Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common condition in middle to older age and is a leading cause of pain and disability among this population. Our prior posts detailed improvements in cartilage thickness occurring in individuals with mild knee OA after a lower body exercise program. In advanced stages of knee OA or with a progressive...
Cycling is a very popular outdoor activity in Colorado and one of the most common reasons cyclists are seen at our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics. Patellofemoral pain, or pain in the front of the knee, is the most commonly reported source of knee pain in cyclists. Cycling is typically thought of...
Physical Therapy spinal and extremity joint mobilizations are slow passive movements applied to a patient’s joint surfaces. These interventions have been shown to decrease pain, improve range of motion, and increase the immediate force production of a targeted joint’s musculature. In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice, these joint mobilizations are performed with other manual therapy...
Last year over 500,000 thousand arthroscopic knee surgeries (scopes) were performed in the Unites States making it one of the most common orthopedic surgical procedures. In a previous post we highlighted some of the evidence behind this surgery showing it is not superior to a sham or placebo surgery for degenerative meniscal tears. In addition,...
Knee arthritis remains one of the most common diagnoses in middle to older adults playing tennis and pickleball. Patients commonly experience joint stiffness, pain, and weakness leading to decreased participation in playing tennis or pickleball. Strength training and aerobic exercise remain the most powerful interventions for tennis and pickleball players. Stronger muscles help dissipate the...
If you are an outdoor enthusiast, it is likely you have experienced knee pain at some point. Knee pain is common and affects nearly 25% of adults annually. As with most pain, it can set on acutely, due to a specific injury, or insidiously, due to changes in tissue structure or function over time. Pain...
In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we commonly are asked the question on the link between running and knee arthritis. The evidence keeps pointing to a lack of correlation between running and arthritis of the knee. Authors of the study “Running Does Not Increase Symptoms or Structural Progression in People with...
In a classic Nike commercial, Michael Jordan denies Mars’ (Spike Lee) repeated statements that it had to be the shoes. We often hear similar proclamations and claims in regards to running shoes and their ability to reduce running injury risk. Unfortunately, despite significant technological advancements in shoes the evidence has not shown an impact of...
Biomechanics in sports are essential to both performance and injury risk becoming more important as athletes begin to increase their training volume and reach higher levels of performance. Among runners poor biomechanics in the lower quarter have been associated with reduced running economy and in turn performance, as well as, overuse injuries such as patellofemoral...
With access to miles of paths and acres of open space running remains one of the most popular outdoor activities in Boulder. Despite its’ accessibility, low cost of participation, and health benefits running related injuries keep many from training or competing at their preferred levels. One recent area of research has focused on gait retraining...
