My wife, Esther, loves to work in the yard! As a Pennsylvania Dutch girl growing up in Lebanon, PA, caring for plants and animals was an integral part of daily life. As for me, I am her loyal assistant cutting grass, mulching, planting, landscaping etc. I too, love the outdoors but I enjoy golfing, running, […]
Recently, a patient, Pat McKenna, editor of The Times-Tribune, came to my office with a partial tear and strain to one of his hamstring muscles. He stated that he has always had hamstring tightness and has walked backward as a warm-up exercise to prevent injury. I found the concept of backward walking, (also called retrowalking) […]
Guest Columnist: Janet Caputo, PT, DPT, OCS The sport of fast-pitch softball has become one of the most popular sports for female athletes in the United States. Female pitchers might not use a hard ball, but their injuries are just as significant as their male counterparts. Their shoulders endure the same torture and torment of […]
Allergies affect 30 % of adults and 40% of children in the United States. Last week we discussed the definition, incidence, causes and treatment for allergy sufferers. However, many of those who suffer from allergies are those engaging in athletics. Avoiding the outdoors is often not an option. Not long ago, it was unthinkable that […]
Part 4 of 4 Guest columnist: Janet Caputo, PT, DPT, OCS The past three columns have demonstrated the lengthy rehabilitation process following an ACL reconstruction. The first four weeks after surgery can be a little uncomfortable and repetitive. The program focuses on controlling pain and swelling, increasing tolerance for weight bearing, restoring knee motion, and […]
Part 3 of 4 Guest Columnist: Janet Caputo, PT, DPT, OCS Even though your surgeon probably reconstructed your ACL in about 2 to 2 ½ hours, your rehabilitation phase will require a much longer period of time. Typically, regaining the motion, strength, and function of your knee following ACL reconstruction requires more than three months. […]
Tennis elbow, also called lateral epicondylitis, is an inflammation of the lateral (outside) bony protuberance at the elbow. It is at this protuberance that the tendon of the long muscles of the hand, wrist and forearm attach to the bone. As the muscles repeatedly and forcefully contract, they pull on the bone, causing inflammation. The […]
Guest Columnist: Janet Caputo, PT, DPT, OCS Hamstring injuries are common among athletes who participate in sports that require running, jumping, and kicking, especially when sudden changes in speed and direction are required. These injuries occur when the hamstring muscles are stretched too far or when caught off-guard during a sudden change in speed or […]
Guest Columnist: Janet Caputo, PT, DPT, OCS Tim Lavelle practiced long and hard to attain a position on the University of Scranton men’s basketball team. Local long-distance runner Christopher Krall trained diligently for the Chevron Houston Marathon. But despite their careful and persistent training, both sustained hamstring injuries early in the preseason. How? Why? Hamstring […]
February is National Cancer Prevention Month! In view of this, I thought it would be appropriate to raise the level of consciousness about nonsmokers and lung cancer. Nonsmoking women are at greater risk for lung cancer than nonsmoking men. This issue received great national attention several years ago when Dana Reeve, wife of former superman […]
