An acromioclavicular (AC) joint sprain, common among cyclists after a fall, occurs when the ligaments connecting the collarbone to the shoulder blade are stretched or torn. Depending on the severity, this injury can range from mild discomfort to severe pain, affecting your ability to ride. For minor sprains, you can continue cycling by adjusting your...
Swimming is one of the more popular forms of exercise in Boulder County. In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy practices we treat swimmers of all ability levels to help them return to pool as quickly as possible. These participants require a significant amount of mid back mobility, as well as, upper, core,...
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....
In our Boulder Physical Therapy clinic we are often asked what is the most important muscle to work on with exercise if you’re training or looking to train handstands. When it comes to muscles in the shoulder, there’s one that seems to be more important than the rest for handstands. A study by Kinoshita et...
Overhead athletes rely on their thoracic spine’s mobility and stability to generate power and prevent injury. In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we examine the spine’s biomechanics and influence on patients with shoulder pain. Ruiz et al. (2020) reviewed the biomechanics of the thoracic spine in overhead sports and highlighted the...
In our Lafayette Physical Therapy and Boulder Physical Therapy clinics we often have my patients ask whether a steroid injection is appropriate for managing their symptoms of tendon pain. This question does not have a simple answer. While corticosteroids can be effective for pain relief and inflammation control there are underlying physiological changes that happen...
There is an old saying in medicine “the difference between pathology and pain is the patient”. In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics this is shown in the interpretation of MRI results. As these images have become more and more sensitive they rarely miss anything in the body, but often find pathology...
Rotator cuff tears are a common injury in middle to older aged adults seen in our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics and can be atraumatic or traumatic in nature. Traumatic rotator cuff tears often occur following a fall, acute sports injury, or can be an acute on chronic tear in nature. This...
Plyometrics are a type of exercise that involve explosive, high-intensity movements and are often used in sports training and rehabilitation programs for many types of overhead athletes, but not often enough for rock climbers. They can be an effective way to improve muscle power, speed, and coordination, and can be especially useful in helping athletes...
This guest blog was written by our good friends at CrossFit Sanitas. When we think about what it takes to stay healthy and strong, many of us visualize all the work we do in class to lift, pull, push, roll, or otherwise move our own weight and/or the weight in front of us. It’s easy...
