The piriformis muscle is a pear-shaped muscle in the gluteal region. It has several implications in injuries of the body. I will usually include the piriformis muscle when strengthening and stretching the gluteal muscles because of the location. The piriformis muscle starts at the sacrum and ends on the femur. It assists with external rotation […]
Balance is a common problem seen in physical therapy. There are even some PT’s who specialize in Balance PT specifically. Balance problems can be caused by many types of issues: Age Stroke Leg surgery Generalized weakness Diabetes Parkinson’s Disease Balance exercises will usually be to improve proprioception in the legs. Proprioception is your body’s ability […]
Trigger Point Release (TPR) is the final form of soft tissue work performed manually I will discuss in this series. What are Trigger Points? Trigger points are spots in the muscle fibers or “knots” that are sore and cause the increased pain we feel. TPR is the process of applying pressure to or rubbing the […]
Another type of soft tissue manual therapy I will discuss is cupping. Cupping has been around for thousands of years in ancient Egypt, China, and middle Eastern countries. In that version of cupping, glass cups are more commonly used and a lit substance under the cup to induce the suction of the skin. It was […]
A Physical Therapist can do many different types of manual therapy (see here for the different types). But a specific type is call soft tissue mobilization or other types of soft tissue work. There are numerous types of these including: STM (soft tissue mobilization) or massage IASTM (instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization) with the use […]
Adhesive capsulitis, also known as frozen shoulder, is a condition that can be very debilitating. With frozen shoulder, the ligaments and tendons that make up the capsule of the shoulder joint, begin to tighten and adhere in the joint. This process is painful and leads to decreased motion of the shoulder. It is also an […]
Neck pain is another very common complaint I get working as a Physical Therapist. Neck pain is one of the most prevalent injuries in the clinics. It is also an injury that can be easily prevented. Neck and back pain are some of the most prevalent injuries in the clinics. Neck pain has similar and […]
Fitness myths are all over the internet. Most fitness myths started out with some truth but after further research was done, they were found to be wrong. I am going to breakdown some of the fitness myths out there that I hear most often Cardio will burn fat to help you lose weight when in […]
The ACL repair at 12 weeks has healed well and is ready for some medium level activities. But not quite ready for high level exercises including cutting or jumping. Most of my patients, by this time, are anxious to get started doing more and frequently ask when they can go back to playing their sport. […]
During the first 12 weeks following ACL repair when starting in Physical Therapy, exercises will be introduced based on several different factors: The type of graft being used Precautions given by MD Patient pain level Activity tolerance Exercises are to be individualized meaning, if you have a low tolerance or if your strength is not […]