Physical Therapy, Baseball, Pitching
Joe Midgett
Early Sports Specialization

Early Sport Specialization (ESS)

Before I explain why, lets briefly get on the same page with a definition for Early Sport Specialization (ESS). Typically ESS refers to year-round (for at least 8 months) intensive training or competition in an organized sport by young athletes (<12 years of age) while excluding all other sports.

Injury Risk

One of the most studied problems with early specialization is increased injury risk compared to peers. The biggest factor contributing to this increased risk was participation in any individual sport for greater than 8 months of the year3. This is especially true in baseball pitchers where pitching for more than 8 months per year was correlated with a 500% increase in risk for Tommy John surgery. (I discuss this and other risk factors for UCL injury in my blog “Minimizing the Risk for UCL Injuries in Throwers” *hyperlink). Across all sports there is an increased injury risk of 1.81 times in highly specialized athletes compared to their multi-sport peers5.



Early Sports Specialization
weight lifting, Crossfit, Fitness
Jordan Bork, PT, DPT, CSCS, CFSC
Little League Shoulder

Little League shoulder, also known as proximal humeral epiphysitis, is a common overuse injury that affects young baseball players, typically between the ages of 11 and 15. It is characterized by pain and discomfort in the shoulder joint, specifically in the upper arm bone (humerus) near the growth plate.

Little League Shoulder
Physical Therapy, Fitness, hiking, Knee
Mark Bouma, PT, DPT, OCS, COMT, FAAOMPT, CFI
Raking Leaves

Mark Bouma, PT takes readers through the areas to watch out for while raking leaves. The fall changes in the PNW is a time of beautiful color but also typically wet and heavy leaves.

Patellofemoral pain is largely a diagnosis of exclusion. There can be many causes of knee pain and it is important for your healthcare provider to properly assess your individual condition. Many individuals have anterior knee pain with prolonged sitting with flexed knees.

There are three common provocative diagnostic tests that are most closely correlated with patellofemoral joint pain:

  • Squatting

  • Climbing Stairs

  • Eccentric Step-Down Test

Research has linked several key factors that may contribute to an individual developing patellofemoral pain. These factors are not present in everybody who has symptoms, but there are often impairments in one or more of these areas found during a physical therapy exam.

Raking Leaves
Physical Therapy, Fitness, Knee, Football, Hip, Neck pain, Running
Victor Kolar, PT, DPT, CSCS, TPIc
Turkey Bowl 2023

Victor Kollar, PT takes you through the areas to think about as you get ready for your annual turkey bowl football game.

Turkey Bowl 2023
Running, Cross-Fit, Crossfit
Liam Main, PT, DPT, CSCS
CrossFit

In the ever-evolving world of fitness, CrossFit has emerged as a dynamic and intense workout regimen that captivates enthusiasts seeking a combination of strength, endurance, and functional workout. While it has gained popularity rapidly over the last decade, there is a large amount of misinformation and preconceptions regarding it as a means of physical activity.  As a physical therapist, my aim is to provide you with a holistic view of CrossFit—highlighting its benefits, potential drawbacks, and the role of physical therapy in your health journey.


CrossFit

ergonomics

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SpikeBall

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SpikeBall


Summer is here, which means change is upon us. Whether you spend this time of year gardening, spring cleaning, or taking in the sunshine doing yard work, these kinds of activities require a lot of lifting which could cause a low back strain. I recently moved and I could not help but notice my back feeling sore the next week or so. I was humbly reminded that I am no longer in my early twenties– gone are the days of lifting and carrying with pure strength and little care for form. I quickly learned that if I want to continue being helpful for future moving days, I have to maximize proper movement strategies to minimize all those aches and pains. As your local physical therapist, I wanted to highlight good lifting mechanics and provide some helpful tips that will limit your chance of injury for your next moving day.

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Moving Day

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Moving Day


Summer is here, which means change is upon us. Whether you spend this time of year gardening, spring cleaning, or taking in the sunshine doing yard work, these kinds of activities require a lot of lifting which could cause a low back strain. I recently moved and I could not help but notice my back feeling sore the next week or so. I was humbly reminded that I am no longer in my early twenties– gone are the days of lifting and carrying with pure strength and little care for form. I quickly learned that if I want to continue being helpful for future moving days, I have to maximize proper movement strategies to minimize all those aches and pains. As your local physical therapist, I wanted to highlight good lifting mechanics and provide some helpful tips that will limit your chance of injury for your next moving day.

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Work From Home

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Work From Home

What kind of office chair should I get?

With work from home here to stay, patients are asking this question more than ever. The kitchen chair or couch has lost it’s novelty long ago, and your neck and back are telling you it is time. Looking at how patients are sitting in chairs throughout my career, I have noticed common pitfalls in office chair buying. In this blog I’ll share three things that are often overlooked when shopping for a chair.

  1. The seat pan: This is the length of the seat from back to front. If this is too long, the patient ends up perching on the edge of the chair to avoid the back of the knees getting compressed. To test if it is too long, see if you can fit 4 fingers between the chair and the back of your knee. If there isn’t much room for your fingers, it is too long. To avoid this problem, you can look for a chair with adjustable seat depth.

  2. Adjustable lumbar support: Very often, the curve in the chair does not line up with the inward curve of the lower back. Well positioned lumbar support is important to adequately support the spine when you are sitting. There are different mechanisms for this, such as the backrest sliding up and down.

  3. Try out your chair in person before you buy. It is possible that your thighs are long enough and your back is curved just right so that you only need basic adjustability. But most of us don’t match up that well, so looking for these extra features could save you the headache and pain in the butt, literally. For more tips on seating, computer and desk ergonomics, visit your Lake Washington Physical Therapy clinic! Or, come by and see what office chairs we landed on at our new location in West Seattle. #Ducky’s #local business


Laura Bouma, PT, DPT, OCS, CMPT



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Working From Home

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Working From Home

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people are now working from home and needing to get used to a “home office” instead of their normal “in-office” work space. We are so thankful that this is an option for so many people and want to make sure that the home office can be set-up to offer optimal work conditions. Poor ergonomics can make for a miserable work experience and can lead to/exacerbate neck and back pain among other musculoskeletal problems.

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Babies & Ergonomics

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Best (ergonomic) Ways to Hold and Carry a Baby

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In October we welcomed a new team member to our crew, baby Griffin! Having a baby around means a lot of holding and carrying a squirmy ~15 pound active little boy (and other heavy baby gear). While it’s not always possible to think about ergonomics, we thought it’d be helpful to share a few tips regarding this topic to try and protect any new parent’s shoulders, back and hips!

• Each time you carry your baby try to switch sides. This will protect one hip and arm from constantly carrying the load.

• Same goes for loading/unloading the car seat. If the car seat is in the middle seat of the car, try to alternate which side of the car you load and unload from. Also, try to load/unload in two steps instead of trying to maneuver the car seat in and out in one difficult motion.

• When picking up your baby from the floor, bend your knees and lift with your legs instead of from your back. Bring your baby in close to you instead of extending your arms out. This will protect your shoulders and upper back.

• Try to resist the urge to hike your hip and rest your baby on your side – or at least try and limit the amount of time you’re in this position. Over time, this position can lead to malalignment of your pelvis, hips, and back.

• Consider “wearing” your baby in a carrier. There are a lot of great online and in-person resources to learn the best (and safest) techniques.

• If possible, carry the diaper bag “messenger style” with the strap across your body instead of over one shoulder. Better yet, use a backpack diaper bag.

Lastly, let your physical therapist know if you are having trouble with any of these tasks. We can help you figure out the best mechanics for your body.