Category: Principles
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Why Your Doctor May Not Recommend Physical Therapy
There are many instances with common orthopaedic conditions in which a physician (MD) may not suggest physical therapy. They may even say you shouldn’t go… and I can’t blame them. Many patients have returned to their physician in worse condition after weeks of physical therapy. Why is this? Standard physical therapy, at times, may consist…
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5 Warning Signs You’re Wasting Your Time in PT
Are you questioning whether you are receiving the best care with your current physical therapy clinic? Co-pays and time spent add up quickly. Is it paying off in terms of making measurable changes in your life? Here are 5 warning signs that you are wasting your time: Every session is the same: This is a…
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Cut It Out: Hamstring Stretches!
It’s got to be the most common stretch of all time…and potentially the most worthless. “…but my hamstrings are always so tight!” First, let’s explore why most people have tightness in the back of their thighs. In my experience it usually involves poor mobility of your Sciatic Nerve. This thick nerve runs down the…
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Need to Stretch More? -maybe not
With better weather comes increased activity. This is a good thing. Once we resume our outdoor activities, we will often question what and how much stretching we should do. We do this automatically thanks to such sources as elementary school gym teachers of the 70’s and 80’s, Richard Simmons, and years without sound research. Many…
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Bracing vs Stability
Truth: A person can be strong enough to lift 500 pound from the floor, but still throw out their back tying their shoe! ***How does this happen? – WHY does this happen?*** The answer lies in the difference between the ability to brace and the ability to stabilize. While both offer protection by preventing unwanted…
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All wound up?
What are you stretching? I have written previously about short versus tight muscles, using an example of short or tight hamstrings limiting the ability to bend and touch your toes. Think about the stretch feeling you get in the back of your thighs when attempting to bend and reach for your toes. That stretch feeling…
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“If it’s not their ass it’s their elbow.”
A client of mine said this. I can’t take credit for it and please don’t hold me responsible for the foul language. She took an old saying and modified it to convey how her clients describe their current aches and pains. My client, although not in a healthcare profession, provides more competent healthcare advice than…
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The ‘Magic Wand’ of Therapy
Those in pain want an easy fix. Who can blame them? But relying only on pills or magical passive techniques typically won’t do if longstanding pain relief is the goal. To a fault, many healthcare practitioners tend to over-rely on passive techniques. Physical therapists are no exception. A passive treatment is one that is done…
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Sleep series: Pillows
“If you’re not sleeping, you’re not healing” I say this a lot. When we sleep our bodies switch over from ‘go’ to ‘recovery’. That is — if you let it. This short article is a part of a series where I will be discussing some of the most important components of sleep. Today, that topic…
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Tug of War
Discover Your Potential We all have the potential to perform better. We just have to know and learn how to use all that we have. The night before my son had a tug of war competition between his class and the other kindergarten classes, I told him, “During tug of war, your power should come…