In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we are often trying to improve as many impairments as possible with as few home exercises as needed. Everyone’s time is limited each week and allowing for multiple areas, such as pain, strength, endurance, and mobility, to be improved with 2-3 Physical Therapy exercises requires...
Patients in chronic or persistent pain often do not meet national guidelines for exercise each week. In particular, patients with chronic low back pain have been shown to reduce daily, occupational, and recreational activities due to their symptoms and fear of re injury. Aerobic and strength training exercise remains one of the most important interventions...
If you’ve been to physical therapy you may have asked yourself the question, what exercises do I do when to be the most productive with my time and effort? I often find myself having this conversation with patients in our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics and I wanted to share a framework...
Strength training is an essential part of treatments at our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy practices. All patients regardless of injury, diagnosis, or ability level will perform a form of strength training to improve their performance or ability to perform the activities they enjoy. This valuable form of exercise continues to be studied...
The rotator cuff is an essential group of muscles that stabilize the shoulder during overhead movements such as the strict press, jerk, snatch, and handstand push-up. These muscles are commonly injured by CrossFit athletes and weakness of the rotator cuff can lead to multiple shoulder pathologies such as, rotator cuff tendinopathy, impingement (subacromial pain syndrome),...
In the world of pregnancy and postpartum exercise, lack of available evidence has led to a fear-based model of avoiding heavy weight training due to unknown risk. As more research is being done on the pregnant population the evidence is becoming clear that activity, including heavy weight lifting, does not increase risk to mom or...
Seeing GHD sit-ups on the whiteboard at the start of your CrossFit workout can be a make-or-break moment. It’s a movement that either leaves you excited or apprehensive. This exercise hammers the anterior muscle chain, demanding precise timing and execution. Unfortunately, without the right preparation, performing uncontrolled, extreme extensions of the lumbar spine during GHD...
What are shin splits and who gets them? Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), aka shin splints, is a common injury in impact sports and has a high prevalence in runners making up “10-20% of all running injuries and 60% of all lower-limb overuse injuries” (1). This diagnosis is commonly treated in our Boulder Physical Therapy...
Researchers estimate 1 in 5 adults will drop out of an exercise program. Time remains the most common reason for drop outs, but many participants state lack of improvement. This frustration is understandable given the individual’s commitment of time, energy, and money toward their health and fitness goals. The reasons for lack of improvement are...
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...