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Mend Physical Therapy Blog and Injury Information
Dry needling for low back pain

Dry needling treatments performed by Physical Therapists have gained in popularity among both clinicians and patients with low back pain.  The treatment is designed to reduce pain and restore muscle function.   Inserting small, monofilament needs into trigger points within painful muscle groups can lead to immediate changes in pain and movement.  While the mechanism of...

How Effective Is Physical Therapy Dry Needling With Electrical Stimulation?

Dry needling is a common treatment intervention provided by Physical Therapists in our Boulder and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics. When combined with other interventions, including manual therapy and exercise, dry needling can be an effective method to treat sources of myofascial or muscular pain. Dry needling can be performed with or without electrical stimulation. Previous...

  Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylalgia is the most common reason for elbow pain and 2nd most common overuse injury in the arm after the shoulder. Lateral elbow pain was previously described as an inflammatory condition, but we now know this condition affects the muscles’ common insertion point where the tendon meets the...

Low back pain remains one of the most common symptoms seen by both physicians and Physical Therapists. Physical Therapy remains the gold standard for the conservative treatment of low back pain due to its’ clinical effectiveness and cost savings vs. other forms of treatment including usual care. In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice we consistently...

Dry needling is a common physical therapy treatment intervention in our Boulder Physical Therapy practice for patients with musculoskeletal pain. It involves the insertion of a thin monofilament needle into a muscle. Dry needling has been proven effective in reducing pain, changing the status of trigger points, improving muscular blood flow, and has been suggested...

Headaches are often multifactorial in nature, but three types (migraine, tension type, and cervicogenic) are commonly treated in our Boulder Physical Therapy practice. Cervicogenic headaches include headache symptoms driven by the joints in the upper neck and respond best to upper cervical joint mobilization and manipulation, as well as, neck and shoulder strengthening exercises. Tension...

Neck pain is a common condition coming in just behind Low Back Pain in prevalence presenting to primary care physician and Physical Therapy practices. Neck pain is most effectively treated with a combination of manual therapy, including joint mobilization and spinal manipulation, as well as, mobility and strengthening exercises. Consistent with our musculoskeletal diagnoses manual...