My approach to treating ankle sprains has changed dramatically since I began working with athletes in the late 1990s. The PRICE (protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation) approach has been replaced with a clinically superior movement approach designed to reduce pain and facilitate a return to an exercise program. The PRICE approach was effective to...
Shoulder pain remains one of the most common reasons patients seek out the care of both their primary care physician and Physical Therapist. The most common cause of shoulder pain remains subacromial impingement or the compression of soft tissues including the rotator cuff tendons within the shoulder joint. Physical Therapy including joint manipulation and mobilization,...
Hip impingement, femoracetabular impingement, is a common source of pain for patients. Much research is needed on this more recent diagnosis secondary to the high rates of impingement found in pain free athletes. In addition, more research is needed on the comparison of conservative versus surgical management of the condition. Patient’s undergoing arthroscopic surgery to...
Pain located on the outside of the hip has previously been diagnosed as trochanteric bursitis, but more recent research reports less than 10% of patients demonstrate bursal inflammation. This condition is more accurately diagnosed as greater trochanter pain syndrome indicating a breakdown of the glut tendons as they attach into the hip. This condition commonly...
Skiing remains one of the most popular outdoor winter sports in Colorado. It is estimated over 6.8 million skiers participated in the sport over the recent winter season. There are inherent risks of death and injury in both skiing and snowboarding, but thankfully due to technological updates and innovations overall injuries have fallen by half...
In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice we still hear old wives tales on the harmful effects of exercise in patient’s with knee arthritis. For example, patients should avoid running to prevent worsening of their knee arthritis despite significant medical evidence to the contrary. Many of these theories are based in an outdated “wear and tear”...
Flexibility remains one of the most commonly assessed and prescribed areas in health and fitness. A significant amount of time and resources continue to be dedicated to this mode of exercise often at the expense of more valuable areas including aerobic exercise and strength training. Although mobility focused Physical Therapy exercises have their place and...
The physical benefits of aerobic and resistance exercise are well known and established, but we are learning more about the emotional and mental health benefits of daily exercise. The National Institutes of Health reports 19% of American adults will be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and more than 30% may develop an anxiety disorder in...
Blood pressure is an established vital sign given its’ ability to inform clinicians on the status of multiple organ systems in the body. Most commonly, blood pressure is utilized to assess the workload on the cardiovascular system as it maintains circulation to the body under different levels of stress and disease states. Importantly, blood pressure...
Patellofemoral pain, pain around the kneecap, is extremely common and impacts activities such as running, hiking and stairclimbing. In our previous posts on this condition we have discussed the efficacy of exercise in treating this condition. A recent study (Nunes et al, Phys Ther Sport 2019) assessed performance measures correlated with hip muscle strength in...
