Osteoarthritis: Current Science and Optimal Treatment Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common musculoskeletal condition and can affect any synovial (moving) joint in the body. It is most frequently found in the spinal joints of the neck and low back, the knee, the hip and the hands. Most people by the age of 65 have some evidence of OA. Further, OA parallels only cardiac disease as the leading cause of disability in the US. The current understanding of OA by the scientific community has evolved...

WHY SEE A PHYSICAL THERAPIST BEFORE THE MRI? Many insurance companies are now requiring people with back pain and other musculoskeletal conditions to see a physical therapist prior to approving payment for advanced diagnostic imaging. This trend is gaining momentum, and there are good reasons why this is happening. First, there have been documented reports of innovative models of healthcare, such as the Virginia Mason pilot project1 whereby cost savings have been realized when people with cer...

Neck Pain and Posture Among orthopedic problems, the prevalence of neck pain is second only to low back pain. Like low back pain, neck pain can arise from trauma, such as motor vehicle accidents, or from micro-trauma. Micro-trauma entails lower level stresses over a relatively long period of time. Postural stress is perhaps the best example of micro-trauma and is an underlying factor in a significant proportion of neck pain complaints seen in physical therapy practice. So how does poor postur...

Low Back Pain Prevention Since low back pain (LBP) is such a common human condition, impacting an estimated 80% of the US population, addressing prevention is a bit challenging. Adding to the challenge is the lack of clear scientific evidence related to the cause of low back pain. However, we can apply what we do know about factors associated with back pain to suggest reasonable steps to either lessen the likelihood of experiencing an initial episode of LBP, or to decrease the chances for recur...

What Causes Low Back Pain?  It is estimated that low back pain will affect up to 80% of Americans some time during their lives. There is no orthopedic condition that has been the subject of more scientific investigation than low back pain (LBP).  Believe it or not, despite all of this research, we struggle to answer the most basic question: want causes LBP? Although there are many specific conditions that can lead to LBP, such as disc herniation, central stenosis, lateral stenosis, f...