Research shows that do-it-yourself treatment works to reduce pain from injuries. The key is to restore the function, strength and flexibility, of the injured area. Jim Johnson, PT, wrote a series of books you can use to treat yourself. In his books, he provides a few simple exercises to help restore function to an injured body part. The exercises can also be used to make vulnerable body parts strong and flexible, helping to prevent injury.
You may need:
- Timer. I find a timer easier than counting to 30 for the stretches. I set it to 35 seconds which gives me 5 seconds to get into a stretch position.
- Thera-band. You can use a thera-band to hold your ankle during the quadriceps stretches. This helps if your quads are too tight to hold with your hand.
- Adjustable ankle weights
- Adjustable dumbbells
Spinal stenosis is arthritis of the back, and may be accompanied by herniated disc, scoliosis, and other back problems. The pain of spinal stenosis can be treated or prevented by doing exercises to make the lower back strong and flexible. For more information, Treat Your Own Spinal Stenosis by Jim Johnson, PT.
Weak shoulder muscles allow for excessive motion in the shoulder joint, causing bursitis, arthritis, tendinitis and other shoulder problems. These problems can be prevented or treated with a few simple exercises to make the shoulder strong and flexible. For more information, Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff by Jim Johnson, PT.
You can reduce knee pain by restoring function with exercises to improve strength and flexibility. Treat Your Own Knees: Simple Exercises to Build Strength, Flexibility, Responsiveness and Endurance by Jim Johnson, PT.
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