Blog
Does Cold Weather Affect Chronic Pain? Tips to Relieve It
After 22 years of practicing as a physical therapist, thousands of my patients have complained of what I call, “cold weather pain.” In Oregon where I live, when the hot and dry summer weather changes to cold and wet fall weather, joint pain complaints increase. As the...
Five Reasons to See a Physical Therapist in 2019
Are you 50, nearing 50, or older? Did you know orthopedic pain is the leading cause of disability for this age group in the United States and around the world? (“Orthopedic” means a part of the body that moves is not working correctly or is painful, and “disability”...
Common Winter Sports Injuries & How to Prevent Them
Believe it or not, winter is upon us! Despite the long, beautiful fall we’ve enjoyed in the Pacific Northwest, winter is still coming. At Life’s Work Physical Therapy, our physical therapists treat many winter sports injuries. Let’s spend some time learning how to...
How to Relieve Neck Pain: 5 Things You Need to Do
Neck or cervical pain is among the top five causes of disability and pain worldwide. If you have persistent neck pain, you are not alone. The World Health Organization estimates that 332 million people worldwide suffer with neck pain. As most of the world’s population...
Proper Computer Posture to Cure Your Annoying Desk Pain
Do you spend a lot of time in front of a computer at work or at home? A recent study published by Microsoft revealed that U.S. workers spend an average of 7 hours per day on a computer, more hours than they sleep at night! In addition, 85% of workers report discomfort...
Physical Therapy Facts: Top 10 Things to Know About Pain
Why do we feel pain? What is our body telling us? Learn 10 facts about pain and how physical therapy can help treat it. 1. Pain is a protective device. Things shouldn’t hurt for no reason. In a healthy body, pain is a sign that something is wrong. It’s a signal from...
The Value of Physical Therapy vs. Other Treatments for Musculoskeletal Pain
In prior blogs, I’ve talked about the value of having a good physical therapist on your health care team. I’d now like to be specific about the actual costs and benefits of having musculoskeletal physical therapy compared to other common treatments. Musculoskeletal...
How Physical Therapy for Headaches Can Improve Your Life
Did you know that headache pain is the third most common pain complaint world wide? Not only are headaches common, they can also be very disabling, leading to a decreased quality of life. Many people do not realize that physical therapy for headaches is one of the...
What Are Different Types of Lumbar Disc Injuries? | Life’s Work PT
Lower back or “lumbar” pain is the most prevalent and costly musculoskeletal condition worldwide. In the United States, we spend as much on the treatment of lower back pain annually as we do on the treatment of ALL cancers. Worldwide, lower back pain is among the...
Do I Sit Too Much? How Often You Should Exercise & Be Active
Did you know the average office worker sits up to 13 hours a day? Our society is built around sitting – at your desk, in your car, and in front of the television. Doctors and researchers have been warning us about the dangers of prolonged sitting for years; prolonged...
If an Exercise Pill Existed … You’d Take It!
For the last 25 years, the benefits of exercise have been well-known to mainstream America. Exercise is effective in fighting the effects of aging, improving cardiovascular health, and reducing the rates of cancer, diabetes, obesity and dementia. In addition, exercise...
How Long Will I Live? The Sitting Rising Test Predicts Longevity
The Sitting Rising Test: What is it? Did you know that an inability to easily get yourself up and down from the floor is a sign of premature aging and even death? The Sitting Rising Test, developed by a Brazilian physician, predicts the risk of death in the next 5...