Category: Uncategorized
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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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“But I have Arthritis!”
Arthritis is an unfortunate term. Due to our association with the diagnosis, we picture an evil presence inside our body and a “disease” that spreads and wreaks havoc on our joints to cause pain and stiffness. We didn’t see it coming and we don’t know how it got there. We are the innocent prey, and…
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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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Knee Pain? Treat the hip.
Your knee hurts. It’s been annoying you for a few weeks or months now, but you’ve been too busy to get it checked out. Finally, you schedule an appointment with an orthopedist who gives you a knee-related diagnosis and writes you a prescription for physical therapy. Or, you were aware that you could skip this…
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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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Nagging Shoulder Pain?
If you have undergone previous therapy for shoulder pain then this exercise may look familiar: If it looks familiar and you still have a painful shoulder, then maybe this exercise was not the most effective or appropriate. This exercise is one of several cookie-cutter activities for the rotator cuff. It is a standard go-to in…
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The Gluteal Muscles: More than Seat Cushions
As a society we do a LOT of sitting. We sit during our morning and afternoon commutes, while at work, during meals, and while watching TV or using our mobile devices. This adds up to 12-16 hours per day. Our poor gluteal muscles take most of the brunt, as we shut them down and rely…
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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…
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Barefoot Training or Specialized Shoes?
The MOVE facility has a “no-shoes” gym floor, so most think they can guess my ‘stance’ on barefoot training – not so fast… This tends to be a polarizing topic, especially in the running community. As with most questions I get asked, the answer is not so simple. Some will argue that it is more…
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Your Therapist and Your Goals
U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Liam Dwyer: “You know, when people say you can’t do something or you aren’t able to do something, I don’t like being told that.” Several years ago, I had the amazing opportunity to observe therapy services at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. It was there I had the distinguished pleasure…