April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, degenerative neurologic disease that affects the brain’s ability to produce specific chemicals that allow normal, smooth movement and motor planning. It affects approximately 50,000 people in the United States every year with about 1 million people currently affected. The average age of onset for…
Addressing Mobility That May Affect Your Golf Swing by James Poupongtong PT, DPT, TPI Certified AzOPT Buckeye Staff Physical Therapist Since the start of the pandemic, golf as a sport has exploded in popularity. In 2020, there was an estimated 24.8 million golfers, an increase of 2% from the previous year, the largest growth in…
Yoga for Low Back Pain By Taylor Kitkowski PT, DPT, Cert DN Should I Try Yoga for Low Back Pain? It is estimated that almost half of the US population will experience low back pain at some point in their lifetime. Low back pain can cause both physical and mental limitations to everyday activities. Back…
So, You Want to Learn About Deadlifting? by Acacia Rightmyer, DPT AzOPT Prescott Staff Physical Therapist Deadlifting – I am sure you have heard of it, maybe even seen others perform it, but did you know at some point in your life you most certainly have done it yourself? Even if you weren’t pulling weight…
Why Do I Have Neck Pain? by Daniel Cox, DPT AzOPT Glendale Clinic Manager Neck pain and pain between one’s shoulder blades is one of the most commonly seen problems by our physical therapists. When a person complains of neck pain, usually we diagnose “posture” as the cause of neck pain, but is it really?…
Is Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy Right For You? by Alex Bocchi, DPT AzOPT Goodyear Doctor of Physical Therapy Platelet rich plasma therapy. You may have heard of the hype. But what is it? Who needs it? Does it work? Platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a form of regenerative medicine using your own blood to…
How Foods Heal Your Body by Meghan LaMarca, DPT AzOPT Buckeye Doctor of Physical Therapy To quote Hippocrates, “Let food be thy medicine, let medicine be thy food”. Our bodies are an incredible machine that requires food to help nourish and fix tissue that is damaged especially after an injury or surgery. Innumerable processes are…
The Best Toys for Children by Ian Larson, DPT AzOPT Tempe Doctor of Physical Therapy As a fellow parent of four children under five years old and a physical therapist, the types of toys and devices my wife and I allow in our home has received more and more attention. I think most parents can…
Understanding and Improving Upper Cross Syndrome by James Poupongtong PT, DPT AzOPT Buckeye Doctor of Physical Therapy Upper cross syndrome is something that typically occurs due to bad posture. Muscles in the shoulders and chest tighten and other muscles in the neck and back weaken over time. This tightening and weakening of certain muscles can…
The Vestibular System and Balance Balance is a complex interaction of systems. It has both internal (inside our bodies) and external components (outside). These components work together in healthy individuals to maintain or regain balance. These components also know which way is up, what direction and how fast you are moving and can make posture…
