By: John Crawley, PT, DPT, OCS Does it matter if you hurt your labrum? Does it matter if you have worn out your biceps tendon? The answer might surprise you. Often people think that identifiable injury to their body means they need surgery or that they will not be able to climb as hard or...
By: Chelsey Vasquez, PT, DPT, PRPC Abdominal bloating and distension are common concerns I hear from patients in pelvic health physical therapy. Many people feel uncomfortable pressure in their abdomen after eating or by the end of the day. While digestive conditions can contribute, another often overlooked factor is abdominophrenic dyssynergia. Abdominophrenic dyssynergia occurs when...
By: Rani Helvey-Byers, PT, DPT, OCS The shoulder is the second most commonly injured site in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.1 If you train regularly, there’s a good chance you’ve dealt with shoulder pain at some point. The higher rate of injury in the shoulder stems from its being an incredibly mobile joint – a fact that makes...
By: Lucas Glomb, PT, DPT, OCS If you’ve torn your ACL, one of the biggest factors in how well you recover actually happens before surgery. Pre-operative physical therapy, commonly called “prehab”, sets the stage for everything that follows. Patients who prepare their knee before surgery consistently demonstrate better strength, improved function, and smoother recoveries afterward. Restore...
By: Maggie Gebhardt, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT For runners in Boulder and Lafayette, efficiency is key. One overlooked factor in running performance is 1st toe extension. What is the Windlass Mechanism in Running? The Windlass Mechanism involves the big toe lifting (extending), which tightens the plantar fascia and arch. This action helps the foot become...
By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS If you live in Colorado, being active is part of life. Hiking, skiing, trail running, biking. But here’s something most people don’t realize: the previous American College of Sports Medicine resistance training guidelines had not been significantly updated in nearly two decades, meaning much of what people believed about...
By: Kristin Carpenter, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT Low back pain affects 60–80% of people at some point in their lives (Roth, 2022). For athletes and active adults in Boulder County, back pain can be especially frustrating because it interferes with training, outdoor activities, and performance. Whether you enjoy barbell training, cycling, running, skiing, or CrossFit,...
Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain is a frequently overlooked source of low back and hip pain in athletes. The SI joints sit at the base of the spine where the sacrum meets the pelvis, playing a critical role in transferring force between the trunk and lower body. When irritation or dysfunction develops in this joint, athletes...
An ACL tear does not automatically mean surgery is required. In the past, reconstruction was commonly recommended for nearly every ACL injury. However, more recent research shows some patients can achieve similar outcomes with structured physical therapy compared to surgery followed by rehabilitation. Studies comparing early surgery with early physical therapy have found no significant...
ACL injuries are among the most common serious knee injuries in alpine skiing because the sport combines speed, uneven terrain, and sudden directional changes that place rotational stress on the knee. When a skier falls with the ski fixed in the snow as the body continues to rotate, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) can tear....