Two out of three adults suffer from low back pain in their lifetime and back pain is the #2 reason adults visit the doctor. It keeps people home from work and interferes with activities of daily life and recreation. The good news is 9 out of 10 people’s low back pain will get better in 2 to 12 weeks with conservative treatment such as physical therapy.
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The shoulder joint is the most flexible joint in the entire human. The glenohumeral (shoulder) joint is a ball and socket. The socket portion of the joint is formed by outer aspect of the shoulder blade (the scapula), and the ball arises from the top of the upper arm bone (the humerus). Just above this ball and socket joint is the acromion, a bony prominence extending off of the scapula (Figure 1). Due to the inherent instability of the joint, we rely on ligaments and muscle to provide adequate support during daily activities. We also have the labrum, a ring of cartilage, to help extend the size of the socket, offering increased stability while maintaining flexibility.
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If you are considering rotator cuff surgery, here are a few things to consider, both from a physical therapist’s perspective and from a patient’s perspective (while in the midst of post-operative rotator cuff repair rehabilitation).
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The weather is finally getting warm and tennis season is picking up. Before you head out to the court, take some time to prevent shoulder injury. Overhead activities, such as tennis, put great demands on the shoulder joint. Shoulder injuries are common in tennis players because strokes such as the serve, overhead smash, high forehand, and backhand volley place repetitive forces about the unstable shoulder joint.
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Can poor posture cause shoulder pain? The answer is yes, and more! A forward head posture and rounded shoulders can contribute to shoulder impingement, rotator cuff tears, neck issues, and headaches.
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The volume of total hip replacements is quickly growing in the United States, with an almost 125% increase in surgical rates over the past few years (AAOS, 2014). A total hip replacement (THR) is an elective surgery for people living with pain in the hip joint that limits their function, but the surgery can also be indicated with a traumatic injury to the hip. The surgery involves removing arthritic bone in the pelvis and femur and replacing it with plastic and ceramic components to decrease pain with daily activities.
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The hip is composed of various muscles, joints, bones, ligaments and tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and bursae. Like most parts of the human body, it is a complex of interrelated pieces, perfectly fit together, to help you move.
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Treatment for hip pathologies is as variable as the conditions themselves. Though every person, every condition, and every day is different, there are many similarities among the treatment options for hip dysfunctions. A good deal of hip injuries are a direct result of soft tissue imbalances, neuromuscular inhibition, and bony arthrokinematics.
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Ever hit your “funny bone," and experienced that electrical shock down your arm? These symptoms are actually caused by a compression of your ulnar nerve. The ulnar nerve runs right through the back side of your elbow - right in that spot that you always seem to hit! Research reports that an ulnar nerve compression, medically known as an ulnar nerve neuropathy or cubital tunnel syndrome, is the second most common nerve injury (the first is carpal tunnel syndrome which involves the median nerve).
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Could your "Tennis Elbow,” or other elbow pain, be caused by a Positional Fault?
Many orthopaedic conditions affecting the elbow, such as “tennis elbow” or “little league elbow” can, at least in part, be attributed to imbalances between certain muscles’ flexibility and strength. Muscles operate best when they are at the correct length, and muscles that are either too short/tight or too long/weak can create problems
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