Low Back Pain and Postpartum Depression By Berrin Boyce, PT, DPT, PRPC Low back pain, pelvic girdle pain, and postpartum depression are relatively common following pregnancy. Musculoskeletal pain likely impacts around 50% of people in the postpartum period (Carvalho et al, 2016), while 1 in 7 women will experience postpartum depression. Although both are common,...
The CDC estimates that 2 out of every 3 American adults are either overweight or obese. These added pounds carry significant health risks to the individual including higher rates of disease, including COVID, and early death. The main strategy for weight loss involves creating a caloric or energy deficit each day through increased exercise and/or...
Our home city of Boulder often ranks near the top of fittest cities in the country due to its’ low obesity rate and higher percentage of citizens who meet or exceed national exercise guidelines. The CDC recommends each American participates in either 150 minutes or 75 minutes of moderate (ex. walking 3-4 miles/hour) or vigorous...
Many clients I work with, particularly in the greater Boulder Area who are active and fit prior to pregnancy, want to know what types of exercise and intensity is appropriate to continue during pregnancy. First, it is always important to check with your OB/Midwife to make sure you are safe to continue or change your...
In 2020, all Americans have experienced challenges impacting their mental health manifested by feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. In particular, the CDC reports adult caregivers, young adults, and minorities report higher rates of mental and emotional health challenges due the current COVID pandemic. individuals experiencing these symptoms are strongly encouraged to follow up with...
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...
The vast majority of patients to our Boulder Physical Therapy practice require strength training to either rehabilitate an injured tissue (muscle, bone, tendon) or improve their capacity to participate in the activities they enjoy. The longer I practice the more I respect the gains in mobility, strength, function, and patient independence found through lifting something...
Hip strength is a key component for sports performance and rehabilitation following injury. These muscles are key targets of exercise programs in our Boulder Physical Therapy office for conditions including low back pain, hip pain, knee pain, and ankle pain. Previous research has shown the hip thrust is superior to the bridge for gluteus maximus...
Our understanding on the mental and emotional health benefits of exercise continues to grow each year. Research studies have shown not only an association between higher levels of mental health and physical fitness, but also an ability to improve mental health variables including depression, anxiety, cognition, and memory in affected individuals. Exercise has a positive...
Stretching remains one of the more debatable areas in our profession. Although mobility and stretching can play a significant role in Physical Therapy treatments designed to help an individual recover from injury their importance in a healthy individual is questionable. Despite this, stretching’s popularity remains on display in most gyms and exercise classes, but the...