Tom Willemann Health Tips

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

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Stretching and Strength-training for Safer Soccer

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 »

The Case of the Wandering Kneecap

The Case of the Wandering Kneecap

Kneecap dislocation occurs when the patella, or kneecap, slides to the outside of the joint, thus stretching and possibly tearing the ligaments that hold it in place. Kneecap dislocations fall into two categories Those involving an accident, such as a blow to or a twisting of the knee, are called traumatic dislocations. Atraumatic dislocations occurContinue Reading »

Physical Therapy for Skier’s Thumb

Physical Therapy for Skier’s Thumb

Thumb injuries are quite common, especially among skiers. During a fall, a skier’s thumb can easily catch against the ski pole, resulting in a tear of the ligament that stabilizes the thumb. This ligament, known as the ulnar collateral ligament, normally keeps the thumb from pointing too far away from the hand. Treatment Treatment dependsContinue Reading »

Does stretching your hamstrings prevent hamstrings tears?

As of right now it has Not Been Shown that hamstring flexibility decreases the chance of a hamstring tear.   The chief risk factors include: Previous hamstring tear Age Decreased hip flexor and quadricep flexibility Hamstring weakness Muscle Imbalances at hip/trunk Type of sports pursued One of the things that seems to reduce the incidence ofContinue Reading »