Any great course or lecture needs to have a few “take home” messages that stick with you. I had the pleasure of once taking a course that dealt specifically with running. Here are some pearls that I picked up… 1. Cadence is a measure of how many steps a runner takes per minute. For example, […]
Are Laptops Worth the Convenience?
A patient of mine works for a large consulting firm here in Washington DC, where long hours and significant time spent traveling are the norm. Upon visiting this patient’s office for an ergonomic consultation, one thing struck me as odd: nearly all of the employees at this firm were using laptop computers rather than desktop […]
Ten Common Ways To Strain Your Neck
1. Inadequate Lighting The neck has a tendency to crane forward while we are working at the computer, watching television, and performing various other activities when there is a lack of ambient light. 2. Bifocals For the younger generation who wear contact lenses, bifocals are glasses that are specially made to allow the user to […]
Swan Neck Deformity of the Finger
Take a look at your hand and straighten your fingers out. If they look crooked, there can be a few different possibilities of what may be taking place. A specific pattern that will be discussed in this article is called Swan Neck deformity. In a swan neck finger, the tip of the finger is bent […]
Pride and Exercise
Pride has the potential to destroy us all, at least from an orthopedic point of view. In our teens and twenties, we are invincible. Many of us can recall being able to perform in a basketball game or run in a track meet the morning after a night of drinking beers and eating McDonalds at […]
Can You Do This Simple Exercise?
Take a look at this photo. Many people with shoulder and neck pain have a difficult time resting comfortably in this position. I have seen countless patients over the years who cannot tolerate their head in a neutral position while maintaining their hands resting on the floor as shown. Sustained forward posture from sitting in […]
Right Side Dominant?
At least eighty-five percent of us are naturally “wired” to use the right side of our body more efficiently than the left side of our body. Right hand dominance is the norm, and this is reflected in many of the objects that we deal with on a daily basis. Here is a list of things […]
What Exercises Can I Do For My Lower Back While Driving?
Several times per month I make a two-hour drive from DC to West Virginia. This has given me countless driving hours to test out strategies to deal with lower back stiffness and pain. I can proudly say that I have come up with a few remedies to deal with my lower back when it starts […]
Allowing Tendonitis To Heal
I hate tendonitis and the misery that it brings. The loss of function, the psychological frustration that comes with having pain with motion, and visits to health professionals are annoyances that many of us who have tendonitis must endure. Tendonitis is inflammation of a tendon that usually stems from repetitive stress or overuse. We commonly […]
Aging, Falling, and Sensible Solutions
One in three people over the age of sixty-five are victims of a fall in the course of one year. A fall may not seem like a major deal to most of us, but to senior citizens, they can be devastating ordeals that cause permanent disability and in many cases cut lives short. A fractured […]
Why Are My Ring Finger & Pinky Finger Numb?
Have you ever awoken to a numb hand? This is the result of one or more of the nerves in the arm being either clamped or stretched due to sleeping position. One of the most common nerves involved in this type of numbness is the ulnar nerve, as it passes around the elbow joint in […]
Shoulder Surgery: When Can I Get Rid of My Shoulder Sling?
Rotator cuff repairs, shoulder labral repairs, acromioplasty, humeral fractures, and other shoulder surgeries inevitably require the usage of a shoulder sling as a means of protecting the surgeon’s work and allowing early healing of the involved tissue. I have yet to meet a surgeon who does not prescribe the usage of a shoulder sling immediately […]
Managing Expectations When Recovering from a Labral Repair
I have seen many clients with post-operative shoulder labral repairs. It is a frustrating injury that takes time to recover from. Being the recipient of two labral repair surgeries myself, it is my opinion that the key to recovery with a labral injury is managing expectations. The shoulder labrum is a fibrous, or rigid type […]
Post-Surgical Ankle Boot? Please Get a Lift For Your Other Shoe!
Many of us know someone who has suffered trauma to the ankle or foot (fractures, surgeries etc.) that requires the usage of a giant, cumbersome immobilization boot. Ankle boots are a necessary evil: They protect the joints and bones of the lower leg and allow for bones and soft tissues to heal. The problem that […]
Do Your Ribs Move?
The ribs and the ribcage have many purposes. They protect many of the internal organs; they serve as attachment sites for many muscles that control the arms, pelvis, and neck; and they assist in the breathing process. Your ribs must be able to move fluidly in order to assist in all of these tasks. In […]
I Can’t Open My Hand All the Way: A Look at Dupuytren’s Disease
Why can’t I open my hand? There is an interesting phenomenon in the world of hand illness called Dupuytren’s disease. It is a progressive illness that causes a contracture on the palm of the hand, making it difficult to fully open. This causes many problems including the following: difficulty being able to grasp difficulty with […]
Heat vs Cold: What to Use and When
When seeing new patients the same confusion comes up. They don’t know when to use a heating pad versus an ice pack. This article should help explain the theory of when to use what and will give you some easy guidelines. Physiological Response to Heat When the body temperature increases, the blood vessels become dilated, […]
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 […]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 5
- Next Page »