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Discover Osteopractic Physical Therapy

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Discover Osteopractic Physical Therapy

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Dr. Anna Staehli Wiser, DPT, FAAOMPT

11/02/2026

Have arthritis? Worried exercise will “wear out” your joints faster?

It’s an understandable concern—but for people with osteoarthritis, appropriately prescribed exercise can reduce pain, improve mobility, and make everyday activities easier.

Movement supports joint function, and stronger muscles help you manage the demands of walking, climbing stairs, and getting out of a chair.

You don’t have to start with an intense workout. Walking, cycling, water exercise, and gradual strength training can all be helpful. The right starting point depends on your symptoms and abilities.

What if exercise hurts? Mild, temporary discomfort doesn’t always mean damage. But sharp pain, significant swelling, or symptoms that remain substantially worse the next day are reasons to adjust your activity and seek guidance.

In this month’s article, I explain how cartilage and joint fluid work, why muscle strength matters, and how to find the right amount of movement for your joints.

Read “Arthritis Doesn’t Mean You Should Stop Exercising” at discoveropt.com/free-resources

10/06/2026

Still dealing with an ankle sprain from years ago?

The swelling disappeared. The bruising went away. You went back to your normal activities.

But did your ankle **actually fully recover?**

After an ankle sprain, it’s common to be left with:
• Reduced ankle mobility
• Decreased strength
• Poorer balance and proprioception
• A feeling that the ankle is unstable or “gives way”
• Repeated ankle sprains

And here's something many people don't realize: **an old ankle injury can change the way you move**, potentially affecting the knee, hip, or even the lower back.

Rest may allow an ankle sprain to heal, but **rest alone doesn't restore mobility, strength, balance, and coordination.**

In this month's article, I explain why an ankle sprain can continue to cause problems years later, what chronic ankle instability is, and **3 simple tests you can try at home** to compare your ankles.

👉 Read this month's article: "Why Your Ankle Sprain Still Bothers You Years Later."(https://discoveropt.com/free-resources)

09/02/2026

Could Your Achy Legs Actually Be a Circulation Problem?

When your ankles, feet, or knees hurt, it’s easy to assume the problem is coming from the joints or muscles. But sometimes poor venous circulation and fluid buildup in the legs may be contributing to your symptoms.

Your leg muscles act like a pump. Every time you walk or move your ankles, your muscles help push blood and fluid back toward your heart. When we sit or stand in one position for long periods, that “muscle pump” isn’t working as effectively—and fluid can begin to accumulate in the lower legs.

That extra fluid can contribute to:
• Swollen ankles and feet
• Aching or heavy legs
• Ankle and knee stiffness
• Foot discomfort
• Fatigue with standing or walking

The good news? Movement helps!

Walking, ankle pumps, heel raises, and simply changing positions regularly can help activate the calf muscle pump and improve circulation.

And don’t forget about compression.

Compression socks aren’t just for people who sit or stand all day. Athletes commonly use compression garments to support circulation, limit exercise-related swelling, and reduce feelings of heaviness or fatigue during recovery.

The takeaway: Healthy movement supports healthy circulation—and healthy circulation can help your legs feel and function better.

Sometimes that nagging ache in your feet, ankles, or knees may involve more than just the muscles and joints.

08/03/2026

**👣 Do Your Feet Hurt in Flip-Flops? It May Not Be the Shoes...**

Every summer I hear it:

*"My feet are killing me whenever I wear flip-flops!"*

While flimsy summer shoes can contribute to foot pain, the bigger issue is often that **your feet aren't strong enough to handle them.**

Just like the rest of your body, your feet have muscles that need exercise. When those muscles become weak, structures like the plantar fascia become stressed—which can lead to heel pain, arch pain, and aching feet.

Here are a few simple ways to build stronger, more resilient feet:

✅ Practice **toe splaying** to strengthen the muscles that spread your toes.
✅ Try **arch-up (short foot) exercises** to support your arch naturally.
✅ Perform **heel raises** to strengthen your calves and improve foot stability.
✅ Spend **short periods walking barefoot** on safe indoor surfaces to wake up your foot muscles.
✅ Choose shoes with a **wide toe box** and avoid shoes or socks that squeeze your toes together.
✅ Stretch your **calf muscles** regularly to improve ankle mobility and reduce stress on the bottom of your foot.

If you've been dealing with persistent plantar foot pain, don't assume you just have to "live with it." Physical therapy can help identify the underlying cause and may include strengthening, manual therapy, dry needling, foot and ankle mobilization, taping, and gait analysis to get you back to doing what you love.

**Healthy feet are trainable.** A few minutes of exercise now can help you enjoy flip-flops, hiking, beach walks, and summer adventures with a lot less pain.

07/03/2026

Rethinking Good Posture: Why “Shoulders Back” Isn’t the Answer

Most of us have been told to “sit up straight” and pull our shoulders back.

But here’s the problem: forcing your shoulders back can actually increase tension in the neck and upper traps — especially if you already struggle with neck or upper back pain.

A better cue?

Lift your sternum.

This small shift helps encourage better thoracic extension, improves rib cage position, and allows your head to stack more naturally over your spine.

Good posture is not about forcing your body into a rigid position. It is about creating a system where your body can stay upright comfortably and efficiently.

That usually means:

✅ Start with “sternum up” instead of “shoulders back”
✅ Restore mobility in the thoracic spine
✅ Strengthen the muscles that support posture
✅ Use lumbar support when sitting for long periods
✅ Avoid relying on willpower alone to hold yourself upright

If you have chronic neck pain, headaches, upper back tightness, or pain with prolonged sitting, your posture may be part of the picture — but the solution is not simply trying harder to sit up straight.

Physical therapy can help improve mobility, reduce muscle tension, and build the strength and endurance needed for better posture.

05/19/2026

⚾️ Inner Elbow Pain This Baseball Season? Don’t Ignore It.

Does your elbow hurt when you throw… or even with everyday tasks?

That pain on the inside of your elbow could be coming from a few different sources:
👉 Tendon irritation (medial epicondylalgia)
👉 UCL strain (the ligament pitchers rely on)
👉 “Little League elbow” in younger athletes

💥 The common thread? Overuse and repetitive throwing

For young athletes, this often means irritation at the growth plate
➡️ Translation: they need rest, not more throwing

For older players, it may involve the tendon or ligament
➡️ Leading to pain, weakness, and decreased performance

🚨 Here’s the good news:
Surgery is NOT always the answer

In many cases, the right approach can help you recover without it:
✔️ Load management
✔️ Strength + mobility work
✔️ Dry needling
✔️ Progressive rehab

🎯 The key: address it early

The longer you throw through pain, the harder it becomes to fix.

⚾️ Bottom line:
Try the conservative route first—and give your body the chance to heal the right way.

05/11/2026

Your nerves don’t start in your hand—they start in your neck.

That means symptoms like:
• Tingling
• Numbness
• Weakness
• Loss of dexterity

…can actually be coming from the cervical spine, not the hand itself.

In fact, cervical spine conditions can mimic carpal tunnel syndrome or exist alongside it.

This is why a detailed exam matters.

Don’t just chase symptoms—find the source.

05/05/2026

Hand Tingling? It’s Not Always Carpal Tunnel

Caption:
Tingling or numbness in your hands is one of the most common symptoms I see—but it’s often misunderstood.

Many people assume it’s carpal tunnel syndrome, but the truth is that nerve irritation can happen anywhere along the pathway from your neck to your hand.

That includes:
• Neck (cervical spine)
• Shoulder region
• Elbow
• Wrist

If you only treat the wrist, you may miss the real cause.

A thorough evaluation should always look at the entire nerve pathway, not just one location.

Bottom line: If your symptoms aren’t improving, it may be time to look beyond the wrist.

04/26/2026

Let’s talk supplements—because not all of them are created equal.

Here’s what the research actually supports:

🔹 Vitamin D
Essential for bone + muscle function (especially here in Maine ☀️)

🔹 Protein
Critical for maintaining muscle as we age

🔹 Creatine
One of the most studied supplements—helps improve strength and muscle mass

🔹 Omega-3s
May support muscle recovery and reduce inflammation

🔹 Collagen + Vitamin C
Can support tendon and ligament health when timed around exercise

Now here’s the key:
👉 Supplements SUPPORT your system… they don’t replace the work.

Without strength training, their impact is limited.

If you’re considering supplements, make sure they’re working WITH your plan—not instead of it.

04/12/2026

If I could recommend ONE thing for healthy aging…

It would be this:
👉 Strength training.

Research consistently shows that resistance training:
✔️ Builds muscle
✔️ Improves bone density
✔️ Strengthens tendons
✔️ Reduces fall risk
✔️ Maintains independence

No supplement comes close.

Not collagen.
Not vitamins.
Not hormones.

Those can SUPPORT your system…
But strength training DRIVES the change.

Think of it this way:
Your body adapts to what you ask of it.

If you don’t challenge it, it declines.
If you do, it rises to the occasion.

Start simple. Stay consistent. The results will follow.

Address

7 Leavitt Street
Skowhegan, ME
04976

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 6pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 6pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 6pm
Thursday	8:30am - 6pm
Friday	8:30am - 6pm

Telephone

+12078550715

Website

http://discoveropt.com/

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