Tom Willemann Health Tips

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

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Jump on Treating Osgood-Schlatter Disease

Jump on Treating Osgood-Schlatter Disease

Osgood-Schlatter disease (syndrome), a common cause of knee pain in as many as one in five children and young athletes, especially boys, 10 to 15 years of age, usually occurs after a period of quick growthcoupled with intense physical or sporting activity.  Children who participate in running and jumping activities experience a greater strain onContinue Reading »

Help Your Flat Feet Run Like the Wind

Help Your Flat Feet Run Like the Wind

A recent study found that about 25% of the U.S. population has flat feet, and almost 43 million Americans suffer from foot problems. Flat feet, a condition in which the foot does not have a normal arch when standing, can present challenges for a running program, but having flat feet does not mean that suchContinue Reading »

Born to Run Farther

Born to Run Farther

As the days get longer, you may consider adding distance to your runs. What kind of plan should you follow to run farther and increase your endurance but to do so safely and prevent injury?The first rule to remember is that if you find it too difficult to complete a new distance level, do not force yourself. ManyContinue Reading »

Does Running Cause Disc Problems?

Does Running Cause Disc Problems?

  Recent Studies Show Running and Exercise May Actually Strengthen the Intervertebral Disc    A recent study looked at the lumbar disc problems,  Intervertebral Discs (IVDs) in people that were runners for greater than five years and also ran more than 50+ kilometers per week (long distance runners). The intervertebral discs act as shock absorbentsContinue Reading »

Tips on Running from the American Physical Therapy Association

Tips on Running from the American Physical Therapy Association

For all my athletes that enjoy running please follow this link The Health Center for Runners  from the American Physical Therapy Association.   On the web site there is a free E-book: The Physical Therapist’s Guide to Healthy Running to download for information for friends and family. Many great topics are covered: Pregnancy and Running Barefoot Running InjuriesContinue Reading »

Does running cause arthritis?

Does running cause arthritis?

A common assumption of most athletes and non-athletes is that running leads to knee osteoarthritis(OA).   The joints can’t tolerate the constant pounding of running. FALSE!  A study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine 2008 August 35(2): 133-138 shows evidence that this may not be true.  In this study researchers looked at 45 runners andContinue Reading »

The Running Epidemic!

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE  Coach Rob: I happen to live next to the park, my backyard faces the park and I see all kinds of people out there every day from morning to evening running.  What once made me very pleased to see so many people out there working hard toContinue Reading »

Alleviating Heel Pain with Physical Therapy

Heel pain can be a complex problem, but many times it results just from overuse of the foot.   Heel pain can also result from running, especially with poor form, shoes with insufficient support, a sudden injury to the heel, and physical conditions, such as Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, a pinched nerve at the back ofContinue Reading »

Up and Running After a Total Hip Replacement

While many surgeons say no to resuming a running program after a total hip replacement, others say you can do so depending on the bone quality and the prosthetic materials used to replace the worn hip joint. In surgery, the damaged cartilage and bone are removed and replaced with metal, plastic or ceramic joint surfaces.Continue Reading »