What is it:

Urinary incontinence refers to a leakage of urine. This condition affects millions of people. Although urine leakage affects both men and women, women are two times more likely to have this problem.

Loss of urine can be caused by pelvic muscle weakness or pain, or by not knowing how to use your pelvic muscles. Leakage usually happens during activities like moving quickly, playing sports, or during a cough. Any action that creates pressure or strain on the lower abdomen and pelvis can cause leakage.

How we can help you:

Therapy can address pelvic and abdominal muscle coordination, strength, and endurance through a therapy program that teaches you bladder control and home exercises.

What is it:

Rotator cuff tears are one of the most common injuries of the shoulder. The shoulder is a ball and socket joint with the arm bone (humerus) meeting the shallow socket called the glenoid fossa. This socket is part of the shoulder blade (scapula).

The term “rotator cuff” refers to four muscles of the shoulder that help to support the shoulder joint during rest and movement. These muscles, known as the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis, attach the shoulder blade and upper arm bone, and keep the arm bone against the shoulder socket.

Rotator cuff muscles and tendons can be injured over time, or with a sudden injury such as a fall. In an overuse injury, the soft tissues may start to fray, often caused by repeated activities. A tear can be partial or complete, with the muscle being torn into two pieces.

Symptoms of a rotator cuff tear can include shoulder pain, stiffness, and weakness. You may have difficulty raising the arm overhead or lifting objects, especially above shoulder height. Getting dressed, washing your hair, or tucking in a shirt can be difficult. Sleeping can be limited because of shoulder pain.

How we can help you:

While recovering from rotator cuff injuries, you may need to avoid activities that are repeated or painful, such as swimming or playing tennis. Therapy can help you learn how to keep the shoulder moving while protecting the healing tissues with activities for stretching, strengthening, and healthy posture.

What is it:

Pain and stiffness in the shoulder can be called a “frozen shoulder” because moving the arm is very difficult. The shoulder is a ball and socket joint, with the head of the upper arm bone (humerus) connecting to the shoulder blade (scapula). Muscles and ligaments help keep the head of the humerus in the shallow socket.

The shoulder joint is also surrounded by thick tissue called the capsule. This strong connective tissue of the capsule can thicken and tighten, making moving the arm difficult. The shoulder joint can become painful and stiff following an injury such as a fall, or after a period of not moving it, such as when wearing a cast or brace. If an injury happened and caused the shoulder to freeze, it is considered a secondary frozen shoulder.

In a primary frozen shoulder, there is no known cause of the condition. There are three stages called freezing stage, frozen stage, and thawing stage. Another type of frozen shoulder is known as adhesive capsulitis, where the connective tissue surrounding the joint becomes inflamed, scarred, and tight. There are four stages of adhesive capsulitis, with symptoms of pain, stiffness, and altered function. Symptoms of stiffness and pain often occur gradually, worsen over time, and then resolve within 1-2 years. Lifting, reaching, and daily activities such as putting on a shirt may be difficult, and pain may be worse at night.

How we can help you:

Therapy can help teach you to manage symptoms of pain and learn to complete tasks with the shoulder motion that you have. Stretching of the shoulder and treatments that reduce pain can help you do what you do what you need to at work and at home.

What is it:

Speech disorders are conditions that affects a person’s language skills, voice, speech sound production or speech fluency.

Common causes are neurological diseases such as stroke, Parkinson’s, and others.  Voice disorders can be the result of cancer, vocal abuse, misuse or over-use of the voice or other conditions that damage the nerves of the voice box.

How we can help you:

A speech-language pathologist can teach you techniques and exercises to improve your specific condition.  Speech, language, and voice exercises are carefully designed to improve communication in a variety of communication environments.

What is it:

Low back pain is an extremely common condition – about 80% of adults experience it at some point in their lifetime. Fortunately, most back pain will go away in four to six weeks on its own with good self-care.

Your spine is like a mast on a ship. The muscles that attach to the spine are the ropes that support the mast and prevent it from curving and becoming unstable. If the supporting muscles are weak or imbalanced, the spine experiences a lot of stress. By strengthening these muscles, you can take pressure off your spine and reduce your back pain.

The most effective way to relieve and prevent your back pain is to stay active! By stretching, swimming, walking, and participating in other low-impact exercises, you are helping to keep the muscles that support your spine flexible and strong.

How we can help you:

Low back pain can be improved or resolved with daily physical activity and a positive outlook. Therapy tackles the physical side of the inflammation, stiffness, and soreness with exercise, manipulation, and massage, but it also works to help the body heal itself by encouraging the production of the body's natural pain-relieving chemicals. The sooner you start moving, the sooner you will feel better!

What is it:

Shoulder (glenohumeral) osteoarthritis is arthritis that results from wear-and-tear to your shoulder joint. The shoulder joint is made up of the shoulder socket (glenoid fossa) where the arm bone (humerus) connects. Smooth cartilage covers the surfaces of the bones in your shoulder to allow smooth and pain-free arm movement.

If the cartilage is injured or worn away by overuse, arthritis may occur. With this condition, you may feel pain when the bones rub against each other. A prior injury to the shoulder can contribute to shoulder osteoarthritis. If you are older than 60 years old, you may be at greater risk for osteoarthritis.

Shoulder osteoarthritis may cause aching, pain, and stiffness. Using the shoulder often worsens the pain.

How we can help you:

Therapy can help teach you to manage the pain of osteoarthritis in your shoulder. Your therapist can help you move safely and perform exercises for shoulder strength and motion.

What is it:

Weakening of the bones, also called osteoporosis, can occur from aging, from lack of activity, or from taking certain medications. The bones in your skeleton have a dense, smooth outer surface called compact bone. Compact bone is heavy and rigid, providing your body with a framework, protection, and a place for muscles to attach.

Beneath compact bone is spongy bone, which is less dense and has many small holes like a sponge. It is where blood cells are produced and minerals such as calcium are stored.
Bone is a living tissue that is constantly being reshaped in a process called remodeling. This process involves bone cells called osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Osteoclasts break down and absorb old bone, while osteoblasts make and lay down new bone. Weight-bearing activity and exercise help stimulate bone formation. Healthy bone is dense enough to support and protect the body. When the creation of new bone does not keep up with the removal of old bone, osteoporosis can occur.

Those with osteoporosis have abnormally thin bones, with larger holes in the spongy bone. Because of this, motions like bending over or coughing may result in a fracture.

How we can help you:

Symptoms of osteoporosis may include pain in the back, hip, or wrist; a loss of height or stooped posture; or an unexpected fracture. While exercise is needed to maintain bone health, with osteoporosis it is important to do the right kind of exercises. A therapist can instruct you in the correct kind of exercise therapy to keep you safe, as well as help ease discomfort related to joint changes and muscles aches.

What is it:

Memory decline is not a normal part of aging.  Memory problems can be the result of neurological conditions, brain trauma or chemical imbalance.  Memory problems may be very mild or severe. It is important to be evaluated to determine the specific memory affected.

Dementia describes a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of a progressive dementia in older adults, but there are a number of causes of dementia.  Common signs and symptoms include: memory loss, difficulty communicating or finding words, difficulty with visual and spatial abilities (such as getting lost while driving), difficulty reasoning or problem-solving, difficulty handling complex tasks, difficulty with planning and organizing, difficulty with coordination and motor functions, confusion and disorientation and psychological changes.

How we can help you:

Persons with cognitive decline can be helped by occupational and speech therapists to utilize preserved skills to compensate and adapt, resulting in patient functioning at their highest level in areas of daily activities.

A functional evaluation will determine the patient’s strengths in order to design strategies and routines to attain the highest level of function

Occupational and Speech Therapists may utilize the following treatment techniques:

• Teaching patient how to set up the immediate environment to facilitate recall of routines
• Teaching patient planning and use of memory aides
• Teaching care partners how to facilitate recall and functional activities
• Teaching care partner communication strategies

What is it:

Walking is one of the best exercises you can do for your new joint. Start with walking around your home, then gradually progress to walking longer distances on level surfaces. Your healthcare provider will tell you if you need to limit how much weight you can put on your new joint. You may be instructed to use a walker or cane. It is important to follow these and other safety instructions after surgery, such as using a handrail when you go up and down steps.

Stretching and strengthening exercises are some of the best ways to get the most movement and function out of your total joint surgery. Your therapy team will teach you ways of staying safe and making daily life easier. You may be advised to use a shoehorn or a reacher to reach objects on the floor or high in the cupboards. Do not bend down to pick things up.

If you have had a knee replacement surgery, there are some positions your provider may recommend you avoid during your recovery. It is important to follow these precautions and any other instructions your provider gives you regarding your new knee to protect it and allow it to heal properly.

Avoid kneeling and squatting soon after knee joint replacement surgery. Keep your feet and knees pointed straight ahead, not turned in or out. Your knees should be either stretched out or bent in the way your therapist instructed.

Sit in a firm chair with a straight back and armrests. After your surgery, avoid stools, sofas, soft chairs, rocking chairs, and chairs that are too low, as these positions may strain your knee or be difficult to get out of. Take small steps when you are turning. Try not to pivot on the leg that was operated on. Your toes should be pointing straight ahead.

How we can help you:

Physical therapy should begin prior to your surgery to strengthen your muscles and teach you how to protect your joints after surgery. Therapy before surgery achieves the best results after surgery.

A physical therapist may teach you how to get in and out of a chair and begin exercises that strengthen the muscles in your legs.

Therapy will focus on improving how well your joint moves. Your physical therapist may call this increasing your "range of motion." After knee surgery, for instance, you may have pain and swelling that makes it hard to stretch the joint. Your therapist will lead you through exercises to help you bend and straighten it. Riding a stationary bike can also help. 

Therapy will also help you strengthen your muscles. Before your surgery, joint pain may have slowed you down and made you weaker. Your therapist will show you exercises that make you strong again so you can walk more easily, without pain

You may also work with an occupational therapist, who will teach you simple ways to navigate your kitchen or put on your socks and shoes and other activities of daily living.
Taking your medications as prescribed can make it easier for you to complete your exercises, participate in therapy, and return to your daily activities.

What is it:

Speech disorders are conditions that affects a person’s language skills, voice, speech sound production or speech fluency.

Common causes are neurological diseases such as stroke, Parkinson’s, and others.  Voice disorders can be the result of cancer, vocal abuse, misuse or over-use of the voice or other conditions that damage the nerves of the voice box.

How we can help you:

A speech-language pathologist can teach you techniques and exercises to improve your specific condition.  Speech, language, and voice exercises are carefully designed to improve communication in a variety of communication environments.