Tag: rotator cuff

Physical Therapy for Rotator Cuff Injuries and Pain

  Tendonitis, Rotator Cuff Tears, and Shoulder Impingement Types of injuries leading to rotator cuff pain   Once you understand the anatomy and function of the rotator cuff, you can start to see how they become injured with activity. Refer to understanding the rotator cuff for more information.  Any time you use your arm, your rotator cuff works to control the motion. The muscles are placed under very high demands because of this constant usage. The rotator cuff is also placed under high demands due to the size and weight of the arm, which they are responsible for guiding.  Look at the size of these muscles compared to the size of the arm- the mismatch between them is clear. Constant usage combined with high demands will increase the likelihood of injury for any muscle or tendon. Combine this with weakness, poor technique, or poor recovery, and the likelihood is even

Read More »
Smith Performance Center Tucson

How Long till My Rotator Cuff Pain Improves?

Prognosis and Outcomes in Physical Therapy One of the key differences in our practice compared to normal, insurance-based physical therapy is how we schedule our sessions.  We normally do a session once every week or two weeks. This developed as a result of our focus on the home plan including trigger management.  The second reason was how we started to use braces, tape, and training aids.     How do the anatomy and function of the rotator cuff impact physical therapy? What is my rotator cuff injury? How long till my rotator cuff injury is better?   Prognosis with a Rotator Cuff Injury In the first two parts of this series, we looked at the background information about the structure and function of the rotator cuff, the common types of Rotator Cuff injuries that lead to pain, and how to figure out what it is. With this final article, we would

Read More »

Physical Therapy for Rotator Cuff Pain

Understanding the Rotator Cuff Anatomy and Function   There is a list of classic complaints I hear due to shoulder pain: I have trouble reaching behind my back.  Putting on clothing hurts.  Reaching for objects causes a spike in pain.  I have trouble getting my arm overhead.  I feel like one arm is weaker than the other, and fatigues quickly. I cannot throw. I have trouble sleeping on my shoulder due to pain.  I have pain that runs down my arm.  I have shoulder pain and now I have neck pain.  Often, these complaints are caused by an injury to the rotator cuff.    How do the anatomy and function of the rotator cuff impact physical therapy? What is my rotator cuff injury? How long till my rotator cuff injury is better?   Shoulder Overview The shoulder is a complex joint. It is involved in most daily activities. Once it

Read More »
Smith Performance Center Tucson

Shoulder Pain Everything Hurts

  Why is everything hurting?   “I feel threatened by my shoulder. How can EVERYTHING hurt?” This is an actual quote from a patient with chronic shoulder pain. We see patients who are surprised by how debilitating intense shoulder pain can be.  They struggle to reach for objects overhead, behind them, or to the side.  They struggle with putting on clothes and getting dressed. They struggle with self-care activities like grooming and bathing.  They struggle with seemingly minor household activities: cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.  They struggle to find a position they can even be comfortable in. Their shoulder pain affects how they sleep.  They start to complain of shoulder pain causing neck pain, upper back pain, or pain down the arm. They cannot work out due to pain. Sometimes, even something like walking causes shoulder pain.  Their activity is drastically constrained. When symptoms are this intense for a prolonged period

Read More »
Physical Therapy Tucson

Physical Therapy Solutions for Shoulder Pain

Why should I go to Physical Therapy Solutions at Smith Performance Center for my shoulder injury instead of another clinic? Physical therapy at Smith Performance Center is not a cookie cutter, one size fits all type of operation. Depending on what problem you have, the ‘right’ service might be different. Our process, called the SPC Difference, uses physical therapy in 3 distinct services: PT Solutions – One on One Physical Therapy Sessions using SPC Methodology PT Movement – Group Physical Therapy Sessions using Task Based Protocol for recurrent, chronic, or post surgical injuries Health and Human Performance – Long term strength and movement programming your own coach including injury surveillance, early injury detection, and treatment integration Physical Therapy Solutions  The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, and is relied on heavily during daily activities. It has many different structures which can cause pain, and it can be

Read More »
Categories
Recent Posts
Craig Smith

Craig Smith

BUSINESS Craig Smith is the co-owner of Smith Performance Center. He founded SPC with Sarah Smith in 2015 with a mission to provide the Tucson community with the support and tools to manage their health and stay active for life. He is a partner with Evolve Flagstaff. Founded in 2017, Evolve brings together gym, physical therapy, nutrition, and meal preparation services to support the Flagstaff community. Craig Smith founded Amptimum with Ryan Seltzer in 2020. Their mission is to unleash the clinical skill set of allied health professionals by developing documentation mastery, patient management processes, and robust analytics. WORK As a physical therapist, Craig is interested in physical therapy concepts with clinical application, PT diagnostic methodology, innovative healthcare solutions, and team-based practice. He specializes in lower extremity care, gait analysis, and physical therapy. As clinical director, Craig works to develop a shared framework for his physical therapy and coaching team. The shared framework, called PT Solutions and the HHP Program, is carried out daily with hundreds of patients and members. As a consultant, Craig works with allied health professionals to understand their clinical processes. This focus allows for clinicians to optimize their operations and to improve their clinical outcomes, train new staff, and reduce the burden of practice. AWARDS Craig graduated from NAU with distinction and was awarded the Distinguished Graduate for the Department. He graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and was awarded the Outstanding Major of the Year in Exercise Science by NAHPERD. Most recently, he was awarded the Excellence in Achievement from Northern Arizona by the NAU Alumni Association in 2020. RESEARCH Craig has presented research at the American Society of Biomechanics National Conference, the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, and the National NEXT conference along with numerous local and regional meetings on topics surrounding injury screening and prevention. He has publications in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Journal of Athletic Training, Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Journal of Sports Medicine, and Lower Extremity Review. Craig and his colleagues, Dr. Warren and Dr. Chimera, were selected as one of the “Best Clinic Case/Research Submissions” at the 60th Annual Meeting and 4th World Congress on Exercise is Medicine of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Smith Performance Center logo
Facebook Instagram Linkedin

Location

1684 S Research Loop
Suite 508 and 518
Tucson, AZ 85710

GET DIRECTIONS

Email

admin@smithperformancecenter.com

Phone

(520)398-4886

Fax

(520)398-4775

Updates from Smith Performance Center