Welcome to the Wirthy Blog
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Total Hip Replacement: Making the Best Surgical Decision
Patients are often told whether they will be receiving the posterior versus anterior approach for a total hip replacement. This post dives into the pros and cons of each technique, and why I always suggest advocating for the anterior approach.
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My Loved One Had a Stroke: Information About Rehabilitation
When a loved one has a stroke, it can be a very scary time. Life can change and having a lot of unknowns is very stressful. Sometimes people recover most of their function – other times they do not. This article aims to provide you with some information on what to expect during your loved…
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So You Have Tennis Elbow: How Can This Be Fixed?
Check out this post for a look at typical treatment for lateral epicondylalgia, which is commonly referred to as “tennis elbow.”
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Physical Therapy for Quadriceps Tendonitis: Effective Exercises and Pain Relief Strategies
Quad tendonitis is a common cause of pain at the front of the knee. This post covers common signs of quad tendonitis as well as some suggestions for treatment.
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Achilles Tendonitis: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment
Achilles tendonitis is very common and typically is easily treatable. Check out this post on signs and treatment.
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Tennis vs. Golfer’s Elbow: Understanding lateral Epicondylalgia vs. Medial Epicondylalgia
Learn the key differences between tennis and golfer’s elbow, which are clinically referred to as lateral and medial epicondylalgia.
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The Truth: Why Your Back Doesn’t Pop In and Out of Place
Before I even became a physical therapist, I repeatedly heard people say that their back was “out”. I hear people say that their joints are “out of place” and that a chiropractor or PT puts them back. This makes it sound like our spine is very fragile and unstable. Let’s go into what’s wrong with…
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Choosing The Best Assistive Device: Walker, Cane, Or Crutches? Exploring your Options
I see it all the time – patients hobble into my clinic, struggling to walk because they’re using the wrong assistive device. Many of my elderly patients need an assistive device but are afraid to use one because they fear they’ll get dependent on it. Let’s go through a few devices and discuss why they…
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What is piriformis syndrome?
Patients come to me for a variety of reported symptoms in their back and hips, self diagnosing themselves as having “piriformis syndrome”. Let’s talk about why this is impossible to self diagnose. Let’s start by defining the piriformis The piriformis is a muscle that attaches from our sacrum to our greater trochanter (the part of…
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Debunking the myth: back pain is not genetic
I often hear people tell me about how they have a bad back, and how it “runs in their family.” I’m happy to inform you that back pain is NOT genetic! That’s right – back pain is NOT genetic Pain in your back can be caused by a variety of factors, which may include: Unfortunately…