Shoulder pain is a common musculoskeletal problem and one of the top reasons patients seek care from their primary care physician. There are many sources of shoulder pain including impingement and rotator cuff tendonitis or tears, but they all have one impairment in common altered muscle recruitment. When pain is introduced into the body the...
As we move into Spring we begin to see our youth athletes return to the baseball diamond often with a sudden increase in practice volume. The sudden increase in throwing volume, either in the field or on the mound, places the athlete’s shoulder and elbow at greater risk of baseball injuries. The greatest risk factors for...
“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” – Buddha. Mental health has a significant impact on recovery from many musculoskeletal diagnoses including low back pain, neck pain, and shoulder pain. Our thoughts and perceptions about our bodies and their ability to recover...
With a changing in the seasons we also see a changing of the sports in our Boulder County student athletes. Athletes previously focused on winter sports including swimming and basketball are now able to focus on spring sports including baseball and track. Prior research shows athletes who change sports during the sports year have half...
Treatment of the thoracic spine utilizing joint mobilization or manipulation is a excellent treatment approach to accelerate the recovery of patients dealing with neck, elbow, and shoulder pain. Utilizing a regional interdependence approach where areas adjacent or distant to the site of pain are treated by the physical therapist, in addition to the painful area, lead...
Despite having no symptoms, many of us will develop age-related changes in the musculoskeletal structures of our bodies, similar to the aging effects on our skin. These findings are most prevalent on highly sensitive imaging techniques such as MRI and often lead to unnecessary and costly medical procedures. Our shoulders are also prone to development of age...
In our practice, we commonly see adolescent baseball athletes suffering from shoulder and elbow injuries. On average 1 in 2 youth throwers will develop arm injuries and on average major league throwers lose 22 days per season due to arm injury (Conte et al. 2001). These injuries are mainly overuse in nature secondary to muscle...
The majority of patients undergoing treatment by a Physical Therapist will receive a home exercise program (HEP) based on their specific symptoms. This individualized program is essential for the reduction of symptoms and restoration of function. In my opinion, not providing an exercise program to patients with musculoskeletal conditions leads to patient dependence on the...
Shoulder and elbow injuries are on the rise among youth and professional baseball players. Our previous post on baseball injuries detailed the risk of future injury if an athlete has lost range of motion in his shoulder prior to the season. In particular, emphasis has been placed on the amount of internal rotation (hand behind lower...
Shoulder Pain and Impingement Background Shoulder pain is a common source of peripheral joint pain occurring at a prevalence rate of up to 47% across all age groups and is second most common cause of musculoskeletal pain(7,9). Symptoms of shoulder pain account for 33.2% of physician visits in the U.S. and are most frequently associated...