hiking

Raking Leaves

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.

The Journey of a Lifetime

The Journey of a Lifetime

If you are looking for a story filled to the brim with inspiration, look no further.  What would it take to motivate you to ride your bike across the United States?  For 67-year-old Ray Wittmier, and longtime friend, 68-year-old Gene Woodard, it was a girl named Maya.  Ray and Gene are “honorary uncles” to Maya, a 13-year-old who was diagnosed with a Wilms tumor on her kidney at the age of 7.  

I first met Ray in early August 2021 about a week after he received a total knee replacement.  From the moment I began working with Ray, it became clear that he was fully committed to his rehabilitation.  He possessed the mindset and determination for a successful outcome.  I could tell by the way he approached his rehab that he had lofty movement goals and I was excited to help him on his journey.  


Raking Leaves

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.

Ankle Sprains

Ankle Sprains

It’s a beautiful fall morning and you are walking your dog along a path near your house.  The birds are singing and the trees are bright green with new buds of growth.  As you place your right foot down on the trail, your ankle gives way and it feels like you stepped into a hole.  You lurch to your right off the trail and narrowly recover your balance to prevent a fall.  You immediately notice a familiar sharp pain along the outside of your ankle.  As you examine the trail behind you, you notice a very small pebble on the flat trail where your ankle gave way.  Why do these tiny pebbles continue to cause your ankle to roll every 3-6 months?
Up to 70% of people who sustain an acute ankle sprain may develop chronic ankle instability with the likelihood of additional ankle sprains.  When you sprain your ankle, the connective tissues (ligaments) are stretched or torn.  Each subsequent sprain leads to further weakening (or stretching) of the ligaments, resulting in greater instability and the likelihood of developing additional problems in the ankle. 

ACL Series Part 3: Rehab

ACL Series Part 3: Rehab

Right now, I am 1.5 years post ACL surgery, but 3.5 years post ACL injury. I will be recalling my experience starting at the time of injury all the way through my individual Physical Therapy experience. This will be a multi-part series that tells my story, plus various research facts and personal details along the way.



ACL Series Part 2: Surgery

ACL Series Part 2: Surgery

Right now, I am 1.5 years post ACL surgery, but 3.5 years post ACL injury. I will be recalling my experience starting at the time of injury all the way through my individual Physical Therapy experience. This will be a multi-part series that tells my story, plus various research facts and personal details along the way.



ACL Series Part 1: Pre-Surgery

ACL Series Part 1: Pre-Surgery

Right now, I am 1.5 years post ACL surgery, but 3.5 years post ACL injury. I will be recalling my experience starting at the time of injury all the way through my individual Physical Therapy experience. This will be a multi-part series that tells my story, plus various research facts and personal details along the way.



Raking Leaves

Raking Leaves

The annual prevalence of patellofemoral pain in the general population has been found to be over 22%! Anterior knee pain is not just a problem for young adults and adolescents. In this article, I’d like to provide you with several key tests you can use to help determine if you may have patellofemoral pain and then outline how a physical therapist can successfully help you recover.

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.

Patellofemoral Joint

Patellofemoral Joint

The annual prevalence of patellofemoral pain in the general population has been found to be over 22%! Anterior knee pain is not just a problem for young adults and adolescents. In this article, I’d like to provide you with several key tests you can use to help determine if you may have patellofemoral pain and then outline how a physical therapist can successfully help you recover.

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.

Q & A: Washington Trails Association

Q & A: Washington Trails Association

Washington Trails Association is a nonprofit that mobilizes hikers and everyone who loves the outdoors to explore, steward and champion trails and public lands. We do that in a number of ways. Through our website, we help hikers find the information they need to have safe and fun hiking experiences. We empower hikers to be strong advocates for public lands and the trails we love. We mobilize volunteers year round to get out on trail and give back to the places they love. We also publish a quarterly magazine for our members — in fact, WTA actually started more than 50 years ago as a newsletter.