“Patellofemoral pain (PFP)” may not be a familiar term, however there is a good chance you are familiar with the pain associated with this condition (especially if you are young and active!). PFP has also been referred to as anterior knee pain or chondromalacia patella. According to the journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy (JOSPT), PFP is the most common reason that active people seek health care. In fact, JOSPT states that 2.5 million runners are diagnosed with PFP each year. It is also interesting to note that women are at higher risk for developing PFP, and the pain is most often recurring, meaning even after the pain has gone away, it is pretty likely it will come back. Recurrence rates have been cited as high as 90%. So what is the problem? What is patellofemoral pain, why do you get it, and what are some things you can do to fix it?
Health Insurance in the United States has been a pretty hot topic over the last few years. The Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as “Obamacare”, has been a controversial change that has made an impact in many areas of healthcare, including physical therapy (PT). With the changes, it seems that more Americans have access to affordable health insurance. However, does this insurance include coverage for PT services, and with that coverage, does in now make PT more affordable? Today on the Fit Stop Blog Toby Bluth, PT, DPT, answers your questions about health insurance coverage of physical therapy.
“Sitting is the New Smoking” – 5 Ways to Quit Your Sitting Habit
How many hours do you spend sitting each day? Think about it, between driving, work and keeping the couch cushions warm at home, it’s probably more than any of us want to admit. The average adult spends between 8 and 15 hours each day just sittin’ in a chair (check out this calculator to estimate your own daily sitting time). Couple that with a full night’s sleep and that means that most of us spend 70-90% of our lives being almost completely sedentary! In the words of Sir Charles Barkley, “that’s just turrible!” Buckle up my friend, things are about to get real.
With that happy thought of how lazy we really are in mind, you’ve probably noticed the phrase “sitting is the new smoking” being kicked around the past few years. Have you really let that one sink in? Here’s the cold hard truth; sitting is slowly killing you and like smoking, the ill effects of it appear irreversible once accumulated. So how do we fix it? Keep reading for more!
Now I know what you’re thinking – “a running playlist on a physical therapy website?!” Here at Fit Stop we like to promote wellness, not just rehabilitation. Running is a great way to increase your strength and cardiovascular endurance. We encourage you to get out and give it a try!
Now if you’re anything like me, you just can’t run without music! I love zoning out with nothing but some headphones in my ears and shoes on my feet carrying me wherever I want to go. There’s nothing like a good song to help you pick up your tempo or finish out that last half mile or so. I typically enjoy a wide variety of music while I’m running and wanted to share my go-to running mix with you. Here is my playlist – 50 songs to keep pounding it out all the way to the finish line.
The scenario is all too common. You’re pushing for one last repetition in the gym on a bench press (or maybe an overhead shoulder press) and you’re stopped by a sudden, immediate pain in the front of your shoulder as that last effort is made to push the weight up. Of course immediately after this pain comes the subsequent frustration from the inability to continue to lift because of that dang shoulder pain. I see it all the time as a physical therapist and have even experienced it myself. It is frustrating. Today on the Fit Stop Blog, Toby Bluth, PT, DPT is sharing a shoulder warm up with us to hopefully avoid this pain, increase your workout tolerance, and help take your fitness to new levels. Keep reading for more…
Twelve years ago, our son, Tyler, was just beginning the Masters of Physical Therapy program at the University of Utah. He complained of neck pain, so an MRI was performed. To our surprise, he didn’t have a disc injury, he had Multiple Sclerosis. Further testing revealed that he not only had lesions in his spinal column but also in his brain. This was a difficult time for Tyler and our family.
The biggest question on most people’s mind when it comes to fitness is: “How do I lose fat?” It is a fairly difficult question to get a straight answer to. Every infomercial seems to have the solution in just “minutes a day.” There are also so many trends floating around FB and Pinterest it is hard to keep up with it all. So how do we really find out what is the most effective thing for losing fat? More importantly, how do I know that it will really work for me and my body? The answer to this question is metabolic testing.
As physical therapists we deal with joint pain on a daily basis. A common question we get from our patients is “Is their something I can take, a supplement of some sort, that can help my joint pain? I’ve heard glucosamine and chondroitin is helpful. What do you think?” Today on the Fit Stop Blog Toby Bluth, PT, DPT, shares the best answer to hopefully help you clear up some facts about these supplements and joint pain. Keep reading for more!
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.
