Medical Travel

Chewing the Fat in Physical Therapy

One of the most rewarding aspects about being a physical therapist is the opportunity to meet a lot of people. I enjoy helping my patients move and feel better, and I love chewing the fat with them to learn about what makes them tick. Most people are pretty fine folks who often share funny stories or witty quips. Here is a recent encounter that I had:

Read Full Post

Six More Weeks of Winter, Six More Weeks of Skiing, Six More Weeks of FOOSH Danger

So Punxsutawney Phil poked his head out of Gobbler's Knob early this morning and saw his shadow. The groundhog from central Pennsylvania has confirmed that there will officially be six more weeks of winter.

Read Full Post

FOOSH Injuries in Physical Therapy

This past summer, my mother-in-law fell off the back of a moving truck while my wife and I were packing up our house to relocate. She suffered a FOOSH ...

Read Full Post

What is a Goniometer?

If you have attended physical therapy, then you may have been poked, prodded, and measured. Your physical therapist usually starts a plan of care with an initial evaluation. During the evaluation, information about your condition is collected. Your physical therapist may measure your strength or measure your range of motion with a goniometer...

Read Full Post

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression for Low Back Pain: Does it Really Work?

Every Sunday morning, I see really big advertisements in the newspaper for a revolutionary new product to help treat low back pain. Non-surgical spinal decompression promises to help eliminate low back pain or sciatica and improve your function and quality of life. The trade name for many of these decompression units are the VAX-D, the DRX 9000, or the SpinalAid system. (Fancy, space age sounding names, right?) But does spinal decompression really work?

Read Full Post

Physical Therapy for a Broken Wrist

Winter weather here in the northeast US brings snow and ice on the roads and sidewalks. One common injury often seen in physical therapy clinics is a Colles' fracture. This common wrist fracture occurs if you fall onto your outstretched arm. The force of the fall causes the distal end of the radius to break and become displaced, leading to severe pain and swelling.

Read Full Post

Do Inversion Tables Help Low Back Pain?

I am often asked in the clinic if inversion tables really work for people with low back pain (LBP). Many of my patients have seen advertisements on TV or on the internet that promise pain relief and functional improvement with the use of inversion tables. But do inversion tables really help low back pain?

Read Full Post

Hip Strength Important in the Treatment of Knee Pain

Once again, another study has been published examining hip strength in females with patellofemoral pain (PFP). The study by Khayambashi, et al is published in the January 2012 issue of the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy.

Read Full Post

Improve the Safety of Your Bathroom at the Home Depot

The Home Depot is known for offering free workshops for customers to improve their homes. One of the workshops offered this month teaches people how to improve the safety of their bathrooms. Participants can learn about bathroom safety items, learn how to install chair height toilet seats, and learn how to install safety grab bars.

Read Full Post

Muhammad Ali Turns 70

"A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life." Muhammad Ali

Today is the 70th birthday celebration of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali. Although he is best known for his flashy style, trash talking poetry and knockout punches, in the physical therapy arena he is one of the celebrity faces of Parkinson's disease.

While watching a televised interview of Ali earlier today, I could notice the difficulty with speaking, the loss of motor control, and the tremors that are typical symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Learn More About Parkinson's Disease:

• Physical Therapy Evaluation for Parkinson's Disease
• Movement Changes in Parkinson's Disease
• Exercises for Parkinson's Disease