Low back pain is a common condition that affects many people, and it can be caused by a variety of factors. One phenomenon that is often seen in individuals with low back pain is called “centralization.” What is Centralization? Centralization is the process by which pain and symptoms move from the periphery of the body to the central area, such …
Why Won’t My Plantar Fasciitis Go Away?
Kirstin Weible, PT, ScD What is the Plantar Fascia? The Plantar Fascia is a thick band of ligamentous tissue that runs from the calcaneus, the heel bone, to the metatarsal heads, the ball of the foot. It provides a rigid support to the bottom of the foot and is meant to provide a bit of force absorption. It can become inflamed and …
More Frequent Physical Therapy Reaps Benefits for Spinal Stenosis
We’ve written a lot about spinal stenosis. It’s a condition that we see often and care about improving in our community. In fact, we’re currently running two ongoing research studies on spinal stenosis (send us a message below for more info). Physical Therapy Can Help Spinal Stenosis? If you have spinal stenosis, you may be wondering how to treat it. …
I Had A Hip Replacement, So Why Do I Still Have Groin Pain?
A Common Surgery, a Rare Outcome Total hip replacements are one of the most common orthopedic surgeries in the US, and will soon be approaching 500,000 performed every year. Unlike other common orthopedic surgeries, which aren’t always as successful, total hip replacement is actually one of the most successful orthopedic surgeries. Just like any surgery, however, complications can occur. After surgery, …
The Forgotten Condition That Could Be Causing Your Hip Pain
Why Physical Examinations are Important Hip pain is commonly seen in physical therapy. Hip pain could impact your ability to walk, golf, twist in the car, get out of the car, get out of a chair, and so on. However, it might be somewhat surprising to find out that it can often be difficult to determine the cause of your hip pain. This …
Part III: What Do Airplane Crashes Have to Do with Unnecessary Surgeries?
The New Healthcare: A 3 Part Series I’m sure you remember it, even now. Earlier this year, a woman was sitting in her seat on a Southwest airliner, a model known as the CFM56, when the window she was seated next to suddenly burst open. She died. It was the first in-flight fatality in the 47-year history of Southwest Airlines. …
Manual Therapy: What is it and Why Should You Care?
I’m just returning from a visit to the annual conference of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT) in Reno, Nevada. The wonderful thing about the AAOMPT conference is that you’re constantly surrounded by physical therapists that have contributed so much to our profession and are on a continual journey of lifelong learning. I’ve been to the conference …
Part 2: Why Time Matters in Healthcare
The New Healthcare: A 3 Part Series Let me describe my last doctor’s visit. It was for what I thought was a trivial condition (I had a red patch of skin that hadn’t gone away for months) and so I went online and scheduled an appointment with a dermatologist. I chose one that had signed a contract with my …
What Everyone is Getting Wrong with Hip Bursitis
If you’ve ever had sharp pain in the side of your hip upon taking a step, it’s possible that you’ve been told you had hip bursitis. But let’s get one thing straight: “hip bursitis” is an old-fashioned name. The condition is now being called “gluteal tendinopathy” or “greater trochanteric pain syndrome.” These newer names emphasize that the bursa isn’t the …