Have you ever stopped to think about the mechanics of how the vertebral disc in your spine works? Probably not, but if you look at the structure and makeup of the disc, you can see that it is made of two basic types of soft tissue. An outer fibrous tissue and an inner gel like […]

As participation and intensity in sports has increased, the prevalence of knee ligament injury has also increased. The granddaddy of them all is injury to the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, or better known as the ACL.   Not all ACL injuries require surgery, but surgery is recommended if the ligament is torn, especially for those who are […]

Have you heard of the term Trigger Point? Occasionally clients come in and ask questions about trigger points, like “what are they?” and “how do they form?” Many people have heard of the term, but they aren’t quite sure what they are. Well, trigger points are palpable nodules or knots no bigger than the size […]

Did you know that up to 20 percent of headaches have been linked to causes from structures in your neck? And for that matter Migraines too. The research is clear that dysfunction in your neck can cause a headache. However, it is actually a little fuzzy when it comes to understanding the exact structure in […]

Are you an avid tennis player that struggles with elbow pain? Many tennis players do at some point in time. The pain on the outside of your elbow is more commonly referred to as “tennis elbow” or more technically as lateral epicondylitis. Back in the 1800s, the sport of tennis spread rapidly in popularity and […]

Many people wonder about the importance of the meniscus in the knee because they may have heard that parts of it may be removed after a surgery. The answer is – the meniscus is very important! There are two parts of the meniscus, the medial or inside portion and the lateral or outside portion. The […]

Adhesive Capsulitis, or “Frozen Shoulder” is a common diagnosis treated in Physical Therapy clinics. But what is frozen shoulder? Many people recognize this term but may not fully understand what is meant by that diagnosis. Frozen shoulder is a painful and stiff shoulder that has an unknown cause. Sometimes the onset of frozen shoulder is […]

One bit of confusion I run across regularly is how much walking to do after a total knee replacement. The answer to the question is actually fairly complicated because it has to do with a combination of a couple of variables, but one of those variables is of the utmost importance. That variable is swelling. […]

You may have heard it said “No pain, no gain.” However, that is not always true. I combat that well known mantra several times a week for certain cases. Many in-depth conversations have developed with my clients because it does seem a little counter-intuitive, especially when someone thinks they are feeling “muscles working”. Now with […]

Referred pain is a topic that comes up a lot in my conversations with patients regardless if the person is rehabbing a sports injury or recovering from a neck strain. Referred pain is tricky to understand because it doesn’t make sense. For example, when someone has pain in the upper back area, it would make […]