Education & Wellness

By Josiah Faville PT, DPT, Staff Therapist at Valley Physical Therapy - South Spring is upon us once again in the Pacific Northwest and as the days lengthen and the sun steals its way through the clouds, those of us with the hiking bug start to itch.  Usually we succeed at easing our body back into shape, but every once in a while our excitement and the effects of a relatively sedentary winter get the best of us and we hinder our season with an early and unfortunate injury. To prevent the occurrence of these nagging little pains, especially if your winter ... read more »

With the weather shifting into spring comes the desire for many to lace up their shoes and head outside for a run. Whether you are a new runner or a seasoned racer, here are some reminders to keep you running safely and healthfully. Do a dynamic warm-up before starting out on your run. This brings blood flow to your legs and prepares them for run ahead so that you may reduce your risk of injury. Dynamic exercises are stretches done while in motion as opposed to remaining still in a static stretch. Below are a few dynamic exercises to do before a ... read more »

Simple Strategies to Becoming an Injury Free Athlete By: Bethanie Bayha PT, DPT, Staff Physical Therapist, TAI Queen Anne Physical Therapy As we clear off the winter cobwebs and begin to ramp up into the spring training season, we often forget about the little things that help keep us injury free. Most of us simply want to strap on our running shoes or climb on our bikes and head out the door, jumping full speed into the activity ahead. Whether you are a runner, cyclist or team sport enthusiast, a proper warm-up routine is essential to performance and injury reduction. If the ... read more »

By: Chris Cooper PT, DPT, CSCS Most golfers will experience some form of lower back pain over the course of time. The nature of the golf swing is inherently unhealthy for the human spine. Forward flexion (bending forward) combined with rotation (twisting) creates torsional stresses throughout the spine including the discs, the joints between each vertebra, the ligaments connecting the vertebra to each other and the surrounding musculature. Through proper awareness, coordination, warm-up and training, however, a number of factors can be influenced to give the best chance of keeping your lower back pain-free. To keep the back as safe as possible, ... read more »

Article originally from The Bulletin in Bend OR with contribution from Chris Cooper PT, DPT of TAI at the Athletic Club of Bend: http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120308/NEWS01/203080311/1051/FEAT03 By Anne Aurand An overweight man, burdened with luggage, sprints through the airport to avoid missing a flight. An out-of-shape woman frantically shovels snow piled between her home and her car, rushing to get to work. These everyday scenarios require bursts of extreme exertion that humans should be appropriately conditioned to withstand. Many are not. “That's high intensity. That's when you have a heart attack,” said Chris Cooper, a local physical therapist with Therapeutic Associates Physical Therapy at the Athletic ... read more »