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...
By: Mary Pezzella, PT, DPT One of our favorite tools at Mend Colorado for improving hip mobility is a heavy duty Rogue resistance band. If you often feel like one hip is “tight,” your squat feels blocked, or you can’t access a position you need for running, climbing, lifting, or everyday life, a Rogue-style loop...
Women can experience a lot of undesirable symptoms during perimenopause, including reduced energy levels, dramatic mood changes, and incredibly uncomfortable hot flashes. Many also notice changes in their body composition, including the loss of lean muscle mass and increased abdominal fat. Put another way, perimenopause is stressful for everyone; however, it can be especially frustrating...
By: John Crawley, PT, DPT, OCS How Pulley Injuries Occur: The Biomechanics Your fingers don’t actually contain muscles; they are moved by long tendons (flexor digitorum superficialis and profundus) that originate in your forearm. These tendons run down your fingers through a sheath, held tight to the bone by ligamentous tunnels called pulleys. Think of...
The movements inherent to rock climbing can put significant stress on the meniscus. High-stepping, heel hooking, drop-knees, and planting/twisting can make the knee susceptible to meniscus tears. Both traumatic and degenerative meniscus tears are common among climbers, but there is excellent evidence showing that conservative treatment should be the first line of treatment in the...
Every athlete has heard it over and over from their coaches throughout the years: you need to stretch after practice/training, stretching prevents injuries, etc. Over the past decade we have seen foam rolling and other self driven myofascial release techniques gain popularity as well with claims that it enhances your recovery or it improves your...
Tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) is a condition that results from compression or entrapment of the posterior tibial nerve within the tarsal tunnel of the medial ankle giving symptoms of numbness, burning, and paresthesias in the heel, ankle, or sole of the foot (1). TTS can have several potential causes including trauma, soft tissue inflammation, and...
The subscapularis is the largest and strongest of the rotator cuff muscles. Its primary function is shoulder internal rotation and it plays a critical role in stabilizing the front aspect of the shoulder during climbing movements. The subscapularis is the least commonly injured muscle of the rotator cuff, but is still prone to pain and...
Pain to the elbow is very common among climbers and is one of the leading causes of time away from the sport. The most likely areas of pain are to the lateral elbow or medial elbow. Keep reading to learn more about the symptoms, causes, and treatment options for elbow pain. Lateral epicondylalgia (also...
The pectoralis minor muscle is situated on the front of the chest and attaches the scapula to the rib cage. When this muscle becomes chronically tight it can pull the scapula anteriorly, creating a posture where the shoulders are rounded forward. This posture is often seen in rock climbers and tightness of the pec minor...
