Avoid Hip Surgery

Often times people go to their primary care physician and/or orthopedic surgeon with complaints of hip pain only to be told they are "bone on bone" and need a cortisone shot or hip replacement surgery. Before jumping into more invasive procedures like surgery, a trial of PT can be amazingly beneficial in reducing pain, improving function, and avoiding hip surgery.

In a recent trial of 109 patients meeting criteria for hip osteoarthritis, the patients were split into 2 groups both with different outcomes. The first group received physical therapy exercises and the second group received a specialized program of manual hands on care combined with specific physical therapy exercise. For the patients in the second group improvements in pain, hip function,  ROM, and quality of life improved, was significantly higher, and remained after a 7 month follow-up (Hoeksma et al).

The physical therapists at HAPT have all been trained in the specific hands on treatment combined with exercises that were provided in this randomized controlled treatment trial. Please contact us if you have questions about hip pain and want to know if we can help. Having a detailed examination of your hip, low back and pelvis can keep you from needing invasive procedures and improve with low cost simple solutions.

Hoeksma, HL et al. Comparison of Manual Therapy and Exercise Therapy in Osteoarthritis of the Hip: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Arthritis & Rheumatism. 2004; 51: 722-729.

Written By John Kangas, PT, OCS

Research Institute of Human Movement

The Research Institute of Human Movement (RIHM) is a non-profit, charitable organization that was formed this year by Dr. Maury Hayashida. RIHM is the first non-profit organization of its kind with the sole purpose of conducting and publishing research on how human movement influences the quality and performance of life. RIHM seeks to provide the Santa Barbara community resources and education on how to better their lives by applying good research in human movement.

This has been an exciting past few months for RIHM as it received its official non-profit status in August and is now able to turn its attention toward finding partnerships and funding in order to mobilize many months of planning. Many research projects have been set forth and several initiated, examples include: athletic injury prevention/prediction testing, cognitive learning in elementary age children and its relationship to physical movement, relationship between genetic leg length discrepancy and lumbar spine mobility and many more. Currently, RIHM is finalizing 8 months of data collection on a study comparing the use of a visual feedback device compared to traditional verbal feedback on interventions for lumbar spine mobility exercise. This study hopes to provide insight into the effectiveness of both methods of teaching motor control of the lumbar spine in individuals who suffer from non-specific low back pain. The manuscript is anticipated to be submitted for publication in the Spring of 2013.
RIHM invites community participation. For further information about donating to its cause or to learn more about RIHM, go to our website: rihmsb.org.


Written By: Maury Hayashida, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS

Physical Exercise Can Make You Smarter

Exercise is good for your body. – We have heard this before.

Exercise releases endorphins and improves your mood. – We have heard this before.

Exercise makes you smarter.  This may be something new to us.  New research from the journal, Genes, Brain, and Behavior shows that regular exercise not only helps with overall health but it can actually be essential in getting smarter and could help with cognitive activities.

In this study the researchers saw that “mice who exercised regularly were not only better able to complete cognitive tasks than those that didn't, but even more than mice that were provided with other cognitive games and toys. They loved the toys, but unless the mice exercised (eg, had access to a running wheel in their habitat), the researchers didn't see the changes in their brain that corresponded with the improved cognitive performance on their tests.”

It is always hard to compare animal studies with real life situations but the research in this article does point to the need for exercise for improvement in cognitive activities.  There obviously needs to be more research on humans to have conclusive evidence on cause and effect but this research reinforces a common thread that we have covered in this blog; we are moving beings and are built to be moving and active.  Physical activity leads to a more healthy life physically, mentally, and cognitively.  Contact your physical therapist at Hayashida and Associates Physical Therapy for information on our fitness programs.

Ref: http://lifehacker.com/5904961/regular-exercise-leads-to-a-healthier-smarter-brain

Ref: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1601-183X.2010.00674.x/abstract;jsessionid=87940EA8C9786FE153CF586F50AE40DB.d04t03

Img: http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17ko1hbtyw2zkjpg/original.jpg