1. Support: Feet must be shoulder width apart, with one foot slightly more forward. Feel comfortable and stable before you squat.

2. Squat: Try to keep your back straight and only bend your hips and knees to reach the heavy load. Remember to keep your shoulders back to avoid bending your back.

3. Lift Slowly: Now straighten your hips and knees. DO NOT TWIST YOUR BACK, this can lead to strained muscles and loss of support.

4. Hold Tight: Keep the load close to your body and make sure it won’t slip or fall.

5. Align: Keep your shoulders and hips in line while you transport your load.

6. Set Down: Bend your knees and hips to place your load. Do not bend your back.

By using  these lifting techniques during your spring cleaning, you can avoid an unnecessary trip to the emergency room.

The first thing you need to know is that physical therapy is meant to increase your ability to be active without any pain, discomfort, or risk of injury. During your first visit to Marketplace Physical Therapy Corona, the doctor will evaluate your activity level as well as flexibility and endurance. You may need to do a few short exercises so your doctor can fully understand your strengths and weaknesses. After your evaluation your doctor may provide you with special equipment, such as crutches or splints, if they are needed. A treatment goal will be set and you will begin your physical therapy.

Every appointment after your first evaluation at Marketplace Physical Therapy Corona will be a test on how well you can perform. Adjustments will be made to fit your needs and to ensure comfort and progress. The therapist will teach you exercises you can do at home so you can improve flexibility, strength, and endurance between appointments. You must remember that the doctor is only teaching you what you need to do in order to strengthen your activity in a healthy way, so keep up with your exercise routines in order to reach your treatment goal.

For additional information or to schedule a free consultation please contact Marketplace Physical Therapy Corona by calling 951.684.2874

When most people think of Physical Therapy, they think about exercises performed on equipment. However, many people with serious injuries are not able to perform routine exercises in a gym setting. For these people aquatic therapy is a great option. Aquatic therapy is used to mobilize joints, increase range of motion, develop balance and stability for people who are unable to tolerate land based therapy. Water therapy can help you minimize the inevitable loss of fitness that comes from being sidelined.  Pool therapy uses the resistance of water instead of weights. The forces on weight-bearing joints are reduced taking excess pressure off joints for better results.  The warm pool water can reduce pain by relaxing tight or spasm muscles by increasing blood flow. Pool therapy can make exercise easier and less painful. The water resistance will help patients strengthen muscles and improve cardiovascular performance. People who have difficulty with traditional therapy often show improvement with aquatic therapy. The goal is to transition patients quickly from aqua therapy to a land rehabilitation program within 3 to 12 sessions.

Why Aquatic Therapy at Marketplace Physical Therapy Chino?

• Patients will be treated by Dr. Courtney Ellstrom, a graduate of Loma Linda University; Patient care and recovery is her #1 focus.

• Patients will have access to state of the art exercise equipment and amenities.

• Our therapists customize care plans and set goals for each patient to ensure best results.

• We educate patients on injury specific prevention and recovery.

Pool Therapy at Marketplace Physical Therapy Chino is ideal for the following conditions:

• Arthritis management/joint pain

• Athletic/cardiovascular training

• Gait analysis

• Musculoskeletal disorders

• Chronic back pain and lumbar stabilization

• Foot, ankle, knee, or hip pain

• Short-term therapy with transition to land-based rehabilitation

• Spinal cord injuries

• Amputees

• Stroke

• Brain Injury

For additional information or to schedule a free consultation please contact Dr. Courtney Ellstrom at Marketplace Physical Therapy Chino by calling 951.684.2874

Sports talk show hosts have been debating for several weeks the reason for Kobe Bryant’s Achilles Tear. Was he playing too many minutes leading up to the Laker’s playoff run or did 17 years in the NBA finally catch up to him. At this point none of that matters at all. The only thing that matters is what it is going to take for Kobe to return as one of the best players in the NBA. Marketplace Physical Therapy Riverside explains exactly what Kobe will be going through over the next 6 – 9 months.

Here are the 5 areas Kobe will need to focus on after his surgery

1. Control Swelling: Immediately following Kobe’s surgery to re-attach his torn Achilles, Marketplace Physical Therapy Riverside explains that his medical team’s main focus will be controlling the swelling. A certain amount of swelling is good for the body because it increases blood flow to the injured area and thus bringing the healing white blood cells. However, massive and prolonged swelling can lead to atrophy of the muscles surrounding the joint and a decreased ability to activate the muscles. Chronic swelling can lead to tissues becoming rigid and non-pliable making the athlete much more succeptible to injury. Marketplace Physical Therapy Riverside believes that Kobe’s Physical Therapist will employ the PRICE method to control Swelling

P = Protection from further damage
R = Rest to avoid prolonging irritation
I = Ice (cold) for controlling pain, bleeding, and edema
C = Compression for support and controlling swelling
E = Elevation for decreasing bleeding and edema

2. Protect the Elasticity of the Achilles: Riverside Physical Therapist explains that Kobe’s Doctors from Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic will be very careful to keep his tendon in a shortened position. Overstretching the tendon would be disastrous because it would limit Kobe from getting any lift off of the foot, virtually guaranteeing that he will never dunk a basketball again. Once the tendon has regained its strength all exercises will be focused on pointing the ankle down and not lengthening it at all.

3. Time for the Boot: Kobe will progress quickly from a full boot with crutches, full boot normal walking, athletic shoe with heel support and then a normal shoe with no heel support. In every one of these phases Kobe will be working on range of motion, light strengthening and cardio.

4. Normal Movement: If things all go according to plan he will move into the next phase of retaining normal movement three months after his surgery. The faster he enters this phase the better chance he has of returning to his all-star status.

5. Learning to Play Basketball Again: There has been no time in Kobe’s life where he has had such limited physical activity for 3-6 months. Obviously, this will lead to deconditioning to his body as a whole.  In the beginning of this phase, his Physical Therapists and trainers will be very protective of his repaired Achilles. He will then be exposed to sports specific basketball drills and exposure to contact.

If all goes perfectly according to plan, Kobe will be able to play in 6-9 months. This falls in line with the start of the 2013-2014 NBA season.

Most people do not have the resources to have a team of Doctors, Physical Therapists, and Trainers with your 24 hours a day. However, if you are facing an injury and you live in the Inland Empire, Marketplace Physical Therapy Riverside had the knowledge and dedication to give you the highest quality rehabilitation available.

To schedule a free consultation with our Doctor of Physical Therapy, please call 951.684.2874.

Marketplace Physical Therapist Riverside, Dr. Steven Nieto, warns against postponing knee replacement surgery.

As a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Practicing Physical Therapist Riverside I often recommend trying Physical Therapy before seriously considering surgery. Several studies have shown that Physical Therapy is as effective as Surgery and Physical Therapy combined. However, there are few exceptions and one of those is people seriously requiring a knee replacement. We can strengthen muscles and ligaments, temporarily relieve pain, and deal with the issues that lead to knee issues, however because of the severe degradation of the knee patients requiring a knee replacement expose themselves to a number of other risks.

Below is a number of risks that a patient should consider while foregoing a knee replacement

1. Weight Gain – Often times degradation of the knee causes bone to be on top of bone. This is extremely painful. The effect of this is often times a decrease in activity level because of pain. This decrease in activity level has an overall effect on the number of calories we burn in a day and usually results in weight gain. Weight gain can lead to a higher incidence of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and even extra pressure on the knee itself.

2. Hip Replacement – Often times patients will drastically change their normal posture due avoid the pain caused by their knee. This often causes a significant increase in pressure to the hips and the unaffected knee. This could lead to two knees that must be replaced or a hip replacement, which is a much more invasive surgery. Unfortunately, we have seen many patients who have had multiple surgeries that all resulted from one issue.

3. Loss of Muscle Mass – Our legs have more muscle than any other part of our body. Not only does knee pain stop us from regular exercise, but it causes most people to fundamentally change how their body moves. Instead of squatting to sit down which works our quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings, it turns into pulling or pushing yourself out of a chair. In addition, there is a much higher likelihood of staying in that seat for a longer period of time and depending on others to do tasks for you. Decreased muscle mass can lead to a significant lowering of your basal metabolic rate which can also lead to abnormal weight gain.

4. Isolation from Family and Friends – As a Physical Therapist Riverside we often get complaints from patients that they feel isolated from family and friends. I am not saying that family members will specifically exclude you from events. Let me give you an example. Your daughter wants to take the kids to the county fair. She wants you to be there, but the children will be moving at a fast pace playing games and getting to all the rides. She doesn’t want to put you in pain and needs to make sure she is keeping up with the kids. Modified versions of these events happen a lot and can make patients needing knee replacements to feel alone and isolated.

We encourage you to see your Orthopedist if you feel that you might be a candidate for a knee replacement. If you would like a second opinion, schedule a free consultation with me or one of our Physical Therapists. We will be able to give you an honest opinion on if we think Physical Therapy might make a difference in your knee pain. If we don’t feel like Physical Therapy will make a difference then we will personally refer you to an Orhtopedist that we recommend. Make sure you bring your x-ray and doctors report the the free consultation. You can schedule your free appointment by calling 951.684.2874.

I know that we have all heard the old adage “Practice Makes Perfect”. I use that one a lot with my 13 year old son Jared. Marketplace Physical Therapist Beaumont, Dr. Courtney Ellstrom, has seen a sharp increase in Little League Elbow. The medical term for Little League Elbow is Medial Epicondylar Apophysitis. Little League elbow is an injury that usually affects pitchers from 9 to 14 years old, thus the name. It can also occur to children in other sports who throw a lot like football, water polo, and volleyball. Pain is caused by an increased amount of pressure on a growth plate in the forearm. 

Why does it occur?

With Sports Stars notoriety and salary increasing significantly, parents and children are pushing harder than ever for success. In simple terms, children do not have the muscle or ligament structure to support a major league work load. This is why many little leagues are now requiring a pitch limit depending on the age of the player. If you want a more technical version: The medial epicondyle is where the forearm muscles attach to the bone and is the ligament that stabilizes the elbow in the throwing motion. In children the medial epicondyle contains a growth plate of immature cartilage cells, which is significantly more likely to be injured compared to mature bone. You must be extremely careful with this injury because if ignored the growth plate can actually tear off from the upper arm.

Symptoms of Little League Elbow

Symptoms can present themselves during sports and non-sports activities. The patient will experience pain on the side of the elbow when throwing which can result in a decrease in speed or accuracy. One of the Pitchers on my son’s baseball team started demonstrating symptoms when he was writing in class or doing homework. You might think they are just trying to get out of class work, but any movement involving the forearm can cause pain.

Treatment

Ignoring this injury is a recipe for disaster and can limit your child’s future in their sport. Marketplace Physical Therapy Beaumont recommends seeing a Physical Therapist immediately. You can schedule a free consultation with on of our Physical Therapists in Chino, Riverside, Corona, Redlands or Beaumont. Here are some recommendations Dr. Ellstrom, Physical Therapist Beaumont recommends:

1. Ice the elbow three times a day for 15 minutes each.

2. Treat the injury with Interferential Stimulation and Ultrasound

3. Develop a strength and conditioning program to increase the endurance and capacity of the forearm muscles.

4. If the injury is severe, your Physical Therapist could recommend cessation of the sport for a maximum of 6 weeks. This evaluation is made on a case-by-case basis and can be averted with adherence to a Physical Therapy program.

5. Referral to a Physician for an X-Ray to determine severity.

6. Forearm braces might also be recommended to immobilize the arm.

As always Pitchers should have rest days between high throwing days. Here is the schedule we followed for my son’s baseball team.

For pitchers age 7 to 16:
Pitches in a day Rest time
61 or more 4 days
41-60 3 days
21-40 2 days
1-20 1 day

For pitchers age 17 to 18:
Pitches in a day Rest time
76 or more 4 days
51-75 3 days
26-50 2 days
1-25 1 day

Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to schedule a free consultation with Marketplace Physical Therapy Beaumont.

Marketplace Physical Therapy has just added Easy Choice Health Plan and HealthSmart to their long list of insurances accepted. Easy Choice Health Plan  is a fast growing IPA that will allow our Physical Therapists to treat patients who need Physical Therapy in our Corona,  Riverside,  Chino, Beaumont and Redlands locations. HealthSmart is a nation-wide health plan that extends from PPO’s to Workers Compensation Injuries.

Michael Rappaport, CEO of Marketplace Physical Therapy had this to say about the addition “We are excited to add these two large insurance companies to the hundreds of insurance companies we already accept. This gives more patients access to high quality Physical Therapy and Physicians more choices on where to refer injured patients.”

Jeannie Daly, Physical Therapy Aide

Jeannie works as a Physical Therapy Aide at our Physical Therapy Office in Chino, CA.

Marquita Scott, PTA

Marquita works as a Physical Therapist Assistant at several of our locations including Riverside, Beaumont, and Chino.

For more information please check out the LaSalle website at http://www.lasallemedicalassociates.com