I work with a lot of clients in their 50’s and beyond. Staying active over 50 is a big priority for them as they age. An injury can significantly derail this plan, especially as we age, since recovery just isn’t as easy. Here are five of my top tips when speaking to folks over the age of 50 for staying active and mobile, avoid injuries, and continue doing everything...
How to Know if You’re Getting Quality Physical Therapy I’ve been a Physical Therapist for just over 20 years and I’ve seen a lot of changes in my field over the course of my career. One of the biggest (and saddest) changes I’ve seen is the overcrowding of physical therapy clinics. This has ultimately impacted the quality of care you receive. Reimbursements from insurance companies have gone down. In...
Approximately 500,000 Americans undergo back surgery to relieve their pain every year, and according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHTQ), this costs approximately $11 billion annually. But what if I told you that only 5% of people undergoing back surgery actually need it – and worse – for many folks the pain ends up coming back. The American Society of Anesthesiologists estimates that 20-40% of...
Arthroscopic knee surgery is one of the most common surgeries performed. Despite research telling us that it’s not nearly as effective as most people are led to believe. Science tells us that people who do undergo arthroscopic knee surgery are likely to have knee arthritis that advances rapidly. This results in a total knee replacement that you could avoid. Arthroscopic knee surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that’s commonly done...
Back pain impacts approximately 80% of the population. The response to that has been more and more back surgeries being performed each year. However, despite more surgeries being performed, people aren’t having any less back pain. In fact, those that do get back surgery only have success rates of 50%. After a few years, their results are no less successful than those who chose to have conservative interventions....
Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) started to take off in the 1990’s. It has since become far more common for spinal conditions. Some being degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, spinal infections, spondylolisthesis, compression fractures, and spinal tumors. Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery is a far better alternative to open-spine surgery. You can expect less anesthesia and less blood loss during surgery. Along with a reduced risk...
Most golfers I know won’t let anything stop them from being out on the course – especially here in New England where the golf season is not very long. But let’s face it, when something hurts, playing 9-holes is just not as fun. Jack Nicklaus had it right when he said, “Professional golfers condition to play golf; amateur golfers play golf to condition.” That explains why 62 percent...
Have you heard of Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)? If you suffer from chronic back pain – there’s a good chance you have. Perhaps it’s even been recommended to you? It’s a common procedure used to disable nerve fibers that are carrying the pain signal to your brain. Your brain is what decides whether or not you’re going to experience pain. So the goal behind this procedure is to kill...
“No pain no gain” is a common phrase we hear but is it accurate? Not always. And it’s important to know when it’s safe – and not safe – to push through your pain. While unpleasant – pain provides us with important information that when understood – can be extremely valuable. But first, what is pain exactly? Britannica.com defines pain as “a complex experience consisting of a physiological...
If you haven’t heard of pickleball yet, odds are good you will very soon. Pickleball is quickly becoming one of the most popular recreational sports in the US, especially in the over 50 crowd, and especially in Portsmouth and all around the Seacoast of New Hampshire. It’s essentially a cross between tennis, racket ball, and ping pong. The court is smaller than in tennis and the net is...
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Portsmouth, NH’s people-first physical therapy studio. We help active adults 40+ find the root cause of their pain and build a long-term plan to fix it, so they can get back to doing what they love most.
