Spinal manipulation dates back to Hippocrates and ancient Egyptian medicine, but the explanation for why it helps has changed more recently than the treatment itself. Patients often describe it the same way: “my spine was out of place, and the manipulation put it back.” Research has disproven that theory. Imaging taken before and after a...
Sciatica is an umbrella term for leg symptoms, pain, numbness, or tingling, caused by irritation or compression of a nerve root as it exits the spine. Most cases resolve with conservative care, and in our Boulder and Lafayette clinics, that usually means a combination of focused exercise, dry needling, and manual therapy. Spinal manipulation is...
A stiff neck can turn ordinary movements into a problem: checking a blind spot, reaching for the overhead bin, even rolling over in bed. The right treatment depends on what’s driving it. A neck that seized up after an awkward night’s sleep often clears on its own in a day or two. Neck pain that...
The muscles of the neck are responsible for movements of the head and shoulder blade, as well as, stabilization of the head on the neck during daily activities. These muscles must be capable of both low repetition, high force contractions as well as high repetition, low force contractions to accomplish these tasks. Patient’s with neck...
Neck pain is a common source of musculoskeletal pain with up to 70% of Americans experiencing neck pain at some point in their lives. In the early or acute phases of pain, hands on treatment including spinal manipulation and joint mobilization have been shown to reduce pain and disability due to neck symptoms. If left...
Headaches are one of the most common reasons patients seek care by a Physical Therapist. In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy practices we have found optimal outcomes and fewer visits for treating many headaches types including cervicogenic headaches. These headaches are driven from the neck (cervical spine) and cause pain referral to...
Neck pain is a common problem affecting up to 70% of the population in their lifetime. Cervical and thoracic manipulation remains an effective Physical Therapy treatment to restore mobility and decrease pain in patients with neck pain. Recent research has shown no difference between one manipulation technique over another with both showing equal benefits for...
photo credit: ptonice.com 1. You have taken numerous continuing education courses in your career, how did the completion of the fellowship advance your clinical and teaching goals? The more I practice our craft the more I believe the big variable is selecting the right intervention, far more so than the nuances of that intervention delivery. ...
Headaches are a common condition reaching greater than 30 billion dollars each year in health care costs. The majority of headaches are multifactorial in nature but can commonly be broken down into tension/myofascial headache, migraine, cluster, and cervicogenic headaches. This finally category of headache includes pain referred to the head by the upper neck joints...
Thoracic manipulation by Physical Therapists has previously been shown to improve pain and function in patients with elbow, shoulder, and neck pain. Authors continue to research the mechanisms behind its’ effectiveness including a beneficial cascade of events in the peripheral and central nervous system, as well as, a possible biomechanical change in the spinal joints....
