A recent clinical practice guideline was published advising clinicians and patients on the management of achilles tendon injury (tendinopathy). These guidelines are based on both the available medical research and medical opinions from experts in the field. The Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy reported the following for management of mid portion achilles tendinopathy...
Lower extremity stiffness (“leg stiffness”) describes the resistance the joints and muscles in your lower body will have to movement when your foot contacts the ground during running. Think of your leg as a spring; the more tightly coiled spring will be stiffer, the more loosely coiled will be more deformable. A stiffer leg is...
Cadence, or the amount of steps taken each minute, is a common and effective running assessment. This assessment can be done in both healthy and injured runners, but its’ modification is most impactful in the latter group. In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice, we routinely utilize running gait retraining to reduce abnormal forces in the...
In the achilles tendinopathy (artist formally known as tendonitis) research two main themes have emerged. First, there is little to no evidence to support the use of injections of any kind into an injured tendon. Authors have advocated against steroid injections due to the risk of tendon rupture outweighing any potential benefits. Studies have also...
Running remains one of the most popular forms of exercise due to its’ convenience, low cost of entry, and aerobic efficiency. It is difficult to replace the same health benefits you receive from a 30 minute run with another mode of activity. Unfortunately the rates of running related injuries have not been reduced with improvements...
Achilles tendinopathy is the most common tendon injuries seen in our Boulder Physical Therapy practice. Patients often present with pain along the mid portion of the achilles tendon during walking, hiking, running, or jumping activities. The greatest risk factors for this condition include a loss of ankle flexibility (dorsiflexion) and calf weakness. Both of these...
Our understanding of tendon pain and injuries has changed significantly over the last two decades and has driven changes in Physical Therapy treatment selection. As a profession we have moved away from a rest and immobilization approach and replaced it with an active approach designed to first strengthen the tendon’s muscle and secondly heal or...
It is rare to find a runner who has not experienced an injury in the past requiring them to miss training or competition. Previous authors have reported over 90% of runners report a running related injury and the vast majority of these runners return to running before they are symptom free. This is a common...
Tendon injuries are one of the most common sports injuries seen in our Lafayette and Boulder Physical Therapy clinics. Most often overuse in nature, tendon injuries can significantly limit an individual’s ability to perform their daily and recreational activities. Tendinopathy, formerly known as tendinitis, describes the chronic cellular chemical and structural changes that occur...
