by Sandra Stryker PT, MPT, COMT, FAAOMPT | Mar 6, 2019 | Exercise, Pain, Physical Therapy, Wellbeing
After 22 years of practicing as a physical therapist, thousands of my patients have complained of what I call, “cold weather pain.” In Oregon where I live, when the hot and dry summer weather changes to cold and wet fall weather, joint pain complaints increase. As the... 
by Erin Courtney PT, DPT | Mar 6, 2018 | Chronic Pain, Low Back Pain, Pain, Physical Therapy
Why do we feel pain? What is our body telling us? Learn 10 facts about pain and how physical therapy can help treat it. 1. Pain is a protective device. Things shouldn’t hurt for no reason. In a healthy body, pain is a sign that something is wrong. It’s a signal from... 
by Sandra Stryker PT, MPT, COMT, FAAOMPT | Feb 27, 2018 | Musculoskeletal Pain, Pain, Physical Therapy
In prior blogs, I’ve talked about the value of having a good physical therapist on your health care team. I’d now like to be specific about the actual costs and benefits of having musculoskeletal physical therapy compared to other common treatments. Musculoskeletal... 
by Sandra Stryker PT, MPT, COMT, FAAOMPT | Feb 21, 2018 | Headaches, Neck Pain, Pain, Physical Therapy
Did you know that headache pain is the third most common pain complaint world wide? Not only are headaches common, they can also be very disabling, leading to a decreased quality of life. Many people do not realize that physical therapy for headaches is one of the... 
by Sandra Stryker PT, MPT, COMT, FAAOMPT | Feb 15, 2018 | Low Back Pain, Musculoskeletal Pain, Pain, Physical Therapy
Lower back or “lumbar” pain is the most prevalent and costly musculoskeletal condition worldwide. In the United States, we spend as much on the treatment of lower back pain annually as we do on the treatment of ALL cancers. Worldwide, lower back pain is among the... 
by Sandra Stryker PT, MPT, COMT, FAAOMPT | Jan 9, 2018 | Chronic Pain, Ergonomics, Exercise, Knee Pain, Low Back Pain, Neck Pain, Pain, Physical Therapy, Wellbeing
“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... 