By Mary Pezzella, PT, DPT If your hands ache after a long practice session, the cause might be higher up than you’d expect. The muscles that move your fingers actually live in your forearms. That’s why a sore wrist so often comes with an achy forearm, and why a “hand problem” isn’t always just in...
If a clinician has told you your sacroiliac (SI) joint is “out of alignment,” “rotated,” or “unstable,” that language matters more than you might think, and not in a good way. In Boulder County, we’re seeing a resurgence of clinicians using outdated tests to explain low back, hip, and even distant pain by way of...
Sciatica is an umbrella term for leg symptoms, pain, numbness, or tingling, caused by irritation or compression of a nerve root as it exits the spine. Most cases resolve with conservative care, and in our Boulder and Lafayette clinics, that usually means a combination of focused exercise, dry needling, and manual therapy. Spinal manipulation is...
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...
The sacroiliac (SI) joint gets blamed for a lot of pain it probably isn’t causing. It’s not that clinicians are acting in bad faith. It’s that once you’re trained to look for something, confirmation bias makes it easy to keep finding it, even when the evidence says it’s uncommon. A Joint Built Not to Move...
Spinal manipulation has a solid evidence base for musculoskeletal pain: our articles on manipulation for low back pain and the best treatments for low back pain cover that research directly. The evidence looks very different once you move outside pain and mobility conditions and into the theory that manipulating the spine can influence internal organs...
Spinal manipulation dates back to Hippocrates and ancient Egyptian medicine, but the explanation for why it helps has changed more recently than the treatment itself. Patients often describe it the same way: “my spine was out of place, and the manipulation put it back.” Research has disproven that theory. Imaging taken before and after a...
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....
