Why Do Athletes Cramp?

 

Cramping is at the top of the list of common problems that we think are misdiagnosed and mismanaged.

Watch the following video to learn more!

 

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What are the 3 major issues in physical therapy and exercise?

Physical therapy quality is highly inconsistent between clinicians, clinics, and companies. Numerous factors play into these discrepancies, including clinical process, management structure, payment models, clinician-patient time, use of assistants, patient load, clinician training, and business models. These issues often culminate in underwhelming rehabilitation outcomes for clients. When embarking on a rehab journey, most patients don’t anticipate these issues. As Sarah Smith, PT, DPT, and co-founder of Smith Performance Center, observes: “Many patients don’t know where to start their rehab journey, and physical therapy is often not their first choice.” Choosing a clinic that treats 25 patients daily with heavy use of assistants is vastly different from one that sees six patients daily with dedicated one-on-one time. Blending the art and the science of physical therapy requires more than most patients realize. From our experience, three key areas drive these differences: Process, Patient-Provider Relationship, and Clinical Skill. Clinics that avoid assistant

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5 Reasons You May Struggle To Get A Diagnosis And The Right Treatment At Physical Therapy

Upon your arrival at Smith Performance Center, our primary goal is to comprehensively understand the source of your pain or symptoms.  Our physical therapists initiate this by gathering information through a medical history form, conducting interviews about your experiences, performing thorough examinations, creating an initial list of potential diagnoses, validating our hypotheses through treatment, and finally, devising an initial home plan. This phase in our rehabilitation process is aptly termed ‘Diagnosis and Home Plan Development’. While not a creative title, it encapsulates the process our team undertakes.  A workable diagnosis is pivotal. However, arriving at a diagnosis can be challenging due to various reasons. These complexities range from the diverse causes of pain (such as injury, inflammation, nerve-related issues, sensitization, psychogenic factors, and dysfunctional conditions) to individual-specific challenges. Patients may struggle to explain their experiences, while others may not show rapid responses to treatment due to the absence of a

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5 Steps To Develop A Diagnosis In Physical Therapy

“My butt hurts.” A significant proportion of my conversations start with this statement. She continued, “ I have regular active release along with dry needling. I stretch my hamstring ALL THE TIME and I still have pain.” Her frustration was palpable. “I know I have a tight hamstring and there is scar tissue.  But it’s been 8 months.” She assumes the pain must be the hamstring; we call this the pain generator.  The hamstring tendon attaches right where her pain starts. The tightness is over the hamstring muscle belly.  She describes the pain in a clear way that implicates the hamstring.   She made a convincing argument that the hamstring is the issue and the diagnosis has been repeated by multiple medical providers including a physician and two physical therapists. The location matched.  Running increased the pain. Another match. Stretching and manual therapy provided temporary relief. But 8 months into the

Read More »

What are the 3 major issues in physical therapy and exercise?

Physical therapy quality is highly inconsistent between clinicians, clinics, and companies. Numerous factors play into these discrepancies, including clinical process, management structure, payment models, clinician-patient time, use of assistants, patient load, clinician training, and business models. These issues often culminate in underwhelming rehabilitation outcomes for clients. When embarking on a rehab journey, most patients don’t anticipate these issues. As Sarah Smith, PT, DPT, and co-founder of Smith Performance Center, observes: “Many patients don’t know where to start their rehab journey, and physical therapy is often not their first choice.” Choosing a clinic that treats 25 patients daily with heavy use of assistants is vastly different from one that sees six patients daily with dedicated one-on-one time. Blending the art and the science of physical therapy requires more than most patients realize. From our experience, three key areas drive these differences: Process, Patient-Provider Relationship, and Clinical Skill. Clinics that avoid assistant

Read More »

5 Reasons You May Struggle To Get A Diagnosis And The Right Treatment At Physical Therapy

Upon your arrival at Smith Performance Center, our primary goal is to comprehensively understand the source of your pain or symptoms.  Our physical therapists initiate this by gathering information through a medical history form, conducting interviews about your experiences, performing thorough examinations, creating an initial list of potential diagnoses, validating our hypotheses through treatment, and finally, devising an initial home plan. This phase in our rehabilitation process is aptly termed ‘Diagnosis and Home Plan Development’. While not a creative title, it encapsulates the process our team undertakes.  A workable diagnosis is pivotal. However, arriving at a diagnosis can be challenging due to various reasons. These complexities range from the diverse causes of pain (such as injury, inflammation, nerve-related issues, sensitization, psychogenic factors, and dysfunctional conditions) to individual-specific challenges. Patients may struggle to explain their experiences, while others may not show rapid responses to treatment due to the absence of a

Read More »

5 Steps To Develop A Diagnosis In Physical Therapy

“My butt hurts.” A significant proportion of my conversations start with this statement. She continued, “ I have regular active release along with dry needling. I stretch my hamstring ALL THE TIME and I still have pain.” Her frustration was palpable. “I know I have a tight hamstring and there is scar tissue.  But it’s been 8 months.” She assumes the pain must be the hamstring; we call this the pain generator.  The hamstring tendon attaches right where her pain starts. The tightness is over the hamstring muscle belly.  She describes the pain in a clear way that implicates the hamstring.   She made a convincing argument that the hamstring is the issue and the diagnosis has been repeated by multiple medical providers including a physician and two physical therapists. The location matched.  Running increased the pain. Another match. Stretching and manual therapy provided temporary relief. But 8 months into the

Read More »
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