Knee osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease world wide and one of the leading causes of disability. Thankfully this condition is successfully managed conservatively utilizing Physical Therapy interventions including manual therapy and exercise. Previous research has shown these Physical Therapy interventions can postpone or prevent the knee for knee replacement. In some cases, conservative...
Patellofemoral Pain, or pain around the knee cap, is the most common source of knee pain. Although common, patellofemoral pain can lead to significant limitations in daily, occupational, and recreational activities. Left untreated, 50% of patients with patellofemoral pain report symptoms at a 5 year follow up. In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice we commonly...
Arthroscopic surgery remains a common procedure for patients with knee arthritis and degenerative meniscal tears despite medical evidence questioning its’ utilization. Previous research papers have not shown a clinically significant benefit for this procedure and some have shown it has not outperformed a placebo surgery for these conditions. The increasing evidence has led to medical...
Authors estimate 1 in 10 Americans over age 60 report symptomatic, not to be confused with those who are pain free but have arthritis on x ray, knee osteoarthritis. Knee arthritis is one of the leading causes of disability due to its’ impact on functional activities such as getting out of chair, walking, standing, and...
MRI technology continues to improve benefiting clinicians searching for serious pathology, but at a cost of identifying non serious pathology which may not be related to a patient’s clinic presentation. Initial imaging studies in the 1990s were conducted in the lumbar spine which identified a high percentage of structural changes including disc herniations and spinal...
Patellar tendinopathy, jumper’s knee, is one of the most common chronic knee injuries found in up to half of all jumping athletes. Similar to other tendon injuries, patellar tendinopathy used to be referred to as a tendinitis but more recent research indicates a lack of inflammatory cells. Instead, an imbalance in loading (activity > recovery)...
The wait and see approach is often utilized by primary care physicians in the management of musculoskeletal conditions. The underlying idea behind this approach is the improvement of symptoms over time, natural history, of these conditions. The error in this treatment method is the patient has already tried the wait and see approach, and a...
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....
Knee arthritis remains one of the most common diagnoses leading to disability in middle to older aged adults. Patients commonly experience joint stiffness, pain, and weakness leading to decreased participation in the activities they enjoy. Strength training and aerobic exercise remain the most powerful interventions for these patients. Stronger muscles help dissipate the forces placed...
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder in the United States and commonly affects spinal and extremity joints during the aging process. Researchers estimate 1 in 10 older adults over 60 y.o. currently experience symptomatic knee arthritis. This condition leads to joint pain and a loss of daily, occupational, and recreational function. Patient’s often describe...