Smith Performance Center Blog
Your Trusted Physical Therapy and Strength Training Blog for Injury Rehab and Pain Management
Welcome to the physical therapy blog from Smith Performance Center—your source for expert guidance on injury recovery, pain management, strength training, and sustainable health habits. Whether you’re managing chronic pain, recovering from surgery, or building long-term fitness, our team shares actionable strategies backed by clinical experience and real-world success. Stay up to date with new posts on rehab phases, movement progression, exercise programming, and the science behind making healthcare work for you.
Why Runners Keep Getting Shin Pain and Stress Fractures
Shin pain from running often returns when physical capacity rises faster than tissue and energy capacity. This mismatch drives shin splints and stress fractures.
The Myth of “Muscle Tightness” And What Actually Is
Past Your Prime Podcast – Episode 53 Listen on:Spotify | Apple | Youtube “Tightness” is one of the most common complaints people describe after pain or injury. But tightness is a description, not a diagnosis. When someone is thinking about tightness vs stretching, there is an assumption that symptoms of tightness mean you need to stretch. In this episode of Past Your Prime, Craig and Alex discuss why the term “tightness” often causes confusion and why stretching is not always the solution people think it is. Using examples like hamstring tightness, the conversation breaks down what may actually be happening in the body. Instead of assuming muscles are simply short or inflexible, this episode explores the different systems that influence mobility and movement. Topics include: If you have ever
Returning to Sports as an Adult: Why It Keeps Falling Apart
Past Your Prime Podcast – Episode 52 Listen on:Spotify | Apple | Youtube Returning to sports as an adult often feels harder than it should. You finally get back into basketball, volleyball, running, or lifting. Things go well for a few weeks or months. Then something breaks down. A knee flares up. The calf tightens. The shoulder starts barking. Eventually you stop again. Then the cycle repeats. Most people assume this happens because they are getting older or because their body is fragile. But the reality is usually much simpler. Most people restart their sport without adjusting the standard they use for returning. They return using the same assumptions they had when they were 21. This episode of Past Your Prime breaks down why this happens and how to
Why Rehab Feels Like Chasing Injuries
Why does one thing finally start to feel better… and then something else decides to hurt?
It can feel like you’re chasing injuries. Like you calm one fire down and another pops up.
Is that bad rehab? Or is that actually how complex systems work?
In this episode of Past Your Prime, Craig introduces the concept of Layered Pathology, the idea that injuries build in layers, and when one layer improves, the next one becomes visible.
Debunking the 5 Most Controversial Exercises in 2026
Are deadlifts, squats, and upright rows really bad for you? We break down the biggest exercise myths and explain when controversial exercises help or hurt on this episode of Past Your Prime.
Fatigue in Active Adults: Why You’re Tired Despite Exercising and Eating “Healthy”
Ryan looked at his watch. It was 2 pm. The fatigue washed over him, like it seemed to every afternoon. Adjusting to sit more upright, he drank the remains of his energy drink. His normal response to crushing fatigue was just to push through. Ryan exercised with a busy work schedule. He ate what seemed like a balanced meal and drank water, but he did not feel more invigorated or awake, especially in the afternoon. In his mind, this was aging and something to get used to. Why “Doing Everything Right” Still Leaves You Exhausted If you’re an active adult, fatigue can feel inevitable. Your life is filled with responsibilities that do not care about your energy level. You push through work, family, and stress
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