Shin splints, a common overuse injury, can cause significant pain and discomfort for athletes and active individuals. Characterized by pain along the inner edge of the shinbone, shin splints often,
Why Pain-Free Isn’t The Goal
March 9, 2021 4:53 pm / Category: Dana Point
Many people get caught up in their pain. How much pain they have. How often they have pain. BUT I’d like to say that Pain isn’t what matters… at least to us as your Physical Therapist, for your long-term goal. As I evaluate and treat new patients, I am constantly looking at your whole body function, how you are moving, how you walk, how you can squat, what do your SL balance and squat look like. Does your arch collapse too much make your knee collapse in, are your glutes weak, do you have a hip drop, do your muscle compensate for weaknesses, do you have a leg length discrepancy, how is your foot affecting your knee which affects your hip and back? I look at the pain as a problem somewhere up or down the chain; looking at the body as a whole chain instead of an individual joint.
Too many people are pain-centered. If my pain is gone, then I must be fixed right? Wrong. Pain is your body telling you that something is not right, but even after there is no pain anymore, the body can break down to the weakest areas and start having pain again. People often come to PT with the goal of surfing or being able to run, but too often they are satisfied at that 6th-8th visit mark when they are feeling better, but far too often it hasn’t “fixed” why they needed the PT, to begin with. At Rausch, we want to get you better, doing the things you LOVE, and with that comes strength, functionality for long-term benefits. As much as we love seeing you, we love seeing you more if it is for a new issue/injury, not the same one that has crept back. So please please please, book out your full prescribed treatments so we can take a look at the body as a whole for your long term benefits. Also, if we progress your exercises to make it harder for you and more functional, it is only because we love and care about you. We want you to be pain-free YES, but more importantly for the long run, we want you to be strong functionally.
Dr. Ruth Meltzer PT, DPT, OCS
Let’s talk! We are here to help. Give us a call for a complimentary consultation. We would love to meet you.
Did you know there’s no prescription needed from a doctor to see us – but we will communicate your progress and treatment to your doctor if you’d like us to!
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