Knee arthritis remains one of the most common diagnoses in middle to older adults playing tennis and pickleball. Patients commonly experience joint stiffness, pain, and weakness leading to decreased participation in playing tennis or pickleball. Strength training and aerobic exercise remain the most powerful interventions for tennis and pickleball players. Stronger muscles help dissipate the...
In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we commonly are asked the question on the link between running and knee arthritis. The evidence keeps pointing to a lack of correlation between running and arthritis of the knee. Authors of the study “Running Does Not Increase Symptoms or Structural Progression in People with...
In a classic Nike commercial, Michael Jordan denies Mars’ (Spike Lee) repeated statements that it had to be the shoes. We often hear similar proclamations and claims in regards to running shoes and their ability to reduce running injury risk. Unfortunately, despite significant technological advancements in shoes the evidence has not shown an impact of...
Biomechanics in sports are essential to both performance and injury risk becoming more important as athletes begin to increase their training volume and reach higher levels of performance. Among runners poor biomechanics in the lower quarter have been associated with reduced running economy and in turn performance, as well as, overuse injuries such as patellofemoral...
With access to miles of paths and acres of open space running remains one of the most popular outdoor activities in Boulder. Despite its’ accessibility, low cost of participation, and health benefits running related injuries keep many from training or competing at their preferred levels. One recent area of research has focused on gait retraining...
Despite the amazing health benefits of exercise, the CDC estimates 80% of Americans do not meet national guidelines for weekly exercise. Patients with knee arthritis report decreased participation in daily exercise programs including walking and moderate exercise secondary to pain, weakness, and fear of injury. In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice many patients are fearful...
Knee arthritis is a common condition among older adults leading to increased knee pain and decreased participation in recreational and sporting activities. A incorrect, but commonly held belief is exercise may lead to further arthritis or knee damage due to a “wear and tear” effect. This outdated line of thought has been disproven by many research...
Our previous blog post detailed the differences in biomechanics between foot strike patterns in runners. There are clear bio mechanical differences between utilizing a forefoot and rear foot strike pattern and these are important for gait retraining and injury risk. Obviously, the foot is the first part of the body to strike the ground in...
As we move towards the middle of summer many runners have experienced an increase in overuse injuries in their legs. Unfortunately, these running injuries are common among athletes with the vast majority of runners reporting one injury over the last year of training. Two of the most common injuries include shin splints (medial tibial stress...
By Dr. Emily Fuller, PT, DPT If you’re dealing with an injury, one of the first questions you may have is: Do I have to stop CrossFit? In many cases, the answer is no. Training CrossFit while injured often comes down to modifying your workout rather than stopping altogether, and appropriately modifying your training can...
