KIRSTIN WEIBLE, PT, COMT The Kennedy Stages of Tendinopathy provide a useful gauge on when and how to grade activity in cases of soft tissue pain (muscles, tendons, etc.). It is not always necessary to stop activity completely, but it is not always a good idea to just push through the pain either. The stages suggest the following: Stage …
Top 3 Things to Keep You Cycling Longer
Cycling is big in Tucson. We have the weather, the roads, and the people to make it enjoyable. Before you get out there this winter, take a look at the top three things you can do to ensure that you can rack up the miles without tallying up your aching body parts. 1 – Don’t increase your mileage too quickly. …
Is This Pain on My Bike Normal?
Is Pain Normal? Is pain normal when it comes to biking? Is it something we should just expect and “deal with?” The short answer is no. There are many adjustable components on your bicycle, and proper positioning of those components can go a long way in eliminating and preventing pain while enjoying cycling. There are well-researched ideal angles of movement and …
More is Not Always Better: Study Shows “Cascades of Care” are Harming Patients, Providers.
Have you ever had an x-ray or MRI that led to more tests and appointments? If so, then you may have experienced a “cascade of care,” which was a term used in a new study in JAMA you can find here. The study classified “cascades of care” as decisions, further testing, emergency room visits, etc that occurred following an incidental finding from testing. …
What Everyone With Spinal Stenosis Needs to Know: Mike’s Story
What is Spinal Stenosis? “Stenosis” means “narrowing,” and basically refers to the process of certain holes in your spine getting narrower, usually as we age. Spinal nerves, which branch and travel down your leg, have to exit from these holes in your spine. A hole getting narrow simply means the nerve has less space to move, not that the nerve is getting …
WATCH: A “5/10” to Pain-Free in 15 minutes
It’s one of the questions we get all the time. “What happens in physical therapy?” All day long in our Oro Valley clinic, we hear people say “I didn’t know this type of physical therapy existed,” or “I had no idea that this is what happened in physical therapy – if I’d known I would have come a lot sooner!” …
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 …
One of the Most Overlooked Causes of Dizziness
If you’ve had dizziness, chances are someone has mentioned what’s called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, or BPPV. It is the most common vestibular disorder, with about 1 in 50 people getting it at some point in their lifetime.(1) However, if you’ve been treated for this type of dizziness and it never fully resolves or continues to return, it’s possible …
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. …
Why Pills and Painkillers Don’t Fix the Problem
Treating pain is challenging. The numbers below from the current opioid problem tell a pretty striking tale: 115 people die every day from opioid overdose. When going to their primary care doctor with typical back pain, almost 50% are given an addictive opioid pain medication. In 2016, more people died from opioid overdoses than car accidents for the …