Just as you can feel pain in your bottom teeth when you have a cavity in a top molar, a feeling of “pins and needles” and numbness in your hand may result from a problem in your wrist or shoulder. Both are common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition caused by compression of nervesContinue Reading »
Swimmer’s shoulder is very common in young competitive swimmers. In this condition, several soft structures in the shoulder—the bicep tendon, the rotator cuff and the bursa—are impinged, or compressed, by the bony parts of the joint and become inflamed and painful. The condition can affect any swimmer, but those who specialize in freestyle or butterflyContinue Reading »
How Safe is Yoga? This is a great article from the New York Times that talks about the potential dangers of Yoga. When choosing ways to exercise Yoga is perceived as a relatively safe alternative to other forms of exercise (ie running, kick boxing, boot camp classes, etc). This misconception can lead many to letContinue Reading »
A highly flexible exercise is the push-up. Push-ups build core strength and help you get a total body workout. When correctly performed, push-ups use muscles in the shoulders, chest, back, abdomen and legs. If you perform push-ups incorrectly, however, you risk injury and may not get results from the time and effort you expended doingContinue Reading »
Many people who are bow-legged (a condition called varus) or knock-kneed (a condition called valgus) do not realize how much extra stress they are putting on their knees. A normally aligned knee is designed to distribute weight equally to the inner and outer part of the joint. This uneven distribution of stress increases the wearContinue Reading »
If you experience lower back pain, you are not alone. In the United States, lower back pain is the leading cause of absenteeism and general disability. Because this condition is often an ongoing problem and is difficult to pinpoint and treat, you may have wondered whether massage therapy would bring relief. Massage therapy is notContinue Reading »
Plantar fasciitis is a common orthopedic condition that affects over 1 million people a year in the United States. More than 90% of patients with plantar fasciitis fully recover without requiring surgery. Often, patients are given recommendations to take anti-inflammatories, wear shoes at all times, perform stretching exercises for the plantar fascia, great toe andContinue Reading »
As summer is in full swing, we often have patients with back problems coming into our clinic just after returning from vacation. For many, it is the first episode, and for others, it is their second or third time experiencing back pain. Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common scenario; after extensive driving and sitting as weContinue Reading »
What Are Kettlebells? How Can They Help Me? Because Pavel Tsatsouline, a Soviet strength and conditioning trainer, popularized kettlebells in the United States, they are sometimes called “Russian kettlebells.” Popular among athletes, mixed martial artists and actors, kettlebells are showing up in more and more fitness and rehabilitation centers. While many fitness routines emphasize isolationContinue Reading »
What Is a Trapped Nerve? By creating a pathway from the brain to the limbs, nerves make muscles move and allow skin to feel sensations, including pain, temperature and pressure. A blocked, or “trapped,” pathway can impede the nerves’ normal processes, resulting in pain or reduced mobility. Nerves get trapped for a number of reasons,Continue Reading »