The majority of patients presenting to our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics have used internet search engines on their symptoms. Looking for quick answers they have asked questions on their diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options including Physical Therapy. The internet remains a fantastic tool for free information given its’ seemingly endless webpages...
Sciatica is a painful condition with symptoms of pain, numbness, and/or pins and needles extending down the leg. The term sciatica is helpful for location of symptoms, but their are multiple causes of sciatica. In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics, determining the cause is the first step in recovery for this...
Patients presenting to our Boulder Physical Therapy clinic often present with arm or leg symptoms including pain, numbness, and pins and needles. Our well trained and educated Physical Therapists utilize a patient’s history and their objective examination to determine the source of the symptoms and what is contributing to their onset. Importantly, the source of...
Our understanding of low back (lumbar) disc injuries and their influence on a patient’s pain and function has grown tremendously over the last couple of decades. Importantly, understanding the high prevalence of lumbar disc pathology on MRI imaging in asymptomatic healthy adults over the age of 30. These studies have given pause to clinicians who...
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a relatively common condition affecting older adults. Narrowing of the bony canals surrounding the spinal nerves due to arthritis and/or loss vertebral disc height increases the probability of nerve compression. Patient’s often describe leg pain greater than back pain, as well as, associated numbness, pins and needles, or weakness in their...
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a relatively common condition in older adults with an estimated incidence of 1 in every 1000 adults over 65 years old. Age related changes in the spine lead to increased weight bearing across the posterior elements of the spine, arthritic changes in spinal joints, and decreased cross sectional area in the...
Previous research has shown an improvement and regression of lumbar disc injuries with conservative treatments including Physical Therapy. Based on clinical practice guidelines and the available evidence, few patients with back and leg pain require surgical interventions for a lumbar disc injury. Many who pursue surgical intervention seek relief of their associated leg symptoms, but until...