Tag: shoulder

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

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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.