Patellofemoral Pain (pain under the knee cap) is the most common source of knee pain among active individuals and athletes. Symptoms are secondary to increased joint pressure between the knee cap and thigh during walking, hiking, squatting, kneeling, cycling or running. Most commonly this diagnosis is secondary to muscle imbalances including hip and knee weakness...
Knee arthritis is a common and costly condition affecting many middle aged adults and is a leading cause of pain and disability in this patient group. Thankfully conservative Physical Therapy interventions such as manual therapy and exercise have been shown to be effective at reducing pain, disability, and even delaying or preventing the need for...
In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice we aim to help accelerate a patient’s recovery by optimizing outcomes in fewer visits. Consistent with the medical evidence, manual therapy in our practice rapidly reduces a patient’s pain allowing them to resume normal activities and exercise often in 1-2 visits. As clinicians, we know this rapid improvement is...
Manual therapy or the passive movements of joints and tissues has been shown to be effective at reducing short term pain for a number of conditions including heel pain. Interventions including joint mobilization and manipulation are commonly provided to patients suffering from heel pain or plantar fasciitis (fasciosis) in order to restore normal mobility to...
Shoulder pain remains one of the most common reasons patients seek out care from both primary care physicians and Physical Therapists. Shoulder impingement or the compression of shoulder tissues, including the rotator cuff tendons and bursa, is the most common diagnoses behind these patients’ symptoms. Physical Therapy remains a gold standard treatment for this condition...
photo credit: ptonice.com 1. You have taken numerous continuing education courses in your career, how did the completion of the fellowship advance your clinical and teaching goals? The more I practice our craft the more I believe the big variable is selecting the right intervention, far more so than the nuances of that intervention delivery. ...
Photo Credit: phoenixmanualtherapy.com 1. What influenced your decision to start a private practice? The primary drive behind the decision to start a private practice for me was that I had invested completely in becoming skillful at what I did, I saw no plausible rationale for pursuing a profession at an average level. I found myself...
After any knee surgery, the quadricep muscle group becomes difficult to contract and recruit. These inhibition or impairment is usually secondary to both knee pain and knee swelling. Weakness in the quadriceps can lead to pain, impaired leg function, and prevent a full return to life or sport after knee surgery. Physical Therapists often...
Spinal manipulation is one of the oldest treatments in recorded history and is presented utilized by multiple professions including Physical Therapy. Physical Therapists perform spinal manipulation for patients suffering from head aches, shoulder, neck, pelvic, or low back pain. The mechanisms behind the pain relief found with this treatment are currently being investigated, but we...
In our prior posts on heel pain and plantar fasciitis we described the growing evidence supporting the utilization of treatments by Physical Therapists including manual therapy and exercise. This treatment approach is supported by established clinical practice guidelines and is more effective than modalities including ultrasound and other passive interventions. Interestingly, despite the evidence only...