Exercise remains an essential intervention of any acute or chronic pain management program. The effects of aerobic exercise on pain reduction (analgesia) is well established and thought to occur through a multifactorial process involving positive neurological (peripheral nerves, spinal cord, and brain), as well as, immunological, and circulatory changes in the body. The analgesic effects...
It may not seem obvious, but weakness in our hips can lead directly to shoulder pain while climbing. Because climbing requires the use of all extremities simultaneously, impairments in one region of the body almost always have a direct impact on the other extremities. One of the most common, but seldom recognized, patterns is the...
At a fundamental level, all forms of exercise are designed to improve the current state of the participant. In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice, we aim to effectively and efficiently prescribe exercise to meet each patient or client’s goals. A key element of any exercise program has to include progressively, increasing demands over time. Flexibility...
In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice we commonly address areas of weakness in a patient or client’s body that is limiting performance, as well as, precipitated or perpetuated their current condition. Strength is an essential component of health allowing us to participate in our chosen activities at the level we desire. For example, running at...
Dumbbells have long been viewed as a tool for traditional body building style exercise for muscle growth and strength training. Most often they are used for isolated single joint upper body movements such as bicep curls and lateral raises. You will also see people using dumbbells to perform variations of an overhead press and a...
In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice we often train the foundation of the body prior to moving to distal extremities. Physical Therapy exercises targeting the trunk musculature including the shoulder blades, core and spinal movers and stabilizers often are contributing factors to areas of pain in the extremities including the shoulder, knee, and elbow. Most...
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is the descent or tissue laxity of the front (bladder), back (rectum), or top (cervical) aspect of the vaginal wall. With less support from connective tissue and muscles of the pelvis, the bladder, uterus, or rectum can press on the vaginal wall contributing to increased pelvic pressure or bulge sensation. The...
Did you know that having a climbing injury makes you 6 times more likely to have a future climbing injury to that same body part? This makes injury prevention extremely important. 90% of these injuries are overuse in nature and 50% of climbers return to climbing while still in pain.1 The two most common causes...
Women who participate in high-impact activities may be at higher risk for pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) such as urinary incontinence than women who participate in low-impact activities. Following childbirth, 30% of mothers report urinary incontinence and 10% report anal incontinence. Women are all too often advised to avoid activities such as high intensity interval training...
Hamstring injuries, strains, are one of the most common injuries in the lower extremity. These muscles cross both the hip and knee joint making them susceptible to strains during high speed movements such as sprinting, jumping, cutting, and kicking. Of the three hamstring muscles, the biceps femoris is the most commonly injured among athletes. Authors...