Shoulder pain is a common issue that can disrupt training, daily life, and overall well-being. Whether it’s from lifting, an old sports injury, or simply sleeping in an awkward position, shoulder pain can be frustrating. Fortunately, most cases improve without the need for surgery, injections, or months of inactivity. In this guide, we’ll break down […]
This article will focus on non-traumatic pain on the outside of the elbow, often called “tennis elbow”. Although we discuss athletes who develop pain while lifting weights, the overall approach applies to anyone with this issue. This type of elbow pain often results from overuse and requires a combination of training adjustments and setting appropriate […]
Have you ever been told you have “tendonitis,” golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow, or jumper’s knee? Tendonitis is a common concern among those who engage in physical activity and sports. However, both the diagnosis and the usual advice for management are often confusing and leave folks struggling to return to their desired activities. If you are […]
Lifters commonly experience routine aches and pains in the context of their training, often affecting the low back, knees, hips, and shoulders. These are common places non-lifters experience pain as well. Whether the pain began suddenly or gradually, it can be a discomfort that worsens under load during training, or it may “warm up” and […]
As a physical therapist, I have found that the meniscus is often blamed for people experiencing knee pain. Many people are aware that a meniscus can be damaged or “torn”; this raises questions about whether it is the cause for knee pain, and what should be done about it. In this article, I will discuss […]
What approaches come to mind when thinking about rehabilitation after an injury? Many people imagine visiting an outpatient physical therapy clinic and receiving various treatment modalities like ultrasound, needles, cups, taping, or scraping painful areas. Others might think of low-level “physical therapy exercises” like clamshells lying down on a mat or light band-resisted activities. For […]
You rolled your ankle, whether it be in a pick-up basketball game, stepping awkwardly off the platform, or performing your best interpretive dance of Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone”. The ankle is now swollen, painful, and you are wondering what to do next. This article will provide a guide to return to doing the things you […]
Spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis are two intimidating words that are often described as representing a “broken back”. These aren’t words anyone wants to hear when experiencing back pain. Doctors and physical therapists often provide complicated and ominous-sounding explanations, such as a “fracture of the pars interarticularis”. From the start there is so much complexity in this […]
Do you wake up feeling unrested in the morning? Have you experienced morning headaches, or been told that you snore at night? Do you feel fatigued or sleepy during the day, despite a full night of sleep? These symptoms can result from many things, but one common, under-recognized cause involves problems with breathing during sleep. […]
Today we’ll be wrapping up our hip pain series with the familiar topic of osteoarthritis, and summarize some practical take-home points at the end (see previous parts 1 ,2, 3, and 4). For an in-depth discussion on osteoarthritis in general, we have a full-length article here, but this article will focus specifically on the hip. […]