Achilles tendon ruptures mainly occurs in middle aged adults, males > females, participating in sports with high levels of jumping or high force activity. The repair and recovery time of these tendon ruptures is lengthy due to the post operative immobilization, weight bearing, and exercise restrictions. Prior research has shown only 1 in 2 athletes...
The achilles tendon is a strong, durable structure capable of absorbing and producing large loads as we walk, hike, and run. When the tendon is overloaded without adequate recovery periods this structure is prone to painful and limiting conditions such as achilles tendonitis and tendinopathy. One of the important risk factors for achilles injury among...
The treadmill remains a necessary evil when completing run training allowing athletes to escape inclement weather to complete their workouts. Thankfully, in Boulder we have few inclement days as we move through the Spring and Summer months allowing athletes to train outside. Prior research has noted significant bio-mechanical differences in treadmill vs. ground running including...
Marathon running is a challenging event requiring substantial amounts of endurance and strength training for optimal performance and injury prevention. The race distance of 26.2 miles requires high mileage training, often >75-100 miles per week at the elite level, placing the athlete at risk of a running related injury (Saragiotto et al. 2014). In addition...
Ankle mobility is essential for both daily walking tasks as well as higher level athletics and sports participation. In our Physical Therapy practice in Boulder we see a loss of dorsiflexion, bending, among athletes with lower extremity injuries and conditions. A lack of ankle bend, dorsiflexion, has been associated with many conditions including heel pain, plantar...
Customized foot orthotics based off a clinical examination, plaster or foam cast have been utilized for decades in order to treat overuse injuries of the foot, ankle, knee, hip and even spine. These orthotics are usually not covered by insurance and usually run into the hundreds of dollars compared to an off the shelf model....
In prior posts we described risk factors for an initial episode of achilles tendinopathy including muscle imbalances, calf weakness (concentric and eccentric), and loss of mobility within the foot and ankle. Once the tendinopathy is established, patients demonstrate significant deficits in range of motion, strength, balance, endurance, and jumping ability (Silbernagel et al. 2006). These...
Our prior posts on tendon injuries have described the structural changes that take place with chronic symptomatic tendinopathies. The disorganization of tendon fibers and the body’s attempts to heal the injured tendon are best viewed on ultrasound or MRI imaging. MRI is a very sensitive tool, but lacks specificity meaning a positive finding may or...
Mend Physical Therapy has previously written on the prevention and treatment of running injuries in multiple prior blog posts. Running is very common form of exercise in the United States and here Boulder County. The vast majority of runners will sustain an injury in the upcoming year which will prevent them from training or competing...
One of things I enjoy about the profession of Physical Therapy is its’ constantly changing nature of the medical evidence behind what we do. Often I come across a new article or research report, which challenges my previous line of thought about an injury or treatment and requires me to change. Achilles Tendinopathy is commonly and...