by Matt Messner, PT, DPT, CSCS When returning to throwing following a shoulder injury or surgery, it’s important to have criteria in place to ensure that the shoulder is robust enough to handle the forces that are associated with throwing and reduce the risk of re-injury. These tests are designed to assess various constructs that are important for throwing, as well as shoulder stability in general. Some commonly cited tests include rotator cuff strength testing, the athletic shoulder (ASH) test, prone shoulder endurance test (PSET), unilateral seated shot put test, and the closed kinetic cha ..read more

by Gabby Haugh, PT, DPT, CSCS, USAWL1 >> Request an Appointment Background on the Olympic Lifts The two Olympic lifts are the snatch and the clean and jerk. As defined by USA Weightlifting, the governing body of the sport of weightlifting in the United States, the snatch is a movement in which “the barbell is lifted from the floor to arm’s length overhead in one motion.” This movement is typically performed in under 2 seconds!  In the clean and jerk, “the barbell is lifted overhead in two continuous motions – the clean, which brings the bar to the shoulders and the jerk in wh ..read more

by Sam Kushner, PT, DPT >> Request an Appointment Whether you are just finishing up a basketball season, or heading into the off-season, injury prevention should have a place in your routine. Here we share a training focus with you, along with exercise examples that you can add to your regular training, with frequency and focus tailored to where you are in your season. Let’s quickly jump right into it by understanding 3 key differences between off-season training vs. in-season training. Training Frequency Off-season: 3-6x/week In-season: 2x/week (or 3 if less experienced with resistanc ..read more

by Wayne Gilmour, DPT >> Telehealth Details >> Request an Appointment Patellar tendinopathy is typically caused by overuse and rapid increase in activity without proper training. Jumping activities can cause the patellar tendon to be put under loads up to 8 times your body weight. It’s no wonder going from the couch to playing pick-up again can cause pain. A healthy tendon has all the fibers running parallel connecting muscle to bone. Fibers in a tendon with tendinopathy are disorganized and run in different directions. The structural differences between healthy and unhealthy tend ..read more

by Gabby Haugh, PT, DPT, CSCS, USAWL1 >> Request an Appointment Background on the Olympic Lifts The two Olympic lifts are the snatch and the clean and jerk. As defined by USA Weightlifting, the governing body of the sport of weightlifting in the United States, the snatch is a movement in which “the barbell is lifted from the floor to arm’s length overhead in one motion.” This movement is typically performed in under 2 seconds!  In the clean and jerk, “the barbell is lifted overhead in two continuous motions – the clean, which brings the bar to the shoulders and the jerk in wh ..read more

by Thomas Martinho, PT, DPT >> Request an Appointment While goals are scored above the water, elite water polo players and coaches will tell you what happens below the water is just as important to the success of a player and their team. Players must utilize their legs to keep their head above the water, push to create space and hold position, balance themselves while passing, propel themselves with and without the ball, and create power for shooting. Water polo players use a variety of techniques to create these forces however the most vital and frequently used kick is the egg bea ..read more

by Gabby Haugh, PT, DPT, CSCS, USAWL1 >> Request an Appointment If you are the parent or loved one of a youth athlete, you have probably heard about sports specialization. It may have been from the athlete’s coach, another parent, or social media, but ultimately early sports specialization has become increasingly popular. You may be thinking, “Should my child specialize in a sport?” “Will specializing help my child play in college or professionally?” “Are there any negative consequences to sports specialization?” As a physical therapist who completed a sports residency program at a ..read more

by Miles Nicholas, PT, DPT, CSCS, FDN-C >> Request an Appointment There is no avoidance of wholeheartedly toast legs after your first few trips to the ski slopes! But there are things you can do in the weeks/months leading up to ski season that will lessen the degree to which this fatigue affects your performance throughout the day and reduces the risk of fatigue-related injury. I’d recommend starting with general strengthening activities such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, and calf training in addition to jumping tasks (plyometrics). Our “ACL Risk Reduction” blog provides a rough ov ..read more

by TH (TomHenry) David, PT, DPT >> Request an Appointment We see a lot of climbers here at Evolution for finger injuries. Fingers are obviously extremely important for climbing and, just like any other joint, need to be warmed up and like varied loads! There are many joints and muscles in the fingers and hands, and we often see that people tend to favor certain grip types over others. However, this can repetitively stress the joints, tissues, and muscles of the hand to a point of discomfort or lead to injury. Here are some simple exercises to warm up your wrist and fingers before ..read more

by Charlotte Huang, PT, DPT, LSVT-BIG, FDN-C >> Request an Appointment Why are speed and power development important? As humans age, we tend to lose our speed and power development first before we lose our strength and muscle size. Take a second and think about the last time that you got hurt. Half of the time, it’s reported that something was done too fast, which caused pain or injury. Training encompasses more than just training the muscles. It all comes down to our nervous system – both speed and power development are considered high intensity to our nervous system. We need to t ..read more