Repetitive Use injury
How to do the analysis of slow-motion video of human movement
Smart phone video technology provides significant opportunities to analyze human movement. There are four steps involved in using smart phone video for slow motion video analysis. Each step has considerations, challenges and barriers that need to be addressed. The four steps are recording movement; analyzing the movement; storing the video data; and retrieving the video…
Read MoreSlow motion video (Smart Phone) analysis is under-utilized, & under-valued
Being an old Physical Therapist I have had the good fortune of being around to observe significant changes and advances in the technology available to perform motion analysis. When I began analyzing the gait of runners many years ago, I used analog video cameras which required large VHS tapes and separate VCR playback units. The…
Read MoreThat’s a Stretch: Why Stretching May Not Always be the Solution
It’s good to stretch a dollar. It’s bad to stretch the truth. But what about stretching your calves? That might depend on whether you believe Dr. Google every time a search result says to stretch sore calves. Calf stretching aims to increase the range of motion (ROM) for ankle dorsiflexion. “Dorsi” is a prefix meaning…
Read MoreKeeping the Spring in Your Step: Ankle Joint Power & Aging
As we amass more birthdays and get older we tend to walk/run slower, take shorter steps, and fewer per minute. Why do we seem to have less spring in our step the older we get? Kids move fast and crash elderly move slow and crash. One factor is kids have good ankle power elderly…
Read MoreLateral Pelvic Tilt Sitting
When oriented normally, the pelvis appears level and symmetrical. But in individuals with a lateral pelvic tilt (also called pelvic obliquity), one side of the pelvis appears lower than the other side. Lateral pelvic tilt can both cause and compensation to avoid musculoskeletal pain. It can be a contributing factor to jaw pain, headaches, shoulder,…
Read MoreCan Isometric Exercise Help Plantar Heel Pain: What is Best Joint Position?
Anyone who has had tendon pain will tell you it is a frustrating problem to resolve. Common repetitive use tendon problems include: plantar heel pain; Achilles; patellar (knee) tendon; hamstring tendon; gluteal (buttock pain) tendon; rotator cuff (shoulder) syndrome; and tennis elbow. Tendon problems take a long time to heal. Understanding the continuum of tendon…
Read MoreWoman’s One-Sided Worries
Over the years, I’ve noticed that my female patients experience unilateral hip and/or knee pain (pain on one side of the body) more often than my male patients do. This predisposition has been observed by others as well Lateral hip pain is typically called bursitis, piriformis syndrome, or gluteal tendinopathy. Studies have shown the incidence…
Read MoreShoes too big for foot contributes to injury
A majority of all people are in shoes that are incorrect shoe size according to Fawn Evenson director of the Footwear Industries of America. There are two potential errors when selecting what size shoes to wear. Either the shoe will be too small for the foot or too large for the foot. In my experience…
Read MoreCuing to Alter Gait Deviation of Too Long a Step
Cuing to Alter Gait Deviation of Too Long a Step Mathematics helps explain walking or running faster. Step length X steps per minute = speed. In order to move faster there are 3 opportunities take longer steps or strides, increase the steps/minute (cadence), or do both longer steps and a faster cadence. Taking longer steps/stride…
Read MoreShoe Soles: Stiff Rocker Bottom Sole versus Flexible Sole “Barefoot”
There are many things to consider when selecting shoes, including comfort, injury and energy expenditure. Arnie Davis a Certified Pedorthotist has coined the term shoes with rocker bottom soles are the proverbial “aspirin” for chronic foot problems. A rocker sole shoe is recommended to help manage a number of painful injuries including: low back pain;…
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