In our PT clinic, we see so many young athletes who have been injured for no apparent reason. They describe the typical scenario: running along playing soccer, stopped quickly and turned, and BAM! Knee pain and swelling. These non-contact injuries can be devastating. If another athlete jumps up and lands on your knee from the side, you may get injured, but at least you'll understand why you got injured. But if you're just running along and go to turn and twist your knee, that injury can be confusing. What did you do wrong? Recently the American Academy of Pediatrics published a paper about ACL injuries in young athletes. In it, they cite that one of the most modifiable variables for
I have recently been treating a patient with a few week history of sciatica with anterior tibialis weakness. She reports her pain gradually came on for no apparent reason, and it worsened to the point where sitting, rising from sitting, and sleeping were difficult. She reported to her doctor and was referred to an orthopedist. The ortho doc referred her to PT. Upon evaluation, it was noted she had a positive slump and SLR test and weakness through dorsiflexion, with her strength graded as 4/5. My patient wasn't too concerned about it, and we proceeded with the eval, set up a treatment plan, and sent her on home with her home exercise program. After the evaluation, I casually mentio
How long do I keep the ice on when I'm icing? This question is asked a lot in the PT clinic. Most physical therapists will keep ice on about 10 to 15 minutes. But why? Is there a way that you can tell when your body is ready to shed the ice? There is. In PT, we love to use acronyms to remember stuff. R.I.C.E. P.O.L.I.C.E. F.O.S. And to remember when to take the ice off when your cooling down your injury, just remember C.B.A.N. This stands for cold, burning, aching, and numb, and it's the symptoms that you should feel when icing an injury. Check it out: How Long Should Ice Be Applied? First you'll feel cold, then a burning sensation. Then the area you are icing will ache
