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...
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...
One of things I enjoy about the profession of Physical Therapy is its’ constantly changing nature of the medical evidence behind what we do. Often I come across a new article or research report, which challenges my previous line of thought about an injury or treatment and requires me to change. Achilles Tendinopathy is commonly and...
Customized foot orthotics based off a clinical examination, plaster or foam cast have been utilized for decades in order to treat overuse injuries of the foot, ankle, knee, hip and even spine. These orthotics are usually not covered by insurance and usually run into the hundreds of dollars compared to an off the shelf model....
Are you wondering when it will happen to you? Not what , but when will you feel pain or develop an injury? Can you determine your injury risk? The answer is YES! There are screening tools that allow athletes to assess their injury risk. The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a valid indicator of injury...
Gymnastics is a very demanding physical sport requiring mobility, strength, endurance, and coordination. Athletes often train at high volumes each week involving multiple days per week, long daily training sessions, and competitions. Gymnastics is also one of the fastest growing sports for youth and adolescents over the last few years. The combination of high participation...
Running Mechanics Running is one of the most common forms of exercise and has grown in popularity as evidenced by the wide range of age and ability levels running in Boulder County. Unfortunately, injuries effect a significant number of athletes with up to 90% reporting a prior injury(1). The vast majority of these injuries are...
In prior posts we described risk factors for an initial episode of achilles tendinopathy including muscle imbalances, calf weakness (concentric and eccentric), and loss of mobility within the foot and ankle. Once the tendinopathy is established, patients demonstrate significant deficits in range of motion, strength, balance, endurance, and jumping ability (Silbernagel et al. 2006). These...
“In life there are no guarantees” and this is certainly the case with return to sport after surgical procedures. Unfortunately, the commonly held belief is surgical repairs of muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc. guarantees a return to sport at prior levels of play and competition. The odds of returning to competitive levels of sport can be...
