categories
Physical Therapy
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The Power of Physical Therapy: Benefits for All Ages
March 06, 2024Physical therapy is not just for athletes recovering from injuries or seniors seeking pain relief. It's a versatile and invaluable tool that offers a wide array of benefits for individuals of all ages. Whether you're a child, a young adult, or a senior, incorporating physical therapy into your wellness routine can lead to improved mobility, enhanced strength, and a better quality of life. Let's explore the many advantages of physical therapy across different age groups:
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What's Going on With My Knee?
August 24, 2022Knee pain is something that is commonly treated in our office. The pain can be located anywhere in or near the knee- the front, back, medially, and laterally. To better understand where our knee pain is coming from, I think that starting with the anatomy of the knee is beneficial!
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I have a rotator cuff tear. Now what?
April 12, 2021The rotator cuff is a bundle of tendons that surround the shoulder blade and attach to the shoulder. It is comprised of 4 tendons: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis. These muscles stabilize the shoulder joint, rotate the shoulder and assist in elevating the arm. Common symptoms of a rotator cuff injury include:
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The Latest On Concussions
March 30, 2021We have come a long way in what we know about concussions. Concussions are no longer a “brush it off and go back out there” injury, but rather referred to as a mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI).A concussion is the result of an acceleration-deceleration of the head. This can be caused by a direct hit in sports or from a fall. It is also nearly synonymous with whiplash having the same symptoms and same mechanism of injury.
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How to Shovel Snow Without Injury
March 16, 2021Over the weekend we got the fourth highest snowfall ever recorded in the Denver metro area. While the snow is gorgeous and means lots of great powder for skiing and snowboarding, most of us had to face the harsh reality of shoveling our driveway on Monday morning. Improper form while shoveling snow can lead to injury, with a 2011 study showing that over 50% of injuries sustained while shoveling snow were soft tissue related. Here are some tips to remember when you are out there shoveling:
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Blood Flow Restriction Training
March 09, 2021The goal is to improve muscular strength and size. Classically to increase muscle hypertrophy and strength you are required to use high-loads. After an injury or surgery these high loads are not recommended and often not tolerated. BFR gives us a way to get the muscle strength needed without the pain or exacerbation that occurs with high-load lifting. Besides increased strength and hypertrophy research has found other potential benefits from BFR training, including:
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Does Cold Weather Make Chronic Pain Worse?
March 02, 2021Given the frigid temperatures that we just recently experienced, I for one am grateful that temperatures sub-zero are not the norm here in the Denver metro area. And with the drop in temperature, we see a lot more people coming in with flare ups of their chronic condition, especially those that suffer from arthritis, sciatica, and fibromyalgia. Here are some reasons as to why:
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Cervical Radiculopathy
March 01, 2021What is it? Impingement or irritation of nerves in the cervical spine causing symptoms down the arm.This can be pain, numbness/tingling or weakness. Can be due to a cervical disc injury or arthritis in the joints. Could be due to a specific injury or degeneration over time. How can physical therapy and chiropractic help?
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Cervical Fusion
March 01, 2021Reasons one might have a cervical fusion: Cervical radiculopathy Stenosis Degenerative Disc Disease How can physical therapy help post-surgery?
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Activate Your Glutes
February 23, 2021When it comes to movement, our bodies are masters at compensating. If we are weak, immobile, or dysfunctional in one muscle, joint, or region, chances are your body has found a new way to continue moving. It just might not be the correct way and it may lead to pain, injury, or premature degeneration. Pain is a great indication something in the system is not working the way it should. The dysfunction may indeed be at the site of pain or it might be coming from somewhere else. Limited glute activation is common with those who compensate in their movement.
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Give A Little Love to your Heart
February 14, 2021Heart health is critical to healthy bones and muscles! This Valentine’s Day weekend pledge your love to your heart by taking these simple steps to improve your heart health:
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Morning Backaches: Is It My Bed?
December 07, 2020If you are one of those people who wake up every morning with back pain and stiffness that wasn’t present when you went to bed…..you are definitely not alone. This is a subject that has been researched by chiropractors, physical therapists, occupational therapists as well as other physical medicine specialists for years. If we are waking up in the morning tired and with a sore back, this could be a sign that (a) we are not sleeping on a mattress suitable for our body type, (b) we are not sleeping in a good “neutral” position for our spine and neck, or (c) there could be a mechanical issue in the back that has developed which needs some attention by a healthcare provider.
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Should I see a Physical Therapist or a Chiropractor?
October 26, 2020Physical therapy and Chiropractic care are not just for those injured and in pain. Both treatments are helpful and powerful to AVOID and PREVENT pain and injury. Enjoy the benefits of both as you keep your spine aligned and your muscles and joints stretched and moving! Let's talk more about the difference and help you decide who you should see.
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Vestibular Hypofunction
October 05, 20201/3 of all patients referred to physical therapy for vertigo are due to Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. So… what about the other 2/3?
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Home Office Ergonomics
August 17, 2020Many of you have found yourselves working from home for awhile now. How is your body holding up? Feeling any low back pain? Having headaches? Elbow or wrist pain? The prolonged change in your work environment may be to blame. Here is a quick check list to make sure you are working in the best position for your body.
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Are You Dizzy and You Don’t Know Why?
August 03, 2020The vestibular symptom is a sensory system that tell us if we are moving, where our head is positioned and gives us spatial orientation. This is important for us to keep our balance and posture, particularly while we are moving. The vestibular system is comprised of fluid filled canals and organs in our inner ear. Crystals located in the inner ear, which are normally held in place, may become loose and dislodged into one of the canals. When there is a change in fluid density or change in the flow of the fluid within the canals, we will experience things like dizziness, nausea and unsteadiness with head movement in a particular direction. You will often hear the term vertigo to describe this sensation.
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T-spine, A Major Player
June 29, 2020Sometimes your source of pain is indeed where you feel it. There was probable tissue trauma from a specific event you can recall and there now resides pain and inflammation where the damage happened. These are easier cases to understand. What about that ongoing nagging pain you have that came out of nowhere? You didn’t “injure” your shoulder specifically that you can recall. Does that mean your shoulder pain stems from a shoulder dysfunction? Maybe. Maybe not.
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High Level Class IV Laser Successfully Used to Treat Meniscus Pain
June 15, 2020Dr Welling suggested I use the Class IV Laser on the knee just to “see what would happen.” I used the Laser every-other-day for two weeks and then once per week for an additional 2-3 weeks. In addition to the laser treatments, I took a product called CollaGen, by Ortho Molecular, which aided my body’s process of cartilage, ligament and fascia repair. I could tell after the first few treatments that my knee was feeling much better.
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What is shoulder impingement?
June 01, 2020Shoulder impingement syndrome is a generalized term to refer to pain and pathology due to compression of tendons and soft tissue in the shoulder region. Most commonly the diagnosis is referring to subacromial impingement where the space between the acromion and the humeral head is narrowed (see inside).
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What’s the difference between a disc injury and sciatica?
May 18, 2020Back pain can be very debilitating and stressful. Particularly when you don’t know what is going on. Here is a quick comparison of two of the most common injuries, disc injury and sciatica.
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The Science of PAIN
May 11, 2020What is pain? The true definition is “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.” The process of feeling pain begins with activating the nociceptors in our body. These sense mechanical, chemical and thermal threats. This signal is communicated through our nervous system to our brains. Our brain then computes this information and determines what to pay attention to, how to cope or how to react. Our brain uses this information to either stop doing something causing pain or can store the information to avoid further damage and/or pain.
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Ability vs Skill in Sports and Life
May 04, 2020We all have known that person that just seems to be able to excel at whatever physical activity they are involved in.Conversely there are also those among us that seem to struggle at similar tasks.When speaking of the very capable individual we might say or hear statements like: That person has tremendous ability. Or that person is very skilled.Well, which is it then ability or skill?From a motor control and performance perspective let’s dive into this.
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Let's Get Balanced
April 20, 2020“I have terrible balance.” Have you ever heard that? Or… have you said that? Over 15% of Americans 70 years old and older have been diagnosed with “abnormal balance.” Falling affects 1/3 of community dwelling older adults. Falls are the 2nd leading cause of accidental or unintentional injury deaths worldwide. Both falls and fear of falling can greatly reduce a person’s participation in the things they love.
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My Heel Hurts!! Could It Be Plantar Fasciitis??
April 13, 2020A condition we often see in our clinic, no matter if you are an athlete or not, is Plantar Fasciitis. This is a condition characterized by inflammation and pain of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue located on the bottom of the foot that connects the heel bone (calcaneus) to the toes. This pain is typically a sharp or stabbing pain usually located at the front of the heel on the bottom of the foot where the fascia inserts into the heel. This pain is much worse in the mornings when arising out of bed and attempting to walk. The pain may come and go during the day but will usually reoccur when one stands up after sitting for some time.
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What in the world is telehealth????
April 03, 2020With the recent travel restrictions and social distancing, you may have heard new buzz words like: telehealth, telerehab, telePT or virtual therapy. So, what is it? It may not be possible or in your best interest to leave your home right now. What do you do if you have an injury? Or your symptoms change? Or how about just some questions about your current treatment plan? Enter telehealth.