Blog Posts - Christine Walker Physical Therapy

Myth: Painkillers will cure your back pain

12/28/2016

Here's a question I've received from the family of a gymnast in the past: “Why did painkillers work for my daughter’s back pain for a while and then stop?”

The family had been treating their daughter’s back pain with painkillers to keep her at practice. The first few weeks the painkillers had enabled her to participate fully in practice. After a few weeks, the back pain all of sudden was worse. Now, even while taking painkillers, their daughter is unable to participate fully.

Guess what? This story is not unique to just children. I frequently get asked this question by ADULTS as well! (Of course, they want to get back to Cross Fit or yoga...or just want to be able to play with their kids or grandkids)

Stressed? Overwhelmed? Tips For Keeping Your Holiday Season Happy and Healthy

12/16/2016

Have the holidays snuck up on you? For me...they are here! My family arrives today to start celebrating Christmas. The holidays can be such a joyous time, but they can also be stressful and overwhelming. There is always "so much to do!"

Sometimes the stress and activity of the season can itensify nagging aches and pains. I was just talking to a client whose neck pain returned with the stress of the season and she admitted that she has not been doing a good job taking care of herself, mind or body.

Here are some tips for surving the busy holidays and keeping those aches and pain minimal...

What is pain, really?

12/14/2016

Pain is like your the check engine light on your car. Sometimes it goes off because there is a major problem - other times it gets tripped for silly reasons.

Pain signals your brain saying there's a possible threat to your body. It sounds something like this, "HEY BRAIN! SOMETHING IS GOING ON DOWN HERE! CAN YOU PLEASE TRY TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS IS A PROBLEM OR NOT?!?"

Ultimately, your brain decides whether your not you will consciously experience the pain.

"Do I have to go to the gym and use fancy equipment to get my strength back after an injury? "

12/1/2016

This is a question that comes up frequently with my patients. Many of them have previously been to a traditional physical therapy clinic where the therapist puts them on all sorts of fancy machines that they don't have access to when they leave their appointment. A lot of my patients are "go getters" - they want to know everything they can be doing at home to get better FASTER. If a physical therapist only teaches them to use workout machines, then how do they keep up their progress at home?

3 Reasons Why People Get Heel Pain

10/19/2016

Heel pain can be extremely debilitating and keep you from walking the dog, going to the gym, or just being able to move around your house.

For many people, it comes on suddenly. One day they are perfectly fine, and then out of nowhere walking is extremely painful. Why does heel pain occur?

Running Injuries: What You Should Be Doing To Prevent Them

10/5/2016

I recently received this question:

"I want to get back to running, but every time I do I'm worried knee pain is going to creep up on me. What should I be doing to prepare to return to running this time?"
-40 year old male

Runners tend to frequent physical therapy clinics. Why? Because the annual injury rate for runners is as high as 66%!! Unfortunately, our bodies may not be as prepared as we think to get out and do one of the most basic forms of exercise: running.

Why being "tight" is sometimes a good thing...

9/21/2016

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about "Why Stretching Doesn't Always Fix Your Problem". A few days later, I found myself a victim of stretching.

As many of my clients know, I am pregnant with my second child. After weeks of pregnancy-induced back soreness, I went to get a prenatal massage. The first one I had was fantastic - relaxed all the right muscles, focused on the whole body, and was just what I needed. A few weeks later I went back. During the second massage the new practitioner worked a lot on my low back where there were many "knots". At the time, it felt good and the muscles relaxed, however when I stood up I could barely walk I was in so much pain.

What your walk says about your athletic abilities

9/7/2016

Normal Foot Positioning

Your foot position during walking gives a lot of information about your body's ability to generate power with your feet. Explosive power is needed to run faster, jump high, and cut past an opponent.

Normal foot positioning during walking is to have your toes pointing relatively straight forward (give a few degrees each direction...which is NOT MUCH). This position decreases strain on all your lower extremity joints, including your ankles, knees, and hips and allows all of your muscles to work appropriately. In other words, it allows you to walk more efficiently and economically.

Why Stretching Doesn't Always Fix Your Problem

8/31/2016

When we feel stiff or hurt, most people assume that they need to work on moving that part of their body. Conventional wisdom suggests that if something is tight, it needs to be stretched. This is called working on your “flexibility or mobility”.

However, there are some cases where our body is stiff because it is trying to protect us from too much movement, which might cause damage to a muscle or joint. In this case, stretching and working on mobility is going to make the problem worse. The body need STABILITY exercises, rather than stretching/mobility exercises.

Warrior II: Proper Alignment and Treatment Ideas

5/3/2016

NOTE: This post was first published on The Manual Therapist blog, to which Christine Walker is a contributor. This post was written for the audience of other physical therapist and healthcare professionals, however patients may still find it a useful and interesting read.

All too often this comical depiction is accurate. We (or our patients) spend our time wondering if we are doing an exercise correctly.

Warrior II can be a powerful tool for physical therapists. Here are some ways I’ve used it in my practice:

Contact Info:
Ph: 704-659-6655
Email: christine@drwalkerpt.com
Web: http://www.drwalkerpt.com
Address: 8850 Monroe Rd, Charlotte, NC 28212
(inside of Perfect Balance Training Center)

Christine Walker
Physical Therapy, LLC
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All information on this website is intended for instruction and informational purposes only. The authors are not responsible for any harm or injury that may result. Significant injury risk is possible if you do not follow due diligence and seek suitable professional advice about your injury. No guarantees of specific results are expressly made or implied on this website.