Shoulder pain is one of the most common reasons patients seek care from their primary care physician and Physical Therapist. In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy offices we successfully treat many shoulder conditions including rotator cuff tears, shoulder impingement, and tendinitis/tendinopathy. Half of all shoulder conditions involve the tendons of the rotator...
Lateral Elbow Pain and Lateral Epicondylalgia Lateral epicondylalgia, also known as tennis elbow, is an overuse injury involving the common origin tendon of the wrist and finger extensors. Patients with this condition often report pain in the lateral elbow exacerbated by gripping, lifting, or manipu- lating objects with their hands. Previously thought to be a...
Achilles Tendon Problems Achilles tendinopathy commonly occurs in runners and jumpers, with up to 50% experiencing the condition in their lifetime(1). Not all those affected are active with 33% of individuals reporting a sedentary lifestyle(2). Individuals with this condition report pain, stiffness, and loss of function with daily and recreational activities. This condition was originally...
Elbow pain on the outside of the elbow is most common in individuals’ aged 30-50 y.o. and effects 1-3% of the general population (Shiri et al. 2006). Risk factors for this condition include blue collar workers utilizing repetitive gripping and manipulation in the work place, smokers, and tennis athletes. This condition has previously been described...
By: Emily Fuller, DPT If your shoulder has started complaining during muscle-up transitions or deep hangs, you’re not alone, and there’s still time to do something about it before the 2026 Koda Iron Games. Event 1, “Running From the Law,” pairs three 800-meter runs with gymnastics that gets harder as it goes: synchro pull-ups building...
Modalities in Physical Therapy come and go. Many clinics have closets full of old, outdated, and unproven modalities that were once the next best thing for pain. In my experience, the worst thing about these modalities outside of their ineffectiveness is they displace proven and effective interventions such as manual therapy and exercise. Currently, this...
Our nervous system is excellent at notifying us to a painful (noxious) stimulus in acute situations such as touching a hot stove or stepping on a lego. Under normal conditions as the painful stimulus resolves due to avoiding the behavior or tissue healing pain is no longer represented in the brain. For reasons we don’t...
MRI technology continues to improve with each new version in the market place. These improvements have allowed the imaging technology to better define the structures in the body. In the musculoskeletal system these technologies have allowed clinicians to identify injured tissues which may contribute to a patient’s painful presentation. MRIs have also been shown to...
Achilles tendon pain, previously called achilles tendinitis and now called achilles tendinopathy, is a common condition in both sedentary, active, and athletic populations. Researchers estimate this condition will affect between up to 1 in 5 runners in their lifespan with the highest prevalence among all athletes found in ages younger than 45. In our practice...
Pain located on the outside of the hip has previously been diagnosed as trochanteric bursitis, but more recent research reports less than 10% of patients demonstrate bursal inflammation. This condition is more accurately diagnosed as greater trochanter pain syndrome indicating a breakdown of the glut tendons as they attach into the hip. This condition commonly...
