Juvenile arthritis affects nearly 300,000 children in the U.S., and researchers are just starting to understand more about the diseases and conditions that fall into this category. July is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month, offering a unique opportunity to educate and inform PTs, OTs practitioners and the public about the various forms of juvenile arthritis and how to offer relief to young patients. Using the hashtag #StrongerThanJA, the Arthritis Foundation is working to spread the word that children can get arthritis too and the need exists for more answers to fight this painful disorder. W ..read more

Health experts have long touted the benefits of exercise to improve physical and mental health. New research also shows the practice is particularly helpful in preventing cartilage damage caused by arthritis and is a great tool for arthritis management. A recent study from Queen Mary University in London shows how mechanical forces experienced by cells in our joints suppress the action of inflammatory molecules which cause osteoarthritis. “We have known for some time that healthy exercise is good for you. Now we know the process through which exercise prevents cartilage degradation,” study aut ..read more

Games are everywhere — on our phones, our wrists, at home and at work. One place where gamification is making inroads is in the treatment of patients after a stroke, especially when it comes to virtual reality in healthcare. More than 700,000 Americans a year suffer a stroke, and nearly 70% survive and require rehabilitation, according to the National Institutes of Health. Worldwide, the impact of strokes is massive. The World Health Organization estimates 15 million people a year suffer a stroke. Five million of those people die, and 5 million are permanently disabled. Two recent research pro ..read more

With professional football playoffs in full swing, concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries are top of mind for many across the U.S. These types of injuries are a serious concern for people of all age groups, including our children, and require prompt medical evaluation and follow up. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued new concussion guidelines for pediatric healthcare professionals to follow to protect our young patients. The Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Guidelines were put in place in late 2018 to help healthcare providers like you take action to imp ..read more

As many as 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, including an estimated 200,000 younger than 65, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. By 2050, up to 16 million people will be afflicted with the disease. Misconceptions and stigmas associated with Alzheimer’s disease are commonplace and significantly impact the care provided to people with Alzheimer’s disease, and their families. The Alzheimer’s Association also notes that learning as much as you can is an important first step. Check out some important facts about the disease. To best enhance patient outcomes, the perso ..read more

How are you honoring Pain Awareness Month in September? As physical therapists, we can help make an impact on reducing the country’s opioid crisis by helping patients manage their pain in other ways. Consider the following three methods I detail below. #1 – Prescribe regular exercise A Nord-Trondelag Health Study of 20,000 people over the course of 11 years found that those who exercised regularly experienced less pain. Those who exercised more than three times per week also were 28% less likely to experience chronic widespread physical discomfort. As physical therapists, we can prescribe exer ..read more

In the world of sports, athletes put great effort into becoming bigger, stronger and faster to gain whatever advantage they can. Various training techniques and diets have been developed over the years to reach these goals. However, the use of anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) has become an issue; not only for professional athletes but also for young people looking to gain an edge or to improve their appearance. While PEDs do have the ability to improve athletic performance, they also are very dangerous and have a number of risk factors. According to the Mayo Clini ..read more

April is Stress Awareness Month and has been since 1992. It is a time for healthcare professionals, including physical therapists, to raise awareness about being stressed that can have such a major impact on millions of lives. Stress is not just in your head. It actually creates various physiological responses impacting our overall health. Those responses include headaches, depression and heart disease. Though an unavoidable part of life, there are ways to consider how we respond and deal with stress, including meditation. Find the way that works for you, and take the time to relax and recharg ..read more

Barriers to the advancement of knowledge about sex differences in health and illness persist for the LGBTQ community. Healthcare professionals need to increase awareness of the importance of sex, gender identity and sexuality in all aspects of health, including physical therapy. The National Center for Biotechnology Information, which is a branch of the National Institutes of Health, recently published an article that outlines some of the challenges for this community, such as increased substance abuse, peer victimization and depression. It is important for physical therapists to be aware of t ..read more

As healthcare professionals, we intuitively know patient falls are a big issue for hospitals. So it’s not surprising that hospital falls have become a hot topic during the past few years. Since 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have modified the reimbursement structure of payment, denying or limiting hospital reimbursement that results from adverse events that may occur to a patient while in the hospital. Falls, and the traumatic injuries caused by falls in the hospital setting, are key components to this program. It is estimated that between 700,000 and 1 million falls occu ..read more