What is FCE and Why Is It Used?
FCE stands for Functional Capacity Evaluation, this is the process of testing and assessing if a patient is ready to go back to work or ready to get back to their everyday life after receiving treatment. This is beneficial to employers, insurers, and helping physicians because it helps inform them of the patients work readiness […]
Flexibility vs. Mobility, What is The Difference?
Flexibility and mobility are similar but different and in physical therapy we use both to restore function. This ensures stability with your mobility and increasing flexibility to a necessary length to avoid injury and dysfunction. The easiest way to tell the difference between the two is how your muscles react in each movement. Flexibility often […]
Common Stretches that Increase Mobility and Relieve Tension in Your Spine!
Sometimes during daily activities your spine can start to feel irritation or even pain from built up pressure or even certain movements causing pain. Luckily there are some things that can relieve or even fix the pain. These include stretches like the cat-cow, child’s pose, and knee to chest. These stretches help release excess pressure […]
What is Shoulder Impingement?
Shoulder impingement is a painful condition where the tendons in the shoulder are compressed, pinched or being rubbed by surrounding bones during movement. It’s usually caused by repetitive overhead motions like swimming, pitching, or climbing, and can cause inflammation, irritation, and structural issues like bone spurs. Luckily, this symptom can be treated with non-surgical treatments […]
Why Manual Therapy is Important?
Manual Therapy is very important when it comes to physical therapy and your recovery process. Manual therapy is a hands-on physical therapy approach that involves specific movements to manipulate, mobilize, and massage joints and soft tissue to reduce pain, increase motion, and speed up recovery. This technique differs from others who use exercise only approach […]
What is Diastasis Recti and How Can Physical Therapy Help?
Diastasis Recti is the separation of the abdominis muscles along the middle line of the abs. It affects 60% of pregnant individuals and can cause significant weight fluctuations. It happens when the tissue in the area stretches, and can happen due to many other factors as well, in men and women. These things include but […]
The Relationship Between Weight and Spine Health
At Specialized Physical Therapy STL, we know your spine is doing more than just holding you upright, it’s protecting your nervous system and allowing you to move with ease. What many patients don’t realize is how much body weight and added weight from outside sources impacts spinal health. Research shows even small increases in weight […]
The Importance of Pelvic Strength
Most people rarely think about their pelvic floor, until something feels off, but this group of muscles plays a major role in how we move, breathe, and experience daily life. At Specialized Physical Therapy STL, we work firsthand with the pelvic floor, and we monitor pelvic floor strength. This can influence everything from core stability […]
Gluteal Pain is not Always Sciatica
While lumbar radiculopathy is often blamed, studies show that up to one third of patients with buttock pain have a non-spinal issue. Common alternatives include: Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) – the most frequent cause of lateral hip/gluteal pain Gluteus medius/minimus tendinopathy Piriformis/deep gluteal syndrome Sacroiliac joint dysfunction Hip joint pathology If you are feeling […]