Troy began his career as a physician assistant in 2003 upon graduating from the Cuyahoga Community College. He later earned his Masters of Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Nebraska in 2007. A licensed physician assistant, he also has served as a treatment supervisor and physician assistant for the U.S. Army since 1994, where he has significant experience in emergency and routine medical care.
The Ohio physical therapists of Orthopaedic Associates will be at the Day of Dance at Colony Squire Mall on February 27, 2010, between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
The event, sponsored by Genesis Healthcare System, welcomes the community to learn simple ways to stay healthy, enjoy music and participate in health screenings.
The Ohio physical therapists of Orthopaedic Associates provide information on proper stretching exercises and how physical therapy can help your life.
OAZ’s Ohio physical therapists can guide you in physical therapy or special hand exercises to relieve mild to moderate symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Gliding exercises: Moving your fingers in a specified pattern of exercises may help your tendons and nerves glide more smoothly through your carpal tunnel. While there’s some evidence that gliding exercises can help relieve carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms when used alone, these exercises appear to work better in combination with other treatments — such as splinting.
• Contrast baths: Alternating between warm water and cold water soaks helps reduce carpal tunnel symptoms in some people.
To talk to OAZ’s Ohio physical therapists about carpal tunnel syndrome, make an appointment today.
A rotator cuff injury is an injury to one or more of the four muscles in the shoulder. A chronic tear can usually be treated with rest and acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen. Occasionally, injections of steroids into the shoulder joint are helpful.
If pain persists, OAZ has one of the best teams of physical therapists in Ohio to perform passive range-of-motion exercises. Those with continued pain may require surgery and follow-up with an orthopedic surgeon.
Indications for surgical treatment:
• Usually for people younger than 60 years of age
• For complete tears
• An option after failure to improve after six weeks of proper treatment
• If the person has a job that requires constant shoulder use
If you’re experiencing shoulder pain or a rotator cuff injury, see OAZ’s Ohio physical therapists.
Stretching is the act of lengthening muscles in order to increase muscle flexibility and joint range of motion. OAZ specializes in Ohio physical therapy and reminds patients that stretching activities are an important part of any exercise or rehabilitation program.
The Mayo Clinic recently released a list of the top five benefits of stretching and OAZ agrees that these benefits are important for people of all ages to consider. Keep in mind that warming up the body prior to activity decreases the risk of injury as well as muscle soreness.
The top five benefits of stretching are:
Increased flexibility and joint range of motion:
Flexible muscles can improve your daily performance. Tasks such as lifting packages, bending to tie your shoes or hurrying to catch a bus become easier and less tiring. Flexibility tends to diminish as you get older, but you can regain and maintain it.
Improved circulation:
Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles. Blood flowing to your muscles brings nourishment and gets rid of waste byproducts in the muscle tissue. Improved circulation can help shorten your recovery time if you’ve had any muscle injuries.
Better posture:
Frequent stretching can help keep your muscles from getting tight, allowing you to maintain proper posture. Good posture can minimize discomfort and keep aches and pains at a minimum.
Stress relief:
Stretching relaxes tight, tense muscles that often accompany stress.
Enhanced coordination:
Maintaining the full range-of-motion through your joints keeps you in better balance. Coordination and balance will help keep you mobile and less prone to injury from falls, especially as you get older.
The Ohio physical therapy experts at OAZ remind patients that stretching is one of the most important parts of the rehabilitation process.
Often times caregivers do not realize that taking care of a spouse or family member at home can increase their risk of injury. In fact, certain activities put you at a greater risk for back pain, including:
Pulling a patient in bed up into a sitting position
Transferring a person from a bed to a chair
Leaning over a patient for long periods of time
Lifting or moving a person
The physicians at Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville offer their patient caregivers the following lifting techniques to be sure that they, too, don’t suffer injury.
Maintain the proper alignment of your head and neck with your spine
Maintain the natural curve of your spine
Don’t bend at your waist
Avoid twisting your body when carrying a person
Keep the person who is being moved close to your body
Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, which will help maintain your balance
Use the muscles in your legs to lift, not your back
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Patient caregivers can avoid back pain by keeping these simple tips in mind.
Back-to-school time means fall sports! The Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville is ready to help athletes in southeast Ohio with our caring sports medicine team. We have board-certified physicians and physical therapists to treat the top ten sports injuries in Ohio.
Ankle Sprains: The most common of all ankle injuries, an ankle sprain occurs when there is a stretching and tearing of ligaments surrounding the ankle joint.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries: ACL partial or complete tears can occur when an athlete changes direction rapidly, twists without moving the feet, slows down abruptly, or misses a landing from a jump
Broken Shoulder: A shoulder fracture typically refers to a total or partial break to either the clavicle (collar bone) or the neck of the humerus (arm bone). It generally is from an impact injury, such as a fall or blow to the shoulder
Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness: Muscle pain, stiffness or soreness that occurs 24-48 hours after unaccustomed, or particularly intense exercise.
Hamstring Pull, Tear, or Strain: Hamstring injuries are common among runners. The hamstring muscles run down the back of the leg from the pelvis to the lower leg bones, and an injury can range from minor strains to total rupture of the muscle.
Knee Pain: Knee pain is extremely common in athletes. In order to treat the cause of the pain, it is important to have an evaluation and proper diagnosis.
Shoulder Tendonitis, Bursitis, and Impingement Syndrome: These conditions are similar and often occur together. If the rotator cuff and bursa are irritated, inflamed, and swollen, they may become squeezed between the head of the humerus and the acromion.
Stress Fracture: Stress fractures in the leg are often the result of overuse or repeated impacts on a hard surface
Tendonitis: Tendonitis is a common sports injury that often occurs from overuse. Tendonitis can cause deep, nagging pain that is caused by inflammation of tendons. Treating tendonitis consists of rest, medication, physical therapy or changes to equipment or technique
Tennis Elbow: The number one reason people see their doctor is for elbow pain. It is considered a cumulative trauma injury that occurs over time from repeated use of the muscles of the arm and forearm that lead to small tears of the tendons.
If you’re suffering from any of these sports injuries in Ohio, contact Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville at 740-454-3273.
Joint health should be a concern for everyone. However, it is especially important for runners. Injury prevention is a very serious issue for those who run regularly, especially those who are in training for a particular race or event. At Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville we offer and sports medicine patients in southeast Ohio some very basic tips for running, which can help prevent injuries and keep you going for miles.
Wear running shoes that offer the correct support and cushioning. Specialty running stores can look at the way you walk and recommend the right brand for you. It also is important to remember if you run or walk regularly, you will need to replace your shoes every 350-550 miles.
Not all surfaces have the same impact. Vary your running location because of the different impacts involved and the stresses that may affect and strengthen your joints differently.
Eat well. Stock up on fresh fruits, vegetables and plenty of water. Eating healthy and keeping your body hydrated can aid the recovery process as well as prevent any long-term damage caused by injury.
Stretching regularly also can help runners to avoid injuries. One worthwhile recommendation for stretching is to stretch during and after a run. Too many runners don’t take the time to stretch out throughout their routines; it is crucial for injury prevention.
Start slow. Runners can prevent injuries by avoiding doing too much mileage too quickly. Aim to make mileage increases as gradual as possible and try to limit yourself to an increase of no more than 10 percent per week to avoid injuries.
Running is a great way to stay fit and keep your body healthy and strong. These tips help runners avoid painful injuries and potentially long recovery periods. OAZ encourages all runners to take safety precautions seriously and keep at it! If you are seeking sports medicine or physical therapy in southeast Ohio, contact us at 740-454-3273 .
Dr. Steven Kimberly, who specializes in general orthopaedics and total joint replacements at OAZ, was recently featured on WHIZ-TV. In the story related to National Arthritis Month, Dr. Kimberly provides tips for arthritis prevention.
