Category Archives: Videos

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Taping for Posterior Tibialis Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD)

Pain along the inside (medial) portion of your ankle is often due to Posterior Tibialis Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD), also known as posterior tibial tendon syndrome or tibialis posterior syndrome, and it can be very difficult to treat.

The posterior tibialis muscle is a particularly important muscle in runners as it is used in plantar flexing the ankle (pointing the ankle/toes downward) and inverting the ankle (rolling it inward).  More importantly, its role is to support the arch of the foot. Injury to this muscle is common in runners as well as those who play sports involving high foot impact such as basketball. It can be associated with a fall or can generally develop overtime depending on your risk factors and the strain your foot has taken. (Please refer to 9 Tips to Self-Treat Posterior Tibialis Pain.)

In this video, I demonstrate a taping technique for supporting the arch and the bottom of the foot for those suffering from PTTD. (I recommend using KT TAPE.)

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PTTD most commonly starts out as an over use injury. Although more common in runners and those who are involved in high impact sports, this condition can affect anyone. If the condition is left untreated, the end result is usually a falling of the arch which causes adult acquired flatfoot. When this condition is caught early, it can be self-treated. Once the arch has fallen, surgery would most likely be indicated.

If you’re interested in more thorough guide along with other videos on how to self-treat lower extremity injuries and pain like PTTD, check out the Resilient Runner Program. This is the perfect guide to help you take control of your health and fitness as well as self-manage common aches, pains, and injuries. Even if you’re not a runner, this program is appropriate for those who love to stay active and want to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

In case you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list and YouTube channel as well as join our community on Facebook by following The Physical Therapy Advisor!

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How to Self-Treat Knee Pain

Knee pain is a common complaint among exercisers and non-exercisers alike. So often the actual cause of the knee pain is actually a muscle imbalance elsewhere. Weakness in the hip musculature, particularly the deep hip external rotators muscles, is a common contributing factor for knee pain.

In the following videos, I demonstrate different exercises designed to specifically strengthen your hip and lower leg in order to address muscles imbalances common with knee pain. Addressing these muscle imbalances can lead to the permanent resolution of your knee pain and symptoms.

My Top 3 Videos to Self-Treat Knee Pain:

The Clamshell: A “go to” Exercise for Treating Foot, Hip, and Knee Pain – The clamshell exercise is a commonly prescribed exercise designed to target the hip abductors and hip external rotators. However, this exercise is often performed incorrectly or ineffectively. In this video, I demonstrate my preferred method of performing the clamshell exercise in order to insure optimal effectiveness.

How to Use the Clamshell Hip Exercise to Treat Knee Pain – Knee pain is the most common running related injury. The root cause of many of the most common knee related issues is hip weakness. One of the best ways to treat many common running aches and pains is to focus on strengthening these muscles which include the gluteus medius, the tensor fascia latae, and the other deep hip rotators. In this video, I demonstrate how to perform the clamshell exercise. It’s an excellent non-weight bearing exercise to work on hip rotator strength which will directly affect knee stability.

A Barbell Knee Stability Exercise for Runners – In this video, I demonstrate how to perform an advanced exercise known as the clock or star drill. It’s an excellent exercise to work on knee stability and balance while specifically focusing on quadriceps and hip strength.

If you’re interested in more thorough guide on how to self-treat knee pain, check out the Resilient Runner Program. This is the perfect guide to help you take control of your health and fitness as well as self-manage common aches, pains, and injuries. Even if you’re not a runner, this program is appropriate for those who love to stay active and want to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

I WANT TO BE RESILIENT!

If you have a question that you would like featured in an upcoming video or blog post, please comment below or submit your question to contact@thePhysicalTherapyAdvisor.com. In case you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list and YouTube channel as well as join our community on Facebook by liking The Physical Therapy Advisor!

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Advanced Techniques on How to Treat Hip Impingement

Hip impingement pain is commonly felt in the groin, front of the hip or sometimes the side of the hip or deep in the buttocks. Like many lower extremity injuries, hip impingement is often multifactorial stemming from muscle strength imbalances (often due to weakness in the deep hip external rotators) and/or hip mobility imbalances. These mobility imbalances combined with muscle strength imbalances lead to altered hip biomechanics and ultimately, pain and inflammation in and around the hip labrum. These issues can be accelerated or started by a traumatic event or an overuse situation. The biomechanical imbalances cause the labrum of the hip to become inflamed and painful. This inflammation makes the biomechanical issues causing the impingement worse which just perpetuates the problem. Addressing these muscle imbalances can lead to the permanent resolution of your pain and symptoms.

In a previous video, Treating Hip Impingement: Basic Techniques, I addressed the basics of how to self-treat hip impingement syndrome. In this video, I go over advanced techniques of how to utilize a EDGE Mobility Band or a pull up assistance band to help self-mobilize the hip and very quickly eliminate your hip impingement.

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If you work on your deep hip external rotation strength (as demonstrated in this video) along with the mobilizations you are likely to see results even faster.

If you’re interested in a more thorough guide along with other videos on how to self-treat lower extremity injuries and pain, check out the Resilient Runner Program. This is the perfect guide to help you take control of your health and fitness as well as self-manage common aches, pains, and injuries. Even if you’re not a runner, this program is appropriate for those who love to stay active and want to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

If you have a question that you would like featured in an upcoming video or blog post, please comment below or submit your question to contact@thePhysicalTherapyAdvisor.com. In case you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list and YouTube channel as well as join our community on Facebook by following The Physical Therapy Advisor!

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Basic Techniques on How to Treat Hip Impingement

A common reason for anterior hip pain, groin pain or even side of the hip or deep buttock pain can be hip impingement. Hip impingement, like most hip pain, is often multifactorial stemming from muscle strength imbalances (often due to weakness in the deep hip external rotators) and/or hip mobility imbalances. These mobility imbalances combined with muscle strength imbalances lead to altered hip biomechanics and ultimately, pain and inflammation in and around the hip labrum. These issues can be accelerated or started by a traumatic event or an overuse situation. The biomechanical imbalances cause the labrum of the hip to become inflamed and painful. This inflammation makes the biomechanical issues causing the impingement worse which just perpetuates the problem.

In this video, I go over the basics on how to treat hip impingement. I discuss what to stop doing immediately and what you can start doing to eliminate your pain in order to get back to activity quickly without surgery or painful injections.

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Be sure to check out my other video, Treating Hip Impingement: Advanced Techniques.

If you’re interested in a more thorough guide along with other videos on how to self-treat lower extremity injuries and pain, check out the Resilient Runner Program. This is the perfect guide to help you take control of your health and fitness as well as self-manage common aches, pains, and injuries. Even if you’re not a runner, this program is appropriate for those who love to stay active and want to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

If you have a question that you would like featured in an upcoming video or blog post, please comment below or submit your question to contact@thePhysicalTherapyAdvisor.com. In case you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list and YouTube channel as well as join our community on Facebook by following The Physical Therapy Advisor!

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Plantar Fasciitis? Do this First Thing in the Morning

Plantar fasciitis is a very painful and potentially very debilitating condition. It’s one of the most common causes for heel and/or bottom of the foot pain. In the case of plantar fasciitis, the fascia on the bottom of the foot becomes swollen and irritated and may cause pain when you stand and/or walk. It’s typically at its worst in the morning with your first several steps after sleeping.

In this video, I demonstrate a simple, yet effective warm up to perform whenever you get up from sitting or lying down to prevent foot pain from plantar fasciitis.

Since the tissue on the bottom of the foot tightens as you sit or lay down for any length of time, be very intentional about preparing this area BEFORE you walk. This will lessen the pain and speed recovery. This is why I recommend doing this warm up throughout the day and especially, first thing in the morning.

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Be sure to check out my post, How to Self-Treat Plantar Fasciitis, for more tips! If you’re not experiencing significant relief upon progressing into your exercise program, please consult a medical professional. I recommend a physical therapist who specializes in feet or who works with athletes for the treatment of plantar fasciitis. The American Physical Therapy Association offers a wonderful resource to help find a physical therapist in your area.

If you have a question that you would like featured in an upcoming video or blog post, please comment below or submit your question to contact@thePhysicalTherapyAdvisor.com. In case you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list and YouTube channel as well as join our community on Facebook by following The Physical Therapy Advisor!

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Want Stronger Hips? Do This

Many lower extremity overuse injuries can stem from poor hip strength. The hip plays a critical role in determining how the foot will actually impact the ground and ultimately how the force of that impact will translate back up the leg. In other words, the hip is a critical component of the lower extremity kinetic chain.

Weakness in the hip musculature (particularly, hip abductors and hip external rotators) will often lead to knee pain as well as many foot and lower leg overuse injuries not to mention pain in the hip itself. Plantar fasciitis as well as knee pain may be caused by hip weakness.

In this video, Hip Strengthening with Band, I demonstrate a unique and advanced exercise designed to specifically strengthen your hip and lower leg in order to address common muscles imbalances found in the hip musculature. It’s a different version of the monster walk using a pull up assistance band. Addressing these muscle imbalances can lead to the permanent resolution of your pain and symptoms.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH NOW

Be sure to check out my other videos, Treating Hip Impingement: Basic Techniques and Treating Hip Impingement: Advanced Techniques.

If you’re interested in more thorough guide along with other videos on how to self-treat lower extremity injuries and pain, check out the Resilient Runner Program. This is the perfect guide to help you take control of your health and fitness as well as self-manage common aches, pains, and injuries. Even if you’re not a runner, this program is appropriate for those who love to stay active and want to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

If you have a question that you would like featured in an upcoming video or blog post, please comment below or submit your question to contact@thePhysicalTherapyAdvisor.com. In case you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list and YouTube channel as well as join our community on Facebook by following The Physical Therapy Advisor!

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Autoimmune Disorders: What Impedes Recovery

Autoimmune disease is becoming increasingly more prevalent. Although the exact reasons for this increase are unknown, it’s likely multifactorial. Physical therapy has been important for a long time in managing autoimmune conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) that have an obvious orthopaedic impact. However, physical therapists must also understand how other autoimmune disorders (such as Crohn’s Disease, Leaky Gut Syndrome, Celiac Disease, and Ulcerative Colitis) can directly and indirectly impact the plan of care and treatment recommendations.

From a physical therapy standpoint, understanding all types of autoimmune disorders and how they impact nutrient absorption is critical to positive physical therapy outcomes for any musculoskeletal diagnosis.

The following video is a portion of a lecture created for the New Hampshire American Physical Therapy Association (NHAPTA). Kim Steinbarger, PT, MHS, DHSc Candidate and I discuss the role of physical therapy in managing autoimmune disorders and how autoimmune disorders can directly and indirectly impact physical therapy treatment plans. This lecture was specifically for rehabilitation professionals, but it contains important information for anyone impacted by autoimmune disease.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH NOW

If you or a loved one need help managing an autoimmune disease, please contact your local physical therapist for an assessment. The American Physical Therapy Association offers a wonderful resource to help find a physical therapist in your area.

Have you or a loved one been impacted by an autoimmune disease? Please share below. 

If you have a question that you would like featured in an upcoming blog post, please comment below or submit your question to contact@thePhysicalTherapyAdvisor.com. In case you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list and YouTube channel as well as join our community on Facebook by liking The Physical Therapy Advisor!

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My Top 3 Videos on How to Self-Treat Knee Pain

Knee pain is a common complaint among exercisers and non-exercisers alike. So often the actual cause of the knee pain is actually a muscle imbalance elsewhere. Weakness in the hip musculature, particularly the deep hip external rotators muscles, is a common contributing factor for knee pain.

In the following videos, I demonstrate different exercises designed to specifically strengthen your hip and lower leg in order to address muscles imbalances common with knee pain. Addressing these muscle imbalances can lead to the permanent resolution of your knee pain and symptoms.

My Top 3 Videos to Self-Treat Knee Pain:

The Clamshell: A “go to” Exercise for Treating Foot, Hip, and Knee Pain – The clamshell exercise is a commonly prescribed exercise designed to target the hip abductors and hip external rotators. However, this exercise is often performed incorrectly or ineffectively. In this video, I demonstrate my preferred method of performing the clamshell exercise in order to insure optimal effectiveness.

How to Use the Clamshell Hip Exercise to Treat Knee Pain – Knee pain is the most common running related injury. The root cause of many of the most common knee related issues is hip weakness. One of the best ways to treat many common running aches and pains is to focus on strengthening these muscles which include the gluteus medius, the tensor fascia latae, and the other deep hip rotators. In this video, I demonstrate how to perform the clamshell exercise. It’s an excellent non-weight bearing exercise to work on hip rotator strength which will directly affect knee stability.

A Barbell Knee Stability Exercise for Runners – In this video, I demonstrate how to perform an advanced exercise known as the clock or star drill. It’s an excellent exercise to work on knee stability and balance while specifically focusing on quadriceps and hip strength.

If you’re interested in more thorough guide on how to self-treat knee pain, check out the Resilient Runner Program. This is the perfect guide to help you take control of your health and fitness as well as self-manage common aches, pains, and injuries. Even if you’re not a runner, this program is appropriate for those who love to stay active and want to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

I WANT TO BE RESILIENT!

If you have a question that you would like featured in an upcoming video or blog post, please comment below or submit your question to contact@thePhysicalTherapyAdvisor.com. In case you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list and YouTube channel as well as join our community on Facebook by liking The Physical Therapy Advisor!

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What to Do When You Can’t Look Up

After releasing a video post on How to Quickly Fix a Kink in Your Neck, I received positive feedback on YouTube about how simple and effective the method I demonstrated was to self-treat a painful stiff neck. This method helped to fix the problem with looking left and right, but viewers began to ask what they should do if they can’t look up without pain.

In this video post, I address the common problem of what to do when you can’t tilt your head backward (look up). This initially can be challenging to treat (even more challenging than fixing turning or rotating your head), but with these two self-treatment strategies you might be able to get some relief.

Most important, your posture matters. Poor posture puts your neck in an extended and compromised position. Your upper thoracic is a critically in maintaining proper cervical mobility (including the ability to look up).

The key to eliminating pain is to improve the mobility of the thoracic spine, so the neck and shoulders no longer have to compensate for the lack of thoracic mobility. Be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list to gain immediate access to My Top 8 Stretches to Eliminate Neck, Upper Back, and Shoulder Pain for foam roller mobilizations and stretches that are designed to counteract the stresses and postures of daily life and to restore the normal mobility to the upper back.

In this video, I demonstrate the McKenzie method for cervical retractions in order to improve your neck motion. This secondary technique, called the side bend with rotation, may also help you to look up without pain if the problem is in your upper cervical area. I highly recommend the following book, Treat Your Own Neck, by Robin A. McKenzie.

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Ideally, you should be able to self-treat your problem of not being able to tilt your head up by improving your posture (with my recommended foam roller mobilizations and stretches) in addition to using these two techniques (cervical retractions and the side bend with rotation) that I demonstrate in the video.

If you’re not experiencing relief after trying these self-treatment techniques, contact your local physical therapist for an assessment and help in managing the condition. The American Physical Therapy Association offers a wonderful resource to help find a physical therapist in your area.

Which of these two techniques (cervical retractions and the side bend with rotation) worked the best for you? Please share below. 

If you have a question that you would like featured in an upcoming blog post, please comment below or submit your question to contact@thePhysicalTherapyAdvisor.com. In case you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list and YouTube channel as well as join our community on Facebook by liking The Physical Therapy Advisor!

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My Top 3 Most Popular Videos

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people are realizing the value of taking control of their health care and personal well-being. In today’s health care environment, we all need to learn how to treat common aches and pains proactively instead of reactively. We must get to the root of the issue instead of placing a Band-Aid over it. We must realize that our individual health is our responsibility. We cannot rely on others to make decisions for us. Our present health care system in America is not designed to help you optimize your health–that is your job!   

The purpose of The Physical Therapy Advisor is to help people like you to take control of your health and to save money by learning how to safely self-treat and manage common musculoskeletal, neurological, and mobility related conditions safely and effectively.

I created a YouTube channel in 2015, and I have been adding videos ever since in order to show you a variety of different things including my favorite tips and tricks, how to properly perform exercises, and how to use mobility bands and cupping.

The following videos are my most popular, but I encourage you to take a look around on my channel to see what is most pertinent for you and be sure to subscribe. Also, please let me know if there is a specific topic or condition that you’d like me to address in an upcoming video.

My Top 3 Most Popular Videos:

How to Use Shoulder Pulleys to Regain Shoulder Motion – Shoulder pulleys are an excellent way to use active assistive motion to regain motion in the shoulder post injury or surgery. In this video, I explain the basics of how the shoulder pulley works. They are frequently utilized early in the rehabilitation process to not only help regain motion, but to also promote blood flow which aids in the healing process.

How to Properly Perform Pendulum Exercises – In this video, I explain the basics of how to properly perform pendulum exercises. Although these exercises are basic, they are typically performed incorrectly by utilizing active motion instead of a passive motion. Pendulum exercises are commonly utilized after rotator cuff repair, sub acromial decompression surgery, collarbone fracture and/or surgery, total shoulder replacement/total shoulder arthroplasty, and frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis).

How to Use an Exercise Ball to Improve Posture and Treat Shoulder, Neck, and Back Pain – In this video, I demonstrate how to perform I’s, T’s, and Y’s exercises on an exercise ball in order to address lower and mid trapezius and scapula muscle weakness. Poor posture (due to poor thoracic mobility) and poor scapular muscle strength are often major contributors to neck, shoulder, and upper back pain.

Thank you for supporting The Physical Therapy Advisor! If you have a question that you would like featured in an upcoming video or blog post, please comment below or submit your question to contact@thePhysicalTherapyAdvisor.com. In case you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my e-mail list and YouTube channel as well as join our community on Facebook by liking The Physical Therapy Advisor!