Hamstring injuries are common and can occur in any sport with any athlete. The three muscles of the hamstring are put through rapid lengthening and shortening contractions making them susceptible to strains or minor tears. Due to the common occurrence of these injuries, it is important to target proper strength and conditioning regimes to decrease...
Patellar tendinopathy is one of the more common sports medicine conditions seen in our Boulder Physical Therapy clinic. This condition causes increased pain along the front of the knee just beneath the knee cap and leads to pain with jumping, running, and squatting activities. Current medical evidence has described an absence of inflammatory cells and...
Early sport specialization where our youth athletes focus on a single sport year round has become more popular over the last decade. The 10,000 hours reference (original study in violinists not athletes) reinforced this concept despite the adverse events of early sports specialization include burnout, depression/anxiety, lower athletic performance, and sports injuries. Research into high...
Tension-type headaches are headaches related to muscle trigger points or muscle tenderness in the head and neck and are the most common type of headache in adults. In our Boulder physical therapy practice, we utilize hands-on techniques addressing muscles and joints of the upper cervical region for headaches. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis (Jiang...
Concussions have received significant media and medical research attention over the last decade due to in part to the incidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) among former football athletes. This increase in attention to brain injuries has led to improved medical training and early recognition of concussion symptoms leading to improved care of athletes and...
Hip impingement or femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is common hip condition causing pain in the front of the hip and groin. This condition has received considerable attention in the medical research and our clinical practice because of the sky rocketing rates of advanced imaging including MRI and surgical procedures to “correct” the condition. Of greatest concern...
As technology continues to advance more and more devices are coming forward with step tracking options including phones, pedometers, and other electronics attached to our clothing. Many individuals aim to hit the 10,000 or 5 mile point each day, but you may be surprised this number is not based in science but was rather put...
Shoulder pain remains the 3rd most common reason, behind the common cold and low back pain, patients seek out the care of their primary care providers. Impingement and rotator cuff tendon pain are the most common diagnoses associated with these symptoms. The vast majority of rotator cuff injuries do not require surgical intervention and patients...
Patellofemoral pain, or pain around the kneecap, is one of the most common types of knee pain we treat at MEND. It impacts up to 23% of the general population and 40% of those people have persistent symptoms that can last for years! Exercise programs targeting the hip and the knee have been proven effective...
Stretching either dynamically or statically has long been shown to create both short and long term improvements in flexibility, but the mechanism of action behind this form of exercise continues to evolve. Changing human tissue takes considerable time and consistent forces. For example, consider muscle growth or bone density adaptions to exercise. Previous research on...