Stretching remains one of the more debatable areas in our profession. Although mobility and stretching can play a significant role in Physical Therapy treatments designed to help an individual recover from injury their importance in a healthy individual is questionable. Despite this, stretching’s popularity remains on display in most gyms and exercise classes, but the...
Word choice and verbal instruction impacts how one performs a pelvic floor muscle contraction. Previous research on women suggests that around 40% of women do not perform a kegel or pelvic floor muscle contraction correctly with verbal instruction and 25% of them were doing something that would increase the likelihood of leaking such as holding...
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, aside from skin cancer. A radical prostatectomy (RP) is a common and highly effective treatment for men with prostate cancer in which the prostate is surgically removed. Despite being an effective treatment option, it is not without negative side effects...
Team and individual athletes are always looking for an edge prior to their competition or race. The preceding days variable’s including rest, nutrition, training, and exercise are dialed in to create an optimal environment on game or race day. Most Physical Therapists and sports medicine professionals encourage an active dynamic warm up in the hour...
ACL tears are a common sports injury experienced during participation in team sports (basketball, soccer), as well as, individual sport (skiing) in Boulder. Despite utilization of Physical Therapy programs designed to reduce an athlete’s risk, incidence for ACL tears has increased by 77% and 19% in female and male athletes, respectively, over the last decade....
What is pelvic organ prolapse and how do I know if I have it? Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is the descent or tissue laxity of the front (bladder), back (rectum), or top (cervical) aspect of the vaginal wall. With less support from connective tissue and muscles of the pelvis, the bladder, uterus, or rectum can...
Rotator cuff tears are commonly found in both painful and pain free individuals and often are found in equal prevalence between the involved and uninvolved sides of the same patient. Tears found on MRI can be secondary to trauma, including falls, or secondary to the aging process. Importantly, researchers have not found a significant correlation...
Patients often receive exercise handouts from physicians when initially presenting with musculoskeletal pain. The idea behind the handout makes sense on the surface, a low cost treatment option which may help a patient’s symptoms. Unfortunately, these handouts (often photocopied to death) lack specificity including providing the right handout to the right patient, as well as,...
Low back pain is a common condition best treated by Physical Therapists due to their unique ability to effectively provide all evidence based treatments (including spinal manipulation, directional exercise, and strength training) for this patient population. Large systematic reviews of the existing medical literature have repeatedly shown the benefits of strength training to reduce the...
As a pelvic health physical therapist who works with individuals during pregnancy I am often asked, “What is the best position to deliver a baby in?” My answer is typically: “Just like posture, there is no “perfect position”, the best position or posture is one that continues to change and where you feel most comfortable.”...