Avoiding asthma attacks while exercising in winter is best accomplished by preventing cold, dry air from getting into your bronchial airways. One way to do this is to exercise indoors when it is cold. Swimming in an indoor heated pool, where the air is comfortably warm but not overly humid, is an option that worksContinue Reading »
Your favorite green golf course is covered in white snow and ice. While your friends in warmer climates continue to improve their games, your clubs remain in the closet. But cold weather does not mean you cannot work on becoming a better golfer. Mental and physical strength can be honed throughout the year. As winterContinue Reading »
Deciding to have your knee replaced can lead to many logical concerns regarding safety, rehabilitation and whether the increase in quality of life makes the procedure worth the trouble. Not everyone will regain full range of motion after total knee replacement. Depending upon the specific nature of your injury and knee replacement, however, a fullContinue Reading »
Lower back pain is a common concern among adults, especially those whose jobs involve heavy lifting. You might see workers at your local home improvement store wearing lumbar support bands—“back support” braces. These devices are becoming increasingly popular for the rest of us, as well. But do they really work? A brace is especially helpfulContinue Reading »
Does your knee hurt when you walk, run or climb stairs? If so, you have plenty of company. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Americans make more than 19 million physician visits each year for knee pain. Although osteoarthritis is the most common cause of knee pain in individuals over age 55, kneeContinue Reading »
Diet and exercise go hand in hand for people who want to lose weight and maintain good health. High-protein diets, such as the Atkins and South Beach Diets, are popular because they generally result in quicker weight loss than do diets featuring more carbohydrates. But is the high fat content of a mostly protein dietContinue Reading »
The Rutgers S.A.F.E.T.Y. Clinic (Sports Awareness for Educating Today’s Youth ™) is a three-hour program that meets the “Minimum Standards for Volunteer Coaches Safety Orientation and Training Skills Programs” (N.J.A.C. 5:52) and provides partial civil immunity protection to volunteer coaches under the “Little League Law” (2A:62A-6 et. seq.)This clinic will be presented by Tom Willemann, Board Certified Physical Therapist specializing inContinue Reading »
The menisci are cartilages in the knee that protect the joint from stresses of activity. Pivoting actions that cause the knee to twist pose a risk for meniscus tears. The injury is common among tennis players, but it can also result from deep knee bending, squatting or lifting a heavy object. If you haveContinue Reading »
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 »
Your rotator cuff is a collection of muscles and tendons located where your upper arm meets your shoulder socket. Its primary purpose is to provide structural support to your body so that you can perform a wide range of arm movements, especially ones that involve overhead motion. These include manual labor activities—painting and carpentry, forContinue Reading »