With the new election and another debate about our healthcare system, I think it is difficult for patients to understand how all the pieces fit together. It is difficult to see how overstated political rhetoric trickles down to nuts and bolts, day to day operations. Prior to Obamacare, the national trend was higher co-pays for…
I love a good challenge. I did a pro bono examination on a patient’s adult college age son the other day who has been to three different physical therapy offices for chronic shoulder pain. He has been having problems for 5 years with no real significant improvement. His mom was telling me how concerned she…
When I first starting thinking about opening Metropolitan Physical Therapy, I really wanted it to benefit the community in other ways besides fixing your back or your knee. My wife and I happen to be strong believers in “giving back”, so the idea of strong communities is really important to us. (She also happens to…
Here’s a quick and fun look at the human muscle anatomy. Every week we focus on one particular muscle that is commonly injured or has some unique features that go underappreciated. Enjoy! Name of muscle? Supraspinatus: Supraspinatus is Latin for “above the spine” because it is located above the bony ridge in the back of the shoulder…
Low back muscle endurance is the most important aspect of long term management of acute and chronic low back pain. The research is very clear: the only factor studied that can reduce your risk of having a future event of low back pain is the ability of the tiny muscles in your back to be…
I’d like to introduce Bethany Carmellini. On September 24, 2016, surrounded by wonderful friends and family, we (finally!) got married at Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden, Colorado. Besides marrying my best friend, the highlight of the evening for me was to have my band, Rachel & The Ruckus (www.rachelandtheruckus.com) play a hour set. This…
What to do when your patient is yourself. A personal story of my ongoing Medial Meniscus Tear. Part I Apart from being a professional, I’ve done a lot of absolutely stupid things in my life. I’ve raced road bicycles and hit the pavement at 35 mph with 20 guys crashing on top of me.…
A male in his late 20’s stopped by the clinic with bilateral ankle pain. This patient inspects roofs for an insurance company and spends a great deal of time walking on sloped surfaces. His right ankle was initially treated because it very painful and debilitating. He was diagnosed with peroneal tendinitis and responded well to…
An active male in his early 30s presents to a clinic with an acute lumbar disk herniation. He was referred to another physical therapy office to begin care. Physical therapy treatment at this office consisted mainly of dry needling, a relatively new, experimental, and popular treatment that consists of placing acupuncture needles into muscle trigger…
I backed into the science world from the arts world, and this isn’t your typical path to a medical career. I’ve been lucky enough to keep one foot in the music world while I continue to keep two feet in the physical therapy world. Personally, I don’t see much difference between playing polyrhythms and…