Blog
Lower Back Pain and 3 Ways to Prevent It
Lower back pain is extremely common. 80 percent of Americans will experience lower back pain at some point in their life. Back pain is the second most common reason we visit our primary care doctor, and why many of us miss work and life activities. Total costs of...
5 Reasons to see a Life’s Work Physical Therapist in 2018
"Sandy, I feel old!” I hear this all the time, from my family, my friends and often from my clients. They say it in all kinds of ways. Some explain that they feel stiff when they wake up. They tell me it takes longer to heal from a simple injury. They say, “I have to...
It’s Ski Season! Common Ski Injuries and How to Prevent Them
When it’s raining in Portland, it usually means it’s snowing in the mountains. Winter weather means many of us will be heading out to the slopes for a variety of activities, downhill skiing being one of the most popular. Whether you are an experienced skier or a...
Tech Neck: What Is It – And How Can It Be Treated? | Life’s Work PT
Technology has changed significantly in the past 10 years. We live in an increasingly connected world, and it shows in the way our technology has changed. Smartphones, tablets, smart-watches and laptops have become a part of our everyday life. While this in many ways...
The Opioid Epidemic: Physical Therapy for Alternative Pain Management
Over the last 5 years, we’ve been bombarded with news stories, headlines and public service announcements about the rampant health crisis around opioids. Prescribed pain medications or opioids kill more people than cocaine and heroin overdoses combined. In towns...
How Knees Age: What’s Normal and What Isn’t for Your Knee Health
Over the past 20 years of practice, knee pain is one of the most common complaints I treat. When your knees hurt, it’s hard to walk, get out of a chair and climb stairs. Knees can swell, ache and be completely uncooperative. In this blog, I’ll review how knees age and...
TMJ and TMD Relief: TMD Treatment Without Surgery | Life’s Work PT
If you’ve ever had pain in your jaw, you may have heard the term TMJ. The temporomandibular joints are the joints that connect the jawbone to the skull. These joints work during jaw movement such as opening and closing the mouth, talking and chewing; and, like any...
Common Dance Injuries and How to Treat Them: Sprained Ankles
When you are physically active there is always a potential for injury, no matter how careful you are to avoid them. Sprained ankles are a very common dance injury. This blog will explain some of the basic physical therapy activities you can do to treat sprained...
Tips and Facts About How to Heal Plantar Fasciitis and Where It Comes From
Of all the conditions I treat as a physical therapist, plantar fasciitis is one of the hardest. It’s hard because plantar fasciitis can be really painful and disabling. Plantar fasciitis can take longer to heal than say a muscle strain. The very good news is that with...
Watch for Osteoporosis Symptoms and Start Early Osteoporosis Treatment
Osteoporosis is a very common disease affecting 54 million Americans. On average, 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men age 50 and older will suffer a fracture from osteoporosis. Osteoporosis related costs are $19 billion annually, with 2 million fractures generated every year....
Halt Bladder Leakage with Bladder Retraining Exercises and PT
I’m sure you’ve seen the advertisements that say, “Stay on top of your game with (insert name of incontinence product),” or “I can finally enjoy the moment,” and “Feel more natural!” I particularly like the last one; what could feel more natural than wearing a pad or...
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy for Pregnant and Post Partum Women
Pregnancy changes the body in many ways. Most of these changes are positive, meant to keep both mother and the baby healthy. But there is one common, unwelcome change: according to the American Physical Therapy Association, between 50-70% of women will experience low...