Physical Therapy Articles

Lateral epicondlytis , also know as tennis elbow or elbow tendonitis, is a common injuries, not only in athletes, but the general population.  It can have nothing to do with playing tennis. Gardners, artists, musicians and construction workers are all prone to his injury. The extensor tendons in your hand, which are responsible for straightening your fingers and bending your wrist backwards, have a common attachment site at the elbow. When these tendons are stressed they pull on their attachment site, the elbow. Activities that require gripping, or holding the arm in a certain position for an extended amount of time are the main cause of pain/aggravation.  Once the tendons are inflamed than simple activities like lifting a coffee mug

Effective in August 2019, Physical Therapists (PTs) were added to the list of medical professionals approved to clear a student athlete for return to sport in the State of Colorado.  This was a big win for PT’s and athletes, as PT’s are one of the primary healthcare professionals knowledgeable in the assessment, treatment and recovery process of concussions.  Concussions are a form of brain injury that can be the result of a direct blow to the head, or an indirect shaking of the head due to a body blow. Loss of consciousness is not required to define concussion.  Though concussions are prominent in high school and collegiate sports, the number one cause of concussions across all age groups are motor

Most people think of heart rate or blood pressure when they think of vital signs. It is common to use numbers to quantify health and risk of disease. The American Heart Association encourages people to “know their numbers” referring to blood pressure, blood cholesterol, blood glucose, and weight. However, research is now showing the importance of moving properly for health. Let’s take a look at some of the numbers you can use to quantify your movement health: Walking Speed Walking speed has been called the “sixth vital sign” in medical literature recently. It is easy to measure, and takes into account strength, balance, coordination, confidence, cardiovascular fitness, tolerance to activity, and a whole host of other factors. It has also

Recent research is showing that surgery might not be needed as often as we think. A large review estimates that 10% to 20% of surgeries might be unnecessary and that in some specialties such as cardiology and orthopedics, that number might be higher. The reasons for so many unneeded surgeries being performed are varied, but the most common are that more conservative options aren’t tried first, or lack of knowledge by the operating physician. Physicians undergo long and rigorous training programs to become surgeons, but if they don’t work hard to keep learning, their knowledge often stops growing when they leave residency. Recent research is showing that certain common surgeries aren’t any better than a placebo. Two such examples are

Many of us don’t think about how our body moves until something goes wrong. When it comes to the function of a joint, there are numerous factors, which can cause problems.  Bones, muscles and ligaments are the main components of our joints which all have to work harmoniously to ensure fluid and effortless movements. When they are out of sync with each other pain occurs.  Thankfully regardless of the nature of the dysfunction, strengthening the muscles around the joint typically results in decreased pain and increase in movement. The majority of activities require several joints to move together. This is the case for the shoulder.  Besides the shoulder joint (gleno-humeral) it relies on the shoulder blade (scapula) and thoracic spine.

There are many injuries that can occur in your foot, but the most common one is plantar fasciitis.  Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the plantar fascia (connective tissue), where it attaches on the bottom of the heel. Inflammation can be caused by several factors: poor arch support or a change in shoes, a sudden change in activity level (going from a sedentary to standing/walking position), an increase in weight such as pregnancy or weakness in the muscles of the lower leg. There is no test to diagnose plantar fasciitis, thus it is diagnosed mainly through its symptoms.  Most people complain of sharp of dull pain in the heel or arch of their foot. The pain typically occurs first thing

In the past few years, concussions in sports have finally gotten the attention they deserve. Prior, many coaches and athletes thought it was part of the game when they ‘got their bell rung’, or ‘were seeing stars’. Currently in sports, everyone from coaches, parents and medical professionals are taking concussions seriously.   But we need to realize that concussions are also common in car accidents, falls around the house and by accidentally banging your head. Concussions can be serious because they are caused when the brain is ‘jostled’ within the skull, causing a brain injury. Concussions can’t be determined by an x-ray, MRI or CT scan, thus are commonly missed when they aren’t caused by a sporting activity. To diagnose

Arthritis is a normal part of aging.  It develops as the cartilage around your bones deteriorates, narrowing the space between the bones.  As the joint fluid looses its ability to lubricate and cushion the joint, the bones start to rub against each other, further deteriorating the joint.  There is no single cause or cure of arthritis, though genetics could be a  contributing factor.   X-rays can show the damage but they can’t show the pain. If pain is starting to limit your ability to do the activities you love, what choices are there to manage the pain? Following are some current and successful ways to deal with osteoarthritis. Whatever the stage of your arthritis, mild to severe; ‘Motion is the

90% of Americans suffer headaches as an adult.  Most of the time infrequent headaches are caused from stress, dehydration and/or from straining your neck or eyes. If you are one of the thousands of people who suffer from headaches regularly, a physical therapist (PT) can most likely help relieve the frequency and/or intensity of your symptoms. There are several types of headaches but the 2 main categories are: Tension: This is the most common kind and can feel like tightness in your head, around your neck and/or a throbbing/aching feeling. The pain can occur on one side or both sides of your head; at the base of your skull; or in your forehead region. Migraines: These feel like intense tension

Running is a great form of exercise, recreation, and sports participation for almost any age group. Plus, the only equipment needed is a pair of running shoes! Whether alone or with a team, running with correct form can enhance physical fitness, coordination, sense of accomplishment and physical development. One common myth regarding running is that it’s bad on the knees. If someone has a family history of arthritis, is overweight, or doesn’t have full hip, knee or ankle range of movement then running probably isn’t the optimal physical activity. But otherwise, running does not contribute to ‘bad knees.’ However, running with poor form or when you’re experiencing pain can lead to injury. If you’re experiencing any pain while running, shortness

Ankle sprains are unfortunately very common in all age groups from teenagers to centenarians. With summer approaching and more of us getting outside, one might want to prepare for prevention of ankle sprains or know what to do if you sprained your ankle. Because severe ankle sprains can have symptoms similar to a broken ankle/foot, it’s good to try and distinguish between the two so one can identify if an x-ray and medical attention is needed. Both are going to be accompanied by pain and swelling. An ankle sprain typically only has swelling on the outside of your foot, around the distal malleolus. The ligament Anterior Talo-Fibular is typically the one injured.  A fracture will typically have swelling around the

Physical Therapists & the Performance of Dry Needling An Educational Resource Paper Produced by the APTA Department of Practice and APTA State Government Affairs January 2012

Most people have heard the term ‘sciatica’ but when asked further, not everyone is clear on what exactly it is. ‘Sciatica’ or ‘sciatic pain’ refers to symptoms from the irritation of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. Nerves provide communication from the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) to the rest of the body (muscles, joints, skin). This nerve is formed from the combination of nerve roots of the lower lumbar and sacral area. It runs from the lower back (lumbar region) down the back of each thigh before splitting behind the knee and continuing down to the foot. Because the nerve travels the length of each leg, symptoms can be felt