A Physical Therapists Role In Mental Health

As a physical therapist, I see patients for a variety of reasons. Most people link physical therapy to injuries, but injury rehab is only part of a physical therapists role in healthcare. Things like injury prevention, sports performance, exercise programing, and fitness consulting are a big part of my personal practice. You see, a physical therapists full role is to maximize an individual’s quality of life. For some people, stress from work, family issues, health concerns and other things may be negatively impacting their quality of life. A team approach that includes mental health professionals,...

Physical Therapists are Movement Experts

Like many physical therapists, the physical therapists in our Cary NC clinic are proud of the skills and knowledge we possess. However there is some misconception about what a physical therapists scope of practice is. Physical therapists are adept at treating and rehabbing injuries, but that is not all we do. Physical Therapists are Movement Experts A physical therapists skill set differs from other healthcare practitioners and personal trainers because of our knowledge and training in human movement. While physicians are excellent at diagnosing and treating medical conditions and personal trainers...

Shoulder Pain-Treating the Scapula

The shoulder is a complex joint, and figuring out the exact cause of your pain is essential to treating and preventing injuries. This will be the first article in a series of articles about how a physical therapist can help you with your shoulder pain. What is the Scapula? The scapula, also known as the shoulder blade is a very important, and often under evaluated component of shoulder pain or dysfunction. The reason the scapula is important is because there are 17 different muscles that have an attachment to it, and dysfunction in any of those muscles can lead to impaired scapular mechanics...

Why Runners Need to Strength Train

Strength training is just as important for runners as it is for athletes competing in other sports. Adding a strength training program to your regular running routine can help improve performance and decrease your risk for certain types of running related injuries. Unfortunately not enough runners add strength training to their training programs until they are advised by a physical therapist after an injury occurs. 5 Benefits of strength training for runners 1. Run faster 2. Improve finishing kick 3. Improve body composition 4. Prevent injuries 5. Improve running mechanics How Should Runners...

Why Start An Injury Prevention Program

Injury prevention programs are one of the hot new things in healthcare and personal training. However unlike other fads and trends, this new thought process of stopping injuries before they occur is likely here to stay, and for good reason. Injury prevention programs are similar to regular maintenance on your car. You change the oil, filters and get belts and other areas inspected to prevent larger more expensive repairs in the future. So why do we treat our own body worse than we do our car? What is an injury prevention program? Injury prevention programs can have different components, and...

IASTM for Crossfit Athletes

No matter what the workout of the day is, or wherever they train, Crossfit athletes share one common feature. They like to push their bodies as hard as they can every day. Like other athletes who participate in intense physical training or other physical activities, it’s not uncommon to wake up stiff or sore the morning after a hard workout. Soreness probably won’t stop a Crossfit athlete from training, but it may cause them to move less efficiently which can limit their ability to have a quality training session. While this soreness may not directly cause an injury, poor lifting mechanics...

William Peace Baseball Exercise Library

Hip Bridge Leg Curl SL RDL Step Up PB Bench Press Floor Bench Press PB Push Up Y’s and T’s Serratus Punch Shoulder ER Shoulder IR Eccentric Shoulder Exercise Scarecrows Front Plank Side Plank Med Ball Chop and Lift Plate Carry Elbow Pronation/Supination

Tight Hamstrings and Physical Therapy

A common complaint for a lot of individuals, whether they are athletes or not is that their hamstrings are “tight”. Simply put a tight hamstring is a lack of flexibility in the hamstring muscles. Tight hamstrings can cause a problems like a lack of mobility, poor performance, low back pain and other postural issues. Tight hamstrings may be a symptom or a cause of pain for some individuals. For example, individuals with low back pain may find relief simply by stretching out their hamstrings. There are plenty of positions, both standing and sitting, in which an individual can stretch their hamstrings....

Physical Therapy for Achilles Tendon Pain

What is the Achilles Tendon? The Achilles tendon is the thickest tendon in the human body. If connects your calf muscles (Gastrocnemius, Soleus, Plantaris) to your heel bone (Calcaneus). These muscles work together to lift your heel off the ground (plantarflex). Achilles Tendinitis vs Achilles Tendinosis 2 common injuries that occur to the Achilles tendon are Achilles Tendinitis and Achilles Tendinosis. The key difference between these two injuries is that during Achilles Tendinitis there is active inflammation within the tendon. This inflammation is generally short lived, and if the injury...

Rotator Cuff Tear? Think Physical Therapy Instead Surgery

One of the most common conditions we treat as physical therapists is shoulder pain related to the rotator cuff. Whether you are a young baseball player or an active adult, physical therapy should be on your radar prior to opting for surgery. A recent study showed that patients who opted to go through an intensive physical therapy program performed just as well and had similar patient satisfaction reports as their surgical counterparts. So what does this mean? If you are suffering from shoulder pain, consider visiting a physical therapist first. A physical therapist can evaluate your shoulder...