Call Belmar Physical Therapy at (303) 503-7894 to schedule an appointment with Cindy.

Welcome Cindy!
You can learn more about Cindy here.

Levator scapulae trigger point pain pattern

Dry Needling is a procedure in which a needle, often an acupuncture needle, is inserted into the skin and muscle directly at a myofascial trigger point. A myofascial trigger point consists of multiple contraction knots, which are related to the production and maintenance of the pain cycle.

How Does Dry Needling Improve Function?

Welcome Katie!
You can learn more about Katie here.

If you are a Rocky Mountain Health Plans member in the Denver or Lakewood, CO area and you are interested in the best possible results from physical therapy contact us at (303) 274-2404.

More and more studies are showing that physical therapy is a great first choice treatment for low back pain.  Here are just a few:

1. Physical Therapy for Degenerative Disc Disease (common cause of low back pain)
2. Physical Therapy Exercises For Low Back Pain
3. Predicting patients that will benefit from spinal manipulation by a physical therapist

If you are interested in highly effective low back pain treatment contact Belmar Physical Therapy at (303) 274-2404.

The trochanteric bursa is a small fluid filled sack that lies between the greater trochanter (the bony knob on the side of your hip) and the iliotibial band (a band of connective tissue that runs along the side of the thigh).  Trochanteric bursitis occurs when this fluid filled sack becomes inflamed and painful. The pain from trochanteric bursitis is usually felt along the side of the hip.

What causes Trochanteric Bursitis?

Trochanteric bursitis is most often caused by a mechanical fault at the pelvis and hip. The mechanical fault involves the inability to control the femur (thigh bone) during weight bearing activities such as walking, hiking, running and going up and down stairs. The lack of control of the femur during these activities causes increased friction between the greater trochanter and the iliotibial band resulting in irritation of the bursa.

How Is Trochanteric Bursitis Treated?

Many treatments such as ultrasound, ice, anti-inflamatories and steroid injections can provide short term benefit.  However, in order to provide long term relief and prevention one must treat the mechanical cause.  The muscles that control the femur must be strengthened in order to eliminate the excessive friction on the bursa.  The muscles that help control the femur during weight bearing activities include the gluteus medius and the deep lateral rotators of the hip (the rotator cuff of the hip).  Excessive pronation (flattening) of the foot during weight bearing activities may also cause excessive friction on the trochanteric bursa.   This excessive pronation of the foot can be reduced by wearing proper footwear or using orthotics.

Here is a video demonstrating some of the hip strengthening exercises we recommend for the treatment of trochanteric bursitis:

If you live near Lakewood, CO and need help finding the cause of your hip pain for successful treatment we are here to help.  Contact Belmar Physical Therapy at (303) 274-2404.

1. One-third of people over the age of 65 suffer from a fall each year.
2. Falls are the number one cause of hospital trauma admissions, injuries and accident-related deaths in this people over 65.
3. In 2002, fall-related injuries were the cause of death for approximately 13,000 Americans.
4. The National Safety Council expects the number of people over age 65 to double by the year 2030, which will potentially double the number of falls in this age group.

Why Do People Over 65 Fall More?

The ability to avoid falling is dependent on a persons ability to maintain balance in a variety of situations.  Maintaining balance is a complex process that relies on multiple sensory systems working together.  These sensory systems include receptors in the foot and ankle as well as the eyes and the inner ear.  The brain receives signals from these sensory systems and in turn sends signals to the muscles of the trunk and lower extremities to react and maintain balance.  As we age the sensory systems may become slower and the muscles may become weak and unable to adjust quick enough or powerful enough to avoid falling.

Preventing Falls: The Good News!

Falls in this population can be avoided with proper education and training.  Stopfalls.org is a great resource for education on this topic.  You can download a flyer from their site called Fall Prevention Tips here.  Education is a vital component to fall prevention.  However, at least one study has found that balance training exercises provided by a licensed physical therapist can be even more effective than education alone.  These exercises focus on improving positional sense as well as strengthening of the lower extremities and the core muscles of the trunk so that they can react more effectively to correct a loss of balance.

If you live in the Lakewood, CO or the Denver Metro area and you or a loved one would like to stay out of the hospital by avoiding a fall please contact Belmar Physical Therapy at (303) 274-2404.

The thoracic spine is the part of the spine where your ribs attach.  This area is below the neck and above the low back.  A physical therapist performs thoracic manipulation by applying a quick push to this area.  This quick impulse may or may not cause a harmless pop to occur.

What Are The Benefits of Thoracic Manipulation for Neck Pain?

More and more studies are showing the benefits of manipulating this area for neck pain.  A recent study in the Journal of Orthopedics and Sports Physical Therapy found that patients with acute neck pain who received this thoracic spine manipulation had superior clinical benefits that persisted beyond the 1-month follow-up period.  You can view a synopsis of the article here.

Here is a video demonstration of thoracic manipulation:

The Following Links Provide Further Support For The Use of Thoracic Manipulation by Physical Therapist For Neck Pain:

1. Thoracic Manipulation For Radiculopathy
2. Short term effects of thoracic manipulation for neck pain
3. Immediate effects of thoracic manipulation for neck pain
4. Improvements in neck range of motion after thoracic manipulation
5. A way to determine which patients will benefit from thoracic manipulation

We have found the use of thoracic spine manipulaiton combined with patient education, specific exercises and other manual therapy techniques to be very effective in alleviating neck pain.  If you live in the Lakewood, CO area and would like relief from this very debilitating condition contact Belmar Physical Therapy at (303) 274-2404.

What is Spinal Stenosis?

Injuries or age-related changes to the discs that lie between the vertebrae can cause degeneration and loss of disc height.  Over time, this results in decreased space between the vertebrae, causing pressure on the nerves where they exit the spine.  Repeated or prolonged compression on the nerves in the lower region of the spine can cause symptoms anywhere from the low back to the toes.  These symptoms include pain, decreased sensation to hot and cold, and numbness or tingling.  The symptoms of spinal stenosis typically get worse with standing or walking (which causes narrowing of the spinal canal) and decrease upon sitting (which causes opening of the spinal canal).

Treatment for Spinal Stenosis

The good news is that these symptoms can be improved or even resolved with proper physical therapy. A good physical therapist will identify any strength and flexibility imbalances that exist around your spine and address those deficiencies with proper exercises. Core stabilization activities are especially effective for people with spinal stenosis. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, try the exercises shown in this handout.

Belmar Physical Therapy Can Help

If your symptoms are persistent and you live in the Denver or Lakewood, CO area, our physical therapists can design a treatment program to meet your specific needs. Call Belmar Physical Therapy at (303) 274-2404 to get started on the path to resolving your symptoms.

Adhesive capsulitis, also known as frozen Shoulder, is a disorder of the shoulder in which the capsule surrounding the joint becomes inflamed and stiff.  As the condition worsens range of motion of the shoulder is severely reduced.  The exact cause of frozen shoulder is unknown.  However, there are a number of risk factors for this problem including diabetes, stroke, trauma, lung disease, connective tissue disorders and heart disease.  Frozen shoulder usually occurs in 3 phases:

People with Frozen Shouler typically lift the entire shoulder girdle when attempting to lift the shoulder.

1. The Freezing Phase: This is the most painful stage.  Pain occurs with any movement and there is a gradual reduction in range of motion.
2. The Frozen Stage: During this stage the pain in the shoulder gradually decreases.  However, the shoulder is extremely stiff during this stage.
3. The Thawing Stage: During this stage range of motion of the shoulder gradually returns to normal.

Each stage can last months and full resolution can take over a year.

What is The Best Treatment For Adhesive Capsulitis?

Physical therapy can be very effective in decreasing the duration of frozen shoulder as well as improving function during this period.  However, it is important that the physical therapist use effective treatment techniques.  A recent study in the Physical Therapy Journal examined the records of 2,370 patients (That’s alot of patients!) with adhesive capsulitis to see which treatments were effective in decreasing pain and improving function and which treatments were not effective.

The treatments that increased the likelihood of pain reduction and improved function were:

1. Joint mobilization performed by a licensed physical therapist.
2. Exercise

The treatments that decreased the likelihood of pain reduction and improved function were:

1. Ultrasound
2. Massage
3. Iontophoresis (Delivery of steroid with electrical stimulation)
4. Phonophoresis (Delivery of steroid with ultrasound)

You can view a synopsis of the article here.

If you think you may have adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) we would be glad to help you. Please contact Belmar Physical Therapy at (303) 274-2404.