Category Archives for Physical Therapy
Low Back Pain and Piriformis Syndrome
Here at Omnis Rehab Joint and Performance Center we see our fair share of low back pain, it is one of our most common complaints. Did you know that your low back pain in Little Rock, Arkansas may not be caused by a low back issue at all? Our Little Rock Chiropractic office and North Little Rock Chiropractic office see patients with low back pain caused from a condition called Piriformis syndrome every day and today we are going to learn about and how to fix this condition.
Piriformis Muscles
Piriformis Syndrome is a condition that affects the piriformis muscle, which is a muscle that stretches from the pelvis to the upper part of the thigh bone, and it is often mistaken for other, more prominent muscles. When it comes to the muscle groups in the buttocks, most of our patients at our Little Rock Chiropractic office know about the big muscles players like the glute max, glute med and glute min, but have less education on the much smaller but just as important muscles. These smaller muscle groups called the obturator internus and piriformis muscles are very important when it comes to the health and performance of our bodies. ÂÂ
The piriformis muscles are the primary external rotators of your femur and upper leg. They also produce a small amount of stabilization and adduction to the hip joint (think moving your leg out and away from the other leg, making a snow angel). Another example for our Little Rock CrossFit athletes, when your coach tells you to “screw†your feet into the ground during a squat or a deadlift, the muscles you are activating are the piriformis and obturator internus muscles.ÂÂ
Piriformis Syndrome
Now that we have a good understanding of the piriformis muscles and what they do, let’s talk about the pain and discomfort caused by piriformis syndrome. If you suffer from this condition, you may feel numbness or tingling down the back of your legs, have pain in your glutes, or have a deep aching in the deep center of your glutes with activity. No fun right? ÂÂ
Piriformis syndrome is classified as a neuromuscular disorder that occurs when the sciatic nerve becomes irritated or compressed by the piriformis muscle, causing pain and paresthesia along the sciatic nerve distribution down the back of the leg. Thankfully, piriformis syndrome can typically be managed and treated very well conservatively with chiropractic care and rehab at your Little Rock Chiropractic clinic.ÂÂ
Treatment of Piriformis Syndrome through ChiropracticÂÂ
At Omnis Rehab: Joint and Performance Center, we are equipped to treat all types of low back injuries and conditions, including Piriformis Syndrome. We may do soft tissue treatments like direct pressure over the muscle area and ART depending on the severity of your condition.  We may also use Little Rock Acupuncture therapy or do trigger point needling/ dry needling in clinic to help alleviate pain and symptoms. Another effective treatment for piriformis syndrome is targeted stretching and muscle relaxation. At Omnis Rehab: Joint and Performance Center, we not only want to treat you in clinic, we want to teach you proper techniques and stretches that you can utilize at home to deal with your condition. Your Little Rock chiropractors are a tremendous guide for this kind of stretching therapy and guidance. Alongside our hands on treatment protocols, if you need further help with these exercises, we may utilize the services of our on staff Physical Therapist.
No matter the issue, our staff at Omnis Rehab: Joint and Performance Center, can help you get back to healthy through Little Rock chiropractic care, Little Rock physical therapy, or Little Rock massage therapy. Visit our website to check insurance benefits or set up an appointment with one of our providers..
Sciatic Pain in Little Rock, Arkansas
Do you have a sharp pain that typically radiates from one side of your back down one leg? What about numbness, tingling, or weakness in one leg? If you answer yes to this question, you may be suffering from sciatic pain.
Sciatic pain can vary widely from patient to patient so let us at Omnis Rehab Joint Performance Center help you understand this common condition. Sciatica can originate from one side in the lower back, or the buttock area. It often travels down the affected leg, causing numbness, tingling, pain, weakness, or a pins and needles sensation.
Some of the primary symptoms of sciatica include:
- Leg pain that worsens when sitting, often times driving
- Tingling or burning running down the leg
- Numbness, weakness, or difficulties moving the foot or entire leg
- Loss of range of motion in leg
- A consistent pain on one side of your lower back
- An intense and/or intolerable pain that makes it hard or uncomfortable to stand up
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica (sometimes known as radiculopathy) is inflammation or irritation of the sciatic nerve. This can be caused from dysfunction of the muscles and/ or joints surrounding this nerve. These dysfunctions can be caused by an injury or joint misalignments/ joint restrictions putting pressure on the sciatic nerve. Muscle weakness or muscle tightness can also contribute to nerve pressure causing sciatic pain. Pregnancy is another leading cause of sciatic pain. The sciatic nerve passes underneath the uterus and as your body changes throughout pregnancy, pressure on the sciatic nerve can increase.
Treatment of Sciatic Nerve Pain
Sciatic pain can be debilitating. At Omnis Rehab Joint and Performance Center, our goal is to treat your pain through chiropractic and rehab treatments that are non invasive and safe. Our goal is to accurately diagnose and treat the cause of the problem, getting you back into the swing of things through non invasive and conservative care.
At your first visit with your Little Rock chiropractor, we will determine through a thorough examination, which may include x-rays, what is causing your discomfort. We will then work through some basic treatments of your sciatic pain in Little Rock, Arkansas that may include:
- Chiropractic Adjustment: Your Little Rock chiropractor can apply spinal manipulations to allow your spine and joints to move freely and unrestricted. Adjustments help realign the spine. This allows nerves, joints, and muscles to function together correctly within the body.
- Heat and Modality Therapies: In our Little Rock or North Little Rock chiropractic offices, we often use heat for muscle relaxation. We often pair heat with TENs units (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) which is a small battery powered, portable box that stimulates the muscles. It uses electrical currents at variable intensities to help control pain and reduce the occurrence of muscle spasms.
- Myofascial Therapies:  These types of therapies can help reduce trigger points and other muscle adhesions that can contribute to pain and underlying problems. We use ART (Active Release Technique) as well as Percussion Massage.
- Spinal Decompression: Spinal decompression utilizes a table that provides a gentle release to create more space within each joint of the spine. This process takes pressure off nerves, relieving pain and symptoms in affected areas.
- Chiropractic Exercises:  Strengthening the muscles surrounding joints leads to better stabilization and healing of areas. When your body and joints are properly aligned and muscles are firing appropriately, your body feels its best.
If you have sciatic pain, we can treat the source of the pain with our expertise at Omnis Rehab. We have two locations for chiropractic care in Central Arkansas. Call us today at 501-313-2844 or schedule your appointment today. We accept most major insurance policies and you can check your insurance benefits here.
How Long Does It Take a Sprained Ankle to Heal?
This post was Written by Omnis Rehab Physical Therapist Elizabeth (Betta) Clark, PT, DPT, MS
Have you ever sprained an ankle?
Whether this was a recent mild sprain that had you hurting for a few days or a major sprain that took you out for weeks as a kid, it could be relevant to what you are experiencing with your pain or performance now!
Ankle sprains are generally regarded as a ligament injury, most of the time to the outside ligaments of the foot. The foot is usually more vulnerable to an inversion sprain (when you fall or trip on a turned in ankle) than an eversion sprain, since you have less muscles of the foot that are able to control inversion. Both sprains are possible however.
Ankle Sprain Treatment
The typical immediate recommendation for an ankle sprain is to rest, ice and elevate (if swelling is associated with it) for at least 48 hours. Often, following these guidelines will allow the person who sprained their ankle to become relatively pain free and functional over the next few weeks.
HOWEVER, what I find clinically with ankle sprains is that the talus bone (one of the bones that forms the foundation of your ankle) will usually slightly shift to the inside or outside of the foot, putting pressure on those ligaments and can continue the swelling and inflammation process long after the ligament should have healed. Many conventional treatment options including sports medicine, rehab, or physical therapy worlds will not address this. I would recommend seeing a professional as soon as possible after a significant ankle sprain, as talus bone shifting can be responsible for some of the immediate symptoms as you’ll see from the anecdote below.
Ankle Sprain Treatments in Practice
I was hiking in Colorado with my friend once when she sprained her ankle about 2 miles out from our car. She was unable to bear any weight on her foot and my options were to either carry her on my back for 2 miles or put my training to use in the wild. I was able to feel with my hands that her talus bone had shifted significantly to the inside. I attempted to slightly shift her bone the opposite way while she performed some ankle pumps, and she didn’t like me very much at that moment, but immediately after,[D1] she was able to bear weight on her foot with significantly less pain and we made it back to our car safely.
The research shows that individuals who have sprained an ankle once are more likely to sprain an ankle in the future1-3. It has been theorized that this is due to a decreased ability to feel where their joint is in space. I agree that this is probably true, but I think often their joint “doesn’t know†where it is in space BECAUSE the talus bone has slightly shifted.
Adaptation and Over Compensation
The body will often learn to adapt around this minor shift and cause compensation at the foot, knee, hip or even at your back! Yes, I am implying that your untreated high school ankle sprain may be a contributor to your hip or back pain now.
Of course, the human body is amazingly adaptable and many people function and compensate swimmingly. Until, that is, life catches up and physical and mental stressors become too much that the body says “hold up! I can’t compensate anymore.â€Â
A great example of this is my husband David who struggled with back pain with simple activities (like putting on his clothes!) for the better part of a year while he was deployed. He tried lots of different self-care techniques, including soft tissue, dry needling, spinal manipulation, McKenzie  [D1] techniques and deep breathing. All of these gave some temporary relief. But, his pain kept coming back UNTIL we worked on his ankle. He had sprained it as a kid playing tennis, and his body adapted around it until it no longer could. To be exact, we found his talus bone was sitting to the inside, presumably from his ankle sprain while playing tennis as a teenager!
Get Started Working towards Feeling Better
If this is your issue, I would recommend a talus mobilization by a professional, followed up with exercise designed to challenge your ankle stability. Although everyone is different, this specific rehab process takes about 3-5 visits on average, depending on how long it has been an issue, along with other factors.
Different people respond differently to similar treatments, and by all means I’m NOT saying that if you had an ankle sprain once, you’re doomed. But, if you’ve addressed everything else except that on the path to a healthier body, and are still struggling, maybe it’s time to take a deeper look into your past.
Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Clark Today!
sources:
1.Beynnon BD, Murphy DF, Alosa DM. Predictive factors for lateral ankle sprains: a literature review. J Athl Train. 2002; 37: 376– 380.ÂÂ
2. Swenson DM, Yard EE, Fields SK, Comstock RD. Patterns of recurrent injuries among US high school athletes, 2005-2008. Am J Sports Med. 2009; 37: 1586– 1593. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0363546509332500ÂÂ
3. Yeung MS, Chan KM, So CH, Yuan WY. An epidemiological survey on ankle sprain. Br J Sports Med. 1994; 28: 112– 116.ÂÂ