Physical Therapists’ education, training, and skill set allows our profession to uniquely evaluate and treat the needs of both acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions. In this role we have consistently demonstrated great patient outcomes at a lower cost than others members of the healthcare team. Education is one of the most important interventions we can...
Basketball has one of the highest injury rates in sports with articles reporting up to 7-10 injuries per 1000 athlete exposures (Dick et al. J Athl Train. 2007). As expected, the majority of these injuries occur in the lower extremity, in particular within the knee and ankle. Authors report both overuse (tendinopathy) and traumatic (sprain,...
Neck Pain Background Information Neck pain affects 10-15% of the population at any one time, with a lifetime incidence of 22-70% (1). Only 6% of patients with neck pain report resolution of symptoms at one year (2). A recent systematic review demonstrated the prognosis from idiopathic neck pain is poor (3) and 50-75% of patients with neck...
Lateral Elbow Pain and Lateral Epicondylalgia Lateral epicondylalgia, also known as tennis elbow, is an overuse injury involving the common origin tendon of the wrist and finger extensors. Patients with this condition often report pain in the lateral elbow exacerbated by gripping, lifting, or manipu- lating objects with their hands. Previously thought to be a...
Running Mechanics Running is one of the most common forms of exercise and has grown in popularity as evidenced by the wide range of age and ability levels running in Boulder County. Unfortunately, injuries effect a significant number of athletes with up to 90% reporting a prior injury(1). The vast majority of these injuries are...
The use of lumbar corticosteroid injections is often utilized for patients with back and leg pain (radicular pain) and/or leg numbness, pins and needles, or nerve root weakness (radiculopathy). In an older adult these symptoms may be due to a narrowing of the canals in which the lumbar nerve roots exit (lumbar stenosis). These injections...
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure-Benjamin Franklin As warmer weather returns, many of us will increase our physical activity each week in an effort to improve our health, well-being, and physical performance. A common question asked in our clinic by our patients and clients recovering from an injury is “could...
Shoulder Pain and Impingement Background Shoulder pain is a common source of peripheral joint pain occurring at a prevalence rate of up to 47% across all age groups and is second most common cause of musculoskeletal pain(7,9). Symptoms of shoulder pain account for 33.2% of physician visits in the U.S. and are most frequently associated...
Headache Background Headaches cause nearly $31 billion in indirect costs annually in the US (10). Within patients with headaches, a cervicogenic source can be found in 4% of the general population, 17.5% of those with severe headaches, and up to 53% of those with headache post whiplash injury(11). The upper cervical (C2/C3) facet joints have...
Achilles Tendon Problems Achilles tendinopathy commonly occurs in runners and jumpers, with up to 50% experiencing the condition in their lifetime(1). Not all those affected are active with 33% of individuals reporting a sedentary lifestyle(2). Individuals with this condition report pain, stiffness, and loss of function with daily and recreational activities. This condition was originally...