{ FITNESS BLOG }

I’ve written a few posts about knee injuries, they are one of the most common complaints I see especially since I work with many aging clients. A recent conversation with a client with knee pain encouraged me to write this post. A Common Scenario Client, late 60’s, has intermittent knee pain w/walking (sometimes severe) but presents […]

Fall soccer has started and I am one of the countless parents lining the sidelines watching their child play.  As a therapist/trainer I see the game from a few angles: soccer is a great sport for aerobic fitness, repeatedly kicking a ball can wreak havoc on a child’s body however. At a recent game I watched […]

In Part 1 I introduced some of the issues that come into play when someone has a leg length difference. Here is my evaluation protocol when I assess postural asymmetry. Health History Some people are aware they have postural asymmetry. I’ve worked with father/son and mother/daugthters where the child has the same postural alignment  as the […]

Differences in leg length are fairly common, in a previous post I wrote about how leg length differences can lead to a breakdown in the soft tissues of the knee joint, mostly on the longer leg side of the body. There are other considerations and symptoms associated with leg length. I routinely do postural screens […]

One morning, after being out all night Gus limped across the yard dragging his right back leg. I picked him up and moved his knee joint, it was barely hanging on his body. If he was a human soccer player this would have been severe knee ligament (ACL, MCL, LCL) damage from a nasty slide tackle. […]

For many collegiate athletes, and certainly for professional athletes, sport injuries are addressed in a comprehensive manner. Sport coaches, athletic trainers, doctors, orthopedists, physical therapists, strength/conditioning coaches etc. collaborate as a team to address the athlete’s condition.  An analogy is to think about rehab as a ladder: at the bottom is acute injury management (AT, MD/orthopedist), […]

There is a lot of “hard science” behind effective injury rehab, sport performance and fitness training. I need to know how a particular movement/exercise or manual therapy technique is going to impact a client’s joint, muscle, skeletal and nervous system. For example movement can be analyzed, joint angles measured, muscle strength tested and graded. The […]

Whenever I see a new client with a history of low back pain I ask specific questions about their stretching, exercise and self care routine. Many folks have symptoms/injuries spanning several years, they also have worked with numerous practitioners who prescribe exercises.  In fact I will have them demonstrate for me exactly what they do. I […]

Plantar fasciitis (PF) is often a blanket diagnosis for foot/heel or arch pain. The common approach to treat this condition is ice, rest, stretching the calf and wearing a night splint that passively stretches the plantar fascia. The next phase in treatment is wearing custom orthotics and cortisone injections. Some of these interventions may provide some relief, […]

Running: Hamstring Pain & Weak Glutes Many runners take exceptional care of their bodies: they are diligent about doing all the right things, fine tuning their running performance. That said small deviations in joint alignment or poor muscle activation can contribute to pain and decreased running efficiency. How? The repetitive strain of training, racing etc. […]