Health Blog
Pain from the Pandemic: Why Do I have Body Aches and Pains from Staying at Home?
Do You have “Pandemicalgia,” or pain from the pandemic? You may already have symptoms.
Since the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic, I have seen an increased number of people reporting unexplained muscle soreness and pains that are not due to injuries or overuse. I asked my physical therapy colleagues about this problem and they agreed that they were seeing the same thing. Recently, a patient was describing his symptoms when it suddenly dawned on me—he and many of our other patients are suffering from pandemicaglia.
Read full blogHow to Relieve Tight Muscles with Mindful Stretching
Relieve Tight Muscles with Mindful Stretching
Restricted activity and decreased movement due to the COVID-19 quarantine have left many of us feeling tight, sore and achy. Through mindful stretching we can improve functional performance as well as maintain mobility as we age. Understanding more on the basics of stretching and the mind-body connection can help you safely incorporate it into your daily routine to help you improve flexibility and range of motion and relieve tight muscles and stiffness.
Read full blogHow to Exercise at Home During COVID-19 Social Distancing
With the spread of COVID-19 (a.k.a., the coronavirus), we strongly recommend staying home and practicing social distancing. This can cause a huge disruption in our daily lives—our exercise routines included. Gyms have closed and group fitness classes are cancelled. We find ourselves looking for ways to exercise at home.
It’s hard to have the motivation for a home workout, but we’re in a time when exercise and physical fitness could do a lot of good.
Read full blogOshkosh Artists: Don’t Let Pain or Injury Dampen Your Creative Spirit
We often don’t consider the long-term impact that practicing the fine arts can have on the body.
Yet, according to Oshkosh physical therapist Robert Runge, dancers, musicians, visual artists and even performing artists are not immune to experiencing pain and injury related to their crafts.
“Artists of all types express themselves in ways that require various levels of strength, flexibility, balance, precision and dexterity,” said Runge, owner and clinic director of Excel Physical Therapy in Oshkosh.
Read full blogHelp a Loved One Live a More Active, Healthful Life
We typically wish for those we love to live their best, most healthful lives. That’s why it can be both frustrating and worrisome when a loved one slips onto a more sedentary lifestyle track – one that could be harmful to their long-term well-being.
You want to help them recommit to exercise and fitness, but you’re not sure exactly how to do it both lovingly and effectively.
Read full blogPT Successful in Removing Weight-Loss Barriers
Weight loss is one of the top New Year’s Resolutions made by Americans each year, according to multiple sources. Yet, studies conclude that only 8 percent of people actually achieve their annual goals, including those who seek to live healthier, more active lives.
While some may point to their busy lives and the lack of personal willpower as the reasons behind this bleak statistic, Oshkosh physical therapist Robert Runge said that sometimes, functional limitations are to blame for making weight loss difficult, or even unsafe for certain people.
Read full blog5 Holiday Giving Options Offering Healthful Returns
The Holiday Season is a time for giving, and that includes supporting causes and organizations that make our community stronger.
It’s in this spirit that our own owner, physical therapist and clinic directory, Robert Runge, shares some holiday giving suggestions which offer a more healthful return than simply writing a check.
“As a physical therapist, my goal is to improve lives and the community by helping people move better and live healthier, more active lives,” Robert said.
Read full blogCan Exercise Ward Off Cold and Flu Symptoms?
As cold and flu season approaches, so does the season of illness prevention.
From getting flu shots to adding a little extra Vitamin C to our diets, prevention often becomes a focus for those concerned with getting sick, missing work and/or school, and optimizing the joy of their upcoming Holiday Seasons.
It’s based on this mindset that our Oshkosh physical therapy team at Excel Physical Therapy is most likely to get some version of the question: Can exercise boost my immune system?
Read full blog6 Physical Therapy Myths during National PT Month
October is National Physical Therapy Month.
This is a time when physical therapists, like those on our Excel Physical Therapy team, not only celebrate their profession, but also educate others about the role physical therapy plays in improving the health and vitality of their patients … and of health care in general.
While a physical therapist’s roles are broad and diverse, a lot of misconceptions still exist about what physical therapy is, what it isn’t, and the ways it can help people improve the health and lives of people at all stages in life.
Read full blogSave the RICE for First-Aid, Not Healing & Recovery
For decades, the standard and recommended response to an injured muscle, tendon or ligament was to “apply RICE,” an acronym that stands for a protocol of rest, ice, compression and elevation.
Yet these days, according to Oshkosh physical therapist Robert Runge, the application of RICE as a treatment for these sports-type soft-tissue injuries isn’t 100 percent supported by science.
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