Heat or Ice for Musculoskeletal Injuries?

A common question with many clients in our office is whether to use ice or heat when recovering from an injury. To answer this question it is important to realize that there are two main types of injuries or pain:

• Acute, which is characterized inflammation and rapidly progressing shortly after an injury
• Chronic, which tends to progress slower and may last for a long period of time.

Also it is important to understand the physiological effects of heat and cold. Heat will dilate blood vessels bringing blood and nutrients to the area of injury. This normally relaxes the muscles in the area; however may spark inflammation. This is more commonly used with chronic injuries as inflammation is less of an issue. Cold constricts the blood vessels not letting blood get to the area. This acts as a better anti-inflammatory and pain reliever which is more commonly used for acute injuries.

These are a few guidelines to help your choice of ice vs. heat in your recovery from a musculoskeletal injury and as always if the injury or pain does not shortly dissipate, it is important to consult a medical professional.

For more reliable health information, or to schedule a consultation for physical therapy, feel free to contact us at 518-690-4406 or visit our website at www.empirehwc.com or email us at ehwc7@nycap.rr.com.

William Milhizer, PT, DPT

Health Misinformation 103

1. If you’re not sweating you are not doing enough.
a. Sweating is not a good indicator of exertion. Normally if you are working hard you are sweating; however, sweating is just your body’s reaction to attempt to cool off. Its possible to burn a sufficient amount of calories doing low level weight training without breaking a sweat.

2. Muscle weights more than fat.
a. A pound is a pound! Although these two compounds have different volumes in that fat does take up more space than muscle.

3. The more you exercise the more protein you need.
a. Actually protein is not the most efficient energy source for muscle function and is normally spared for tissue maintenance and repair. Carbohydrates are better used by the body as an energy source. A balanced diet is always recommended to reach and maintain your fitness goals.

There is a lot of misinformation out there in the world of health and wellness. During the past 3 weeks we have covered some of the important misconceptions. If you have any questions or concerns that we have not covered feel free to post a comment and I will try to answer your question in the upcoming weeks.

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/top-9-fitness-myths-busted?page=3

For more reliable health information, or to schedule a consultation for physical therapy, feel free to contact us at 518-690-4406 or visit our website at www.empirehwc.com or email us at ehwc7@nycap.rr.com.

William Milhizer, PT, DPT

Health Misinformation 102

We are here once again here to help sort through all of the fitness misinformation in week 2 of misinformation 102.








• If you feel “ok” when you are working out you are probably not overdoing it.
o Normally as we are beginning an exercise program we do feel good; however, the majority of exercise injuries are from overdoing it the first day back. Instead one should not attempt to replicate a workout that has not been done in a long time.

• Machines are safer than free weights since you are performing the right motion every time.
o Although movement is restricted with machines and they can be “easier” than free weights or exercise bands; however, Machines must be set correctly to insure that the strain on your muscles correlates with the design of the machine. Also many machines, I.E crunches and back extension, may be great at strengthening the muscle but add little protection to the spine during the exercise.

• No pain, No gain
o This should be restated as no discomfort no gain, working through pain is seldom recommended and normally will set you up for injury, although it is common to have discomfort during exercise. IF there is any question during your exercise program talk to a therapist or trainer in order to insure that you are not doing any harm through exercise.

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/top-9-fitness-myths-busted?page=3

For more reliable health information, or to schedule a consultation for physical therapy, feel free to contact us at 518-690-4406 or visit our website at www.empirehwc.com or email us at ehwc7@nycap.rr.com.

William Milhizer, PT, DPT

Health Misinformation 101

There are many myths and misinformation related to exercise. Over the next few weeks we are going to help you sort through some of this information.





1. Running on a treadmill puts less stress on your knees than running on the ground.
a. Running is a great workout and will affect your knee through the impact and ground reaction forces wither it be on the treadmill or not. The best way to help your knees is to vary your workout. Switch between the bike, elliptical and treadmill.

2. Crunches on an ab machine will help to reduce belly fat.
a. These machines will strengthen the muscles around you abdomen; however, are not the greatest at protecting your spine during the exercise. Also the body is not specific to areas in which you loose fat. The place where is first arises is usually the last to go.

3. Swimming is a great weight loss activity
a. Swimming is a great exercise and has been shown to increase lung capacity and strength; however, to effectively loose weight swimming you would have to swim for hours compared to running.

4. Yoga will help with all back pain
a. Yoga will help for certain types of back pain. The truth is that you should consult a therapist or qualified medical professional to see if yoga is right for you.

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/top-9-fitness-myths-busted?page=3

For more reliable health information, or to schedule a consultation for physical therapy, feel free to contact us at 518-690-4406 or visit our website at www.empirehwc.com or email us at ehwc7@nycap.rr.com.

William Milhizer, PT, DPT

Red Rice Yeast

Studies say that red rice yeast may lower your cholesterol. Red rice yeast is a dietary supplement that is sold in many nutrition and grocery stores that may be a useful addition to ones regimen of controlling high cholesterol. Red rice yeast was traditionally used in Chinese medicine and is derived from a fungus that grows on red rice. This contains compounds that naturally inhibit the formation of cholesterol. People who have finished a 12 week cycle of red rice yeast supplements have shown a greater reduction in their LDL than others who have taken a placebo pill. This study; however, was small and the changes in cholesterol did not reach the amount achieved with high levels of traditional Cholesterol medication. Although a decrease in cholesterol has been shown with a regimen of red rice yeast, one should always consult their doctor before starting a new supplement.

For more information, or to schedule a consultation for physical therapy, feel free to contact us at 518-690-4406 or visit our website at www.empirehwc.com or email us at ehwc7@nycap.rr.com.

William Milhizer, PT, DPT