When I went on some of my first interviews as a new grad, one of the most common things to talk about in an interview was weather I took a “bottom up” or a  “top down” approach to treating lower extremity injuries. Bottom up refers to the theory that how the foot hits the ground determines the kinematics of the lower extremity and is the focal point to treating these injuries. The top town approach is very much the opposite and refers to the theory that stability and motor control of the lumbar spine and hip determine how the foot hits the ground making it the starting point for all lower extremity injuries. In my graduate ...

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We are extremely lucky to have the opportunity to showcase art from two of Seattle's best artists, Amber Anderson and Cait Willis in our clinic.  Collaborating with local artists has been a fun and unique experience. The artwork has added a great aesthetic to the space and we are getting a lot of questions about the pieces and the artist behind them. All of the work is for sale. If you have not seen it you should stop in and check out the art, you have to see these in person! This is the artist's statement from Amber Using fire as a tool and symbol of transformation, I sculpt and manipulate encaustic bee’s wax on recycled wood ...

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The delivery of a home exercise program can be a bit tricky. It is often hard for my patients to organize slips of paper and to perform the exercise as it was intended because a picture only shows the start and/or end of the movement. A video shows not just the start and end of the exercise and the actual movement itself. This is a natural and long overdue evolution from stick figure and clip-art style handouts. You can watch these on your computer or smart phone and do the exercise along with the video. This is still a work in progress as we do not have every exercise that we prescribe as a video ...

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PRO it up with Redcord!  Our friends at Herriott Sports Performance (HSP) have started a new stability class that would be a great compliment to traditional physical therapy core training. It is also a great way to gain stability for injury prevention and maintain stability in the spine, hips and shoulders. Redcord is an exercise concept for building core stability and enhancing balance, flexibility and practical strength. It is suspension based exercise that uses your body weight as resistance and a mix of ropes, slings and straps to create an unstable base of support which increases demands on stability and muscular control. Redcord training is also a powerful stimulus for activating the body's deep stabilizing musculature. The simplicity ...

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      I love running and am happy to see that this new/old trend has moved people who previously never liked or wanted to run to go out and move.  Barefoot or minimalist running can be a great tool and a useful way to improve your running form if used properly. As a physical therapist I have also seen that improper use can cause can lead to stress injuries. Here are a few tips to keep you running happy/efficiently and not injure yourself in the process. Tips for using barefoot (minimalist) running: Work on your body position! This is in my opinion the most important part of running period. Putting on a new shoe or sandal or taking it ...

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One of the most common questions that I get (on almost a daily basis) is why/how did I get into the profession of physical therapy? The answer is simple and fairly unusual. Ms. Greenberg. I was fortunate enough to go to a public high school in NY that had a program for kids who interested in medical science. My junior year I took an elective class in sports medicine. I was so excited for this class and I can still remember the first assignment that I was given (which was a current events in sports medicine assignment). Before I took this class I thought that for sure I was going to become a teacher. I grew up ...

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“Don’t chase the paper, chase the dream” –Sean P. Diddy Combs It is not an accident that we provide care in a particular style, for an amount of time and for a certain price.  The fundamental beliefs behind the decisions made at our clinic are to provide the best level of care in the most cost efficient manner for the patient. In the physical therapy world a therapist is often judged by how productive they are. A CEO or regional manager or clinic manager sets a “standard” for how many patients each therapist should see. Many levels of management place subtle or often not so subtle stress on the therapist to treat a high volume of ...

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Community Partner Spotlight: AIDS/Lifecycle It is an honor to write our first official “Community Partner Spotlight” about an amazing organization/event. I have had the pleasure of participating in the AIDS/Lifecycle bike ride three times and can honestly say that it has been one of the most life changing experiences of my life. The first time I participated in this ride I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I knew that I got to ride my bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles and that I was going to raise money for a worthwhile cause. At the time I had little connection to the community and little/no understanding of the day-to-day struggles of those ...

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5 Ways to avoid Injury at the Gym  1.    Form Injury prevention starts and ends with form. You must learn the proper form for exercises. Most exercises are not inherently dangerous but the way that people perform them leads to abnormal stresses on joints that are not meant to handle such stress. A good example of this is allowing the heels to rise during a squat. The squat itself is not dangerous but lifting heels places an abnormal stress on the patellofemoral joint. First and foremost learn the proper form. I suggest you find a qualified trainer or coach. 2.    Skill Remember that running/swimming/cycling/rowing are all skills.  It is a common misconception that because we are designed to run ...

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What is a Bike Fit? Bike fit is the process of determining and implementing an ideal position on a bicycle. An ideal position varies from cyclist to cyclist. For the purposed of this post we will only focus on a preventative fit and a fit for an injured/recovering cyclist. Performance fits are similar, in that both fits should make your position more efficient and safe. My focus is on either preventing excessive forces to be placed on certain body areas, or purposefully reducing those pressures to support healing tissue. Aerodynamic and power improvements are often achieved at the same time (It is hard to produce a bunch of power when you are in pain), however they ...

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