The hamstrings are another larger group of muscles and are important to strengthen and stretch to avoid injuries. The Hamstring muscles include: biceps femoris semitendinosus semimembranosus These muscles do the opposite of the quadriceps (see those exercises here) meaning they flex or bend the knee and extend the hip. What Do the Hamstrings Do? The […]
The Quadriceps is the one of the largest muscle groups in the body. It is a group of 4 muscles that make up the front of the thigh. Those 4 muscles are: Rectus Femoris Vastus Lateralis Vastus medialis Vastus Intermedius All 4 of the muscle follow the Femur (thigh bone) to the knee where they […]
Meditation is a useful tool for mind and body. It is also a great addition to a daily health and fitness routine. I will admit I was not a proponent for meditation until a couple of weeks ago. While I was doing Yoga one night on my apple fitness app and saw that meditation had […]
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 […]
Stretching is an important aspect of fitness and health. There are other types of stretches than the basic static stretching. In a previous post, I talk about static stretching (check it out here) and how long to hold that stretch for. Static stretching is described as a stretch you hold for a certain length of […]
Diastasis Recti is a very common ailment of pregnant women. Exercises to help fix are simple and can be done without equipment. What is Diastasis Recti? Diastasis Recti is the separation of the abdominal wall at the Rectus Abdominus. The muscles of the left and right side have widened making a space your fingers could […]
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 […]
A Physical Therapist can do many different types of manual therapy (see here for the different types). One of the specific types of manual therapy is soft tissue work. Types of Soft Tissue Work Include: STM (soft tissue mobilization) or massage IASTM (instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization) with the use of a tool Cupping Stretching […]
Did you know there are 3 different types of strengthening exercises also known as the 3 I’s of exercise? Most people only know about one and only perform that one when training. But as a physical therapist, I will have patients perform all 3. These exercises are named Isometric, Isotonic, and Isokinetic. Isotonic The most […]
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 […]