As a doctor of physical therapy, I see a lot of different patients for a lot of different reasons. Sure there are some with sprains, strains, bumps, and bruises, but would it surprise you to hear that the vast majority of people that I see in the clinic have pain/discomfort simply because they’re weak?! No kidding! I honestly believe that many people wouldn’t have the aches and pains that the do if they would just spend 10 minutes of their day focusing on strength training. Today I wanted to share with you 5 exercises that you could literally do everyday to strengthen key muscle groups in you body to avoid pain and maximize function. Here we go!
Your hip joint is highly mobile. As with any highly mobile joint in our bodies we have structures designed to decrease wear and tear and promote lifelong movement. One of these structures is a small, fluid-filled sac called a bursa. Most of the time they perform their proper function flawlessly, but what happens when they start to hurt? Today one of our doctors of physical therapy, Toby Bluth, explains hip bursitis – what it is, how you get it, and even a physical therapy exercise program you can do at home to help it feel better.
Take a mental image of your posture right now. If you’re like most of us, you’re slouching down in your chair, back and shoulders rounded with your head forward and tilted down. While this may feel comfortably lazy, your positioning could be a major contributor to neck and back problems. But don’t despair – today is your lucky day! Read on to find out how 5 simple changes in ergonomics could help solve your neck or back pain!
As a doctor of physical therapy, one of the simplest and yet most valuable pieces of equipment that we have in the clinic is the foam roller. This one simple tool offers numerous exercises with a myriad of benefits: increase joint flexibility, improve posture, injury prevention, and injury recovery (to name just a few!). Today on The Fit Stop Blog, I wanted to share with you my 10 favorite foam roller exercises to ascertain you enjoy a full summer of sun-filled, healthy, injury-free moving!
That’s it! You’ve had it! You’ve had this nagging pain for long enough and have decided it’s high time you do something about it! You go in and see your doctor who informs you that the best treatment is to “go see a physical therapist”. A physical therapist?! What is he/she going to do?! How can physical therapy possibly help my pain?! Well – you’ve come to the right place as that’s the exact topic of our post today! Toby Bluth, PT, DPT, shares some of his insight as to how physical therapy can help to treat your pain, help you feel better, and get back to participating in those things that you love doing. Keep reading for more!
You’ve dealt with it for years. You’ve tried injections, braces, and altering your activity but nothing seems to help anymore. It’s finally time to do it – you’ve decided a knee joint replacement is in order. Before going under the knife, however, there are a few things you should know! Today one of our physical therapists, Tyler Bluth, MPT, is sharing some key information that everyone should know prior to going in for his/her knee surgery.
So, you’ve sprained your ankle? First of all, my condolences… I at least hope it happened doing something fun rather than a stroll off a curb that ended a little too quickly. But there you are barely hobbling around, pinned between the choice of playing it cool like nothing happened, or basking in the pity party that’s coming your way as you writhe in pain (you’d better believe that I’ve done both)! But the question is – what do you do now? What are the best steps to take after you sprain your ankle to help you heal better and recover faster? Keep reading to learn more…
Who amongst us hasn’t experienced some degree of back pain in their lives? Whether it was after a long weekend doing yard work, lifting up your child, or even just sleeping on it wrong, there are many things that can set off pain in you lower back. In fact, low back pain is one of the most-common complaints that we see as physical therapists. Today, Toby Bluth, DPT, will be discussing one specific type of back pain that typically affects those over 50 years old – stenosis. Dr Bluth explains what stenosis is, why you get it, and even shares 5 of his favorite exercises to decrease pain and symptoms.
I have always loved Pilates. I love the strength they build, the motion control the promote, and the flexibility they enhance. It’s for these reasons that I recommend them all the time to my patients in physical therapy and it’s also why I recently got invited to come on Studio 5 (a local Utah lifestyles show) and talk about them! I took the hostess through 6 of my favorite core Pilates moves in a workout I regularly give to my patients to increase their core strength. Check out the segment and get the workout below…
As we roll into another beautiful spring and summer here in the great state of Utah, we also roll into another biking season. We enjoy some of the best mountain bike terrain and scenic road cycling vistas in the country. Today Toby Bluth, PT, DPT discusses one of the more common cycling injuries that can happen when we take a tumble- an acromioclavicular (AC) joint separation. In fact an AC joint separation is one of the more common injuries affecting the shoulder joint in general. Today we’ll discuss exactly what the injury is and how to find out if you need to get your shoulder pain looked at by a physical therapist.
