Active exercise has become better understood over the past ten years as a valuable tool in soft tissue pain and injuries. Improved circulation of blood and other body fluids and controlled reactivation of the joints and muscles are achieved with exercise.
Eccentric Exercise
Widely publicized in the early and mid 1970’s for its value in body building and fitness training, eccentric exercise has proven to be an effective component of the rehabilitation in tendinitis and epicondylitis conditions like tennis elbow.
Unloading Techniques
When exercise is applied while the effects of gravity are minimized, several conditions see benefits that otherwise might have been aggravated by exercise. The spine, shoulder and knee joints are commonly approached at Accelerate PT with exercise setups, which eliminate the use of secondary muscles that substitute for the weakened primary movers of the effected joints. A gradual progression in the loading of the joints facilitates progress in functional tasks including weight-bearing activities.
Aquatic Exercises
Another transitional form of exercise is submersion in water for both loading the muscles with resistance and/or to unload gravity from the body. Stimulation of proprioceptors and assisting the body to withstand longer duration exercise training are possible using public and private swimming pools and hot tubs.
Stretching Exercises
In addition to restoring range of motion for joint and muscle conditions, nerve tissue benefits from stretching techniques for the extremities and the trunk. Specific techniques carried out daily are important in the management of postoperative joint conditions and postural maladies including thoracic outlet and carpal tunnel syndromes.