Posted 2/15/2022

If you clicked to read this, it’s likely because you or someone you know has long COVID. Or maybe you’re now hearing people talk about long-lasting symptoms of COVID-19.

With research now being published, millions of people having a COVID diagnosis will experience “long” COVID – post-COVID syndrome or long-haul COVID, earning some who experience it the nickname of “long hauler.”

Putting aside that bit of levity, long COVID is no joke.

So if you are struggling to read this because you’re dealing with “COVID brain fog,” you may be thinking, How did I get so unlucky?

It’s a fair question to ask.

But in reality, long COVID is more common than most think.

According to Penn State College of Medicine researchers, more than half of the 236 million people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 worldwide since December 2019 will experience post-COVID symptoms.

Months after recovering from COVID-19, millions of people are still suffering one or more debilitating symptoms like:

• Brain fog
• Difficulty breathing
• Muscle weakness
• Fatigue
• Joint pain
• Dizziness and more

If you or a loved one is suffering, don’t give up. There is hope and help.

Physical therapy is medicine for long COVID

Professional physical therapists, like me, understand what you are going through. Indeed, if you have long COVID, physical therapy can help.

Yes, physical therapy.

As physical therapists, we are specialists who are trained in identifying the clinical symptoms and effects of long COVID. For example, the profound fatigue you’re feeling? Reminiscent of chronic fatigue syndrome, it’s a post-acute leftover of the viral COVID infection, and we can help.

That joint pain? We’re trained also to understand musculoskeletal conditions that can be causing your pain. We can assess the pain and determine the appropriate treatment for it.

I work in an outpatient physical therapy center and help treat patients with long COVID. Our parent company Select Medical collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on an important clinical study regarding the long-term impact of COVID-19.

The study validates our Recovery and Reconditioning program which focuses on specific deficits in patients recovering from COVID-19 and other debilitating illnesses and conditions.

Our Recovery and Reconditioning program helps, specifically, with:

• Fatigue
• Labored breathing
• Weakness
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Joint and muscle pain

Our program was developed in partnership with leading physicians, infectious disease specialists, physical and occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists to help those impacted to heal, gain strength and return to an active, full lifestyle.

We hear all the time that people suffering with long COVID don’t feel heard. Feel misunderstood. Feel like giving up.

If that sounds like you, then trust me, we understand.

We are proud to offer the Recovery and Reconditioning program to you, your loved ones and/or friends – anyone who may be dealing with lingering effects of having COVID-19.

Together, we will address your specific post-COVID symptoms and create an individualized treatment plan for your road to recovery. During care, you will learn ways to pace yourself throughout the day and move your body so that you don’t tire so quickly.

As part of your treatment, we will track your vital signs and symptoms to ensure your safety and progress. We will be there every step of the way back to a healthier you.

You deserve a medical professional who understands you. If you’re tired of feeling alone in your recovery from long COVID, let a physical therapist help.

Schedule a consultation with a physical therapist trained in treating long COVID. Click the blue Contact Us button below to request an appointment at a center near you today.

By: Corey Malone, P.T., DPT, OCS. Corey is physical therapist, center director and Recovery and Reconditioning program champion with KORT in Kentucky.

KORT and RUSH Physical Therapy are part of the Select Medical Outpatient Division family of brands.

Posted on 1/20/2021

PODCAST: Maximizing the Squat Exercise

RUSH Physical Therapy’s Dustin Jesberger, P.T., DPT, recently joined Dr. Brian Cole, orthopedic sports medicine surgeon, and Steve Kashul, host of Chicago Bulls Basketball, on Sports Medicine Weekly to discuss maximizing the squat exercise. Bodybuilders, powerlifters, athletes and those simply looking to get into shape can all use the squat to achieve their fitness goals. Check it out!

More information can also be found at sportsmedicineweekly.com.

 

Posted on 12/8/2021

PODCAST: The Benefits Of Yoga For Athletes

RUSH Physical Therapy’s Lesley Bezdek-Cohen, P.T., DPT, recently joined Dr. Brian Cole, orthopedic sports medicine surgeon, and Steve Kashul, host of Chicago Bulls Basketball, on Sports Medicine Weekly to discuss the benefits of yoga for athletes. Lesley danced professionally with ballet and jazz companies prior to becoming a physical therapist and has been teaching yoga since 2009. Check it out!

The podcast is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts. More information can also be found at sportsmedicineweekly.com.

 

Posted on 10/25/2021

Did you know that knee osteoarthritis affects nearly 14 million adults in the United States¹ per year? Or that meniscus tears are present in 60-90%¹ of those with knee osteoarthritis? With symptoms ranging from knee pain, swelling, stiffness and limited range of motion, medication, injections, surgery and physical therapy are all commonly prescribed to manage knee pain. Medication and injections, however, may simply serve to mask your pain. Surgery can be costly and taxing on your body. Physical therapy, on the other hand, emphasizes a more holistic approach to the body with emphasis on education, pain management and strength and conditioning.

At first glance, it can be frustrating when you are referred to physical therapy for management of knee pain related to structural issues like osteoarthritis or a knee joint tear. Is the physical therapist going to magically reverse your arthritis or heal your meniscus? Shouldn’t you address the structural problem head-on instead of just “strengthening around it?”

Not necessarily.

Surgery or osteoarthritis physical therapy?

If we dig deeper, a better question to consider might be, “Do I need to change the structure of my knee in order to resume the activities I enjoy?” There are several studies to suggest that abnormal findings on X-rays and MRIs can be common, even in persons without knee pain. In fact, a 2020 study² of a population with a median age of 44 and no knee pain found that an astounding 97% of knees had abnormalities on MRI. In addition, when comparing physical therapy management to surgical intervention, there are many cases with similar outcomes.

Now, this is not to say that everyone with knee pain should get physical therapy instead of surgery. Sometimes, surgery is exactly what’s needed to improve your overall quality of life. However, including a physical therapist on your health care team – before and after surgery – is beneficial, even without changing the structural abnormalities that are often presumed to be the problem.

If physical therapy isn’t changing the “structural problem,” what exactly is the benefit?

People are more than pictures, and pain is far more complicated than what that picture shows. X-ray and MRI findings can absolutely be helpful in developing a plan of care; however, they are only one piece of the puzzle. While physical therapy is unlikely to result in a change in the X-ray or MRI findings, it can identify and help modify factors contributing to your knee pain and functional limitations.

Focusing on your unique condition, a physical therapist can work with you to determine the following:

• Health and lifestyle factors contributing to your knee pain
• Activity modification so you can safely perform activities of daily living
• Stretches and strategies to improve motion and strength
• Swelling and pain control
• How and when to appropriately get back to activities that cause you pain/discomfort

This combination can help patients to better understand their condition and develop a plan that assists in recovery. Doing all of this may greatly enhance your quality of life and ease the pain and symptoms you are currently experiencing.

Now, if you and your doctor determine that knee surgery is necessary, remember, physical therapy is a vital part of preparing for your procedure and recovering after it. Before surgery, we will work together to get you as healthy and strong as possible, which will enable your post-surgical recovery to be that much more successful and faster. Following surgery, we will focus on helping you to restore your strength, balance and flexibility.

No matter what, physical therapists are committed to helping you be as mobile, independent and pain-free as possible. Our goal is to build a relationship in which you feel comfortable asking us questions, are an active partner in your care and we’re able to work together to ensure the best outcomes possible.

If you have knee pain, contact us today and experience the power of physical therapy.

References:

1. Bhushan R. Deshpande, BS, Jeffrey N. Katz, MD, MSc, Daniel H. Solomon, MD, MPH, Edward H. Yelin, PhD, David J. Hunter, MBBS, PhD, Stephen P. Messier, PhD, Lisa G. Suter, MD, and Elena Losina, PhD. The number of persons with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis in the United States: Impact of race/ethnicity, age, sex, and obesity (2017)
2. Horga, L.M., Hirschmann, A.C., Henckel, J. et al. Prevalence of abnormal findings in 230 knees of asymptomatic adults using 3.0 T MRI. Skeletal Radiol (2020)

By: Patrick Smith, P.T., DPT. Patrick is board-certified clinical specialist in sports physical and orthopedic physical therapy, a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists and a treating physical therapist with NovaCare Rehabilitation in Philadelphia, PA.

RUSH Physical Therapy and NovaCare are part of the Select Medical Outpatient Division family of brands.

 

Posted on 10/1/2021

At RUSH Physical Therapy, we believe movement is medicine. So, what moves you? Physical activity is key to good health, vitality, energy, strength and might even make you laugh more.

If pain or a medical condition is holding you back, we’re here to help. Physical therapy is a moving experience.

Physical therapy gets you back to life and the things that are most important to you. Whether it’s running a marathon, playing with the grandkids or simply cooking dinner pain-free, the benefits of physical therapy can change lives for the better.

That’s why we’re excited it is October, one of our favorite months of the year. Why, you may ask? October is National Physical Therapy Month. For 31 days, we get to celebrate all things physical therapy and the many ways our dedicated physical therapists and physical therapist assistants help improve the quality of life.

There is so much to share about the benefits of physical therapy, including the highly-trained clinicians who provide it. Did you know that physical therapy helps people manage pain and chronic conditions? How about the power of physical therapy to help heal from recent injury and reduce the risk of future injury? Or prepare the body for surgery and successful recovery or avoid the need for surgery altogether? Well, physical therapy does all this and more.

Physical therapy is also a safe alternative to taking prescription medication. It treats common aches and strains, sprains and fractures, and helps with many other issues and conditions, including:

• Back sprain/strain
• COVID-19 fatigue and other debilitating illnesses
• Headaches and concussions
• Vertigo, dizziness and balance
• Disc injury and pinched nerves
• Rotator cuff tear, bursitis and frozen shoulder…and more

So, what moves you? That marathon? Those grandkids? That culinary masterpiece? Whatever it is, physical therapy, and our compassionate team of licensed therapists, can help get you moving.

Request an appointment today and see how physical therapy can physically, emotionally and mentally enrich your life.

#ThePowerOfPhysicalTherapy #WhatMovesYou #ChoosePT

 

Posted on 9/22/2021

Sports and exercise are part of the lives of many young individuals. Typically, people who participate in sports are known to be healthier and less likely to partake in outside negative distractions compared to people who do not play sports. However, for some adolescent girls, when they only focus on the sport and not their bodies, consequences can arise. 
Many girls who participate in sports are at risk for an issue called the female athlete triad. This triad consists of three conditions, and the athlete can have one, two or all three. The three conditions include disordered eating, amenorrhea and osteoporosis.

Disordered eating

Disordered eating is a term that refers to an individual having unhealthy eating behaviors and worrying about body image. Some of the most common forms of disordered eating include extreme dieting and restrictive eating. On the top end of the spectrum are eating disorders, which involve things such as self-induced vomiting, binge eating and laxative abuse. An individual can have disordered eating and not be diagnosed with an eating disorder. Most girls with disordered eating are trying to lose weight to help them improve their athletic performance. For these specific athletes, this eating pattern can range from not eating enough calories to sustain the amount of activity that they are participating in, to trying to avoid “bad” foods, all the way to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Amenorrhea

Amenorrhea is the lack of menstruation, or one or more missed menstrual periods. Women who have missed at least three menstrual periods in a row have amenorrhea, as well as girls who have not started their periods by the age of 15. Intense exercise accompanied with not eating enough calories can lead to a decrease in the hormones needed for menstruation. As a result, a girl’s period may never come, become irregular or stop altogether. Some girls who have been participating in sports since a young age may never get their first period, because they have been training so hard. On the other hand, some girls may have gotten their period, but it disappears as their training intensifies or their eating habits change. On one hand, dysfunction of the menstrual cycle can lead to infertility. And on the other hand, it can lead to unplanned pregnancies in young women recovering from the triad. While the cycle is being restored, an egg may be dropped early and, without contraception, pregnancy can occur.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is translated as porous bone. It is a disease in which the density and quality of the bone are reduced. For people with osteoporosis, boss loss overtakes the growth of new bone. Consequently, over time the bone becomes more porous and fragile, and the risk of fracture greatly increases. This typically happens silently, and there are usually no symptoms until the first fracture occurs. In girls with the triad, estrogen is typically lower. Low estrogen accompanied with a poor diet, especially low calcium, can lead to osteoporosis. During the teen years, a lot of bone growth is supposed to happen and the peak bone mass should be reached. An athlete with the female athlete triad will have a hard time getting to her peak bone mass, and it can affect her greatly later in life.

Takeaway: Diagnosing and treatment

Girls who have female athlete triad are typically invested in their sports and would do almost anything to be the best athlete possible. Girls in particular sports have more of a risk than others. Sports with a weight class like wrestling, martial arts and rowing, and sports where being thin is more optimal for performing like gymnastics, diving, figure skating, cross country and ballet, have a higher risk. However, the truth is, being very thin, and losing those last few pounds, doesn’t typically improve performance at all.

If a female athlete is suspected to have the triad, a wide-ranging physical examination is needed for diagnosis. A doctor will likely ask questions about her period, diet, exercise habits and overall feelings about her body. From there, blood test will be ordered to check for vitamin deficiencies and to rule out any other reasons for a lack of period and weight loss. A doctor may also order a bone scan to check for osteoporosis, since the athlete will be at a higher risk for bone breaks.

Doctors will not work alone to help treat a girl with female athlete triad. Coaches, athletic trainers, parents, physical therapists, nutritionists and dietitians and mental health specialists all work together and play a role in the recovery of this athlete. They focus on both the physical and emotional issues that the girl is likely facing to help prevent long term issues.

References:

• https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/triad.html
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3435916/
• https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2017/06/female-athlete-triad
• https://www.iofbonehealth.org/what-is-osteoporosis

By: Wyneisha Mason, MAT, ATC. ‘Neisha is an athletic trainer with RUSH Physical Therapy in Chicago, Illinois.

RUSH is part of the Select Medical Outpatient Division family of brands.

 

Posted on 9/7/2021

RUSH Physical Therapy’s Erin Short, P.T., DPT, recently joined Dr. Brian Cole, orthopedic sports medicine surgeon, and Steve Kashul, host of Chicago Bulls Basketball, on Sports Medicine Weekly to discuss how to avoid an injury while endurance training. Erin also discussed the role of physical therapy in helping patients before and after an injury. Check it out!

The podcast is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts. More information can also be found at sportsmedicineweekly.com.

 

Posted on 8/11/2021

RUSH Physical Therapy’s Dustin Jesberger, P.T., DPT, recently joined Dr. Brian Cole, orthopedic sports medicine surgeon, and Steve Kashul, host of Chicago Bulls Basketball, on Sports Medicine Weekly to discuss performing arts. Dustin detailed common injuries seen in the performing arts and physical therapy’s role in helping keep performers healthy. Check it out!

The podcast is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts. More information can also be found at sportsmedicineweekly.com.

 

Posted on 8/11/2021

Recently, I had a runner try to increase their pace by 30 seconds from one weekend to the next. The result? Severe pain along the inside of their shin and the start of spending two days a week in physical therapy.

Many running injuries are due to overuse and/or improper training. Up to 70% of recreational and competitive distance runners sustain an overuse running injury during any one-year period.¹ One of my favorite questions to ask runners is, “Other than running, what exercises are you doing?” Usually the response is, “You mean running isn’t enough exercise?”

Running injuries can be prevented. One of the keys to proper training is cross training. The most important group of muscles to strengthen for runners are those along the side of your hip, mainly your glute medius and glute minimus.

When people hear glutes, they immediately think of their buttocks. But, two of the smaller glute muscles – the glute medius and minimus – are often overlooked. The glute medius and minimus are vital hip muscles and their main function is to stabilize your pelvis.

When you’re walking, think about the moment you put your right foot down and swing your left leg through. Does your left hip drop down? If so, then you may have some weakness in these stabilizers along your right side. Now, imagine running more than five miles and this is repetitively happening without you knowing. Imagine the wear and tear this is taking on your body. Weak hips place unnecessary stress along your back, knees and feet. The good news is that this can be prevented.

How do you strengthen your glutes? Here are some simple exercises that do not require much equipment.

• Sidestepping: Place a resistance band just above your knees (easier) or above your ankles (harder). Keeping your toes pointing forward, side-step in a mini squat about 20 feet. Then, return to the start without turning around.
• Jane Fondas: Lay on your left side completely against the wall, head, back and heels. Place a towel behind your right heel and keeping your toes pointing straight forward. Slowly lift your leg up/down. Repeat on other side.
• Side planks: These can be done from your knees or feet.
• Knee side plank: Slowly bring your buttocks back then forward to target multiple fibers of the muscle.
• Hydrants: On all fours, lift your knee out to the side without letting your hips tilt.

For more information or to request a complimentary injury screen with one of our licensed physical therapists, please contact the center nearest you today. In the meantime, train smart, run fast and run happy!

By: Sarah Zayyad, DPT, CMPT, CDNT, Cert-ART, physical therapist with RUSH Physical Therapy 

RUSH Physical Therapy and RUSH Physical Therapy are part of the Select Medical Outpatient Division family of brands.

1:  Ferber, R., Hreljac, A., & Kendall, K. D. (2009). Suspected Mechanisms in the Cause of Overuse Running Injuries: A Clinical Review. Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach, 1(3), 242–246. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738109334272 

Posted on 7/8/2021

Select Medical, RUSH Physical Therapy's parent company, was proud to collaborate with the CDC on an important clinical study regarding the long-term impact of COVID-19. The study validates our Recovery and Reconditioning Program to focus on specific deficits in patients recovering from COVID-19 and other debilitating illnesses and conditions.

Findings of the study indicate that patients recovering from COVID-19 could benefit from additional personalized rehabilitation services aimed at both physical and mental health. As the nation’s largest provider of outcomes-based, innovative physical therapy, Select Medical, along with RUSH Physical Therapy, is expertly positioned to guide the recovery of this 33.5 million patient population.

The Recovery and Reconditioning program launched in June 2020 amid the pandemic and was developed in partnership with leading physicians, including physiatrists, pulmonologists, infectious disease specialists as well as physical and occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists. Following evidence-informed program guidelines, our licensed physical and occupational therapists tailor a plan of care to address patients’ specific needs and goals to resume pre-COVID activities and routine.

RUSH Physical Therapy centers are “direct access” and do not require a physician referral to receive care. If you or a loved one are recovering from COVID-19, please click here to find a center near you and schedule an appointment today.