My Spine Hurts…Do I Need an MRI?  Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a widely used diagnostic test for a variety of health problems. It utilizes electromagnetic energy to produce images of body tissues and organs that provide a level of detail not found with other standard imaging tests. Because it does not involve the use of ionizing radiation, it does not carry the same risk as x-ray and CT scans. Its use in diagnosing low back and neck pain has grown substantially over the past ...

The Role of Exercise in Movement Health  We typically think of exercise as helping to improve muscle strength, joint mobility, and overall cardiovascular and muscular endurance. Most people do not consider that a key benefit of exercise is to improve body and movement awareness. Body tissues such as joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments, all contain proprioceptors. Proprioception means “sense of self”. Proprioceptors are sensors that relay information such as muscle length, mu...

Anterior Knee Pain  Sometimes physicians and physical therapists will use the term “anterior knee pain” to describe activity related pain that is located in front of the knee. So what is anterior knee pain? First of all, it is not a specific condition. There are many structures or tissues that can give rise to anterior knee pain. A common coause of anterior knee pain is inflammation or irritation of the patella-femoral joint, which is part of the knee joint complex. This is cal...

ACL Injuries: Surgical versus Non-surgical Treatment  There are approximately 200,000 ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injuries in the US every year. ACL injuries usually occur in active individuals, especially those participating in sports. The most common sports associated with ACL injury are basketball, soccer, skiing and football. About half of these injures are treated with surgical reconstruction procedures. So who should have surgery and who should opt for conservative care? A rece...

Chronic Tendon Pain  Tendon pain is a common problem among active individuals seen in physical therapy practice. The most common sites for tendon pain include the elbow (involvement of the extensor muscles wrist and hand muscles), heel (achilles tendon), shoulder  (rotator cuff tendons) and the hip (gluteal tendons). Tendon problems may begin as an inflamed tendon following exposure to excessive stress. Tendonitis is best treated with activity modification, ice, and if necessary, ove...