weight lifting, Crossfit, Fitness
Jordan Bork, PT, DPT, CSCS, CFSC
Little League Shoulder

Little League shoulder, also known as proximal humeral epiphysitis, is a common overuse injury that affects young baseball players, typically between the ages of 11 and 15. It is characterized by pain and discomfort in the shoulder joint, specifically in the upper arm bone (humerus) near the growth plate.

Little League Shoulder
Physical Therapy, Fitness, hiking, Knee
Mark Bouma, PT, DPT, OCS, COMT, FAAOMPT, CFI
Raking Leaves

Mark Bouma, PT takes readers through the areas to watch out for while raking leaves. The fall changes in the PNW is a time of beautiful color but also typically wet and heavy leaves.

Patellofemoral pain is largely a diagnosis of exclusion. There can be many causes of knee pain and it is important for your healthcare provider to properly assess your individual condition. Many individuals have anterior knee pain with prolonged sitting with flexed knees.

There are three common provocative diagnostic tests that are most closely correlated with patellofemoral joint pain:

  • Squatting

  • Climbing Stairs

  • Eccentric Step-Down Test

Research has linked several key factors that may contribute to an individual developing patellofemoral pain. These factors are not present in everybody who has symptoms, but there are often impairments in one or more of these areas found during a physical therapy exam.

Raking Leaves
Physical Therapy, Fitness, Knee, Football, Hip, Neck pain, Running
Victor Kolar, PT, DPT, CSCS, TPIc
Turkey Bowl 2023

Victor Kollar, PT takes you through the areas to think about as you get ready for your annual turkey bowl football game.

Turkey Bowl 2023
Running, Cross-Fit, Crossfit
Liam Main, PT, DPT, CSCS
CrossFit

In the ever-evolving world of fitness, CrossFit has emerged as a dynamic and intense workout regimen that captivates enthusiasts seeking a combination of strength, endurance, and functional workout. While it has gained popularity rapidly over the last decade, there is a large amount of misinformation and preconceptions regarding it as a means of physical activity.  As a physical therapist, my aim is to provide you with a holistic view of CrossFit—highlighting its benefits, potential drawbacks, and the role of physical therapy in your health journey.


CrossFit
Hip, Knee, Osteoarthritis, Running
Mandie Majerus
Bone Stress Injuries

What is a bone stress injury (BSI) and how do I know I have one? How long will it take to get me back to running? As a physical therapist who treats a lot of runners and as a lifelong runner myself, I have always had a passion for keeping runners running. The act of running can make someone’s day tick along better, can help with consistent sleep, calm the nerves and can even make a runner more fun to be around. It can be social or an act of solitude. It can be alarming for a runner when they start to experience a nagging pain that doesn’t warm up or even worsens as they run. Pain that doesn’t dissipate with a warm-up routine or is vague at first but then becomes localized or intensifies through the run can be a sign of a bone stress injury or BSI. BSI is a general term indicating mechanical load is exceeding the bone’s structural ability to withstand the load. However, BSIs occur on a continuum. One end of that continuum is a stress reaction, the other end can be stress fracture or even a full fracture of the bone. The runner recognizes this as pain that isn’t normally present. BSIs can occur for many reasons whether due to biomechanics or from a nutritional standpoint or a combination of both. As high-school and college cross-country runners prepare now for this upcoming season, they should be aware of the common causes and ways to prevent bone stress injuries.

Bone Stress Injuries

Dance

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Spondylolysis Injuries

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Spondylolysis Injuries

Gymnastics is one of the most popular sports to watch in the summer Olympics.  As a sport, it has been around since ancient times.  It was introduced to the United States in the 1830's.  There are now over 3,500 gymnastics clubs. Ten levels exist beginning with level 1.  Competition begins in levels 2 and 3 at a very young age.  The developmental levels range from 1-3, compulsary levels are 4 and 5 and then optional levels are 6-10, where the gymnast is no longer doing compulsary routines, according to Dr. Monique Burton, MD with Seattle Children's Hospital.  Although there are seven different disciplines in gymnastics, artistic gymnastics is the form that is familiar to most people.  The four events for females include uneven parallel bars, beam, vault and floor exercise.  The events for males include floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault and parallel bars.


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Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis

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Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolysis is estimated to occur as much as 25-60% in athletic populations The most common age group for occurrence is 11-18 years old, with higher likelihoods of injury occurring during puberty and growth spurts. Adolescents today typically play multiple sports throughout the year, often overlapping with minimal to no rest between seasons. Sports involving high impact and spine loading, as well as trunk rotation and extension, have a higher incidence of spondylolysis. Research shows football, gymnastics, power lifting, diving, baseball, softball, hockey, basketball, and soccer tend to have an increased risk for this injury……

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En Pointe?

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En Pointe?

Many young ballet dancers dream of one day performing on stage. One of the essential elements of becoming an accomplished ballerina is that of being en pointe. Not every ballet dancer reaches the level of dancing en pointe, but many do. Questions regarding "When is pointe work safe?" and "What needs to be considered before beginning pointe work?" are commonly asked.

In general, ballet dancers should not begin pointe work until around the age of 12. Age alone is not the only determining factor as many other markers need to be met. There is a level of physiological maturity that needs to occur. Development can vary. In general, a young dancer who is in a pre-professional track with a ballet school will be groomed from the age of 8 or 9. There is a specific curriculum addressing flexibility and strength with appropriate progression. Proper technique instruction involving placement and pelvic alignment is taught in these classes. Usually, after 4 years of specific training and the addition of ballet classes to 3-4X/week, a young dancer will meet the criteria to begin rising onto her toes more safely….