The cycle of painThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that almost 50 million American adults suffer from severe pain (1). Most of us have heard severe pain labeled as chronic pain. Sadly, many people are confused about the formal definition and how it develops. In this article, we will explore the delineation and origins of this condition.…
Mental Health Awareness Month from a Physical Therapist’s Perspective
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and, as physical therapists, we cannot overlook the role depression, anxiety, addiction and personality disorders can play in the rehabilitation process. In my experience working in the healthcare profession and listening to patients describe their experience in the “system,” a mental health diagnosis comes with a lot of stigma.…
Pain: What’s normal and what’s not
As I scroll through social media today, the day after the Broad Street Run, I see a ton of posts about not being able to move. This is my favorite one: Pretty funny, but I definitely can relate to the sentiment. I’ve run the Broad Street Run 5 times now and consider it a mini…
Chiropractor vs. Physical Therapist: What’s the difference and who do I choose?
I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked by patients about my opinion on Chiropractors and whether they should be seeing both a physical therapist and a Chiropractor. Physical Therapy and Chiropractic treatments share many similar qualities which can be confusing, even to clinicians, to explain the difference. Both Physical Therapists and…
How A Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist Can Change Your Life
My interest in pelvic floor therapy started during my third clinical rotation. While I had come prepared to treat chronic low back pain, post surgical conditions, sports injuries and other general orthopedic conditions I had very little knowledge on pelvic floor dysfunction. My clinical instructor was treating a recently married, young woman for pelvic pain…