Power is an important aspect of physical performance and is generally defined as performing work quickly, or generating force in a short period of time. Sometimes it is also referred to as “explosiveness”. However you want to describe it, power comes in handy when trying to do something quickly, like changing directions or jumping. This…
Mastering Foam Rolling Whether at the gym, CrossFit, or even AzOPT, you have seen someone laying and rolling around on a cylindrical shaped piece of foam. Foam rolling has become an extremely popular and effective self-massage technique. To understand why, let’s discuss the basic structure of our muscles and tissues. Our muscles are surrounded by…
Hand Manipulation Skills in Child Development Children are often referred to pediatric occupational therapy for concerns related to fine motor skills. Generally thought of as the movement and use of hands and upper extremities, fine motor skills include reaching, grasping and manipulating objects with your hands. Fine motor skills also involve vision, specifically visual motor…
What is Osteoarthritis? Your primary care physician diagnosed you with Osteoarthritis and now you’re wondering, “what is that?” More importantly, what are your options? Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common condition in adults that results from the progressive wearing down of your joint tissue. This process is not to be confused with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), which…
Using Indirect Treatment to Overcome Preschool Stuttering Indirect treatment is an approach that focuses on teaching the family strategies to enhance fluency through environmental modifications. It involves making changes in the environment rather than making any changes in the child’s speech. The message is always that stuttering is okay. Here are some suggestions on how…
Surprising Benefits of Vitamin C and Collagen Supplements for Tendon and Ligament Pain. Tendon and ligament pain are commonly seen in the physical therapy profession. Treatment of tendon and ligament injuries consists of manual therapy, exercise, and modalities for pain relief with good outcomes. However, nutrition is often neglected when encompassing the whole patient during…
How Can A Pediatric Occupational Therapist Help in Potty Training? Parents often ask our therapists if they can help children learn to use the toilet by themselves. Our therapists acknowledge that toilet training is a very important activity of daily living (ADL), but also know that countless factors contribute to toilet training success. Children are…
R.I.C.E. – Rest | Ice | Compression | Elevation R.I.C.E. is a fundamental principle for the management of various injuries, particularly those related to soft tissues like muscles and joints. This approach is commonly employed to address acute injuries such as sprains, strains, and minor fractures. Understanding the benefits of each component provides valuable insight…
The Negative Impact of Mouth Breathing by Michelle Slabach M.A. CCC-SLP, COM™ Is your child’s mouth open at rest? Does your child breathe through his/her mouth? Does your child drool? Hopefully, you said “no” to all of the above questions. Humans are supposed to be nose breathers. Breathing through our noses helps provide humidity to…
What is Pain? And How Does Physical Therapy Help with Pain Relief? What causes pain? Why am I experiencing pain? Why does some pain persist longer? If you ever asked yourself one or more of these questions, this blog hopes to provide some answers. First, let’s define pain. What is Pain? Pain is an early…
