Knee pain is common for a large percentage of the population. Any pain in our knees can significantly impact how we move during the day, and there is a myriad of things that could cause pain in your knees, from overuse to ligament tears to arthritis. So when you experience pain, should you be worried? Will you need surgery to fix it, or are other treatment options available?

If you have never heard of blood flow restriction (BFR), the phrase may carry a frightening connotation. Why would you want to restrict blood flow anywhere in your body? When used strategically and safely, blood flow restriction can actually be a helpful technique to build strength in a shorter period of time without putting too much stress on healing tissues or joints. Physical therapists, personal and athletic trainers use BFR for clients, and it has been shown to be safe and effective. So what does it do, and should you try it to build strength?

The different types of imaging equipment available in a hospital or outpatient clinic can be confusing for people not in the medical field. If you get injured and go to the doctor, they can decide the best course of action for your specific injury, but it is always helpful to know about equipment going in. You may wonder whether you will need an MRI, CT scan, or X-ray, and you may not even know the differences between them.

Whether reaching to grab a cup off a high shelf or trying to stretch in the morning, reaching with your arms is a basic functional movement in the day. It can be annoying, even frustrating, when you have shoulder pain, primarily if it inhibits you from accomplishing those movements. How do you figure out what is causing your pain, and what can you do to fix it?

We’ve all heard the “snap, crackle, pop” from the Rice Krispies commercial, but it can often be alarming to hear that sound from your body. Your ankles may pop when you get out of bed in the morning, or you may develop a habit of cracking your knuckles. But what effect does that have on your joints? Are the horror stories true - will you incur permanent damage over time?

Migraine headaches can be debilitating, but many treatment options are available. If you get migraines, you probably know some things that help you feel better: which medicine works best, if you need caffeine, or the closest dark room you can sleep in until it goes away. For some, dry needling could help symptoms associated with a certain kind of migraine. But how do you know what type you have? And what if you can’t get to a dry needling session in time to diffuse the migraine?

Your spine is one of your body’s primary internal structures. It surrounds and protects your spinal cord and provides support and stability for the entire body. A scoliosis diagnosis can raise many questions concerning your daily life moving forward. Will I be able to do my favorite activities? Can I exercise like I currently do? And how much daily pain will I have?

The human body is about 60% water, and that fluid travels around our body as we move around and perform different activities. Have you ever gotten off of an airplane with swollen ankles? That is a buildup of fluid from sitting for an extended period plus the gravitational forces of the plane. One way liquid travels through our body is through the lymphatic system, which transports excess fluid through our lymph nodes and manages our overall levels. But what happens when this system gets blocked? How can we manage the fluid levels in our bodies?

Inflammation is perfectly normal and essential to the healing process. You could be fighting off an illness or infection, or you could be healing a wound. But if you continue to have increased inflammation after the initial healing, that could indicate a more complicated issue. So what do you do? How can you decrease inflammation?

Have you been told that you are double-jointed? Have you always been able to touch your toes? If the answer is yes to these questions, you probably have a hypermobile joint system. How do you know what kind of body type you have? And what are some of the characteristics of hypermobility?