Bacterial meningitis is a potentially life-threatening infection of the meninges, the covering of the brain and spinal cord. The infection, caused by pathogens common in the environment and found in the nose and respiratory system, can result in a swelling of the tissues around the brain, which interferes with blood flow and can produce paralysis […]
Now that the golf off-season has arrived, it is the best possible time to improve your game. That may sound counterintuitive, but consider this—core and muscle strength, flexibility and endurance are the keys to a more effective and consistent golf swing, and what better time to improve these aspects of your personal fitness than when […]
The answer to that question is—absolutely! After age 40 or so, we all begin to lose muscle strength and bone density, and our hormone production slows. While these factors can contribute to a general decrease in vitality, weight training can increase your strength—and give you other benefits—no matter how old or weak you are when […]
Physical therapy has dramatically improved the quality of life for individuals recovering from surgery, auto accidents, arthritis or general pain. Although we often think of physical therapy as a reactive therapy to injury, it can also be used as a proactive means to combat falls. A recent study has shown that one out of three […]
Knee arthritis is the single greatest cause of chronic disability among adults in the United States. Many factors can lead to knee pain—arthritis, excessive foot pronation, muscle fatigue, even injury—but we have good news for you: Most chronic knee pain is preventable. The New England Journal of Medicine recently found evidence suggesting that exercise and […]
You don’t need to be a pirate to engage in plank exercise. In a plank exercise, you move your entire body into a certain position and hold it for a given length of time—a duration that increases the more experienced you become. An excellent way to strengthen your core (trunk-stabilizing) muscles, plank exercises help prevent […]
If you are undertaking a physical therapy program for knee pain or injury, it might strike you as odd that so much focus is put on increasing strength and flexibility in your hips. After all, your hips aren’t the problem. But here’s something you may not know: While your pain and difficulty moving may be […]
Competitive tennis matches feature short bursts of intense energy and demand top physical condition. Players can benefit from general exercise to improve aerobic capacity and strength training for the upper body, lower body and core. Because the sudden starts and stops of tennis can cause injuries, it is important to strengthen joints such as knees […]
The thought of strength (weight) training may bring to mind body builders with six-pack abs and bulging biceps. As a woman, you may not aspire to that physique. You may also wonder, since women produce significantly less testosterone—a hormone that helps build muscle mass—than men, is there any reason to bother with the weights? Men […]
Let’s face it: Stretching feels good. It is relaxing, and getting all the kinks out of scrunched-up muscles can be liberating. Unfortunately, improving flexibility through a stretching class is simply not enough, either as a therapeutic approach, or to protect your body from future damage. Strength training is a necessary companion to your stretching class. […]
