Physical Therapy spinal and extremity joint mobilizations are slow passive movements applied to a patient’s joint surfaces. These interventions have been shown to decrease pain, improve range of motion, and increase the immediate force production of a targeted joint’s musculature. In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice, these joint mobilizations are performed with other manual therapy...
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...
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...
Patellofemoral pain, pain around the kneecap, is extremely common and impacts activities such as running, hiking and stairclimbing. In our previous posts on this condition we have discussed the efficacy of exercise in treating this condition. A recent study (Nunes et al, Phys Ther Sport 2019) assessed performance measures correlated with hip muscle strength in...
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...
Knee arthritis is a common condition affecting many middle to older aged adults. Its’ prevalence makes it one of the leading causes of disability in our country preventing these individuals from participating in their life, work, and recreational activities. Physical therapy including patient education, manual therapy, and exercise remains a first line treatment for this...
photo credit: radiopaedia.org Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) have become increasingly sensitive to detecting abnormalities and pathologies in our bodies. As the technology has advanced radiologists are far less likely to miss an abnormality in the musculoskeletal system, but are more likely to find abnormalities that may or may not be causing a patient’s current symptoms....