Orthotic Friendly Shoes By Brittany Ricciardi, DPT Kids Place West Pediatric Physical Therapist Finding fashionable shoes that fit over a Supra Malleolar Orthosis (SMO) and Ankle-Foot Orthosis (AFO) easily is a daunting task. When looking for shoes, it is recommended to find a wider shoe. But frequently, these shoes are bulky in order to accommodate…
Five Exercises to Avoid Injury and Improve your Golf Swing As the cold air breaks and returns to nicer golf weather, the courses will be filled with eager golfers looking to take advantage. But what can you do to avoid that dreaded injury that could sideline you during golf’s busiest and nicest season? Further, what…
Training Tips for Running Long Distance Races by Tyler Guymon PT, DPT Cert. DN AZOPT Buckeye Clinic Manager It’s the perfect time in Arizona to enjoy the outdoors! And if you are like me, you too are trying to be more active and healthy this year. One common outdoor activity here in the Valley of…
Sensory Boards and the Importance of Play by Sarah Koppenhoefer-Little, MS, OTR/L Kids Place Pediatric Occupational Therapist One of the main jobs or “occupations” of a child is to play. As they play, they learn about their environment, gain essential skills, and have a fantastic time doing it. The poet Diane Ackerman once said, “Play…
Considering a Service Dog to Assist Children with Disabilities by Cindy Ewert, OTR/L Kids Place Pediatric Occupational Therapist When you feel like you have exhausted every option, and are still looking for the one thing that could change your child’s life, a service dog therapy dog may be your answer! It is important to note…
Preparing For The CrossFit Open By Ryann Roberts, DPT, Cert DN Owner, AZOPT & Kids Place The CrossFit Open – a grueling, 5 week competition between you and the entire CrossFit community! Each week, you will complete a newly released WOD that is scored and logged so you will see your rank within your box,…
Mirror Neuron Therapy in the Pediatric Setting by Hailee Baryshnikov Student Physical Therapist Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that respond equally when we perform an action and when we witness someone else perform the same action. They were first discovered in the early 1990s, when a team of Italian researchers found individual…
The Importance of Sleep Do you feel tired or fatigued throughout the day? Are you often irritable? Do you have trouble focusing? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you may not be getting enough sleep. In today’s fast paced society, often times we put getting the proper amount of sleep…
The Value of Vision by Toriann Maddux, OTS Midwestern University Occupational Therapy Student Did you know that vision accounts for as much as 80% of an individual’s learning process? If there’s a vision problem it will impede learning and development. Vision is not fully mature at birth but continues to develop through a learned process…
What is Direct Access to Physical Therapy? By Ryann Roberts, DPT, Owner Arizona Orthopedic Physical Therapy (AZOPT) It is beneficial for you to receive physical therapy first – before other types of interventions like surgeries or injections. Physical therapists not only reduce pain and improve function, but we provide long-term solutions at a significantly lower…
