OA is a dynamic process characterized by an imbalance between tissue break down and tissue repair. It is more complex than simply “wear and tear”.

​Muscle strains are a very common orthopedic injury. A muscle strain AKA a “pulled muscle” happens when a muscle is overstretched or torn. This can occur due to overuse, excessive muscular contraction, fatigue, etc. Muscles that are commonly “pulled” include hamstrings, calves, quads, and low back muscles. 

​As our kids become more active and youth sports become more competitive, concussions are becoming very prevalent among kids and teens. Luckily, coaches and sideline staff are trained to recognize the signs of a concussion and are taking action to prevent and treat concussions on the field. Athletes are being encouraged to sit out plays, games, and practices when a concussion is suspected. Rest is necessary after a concussion to allow the brain to heal; however, sometimes it isn’t enough to return the athlete to “normal”. Many times a concussion can have lingering effects including dizziness, difficulty concentrating, headaches, memory loss, and difficulty reading. This can carry over into personal life and academics and can significantly impact quality of life. 

​So, your surgery is done and now is the time to focus on rehab and getting back to normal strength and range of motion. Following some surgeries, rehab progress can be slowed by surgical incision site infection (SISI). Prior to surgery or post-surgery, it is important to have some knowledge on exactly what surgical site infection is and some signs/symptoms of it so that you can catch it early. It is important to know that if a surgical site does become infected, do not panic, it will be ok and can be treated with medications. That being said, the sooner you let your Doctor know the better. 

BPPV is when you experience a spinning sensation or “dizziness” with change in position (particularly of your head).

• Benign - not life threatening (though it may feel pretty serious)
• Paroxysmal – symptoms occur in episodes/ “comes and goes”
• Positional – related to a change in position of your head
• Vertigo - the spinning sensation

​Shoulder impingement is a common cause of shoulder pain. Before jumping into the specifics of what “shoulder impingement” means, it is important to understand the anatomy of the shoulder. 

​Low back pain is one of the most common reasons that people seek care.  Often times this pain has no known original injury, or the “original injury” happened so long ago that it can’t exactly be blamed for the long term back pain that someone might be experiencing since.  A commonly asked question by patients coming in to physical therapy for their low back pain is whether or not they need some sort of imaging- a radiograph (Xray) or MRI.

​When it comes to fitness buzz words, “functional fitness” is definitely currently trending.  So we’re going to talk a little about one of the most functional fitness related activities out there- squatting.  Have you ever stopped to think about your daily activities and how many of them might involve some form of squatting?  Getting on and off the couch, in and out of the car, getting something out a low cabinet, picking your kids up from the floor- the list goes on.  If we are not able to squat effectively, it drastically limits our ability to perform necessary daily tasks.

​You might be wondering, though- “wait, I thought squatting was bad for my knees?”  Well I’m here to tell you that this is not true.  What is true, is that when done correctly, squatting will strengthen your hips, thighs, back, and even core muscles which can all protect your knees in the long term.

​It comes as no surprise that the incidence of upper back pain is increasing in an era of rising screen time, sedentary work, and long commutes.  Many people have come to accept their upper back pain as part of life. I, too, was among those people several years ago after suffering a compression fracture in my mid-back from a snowboarding accident.  Two years after my injury I had worse pain than two months after the fracture occurred. I couldn’t make sense of it: my doctors told me my fracture had healed great. The problem was that I was sitting more than ever before, had poor posture, and allowed my back to get really weak.

As early as age 25, our ability to balance starts to decline. It may seem alarmingly early and impossible, but it is true. For this reason, it is so important to work on balance everyday. One tip that I like to give my patients is simply to just balance on one foot while you brush your teeth and switch half way through. ​

​Pour yourself a tall, cold glass of Dihydrogen Monoxide, also known as water, and drink up while you are reading this article!

​You’ve probably heard that our bodies are made up of 70% water.  Well, that’s mostly true- we’re about 55-65% water depending on how much lean mass (muscle) versus fat mass you have.  Lean mass carries more water, and men tend to have more muscle than women, so they tend to be the more aqueous of the sexes.  Never the less, over half of our physical being is made of water.  That’s quite a bit!  We are made up of so much water because our bodies need water for most of the complex processes happening continuously that keep us alive.

Our bodies use water to regulate our body temperature via sweating and respiration.  Our blood relies on water to continue flowing, thus carrying nutrients through the body and carrying waste products to the kidneys and liver for disposal.  Water helps form the fluid that lubricates our joints.  Water also helps form the fluid around our brains and spinal cords which act as a shock absorption system.
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Because our bodies rely so heavily on water to continue functioning, and our bodies are constantly using up our supply of water to regulate temperature and help excrete waste products, it is important to replenish our water supplies consistently.

Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Miu Miu.
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If these names don’t look familiar to you, then either you’ve never worn high heels, or, like me, you’re not very fashion saavy (I had to google search “high fashion shoe designers to make that list…)