Prevention

The Four Types:   Anterior Knee Pain Syndrome This pain is in the anterior and central part of the knee. It happens when the kneecap rubs against the lower part of the thigh bone. It can be caused by weak muscles, too much activity or by flat feet.   Iliotibial Band Syndrome This is pain on the outside of the knee. The band goes from the outside of the hips to the thigh and down the top of the shinbone. When the band gets too tight, it can cause pain and swelling.   Chondromalacia

In an earlier blog, we marked Older Americans Month by explaining the benefits of physical therapy to those in their Golden Years. To continue that theme, today we’re going to cover four tips for the aging athlete: Account for the Effects of Aging.   No matter how heathy your lifestyle is, there will be certain effects on your body from growing older, and these will impact your athletic ability. Some of those include decreased sensation and balance, decreased lung capacity,

Nothing can sideline your fitness goals faster than experiencing an injury at the gym. That’s why doing stretches before your workout is crucial. Here are a few that can help you avoid aches and pains: 1.) Swing your legs. To gain flexibility in your hamstrings and hip flexors prior to a run, a leg swing stretch is an effective tool. Use your left hand for support and hold onto a stable object, such as a tree or pillar, to prevent falling. Face forward and stare ahead. First, swing your

Kids have cabin fever? Pants a little tighter after the holidays? It might be time to get outside and get some fresh air. Even though it’s cold out, the winter months can bring many opportunities for outdoor activity. One such pastime that the whole family can enjoy is sledding. Before you hit that hill, make sure you’re taking proper precaution. Sledding may seem like a safe kid’s activity, but up to 20,000 people land in the emergency room each year as a result of sledding

Some people call you crazy, but you call yourself dedicated. And you know that running outside in the winter can help you reach your target heart rate faster than anything else. At Core PT, we applaud your hard work. We also would like to offer words of caution—after all, somewhere between 30-75 percent of runners hurt themselves every year. That’s why we’d like to offer these five tips on how you can avoid injuring yourself during your winter run: Check the forecast.   If

In the United States, over 10 million people have osteoporosis, which is a weakening of bones due to a lack of bone density. Engaging in a balance of these three exercise categories can help build muscle and bone mass to prevent brittleness and breaks in the future: Weight bearing Placing stress on a bone during exercise sends bone tissue into high alert, where they create more cells in response. These denser cells create denser bones, making breaks due to brittleness less likely. Power

November is American Diabetes Month. As of 2012, it’s estimated that 9.3 percent of the population has diabetes, but a third of them don’t realize it. We would like to bring you the following facts about diabetes—and how physical therapy can help prevent it!   There’s several types   Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, while type 2 occurs when the body uses insulin ineffectively. Gestational diabetes is when

With the winter months just around the corner, there will be ample opportunity for Iowans to experience sprained ankles. They’re common for indoor sports such as basketball, and can occur when someone slips on ice. Today, Core PT would like to offer these tips to decreasing your chances of spraining your ankle: Build up your strength   It’s not just bodybuilders or weightlifters who should be concerned about strength. Any time you work on your muscles, you decrease