Evidence-based practice is the integration of clinical expertise, patient values and the best research evidence into the decision
making process for patient care. It allows us to provide you with exceptional physical therapy that stands above the rest.
Below you will find recent research we are highlighting and using in our clinical decision making.
Are you currently experiencing shoulder pain or difficulty lifting your arm up overhead or out to the side? If you are, you’re not alone.
And we are here to help!
The risk of shoulder injuries increase with age and can affect not only the shoulder, but also the clavicle, thoracic spine and sternum.
If left untreated, pain can increase, muscle weaknesses can develop, and general function with everyday activities become increasingly difficult. This means you shouldn’t wait to get
treatment!
If you fall into this category, or if you want to prevent shoulder pain from occurring, our group of highly trained clinicians are
available in person or via Telehealth to help you beat your pain and meet your fitness goals.
Want to learn more? Check out this article from the March 2020 issue of the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Medicine which supports
manual therapy and progressive exercise guided by a licensed physical therapist over injection or taping alone. We look forward to hearing from you!
https://www.jospt.org/doi/full/10.2519/jospt.2020.8498
Have you experienced or recently undergone an ACL
repair/reconstruction?
Are you still having trouble with activities of daily living (ADLs)
like walking, lifting, getting in/out of your car or are you hesitant to go back to certain activities like running, surfing or paritcipating in an intense sport?
Did you know that if you return to your activities and sports to
soon, the risk of re-injury goes up 7-fold? Recent research indicates that 9 months is the magic number for return.
Whether you have or haven't tried physical therapy as a part of your
rehabilitation after surgery, our staff at Best Life is uniquely qualified to give you the confidence you need to return to doing the things you love. Our expert physical therapists are here to help
you achieve your goals. Call today!
If you want to learn more, check out this abstract from the
study:
Young Athletes Who Return to Sport Before 9
Months After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Have a Rate of New Injury 7 Times That of Those Who Delay Return
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the association between sustaining a second anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and (1) time to return to sport,
(2) symmetrical muscle function, and (3) symmetrical quadriceps strength at the time of return to sport in young athletes after primary ACL reconstruction.
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Methods: Patient demographics and results from 5 tests of muscle function (2 strength tests and 3 hop tests) were extracted from a
rehabilitation registry. A questionnaire was sent to athletes (15-30 years old) who were involved in knee-strenuous sport before the injury and had undergone primary ACL reconstruction to determine
time of return to knee-strenuous sport (preinjury Tegner Activity Scale score of 6 or greater). We used the Cox proportional hazard regression model to analyze time to event.
Results: One hundred fifty-nine (32% of the initial sample) athletes (mean ± SD age, 21.5 ± 4.4 years; 64% female) were included. Athletes with
a higher preinjury Tegner Activity Scale score had a higher rate of second ACL injury (hazard ratio = 2.1; 95% confidence interval: 1.2, 3.6; P<.01). Athletes who
returned to knee-strenuous sport before 9 months after reconstruction had a higher rate of second ACL injury (hazard ratio = 6.7; 95% confidence interval: 2.6, 16.7; P<.001). There was no
association between symmetrical muscle function or quadriceps strength and second ACL injury.
Conclusion: Returning to knee-strenuous sport before 9 months after ACL reconstruction was associated with an approximately 7-fold increased rate of sustaining a
second ACL injury. Achieving symmetrical muscle function or quadriceps strength was not associated with new ACL injury in young athletes. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2020;50(2):83-90. doi:10.2519/jospt.2020.9071.
If you'd like to build or regain power, it's important to know which exercises are the most effective.
Research shows that using a hex-bar for dead lifting versus a straight bar is better for power and force. Using a hex-bar also leads to a more quad-dominant movement and may be a more effective
way to carry-over to the vertical jump due to the nature of the movement, which is relevant for a variety of athletes. For more information, check out the asbstract
below!
Examination of Muscle Activation and
Power with Straight Bar vs. Hex Bar Deadlift Exercises
JSCR: May 2016; Volume 30, Issue 5,
1183-1188.
Purpose: To compare
velocity, force and power using EMG analysis for straight bar vs. hex bar deadlift
Results: Significant
difference with biceps femoris concentrically and erector spinae eccentrically with the straight bar. The vastus lateralis worked more and was significantly higher on both concentric and eccentric
portions for the hex-bar. The peak ground reaction force, peak power and peak velocity were all significantly greater for the hex-bar over the straight bar.
Discussion: The hex-bar led
to a more quad-dominant movement and may be a more effective way to carry-over to the vertical jump due to the nature of the movement. The displacement away from the lifter was reduced by 75% with
the hex-bar which is why force and power are higher. In summary, straight bar is good for posterior chain strengthening, but hex-bar is more beneficial for power and force
development.
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