As long as I have been in the profession, clinicians have continued to search for the next best thing to reduce pain and inflammation, as well as, improve any number of clinical factors. Unfortunately, the medical literature is filled with trials showing non significant effects as many of these devices have failed to outperform proven...
Symptomatic rotator cuff tears commonly occur in adults > 50 years old and can be either atraumatic or traumatic in nature. These tears become more common with age, but are often are found in shoulders without pain and often have similar MRI scan findings between symptomatic and asymptomatic sides of the body. Thus, the a...
Subacromial impingement syndrome is the most common diagnosis for shoulder pain in adults and remains one of the most common reasons patients seek care from physicians and Physical Therapists. Shoulder impingement may occur secondary to functional and structural changes within the shoulder joint. Individuals with these symptoms often present with weakness in their rotator cuff...
In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice we routinely assess a patient’s strength, in part, to determine a muscle’s force capacity and in turn its’ requirements for strength training exercises. In most Physical Therapy educational programs students are instructed to grade a patient’s force capacity using a combination of range of motion measurements and the forces...
During arm movements, a relative ratio of degree measurements occurs between the ball and socket of the shoulder and the shoulder blade on the rib cage. This ratio or rhythm is thought to preserve spacing in the shoulder joint and optimize the length tension relationship in the surrounding muscles. Abnormal rhythms have been associated with...
Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis) is a less common source of shoulder pain affecting around 3% of all adults. Its’ prevalence is significantly increased up to 40% in patients with diabetes or thyroid disorders. This condition most commonly occurs between the ages of 40 and 65 years old and affects females more than males. Adhesive Capsulitis...
The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that coordinate movement and provide dynamic stability of the shoulder joint. These muscles are crucial for rock climbers who put extreme stresses through their shoulders, often in awkward positions that can cause bone structures to rub or impinge on the rotator cuff muscles. Because of this,...
The shoulder sacrifices stability for mobility allowing incredible function of the arm and hand. The downside of this mobility is an increased risk of joint injury after trauma including shoulder dislocations. These injuries most commonly occur when the ball of the arm bone is pushed forward and downward beyond its’ anatomical limits. The high forces...
Rotator cuff tears are commonly found in both painful and pain free individuals and often are found in equal prevalence between the involved and uninvolved sides of the same patient. Tears found on MRI can be secondary to trauma, including falls, or secondary to the aging process. Importantly, researchers have not found a significant correlation...
Patients often receive exercise handouts from physicians when initially presenting with musculoskeletal pain. The idea behind the handout makes sense on the surface, a low cost treatment option which may help a patient’s symptoms. Unfortunately, these handouts (often photocopied to death) lack specificity including providing the right handout to the right patient, as well as,...
