In 2016 everybody saw Michael Phelps and the polka dots on his shoulder at the Rio Olympics. And just like that, cupping became the topic of conversation just as kinesiology tape did after seeing athletes compete in the 2008 Olympic games with various colorful strips of tape all over their body. Kinesiology tape, which at […]
The Rowing Machine Challenge
Personally, the most horrifying workout that I have experienced is the 2000 meter sprint using the Concept II indoor rowing machine. Even my friends who are Crossfit acolytes would rather do other grueling workouts than face the rower for a dreaded sprint trial. The gold standard for an adult male being crowned an absolute “badass” […]
Why Do I Have a Patella?
The patella (commonly referred to as the kneecap) may at first seem like a vestigial structure that too many of us errantly smack into tables and otherwise traumatize with random activities. Do we even need to have a patella to perform our day-to-day tasks? I do actually know somebody who had his patella removed due […]
Why ACL Tears Happen
In the season of The World Cup, I thought it may be good to discuss one of the most common soccer injuries, the ever-present ACL tear. Even more, it’s the Women’s World Cup, and females are more likely to get this injury compared to their male counterparts. Let’s discuss why this is the case. The […]
Tandem Stance: Try It!
Do we ever give any thought about “balance” as we age? Given that upwards of one-third of individuals over the age of sixty-five will have a fall in any given year, it may be a good idea to be proactive about doing some balance training. Let’s use tandem stance as a great example of an […]
Reacquaint Yourself With “Straight Leg Raises”
The straight leg raise is the most commonly prescribed exercise in physical therapy for patients with knee pain. Unfortunately, it is probably the exercise that is most frequently performed incorrectly!! How can something that looks so simple be done incorrectly? The answer lies in successful recruitment of that pesky portion of the quadriceps known as […]
Staying Injury Free in Social Dance
When people think of dance injuries, the mind often automatically goes to a setting of a ballet barre or stage show. Sometimes dance injuries happen in the social dance arena as well. For the purposes of this article, the term social dance will be defined as a dance style that requires at least 2 people […]
Why Do I Have a Forward Head?
Behold, the dreaded forward head. (See pic) A forward head is commonly defined by what we therapist nerds call a “plumb line” that is dropped from the hole in the ear (aka the external auditory meatus) directly downwards. Under ideal circumstances, the plumb line that drops from the ear should pass through the anterior portion […]
Road Trip Tips from a Physical Therapist
The weather is getting nice and people are going to start wanting to drive out a few hours to get to the beach or to the mountains to go camping. It’s road trip time! Any physical therapist would request that an office worker not sit for more than a 1-2 hour duration, and the same […]
Dealing with Dancer’s Hip: Snapping Hip Syndrome
Snapping hip syndrome in a disorder that is characterized by a popping or snapping sound when you bend, straighten, or rotate your hip. This is not a specific functional diagnosis, but is more of a descriptor. This dysfunction is more medically known as coxa saltans (Latin for dancer’s hip). It is less formally but more […]
