Temporomandibular Disorders (TMJ/TMD) Problem TMJ/TMD are a major cause of non dental jaw and facial pain. Approximately 18 million word days are lost annually per 100 million full time working adults due to symptoms of TMD (2). Women have a 3:1 greater ratio of incidence compared to men between age 30 and 50 (1)....
“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” – Buddha. Mental health has a significant impact on recovery from many musculoskeletal diagnoses including low back pain, neck pain, and shoulder pain. Our thoughts and perceptions about our bodies and their ability to recover...
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. ...
The shoulder blade and upper arm bone move together to produce a variety of arm and hand movements essential for life and sport. Proper movement of the shoulder blade is required to produce normal mechanics at the joint surfaces and maintain the length and function of the shoulder blade and shoulder muscles. Abnormal mechanics between...
In previous blog posts, we have described the clinical and financial benefits of seeing a Physical Therapist first for treatment of neck or low back pain. Patients who choose Physical Therapy first experience accelerated recoveries with decreased pain and recurrence rates compared to other providers. In addition to the clinical benefits, this patient group is...
Some of the highest quality Physical Therapy research details the effectiveness of our profession treating patients with neck pain. Patients can expect an accelerated recovery with less short and long term pain if they see a Physical Therapist for their neck symptoms. In addition, Physical Therapy interventions including manual therapy and exercise are about 1/3...
Neck pain is a common problem affecting up to 70% of the population in their lifetime. Cervical and thoracic manipulation remains an effective Physical Therapy treatment to restore mobility and decrease pain in patients with neck pain. Recent research has shown no difference between one manipulation technique over another with both showing equal benefits for...
Physical Therapy is an excellent choice for low back pain with numerous research articles supporting its’ ability to rapidly reduce pain and disability. Many interventions utilized in our Boulder Physical Therapy practice, including manipulation and exercise, are designed to prevent low back pain symptoms from being chronic or recurrent. An interesting article was published identifying factors...
Time and money are two finite resources especially in today’s healthcare environment of rising deductibles and decreased access to primary care services. Thankfully in Colorado patients have a choice on who to see first for their muscle, tendon, and joint pain. State law enables Coloradans to see a Physical Therapist without a prior referral. This...
Arm pain referred from the cervical spine (cervical radiculopathy) often is the result of nerve root compression by either bone or soft tissue in the bony canals of the neck. These canals protect the nerve roots as they exit from the spinal cord, but can also compress these neural structures leading to pain, numbness, pins and...
