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...

Sprained Ankle and Physical Therapy

The Moment You Sprain Your Ankle We have all been there before. That moment where you are playing a sport or out running and you feel your ankle roll. Before you hit the ground your brain has been able to process that something went wrong. There are different kinds of ankle sprains out there and differing levels of severity. The most common ankle sprain is the lateral ankle sprain, and this is the injury that occurs when you roll your ankle. In most cases these can be treated conservatively at home and you shouldn’t have to miss too much time from the activities that you love. Some more...

Help, my son is a pitcher and we were told he has impingement syndrome. What is that and should he continue pitching?

What is Impingement Syndrome? Impingement syndrome is a common shoulder condition where the rotator cuff muscles get sandwiched between the arm bone and the top of the shoulder (acromion). When the rotator cuff muscles continually get pinched between the bones, the body releases a pain response to try and dissuade an individual from repeating the motion that causes the pinching. Swelling can also occur in the area, much like you would see if you were to sprain your ankle. Certain positions, like reaching up behind the back and reaching up overhead (much like the position of the arm for pitching)...