Women’s hormones and cycles are very sensitive and very complex to understand. Many high intensity or endurance athletes (but not all) will experience irregular or total loss of menstruation which can bring with it consequences to bone density, injury risk, and compromised fertility. Regarding athletic performance through a women’s cycle, a systematic review published in...
CrossFit gets a bad reputation for having high rates of injury. I have heard many Physical Therapists and Orthopedic Surgeons say things such as “CrossFit keeps me in business.” This could not be further from the truth and is a lie the healthcare profession needs to stop propagating. My hypotheses for why people repeat ignorant...
CrossFit has often been described as a cult, and that is not entirely inaccurate. A cult is a social group (community) that is defined by its “unusual” religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs, or its common interest (health and wellness) in a particular personality, object, or goal (fitness). The practice of these beliefs is commonly associated...
CrossFit is well known for utilizing momentum driven variations of gymnastics movements in workouts commonly referred to as “kipping”. Kipping pull-ups and kipping ring muscle-ups are two skills that many new (and many experienced) CrossFit athletes desire to perform so they can complete the WOD at their local box. Often athletes are told they need...
Obesity is one of the greatest health problems facing our country. The causes of obesity are multifactorial in nature, but one contributor is a lack of daily activity or exercise by both children and adults. The CDC estimates less than 1/5th of Americans reach the weekly recommended amounts of exercise including either 300 minutes or...
Muscle strength is correlated with many important clinical outcomes including fall risk, injury risk, sports performance, functional capacity, and quality of life. These adaptations occur when a muscle is asked to repeatedly perform higher volumes of work or exercise creating positive adaptations within the nervous system and muscle. Over simplistic repetition ranges are available to...
America has seen a steady increase in body weight over the past decades with the CDC reporting 2 in 3 American adults can be classified as overweight or obese. Many of these individuals report attempts at weight loss by creating a caloric deficit through diet and exercise, but have been unable to achieve or maintain...
Low back pain is a common human experience affecting up to 90% of individuals at some point in their lifetimes. It is one of the most common diagnoses treated in our Boulder Physical Therapy practice and the majority of patients find the greatest long term relief with regaining lost strength in their core and lower...
Our immune system is one of the amazing cellular networks in our body. This system has come into direct focus as we face the COVID pandemic and try to improve our immunity to this virus through vaccinations. In addition to avoiding exposure through social distancing individuals often search for ways to boost their immune response....
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...