Blog Posts - Christine Walker Physical Therapy

"Do I have to go to the gym and use fancy equipment to get my strength back after an injury? "

12/1/2016

This is a question that comes up frequently with my patients. Many of them have previously been to a traditional physical therapy clinic where the therapist puts them on all sorts of fancy machines that they don't have access to when they leave their appointment. A lot of my patients are "go getters" - they want to know everything they can be doing at home to get better FASTER. If a physical therapist only teaches them to use workout machines, then how do they keep up their progress at home?

Why so many gymnasts have ankle pain (especially when tumbling or landing)

11/16/2016

Here's a recent conversation I had with one of my gymnastic's parents. The parent said, "We might be coming to see you. My daughter is having ankle pain when she tumbles and lands. We are hoping this will just "go away" but it doesn't seem to getting better."

In gymnastics this is called Impact-Based Ankle Pain and its a common problem that, left untreated, can cause damage to the ankle joint and surrounding structures over time. Untreated, ankle pain can lead to more serious injuries like stress fractures, ankle sprains, and Achilles problems.

Why do so many gymnasts have this nagging ankle pain? There are multiple answers....

"I've been told one leg is shorter than the other..."

11/2/2016

Here is a question I recently received from a gymnastics parent:
"Our pediatrician noticed that my daughter’s right leg is a little shorter than the left. I told our physician that that we were receiving PT for a leg injury and she said to pass this information along to you...

...What causes this leg length difference?”

3 Reasons Why People Get Heel Pain

10/19/2016

Heel pain can be extremely debilitating and keep you from walking the dog, going to the gym, or just being able to move around your house.

For many people, it comes on suddenly. One day they are perfectly fine, and then out of nowhere walking is extremely painful. Why does heel pain occur?

Running Injuries: What You Should Be Doing To Prevent Them

10/5/2016

I recently received this question:

"I want to get back to running, but every time I do I'm worried knee pain is going to creep up on me. What should I be doing to prepare to return to running this time?"
-40 year old male

Runners tend to frequent physical therapy clinics. Why? Because the annual injury rate for runners is as high as 66%!! Unfortunately, our bodies may not be as prepared as we think to get out and do one of the most basic forms of exercise: running.

Why being "tight" is sometimes a good thing...

9/21/2016

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about "Why Stretching Doesn't Always Fix Your Problem". A few days later, I found myself a victim of stretching.

As many of my clients know, I am pregnant with my second child. After weeks of pregnancy-induced back soreness, I went to get a prenatal massage. The first one I had was fantastic - relaxed all the right muscles, focused on the whole body, and was just what I needed. A few weeks later I went back. During the second massage the new practitioner worked a lot on my low back where there were many "knots". At the time, it felt good and the muscles relaxed, however when I stood up I could barely walk I was in so much pain.

What your walk says about your athletic abilities

9/7/2016

Normal Foot Positioning

Your foot position during walking gives a lot of information about your body's ability to generate power with your feet. Explosive power is needed to run faster, jump high, and cut past an opponent.

Normal foot positioning during walking is to have your toes pointing relatively straight forward (give a few degrees each direction...which is NOT MUCH). This position decreases strain on all your lower extremity joints, including your ankles, knees, and hips and allows all of your muscles to work appropriately. In other words, it allows you to walk more efficiently and economically.

Why Stretching Doesn't Always Fix Your Problem

8/31/2016

When we feel stiff or hurt, most people assume that they need to work on moving that part of their body. Conventional wisdom suggests that if something is tight, it needs to be stretched. This is called working on your “flexibility or mobility”.

However, there are some cases where our body is stiff because it is trying to protect us from too much movement, which might cause damage to a muscle or joint. In this case, stretching and working on mobility is going to make the problem worse. The body need STABILITY exercises, rather than stretching/mobility exercises.

Why rest doesn't work (especially in gymnastics and other sports)

8/24/2016

One of the biggest concerns for youth athletes is how to keep training while recovering from an injury. Most have consulted several doctors whose advice is simple: stop training for weeks or months. For most athletes, this advice is like telling a fish to get out of water and keep on breathing.

Here’s a recent story from my clinic:
A young gymnasts is having wrist pain. Her doctor takes X-rays and determines there is nothing remarkable, and so he calls her injury “tendonitis” and tells her to wear a brace for 3 weeks. Three weeks later, she takes the brace off and tries to ease back into practice. Not surprisingly, her wrist still hurts.

Warrior II: Proper Alignment and Treatment Ideas

5/3/2016

NOTE: This post was first published on The Manual Therapist blog, to which Christine Walker is a contributor. This post was written for the audience of other physical therapist and healthcare professionals, however patients may still find it a useful and interesting read.

All too often this comical depiction is accurate. We (or our patients) spend our time wondering if we are doing an exercise correctly.

Warrior II can be a powerful tool for physical therapists. Here are some ways I’ve used it in my practice:

Contact Info:
Ph: 704-659-6655
Email: christine@drwalkerpt.com
Web: http://www.drwalkerpt.com
Address: 8850 Monroe Rd, Charlotte, NC 28212
(inside of Perfect Balance Training Center)

Christine Walker
Physical Therapy, LLC
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