Pickleball is a sport that’s taking the world by storm, but as the popularity of this fun and fast-paced game continues to grow, so do the number of pickleball injuries. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newbie to the game, it’s important to be aware of the most common pickleball injuries and how to prevent them. “Pickleball Elbow” First …
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 …
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 …
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. …
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 Should Know About Shoulder Pain
If you’ve ever had shoulder pain, and I have, you know how it can ruin your day. It can stop you from sleeping, brushing your teeth, showering, putting on clothes, drinking coffee, driving, working, exercising, and on again. Shoulder pain is one of the most common things seen in physical therapy, but one that few people truly understand. My hope …