The positive impact of exercise on our mental health diseases and outcomes continues to be discovered. Research has moved from correlational studies showing active individuals have improved health outcomes to cause and effect trials. These randomized controlled trials have documented the impact of exercise on both healthy individuals and those with mental health diagnoses (Alzheimer’s,...
Time remains one the most precious resources and is often sighted as the biggest barrier to exercising consistently. When we devote time to working out we need to ensure the time spent is effective for our health and fitness goals. One area we notice people waste time on is using the incorrect weight for their...
Technology’s impact on our lives continues to grow each year. In the exercise industry we have seen a significant impact ranging from wearable technologies tracking fitness data to numerous apps and online programs for any number of fitness and health goals. Two of the main limitations of these technologies include a lack of direct supervision...
Achilles tendon injuries, tendonitis or tendinopathy, are a common lower quarter injury among athletes. Studies suggest a lifetime prevalence of up to 25% among higher risk sports including jumping athletes. In our Boulder and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we commonly see achilles tendinopathy among our runners and team sport athletes. Most commonly we see this...
By: John Crawley, PT, DPT, OCS A recent study by M. Erickson et. al. looked at how patterns of rest and activity, like when we’re active and when we sleep, relate to our overall physical health as we get older. Researchers studied nearly 800 older adults, most of them in their mid-70s, and used wearable...
Are you a runner with knee pain? Or a CrossFit athlete who has knee pain with squatting or box jumps? Does your MRI show decreased thickness of the cartilage in your patella (kneecap) or femur/tibia?. These are very common conditions that we treat at MEND. There is extensive evidence in the research that shows that...
By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS If you’ve ever tried stretching or foam rolling only to still feel stiff, limited, or “stuck,” there’s a reason. While those tools can be helpful, they often miss a key piece of the puzzle: the joint capsule. That’s where banded joint mobilizations come in. Using a thick resistance band...
By: Rani Helvey-Byers, PT, DPT, OCS If you’ve been doing all the right glute focused exercises but still feel like your glutes just aren’t firing, you’re not alone. Many people struggle to feel their glutes working during common exercises such as squats, lunges, and deadlifts. But there’s good news: a recent study found that static...
Dr. Ian Nay, PT, DPT, OCS Shoulder pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders that we see at MEND, and in fact, will affect about 25% of all individuals at some point in their lives (1). Pain-relieving injections such as cortisone or corticosteroids have traditionally been used as a first-line treatment for shoulder...
By: Dr. Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS If you caught my Instagram Reel “Top 3 Things I’m NOT Falling For Anymore”, you already know it’s time to challenge outdated beliefs holding women back especially when it comes to strength training. But for young female athletes, pregnant women, postpartum warriors, and anyone dealing with pelvic floor...