“There I am,” a very fit patient is saying, “out on my five-mile run, motoring my way up a steep incline. Suddenly, I feel a throbbing pain in the middle of my right shin. Oh, no, I think, not again.” As things turned out, the patient...
Most of us have experienced a painful bout of low back pain brought on by a seemingly innocuous movement such as bending over to pick up a pencil or a dropped set of keys. These painful episodes may last a couple of days or be more severe and last more than a week....
Many adults begin to develop shoulder pain, even though they may not have sustained a specific injury. It’s important to pay attention to such shoulder issues, as a healthy shoulder joint is the key to full function of the upper extremities. We all know at least...
Core strength is critical for everyday activities such as placing heavy grocery bags into the trunk of your automobile, carrying a gallon jug of milk from the refrigerator to the dining room table, and even walking to the mailbox. When your core strength is...
Repetitive stress injuries are typically very difficult to treat successfully. These injuries are the result of actions done repeatedly, frequently, and consistently over time. They’ve taken a long time to build up and, therefore, the healing process also...
1. Why stretch? Stretching lengthens muscles and improves flexibility. Also, stretching the big leg muscles – the hamstrings, calves, and quads – simultaneously loosens and lengthens the muscles of your lower back. So, when you stretch, you’re...
Strong bones are important for all of us, not only for the aging baby boomers about whom we’re hearing so much lately. And, “strong bones” are much more than a marketing ploy cooked-up by the dairy industry and pharmaceutical companies. Bones...
As with much in life that we take for granted, we are not usually concerned with the mechanisms of how our bodies work and how they do what they do. Such knowledge is not required for use of these magnificent machines that have been freely given to us. But just as a...
The great TV classic ER helps teach armchair physicians to become amateur diagnosticians. He’s in shock! She’s got kidney stones! Rule-out pheochromocytoma! But sometimes a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. You’ve learned...
As we get older, rotator cuff injuries become more common, a result of the natural aging process. A similar mechanism operates in the discs separating the vertebras in your lower back. These cartilaginous structures lose water over time, becoming less flexible and...
