Osgood-Schlatter disease is an inflammatory condition of the knee caused by repetitive trauma to the patellar tendon during growth spurts that is common among active adolescents. Osgood-Schlatter disease (OS) is a common cause of knee pain in growing and active pre-teens and teens, affecting 1 in 10 adolescents. Osgood-Schlatter disease can be managed conservatively and effectively with physical therapy. Physical therapy can help teens with OS ease pain, increase muscle strength, and restore function for a safe return to sport.

Fall sports conditioning serves as a foundation upon which the sports season’s success is built and can help reduce the number of in-season injuries. Fall sports conditioning involves a program of weight training and aerobic sport-specific conditioning that allows the athlete to slowly acclimate to the demands of the sport by gradually increasing the intensity and volume of their training over time.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is the most common type of knee pain, causing pain around and under the kneecap. PFPS is prevalent among runners, cyclists, and young athletes as repetitive movements like running, jumping, or squatting can lead to chronic overuse of the knee and the development of PFPS. Physical therapy is highly effective in treating patellofemoral pain syndrome, using targeted exercise, stretching, and manual therapy to improve knee function and mobility and reduce pain.

Backpacks, when correctly worn, are designed to distribute the weight of the load evenly across the body’s strongest muscles. Unfortunately, many children and teens carry backpacks that are too heavy, which can contribute to musculoskeletal injuries over time. Check out our blog for 7 tips for back-to-school backpack safety.

Golfer’s elbow is an overuse injury that develops when the flexor tendons of the forearm become inflamed due to repetitive use of the forearm, hand, wrist, and elbow.  Golfer’s elbow can affect golfers due to the repetitive swing of the golf club which places a repetitive load on the tendons of the inside of the elbow. Physical therapy offers timely and effective treatment for golfer’s elbow to reduce pain, restore function and strength to the elbow, forearm, and wrist, and address body mechanics to prevent recurrence of the condition.

Swimmer’s shoulder is the most common swimming-related shoulder injury, often caused by overuse due to the repetitive overhead motion of the swim stroke that irritates and inflames the rotator cuff muscles and tendons, leading to pain and limited shoulder mobility. Physical therapy is one of the most effective treatments for swimmer’s shoulder, utilizing a targeted manual therapy, stretching, and strength and conditioning exercise program to restore shoulder function, mobility, and strength.

Both a pulled muscle or a pinched nerve may cause severe pain and limit your mobility, function, and ability to complete daily tasks. Being able to ascertain the difference between a pinched nerve and a pulled muscle is critical to ensure you receive the correct treatment and return to activity safely.

A sports hernia involves weakening or tearing in the muscles, tendons, or ligaments of the lower abdominal and groin area that leads to chronic pain, often caused by repetitive and forceful twisting of your pelvis that places tremendous stress on the lower abdominal and groin areas. Physical therapy can help athletes manage and recover from a sports hernia, addressing underlying muscular imbalances that contributed to injury through targeted exercise, core strengthening, and manual therapy.

Cervicogenic headaches are caused by musculoskeletal dysfunction in the upper cervical spine that refers pain to the head, often developing on one side of the head. Physical therapy is often the first line of treatment for cervicogenic headaches and can help manage pain and address the underlying cause of the headache pain through a targeted manual therapy and strengthening exercises program.

Scoliosis is a condition that affects the normal shape of the spine, altering a person’s back alignment and posture and causing a lateral “s” or “c”-shaped curve in the spine. Physical therapy is an effective, non-invasive treatment method to manage scoliosis, stabilize the scoliosis curve, improve postural alignments, enhance neuromuscular control and muscular strength, and improve overall function in individuals with scoliosis.

To improve your golf swing, it is essential to increase your thoracic mobility. Thoracic mobility refers to the rotational capacity of your thoracic spine, which is comprised of 12 vertebrae in the mid-back. Adequate motion in the thoracic spine helps to minimize compensatory motion in the golf swing, create a longer back swing, and generate power int he golf swing and club head speed. Check out our blog to learn exercises to increase your thoracic mobility!

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease that affects the central nervous system, characterized by chronic inflammation and progressive demyelinating lesions in the brain and spinal cord. Exercise rehabilitation under the supervision of a physical therapist can help multiple sclerosis patients conserve and regain functional abilities, manage symptoms, and improve quality of life.

Physical therapy is essential after a stroke to regain strength, coordination, balance, motor control, and function. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the area of the brain is cut off, depriving the cells of oxygen and leading to physical and cognitive impairments. Using a targeted exercise rehabilitation program early in the post-stroke recovery period, a physical therapist can help stroke survivors relearn basic motor skills, maximize their functional abilities, enhance their independence, and improve their quality of life.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that causes decreased bon mineral density and changes in bone structure, leading to bones that are thin, porous, and brittle, and more susceptible to fractures. Physical therapy plays a critical role in managing osteoporosis, helping those with osteoporosis maintain and build bone density through a customized exercise program.

An ergonomic workstation is one that supports your body in a neutral position and reduces the risk of discomfort or pain that stressors like sitting at a desk and computer for long periods of time can place on our bodies. This means that your neck is not bent back or down to see the computer, your arms aren’t lifted or extended out to the side of your body to type, your spine isn’t twisted, you’re not slouching, and your wrists and hands are level, not bent up or sideways to type.

Shin splints are a common running overuse injury that involves inflammation of the tibia and surrounding muscles and tissues caused by repetitive stress placed on the lower leg. Shin splints commonly occur at the start of track and field season, when an athlete overexerts themselves or increases the frequency, duration, and intensity of their training too quickly such that the body cannot adjust to the stressor, leading to injury. Physical therapists can help athletes with shin splints recover pain-free movement, return to sport safely, and prevent future re-injury through a targeted exercise rehabilitation program.

Sciatica is nerve pain that radiates from the low back through the buttocks and down the length of the leg due to compression of the sciatic nerve. Originating in the low back, the sciatic nerve is most commonly compressed by a herniated or slipped disc causing shooting pain and tingling and numbness through the back and leg. Physical therapy is one of the most effective treatments for sciatica, reducing inflammation, managing and minimizing pain, improving your physical function and mobility, and preventing the reoccurrence of sciatica symptoms.

Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of foot and heel pain that develops due to repeated activities that strain the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot and supports the arch of the foot.  Physical therapy is highly effective in treating plantar fasciitis, using manual therapy and therapeutic exercise to reduce pain, restore function and strength in the foot, and improve foot mechanics.

Parkinson’s disease is a multifaceted neurodegenerative disease that impairs movement, coordination, and cognitive function over time. Physical therapy-led exercise is a critical component of managing Parkinson’s disease, helping to manage symptoms, and even slowing progression of the disease. Therapeutic boxing is a unique targeted exercise therapy, requiring full-body movement, combining upper-body punching sequences with lower-body footwork to build strength, counter rigidity, and improve hand-eye coordination, balance, posture, and agility.

Prehabilitation has numerous benefits for pre-surgery patients. Prehabilitation is an individualized exercise conditioning program that prepares the body for the stresses of surgery, manages symptoms, and helps restore function in the injured area as much as possible prior to surgery.