Tom Willemann Health Tips

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

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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 »

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 »

Rutgers Safety Coaches Clinic in Wyckoff

We recently gave the Rutgers Safety Orientation and Training Skills Programs (S.A.F.E.T.Y) at the Wyckoff library on  Thursday March 28th in coordination with the Wyckoff Recreation Department.  In the fall we plan to give another clinic in addition to Wyckoff clinic at my physical therapy clinic Apex Orthopedic Rehabilitation in the Gabriel Realty building at OneContinue Reading »

Are epidural steroid injections safe?

Recent studies have called into question use of epidural steroid injections (ESI) for patients with spinal stenosis. Some patients, whether they required surgery or responded to non-surgical care (i.e. chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture, etc.) have seen better long-term outcomes without ESI. (Spine. February 15, 2013, volume 38-Issue 4, pp. 279-291). Two key findings: For all patients inContinue Reading »

Balancing Life and Low Back Pain

Low back pain is common and can result from overuse, muscle strain or injury. It is one of the leading causes of job-related disability and missed work in the United States and is considered chronic when it lasts for more than 12 weeks. One study suggests that trunk balance exercises are especially important for treatingContinue Reading »