In our prior posts on heel pain and plantar fasciitis we described the growing evidence supporting the utilization of treatments by Physical Therapists including manual therapy and exercise. This treatment approach is supported by established clinical practice guidelines and is more effective than modalities including ultrasound and other passive interventions. Interestingly, despite the evidence only...
Ankle sprains remain one of the most common orthopedic injuries seen in both physician and Physical Therapy offices. The majority of these injuries occur when the foot and ankle roll inward under the shin. Previously, a program of P.R.I.C.E. (protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation) was prescribed but new research has shown this strategy may...
Achilles Tendinopathy is a common injury to the lower leg found in runners, jumping athletes, and sedentary individuals. In our previous blog posts on Achilles Tendinopathy we have described the impact of this diagnosis on the active population. Physical Therapy remains the gold standard for conservative care focusing on restoring joint mobility and strength to...
In our previous posts, we have described the limitations of orthotics to correct lower leg alignment and treat foot and leg conditions compared to Physical Therapy exercises. In addition, long term orthotic users often show atrophy of the foot’s core muscles which leads to further weakness and dysfunction. Instead of orthotics, an active approach...
In previous posts we have discussed the association between our intrinsic (core) foot strength and foot function during walking and running. The research has identified a link between weakness and atrophy of these muscles and the development of chronic conditions such as heel pain and plantar fasciitis (fasciosis). This atrophy is most pronounced in those...
The use of foot orthotics are commonly prescribed for many lower quarter conditions including running injuries, foot and ankle pain, and even low back pain. As we have described in previous posts off the shelf orthotics perform as well as more expensive custom orthotics, but overall their impact on many conditions is limited. When compared to...
In our previous posts we have documented the weakness and atrophy of the foot’s “core” muscles among patients with heel pain. Heel pain is one of the most common foot and ankle diagnoses we see in our Boulder Physical Therapy Practice. This condition is commonly treated with manual therapy and exercises targeting the lower...
Ankle sprains are one of the most common sports and orthopedic injuries encountered in Physical Therapy. In previous blog posts we described the effectiveness of Physical Therapy treatments over other treatments including rest, ice, compression, and elevation (R.I.C.E.). In addition, we have good evidence supporting the use of Physical Therapy clinical testing to determine which...
Ankle sprains are one of the most common orthopedic injuries we see in our Boulder Physical Therapy practice. These injuries create local pain, swelling, loss of motion, weakness, and balance difficulties. In past years these injuries were treated with R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), but more recent research has demonstrated improved outcomes and faster...
Ankle mobility is essential for both daily walking tasks as well as higher level athletics and sports participation. In our Physical Therapy practice in Boulder we see a loss of dorsiflexion, bending, among athletes with lower extremity injuries and conditions. A lack of ankle bend, dorsiflexion, has been associated with many conditions including heel pain, plantar...