There are a lot of special tests in physical therapy that aren’t all that special. When it comes to low back pain and sciatica, the slump test isn’t one of them. This test checks the important boxes. It’s easy to perform (and hard to mess up!), and when it’s positive,
Patellar tendinopathy, or jumper’s knee, has a long history of affecting athletes who play a variety of sports at all skill levels. This condition causes pain just below the kneecap in the patellar tendon (sometimes called a patellar ligament). Teenage athletes who participate in high-impact sports (think running, jumping, and
Gluteal tendinopathy typically affects sedentary people, but it can also be problematic among those participating in running and other athletic activities. It’s the most common lower limb tendinopathy, and it’s nearly three times more common in women than men. Gluteal tendinopathy may affect as many as 25 percent of women
Iliotibial band syndrome (IT band) is a painful condition that most often affects runners, especially those who run long distances, other athletes whose sports involve a lot of running or legwork, such as skiers, cyclists, and soccer players, or those who are new to exercise. Symptoms can manifest as hip
Sciatica is often used rather loosely and refers to a particular set of symptoms rather than the specific underlying medical condition. It’s sometimes referred to as lumbar radiculopathy, and the symptoms can range from discomfort to severe pain that can be difficult to diagnose due to similar symptoms from other
I remember a client from a few years ago who told me that he had chronic hip pain and low back pain for almost a year, and his physical therapist had told him that it’s likely because his left leg is “longer” than the other leg. His previous massage therapist attempted
No matter which type of hip flexor pain you have, they all can be unpleasant and limit your ability to move, even if you’re just getting out of bed. Hip flexor pain can be a burning sensation or a sharp pain near your groin, lower abdominals, somewhere along the front
The piriformis syndrome can be a bane for many athletes, particularly among those who perform endurance sports like marathoners, road cyclists, and rowers. Competitive distance runners keep a strict training schedule and are notorious for being able to rattle off their mileage for the day, week, and even year-to-date. Most
Scleroderma, named from the Greek roots σκληρός (skleros, “hard”) + δέρμα (derma, “skin”) is an autoimmune disorder. It’s considered a rare disease because in samples of 1 million Americans, you would expect to find about 250 of them—about 0.025%—living with scleroderma. Out of five people who have scleroderma, four of
Exercise often draws mixed reviews from those with hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSDs), often with anecdotal and sometimes research based justification. Many people under that spectrum have had negative experiences with various traditional means of health management. However, there is hope for those with HSDs, including Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, when provided with
While the Beighton score is a “standard” assessment to diagnose whether you have joint hypermobility or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and similar disorders, several researchers recently questioned its validity and reliability of the scoring system. In 2020, British and South African researchers found inconsistencies of the “hands on floor” part of
Pain Society of Alberta (PSA) will be hosting its first official World Pain Summit next month virtually from Oct. 15 to 17. This event highlights the importance of self-compassion and how psychological and environmental factors affect physical health and chronic pain with psychologist Kristin Neff and Dr. Gabor Maté as