An Alternative to X-Rays and MRIs

This week’s article is written by Dr. Michael Auriemma, a member of Regenerative Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. He is a key member of our physical therapy team here in Bethesda and Chevy Chase and has helped many athletes, active adults, and runners overcome injury in conjunction with a comprehensive physical therapy plan. Dr. Auriemma specializes in sports and musculoskeletal medicine, and has received extensive training in the use of sports ultrasound for both diagnostic and interventional procedures.

He is the perfect person to tell us about an alternative solution to X-rays and MRIs that also happens to be a lot easier, quicker, and more pleasant to use!

Enjoy!

Regenerative Orthopedics and Sports Medicine (ROSM) is a growing private practice centered in the DMV. It is comprised of physicians who specialize in non-operative orthopedic and sports medicine.

ROSM physicians strive to provide a higher quality of care through extended patient visits (ie. more 1 on 1 time with patients) and the use of diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound, a bedside tool that allows for real-time imaging of muscle injuries, tendon and ligament injuries, fascia injuries, arthritis, and nerve entrapments.

In certain situations, ultrasound can eliminate the need for X-rays or MRIs, while other times it serves as a complimentary imaging modality.

In addition to advanced diagnostics, ultrasound can also be utilized to guide targeted treatments to enhance recovery. These include prolotherapy, platelet rich plasma (PRP), bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC), and microfragmented adipose transfers (MFAT).

ROSM physicians help patients choose appropriate treatments through a combination of evidence-based research and individual patient needs.

Visit our website to learn more!

-Dr. Michael Auriemma, MD

CHP Spotlight Interview: Dr. Scott Faucett

Do not miss this interview with internationally renowned orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Scott Faucett! Dr. Cohen and Dr. Faucett discussed a myriad of different topics that pertain to the worlds of physical therapy, athletics, performance, and surgical medicine. This interview is a MUST SEE if you are experiencing any hip or knee pain, or simply wish to learn more so that you can increase the longevity of these joints!

Reach out to Dr. Faucett via the information below

scottfaucettmd.com

(202) 912-8480

clinical@scottfaucettmd.com

Want to return to running after an ankle sprain?

Ankle sprains are often dismissed as minor injuries, yet they frequently lead runners and other athletes to seek physical therapy.

The seriousness of these injuries is frequently underestimated, with athletes returning to their activities too soon.

The most common type of ankle sprain that we see in physical therapy is an inversion sprain, where the foot typically remains planted as the ankle turns inward, causing the outer edge of the foot to roll onto the ground—hence the term “rolled ankle.” This motion damages the ligaments on the outside of the ankle, often leading to varying degrees of tears.

The severity of the injury and the number of ligaments affected determine the grade of the sprain, ranging from grade 1 to grade 3.

After an ankle sprain, it’s crucial to rule out a fracture. Athletes should seek an X-ray if they are unable to bear weight on the injured leg or experience severe pain around the malleolus (the prominent ankle bone on the outside).

If no fracture is found and the aforementioned symptoms are absent, the focus can shift to gradually returning to running.

During running, there is never a moment when both feet are on the ground simultaneously. This means the body is continuously bouncing from one leg to the other, placing repeated stress on the ankles as they absorb the full impact of the body.

Unfortunately, after an ankle injury, the capacity of the affected area to handle stress (the cumulative amount it can bear before re-injury) is significantly reduced. As a result, recovery from an ankle sprain often takes longer than expected, with many athletes attempting to run before their ankle has fully healed.

To ensure a safe recovery, injured tissues need to gradually reacclimate to the stress associated with running or other sports.

A careful and progressive return to running might start with non-weight-bearing movements, gradually advancing to low-impact, weight-bearing exercises such as squats, split squats, and lunges. From there, single-leg activities like balance drills and single-leg squats can be introduced, followed by plyometric exercises involving two-legged jumps, and eventually, hopping on one leg.

Finally, activities such as jump roping, short runs, and longer runs can be reintroduced into the routine.

In summary, every ankle sprain is unique, making it essential to have a trained medical professional assess the injury to rule out a fracture. This professional can then design a personalized return-to-sport program tailored to your needs.

For further assistance and information on how we can help, you know where to find us!

Is Mobility Overrated?

Mobility has become a popular buzzword in the sports physical therapy community in Bethesda and Chevy Chase. While it is an important aspect of health and fitness, could mobility be getting more attention than it actually deserves?

What Is Mobility?

The term “mobility” refers the quantity of available movement — and how freely and efficiently you’re able to do so. Popularized by the sports physical therapy and training community, mobility is important for everyone, whether you’re an elite athlete or a busy working Mom.

Mobility is an important part of a well-designed injury rehabilitation and prevention program. It is also used to improve the quality of life for our physical therapy patients in Chevy Chase and Bethesda.

While very important, many experts feel that the booming popularity of mobility overshadows several other key health factors. In particular, the added focus on mobility often leads to a lack of attention on other important health factors, such as strength, cardiovascular health, and other global health behaviors.

What The Mobility “Craze” Makes Us Overlook

Although mobility is an important aspect of a healthy body, mobility alone won’t provide the quick fix you might be looking for. Instead, there are several complex contributing factors that need to be properly managed to improve your overall health.

Strength Training

Lean body mass and strength are some of the greatest indicators of the overall health of an individual. In fact, according to a study done by Harvard University, something as simple as grip strength can help measure an individual’s risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular disease.

Focusing on mobility alone overlooks the importance of strength training. According to The Mayo Clinic, strength training can help you manage or lose weight, increase metabolism, protect your joints and ligaments, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Another important measure of the overall health of an individual is cardiovascular fitness. A simple way to gauge cardiovascular health is by measuring your resting heart rate — the number of times your heart beats per minute when not physically active.

Although the normal range of a resting heart rate is between 50–100 beats per minute, a resting heart rate greater than 90-100 BPM can put unnecessary strain on the heart. A high resting heart rate has even been linked to high blood pressure, cholesterol, and even heart disease.

By solely focusing on mobility, cardiovascular health may be overlooked.

Global Health Behaviors

Outside of strength and cardio training, there are several other important contributing factors to an individual’s health — specifically sleep, nutrition, and social connection.

Sleep plays a crucial role in your physical health. Not only does sleep heal and repair your muscles, heart, and blood vessels, but a recent study discovered done by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute discovered a link between sleep deficiency and an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Final Thoughts

All in all, mobility is only one aspect of staying healthy and active — it isn’t the only thing that should be focused on. Health is achieved through the successful balance of multiple variables, including mobility, strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and various other global health behaviors.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive program to improve your health, fitness, and quality of life, our physical therapy team in Bethesda and Chevy Chase can help. Contact us today for a free consultation!

Exercise Snacking: A Simple Approach To Aging That Can Actually Improve Muscle Function

It’s no secret that finding time to exercise gets more difficult with age. As professional, family, and personal responsibilities stack up, it becomes more and more challenging to find time to get to the gym or exercise.

As part of the aging process, our performance physical therapy patients also tend to lose muscle mass and function. One well-known combatant of muscle loss is resistance training, though it does require access to both exercise equipment and the time to work out.

If you find yourself struggling to get to the gym as you’re getting older, there’s good news! A recent study from The Centre for Sport in Chesterfield, UK, concluded that short bouts of exercise spread throughout the day are an effective method to improve muscle function in a time-efficient manner.

“Exercise snacking,” as the study coined, is the process of breaking down exercise into short sessions throughout the day. During the 28-day study, individuals doing a twice daily home-based exercise snacking program improved their lower limb muscle function and size compared to a control group. In addition, not only did their maximum leg pressing power increase, but those who followed the exercise snacking program also improved their 60-second sit-stand scores.

Although the study is still being examined, the data suggests that “exercise snacking,” or short bouts of exercise, may be a promising strategy to improve muscle function in older adults. Something as simple as a short walk could do the trick.

If you often struggle to find time to exercise, “exercise snacking” is a super time-efficient method to combat the side effects of aging while staying in shape.

For a more personalized approach, our virtual physical therapy team in Chevy Chase can help! Contact us today for a free consultation.

Why Icing After Pitching Isn’t Great For Your Child

Icing after a baseball game is an often-used recovery or injury rehabilitation practice for pitchers.

However, recent research conducted by Electronic Waveform Lab shows that icing damaged tissue after exercise does not improve recovery and can actually delay the healing process.

40 years ago, Dr. Gabe Mirkin coined the term RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) to treat acute sports injuries. In 2014, nearly 40 years later, Dr. Mirkin retracted his statements stating, “Subsequent research shows that rest and ice can actually delay recovery.”

Why Does Ice Do More Damage Than Good?

Inflammation is a natural, necessary response to the tissue damage that results from pitching in a baseball game. Due to the inflammation, blood vessels dilate, and the damaged tissue receives an influx of nutrients and cells that begin the process of tissue repair.

This process is necessary for the tissue to remodel and prepare for the future stresses involved in pitching. While icing may decrease pain in the short term, it can actually do more harm than good, as it slows down the recovery process.

Active Recovery: An Alternative To Ice

As part of his 2014 retraction of RICE protocol, Dr. Gabe Mirkin reported, “Mild movements help tissue to heal and the application of cold suppresses the immune responses that start and hasten recovery.”

One of the best alternatives to using ice is active recovery — including low-intensity muscle activation techniques. The goal is to find practical active recovery and loading methods that won’t aggravate the tissue or cause additional damage.

Try to activate the muscles to achieve the largest amount of pain-free, low-stress, and non-fatiguing muscle activation. This technique can act as a “pump” to remove excess waste products from the area and facilitate the release of proteins that accelerate recovery.

If you need in-depth injury rehabilitation or performance physical therapy techniques in Chevy Chase, our team of experienced physical therapists can help!