Written by: James Harvey What If Your Pain Isn’t the Problem? “My body is betraying me.” “My lower back is killing me.” “My neck just won’t relax.” These are things I hear almost every day as a physical therapist. And I understand why people say them. When you’ve been living with pain for weeks, months,…
Written by: James Harvey On paper, I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a breathing instructor. But in reality, I teach people how to relax for a living. People come to me because they are experiencing pain, tension, and discomfort throughout their bodies. Many expect our conversations to revolve around strengthening, stretching, posture, and…
Current research has changed the way we approach tendon rehabilitation and many therapists (myself included) are switching up their treatment plans in favor of better results. When a tendon becomes pathologic, or reactive, 9 times out of 10 this is due to overload relative to the activity it is used to. Overload can be as…
We get asked quite frequently “Is it bad to do squats for a work out?” “How can I protect my spine during work outs?” “It hurts my low back when I’m squatting, do I need to quit?” After observing the squat position of many of our patients, I would prefer to say they should not…
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that affects more than 27 million Americans and is the primary cause of long-term disability (Lawrence, et al and Walker, Helena). The risk of developing lower-body osteoarthritis (OA) – for example, in the hip and/or knee joints – is 4 times higher for persons that are obese in comparison…
We get asked a lot to explain what Postural Restoration is in simple terms. Indeed, the concepts are not simple – and in most healthcare providers’ opinions, the ideas are a bit peculiar. The basis of Postural Restoration lies in an understanding of our anatomy and an appreciation that our bodies are not symmetrical and never will be. The…
Many patients at S.T.A.R. PT will find themselves squatting – for evaluative purposes or as a part of their treatment program. Squatting is one of the most typical ‘functional movement patterns’ that persons of all ages and physical ability levels are required to do during a multitude of daily tasks. Therefore, it is important to…
Scoliosis is a diagnosis that makes people think of many undesireable things – back pain, bracing, surgery, disfiguration. What people may not realize is that often a diagnosis of scoliosis leads to a course of orthopedic physical therapy. S.T.A.R. PT has been practicing a somewhat unique approach to conservatively treating scoliosis. We understand that we will…