Growing up, many of you most likely learned about body systems. There is the cardiovascular system, which pumps blood and delivers vital nutrients throughout the body. There is the neurological system, which in a way is like a large computer and electrical system that controls activity of various organs. There is the musculoskeletal system, which allows us to move about …
Warming Up to Pickleball
Kirstin Weible, PT, ScD, COMT Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. In fact, 4.8 million people were playing last year. The sport has been around for 50 years, but the pandemic saw a soaring increase in popularity. In 2021, the average age of US pickleball players was 38, down from 2020 when the average age was …
What is a Meniscus Injury?
The meniscus is a piece of cartilaginous tissue that exists between your femur and tibia right at the joint line. There are actually two parts – the medial and lateral meniscus. Together, these pieces of cartilage help to distribute forces in the knee, stabilize the knee, and provide some information about knee position in space. There is some evidence that …
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 …
Study: Direct Access to Physical Therapy Lowers Cost, Speeds Recovery
From new patient phone calls to current patients wanting to be seen for another musculoskeletal condition, one of the most common misconceptions we see in our practice is the issue of direct access. If you know that you’ll end up in physical therapy, or that you have a problem that physical therapists treat, can you just go straight to it? …
Research Sheds Light on Early Physical Therapy for Back Pain and Sciatica
Sciatica – a Pain in the Butt! If you have had sciatica, you know how painful it can be. Sciatica is kind of a “catch-all” term used to refer to pain that refers down the leg and is caused by an irritated nerve or neural structure. Most commonly, sciatica is associated with back pain. Despite how common sciatica can be …
COVID-19 is Still Here. Is Telehealth Really an Effective Option?
In March, we all retreated into our homes as the time of stay-at-home orders and quarantine began. If you’re like me, you thought, “Surely, this will all be over in a month. Everyone will do what’s in the best interest of others, and we’ll get through this – America always does!” Unfortunately, the post is being written nearly half a …
Physical Therapy First for Low Back Pain Reduces Opioid Prescriptions by 85%
Background Low back pain is really common. In fact, almost everyone has low back pain at some point in their life, and about 1 in 4 people you know have had low back pain in the past 3 months. With low back pain being so common, it’s important to have information about the best place to start care when your …
Pain Between Your Shoulder Blades: Not a “Poking” Matter
It can feel like squeezing, a dull ache, or like a hot poker getting driven into the area next to your shoulder blades. It can make it hard to breathe, hard to back the car up in the driveway, or make sitting almost unbearable. It’s effects are clear—but the cause isn’t so easy to determine. As a physical therapist, I often see …
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 …
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