Recover Faster: The Role of Post-Surgical Rehab in Healing and Strength
Whether you’ve had a joint replaced, a torn ligament repaired, or just survived your first (and hopefully last) dance with anesthesia, post-op physical therapy is often the secret sauce in your healing journey. It’s not just about stretching muscles—it’s about rewiring your body’s movement patterns and sticking to the right recovery timeline so you bounce […]
Running: All You Knee-d to Know
Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise in the United States, with over 60 million people participating in some way. Each year the number of running events, from 5Ks to marathons, increases due to popularity. The majority of people begin running to improve their health, but many runners have also been told that they’re […]
The Best Stretches for Cycling
Whether you do it for recreation or for transportation – or both – cycling is a low-impact exercise that can be as fun as it is beneficial. I realize that as someone who bikes a minimum of 72 miles per week, I might be biased, but the science backs me up: according to several studies, […]
Reach New Heights: Understanding Rock Climbing Injuries and Treatment
If you’ve ever been inside Lakeshore Sport and Fitness at the Illinois Center in downtown Chicago, the first thing you’ll likely notice is the monumental rock climbing wall. Spanning 10 stories, this wall currently sits as the tallest indoor rock wall in North America! While humans have always been drawn to scaling heights, rock climbing […]
Getting to the Point: All About Dry Needling
Though it seems like the newest kid on the block when it comes to physical therapy interventions, dry needling has actually been around since the 1940s as a treatment for pain and myofascial (muscle) trigger points. It utilizes very thin solid needles inserted into symptomatic tissue, primarily skin, muscle, and connective tissue. When inserted, the […]
Imaging 2020: A Closer Look
When we talk about injuries, we often hear of primary care physicians and orthopedic specialists performing imaging in order to assist patients in treating musculoskeletal pain. Imaging can include, but is not limited to, MRIs, X-rays, or CT scans. Although these tests may help feed our curiosity to “look under the hood,” they may not […]
Growing Good Body Mechanics in the Garden
Of all the places I like to spend time in the late spring and early summer, my garden is one of my favorites. Now that we’ve braved Chicago’s last snow (fingers crossed!), I’m ready to uncover my raised beds, turn compost, and start my seedlings. In the excitement of growing, it’s easy to forget to […]
How to Stretch to Reduce Aches and Pains
Some of the most common advice we receive when we complain about a newly discovered ache or pain is to just “stretch it out.” But what does that even mean? How long do I hold it? When should I do it? Do I just throw my leg up on a table for a couple of […]
What is the Postural Restoration Approach
Although the human body may look symmetrical to the naked eye, the right and left sides of our body are actually asymmetrical. For example, we have a heart on the left side of our body and a liver on the right side. Our right hemidiaphragm is larger and more domed than the one on our […]
Tape on Me: Kinesiology Tape and Physical Therapy
If you’ve watched sporting events recently, you may have noticed professional athletes sporting cool-looking tape on their shoulders or knees. It’s not some obscure form of body modification – it’s kinesiology tape. Believe it or not, kinesiology tape has become so mainstream lately that you may have even seen someone standing next to you in […]