How Breathing Exercises Can Help Ease Your Low Back Pain

Chaturanga is a particularly challenging pose requiring significant muscular support to perform it correctly. Yet, it is one of the first moves you learn in many yoga practices.

Two physical therapy studies here suggest push-ups in Redcord suspension slings are superior to ground based push-ups for improving function of the lumbar muscles. Low back pain patients responded well to this type of muscle activation.

Three times a year, I have the exciting opportunity to teach about the power of neuromuscular activation to the Washington Capitals NHL Hockey Team.

The War on Pain has begun! But in order to defeat this enemy, we first have to understand it. Many people simply mask pain by avoiding activity and taking increasing amounts of medication like opioids.

Michelle Cesan, former Princeton University Field Hockey Player and member of the USA National Field Hockey Team, had been dealing with back issues for over a year. She reported, “Though I was able to get temporary relief through heat, massage and chiropractic means, nothing lasted more than a day.” Her coaches, trainers and doctors were unsure of the root cause of her symptoms, since both the MRI and bone scan were negative.

You are a tired new mom, finally out for a run. This is your time - you get a small break - a little time alone. It’s finally fall and beautiful out. You tie your shoes and start down the block. All is right with the world, UNTIL - hard stop. Wait….Was that PEE??

Overhead (OH) shoulder exercises are some of the most commonly performed exercises across all exercise and fitness domains. With the ever growing participation in resistance training and functional fitness, such as Crossfit, overhead shoulder exercises have become a staple in developing muscle and strength in the shoulders. These exercises can include a variety of movements from an overhead shoulder press, pull up, overhead squat, handstand, barbell snatch, clean and jerk, and multiple variations of exercises where your arms are in a position above your head.

Are you frustrated with trying to get your pre-baby body back? Are you seeing your belly bulge out when you do abdominal exercises or even when you just sit up? Are you nervous and feel like you can’t start exercising because you don’t want to make the bulge worse, have back pain, urinary leakage or just don’t know where to start? If this at all sounds familiar, you may be experiencing symptoms of something called diastasis recti (DR).

Kettlebell training involves basic, fundamental movements that mimic many of the movements you make in everyday life, such as carrying uneven loads, bending over, squatting and getting up off the ground. Some kettlebell exercises are explosive movements (ballistic), while others are slow and deliberate (grinds).

Have you ever wondered: What does a physical therapist actually do? Aren’t they just for people who have had surgery? Don't they just do massage? How can they possibly help me with my overhead sport? These are some of the questions we hear all the time from athletes.

First, there is a lot of evidence showing that pain on the inside of the elbow is only becoming more common in baseball players, particularly pitchers. So, you’re not alone here. The elbow has several structures that become irritated with overhead throwing: the wrist flexor tendons, the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), and the ulnar nerve. The set of symptoms you have will vary depending on which of these structure is irritated, but all will create pain on the inside of the elbow that gets worse with throwing.

You stretch, you feel better, and then the tightness comes right back. What gives?

Pelvic health isn't a new type of physical therapy, however it is finally gaining some traction in the health and wellness industry. Physicians are now realizing that it’s not just for pregnant and postpartum moms. Pelvic health is for people of all genders, ages, and activity levels. Everyone has a pelvis, and therefore we all could benefit from better pelvic health. So let's discuss what pelvic health physical therapy actually is and how it can help you.

So you want to throw, swing or hit harder. But how? I remember playing high school volleyball and one of my coaches used to yell “HIT HARDER!” And all I could think was “Well, if I could I would!”‍ Sure, there are plenty of things about your throwing, swinging or hitting mechanics that can be tweaked and fine tuned to improve velocity and power. However, much of your ability to do this comes from the strength and muscle control you’ve developed in the off season.

Whether you’ve just had your first child or you’ve had many, let’s face it, it can be pretty unnerving to suddenly feel a bulge or heaviness in your vagina. I often hear, “It feels like a tampon is coming out all the time”.

I can't claim to be an expert yogi, but I have been practicing for over a year with a fantastic instructor (shout out to Joanna Wilson). Yoga has added much value to my life. As a physical therapist and former Division 1 softball player, most of my fitness has come in the more standard forms of weight lifting and running. I also did some Pilates to build core strength and coordination after sustaining an injury of my own.

The squat exercise continues to have a dual identity in the realms of fitness, sports performance, and physical rehabilitation. On one hand, an exercise like the barbell back squat is in an elite category for its ability to build full body strength, especially in the legs. It has even been called the “King of exercises” by some enthusiasts. On the other hand, there is a polar opposite perspective in the industry where squatting is misconstrued as a negative exercise that increases wear and tear on the knees.

You are hurting and you’ve heard that physical therapy can help. A doctor, chiropractor, friend, or co-worker may have recommended that you see one. Okay, now it’s time to choose. So who should you see? How do you find the one most qualified and best suited for your particular needs?

Keeping the knees behind the imaginary vertical line of the toes is a cue frequently given when instructing someone to squat. This “over-cue” may be the result of certain biomechanical studies — showing compression forces on the patella-femoral joint with a knees forward approach — that have since been extrapolated to all populations. What may be at issue here is the suggestion of a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching the squat.

You just had a baby, or maybe your child is grown — and now you have a desire to take up or get back into running. First off, congratulations. Taking any step towards leading an active lifestyle is a wonderful thing. Running can have a positive effect on your mental, physical and emotional well being!

As much as we would like to avoid the topic, poop happens. Or in many uncomfortable cases, it doesn’t. According to the statistics, approximately 20% of adults between 40-75 have constipation. And those numbers are just the base level, run-of-the-mill, stopped-up versions.

This is an inspiring story of how Activcore physical therapists helped a client overcome low back pain through the practice of suspension based physical therapy.

This is an inspiring story of how Dr. Lance Frank, a physical therapist at Activcore, helped Wendy overcome a hip injury and got her back to running pain-free through the practice of physical therapy.

In a previous post, we discussed how kettlebells allow you to replicate many of the basic movements you make in everyday life. This type of strength training helps you re-establish natural movement patterns, learn how to handle unstable loads without thinking about it, and reduce the risk of injury.

It’s that time of year again for a lot of us here in Colorado when we dust off the ski boots, strap the snowboards to the roof, and head up to the mountains. Skiing and snowboarding both require a combination of strength, endurance, agility and balance to keep you upright as you head down the hill.

The squat as a foundational movement pattern and exercise is becoming more of a staple movement in physical rehabilitation, fitness and sports performance training. As this type of exercise gains in popularity, we should take a look at not only its benefits, but also its safety.

Before starting a performance training program, it’s always best to go through the proper evaluations and preparations with a qualified movement expert, such as a physical therapist.

Most people think that a concussion occurs when the brain comes in contact with the skull. However, this simply is not the case.

Exercising with pelvic floor dysfunction can be scary, whether you are a mom who just had a baby, a dad who is recovering from prostate cancer surgery, or a CrossFitter who began leaking urine during certain lifting exercises. Regardless, you want to lead a healthy, active and strong lifestyle, but instead you are fearful of making things worse.

Have you ever had a concussion? Even if you haven’t, chances are you've heard the term CTE. But what do we really know about Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy? Is this something you should worry about if you've had a concussion?

Running is a wonderful activity for a new or seasoned mom to burn off steam, get some aerobic exercise, and have time to yourself. However, there does come a time when running alone isn’t practical and you need to bring your little one with you. So you pull out that jogging stroller, tie up those running shoes, and start running down your block with baby in tow. Then you quickly realize this is a lot harder than you thought!

With the start of a new calendar year, many people set new year resolutions or goals. I have chosen to set a physical performance goal for myself. This year I want to successfully do a strict “muscle up” by June.

Let’s clear the air and say that first and foremost, men have pelvic floors. There, I said it. Yes, and aside from two distinct muscles, they function similar to a female’s pelvic floor. The muscles of the pelvic floor serve important roles in urinary and bowel control, sexual function, and act as a supportive system for the body.

The health and wellness industry has been receiving the attention and value it deserves over the last few decades. Whether we're talking about the hottest new workout, latest self-care trend, or coolest fitness gadget to add to our gym bag, the topic of health and wellness is on the forefront of everyone's minds. Therefore, it should come to no surprise that, as a physical therapist, I support an active lifestyle for myself and for my clients.

You just pulled into your driveway and all of a sudden you have to pee, right now! You make a beeline into the house and to the nearest bathroom. Typically you make it, but sometimes you leak a bit on the way. Does this scenario sound all too familiar?

Initially Carla came in — and in her past she had been a very active individual, very fit and she wanted to continue this throughout her life. She had been told she would never be able to achieve that again.

This article contains sexual content intended for a mature audience. Inserting a tampon is painful. You dread pelvic exams because they hurt. When you have sex it burns and stings. Does this sound familiar? Painful sexual intercourse can be due to a lot of reasons; one of those being vulvodynia.

As a tennis player, whether you’ve been spending the winter season playing indoor tennis, paddle tennis, pickleball, running, skiing, or just binge watching shows on Netflix — it’s now time in Colorado to get ready for the outdoor tennis season.

Whether you are a former runner, a seasoned runner, or just beginning, how you are running is important. I don’t know about you, but until recently I was just lacing up my sneakers and running out the door. I never thought much about the way I was running, just how many miles I was going to do and how fast I could get them done. Your running form is just as important to your training as mileage, duration, and intensity. A few variables that can have a big impact on your performance include a proper warm-up, cadence, and shoe wear.

Treatment and acknowledgment of concussions have drastically changed over the past few decades. In the 1970’s and 1980’s athletes weren't accurately screened, nevermind diagnosed with a concussion. A “stinger” or “hard knock” were common ways to describe those who took a hit to the head or appeared dazed. The injured athletes were commonly held out for a short period of time. As soon as they started feeling better, they were sent back into the game.

Are you going stir crazy at home during this COVID-19 pandemic? We recommend these tips and measures to keep you going strong, and to prepare your body for other, more strenuous physical activities.

As a physical therapist, I often hear from my clients, “I sit at a desk all day and I know I have horrible posture. That’s probably why my neck hurts, right?”. This idea generally comes from social media posts, posture “corrector” gadgets, and posture being the historical blame for every neck and back issue if you have a desk job. But here is the kicker — there is no perfect posture. That’s right, I said it. And this is what I reiterate to my physical therapy clients time and time again to break the negative cycle about posture being the cause of their pain.

Have you ever asked a friend “How do you know you’re doing a Kegel correctly?” and they’ve suggested practicing by stopping the flow of urine while you’re on the toilet? It is true that in order to stop the flow of urine, you have to utilize the contraction of your pelvic floor muscles. However, this is not a good idea to put into practice.

“What do you think about chiropractors?” is definitely on the top ten list of questions that I get as a physical therapist. It’s a loaded question because physical therapists and chiropractors are often seen as competitors, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The truth is that working with other healthcare providers that offer complementary services can be powerful in helping clients reach their goals. When I find a good chiropractor or massage therapist, I don’t hesitate to tell my clients about them. This is why I’m excited to introduce Dr. Jill Driver, a local chiropractor who provides innovative care with our friends at Pierce Chiropractic.

So I have talked to several friends and colleagues about Activcore. It is quite easy for them to see that the most apparent differences between Activcore and your conventional physical therapy are: 1) longer treatment session duration, and 2) use of the Redcord suspension system. However, I would vehemently assert that having more one-on-one time with the client does not simply lead to an opportunity to perform a greater number of sets and reps of each exercise. Rather it provides a more focused, client-centered approach that involves greater attention to detail and a more intimate understanding of each person’s needs.

“You don’t even look like you had a baby!” people say, as if it is the ultimate compliment a postpartum woman could receive. After growing a human being for 9 months, our goal is supposed to be to “bounce back” after giving birth as soon as possible. Wait for clearance at your 6 week follow-up, and you should be able to go back to your favorite bootcamp class and lose the rest of that baby weight, right?

As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I see many new moms with pelvic floor dysfunction who are also breastfeeding. Common postpartum pelvic floor issues include pain with intercourse, pelvic organ prolapse, and urinary incontinence. How does breastfeeding affect these issues?

It’s fall in Atlanta, and it’s time to get back out on the tennis court. How are you feeling? Do you feel strong and well prepared? Are you excited to help your teammates work toward another championship? Or are you crossing your fingers that the tennis elbow from last season stays away? Gingerly testing out your knee that feels fine until you try to run? Hoping your sticky shoulder doesn’t impact your serve?

So you just had your 6-week postpartum check-up and have been medically cleared for exercise for your doctor. That’s great news! ‍If you were a runner before giving birth, I’m sure you're eyeing your running shoes and feeling eager to get back out there.‍ But not so fast!...

Have you ever come off the court and thought “wow my elbow feels tight”? Or you finished your match and noticed your elbow was sore when you grabbed your bag. Or maybe you took a shot and felt a jolt on the outside of your elbow.

Whether it’s on social media or in other forms of advertising, you’re bombarded with appealing figures of individuals with ripped abs. You assume they’re healthy. I’ve treated many of these individuals and I can assure you, many of them are not healthy. Not at all.

As a physical therapist and movement specialist, I treat from a holistic approach focusing beyond physical injury. This means that I consider other variables contributing to pain and healing potential including sleep patterns, nutrition, occupational hazards, and possible stressors. This recognition of the complexity of pain and injury led me to seek additional education by becoming a yoga teacher to serve as a way to teach the connection of the mind and the body. This connection is made stronger by having a strong practice in learning how to breathe.

As any triathlete knows, riding a Time Trial (TT) bike is not the most comfortable position to maintain for 5, 10, 56, 112 miles or more. First and foremost, please get a good fit from a highly regarded certified bike fitter. Fitters can get certified through a variety of organizations such as: International Bike Fitting Institute, Retul, Wobble-Naught, FIST, etc. It is easy to get lost in a sea of bike fitters, so find a fitter affiliated with a local tri club or cycling team where you can ask around about the fitters expertise & experience. Creating a team of a PT, coach, and bike fitter is the ideal scenario for injury prevention.

For correcting posture, one of the most challenging aspects is maintaining healthy posture throughout the day. There are no devices or postural supports that will fix your posture for you. You’ve got to put in the work if you want posture like a red carpet celebrity. I recommend you make three commitments if you want to improve your posture.

You may have heard that strengthening your ‘core’ by doing core exercises can help with low back pain. This is true, but what exactly is your core? Most people think of their core as their abdominal muscles, but this is only looking at one piece of the puzzle.

I’ve read countless blogs on posture that display some version of the stretch above. I wouldn’t recommend this stretch for one simple reason: when so much of your time is spent with your head down and forward, why encourage your body to be more flexible in that direction? While it may feel good temporarily, it just perpetuates and often worsens the problem.

If you’ve ever dealt with sciatica, the very mention of it may give you the chills. It can be rough and nearly mind-bending discomfort –– or you could experience it as “tingling” or “tightness” that comes and goes. I would describe sciatica as symptoms radiating down the back of the glute, thigh, lower leg and foot. This is a gross oversimplification, but at least it embraces many of the phenomena that would qualify as stemming from your sciatic nerve. If you’re like most people, you’ll probably either let it go and think it’ll eventually go away on its own, or you’ll make one of the common mistakes below. Unfortunately, these mistakes can land you in a heap of trouble and you may find your life becomes more limited in the process. Take a look and see if you may be making these mistakes:

“I think I just need some stretches.”‍This is a comment I hear all the time when people come in for an evaluation. When I ask, “What stretches have you been doing?” They typically describe or show me a collection of stretches they’ve been doing for weeks, months or years. My follow up question is: “Do those stretches seem to help your condition?” Most people express uncertainty when presented with this question. They feel like their stretches help but they’re curious why, if they’re helping, their condition continues to worsen.

In my previous post, we covered the benefits of learning how to breathe properly, as well as the foundation of our breath outlined by diaphragmatic breathing. Once you have learned the basics of proper breathing, you can move into different breathing techniques to foster a positive healing environment for the body and aid in managing stress. Other prerequisites are to find a comfortable seated posture and a calm, inner focus. My recommendation is to experiment with each and find the technique which resonates with you. 

Everywhere we go, people are staring down at their phones –– hunched over, shoulders rounded, head forward. The long-term effects of this are shocking. There’s even a study showing people are growing ‘horns’ in the backs of their heads because of this prolonged posture.

Your mother always told you breakfast was the most important meal of the day! Well, my version of this has become: “Win the morning and your back will feel better all day.” My sister taught yoga for several years, which worked out for me well. I got to tag along and take her classes for free! When she taught in the mornings, she would often say, “your spine is most honest with you in the morning.” I would wholeheartedly agree.

Whenever I go to social gatherings and people inevitably ask, “what do you do?” And I proudly reply, “I’m a physical therapist.” A frequent response is, “Well, I have ____ going on. I looked it up on the internet and I think it might be ____. Does that sound right?” Another common question is, “I have back pain, it’s really nothing, but it comes and goes. I like yoga. Is it okay to still do yoga or will that hurt my back?”

I get this question a lot from patients, but also from friends, relatives, friends of friends, etc. There is so much information out there, often conflicting, it can be paralysis by analysis. I think most of us are aware of the adage, “sitting is the new smoking.” I don’t want to spread a fear of sitting. Awareness would be a more useful term for me to use. Here’s a potential surprise for some folks out there. Sitting might provide relief for some spinal conditions... yes it’s true.

The only person who can answer that question is you after discussing the risk/reward ratio with your family and your primary care physician. At Activcore Physical Therapy, every precaution is taken to ensure your health and well-being...

Mother Nature has her own timeframe for when you’re going to heal. You can, however, get out of Mother Nature’s way and set your body up for optimal healing by providing the right conditions. Having helped thousands of patients over the past decade heal from a variety of injuries, traumas and surgeries, I have distilled the top 8 ways to facilitate the healing process...

Many physical therapy clients ask their PT about certain diet types or nutritional supplements. Although physical therapists receive some background education about nutrition during their course of study, it is outside of our scope of practice to recommend specific dietary changes or meal plans. As a profession we do strive to be aware of different types of diets, as well as the molecular biology of how food breaks down in our body, which affects our ability to perform physical activity. We are also aware of how nutrition can affect tissue healing which is why we address the topic as an overview for our clients to understand its importance in their recovery.

With ski season here, most people create a checklist to make sure all their gear is ready to go. Edges are sharpened, boards are waxed, goggle lenses are replaced, and you're ready for the first good snow of the season. With all the attention we pay to the material goods of the sport, we tend to forget about our bodies' readiness to hit the slopes.

For all you ski enthusiasts out there, you know all too well what it feels like to wake up the next morning after a day on the slopes. Your whole body feels tired, your legs feel like lead, and even sitting down becomes a task. All this is to be expected due to the high physical demands of both skiing and snowboarding. With that being said, there are a few tips to help you recover and decrease soreness.

It’s February, spring is right around the corner (or so Punxsutawney Phil says), and it’ll soon be time to hit the golf course. It’s tempting to just go straight to the driving range or first tee, because that’s the part of any sport that you love –– the playing part. Instead, consider first taking care of your body to set yourself up for a successful season. A body in pain can never perform at an optimal level, so what can you do to keep yourself injury-free this season?

In addition to figuring out if your body is physically ready to hit the slopes, how do you know if you have the right equipment for optimal performance as a beginner snowboarder? I visited the Burton store here in the Rino District of downtown Denver to answer some of the most commonly asked questions that beginner snowboarders need answered. I was able to chat with the store’s Assistant Manager and avid snowboarder, Tom Ritter. ‍

After recently spending 3 days caretaking for my at-risk, elderly family members, I was humbled by the physical toll wearing a mask for 12 consecutive hours each day had on my body. As I was helping with household chores such as dishwashing, laundry and mail opening, about every 30 minutes I became aware of growing tension developing in the back of my neck. This was a result from looking down –– and over my mask –– for extended periods of time.

Whether you’re new to motherhood or a seasoned Mom, I would like you to envision a scenario. You’ve just had your little one and you’re at home navigating through mommahood. As your baby is growing, your body is healing. You’re adjusting to a new life balance and trying to sleep whenever you get a free moment. And to top it off, there’s doming on your core every time you get out of bed. Does this sound familiar?

So here’s a very recent article about the use of lumbar fusion for chronic low back pain. The conclusion is very clear: “The present meta-analysis determined that fusion surgery was no better than nonoperative treatment in terms of the pain and disability outcomes either at short- or long-term follow-up.”

In this interview, Dr. Elizabeth Dalrymple, lead physical therapist at Activcore, talks with Gail Turner-Cooper, the founder of Align Health coaching, about taking control of your personal health by making small, sustainable changes to your diet and lifestyle.

Now that we have a better understanding of what a Diastasis Recti Abdominis (DRA) is, let’s talk about what physical therapy can do for you. Physical therapy is a conservative treatment option, because there is no surgery involved and you allow the body to heal itself with specific exercises. Diastasis Recti are diagnosed measuring how many cm or mm of separation there is on the linea alba (i.e. the midline of your six-pack muscle).

In this interview, I had the pleasure of chatting with Golf Pro Heidi Mitchell about her career path, her specialized training, and her top tips for golfers eager to improve their game. I met Heidi as a golf student myself. I sought out golf lessons not only to improve my swing, but also to enhance my understanding of the game to better help my physical therapy patients who are golfers. Heidi’s instruction is detailed, coming from years of experience on the golf course, creative, and (maybe most importantly) fun.

To keep the abs flat, you need core coordination. Your pelvic floor, transverse abdominus and thoracic diaphragm need to work together to keep the abdominals flat during exercise. Abdominal coning is when the abdomen bulges upward during an exercise. This points to a difficulty recruiting the deep abdominal muscles. We need the deep abdominal muscles to stabilize the spine and the pelvis.‍ If they are not firing at the right time, it can result in pain, movement dysfunction, and postural changes down the line.

"Inhale into the low belly, then exhale"... We hear about diaphragmatic (or belly) breathing in yoga, fitness, relaxation techniques, and improvement in lymphatic flow. But why? There are several anatomically related reasons why, here are two...

Acupuncture and dry needling can use the same, thin filiform needle. However, the mechanism for what each is used for differs. In this blog article, we will explore the differences between trigger point dry needling (TPDN) and acupuncture.‍ Have you ever felt a knot-like band in a muscle? Perhaps an aching pain coming from a particular spot on a muscle that is reproduced when pressure is applied? This may be known as a trigger point defined as a “focal area of hyperirritability that is sensitive to pressure and can refer symptoms to other areas of the body.”

I joined the Activcore team in Atlanta, GA in October 2021. I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) who specializes in pelvic health, women's health, running analysis and general orthopedics. I help women address their pain, weakness, and dysfunction in their pelvic floor muscles so that they can engage in all activities they love to do without pain, urinary leakage, or any pelvic discomfort. I became interested in specializing in the burgeoning field of pelvic health...

We've helped countless people recover from concussions. Here are some of the most common questions that we get on this topic.‍ When should I start physical therapy after sustaining a concussion? What can a physical therapist do to help me recover from a concussion? It’s been a long time since my concussion, can physical therapy still help?

Although many articles commonly warn new moms that running too early postpartum can cause various complications and is not advised, this does not apply to every woman across the board. Every woman’s body is different and each will not only have a different recovery process, but also variations in their previous baseline of running prior to giving birth.

Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP) is a multifaceted condition affecting 20% of women in the United States. Treatment includes pharmacological interventions, physical therapy, and lifestyle modifications. Studies have shown that yoga is an effective intervention to help both improve pain and quality of life in women with CPP. ‍Many times those suffering with chronic pelvic pain experience high levels of both anxiety and stress.

Dizziness, nausea, headache, feeling off-balanced, or a hard to describe “off” sensation are common symptoms associated with vestibular disorders. If you’re experiencing one, two, or all of these symptoms, you know that going to work, exercising, and socializing can become difficult or even impossible. If you are experiencing a vestibular disorder, you’re not alone. It is estimated that 35% of adults in the United States aged 40 and above have experienced symptoms related to a vestibular disorder.

Over the last several years concussions have been gaining more attention in the sports realm and media. While there is a lot of new information out in the ether about how to treat a concussion; unfortunately, there is also a lot of out-dated advice available. If you think you’ve sustained a concussion from a sports injury, car accident, fall around your home or some other way, you will benefit from physical therapy to address your injury and any concussion symptoms you may be experiencing.

Stress incontinence is when urine leaks while performing an action or activity. This can happen for many different reasons and here’s a hint: it’s not always weakness! There are three main factors that can be happening at the pelvic floor to cause stress incontinence: weakness, increased tone, or lack of coordination. Weakness can result after any injury or trauma to the pelvic floor, or just over time from dysfunctional movement patterns. If there is a lack of strength at the pelvic floor, that means there is not enough tension to combat pressures...

Have you ever experienced dizziness, nausea, headache, difficulty with balance, or that hard-to-explain feeling of being "off"? If you have, then you've had experience with your vestibular system whether you’ve heard of it or not. If you’ve experienced any of these symptoms, you know that doing regular everyday tasks like getting ready in the morning, driving, working, and socializing can become difficult or even impossible. But what even is your vestibular system? How does it work?‍

There are now over 300,000 physical therapists (PTs) in the United States. If you’re looking for one in any major metropolitan area like Denver, CO, it might feel like most of them are located near you! With so many, it may be overwhelming when looking for the right fit for you. All physical therapists have similar backgrounds when it comes to the basics. We are all required to graduate from an accredited school, pass the national boards, and hold an active license in each state we practice in.

If you are experiencing vertigo, dizziness, or headaches and have been diagnosed with anything from BPPV to a concussion, you are not alone! It is estimated that 35% of adults in the United States ages 40+ have experienced symptoms related to a vestibular disorder. [1] If you are looking to address your condition, your doctor may refer you to Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT). But what is VRT and why did they make it sound like it’d be awful?!

Has anyone taught you how to push your baby out during delivery? Are you experiencing any urinary incontinence, low back pain, pelvic/pubic pain, constipation, etc. and you're pregnant? Come learn the mechanics on how your pelvic floor works, exercises you can be doing during your pregnancy, exercises you can do before your 6 week postpartum check up, and a few other topics you don't want to miss.

As a physical therapist who specializes in the pelvic floor, I can assess, diagnose, prevent and prescribe treatment of pelvic floor related conditions. These dysfunctions include urinary incontinence, bladder and bowel dysfunctions, sensory issues and pain around pelvis, pain with sex and other sexual related dysfunctions, pelvic organ prolapse, pregnancy and postpartum recovery and more.

Did you know that a concussion is classified as a mild traumatic brain injury? Concussions can be the result of a direct hit to the head, a fall, sports accident, car accident, bicycle accident, or work-related injury. It can also occur from forceful neck motion such as whiplash.

If you suspect that you’ve sustained a concussion, fast track your recovery by following these general guidelines. You may not even realize you have signs and symptoms of a concussion until you try normal everyday activities. Early intervention is essential to safely recover. A concussion trained physical therapist can help you.

You may have heard friends or family talk about being “needled” as a part of their physical therapy regimen. Some of them may have even described it as a magical cure for getting rid of pain! But what exactly is dry needling? Is it like acupuncture? And could it be helpful for you?

A diastasis recti (DR) occurs when the rectus abdominis, your 6-pack muscles, separate in the front of the body. This commonly occurs during pregnancy but can also be found in persons with stomach obesity. As the abdomen increases in size, it stretches the front abdominal wall leaving the linea alba (connective tissue between your abdominal muscles) vulnerable to separation.

We are excited to announce that we have opened a 4th location in the greater Denver area! This Activcore studio is located inside a popular OB/GYN practice known as Women’s Health Care Associates.

I recently started offering pelvic health physical therapy services at our latest Activcore studio in Littleton, Colorado. It is located within a popular OB/GYN practice called Women’s Health Care Associates. This new venture has given me an opportunity to learn more about this amazing group of medical providers in the Denver area.

Bone density peaks for women around age 18 and in the early 20s for men. Women begin to rapidly lose bone density during menopause. After menopause, bone density losses taper. It is during this time that women are at risk for developing osteoporosis. New guidelines have been released by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) on physical therapist's management of osteoporosis...

There are many reasons someone might embark on a fitness journey: general health, enjoyment, to build strength, to build endurance, speed training, enhance sports performance, fat loss, and more. Achieving certain fitness goals is more difficult than others. Enhancing sport performance, increasing speed, and building strength are some of the more difficult fitness goals to achieve.

The short answer is maybe, but it will probably be a long shot. Many people experiencing vertigo have resorted to YouTube to cure their condition after seeing the half somersault maneuver developed by Dr. Carol Foster on mainstream news channels. This maneuver treats one type of vertigo, known as Posterior Canalithiasis BPPV...