The Joint Ventures' Blog

With the weather finally warming up in New England it is time to transition working out in the outdoors. Soon we will see the esplanade fill up with bikers and runners. Spring and summer are a big transition for our patients at Joint Ventures. Trading the sturdy winter boots for flip flops and running shoes can take a toll on your unprepared feet. The increase in activity along with the lack of support can cause many seasonal feet diagnosis such as plantar fasciitis or achilles tendinitis. But this transition is something we should be able to carry on through granted our feet are prepared for it. One topic that is important to talk about is gait mechanics. Whether we are walking or running the biomechanics and foot strength can be critical for injury and pain prevention as we hit the pavement or sand in these upcoming months. The quality of movement during a walking or running cycle can give us a lot of information about these common feet diagnosis. Evaluation through slow motion analysis as will be further discussed below shows a glimpse of what were are looking for during a treatment session. 

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Have you ever experienced dizziness, vertigo, or loss of balance? Most people do at some point in their life, and many times, it goes undiagnosed or dissipates quickly enough that it cannot be detected at the doctor’s office. 

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The sacroiliac (SI) joint is one of the more controversial and debated joints in the PT world. Topics of debate include:  

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Many of us have been at our gyms, in our homes, or at a doctor’s office and seen advertisements for Pilates classes or private sessions. We have heard of its health benefits on television shows like Good Morning America (1) and in magazines like Time (2). Pilates seems to be everywhere…but why? 

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Every month at Joint Ventures, we focus on a different clinical topic to dive into more deeply.  We find it helps us better educate our patients regarding a certain condition or abnormal movement pattern. This month, we're talking about the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). 

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When your pelvic floor muscles don't work right, it's not “normal” and it's definitely not something you should accept as "happening with age" or "after the birth of a child". Here are a few common pelvic floor myths we’ve encountered:  

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It’s that time of year again! It is now officially winter and, while we have had a few small snow storms, a bigger one is likely coming our way sooner rather than later. If recent years are any indication, we likely have more than a few storms that will bring us significant amounts of snow. No one knows just how much snow we can expect, but it is probably safe to say there will be a need for some snow shoveling soon.
 

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With the holiday season right around the corner, a lot of us will have visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads. Did you ever stop to think – “how exactly does a Sugar Plum dance?” Look no further than the Sugar Plum Fairy in any rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” and you will see a magical world of sweets come to life through ballet. Behind all the magic is years of practice and a few things physical therapists can look at to determine if a dancer is ready to take on this challenging role.  

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Whether your athlete is an elementary school soccer player or a collegiate hockey player, athletes are constantly in situations that can foster a high amount of anxiety and stress. According to Merriam Webster, anxiety is defined as “an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physical signs (such as tension, sweating, and increased pulse rate); by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat; and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it.” What this means for athletes is that a game, event, or competition may elicit a level of fear, doubt, and stress that can directly affect their ability to perform.
 

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