If your physical therapist tells you a segment in your low back or neck is stiff, it is fair to ask whether the manipulation has to land on that exact segment. Clinicians were long taught to find the restricted joint and aim straight at it. Two systematic reviews and one randomized trial have since tested...
By Jeff Ryg, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT If you came in for shoulder pain and your physical therapist started working on your upper back, there’s a reason. The thoracic spine takes part in every overhead movement you make, and thoracic manipulation is one of the quickest ways to reduce shoulder pain in the first few...
If your shoulder pinches when you press overhead, reach for a high hold, or roll onto it at night, there’s a good chance someone has called it impingement. It’s the most common diagnosis behind shoulder pain, and it is also one of the most treatable without surgery. The research points to a consistent plan: specific...
Spinal manipulation has real but limited support for cervicogenic headache, the type that starts in the joints and muscles of the upper neck. Manipulation aimed at the neck gives a small short-term edge over other hands-on treatment, manipulation of the mid-back alone doesn’t ease the headache itself, and neither holds up without exercise behind it....
Thoracic manipulation by Physical Therapists has previously been shown to improve pain and function in patients with elbow, shoulder, and neck pain. Authors continue to research the mechanisms behind its’ effectiveness including a beneficial cascade of events in the peripheral and central nervous system, as well as, a possible biomechanical change in the spinal joints....
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. ...
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...
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...
Neck Pain Background Information Neck pain affects 10-15% of the population at any one time, with a lifetime incidence of 22-70% (1). Only 6% of patients with neck pain report resolution of symptoms at one year (2). A recent systematic review demonstrated the prognosis from idiopathic neck pain is poor (3) and 50-75% of patients with neck...
Headache Background Headaches cause nearly $31 billion in indirect costs annually in the US (10). Within patients with headaches, a cervicogenic source can be found in 4% of the general population, 17.5% of those with severe headaches, and up to 53% of those with headache post whiplash injury(11). The upper cervical (C2/C3) facet joints have...
