Over the last several years I have heard much about the popular fitness craze known as Shaun T.’s “Insanity.” Many of you have undoubtedly seen the commercial advertisements. Buffed out twenty-somethings are seen jumping around and performing brutal plyometrics and calisthenics to the point of utter exhaustion. As a clinician, I was, of course, curious […]
Why Should I Stretch My Back on a Foam Roll?
Too many of us sit at a desk all day. The effects of focusing on a monitor and reaching for a keyboard over time can be devastating. Fortunately, there is a simple stretching exercise that can help to counteract our imposed postural duress. There are two major benefits of lying on a foam roller. The […]
Athletes: Land Quietly Like a Ballet Dancer
Working in an outpatient orthopaedic setting, a common goal for many of our patients is returning to sports. For many, that means being able to run, jump and change direction quickly. Because of my personal background in dance, my patients probably get very annoyed with me when I begin working on plyometric activities with them, […]
A Ballet Class en Flat in Pointe Shoes
Most people can only imagine how difficult a ballet class is. Then they start to think of ballerinas that they see on the main stage dancing on the tips of their toes in pointe shoes. They start to imagine what type of loopholes these people could have possibly found in Newton’s laws of physics to […]
Shoulder Pain With Yoga? Adjust your “Downward Dog”!
The bones and tendons of the arms are not anatomically equipped to bear the brunt of our weight. If they were, we would still be walking around on all fours. The yoga “downward facing dog” position places us “on all fours,” placing abnormal stress on the tendons of the rotator cuff as the shoulder joints […]
Updates on the Treatment of Tennis Elbow
Last year I had the opportunity to attend a conference here in Washington, D.C., that focused on upper extremity injuries. I attended a specific lecture on the nasty, nagging, and otherwise problematic diagnosis of “tennis elbow.” It does appear that the medical community is making some discernible changes in terms of how this diagnosis is […]
How Much Grip Strength Do I Need To Drive a Car?
Grip strength with post-operative and geriatric patients is an important consideration when it comes to safety. If a patient does not have functional grip strength, there is a much higher risk of dropping objects, driving accidents, and a general inability to negotiate doors in public spaces. I will typically advise against driving if the patient […]
Compression Socks for Everyday Use and Travel
In the past, compression socks or stockings were only seen in the hospital setting or amongst the older population with lymphatic or circulatory problems. They have been known to be white or beige ugly stockings that usually end just below or above the knee. However, due to the practical everyday use of these garments, compression […]
What Is the Topple Test for Dancers?
In rehabilitation there are many clinical tests that can help determine the type of injury a person may have. In dance, there are functional tests that help show readiness for some activities. The test that is being discussed today is the topple test. The topple test sees if a dancer can complete a clean single […]
BOSU Training for Dancers
Dancers’ requirements vary so much. It is asked of them to be strong, agile, flexible, and balanced all while maintaining some level of artistry and making things look easy. Dancers train in a similar way as other conventional athletes to attain the previously mentioned goals. It may just not look the same. Similar tools are […]
Using Your Natural Turnout: A Cry for Dance Injury Prevention
In the dance community, particularly the ballet community, turnout is such a coveted talent. It becomes ingrained from a very early age that this perfectly externally rotated foot position is necessary to be considered a good dancer or one that is better than the other dancers. The problem is that turnout is not just a […]
Pilates Reformer & Tower Reviews
As a physical therapist, I at times feel the need to try out different forms of exercise that my patients participate in. I have tried the Pilates mat classes with the hallmark one hundred pulsed repetitions of modified abdominal crunches. Meh. My fit fifty-something neighbor finally convinced me last month to try “back to back” […]
Internal Rotation of the Shoulder: The Under-Prescribed Exercise!
In clinical physical therapy practice, I have noticed that rotator cuff exercises tend to have more of a bias towards external rotation rather than internal rotation. Why is this? Here is an example of external rotation (see video below). This can be done either on one’s side as in the first video or standing with […]
Does the “Fitbit” Foster Compliance?
I consider myself a bit lazy, both mentally and physically. Do I want to go out on a run with you this morning? No, I do not. I would rather sit here on the couch and find something more constructive to do with my time. I will drag myself to the gym several times a […]
My Shoulder Blades Are Not Even!
Take a look at anyone’s resting shoulder blade position from behind the next time you are at the pool or at the beach. If you look closely, you may notice that many people’s shoulder blades, or scapulae, do not sit evenly. Two common observations to see are one shoulder blade sitting higher than the other […]
