I would imagine the foam roller is slowly taking the place of the exercise ball as the most common piece of exercise equipment in people’s homes. Its’ low price and versatility for both exercise and self treatment make it very popular among clients and patients alike. The foam roller is an effective piece of equipment...
Is a picture really worth 1000 words? As our technology continues to improve MRI and CT scanners have become more proficient at finding changes in our spines. This higher imaging quality comes with a cost in that many of these positive findings like “bulging discs”, arthritis, “pinched nerves” and the frightening-sounding “degenerative disc disease” can...
William Osler, M.D., considered by many to be the father of modern medicine once said “listen to the patient he is telling you the diagnosis”. Others in the medical field have similar quotes including “listen to the patient long enough and they will tell you the diagnosis, listen longer and they will tell you the...
The size of mountain bike wheels has undergone significant changes in the history of the sport. Currently the traditional diameter of 26 inches is being challenged by the more recent 29 inch diameter (29ers). 29ers are 10% larger than 26 inch wheels and have been promoted as being easier to ride for taller riders and...
Concussion recognition and management has improved dramatically over the last decade. Coaches and Physical Therapists are able to both recognize the signs and symptoms of concussion and direct the athlete to the appropriate health care treatment. Without proper management concussions can have serious and deadly consequences for the nervous system and musculoskeletal system. Lynall et...
A common question we receive from young throwers and their parents is how to improve throwing velocity safely without undue stress on their arms. Our prior posts on throwing have focused on reducing arm stress through injury prevention and lower quarter strengthening. This post will focus on the research surrounding exercise programs designed to improve...
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...
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis is a spinal diagnosis found in older adults and involves a narrowing of the canals in which the nerves exit the spine. It can be found in either the central canal of the spine or in the foramen where nerves exit on each side of the spine. Often these patients reports symptoms...
The physical benefits of exercise including decreased risk of disease and death, as well as, improved strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination are well known. The benefits of exercise on our emotional and mental health are promising and continue to be explored. The exercise and neuroscience medical evidence continues to produce great research behind the utilization...
After hearing a patient’s history, Physical Therapists decide on known tests and measures to assess for impairments such as a loss of joint range of motion or muscle weakness which either precipitated or perpetuated a patient’s symptoms or injury. The foot and ankle are commonly assessed as a contributing factor to lower quarter injuries and...
