Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common condition in middle to older age and is a leading cause of pain and disability among this population. Our prior posts detailed improvements in cartilage thickness occurring in individuals with mild knee OA after a lower body exercise program. In advanced stages of knee OA or with a progressive...
In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice we often see athletes who are dealing with a swimming related injury. Some of these injuries can occur from training errors and poor stroke mechanics, but many are secondary to correctable changes in mobility and strength. Many injured swimmers complain of shoulder pain including rotator cuff muscle or tendon...
A couple of things are known when reading the research on low back pain. First, it is common with 9 out of 10 adults experiencing symptoms over their lifetime. Second, patients with low back pain are very different and require a specific, individualized treatment vs. a one size fits all approach. Medical research has identified...
Osteoarthritis is estimated to affect 250 million people worldwide leading to high rates of global pain and disability. These rates are expected to raise as our population of baby boomers continues to age into their golden years. Unfortunately, many with osteoarthritis will become less active or sedentary because of their symptoms and in turn are...
Exercise remains one of the most underutilized treatments for mental health disorders. The treatment effects of aerobic exercise have been shown to match or beat the effects of common pharmaceutical treatments for some mental health diagnoses. Previous research has shown even brief bouts of aerobic exercise can be helpful for our mental health, which may...
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the bony canals in the spine which surround the nerves which supply our lower extremities. The condition is common among aging adults, > 60 years old, and can lead to symptoms such as single or bilateral leg pain, numbness, pins and needles, and/or weakness. Often leg symptoms are...
Since entering the sports medicine field in the early 2000s there has always been a presence of the newest gadget, technology, or device aimed at either reducing pain or accelerating tissue healing. As the years move forward the popularities of these devices wax and wane and eventually fall out of favor due to the next...
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects 1 in 10 women of reproductive age worldwide. Classically, symptoms of endometriosis are painful menstrual cycles and chronic pelvic and abdominal pain, though a myriad of symptoms exist including rectal pain, abdominal bloating, back pain, bladder and bowel dysfunction, and pain with sex. Current treatment regimens for...
In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we commonly prescribe mobility or stretching exercises to reduce pain and restore lost function. Accelerating a patient’s return to the activities they enjoy. When combined with other forms of exercise, in particular strength training, stretching is an effective method of restoring lost motion in joints...
Previously we wrote about the positive impacts of exercise on the body’s tissues. The benefits of exercise is based on the ability of your rehabilitation program to properly load and unload an injured tissue allowing it to remodel and heal. The optimal amount of load is key with both ends of spectrum, over doing it...
