Osteoarthritis (OA), is a common condition that usually presents in people 50 years of age and older. OA is often a result of “wear and tear” that occurs within the joint and affects the articulate cartilage. Over time the cartilage will degenerate and gradually decrease becoming rough and frayed. As a result the joint space will narrow and the two bony surfaces will run against each other. This will often result in bone spurring and inflammation ultimately causing pain and stiffness. Pain can present in the groin, front of the thigh to the knee and/or buttock. OA in the hip can cause difficulty performing normal daily activities such as bending over to tie a shoe, getting up fr...

Almost everyone can suffer from lower back pain at some point in their life. If you’re one of the lucky ones, the pain is caused by a specific activity, which if avoided, can resolve with rest, over time. Unfortunately, not everyone is that lucky and some must learn to manage chronic back pain.

Fortunately, there are things YOU can do to manage the pain, alleviate the symptoms and minimize recurrence. The first step is to understand what causes it, eliminate the cause and create an exercise plan to prevent or minimize a flare.

Common causes of back pain include:

• Poor posture
• Weak back
• Weak abdominal and gluteal muscles
• Lack of flexibility
• Weight gain
&bull...

Stretching is a very important component to exercise, not only for flexibility and performance outcomes, but also for the prevention of injury. Have you ever tried stretching without warming up first? Many of us stretch prior to warming up, which is not very beneficial. The benefit of increasing flexibility through stretching comes from a muscle that is warm due to increased circulation.

What is Static Stretching?

Static stretching extends your muscle to the end of its range of motion, while your body is not moving (static). You hold the muscle in that position without pain, for a specific period of time, then repeat 2 to 3 times. Many individuals use static stretching as their main source of ...

As we head into the end of summer, many athletes are starting up their competitive sports leading into the school year. The months of August and September typically have high temperatures, and athletes may be more prone to dehydration and heat illnesses. It is important for the athletes as well as parents to educate themselves on proper hydration techniques.

What is dehydration?

Dehydration is termed as a loss of fluids in the body that can cause fainting, muscle cramps, and in serious cases, organ failure, shock, and other life-threatening conditions such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. In athletes, the majority of fluid loss during dehydration is caused by sweat or exercise, with the la...

Have you ever experienced pain around or under your kneecap? This pain is also known as anterior knee pain or patellofemoral pain. Each year, around 2.5 million runners are diagnosed with this type of knee pain. This problem can also decrease the amount of exercise or sport people will perform for up to 5 years after the onset of the injury.

What is the cause of anterior knee pain?

Most physical therapists will agree that there are a number of factors that can contribute to patellofemoral pain. In a thorough physical evaluation, a therapist will most likely look at your hip or gluteal strength, quadricep or thigh strength, the tracking or alignment of your kneecap, and the mobility at your f...

All too often, I see clients in our physical therapy office who are suffering from overuse injuries as a result of playing too much of a single sport.

Case in point, John recently came into the office with elbow pain. Not surprisingly, John plays tennis four times per week but doesn’t do any alternative cardiovascular exercise, stretching or strengthening on his off days. As a result, John started experiencing a little elbow pain several months earlier, which he managed with over the counter anti-inflammatories but it has progressively worsened over time and now the pain is persistent. If John would have been routinely strengthening his rotator cuff and stretching his wrist extensors a...

Let us know what you think!

If you have any suggestions or comments please let us know!

And, if you have a blog post idea on a specific topic you are interested in knowing more about, please drop us a line, give us a call or stop in to the clinic!

Did you know that you can access physical therapy services directly, without a physician referral?

In California, and many other states, you just pick up the phone and make an appointment.

Benefits of Direct Access:

1). Evaluate the problem sooner

2). Musculoskeletal conditions caught in early stages can often be corrected and addressed with just a few physical therapy visits

3). Lower out of pocket costs due to reduced office visits and unnecessary testing

4). Most health insurance plans cover Physical Therapy services, including Medicare for some services

A recent study published in the journal, Health Services Research, compared 63,000 cases of people who directly accessed Physical Therapy ser...