By: Mary Pezzella, PT, DPT Whether you play violin, drums, piano, guitar, trumpet, or sing, you are asking your body to perform a highly skilled physical task, often for hours at a time, under pressure, and with little room for error. The repetitive movements, sustained positions, and physical demands of playing can contribute to musician...
By: Mary Pezzella, PT, DPT Musicians spend hours asking their bodies to perform precise, repetitive movements while often holding the same position for long periods of time. Just like an athlete warms up before practice or competition, musicians can benefit from preparing their bodies before they start playing. A physical warm-up doesn’t need to be...
By Mary Pezzella, PT, DPT You finish a long rehearsal and your neck is tight, your shoulder is burning, and the space between your shoulder blades feels like a knot. Maybe it settles overnight. Then you pick up your instrument the next day and it’s right back. If that sounds familiar, you’re in good company....
If rolling over in bed, climbing stairs, or standing on one leg to pull on your pants sends a sharp pain into the back of your pelvis or the front of your pubic bone, you are probably dealing with pelvic girdle pain. It is the most common musculoskeletal complaint of pregnancy, and it responds to...
If your physical therapist tells you a segment in your low back or neck is stiff, it is fair to ask whether the manipulation has to land on that exact segment. Clinicians were long taught to find the restricted joint and aim straight at it. Two systematic reviews and one randomized trial have since tested...
By Jeff Ryg, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT If you came in for shoulder pain and your physical therapist started working on your upper back, there’s a reason. The thoracic spine takes part in every overhead movement you make, and thoracic manipulation is one of the quickest ways to reduce shoulder pain in the first few...
What Is Frozen Shoulder? Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is a less common source of shoulder pain, affecting around 3% of adults. That rate climbs as high as 40% in patients with diabetes or thyroid disorders. It typically develops between ages 40 and 65 and affects women more than men. In the early stages, an acute...
If your shoulder pinches when you press overhead, reach for a high hold, or roll onto it at night, there’s a good chance someone has called it impingement. It’s the most common diagnosis behind shoulder pain, and it is also one of the most treatable without surgery. The research points to a consistent plan: specific...
By Dr. Erica Tran, PT, DPT Pickleball looks gentle until your knees tell you otherwise. The quick split-steps, the lateral shuffles to cover the kitchen line, and the sudden stops and pivots on a hard court all add up to real demand on the knee joint. When a knee gets stiff, cranky, or just doesn’t...
Yes, for most people. If knee arthritis limits your stairs, your squats, or a day on the trail, physical therapy is where most guidelines tell you to start, and the trial evidence behind it is stronger than most people expect. Exercise does most of the work. Manual therapy has a real but smaller role, and...
