Lynn Kious

I would address the issue and resolve it before doing any strenuous exercise. Try heat, massage, foam roller and gentle stretching.

You should see a physical therapist of course! Your additional medical history will impact treatment options. Saunders makes a home traction unit but it's expensive and not guaranteed to work. I'd go get a consult by a PT.

Usually flexion oriented exercises. You have to be cautious though due to the intricacies of the spine - easy to do the wrong thing. PTs treat it all the time. If the condition is debilitating, consider an orthopedic consult.

Some increase in heart rate is normal. If it catches your attention like this maybe you should consult your doctor.

Physical therapy can definitely help. Find a PT who has an interest or has better yet specialized in pediatrics. We alter our interventions to be "fun" for the kiddos.

To give you the best outcome from a gait analysis I recommend you don't think too much about it. The PT is observing the mechanical process of walking. Yes it can be used to diagnose neurological conditions but it is no reason for you to worry. Maybe they are checking to see if you need any orthopedic treatment such as orthotics in your shoe.

Focus on correcting your posture. Make the larger joints work so that you aren't overusing your hand, wrist and elbow. Exercise your middle back and shoulders. Include overhead exercises.

Thanks for the question. With limited subjective information, it is difficult to accurately diagnose your problem. I would suspect it is muscular in nature. If you had a history of traumatic injury, your problem could be worse than muscular. You could try simple hamstring and calf stretching on your own. If this makes it worse or does not get better, I would recommend and evaluation. If you have private insurance, you can make a physical therapy appointment without a doctor's referral. I would be more than happy to evaluate it and give you more specific advice. Lynn