When a therapist approaches a patient’s rehab program, we must consider the severity of injury. We design our programs to appropriately stress the injured tissue. In treating tendons and ligaments, we consider the mechanics of injury, adaptation to activity, and healing response during rehabilitation. A single high load strain, repetitive loading or misuse injuries can cause sprains, partial tears… Read More »
The prevalence of knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA) has increased in recent years as the average age of our population advances. Increased patient cost reduces clinical time treating symptoms. Yet, increasing incidence of OA challenges therapists to use the most effective ways to treat the pain and functional deterioration, which often accompany OA. There has-been much research into bodyweight supported treadmill walking… Read More »
Most functional movements in the lower extremity take place when the foot is on the ground. The hip, knee and ankle joints, together, comprise the lower extremity kinetic chain. Muscle contractions in closed kinetic chain motion are different from open kinetic chain motion. Joint motion is caused by many controlled muscle contractions. Closed kinetic chain rehabilitation… Read More »
Tennis elbow is pain at the outside of the elbow (also called lateral epicondylitis), caused by stress on the tendons attaching muscles that extend the wrist and fingers. When tears occur, they inflame. Pain can radiate down the forearm. Pain increases with contraction of muscles used when shaking hands, turning doorknobs, picking up objects with… Read More »
Spinal stabilization is an important aspect of recovery from spinal pain, whether the problem is newly acquired or chronic. Exercise and proper body mechanics are well matched in this approach. Injuries and poor posture cause pain resulting in weakness that will not resolve completely without personal effort on the part of the person seeking assistance. The symptomatic spinal segment… Read More »
By Guy Slowik MD FRCS – The spine, which connects the skull to the pelvis, is also called the vertebral column. It consists of 24 segments of block-shaped bone called vertebrae and an additional 9 fused vertebrae that make up the lowest part of the spine, the sacrum and tailbone. Each vertebrae of the vertebral… Read More »
A pro golfer typically might warm up 90 minutes to 2 hours before walking out to the tee. His routine would consist of stretching, putting hitting, practicing short game and then back to any special shots and out to the green. A typical routine for a recreational golfer would be different. Get out of the… Read More »
Active exercise has become better understood over the past ten years as a valuable tool in soft tissue pain and injuries. Improved circulation of blood and other body fluids and controlled reactivation of the joints and muscles are achieved with exercise. Eccentric Exercise Widely publicized in the early and mid 1970’s for its value… Read More »
As many of us have begun our resolutions to exercise, negative thinking creeps into our thoughts. How am I going to squeeze anything else into my already packed schedule? I’m too tired to exercise. It’s boring. Sound familiar? For me this is where the power of positive thinking comes in. The benefits of exercise are… Read More »