Blog

Mend Physical Therapy Blog and Injury Information

Patellar tendinopathy is a painful condition along the tendon below the knee cap commonly diagnosed in jumping or bounding athletes.  In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we often encounter this diagnosis among patients who did too much too soon or too little for too long.  Tendons require consistent loading through exercise...

In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we commonly receive questions on the benefits of exercise on bone density. High intensity resistance training and impact training have been shown to improve indices of bone strength in postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density (Watson et al. 2018). High intensity resistance training and...

What is Biofeedback for the Pelvic Floor? Our Boulder and Lafayette clinics now offer surface EMG biofeedback for pelvic muscle training! Biofeedback for the pelvic floor, or specifically surface EMG (sEMG), is a device that senses muscle activity at the pelvic floor muscles via external electrodes. You can then visually view on the device when...

A common question we discuss in our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics regards Kegels.  First and foremost, Kegels are not always appropriate and are definitely not always enough in treating pelvic floor dysfunctions! Gone are the days of doing only Kegels on a table in a room. For all the reasons Kegels...

The utilization of cold temperatures whether in the form of air temperature, water immersion, or ice baths after exercise is not new, but participation in this intervention is on the rise.  As the popularity of cold water immersion increases it continues to outpace the available research supporting its’ utilization.  Overall the research has significant methodological...

Exercise remains one of the most powerful interventions available to improve mental, emotional, and physical health, as well as, increase our quality of life as we age.  Participants who participate in a regular exercise program consisting of moderate aerobic exercise and strength training have significant health benefits over their less active peers.  At our Boulder...

Introduction Climbing is a physically demanding and exhilarating sport that requires a combination of strength, balance, coordination, and flexibility. Unfortunately, when injuries to the shoulder occur some elements of good shoulder function tend to be negatively impacted. With any good Physical Therapy program, the compromised elements are found and targeted with exercise to restore function....

Neck pain is one of the most common reasons Americans seek care from their primary care physician and Physical Therapist.  In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we commonly treat neck pain through manual therapy, patient education, and high level exercise.  Current medical research supports the utilization of manual therapy, including spinal...

The ability to tolerate weight-bearing wrist extension is essential to many upper body exercises and activities. In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy practices we often see patients and athletes limited by pain in their hands and wrists. Wrist pain with weight-bearing can impact your ability to do push ups, arm balances, handstands,...

I can remember meeting with a physician in the past about the tremendous health effects of exercise for his patients. He responded that the effects of exercise don’t last if the patient stops their program. Despite the irony found in his treatment approach using medications with short term effects to manage chronic diseases, I responded...