Author Archives: Teresa Stockton

Jersey Finger: What Is It And How Does It Happen?

“Jersey Finger”—You Got a Problem with That? Jersey finger refers to an injury that occurs when a finger gets caught in an opponent’s shirt. It often occurs in a football or rugby game and can lead to a painful and sometimes severe condition. Let’s break down: What is Jersey finger? How does Jersey finger happen? […]

Managing Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, incurable disorder caused by the degeneration of dopamine-producing cells in the part of the brain that affects movement, muscle control and balance. Most often appearing after age 60, symptoms include tremors, slow movement, difficulty initiating and continuing movement and postural instability. Parkinson’s disease treatment aims to maintain the individual’s quality […]

Stretching and Strength-training for Safer Soccer

While any athletic activity has an inherent risk of injury, soccer has traditionally been considered less dangerous than, say, American football, hockey and lacrosse. Significant tragic events in soccer usually involve the goalposts; either the player hits the post or a faulty goalpost lands on a player. Fortunately, these events are extremely rare. Still, some […]

Avoid Rotator Cuff Surgery with Physical Therapy

Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint made up of three dominant bones—the humerus, clavicle and scapula. The rotator cuff consists of a group of four tendons and associated muscles that collectively work to keep the arm bone within the socket of your shoulder blade while allowing your arm to raise and rotate. Although damage to […]

What Is A Dancer’s Fracture: Signs, Treatment, & Recovery

Get Back on Your Toes After a Dancer’s Fracture Understanding Fifth Metatarsal Fractures Rotating or twisting an ankle or foot, or incurring a crush injury by dropping a heavy object on the foot, may cause a fracture of the fifth metatarsal, a bone at the base of the small toe. This injury, also known as […]

Arm Pain Being a Pain in the Neck?

Do you experience arm pain that decreases when the arm is raised above your head? Many times, the initial discomfort results from nerves in the neck being pinched because the shoulder blade is not positioned correctly. Raising your arm above your head takes the stretch off the nerve and provides relief, but carrying something like […]

Concussions Call for Caution

Concussions result from a blow to the head that causes the brain to be shaken inside the skull. Especially among children and young adults who participate in impact sports, such as football or basketball, concussions can be quite common. However, because concussions are often described as “mild,” we may forget that they are significant brain […]

Spondylolysis: Treatment, Management, & Physical Therapy

Understanding Spondylolysis What is Spondylolysis? Five is an unlucky number for many people with spondylolysis (spon-dee-low-LYE-sis) because this condition—a weakness or stress fracture of a spinal bone—is most often found near the fifth lumbar vertebra in the lower back. It may, however, occur in other lumbar vertebrae, as well as in the chest area. Spondylolysis […]

Using Physical Therapy for a Safer Run

Running may seem like a simple activity, one that results in many health benefits, but it can bring with it the risk of related injuries. This is especially true during the warm summer months, when outdoor running is more pleasurable. Fortunately, proper training can help to reduce this risk. Most running injuries occur from overtraining, […]

Bone Up to Fight Osteoporosis

Primary osteoporosis is the name given to osteoporosis cases not caused by an underlying drug reaction, disease or syndrome. In this condition, the bones—the word itself means “porous bones”—become brittle, making them highly susceptible to fracture. An event as innocuous as landing the wrong way when sitting down on a chair or twisting awkwardly during […]