Ehlers‑Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a group of genetic connective tissue disorders that affect collagen formation—the protein that helps provide the structure to skin, joints, and organs. This condition can lead to joint hypermobility, frequent dislocations, and persistent pain. Because EDS affects the connective tissue throughout the body, it often requires a multidisciplinary management approach focused...
By: Chelsey Vasquez, PT, DPT, PRPC and Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS For many women, childbirth recovery includes more than just sleep deprivation and adjusting to life with a newborn. Perineal tearing during delivery is extremely common and can sometimes lead to lingering pelvic pain, scar sensitivity, or pain with intercourse months after giving birth....
By: Kristin Carpenter, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT If you’re a woman in your 40s or 50s and suddenly experiencing more joint pain, muscle aches, or back pain, you’re not imagining it. Many women notice new or worsening musculoskeletal pain during perimenopause, the hormonal transition leading up to menopause. These symptoms can feel confusing especially if...
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...
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,...
Back pain is the most common reason patients seek care from their primary care physician and Physical Therapist. Mend’s clinicians in our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics specialize in the treatment of this painful diagnosis. Physical Therapists in our clinics utilize hands on treatments, including mobilization and spinal manipulation, dry needling, and...
Our nervous system is excellent at notifying us to a painful (noxious) stimulus in acute situations such as touching a hot stove or stepping on a lego. Under normal conditions as the painful stimulus resolves due to avoiding the behavior or tissue healing pain is no longer represented in the brain. For reasons we don’t...
By: Hope Whitman, PT, DPT, OCS Low back pain is surprisingly common in teen gymnasts. A recent study looked at what’s happening in their core muscles—and the results point to a few clear patterns. (Deodato et al., 2024). Young gymnasts with ongoing low back pain tended to have: ● Core muscle imbalance — Their abdominals...
By: Maggie Gebhardt, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT A less common source of knee pain and discomfort after knee surgery can be addressed with dry needling by a Physical Therapist. In this case, a patient who is post knee arthroscopy and progressing well can still having medial (inner) knee discomfort towards the end of their plan-of-care....
By: Maggie Gebhardt, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT The hip joint can be a source of pain for many people and the reason why can often be confusing. The most common thing we think of when it comes to hip pain is arthritis. However, there are many different causes of hip pain not related to arthritis...
