I have come to a realization that many individuals are not sure what to look for when selecting a Physical Therapist. Many seem to think it does not or will not make much of a difference. For most, it is call some office and play the therapist roulette game. Which...
I often have discussions with patients about muscle cramping. Many times these discussions begin as a patient is actively cramping while performing some exercise. Often these individuals say I am just prone to muscle cramps. But the question is, WHY? There are many...
For those with back pain, be it chronic or new, the question of what to do is present? Do I rest, take medication, see a professional (but WHO?), rely on the advice of friends or family? A quick internet search for back pain will pull up nearly 73 million hits and...
There is an interesting discussion right now as to the benefits of arthroscopic knee surgery. For this topic of discussion is meniscal surgery worth it? Or can a person be just fine without it? As a physical therapist, I routinely field this question from those...
I am always amazed at how doctors and patients alike feel physical therapy after spine surgery is optional. Sure, patients always have the choice, but why go through a major surgery not to do EVERYTHING you can to recover better and faster? Going to therapy 3 days...
Whiplash is a fancy name to describe an injury (most often the neck) due to an accident, collision, or fall. More specifically it relates to the speed of impact. As a result of the event, often the individual sustains an injury to the muscle or soft tissues. These...
Ankle sprains are a common injury for those engaging in athletic or even recreational activity. Each year more than 1 million people visit a doctor for an ankle sprain (ref). And this does not account for those who do not seek care. In many cases the person can "walk"...
The recent snow/ice here in the Northeast made me think about the topic of fall prevention. Even as the weather changes (for the better?), we need to prevent falls especially as a person ages. Data shows nearly 1 in 3 of individuals over 65 years and 1 in 2 over 80...
Over my years as a physical therapist, I have intermittently worked with patents with a history of cancer or currently undergoing treatment. I will never forget my 1st experience treating a young man with cancer (he was still in high school) and I was in my last...
The 1st question to be answered is do you really have a pinched nerve?? Often people believe they have a pinched nerve just because they have neck pain. Maybe because they have pain somewhere in an arm in addition to the neck. Possibly some doctor threw this term...