Can you run or walk a mile in 15 minutes without pain? This is a question physical therapists ask to assess if our patients are fully functioning and thriving in life. Also, walking and running are an important part of a well-rounded fitness routine. If you answered no to this question, please read on. We want you running or walking a mile pain-free, in 15 minutes or less.
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We are excited to announce that Ali Lubbers, PT, DPT has been promoted to Clinical Director. This change took effect on March 27, 2023. We are confident that Ali will excel in her new role. She has been with Thrive Physical Therapy since October, 2016.ย ย In that time, she has developed a loyal patient base and has demonstrated excellent clinical and patient management skills.
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Some of the biggest occupational hazards we see these days are postural faults from too much sitting. One of the main problems is tight hip flexors. Sitting most of the day shortens the muscles that cross the front of your hip. In turn, this can cause hip, knee or lower back pain. When these muscles are tight, they can pull you into a stooped forward posture when you are attempting to stand upright. Physical therapists have a variety of ways to stretch this muscle group, there’s a hip flexor stretch for everyone.
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There are times when you need to be able to lift heavier weights. As physical therapists, we want you to be able to do this pain-free, which is usually do-able with the correct set-up. Some examples of chores that require lifting heavy weight include yard clean up, removing snow, lifting heavy groceries or transporting laundry. Additionally, many adventures like travelling or backpacking require heavy lifting. All of these activities require that you are able to lift twenty pounds or more without pain. If you’re unable to do this, please read on.
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We’re so excited to introduce you to our new physical therapist, Ally Pearson PT, DPT. Ally began treating patients on December 12, 2022 and is available for appointments Monday through Friday.
Ally is originally from Vermont. In 2009, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Biology at Wheaton College in Norton, MA. After college she worked in several physical therapy clinics which confirmed that she wanted to become a physical therapist. She later moved to Utah to attend the University of Utah where she earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2015.
While new to Thrive Physical Therapy, Ally practiced in the Treasure Valley for seven years before joining us. Ally’s career started out in a hospital based outpatient orthopedic clinic that exposed her to a wide variety of patients, diagnoses and conditions. After several years there, she realized there that she had an approach to patient care that needed more freedom to expand. Next, she spent two years in a wellness-based private practice where she continued to hone her manual skills as well as contribute to business and program development and other administrative tasks.
Ally’s practice has evolved over the years as she recognizes that we are physical, emotional, and energetic beings and in order to thrive we need to support all aspects of ourselves. Clinically she specializes in fascia, normalizing movement, and re-establishing foundational strength in order to help patients live the life they want. As a natural teacher, Ally loves using education as a way to empower you to care for your body. You are the expert of your body and she loves to supplement that with education backed by evidence. In addition to that – Ally will enthusiastically be there to celebrate your gains, both big and small!
Ally lives with her husband, two daughters, two cats, and a dog. She loves to garden, cycle (mountain and road), hike, ski, and explore the world with her girls.
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As we come to the end of 2022, we want to take a moment to wish you and yours a warm, cozy, and healthy holiday season. Despite the busy-ness that creeps in this time of year, Mother Nature is nudging us to rest, recover and reflect. We hope you follow her lead and take the winter months to address your aches and pains, rehabilitate your injuries and move your body in nourishing ways.
With love and support,
๐พ๐๐๐ช, ๐๐๐, ๐ธ๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐ช & ๐ผ๐๐ค
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Are you able to hop up and down on each foot 10 times without losing your balance? Go ahead, stand up and give it a try. If you can do this on both sides, congratulations, you’re well prepared to run through an intersection, jump for sports, and prevent yourself from falling if you trip, or maybe avoid tripping altogether. If you’re not able to do it, can only do it on one side, or it hurts when you do it, please read on for some exercises you can do to improve your ability to hop on one foot.
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We need flexibility in our shoulders for a lot of different reasons. Activities like getting dressed and undressed, scratching our backs, and lifting overhead require shoulder mobility.
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I was once given the advice to take good care of the things that connect us to the floor. As a physical therapist, this makes me think of feet. Feet are quite literally our connection to the ground as well as our base of support for many of the activities we do every single day. In addition to appropriate footwear, we can do exercises to help our feet adapt to the surface we stand on and propel ourselves forward.ย ย
Having both mobility and strength in our feet is critical for treating injuries in our lower extremities as well as injury prevention by having better balance and stabilit
Read on to learn our favorite exercises to strengthen the feet.
Golfers reach.ย Waiters bow.ย Deadlift.ย Warrior 3.ย Airplane.ย Forward fold.ย Rock backs.
What do all of these activities have in common? They require isolated movement of your hip joint, also known as a hip hinge.ย Bending from the hips helps you to maintain a neutral position of the spine which is a critical movement for function.ย As humans, we often need to get close to the floor โ for gardening, to pick up laundry, to lift grocery bags, to pick up your children (you get the picture).ย If your hip doesnโt hinge well in its socket or your hamstrings limit this movement, the next set of joints that have to get you lower are in your lower back.ย While bending the spine isnโt a dangerous or bad thing, we need stability in the spine when lifting or leaning.ย
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