Author Archives: Teresa Stockton

Falling on an Outstretched Hand

Often times, our first instinct when falling is to put out our hands to soften the impact. However, this is one of the most common sources of hand and wrist injuries, frequently causing injuries and even fractures. After a fall on an outstretched hand, you may have lingering pain and/or swelling at the wrist. To […]

Whiplash: A Pain in the Neck

Whiplash happens in an instant: you twist your neck while playing sports, falling or from being rear-ended in a car accident. This acceleration causes a flexion-extension injury— commonly known as “whiplash,” and can really be a pain in the neck! In other words, whiplash occurs when an abnormal force causes your neck to move beyond […]

Ease That Nagging Back Pain

Your back is killing you, and the last thing you want to do is move around. Unfortunately, for most cases of nagging back pain, lying around in bed can only make the problem worse. Numerous studies have shown that exercise improves back pain, and the more regularly you engage in physical activity, the better. Exercise […]

Can Visualization Improve Performance?

Everyone daydreams, perhaps about a set of new clothes or winning the lottery. But can using your imagination bring about healthful changes to both your body and your mind? Can visualization improve our athletic and day-to-day performance? Athletes often report that visualization techniques help them do their best in reality. Recent research has demonstrated that […]

Cycling Your Way to Better Health

It’s no secret: most of us are aware that regular exercise is essential for better health. Engaging in regular, moderate physical activity makes you 20% to 30% less likely to die prematurely. It also makes you 50% less likely to develop serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease. The last of these―also […]

Is Cycling Enough Exercise To Stay Healthy?

Between riding our bikes outdoors, our Pelotons, or attending our beloved Spinning classes, cycling is a popular physical activity for many of us. But is cycling enough exercise to keep us healthy? Let’s be honest, cycling gives you a terrific cardiovascular workout. Whether it’s pedaling up steep hills, or attending a fast-paced spinning class, you’re […]

Using Yoga for Physical Therapy

Yoga has become a daily activity for 20 million Americans. The practice of Yoga no longer involves just stretching, either. From hot yoga (Bikram) to “power yoga” (derived from ashtanga yoga), you can get quite a workout using yoga ­­poses. Benefits described by participants typically include: Pain relief Strengthening of our muscles Improvement in managing […]

Evidence-based Physical Therapy

Over the last 10 to 15 years, physical therapists have focused more on using evidence-based physical therapy to determine what works best for each individual patient. What does Evidence-Based mean? This involves basing treatments on procedures that have “proven” effectiveness as published in scientific literature (like PubMed). This is in contrast to depending on just […]

Is Aquatic Physical Therapy Effective?

When you are in pain, floating around weightless in a pool of warm water can sound very appealing. But, is aquatic physical therapy effective? Firstly, therapeutic water programs allow us to restore function and strength without having to fight gravity. In addition to the benefits of the natural pain-relieving aspects of water, aquatic therapy can […]

Can I Exercise Safely with a Cold?

The average adult gets one to six colds every year, with symptoms lasting a week to 10 days. Should you let these colds interrupt your exercise routine? Probably not, as long as you pay attention to what your body tells you. So, how can you exercise safely with a cold? The general rule for exercising […]