An ACL tear does not automatically mean surgery is required. In the past, reconstruction was commonly recommended for nearly every ACL injury. However, more recent research shows some patients can achieve similar outcomes with structured physical therapy compared to surgery followed by rehabilitation. Studies comparing early surgery with early physical therapy have found no significant...
ACL injuries are among the most common serious knee injuries in alpine skiing because the sport combines speed, uneven terrain, and sudden directional changes that place rotational stress on the knee. When a skier falls with the ski fixed in the snow as the body continues to rotate, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) can tear....
By: Kristin Carpenter, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT If you’re a woman in your 40s or 50s and suddenly experiencing more joint pain, muscle aches, or back pain, you’re not imagining it. Many women notice new or worsening musculoskeletal pain during perimenopause, the hormonal transition leading up to menopause. These symptoms can feel confusing especially if...
VO2 max is an individual’s maximum utilization of oxygen during exercise. It remains the gold standard for measuring an individual’s cardiovascular fitness, but this measurement is also strongly correlated to our health and lifespan. Authors have shown VO2 max is a better predictor of future health than commonly utilized tests such as blood work and...
By: Chelsey Vasquez, PT, DPT, PRPC and Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS For many women, childbirth recovery includes more than just sleep deprivation and adjusting to life with a newborn. Perineal tearing during delivery is extremely common and can sometimes lead to lingering pelvic pain, scar sensitivity, or pain with intercourse months after giving birth....
By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS and Chelsey Vasquez, PT, DPT, PRPC Breastfeeding is a beautiful bonding experience during the postpartum period but it often requires moms to spend long periods leaning forward and looking down at their baby. In our Lafayette Physical Therapy clinic we have found this position, over time, can lead to:...
By: Lucas Glomb, PT, DPT, OCS ACL reconstruction is a common surgery for athletes and active individuals, but one of the biggest challenges during ACL rehab is restoring normal quadriceps strength and activation. Even when the ligament heals well, many patients experience persistent quad weakness, difficulty achieving full knee extension, and reduced confidence returning to...
By: Maggie Gebhardt, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT While the joys of a new baby are unmatched, the physical toll of pregnancy—ranging from core weakness to pelvic and SI joint pain—often leaves postpartum women grappling with persistent low back pain. Nearly one-third of women continue to experience lumbopelvic pain a full year after giving birth. This...
By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS If you’ve done enough workouts in the CrossFit Open, you know one thing is almost guaranteed: double unders will show up when your heart rate is already through the roof. The difference between smooth sets and frustrating trip-ups often comes down to how well your ankles, calves, and reactive...
By: Rani Helvey-Byers, PT, DPT, OCS As climbers, we like to torture our shoulders by placing them in extreme positions and then asking them to generate an immense amount of force in said positions. Because of this, we can’t just train our shoulders in one plane. If we want resilient shoulders, we need to at...
