Unleash Your Inner Athlete
Speed. Agility. Power. We understand their importance for sport, but those days are over, right? Wrong. Maybe you are on the wrong side of 40, and you have no desire to move quickly. Maybe you just want to build muscle and don’t see how an agility drill is going to help you reach your goals. […]
The MVP of Overhead Mobility
Shoulder mobility – it’s a hot topic in the fitness community. If you don’t have the range, you won’t hit the lift. This may be true in a general sense, but the bigger question is what is causing the overhead deficit. Is it latissimus dorsi tightness? Is it poor spinal mobility? Often times yes, but […]
Why You Should be Incorporating Barefoot Training
As bipedal beings, our feet are the literal foundation for our movement. They absorb ground reaction forces, vibration from impact, and give us fine tuned perception of our surface. Our feet are absolutely vital in sensing our environment – so much so that they have 10 times the amount of sensory nerves than motor nerves! […]
Address Your Imbalances – A Guide to Injury Prevention
Injury. It is the quickest way to stop you dead in your tracks with your fitness goals. It doesn’t matter how quickly you lose weight or how many times you PR your lifts – If you get injured and lose the progress you made, it doesn’t much matter what your max squat or bench press […]
Functional Over Fancy – The Reality of Concierge Therapy
Most people hear the word “concierge” or “cash-based” and think to themselves, “Yeah this option is cool, but I’ll probably just go somewhere that takes my insurance.” If you Google “physical therapy near me,” you will likely find 30-40 outpatient clinics within close driving distance, many of which are multiple locations of the same chain. […]
Golfer’s Elbow – How Do I Fix It?
Medial Epicondylitis (“Golfer’s Elbow”) is a common pathology seen in a variety of activities. Baseball, throwing sports, yardwork, and golf all require repetitive use of the muscles in the upper extremity which can lead to pain on the inner aspect of the elbow. Excessive tightness and torque causes irritation right where those muscles attach on […]
Clicking in the Shoulder – From a Physical Therapist’s View
Is clicking around Your shoulder always bad? Let’s set the stage… You’re just finishing a workout in the morning and you feel/hear a small “click” in your shoulder. The clicking doesn’t necessarily hurt… it’s just there. You don’t want anything to get in the way of the golf outing with your friends next weekend. Is […]
The Concept of Regional Interdependence – A Physical Therapy Perspective
What is regional interdependence? “The concept that seemingly unrelated impairments in a remote anatomical region may contribute to, or be associated with, the patient’s primary complaint.” (Wainner et. al. 2007) “The patient’s primary musculoskeletal symptom(s) may be directly or indirectly related or influenced by impairments from various body regions and systems regardless of proximity to […]
The Winning Combo – Manual Therapy + Exercise
What is manual therapy? Manual therapy is a common term thrown out in the physical therapy world that describes common techniques used to mobilize/manipulate joints, muscles, and other tissues. Manual therapy treatment models focus on identifying and improving tissues that could be contributing to altered movement patterns. The ultimate goal is to improve ROM, functional […]
LBP Series – Have you or are you currently experiencing Low Back Pain?
Non-specific low back pain is one of the leading causes of disability in the world today, where as high as 84% of individuals will experience LBP at some point in their lifetime. Even if it resolves, approximately 60-80% of people will have return of their LBP within the next 12 months. So knowing these statistics, […]
Low Back Pain Series – Facet Joint Issues
What is the facet? The facet joints are the connections from each vertebral segment of the spine that provides movement such as flexing, extending, bending, and twisting. Around these segments happen to be where the spinal nerves exit and travel down into the arms, legs, and other parts of the body. So what causes problems […]
Low Back Pain Series – Intervertebral Disc Issues
What is the disc made of, and why is it important? The discs are structures that sit between the bodies of each spinal segment and provide distribution/transmission of force through the spine. Strong annular fibers line the outer ring of the disc, while a more gelatinous nucleus helps with providing shock absorption through each segment. […]
Low Back Pain Series – Osteoarthritis/Stenosis
Unfortunately as the aging process continues, breakdown of joint surfaces and gradual degenerative changes begin to occur. Osteoarthritis (OA) is an inflammatory process that thrives in a stiff environment and typically originates from an overall lack of mobility or movement. Closely related, spinal stenosis can cause narrowing of the central, lateral, or foraminal canals where […]
Top 5 Most Common Injuries we see (and how to avoid them)
As physical therapists working with active individuals (often times in the gym setting), we see firsthand how injuries can derail even the most motivated athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Whether you’re a a runner or a CrossFit junkie, staying injury-free is essential to maintaining your active lifestyle and improving your longevity. Here are the top seven […]
The Overlooked secret weapon to Muscle Growth: SLEEP
As a physical therapist, I spend my days helping active individuals not only recover from injuries,but optimize their movement and overall durability through strength training. Whether you’re a competitive athlete or a mother of 3 trying to improve your body composition, you likely already know the importance of strength training and nutrition. But there’s one […]
