Tom Willemann Health Tips

"Almost Daily Health Tips From Physical Therapist Tom Willemann..."

Use the Form Below to Get Them All Sent to You for FREE

Nothing Odd About Eccentric Exercise

Nothing Odd About Eccentric Exercise

When you hear the term “eccentric,” you may think of a quirky aunt or a piece of shabby but chic furniture. In the physical therapy world, however, this term has a much different and very important meaning. Eccentric exercise—active contraction of a muscle while it is lengthening—has gained popularity in recent years among both athletesContinue Reading »

Painful shoulder exercises–are they safe?

The exercises your physical therapist prescribed are causing pain. Could that be recommended practice? Recent studies suggest it may be. Eccentric strengthening in the moderately painful range may blunt pain fibers’ signals to the brain leaving you with decreasing pain as the muscles strengthen. Such strengthening may also assist in stimulating improved tissue repair. EvaluationContinue Reading »

Hamstring Injuries in Soccer Players

A recent Danish study that is about to be published supports the use of Nordic Lowers in decreasing the incidence of hamstring injuries. This type of strengthening emphasizes the eccentric phase of a muscular contraction which is the “lengthening of the muscle fiber”.  It is during that this lengthening phase that most injuries occur.  Continue Reading »