Hip & Knee Archives - Page 3 of 6

Butt pain – Isometric Exercises

“Butt Pain.” has different tissue diagnoses. Possible diagnoses are sciatica; piriformis syndrome; gluteal tendinopathy; hamstring tendinopathy; bursitis; hip arthritis; and others. There are many treatments for butt pain. My “go-to” exercise for butt pain is isometric contractions of the gluteal muscles. In my experience rarely is trying to “stretch it out” effective treatment for butt…

Optimizing human movement requires clarity of description of movement

To know where you are going you must first know where you are. To optimize human movement, analysis of human movement is required. To identify optimal human movement clear qualitative and quantitative descriptions are needed. When describing human movement confusion occurs when we fail to clearly identify a frame of reference and reference point. A…

Diagnostic imaging pros & cons – be careful what you ask for

There are many reasons to request a diagnostic image such as a radiograph (X-ray), MRI, sonogram (ultrasound), and CT scan. They are to diagnosis a pathology/trauma; determine treatment options; screen for contraindications; biomechanical analysis; provide reassurance; medical legal reasons; and financial gain for the healthcare provider. Requests for diagnostic imaging must come from a licensed…

New developments in joint replacement surgery & rehabilitation

The use of joint replacement surgery for hip and knee pain has evolved greatly since I started my Physical Therapy career many years ago. Joint replacement is occurring in younger individuals Younger individuals are having joint replacement surgery. Data from 2000 to 2009 for individuals from 45 to 64 years old there was a 188%…

Gait deviations clustering gait deviations – injury – new data

In a previous blog article, I discussed the question “Is there a gait deviation or cluster of gait deviations which is common across musculoskeletal pain syndromes?” The consensus is currently there is no definitive evidence suggesting one gait deviation or cluster of gait deviations occurs more frequently or is more important than another. More research…

Puny Calf Muscles Syndrome

It is time to replace the common belief that stretching exercises should occur before exercise or sporting activity with a newer concept that strengthening exercises for the calf muscles should occur before exercise or sporting activities. During warm up for exercise & sporting activity make a conscious effort to walk with spring in your step. Reactivating & reversing puny calf muscles can prevent injury, increase athletic performance, forestall old person shuffle, & look better.

Potential Prevention Strategy for Exercise Associated Muscle Cramps

Exercise associated muscle cramp (EAMC) is a painful, spasmodic, and involuntary contraction of muscle that occurs during or immediately after exercise. The exact mechanism or cause of EAMC still remains unclear. There is a consensus the first aid treatment of EAMC is to stretch the affected muscle. However, Coppin and colleagues conclude that regular stretching…

Gait Deviations Musculoskeletal Pain Syndromes: Is there a gait deviation or cluster of gait deviations which is common across musculoskeletal pain syndromes?

Gait deviations are considered risk factors and/or causative drivers for musculoskeletal pain syndromes. There is a growing body of research showing a relationship between gait deviations and musculoskeletal pain syndromes injuries: shin pain (here, & here,) ; patella-femoral arthralgia (here); IT band syndrome; Achilles pain; plantar heel pain (here, & here). There is growing consensus…

Physical Therapy Telehealth: It works well for some, not for others

The COVID 19 pandemic crisis has many challenges for the standard everyday health care and medicine. The pandemic resulted in a sudden increase of telehealth services. There are reports there has been an 18% increase in the number of healthcare providers providing telehealth services in response because of the pandemic. Healthcare providers and patients are…

Low-Tech Slow-Motion Analysis – “Dance Step to Nowhere

NDeviant movement during walking contributes to the development of or compensation for musculoskeletal pain syndromes. Diagnosis and treatment occur with visual observation and analysis of gait. The use of a smartphone video facilitates the analysis of motion walking. However, there are times when less technological motion analysis is necessary. When dealing with painful musculoskeletal syndromes…