Category: Sidelined

COVID-19 ROAD TO RECOVERY: IMPROVING LUNG FUNCTION AND MOBILITY VIA TELEHEALTH

After returning home from the hospital and a stint in the ICU from COVID-19, this once energetic man was unable to ambulate without the aid of a walker or take 20 steps without gasping for breath. Instead of seeing patients, his days were filled with home nursing visits, nebulizer treatments and walking exercises that were not improving his overall health. As a friend and colleague I asked myself, what techniques could I, as a physical therapist, utilize to help this patient recover? As it turns out, PT’s can do a lot.

School Backpack Safety

As “Back to School” shopping begins, it’s important to do your homework to keep your child free from backpack related injuries. Over 5 thousand emergency room visits a year by kids 18 and under are reportedly due to school backpack related injuries.  A major problem – kids carrying heavy loads in their school bags! Studies found more than half the students surveyed were carrying loads that exceeded the maximum safe weight for kids.  Finding the right sized school bag and teaching your child how to properly wear a backpack is just as important as lightening the load they carry to and from school each day. TYPES OF INJURIES A heavy backpack, or one worn incorrectly, can leave your child at risk for injuries like neck, back and shoulder pain. A school bag that is loaded up can significantly load the spine and surrounding joints. Wearing it improperly such as over one shoulder or sagging too low can place added stress on the vertebrae, discs, nerves, and muscles. It can also foster bad posture. WHEN YOUR CHILD’S BACKPACK DOESN’T PASS THE TEST If that school backpack is creating some issues, your child may start to complain of different symptoms. They include: […]

Concussion Basics for the Non Athlete

Attention all those who have taken a dive this winter on icy streets, rusty once a year skiers and novice ice skaters- this post is for you. I’m also shouting out to those 20 something weekend warriors. There’s an injury epidemic out there that we, as medical professionals, are learning more about. IT’S TIME WE TOOK A HARDER LOOK AT OUR HEADS.

Sidelined: the ACL

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries is often referred to as the “Mother of all injuries”. It can knock athletes out for a season and leave them hesitating from pivoting ever again. Skiers, basketball, football, lacrosse and soccer players shutter at the sound of this three letter word knowing a 6-9 month rehab is following this injury. ACL tears usually occur after an awkward landing or a pivoting motion on a planted foot. Hard hits also contribute to this injury but nearly 80 % of ACL injuries are caused by non contact. Training the muscles to fire properly in the legs and working on form can hopefully keep ACL’s from sidelining you. When ACL Is a Pain The anterior cruciate ligament is a fascial band in the knee that connects the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia) . It provides stability to the knee, controls rotation, and along with the hamstrings keeps the tibia from translating too forward on the femur. Studies show the ACL is under more stress when the knee is straight or bend 5 to 20 degrees and is exposed to an inwardly directed force. (Think “knocked knee position”). If the force exceeds the tensile strength […]