Once the pandemic hit in 2020 I could no longer use my favorite gym due to restricted hours and Covid safety protocols. This was frustrating to say the least. What did I do? I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and purchased a yoga mat along with several sets of dumbbells. It was time to […]
What Is Normal Hamstrings Length?
Depending on whom you ask, you may get different answers. One thing is for sure, men tend to have less flexibility than do women. Take a look at the attached picture, Phillip’s leg is making roughly a 70 degree angle with the table. At this point in his range, I am feeling some resistance from […]
Can You Balance on One Leg?
Take your shoes and socks off. Stand on a flat surface and try to balance on one leg with the stance knee slightly unlocked. Can you do this ON EACH LEG for ten seconds without losing your balance or having to use your other foot to touch the floor? If you cannot, you need to […]
Right Side Dominant: Do We Have A Problem?
Yes, you actually might have a problem if you are “too right-sided.” Let me start by saying that our brains are naturally wired to be right side dominant. If everything goes well in utero, during childbirth, and during our early developmental stages, one can expect to be right-handed. It so happens that this is the […]
Information on Stroke Recovery
In a nutshell, strokes are awful. Strokes affect upwards of 800,000 people per year in the U.S. and cost our healthcare system a massive amount of money. There is a huge range of severity involved with strokes. For example, my grandfather had a small stroke that resulted in lost vision in one of his eyes. […]
Beauty is Pain: Effects of Wearing High Heels
If you’ve ever been to physical therapy, then you might have noticed that posture is often a topic of conversation… and usually it’s more about your bad posture. Posture affects things from range of motion, strength potential, and even pain. Let me demonstrate how posture can be affected by something as simple as footwear, and […]
Why Are My Legs Different Lengths?
“My tailor told me that one of my legs is longer than the other when he measured me for my pants.” I have heard that quote countless times in my clinic from patients. Once people have this idea of “uneven leg lengths” ingrained in their minds, they think that it is an unfortunate permanent fixture […]
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” […]
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 […]
Running Pearls
Any great course or lecture needs to have a few “take home” messages that stick with you. I had the pleasure of taking a course this weekend 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 […]