If rolling over in bed, climbing stairs, or standing on one leg to pull on your pants sends a sharp pain into the back of your pelvis or the front of your pubic bone, you are probably dealing with pelvic girdle pain. It is the most common musculoskeletal complaint of pregnancy, and it responds to...
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...
By Jeff Ryg, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT If you came in for shoulder pain and your physical therapist started working on your upper back, there’s a reason. The thoracic spine takes part in every overhead movement you make, and thoracic manipulation is one of the quickest ways to reduce shoulder pain in the first few...
What Is Frozen Shoulder? Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is a less common source of shoulder pain, affecting around 3% of adults. That rate climbs as high as 40% in patients with diabetes or thyroid disorders. It typically develops between ages 40 and 65 and affects women more than men. In the early stages, an acute...
If your shoulder pinches when you press overhead, reach for a high hold, or roll onto it at night, there’s a good chance someone has called it impingement. It’s the most common diagnosis behind shoulder pain, and it is also one of the most treatable without surgery. The research points to a consistent plan: specific...
By Dr. Erica Tran, PT, DPT Pickleball looks gentle until your knees tell you otherwise. The quick split-steps, the lateral shuffles to cover the kitchen line, and the sudden stops and pivots on a hard court all add up to real demand on the knee joint. When a knee gets stiff, cranky, or just doesn’t...
Yes, for most people. If knee arthritis limits your stairs, your squats, or a day on the trail, physical therapy is where most guidelines tell you to start, and the trial evidence behind it is stronger than most people expect. Exercise does most of the work. Manual therapy has a real but smaller role, and...
By Jeff Ryg, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT If your knee feels stiff after sitting, catches when you try to bend it all the way, or hasn’t moved the same since an injury or surgery, joint mobilization is one of the most useful tools we have at Mend. It’s a hands-on technique, not a stretch you’d...
Pain around or behind the kneecap that flares on stairs, squats, running, or long stretches of sitting is usually patellofemoral pain (PFP). It is common, with a 2018 meta-analysis in PLOS ONE putting annual prevalence in the general population at 22.7%, and it has a reputation for lingering. Current guidelines are clear about where treatment...
If your knee will not fully straighten after ACL reconstruction, those last few degrees deserve attention early. Lost extension changes how you walk, keeps your quadriceps working in a bent position, and gets harder to recover the longer it sits. Knee mobilization is one of the hands-on tools physical therapists use to help, though the...
