Using a cane or a crutch when you have an injury can be very confusing especially when characters on TV shows don’t even use them right! So let me show you how to walk with a cane correctly. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes very easy and natural. When we walk normally, our opposite arm swings forward with our opposite leg. When using a cane, you want the same technique so you don’t risk injuring something else while you are recovering.
The most important part to start with is to make sure your cane is the right height. Most canes have a pin you can push in to change the height. On your upper leg there is a bone that sticks out called your greater trochanter. It is just below your hip. This is where you want the top of the cane. You should have a slight bend in your elbow about 20 degrees. If the cane is too high, you might irritate your shoulder, and if it is too low, you might lean over too much.
Now for the walking part. The cane should be in the opposite hand of the injured side. Yes, House, MD did it wrong! The cane should always move with the injured side. If the injured side goes forward, the cane goes forward for support. Again, this is how our bodies naturally move; so don’t think about it too much. Just move how you would normally move. The cane should be for balance and safety, and if you feel like you are pushing really hard on it, or if you can’t walk smoothly, then you probably are not ready for a cane yet.
This real-time therapeutic yoga routine features easy stretches that can help relax & relieve stress and anxiety throughout the body. It can also help decrease tightness in the muscles and improve overall flexibility.
Bell’s Palsy is the sudden weakness of your facial muscles on one half of the face. These exercises may seem like you are just making funny faces, but this will help get the weak muscles working again.
When glutes are weak or not working properly, other muscles overcompensate, which can lead to discomfort, dysfunction and even injury. Here are some more reasons strong glutes are important.
Yoga at bedtime can help you fall asleep faster and sleep better. Trudy, a registered yoga teacher and fellow Physical Therapist, stops by to show me a therapeutic yoga bedtime routine.
Exercising your tendons isn't something most people think about since tendons aren’t muscles, but tendon-specific exercises can improve joint health, reduce pain and stiffness, and improve speed and agility.
Vagus nerve stimulation uses gentle electrical impulses to stimulate the vagus nerve. The Vagus Nerve plays a key role in the parasympathetic nervous system, helping regulate rest, digestion, heart rate, and more.
Working at a desk or gaming all day can cause people to get stiff and tight in their upper body and lower body. This can also cause forward posture. These quick desk exercises will help reset muscles and keep the blood circulating in your body.
Core exercises are very important to have a healthy and stable back as well as the whole body. The core is not only the front, sides, and back of the trunk, but it is also the pelvic floor. When first starting core exercises, it is best to try modified ones first and then progress to harder movements as the core gets stronger.
Tension headaches can cause a lot of pain. Stress is a common cause of tension headaches. Relaxing the muscles around the neck and shoulder area can help decrease the pain caused by tension headaches.
