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9 Reasons to See a Physical Therapist for Your Pelvic Health

Posted on January 29, 2020 by Athletico

The pelvic floor is made up of a series of muscles at the base of the pelvis. These muscles contract to help support your organs during daily activities, as well as relax to allow you to go to the bathroom. When these muscles aren’t functioning properly, you may start experiencing symptoms such as pain or incontinence. This is where physical therapy can help. (more…)

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Men's Health Pelvic Health Women's Health incontinence pelvic floor pelvic pain

Offseason Training Tips for Overhead Athletes

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Tara Hackney, PT, DPT, OCS, KTTP

Baseball, softball, lacrosse, football, volleyball and tennis players all use overhead throwing in their sports. These athletes require power and strength for overhead positions in their dominant extremity. With many sports currently on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it's a great time for athletes to consider cross-training. It has been shown to be beneficial for overhead athletes to participate in more than one sport due to the benefits of cross training. However, many young athletes are specializing in one sport for more than nine months of the year. In order to reduce the risk of injury from repetitive motions, such as overhead throwing, athletes should incorporate cross training into their routines. (more…)

Concussions in High School Sports – Can Football be Saved?

Posted on January 24, 2020 by Clinton Boone, PT, DPT, CMTPT/DN

The Chicago Tribune recently reported that high school football participation in Illinois has reached a 26-year low. For the first time since 1993, fewer than 40,000 high school students in Illinois will be participating in football.1 Furthermore, the National Federation of State High School Associations states the number of high school students playing football has dropped 8 percent since 2007, more than any other sport. However, this is small compared to Illinois’ 25 percent drop in the same timeframe.1 (more…)

Take Control of Your Tendons

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Jeff Hubka, PT, DPT, OCS

A tendon is a connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone. This tissue can be subject to injury over a person’s lifespan. Tendons are unique in that they are capable of restoring and recoiling energy as well as being readily adaptable, with the ability to respond to loading or stress. One of the more famous tendons, Achilles, connects your calf to your heel and allows for pushing off the ground with walking. (more…)

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Heel Pain Knee Pain healthy muscles healthy tendons tendonitis tendons

Can Dry Needling Help?

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Stacie Cornwell, PT, DPT, OCS, Astym Cert.

Dry needling is an innovative treatment technique performed by a licensed physical therapist to help reduce or heal pain symptoms. This technique has many useful applications ranging from soft tissue involvement to nerve irritation. In general, it is primarily used to target trigger points (sensitive spots in soft tissue) and reduce tension of taut muscles. (more…)

5 Home Workout Tips

Posted on January 15, 2020 by Malvika Sampath, PT, DPT

The cooler temperatures and limited daylight hours that come with winter can make it difficult to fit exercise into your schedule. If you are anything like me, snuggling up with a blanket seems a lot more appealing than heading to the gym in your coat, gloves and boots. At the same time, many of us set resolutions to be more active this year. This means it is important to carve out some time in your day for exercise – even if it is not at the gym. Below are some tips to help you achieve a good workout, at home! (more…)

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Exercise and Fitness at-home exercises home exercises home workouts working out at home

Can Cold Weather Influence Pain?

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Kirk Johnson, PT, DPT

As a physical therapist, I frequently work with people who suffer from chronic pain. When the weather changes – including colder temperatures or air pressure changes – I frequently have patients asking why the weather seems to influence their pain symptoms. (more…)

Fall Risk Assessment Tools for Clinicians

Posted on January 10, 2020 by Andrew C. Thomas PT, DPT, OCS, TPS, CSCS, COMT, CEEAA, FAAOMPT

Falls in older adults are a significant concern in all of healthcare. Fall death rates have increased 30 percent from 2007 to 2016.1 Every year, 3 million older adults are treated in the emergency department for fall related injuries.2 Patients who experience falls can become trapped in a cycle where they are afraid of falling and limit their activity leading to greater deconditioning and increase their risk for subsequent falls. Medicare mandates that patients who are over the age of 65 should be screened annually for falls by a healthcare provider. In states with direct access laws, physical therapists may be the only medical contact that the patient has in a calendar year. We can be the first to find out if patients are at a risk for falls and proactively address their deficits. (more…)

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Physical Therapy Careers fall injuries fall risk factors slip and falls