What is acute low back pain? It is pain in the low back in the center, on either side of the low back, or sometimes all the way across the low back. "Acute" is a word that refers to the amount of time you have experienced your symptoms. Someone with...

There are several good reasons to stretch. First, stretching will maintain joint range of motion and flexibility. Flexibility is the total range of motion in a joint or joints.Second, stretching provides reflex feedback to the muscles causing them to...

Balance is something that we often take for granted. If you have ever had a fall, you know that it can happen without warning and with serious consequences. Here are some statistics from the American Physical Therapy Association:One in four people...

Muscular strength is a muscle's ability to generate force. The purpose of strength training is to increase muscle and connective tissue size, density, and toughness. Bigger muscles and stronger connective tissues are less prone to injury and aid in...

As you may or may not know, TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint. These are the jaw joints. We all have two TMJ's. One is on the left, one is on the right. They are just in front of the ear canals. When someone visits the clinic and says, "I have...

As I collaborate with other therapists, I learn better ways to communicate with my patients. For example, one therapist described physical therapy to me as follows, "Physical therapy is the art of unilateral exercise." What does this mean? It means...

Posture is something we all intuitively know something about, but here is a little more detail. Ideal posture is something we all strive for. Imagine if you were looking at yourself from the side and could draw a line from the top of your head down...

Physical therapists are able to help many people with a variety of ailments.  Do you know someone who is suffering from: » Low back pain » Knee pain » Neck pain » Shoulder pain » Arthritis » Tension headaches » Difficulty with walking »...

We take it for granted, but did you know that your muscles lengthen as they contract? At first this doesn't seem to make sense; however, muscles are often active while they are lengthening. This occurs when the external force is greater than the force...

The Achilles tendon is the large cord-like structure at the back of the ankle. It is responsible for transferring the muscle forces generated by the calf, which in turn allows you to roll onto the ball of your foot during walking and running. We don't...