2 OF BABIES HAVE FLAT SPOTS

Putting babies to sleep on their backs is preventing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but too much time on their backs it might also be leading to an increase in flat spots on babies' heads.

As reported by NBC News (Nearly half of babies have flat spots, study finds - July 8, 2013), a recent study found that 46.6% of babies had some form of plagiocephaly ("oblique head").

The solution includes varying the side of the head that is placed down when the baby goes to sleep, and also increased "tummy time." Tummy time, even when infants are still very young, is so important. Babies come out flexed up into a ball, and as their muscles begin to relax and their bodies straighten out, tummy time helps the muscles in their neck become active. Babies can typically begin to lift their heads and clear their mouth/nose as early as 10 days after they're born! Within the 1st month, they should begin to get a little bit of clearance, within the 2nd month they should be able to lift their whole head off the ground, and by the 3rd month your baby should be able to hold their heads up and support themselves on their elbows. Once your baby can support their upper body on their elbows, they're typically within ~6 months of crawling! 

Download Tummy Time Tools from the APTA's website for quick tips on how to position, carry, hold, and play with your baby to promote muscle development in the child's neck and shoulders and avoid the development of flat areas on the back of the baby's head.

MOVE FORWARD #CHOOSEPT

CHAMPION SUPPORTS SAFE PAIN MANAGEMENT

No one wants to live in pain. But no one should put their health at risk in an effort to be pain free.

Since 1999, Americans have increasingly been prescribed opioids—painkillers like Vicodin, OxyContin, Opana, and methodone, and combination drugs like Percocet.

In some situations, dosed appropriately, prescription opioids are an appropriate part of medical treatment. However, opioid risks include depression, overdose, and addiction, plus withdrawal symptoms when stopping use. And people addicted to prescription opioids are 40 times more likely to become addicted to heroin. Think that won't be you? Make sure you're right - and #CHOOSEPT. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging health care providers to reduce the use of opioids in favor of safe alternatives like physical therapy.

Don't just mask the pain. Treat it.

Choose physical therapy to manage your pain without the risks and side effects of opioids.