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. ...
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....
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...
Shoulder Pain and Impingement Background Shoulder pain is a common source of peripheral joint pain occurring at a prevalence rate of up to 47% across all age groups and is second most common cause of musculoskeletal pain(7,9). Symptoms of shoulder pain account for 33.2% of physician visits in the U.S. and are most frequently associated...
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...
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...
Treatment of the thoracic spine utilizing joint mobilization or manipulation is a excellent treatment approach to accelerate the recovery of patients dealing with neck, elbow, and shoulder pain. Utilizing a regional interdependence approach where areas adjacent or distant to the site of pain are treated by the physical therapist, in addition to the painful area, lead...
Shoulder pain is the 2nd most common orthopedic reason patients seek out medical care behind low back pain. Shoulder pain has many causes including lack of mobility, shoulder blade and rotator cuff weakness, but posture is often criticized as a risk factor for shoulder pain. Clinicians and patients believe a poor posture places structures such...
The shoulder blade or scapula plays an important role in optimal function of the shoulder joint. The scapula provides the foundation for both stability and force generation through the arm during athletics and daily activities. Weakness in the scapular muscles can lead to abnormal posture and movement or dyskinesis in the scapula during arm movements. ...
Adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder is a painful shoulder condition hallmarked by acute pain and a progressive loss of shoulder range of motion. This diagnosis can have a lengthy recovery requiring up to 24 months in some patients. The medical evidence highlights the importance of early diagnosis (acute pain, loss of motion especially external rotation),...
