Low testosterone in men can cause a host of symptoms, from fatigue and depression to lowered libido and erectile dysfunction. In some cases, however, a man can test positive for low (or “low normal”) levels of testosterone in the blood (also known as “low T”) without experiencing any symptoms. In these cases, is it smartContinue Reading »
"Almost Daily Health Tips From Physical Therapist Tom Willemann..."
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Author: Tom Willemann
Keeping the Fat Out of Your Rotator Cuff
For most of us, the idea of “fighting fat” is nothing new. But fat is not just an enemy of your waistline. It’s an enemy of your muscles, too—especially when you are recovering from rotator cuff surgery. When the rotator cuff tendon is torn, a gap between the tendon and bones is formed. Your bodyContinue Reading »
Do I Have Runner’s Knee (AKA Patello Femoral Pain Syndrome)?
Do you have pain while running or jumping or going down stairs? Any time you sit or bend your knee, do you have pain? Is it around the kneecap or patella? You may have Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS). Other names used to describe this condition are retropatellar pain syndrome, anterior knee pain and lateral facetContinue Reading »
Pinpointing a Low Back Pain Problem
Five is an unlucky number for many people with spondylolysis (spon-dee-low-LYE-sis), because this condition—a weakness or stress fracture of a spinal bone—is most often found near the fifth lumbar vertebra in the lower back. It may, however, occur in other lumbar vertebrae, as well as in the chest area. Spondylolysis is often caused by overuse, especiallyContinue Reading »
Pulled Hamstrings: Stretch Your Way Back
Running along the back of the thigh from the pelvis to the shin, the hamstring muscles are responsible for bending the knee, along with moving the hip and other lower extremities. Thus, when a hamstring is strained, or pulled, the rest of the body can be affected. With a hamstring strain, pain and mobility indicate theContinue Reading »
Stretching and Strength-training for Safer Soccer
While any athletic activity has an inherent risk of injury, soccer has traditionally been considered less dangerous than, say, American football, hockey and lacrosse. Significant tragic events in soccer usually involve the goalposts; either the player hits the post or a faulty goalpost lands on a player.Fortunately, these events are extremely rare. Still, some dangersContinue Reading »
Avoid Rotator Cuff Surgery with Physical Therapy
Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint made up of three dominant bones—the humerus, clavicle and scapula. The rotator cuff consists of a group of four tendons and associated muscles that collectively work to keep the arm bone within the socket of your shoulder bladewhile allowing your arm to raise and rotate. Although damage to the rotatorContinue Reading »
Hip Replacement: Game, Set, Match?
Jake Johnson was an avid tennis player before pain from a degenerative hip joint took him off the courts. When his doctor said that he needed total hip replacement surgery, he thought his tennis playing days were over. But were they? In the past, most surgeons recommended against playing tennis after a hip replacement. Today, artificial hipContinue Reading »
Does Running Form Affect Rate of Injuries?
A recent article highlighted in the New York Times discussed a study published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise . It looked at the incidence of injuries among runners who favor heel striking compared to forefoot striking. Apparently they indicated a two fold increase in heel strikers rates of injury when examining aContinue Reading »
How to Conquer Achilles Tendinosis in Runners in 3 Easy Steps
In order to rehabilitate an Achilles tendinopathy or tendinosis for runners and non-runners, we need to be focused on the patient’s goals as a means to set expectations and ensure the best outcome. In this video, we discuss how to properly progress a patient to minimize setbacks in the rehabilitation process. Many of our recommendationsContinue Reading »