The Best Treatment for Ankle Sprains?

For A Sprained Ankle, Consider Seeing Us First-Here’s Why

If you play sports, there’s a strong chance you will sprain your ankle at some point. Ankle sprains account for up to 45% of all sports injuries, and approximately 25,000 people sprain their ankle every day in the U.S. In addition, about 10% of visits to the emergency department (ED) are for ankle sprains, which leads to direct medical costs of $2 billion. Most sprains (41%) occur in basketball, followed by football and soccer, which is mainly because each of these sports involve lots of jumping and cutting movements, which significantly increase the risk for sprains.

Ankle sprains involve the ligaments of the ankle joint, which are flexible bands of tissue that connect one bone to another. Ligaments are elastic and can be stretched to a certain length and then return to their original position, but they have a limit. When any of the ligaments in the ankle is stretched beyond its maximum range of motion, it becomes damaged, which is called a sprain. Most ankle sprains involve pain, swelling, tenderness, stiffness, and some degree of instability, depending on the severity of the sprain.

What You Do Right After a Sprain Can Impact Your Future

If you do sprain your ankle, the prognosis is usually quite good, and most people can get back to sports or training within about 4–6 weeks; however, what you do immediately after the sprain will likely influence your eventual outcome. Some individuals will go to an urgent care center or the emergency room/department (ED), especially if the injury seems serious. While this might seem like a logical decision, it can have negative repercussions that many patients don’t expect. When a patient goes to an urgent care center or the ED for an ankle injury, an X-ray may be ordered to determine the extent of the injury and if any bones have been fractured. But X-rays aren’t necessary for many ankle injuries and undergoing an X-ray can lead to longer wait times, higher healthcare costs, and unnecessary radiation to patients.

Consider Seeing a Physical Therapist Right After an Ankle Sprain

An alternative approach is to instead visit a physical therapist after the ankle injury. Physical therapists are cautious about ordering tests like X-rays and will only do so if they believe it to be necessary. To determine if an X-ray should be ordered, here at Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy, we utilize the Ottawa Ankle Rules, which are a set of guidelines developed in 1992 to reduce the use of imaging tests like X-rays for ankle and foot injuries. A recent study found that if the Ottawa Ankle Rules were used universally, it would eliminate one-third of all X-rays performed for ankle and foot injuries.

Once we’ve taken a look at the ankle sprain, our physical therapists will get you started the appropriate treatment program for your ankle injury. Although each program differs depending on the type and severity of the injury, most will include the following components:

  • Mobility & pain relieving techniques to restore ankle movement
  • Strengthening exercises to help patients regain strength and prevent long-term ankle disability
  • Balance training to improve stability and help patients to learn to deal with any potential hazards
  • Functional training, which consists of performing activities patients might have difficulty with like walking, running, or jumping

If you’ve recently injured your ankle, physical therapy may be the best option for you.

Contact Bacci & Glinn Physical at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or to schedule an appointment today.

Dangers of Sport Specialization

With School Starting Up Again, It’s Crucial To Understand The Risks Of Single-Sport Specialization In Young Athletes

After a long summer, schools are back in session, which means children of all ages are eager to hit the ground running both in and out of the classroom. For student-athletes, this means involvement in a sport—or sports—of their choosing, which is a major commitment for some.

About 72% of school-age children—nearly 29 million—participate in at least one organized sport, which is associated with a bounty of physical and mental benefits. But a sizable portion of these young athletes choose to participate only in one sport, which can lead to almost non-stop obligations for practices, competitions, camps, and other forms of training throughout the entire year. This is called single-sport specialization, which is believed to help young athletes excel in their sport and make it to the next level of competition; however, specialization also comes with numerous risks, and it does not appear to be the best approach for young athletes.

Spelling Out the Potential Risks of Single-Sport Specialization

Single-sport specialization is a relatively recent trend in which children have been shifting away multi-sport participation to focus on the one sport they are most interested in pursuing. Parents and coaches may sway young athletes in this direction, usually because they assume that it will improve their chances of being successful at collegiate and possibly professional levels. But research has consistently shown that specialization appears to have the opposite effect on most young athletes.

Single-Sport Athletes Account for About 50% of Overuse Injuries

According to one study, sport specialization is strongly associated with overuse injuries, which occur when too much activity combines with insufficient rest and recovery. In fact, children who specialize in a single sport account for about 50% of overuse injuries seen by pediatric orthopedic specialists. Another study of 1,200 young athletes found that specialization was the strongest predictor of injury, with athletes who specialized in one sport being 70-93% more likely to experience an injury than children who played multiple sports.

Burnout is a Real Concern for Single-Sport Athletes

Children who specialize early are also at an elevated risk for burnout from stress, pressure, and diminished motivation. This may cause athletes to quit sports altogether at a young age, which could have long-term implications like lower rates of physical activity later in life. Finally, exclusively focusing on one sport early in life can prevent young athletes from working out other parts of their body, which may lead to reduced motor skill development and other developmental complications.

Young athletes should therefore be encouraged to participate in a variety of sports during their early years so that they can sharpen a variety of motor skills and identify the sports that they enjoy most. In our next blog, we’ll talk about the benefits of multi-sport participation and offer some tips to avoid overuse injuries and burnout.

If you’re concerned with your child’s risk for sport specialization, Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy can help.

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Benefits of Multi-Sport Participation

Playing Multiple Sports Is More Advantageous To Young Athletes In The Long Run

In our last blog, we discussed how single-sport specialization is a trend that’s becoming increasingly more common in youth sports, even if it may not be in the best interests of these young athletes. As we noted, children who specialize in one sport are up to 93% more likely to suffer from an injury than those who play multiple sports, and they are also at an increased risk for burnout from fatigue and not giving taking adequate time for recovery.

For these reasons, most experts recommend that young athletes should diversify their pursuits and try to engage in multiple sports throughout most of their childhood. Research has shown that doing so is healthier for athletes and more likely to lead to long-term success. For example, early participation in multiple sports is associated with:

  • Better overall motor and athletic development
  • Longer athletic careers
  • Increased ability to transfer sports skills
  • Higher levels of motivation and confidence in sports
  • Better decision-making, pattern recognition, and increased creativity

It may also come as a surprise and conflict with popular assumptions, but most athletes who play at the collegiate level have histories in multiple sports rather than just one. A study of nearly 300 NCAA Division I male and female athletes found that 88% participated in an average of 2-3 sports as children, and 70% did not specialize in a single sport until after 12 years of age.

If College Scholarship is the Goal – Think About Multi-Sport Participation

It’s also important for parents and coaches to recognize that only about 2% of high school athletes receive scholarships to play at the collegiate level. This should serve as a gentle reminder that the odds of achieving elite-level success are extremely slim, which means single-sport specialization could be for naught in many cases. Therefore, most young athletes should be encouraged to participate in several sports and activities throughout their childhood. For those that do decide to specialize in one sport, here are a few tips to avoid overuse injuries and burnout:

  • Weekly participation (in hours) should not exceed the athlete’s age
  • Athletes should take one or two days to rest each week, as well as one or more longer breaks (up to one month) throughout the year
  • Athletes who engage in more than 16 hours of intense training per week should be monitored for signs of burnout and overtraining
  • Encourage children to communicate clearly about any pain or discomfort

If you’re concerned with your child’s risk for sport specialization, Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy can help.

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Physical Therapy or Surgery for Musculoskeletal Injuries

Exercise Therapy Is A Safe Intervention With A Low Risk For Adverse Events

Physical activity and exercise are regarded as integral components of physical therapy for most musculoskeletal disorders (eg, knee osteoarthritis, shoulder, neck, back pain, ankle sprains, etc.), as well as for losing weight and for treating various other conditions, such as depression, heart disease, and high blood pressure. These interventions are generally extremely safe, with reported adverse events—or side effects—expected to be less frequent and less severe than those associated with pharmaceutical or surgical interventions.

Nonetheless, it’s important to report on the severity, type, and frequency of adverse events that do occur from exercise interventions so that patients are aware of the potential risks involved and how these risks compare with other interventions. Therefore, a powerful study called a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the relative risk of serious and non-serious adverse events from exercise therapy.

Researchers analyze 180 reviews that include 778 primary studies

Before discussing the details of the study, it’s important to state some key definitions:

  • Physical activity: as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure
  • Exercise: a subset of physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive, and has a final or intermediate objective of improving or maintaining physical fitness
  • Exercise therapy: a regimen or plan of physical activities designed and prescribed for specific therapeutic goals
  • Adverse event: an undesirable or harmful outcome that occurs during or after the use of an intervention; can be serious (ie, leads to death, hospitalization, or serious risk of health deterioration) or non-serious (all other reported events)

Using these definitions, researchers performed a search of the Cochrane Library for Cochrane systematic reviews that investigated the effectiveness of exercise therapy for any condition. Exercise therapy had to be the main intervention of the study and each exercise session had to include active exercise therapy for at least 50% of the total time. The exercise also could not be combined with any pharmacological, surgical, or electrotherapeutic intervention.

Analysis of Top Quality Research (i.e. Cochrane Reviews) Shows Exercise Therapy Continues to be a Great Choice

This led to 180 Cochrane reviews being included, and 773 primary studies were identified from these reviews, with 378 reporting serious adverse events and 375 studies reporting non-serious adverse events. The main finding from these studies was that there was no increase in the risk of a serious adverse event from exercise therapy compared to a non-exercise intervention; however, there was an increase of 19% in the risk of a non-serious adverse event. This means that for every 6 people who participated in an exercise intervention, one additional non-serious adverse event occurred in the exercise group. The most common non-serious adverse events reported were pain, fatigue, bursitis, low back pain, and edema (swelling).

NOTE: this study examined exercise therapy prescribed by a number of different healthcare providers…not just physical therapists.  Adverse events with our patients happen far less than 1 in 7 of our patients.  Nevertheless, we wrote this post to let you know that non-serious adverse events in response to exercise therapy can happen, albeit, they are very rare at our practice.

Physical Therapist Directed Exercise Therapy is the Clear Winner for Natural/Conservative Care of Most Musculoskeletal Injuries

These results show that while there was an increase in the relative risk of non-serious adverse events associated with exercise therapy (provided by anyone), it was small. Therefore, exercise therapy can be regarded as a relatively safe intervention. Thus, physical therapists and other healthcare providers that prescribe exercise therapy are appropriately including it as an essential component of treatment for patients with various conditions.

If you’re dealing with pain of any sort, Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy can help.

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Patellar Dislocation Treatment in Visalia

If you’ve experienced a patellar (kneecap) dislocation and are looking for patellar dislocation treatment in Visalia or Hanford, we can help. Another way people often find us is by searching for patellar dislocation expert in Visalia or a patellar dislocation specialist in Visalia.  Quick note, if you are looking for care in Hanford, we also have an office there.

Surgery And Nonsurgical Treatments Lead To Similar Outcomes For Patients With Knee Pain

As a specialist in the conservative treatment of kneecap dislocations, the information below is worth reading.

The knee is the largest and one of the most complex joints in the body. It is a hinge joint that’s responsible for bearing weight and allowing the leg to extend and bend back and forth with minimal side-to-side motion. It primarily joins the thighbone (femur) to the shinbone (tibia), but also includes the kneecap (patella) and other lower leg bone (fibula). The patella is a small, upside down triangle-shaped bone that sits in the front of the knee within the quadriceps muscle, and it’s lined with the thickest layer of cartilage in the body because of the massive forces it takes on.

These structures provide the knee with strength and durability, but the knee also has limits that can be exceeded under certain circumstances. Due to the frequent use of the joint, the knee is among the most common locations for pain and injury, with knee pain being the leading cause of disability in older adults.

Dislocations of the patella account for 2–3% of all knee injuries, which typically occur on the lateral side—outside of the knee—and leads to ruptures of the medial patellofemoral ligament in about 90% of all cases. These injuries are most common in sports, particularly basketball, soccer, and football.

It is unclear whether patellar dislocations should be treated with conservative (nonsurgical) interventions like physical therapy or if surgery is needed when there are other associated injuries. In addition, the literature comparing conservative to surgical treatment for first-time patellar dislocations is scarce.

However, this study that we outlined below is one of the first of its kind and points to the value of seeing a physical therapist first.

20 Patients Undergo Either Surgery or Conservative Treatment for Kneecap Dislocation

Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate the outcomes of conservative versus surgical treatment for first-time patellar dislocations. Researchers recruited patients aged 15 to 40 years with a patellar dislocation in one knee, which led to 20 individuals being included. Twelve of these patients underwent surgery, which was limited to diagnostic arthroscopy followed by a soft-tissue repair of damaged structures, while 8 patients underwent conservative treatment. Patients in both groups were also treated with a brace that allowed for limited flexion and extension of the knee, along with partial weight bearing for 3 weeks, followed by full weight bearing.

Why Conservative Physical Therapy Care is Your Best First Choice – from the Patellar Instability Treatment Experts in Visalia and Hanford

Results showed that 25% of patients overall (5/20) sustained a redislocation, while the remaining 75% remained stable after 24 months. By group, 37.5% of patients (3/8) in the conservative group and 16.7% (2/12) in the surgical group experienced a redislocation; however, more patients (45.5%) experienced episodes of instability in the surgical group compared to the conservative group (37.5%). In addition, overall outcomes were not significantly different between the two groups, with a similar number of patients reporting “fair” and “good” final outcomes in both groups.

The Study Concludes You Should Strongly Consider Physical Therapy Care if You’re Looking for Patellar Dislocation Treatment in Visalia

Based on these findings, it appears that surgical and conservative treatment for patellar dislocations leads to similar results. Patients with a patellar dislocation should therefore attempt conservative treatment first, such as physical therapy, before considering surgery.  Moreover, physical therapy treatment for kneecap dislocation is less likely to cause patellar instability in the future too!

If you’re dealing with knee pain that may be related to a patellar dislocation, Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy can help.  We provide, natural, conservative care for rehabilitation after kneecap (AKA patella) dislocations at our offices in Hanford and Visalia.

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Surgical vs Nonsurgical Interventions for Muscle & Joint Problems

Comprehensive Review Finds That Surgery Is No More Effective
Than Nonsurgical Interventions For Musculoskeletal Disorders

A musculoskeletal disorder is an injury or condition that involves the musculoskeletal system—which includes the bones, muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons. These disorders are extremely common, as about 30% of Americans and 1.5 billion people throughout the world are currently affected by one.

Musculoskeletal disorders can develop anywhere in the body, but the spine is by far the most common location, as low back pain and neck pain are among the leading causes of disability in the U.S. Other common musculoskeletal disorders include osteoarthritis, tendinitis, strains, sprains, fractures, and tears of ligaments and tendons.

Physical Therapist Directed Care is Often the Best First Choice

Patients with a musculoskeletal disorder are faced with several potential options when determining how to address their condition. Among these is whether to have surgery, which is often seen as a last resort, although many patients decide to have it much sooner. Patients should be educated on the risks and benefits of surgery versus other interventions when evaluating if it’s the right choice; however, high quality studies comparing interventions with and without surgery are less common for musculoskeletal conditions than in other medical fields.

100 Trials Covering Nine Areas of the Body are Analyzed

Researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the benefits and harms of interventions involving surgery versus those with no surgery for various musculoskeletal disorders.

For this type of study, researchers performed a search of five major medical databases for randomized-controlled trials that evaluated the effects of a surgical intervention to a nonsurgical intervention for patients with a musculoskeletal disorder. Once collected, the results from these trials were analyzed to determine how surgical interventions compared to nonsurgical interventions.

Researchers identified 100 trials that fit the necessary criteria and provided data on pain, patient-reported function, quality of life, and adverse events. These trials covered 28 different types of conditions at nine areas of the body: the neck, shoulder, elbow, hand, lower back, pelvis, hip, knee, and foot.

Surgery is No Better…So Why Wouldn’t You at Least Try Physical Therapy First?

Of these, in all studies that evaluated function, all studies that evaluated quality of life, and nearly all studies (9 of 13) that evaluated pain, no clinically relevant differences were found between surgical and nonsurgical interventions.

The results of this high-powered systematic review and meta-analysis are aligned with another similar study, which found that surgical interventions were superior to nonsurgical interventions in only 14% of the trials analyzed.

Patients Need to Know Their Options

Patients should continue to educate themselves on the risks versus the benefits of surgery and consider this information when determining if surgery is right for them. And for those of you with a musculoskeletal disorder who are interested in trying a nonsurgical intervention first, we strongly advise you to visit us at Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy for a comprehensive physical therapy program.

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Power Training for Older Adults

Improving Strength Through Power Training Could Improve Safety For Older Adults

As we age, our bodies experience a series of changes that usually tend to make everyday activities more difficult to complete. Decreased flexibility, strength, and balance, a decline in posture and hearing, and less than ideal joints are a few of the many changes that occur throughout the aging process. These changes often have a negative impact on one’s quality of life while also dramatically increasing the risk for falls and other injuries, which can further complicate matters.

For these reasons, health experts strongly recommend that older adults engage in regular physical activity like strength training to improve overall physical function, which can reduce the risk for these types of health problems. One alternative to traditional strength training is power training, in which weights—or other forms of resistance—are moved at higher velocities during the lifting phase, followed by a controlled lowering phase. Previous research has shown that power training is in fact more beneficial than traditional strength training for improving physical function; however, the types of exercises featured in those studies may not have been true power training exercises.

Researchers review 20 high-quality studies on strength vs power training

Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to compare the effectiveness of power training and traditional strength training. For the study, investigators searched for randomized-controlled trials in which healthy, community-living adults with an average age of at least 60 underwent both traditional strength training and power training interventions. Once identified, the findings of these studies were then analyzed and compared to one another to determine which type of intervention was superior.

Twenty Research Studies Were Reviewed

A total of 20 randomized-controlled trials that included 566 patients from six countries were included in the analysis. Most trials lasted 12 weeks and saw patients perform strength training or power training exercises twice per week using free weights, body weights, training machines, or vests. Results from these studies indicated that power training was associated with greater improvements in physical function and self-reported function than traditional strength training.

Power Training Appears to Win for Older Adults

Additional research is now needed to confirm these findings, but it appears that power training may be more beneficial for older adults than strength training, and these benefits may help to reduce the risk for falls and other health complications in this population. Power training exercises can easily be performed with the same instruments as traditional strength training—weight machines, free weights, and bodyweight—and the only difference is the manner in which exercises are performed.

At Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy, we can provide personalized exercise programs that are 100% goal oriented for our older adults. A quality physical therapy program is likely to significantly reduce the risk for falls and other aging-related injuries.

Call us today at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Physical Activity for Depression

Even Small Amounts Of Physical Activity Can Significantly Improve Mental Health

Our modern world can be a stressful one. For many people, dealing with more than two years of fear, anxiety, and debate revolving around the coronavirus pandemic has had a harsh impact effect on the state of one’s mental health.

As a result, rates of depression—which were already high even before the pandemic—have been steadily increasing over the past two years, with no signs of slowing down. Major depressive disorder affects about 15 million American adults (or 6% of the adult population), and some research has suggested that the prevalence of depression symptoms has more than tripled during the pandemic. Depression is also the leading cause of mental health-related disease burden and is associated with a host of negative health effects, including an increased risk for chronic conditions and premature death.

Exercise – an Often Overlooked Treatment Option

Effectively treating and preventing depression often requires a multifaceted approach, and most health experts recommend talk therapy as a central intervention for those suffering from depression symptoms. But another strategy that’s being increasingly recognized as a powerful and vital tool against depression is regular physical activity. Ample research has shown that physical activity can prevent future depression, but no study is yet to describe the strength or shape of this association according to on a dose-response relationship.

Researchers Analyze the Findings of 15 Studies

Therefore, a study called a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to explore the impact of physical activity on the risk of depression. Researchers performed a search of four medical databases for studies with at least 3,000 participants that reported on the relationship between physical activity and the estimated risk for depression. All measurements of physical activity in these studies were then converted to a weekly duration and an activity volume, which was based on whether the activity was light, moderate, or vigorous. For reference, the World Health Organization recommends 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week.

This search led to 15 studies being accepted, which included data on more than 191,000 participants. Results indicated that most participants were not meeting the recommended levels of weekly physical activity, and those with higher rates of depression symptoms were generally less active.

Just Doing Modest Amounts of Exercise is Helpful According to this Review

Physical activity was found to be associated with significant benefits, as participants who completed half the recommended volume of weekly physical activity had an 18% lower risk of depression, and those who met the full recommended volume—about 2.5 hours of brisk walking per week—had a 25% reduced risk. Further analysis revealed that the benefits of physical therapy were most notable when comparing individuals who progressed from no physical activity to at least some activity.

These findings suggest that even small amounts of physical activity may lead to major mental health benefits, as approximately 1 in 9 cases of depression could potentially be prevented if everyone meets the recommended weekly level of physical activity. At

Mental Health is as Important as Physical Health!

Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy, we believe it’s extremely important to address not only physical conditions but mental health issues as well. While physical therapists primarily see patients with physical movement problems, this is another example where the appropriate exercise program can also help with mental health as well.

Have a Movement Disorder?  We Can Help

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Basketball Injury Prevention Program

Basketball Injuries Are Extremely Common, But A Warm-Up Program May Help Mitigate This Risk

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the country, and its popularity continues to grow as athletes are drawn to its fast pace and evolving nature. Unfortunately, one downside of this increased participation in basketball is that it also comes with a higher rate of injuries in a sport that’s already known to be high-risk.

Basketball Results in A Lot of Stress on the Knees & Ankles

To play basketball competitively, players must move at fast speeds and display great agility and coordination on the court. Though every position requires a different set of skills, each player needs to run, jump, make quick changes in direction, and accelerate and decelerate with and without the ball. Though these rapid movements are integral to the game, they also put competitive players at risk for injury.

Basketball Injuries are Common – Ankle & Knee Problems Happen the Most

Injuries can occur in several regions of the body, but the ankle is by far the area injured most. Ankle sprains account for about 25% of all injuries in basketball, which makes them a major concern for basketball players of all ages. Ankle sprains occur any time the foot twists or rolls beyond its normal range of motion, which is usually from a player landing on another player’s foot wrong or twisting the ankle when making a cut. The knees are another problem area in basketball players due to the running, jumping, and cutting motions involved. Jumper’s knee and injuries to the meniscus and ligaments—including the ACL—are all very common in all age groups of basketball players. Ankle sprains, ACL tears, and other injuries can all cause basketball players to be sidelined for an extended period, and in some cases, to miss an entire season.

Study Monitors Players on 31 Basketball Teams for Two Seasons

To help mitigate this risk, many basketball teams have now incorporated injury-prevention programs into their routine, often with successful outcomes. This is exemplified in a recently published study, which highlights the type of impact a program like this can have on young basketball players.

For the study, players on 31 high school or club basketball teams—307 male and female players aged 11 to 18 years—were monitored for two seasons. During the first season, players only participated in a standard of practice warm-up. During the second season, all players participated in a training warm-up program called the Surveillance in High school and community sport to Reduce (SHRed) Injuries Basketball, which was designed to reduce ankle and knee injuries in youth basketball players. The SHRed Injuries Basketball program lasted 10 minutes and consisted of 13 exercises, which were intended to improve aerobics, agility, strength, and balance. A log was then kept of all injuries that occurred during these two seasons and comparisons were made between them to tease out any notable differences.

Study Results Demonstrate that Ankle Sprains & Knee Injuries Can be Significantly Reduced

Results showed that the SHRed Injuries Basketball program was protective of both knee and ankle injuries, as the rate of injuries was 36% lower in season 2 than season 1. This type of program can easily be incorporated into a warm-up routine, and based on these findings, it may yield dividends and keep young basketball players on the court injury-free for longer.

We’re Here to Help

At Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy, we can provide assistance with an injury-prevention program for your basketball team, or if an injury does occur, we can guide players through a comprehensive rehabilitation program that will get them back on the court as quickly and safely as possible.

If You’ve Already Suffered a Sports Injury – We Can Help You Get Back in the Game

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) for more information or schedule an appointment today.

Osteoarthritis Treatment in Hanford – Physical Therapy Wins Again

Exercise Therapy Found To Be Better Than Pain Medications For Knee Osteoarthritis

If you are searching for osteoarthritis treatment in Hanford, we wrote this research summary for you. Before you dig into the summary, please understand that arthritis treatment in Hanford is not the only location we provide care.  We also provide conservative, natural care for those looking for osteoarthritis treatment in Visalia as well.

Arthritis – A Major Issue that Millions Deal With

Knee osteoarthritis is a bothersome condition that disables millions of Americans each year. In a normal knee, the ends of each bone are covered by cartilage, a smooth substance that protects the bones from one another and absorbs shock during impact. In knee osteoarthritis, this cartilage becomes stiff and loses its elasticity, which makes it more vulnerable to damage. Cartilage may begin to wear away over time, which greatly reduces its ability to absorb shock and increases the chances that bones will touch one another.

Typical Signs & Symptoms of Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis typically leads to pain within and around the knee that tends to get worse with activities like walking, ascending/descending stairs, or sitting/standing. Other symptoms include swelling, tenderness, stiffness, and a popping, cracking, crunching sensation. The risk for knee osteoarthritis increases with age, and it represents the most common cause of knee pain in older adults. Overall, about 45% of the population will experience knee osteoarthritis at some point in their lifetime.

Hundreds of Osteoarthritis Treatment Options for Hanford Residents – Which One Should You Pick?

Numerous interventions may be followed to address knee osteoarthritis, including over the counter and prescription medications, lifestyle changes like exercise and diet, physical therapy, and surgery, which is typically only reserved as a last resort for cases that don’t improve with other interventions. Opioids are not usually recommended for patients with knee osteoarthritis due to the risk for overuse and abuse, but some patients—especially those with severe, long-lasting pain—may still be prescribed these medications. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the more commonly used interventions to may provide mild pain relief, but long-term use of these drugs is discouraged. Exercise therapy, on the other hand, is considered a safe and effective way to manage knee osteoarthritis by helping patients move better through stretching, strengthening, and other exercises.

Powerful literature analysis supports the effectiveness of exercise therapy

A recently published study  compared these three commonly utilized interventions for knee osteoarthritis through a systematic review and network meta-analysis, which identifies and analyzes all available literature on the topic to determine which was best.

To conduct the study, researchers performed a literature search of three medical databases for high-quality studies that compared exercise therapy, NSAIDs, and opioids for knee osteoarthritis pain. This search led to 13 studies being included, which featured data on nearly 1,400 patients. A total of 101 supplemental studies were also included.

Exercise Therapy Wins – This is Exactly What Physical Therapists are Trained to Provide

Results showed that exercise therapy ranked as the best intervention overall in the network meta-analysis, followed by NSAIDs, opioids, and placebo.

These findings suggest that exercise therapy is an effective intervention for knee osteoarthritis. Considering the risks associated with opioids and long-term use of NSAIDs, exercise therapy presents a far better option for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Therefore, if you’re currently dealing with symptoms that sound like knee osteoarthritis, we strongly encourage you to contact Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy.  You can learn more about our orthopedic physical therapy services by clicking here.

Contact Us Today – Take the First Step to Getting Rid of Your Pain

Call us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) to learn more or schedule an appointment today.

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