Our first biomechanics course of the program started this semester, and there was an overwhelming sense of dread throughout the class before we began. I think a lot of people, myself included, are intimidated by the mathematics involved. To my surprise, this course has not only been a great review of the musculoskeletal series, but has also ...

Philadelphia Phillies five-time All-Star second baseman Chase Utley has been cleared to begin a rehabilitation assignment today at extended spring training in Clearwater, FL, according to an Associated Press report. Utley's career once appeared to be on a Hall-of-Fame trajectory, but has been derailed by a litany of significant injuries in recent ...

Another eventful week in outpatient rehabilitation. Seems as though we are seeing many ''repeat offenders,'' as some call them; however, for different diagnoses than before. Working in the same facility for 20 years, we have patients who started with us when the hospital opened. They are proud of the fact that they knew us ''back in the day,'' ...

Our daily routines often get so busy that we overlook the needs of those around us, besides our patients and their families. At any given time, we as physical therapists may be able to extend a gracious hand to assist others, while reaping the benefit of satisfaction knowing that we continue to help, outside our work environment. This is why many ...

I completed my first half marathon yesterday. Needless to say, I cannot walk without groaning or using the handrail on my stairway today, but the pain is certainly worth it. As one spectator's sign read along the New Bedford Half Marathon course, ''The pain will fade but your pride will swell.'' It was an unusually warm and sunny March day ...

A number of my friends and family members are training for upcoming events (marathons, adventure runs, rugby games etc.), and it's scary to know that they look to me as a credible source for treatment-related information. When they ask me for advice, my gut reaction is to tell them they're asking the wrong person. In fact, that's what I used to ...

Today at my clinic, I treated a patient who came dressed for PT in heels, tight jeans and a blazer. Bear in mind that this patient's exercise program includes wall squats, leg press, lateral step-ups and about six other exercises for which high heels would be a major safety concern. I sometimes wonder what patients are thinking when they come into ...

Today at clinical, I evaluated a 17-year-old kid from a local high school who is having some problems with shin splints. Considering my crash-and-burn experience during last week's eval, I was so excited for things to be looking up. I went through the exam, picked out some useful exercises, and sent him on his way with a HEP and hopes that I would ...

For the majority of my first clinical, I have been doing a lot of observing during the initial evaluations. I recently started to take patient histories, but when it actually comes to hands-on strength or neurological assessments, I haven't done much. For better or worse, this is the system that my CI and I have fallen into. So the other day when ...

During my second session of PT for vestibular issues related to motion sickness, my therapist Mark LeBoeuf, MSPT, asked for a progress report of the home exercise program he had given me two weeks earlier. Yes, I have been doing my vestibular exercises two times a day as he suggested. The program includes exercises to challenge my ...