Tom Willemann Health Tips

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

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Do I need manual physical therapy for my ankle sprain?

Do I need manual physical therapy for my ankle sprain?

At Apex Orthopedic Rehabilitation in Wyckoff, NJ I have evaluated many patients who are concerned about the recurrent ankle sprains they have suffered. Most are inversion sprains in which the ankle rolls outward and the foot turns inward, resulting in the stretching and tearing of ligaments on the outside of the ankle. Often the patient’s previous “rehabilitation” consisted of a few exercises to be done at home with little or no hands on care (i.e. massage, joint mobilizatons, stretching) from a physical therapist.

Life After Achilles Tendon Rupture

In the past, a ruptured Achilles tendon could end the career of a professional athlete and significantly impact the quality of life for others with the injury—even after treatment. Fortunately, that is no longer the case. If you suffer from this serious injury, you can most likely return to your normal life again. However, long-termContinue Reading »

A Bone Graft to Rebuild Your Shoulder

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 If your shoulder is prone to recurrent dislocations, a surgery known as a Bankart procedure is often used to stabilize the joint. However, that surgery often fails because the repair is not strong enough or the shoulder socket is damaged. In that case, a shoulder boneContinue 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 »

Acute ACL Tear- Is it safe to try physical therapy first?

A recent study in the British Medical Journal in January 2013  study compared early acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction surgery followed by physical therapy and another group who had just Rehabilitation Only (RO) followed by an acute ACL injury with the option of having surgery during the term of the study.  Both groups wereContinue Reading »

Step Up to Relieve Big Toe Joint Pain

  When you visited your doctor with pain in your big toe, it was diagnosed as hallux rigidus. Hallux rigidus is a form of degenerative arthritis (also called osteoarthritis) specific to the first metatarsophalangeal joint—the joint at the base of the big toe.   Similar to osteoarthritis, the root cause of the pain is aContinue Reading »

Straighten Out the Kinks After Knee Replacement

After your knee replacement, you might think your knee will work just fine. Unfortunately, many people do not realize that straightening the knee after surgery is not as simple as they originally thought. Along with loss of strength, reduced extension is one of the most common complaints following knee replacement. Full motion of the kneeContinue Reading »

Shrug Off Your Shoulder Pain

Pain across the shoulder blades or weakness in the upper arms could be symptoms of C5 radiculopathy, a condition caused by the malfunction of a nerve in the neck that affects the shoulders and arms. Symptoms include pain of the shoulders and upper arms, and weakness in those areas, especially when you attempt movement. TheContinue Reading »