Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. Patients often describe sharp pain under the heel with their first steps in the morning, sometimes spreading into the arch. The pain is often worse when you stand or walk again after sitting. An estimated 2 million Americans develop plantar fasciitis each year (Martin et...
Achilles tendon pain, previously called Achilles tendinitis and now called Achilles tendinopathy, affects sedentary, active, and athletic people. The 2024 clinical practice guideline from the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy puts the overall prevalence of midportion Achilles tendinopathy at 4% to 7% and reports a lifetime cumulative incidence of Achilles tendon injury of 40% to...
By Mary Pezzella, PT, DPT If your hands ache after a long practice session, the cause might be higher up than you’d expect. The muscles that move your fingers actually live in your forearms. That’s why a sore wrist so often comes with an achy forearm, and why a “hand problem” isn’t always just in...
By Dr. Emily Fuller, PT, DPT You feel great during your warm-up. The first few rounds of your workout are going smoothly. Then, somewhere between another set of deadlifts, a few minutes on the rower, and the next round of wall balls, you start to notice it: your low back feels tight, tired, or painful....
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...
By: Mary Pezzella, PT, DPT Whether you play violin, drums, piano, guitar, trumpet, or sing, you are asking your body to perform a highly skilled physical task, often for hours at a time, under pressure, and with little room for error. The repetitive movements, sustained positions, and physical demands of playing can contribute to musician...
By Mary Pezzella, PT, DPT You finish a long rehearsal and your neck is tight, your shoulder is burning, and the space between your shoulder blades feels like a knot. Maybe it settles overnight. Then you pick up your instrument the next day and it’s right back. If that sounds familiar, you’re in good company....
Pain around or behind the kneecap that flares on stairs, squats, running, or long stretches of sitting is usually patellofemoral pain (PFP). It is common, with a 2018 meta-analysis in PLOS ONE putting annual prevalence in the general population at 22.7%, and it has a reputation for lingering. Current guidelines are clear about where treatment...
In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy Clinics we are focused on identifying both the pain generator and the reasons why it is symptomatic. These may or may not occur in the same joint or structure. In many cases, the underlying reason we have pain may be driven from an adjacent body structure...
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...
