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 »
"Almost Daily Health Tips From Physical Therapist Tom Willemann..."
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Author: Tom Willemann
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 »
Do curve or breaking balls in Little League lead to shoulder or elbow pain?

NO! At least one recent study doesn’t support that idea. The University of North Carolina’s Department of Exercise and Sports Science performed a study ,funded by a grant from the Yawkey foundation, that attempted to answer the question of whether “curve balls” or “breaking” balls lead to increased chance of pitching arm injuries. Over the course ofContinue Reading »
Is surgery better than physical therapy if you have arthritis and meniscal tears?
Absolutely NOT. In a recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine (Katz, J. N., Surgery versus Physical Therapy for a Meniscal Tear and Osteoarthritis. March 19, 2013 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1301408) researchers looked at over 351 patients 45 years or older that reported knee pain while suffering from meniscal tears and mild to moderate arthritis.Continue Reading »
Safety with elastic/tubing resistance bands
A friend of mine who is a personal trainer recently got injured when a resistance band broke and damaged her eye. As a physical therapist I give out yards of these elastic tubing and bands. Please inspect this equipment for breaks or damage. If you see a defect in these bands or are unsure- beContinue Reading »
