Blog | totalphysicaltherapy

Oct 18, 2017
2 min

Fixing Your Fanny Pain

Piriformis plays a very important role for protecting the hip, sacroiliac joint, and the pelvic floor. The muscle is often seen as the "guilty party" when it comes to blaming that "pain in the rear." Sometimes this is reality and sometimes piriformis is falsely accused, but either way it is indeed a very active muscle in your toosh. Dysfunction of Piriformis Encourages Poor rotational stability of the hip joint Sacroiliac joint instability Pelvic floor instability (through co

What's All This Salt About? Hyponatremia - The Endurance Athlete's Silent Killer

Total Physical Therapy

Jul 19, 2017
5 min

What's All This Salt About? Hyponatremia - The Endurance Athlete's Silent Killer

Endurance athletes can be sticklers when it comes to what they put down the hatch. They have to be picky because they are pushing their bodies well beyond simple physiology. At times however one can become so driven by goals and the athlete's "mental block" that a simple everyday compound can gradually run low. If this compound runs dangerously low an individual can have some very serious complications. In today's world SALT is considered bad and for good reason.....because i

Getting to the Core of Core Stabilization

Total Physical Therapy

Jul 13, 2017
2 min

Getting to the Core of Core Stabilization

If you have endured an episode of neck or back pain then you can relate to the pain that can make you feel hopeless. For most of us these symptoms come and go quickly and many times that pain is a normal response to activity. BUT.... if you have encountered recurring episodes of spinal pain then you should not avoid paying particular attention to putting in the work to avoid severe pain and permanent damage. There is an absolute certainty when it comes to lower back pain and

Summertime "Fanny" Drills for the Dedicated! 6 Exercises to "Light a Fire" Under

Total Physical Therapy

Jun 29, 2017
3 min

Summertime "Fanny" Drills for the Dedicated! 6 Exercises to "Light a Fire" Under

If you're in the business of walking around the pool this year with the perfect "rump" then read on. If you're in the business of making sure your hips are stable, read on. If you're in the business of taking stress off your knees, read on. Basically, if you want to have a healthy frame to walk on, read on. In this blog we are going to visit some research driven exercises to burn that hind end into shape. The gluteal muscles that make up the back of your hip are critical musc

It's a Balancing Act for Runners! - 3 Drills for Mastering Your Coordination

Total Physical Therapy

Jun 17, 2017
4 min

It's a Balancing Act for Runners! - 3 Drills for Mastering Your Coordination

Balance and Coordination? Is it necessary for me as a runner? Am I even lacking? To understand balance and coordination in the human body you have to break down 3 systems in the human body. The body utilizes three systems including the visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular systems. While we rely on the visual system predominantly, we must use a collaborative effort from all three systems to maximize our coordination. Without realizing how critical these systems are to our hu

What's that funny tape on their leg? Kinesiotaping for Athletes

Michael Moore

Jun 2, 2017
3 min

What's that funny tape on their leg? Kinesiotaping for Athletes

Chances are you've come across the concept of kinesiotape. You've seen it, read about it, watched videos, asked your friends, and probably tried it yourself. Whether you found it valuable might have depend on your application technique. Kinesiology tape is not something new as it was created back in the 1970s. The origins of the tape were a valiant attempt to create a tape that would assist in the healing of damaged tissue as opposed to taping techniques at that time which we

3 Common Runner's Foot Problems and How to Improve Them Fast

Total Physical Therapy

Jun 2, 2017
4 min

3 Common Runner's Foot Problems and How to Improve Them Fast

Foot problems for runners are nearly inevitable. The problems hopefully will be minor with the early detection and corrective action. Three common foot afflictions for runner's feet are achilles tendinitis or bursitis, plantar fasciitis, and posterior tibialis tendinitis. These are far from the myriad of potential foot problems, but they are assuredly the most frequent we see in the clinic. Pay particular attention to the -itis ending of all these conditions. The suffix -itis

Total Physical Therapy

Jun 2, 2017
4 min

3 Common Runner's Foot Problems and How to Improve Them Fast

3 Hacks to Getting Over that Pulled Hamstring

Total Physical Therapy

May 28, 2017
3 min

3 Hacks to Getting Over that Pulled Hamstring

So you were enjoying a nice run, training for your next football or soccer match, cutting out of a pick and roll, or rounding hard around second trying to stretch a triple and you pulled up a little ginger. No matter the sport the incident of a pulled hamstring can be incredibly painful out of the gate and if not properly tended to can turn into a nagging issue. Chronic hamstring injuries create not only a physical barrier but a mental barrier as well. The best piece of advic

The 10 Minute Warm Up to Get Runner's Race Ready

Total Physical Therapy

May 13, 2017
2 min

The 10 Minute Warm Up to Get Runner's Race Ready

Many runners that we know or we have treated have a very familiar story. When we ask about the warm up for training and races, the story usually sounds similar to this... TPT, "tell me about your routine before you run." Runner, "well, I usually stretch a little, swing my legs a few times, jog slowly, then take off running." TPT, "ok, that's a start. Now tell me how long this warm up might last?" Runner, "oh, I don't know 3 or 4 minutes." TPT, "hmm, let's start by obliteratin

Total Physical Therapy

May 6, 2017
1 min

TPT Tuesday Trotters 5/9/17

Join us this Tuesday for our next session of running education followed by a short run. We will take on some roads through Olsen for a 2.5 mi run. This week we hope you find some insightful education on knee pain for runners. We appreciate everyone's dedication to attending every Tuesday as it has been a lot of fun for us at TPT. We love to educate on sports that we find enjoyable as well. Also a big thank you to those that have brought friends to join in on the fun as well.

The Absolute Requirements of Pain Free Running

Total Physical Therapy

May 3, 2017
4 min

The Absolute Requirements of Pain Free Running

Our bodies were meant to move. Move in multiple ways in fact. Truth be told when we don't move, many body systems can malfunction. Those that participate in running and jogging will attest to the "high" that the activity can bring. Squeezing in those precious miles to satisfy their souls. Most runners are going to put in hundreds of pain free miles, but there will come a time when our bodies won't cooperate. How we adjust at that point will affect our tolerance moving forward

Total Physical Therapy

Apr 29, 2017
1 min

TPT Tuesday Trotters 5/3/17

Total Physical Therapy

Apr 24, 2017
1 min

TPT Tuesday Trotters 4/25/17

Join us this Tuesday for our next session of running education followed by a short run. We will take on some new roads this week as we increase the run through Olsen for a 2.5 mi run. This week we hope you find some insightful education on hip kinesiotaping examples. We appreciate everyone's dedication to attending every Tuesday as it has been a lot of fun for us at TPT. We love to educate on sports that we find enjoyable as well. Also a big thank you to those that have broug

The Ultimate Running Shoe to Prevent Injury for Any Runner

Total Physical Therapy

Apr 20, 2017
5 min

The Ultimate Running Shoe to Prevent Injury for Any Runner

We find one of the most overlooked beauties of running is the simple fact that so little equipment is needed. Being practical you throw on a shirt, shorts, socks, and shoes. Four items...check! Throw on a watch for some techie flare and we're all set. If it were only that easy, right? If you have ever spent hours on end googling reviews of the best running shoes for the year, sat endlessly in the running store trying on shoe after shoe after shoe, or begged anyone and everyon

Total Physical Therapy

Apr 18, 2017
1 min

TPT Tuesday Trotters 4/18/17

Join us this Tuesday for our next session of running education followed by a short run. We will continue with the same route as last week which is a short 2.0 mi run. This week we hope you find some insightful education on hip exercises. #exercise #runners #running #amarillo #cadence #injury #overuse #fitness #injuryprevention #wellness #conditioning

Your Quick Screen Guide for Choosing New Running Shoes

Total Physical Therapy

Apr 18, 2017
1 min

Your Quick Screen Guide for Choosing New Running Shoes

Whether you are in search of a new running shoe or are unsure if your current shoes have reached their limit, you can perform this quick screen to make your determination. First you'll need a flat, hard surface to perform your screen. If you're shopping then just drop the shoes onto the floor or onto the shoebox to perform the following tests. A little knowledge of the anatomy of a tennis shoe will help your understanding. We recommend you perform the following tests on any t

Runners, Why is 5% the Most Important Number You Need to Know?

Total Physical Therapy

Apr 13, 2017
3 min

Runners, Why is 5% the Most Important Number You Need to Know?

Many runners are obsessed... let's say it again... OBSESSED with numbers. Distance, time, pace, miles, kilometers, volume, total mileage, heart rate, calories, number of macros, number of micros, cost of apparel... the list goes on and on. Some even pay attention to a term called cadence. If you have heard the term cadence, you might know what one should strive for but have you asked yourself, why? Let us back up a bit and talk about the term cadence. What Is Cadence? Cadence

Total Physical Therapy

Apr 10, 2017
1 min

TPT Tuesday Trotters 4/11/17

Join us this Tuesday for our next session of running education followed by a short run. We will continue with the same route as the prior two weeks which is a short 2.0 mi run. This week we hope you find some insightful education on running shoes. What's the difference in stability, neutral, minimalist...? What can I look for in a shoe that fits my running style and my needs? Is there is perfect shoe? What brands are best? So on and so on. Hopefully you leave Tuesday knowing

(806) 467-8181

Fixing Your Fanny Pain

What's All This Salt About? Hyponatremia - The Endurance Athlete's Silent Killer

Getting to the Core of Core Stabilization

Summertime "Fanny" Drills for the Dedicated! 6 Exercises to "Light a Fire" Under

It's a Balancing Act for Runners! - 3 Drills for Mastering Your Coordination

What's that funny tape on their leg? Kinesiotaping for Athletes

3 Common Runner's Foot Problems and How to Improve Them Fast

3 Common Runner's Foot Problems and How to Improve Them Fast

3 Hacks to Getting Over that Pulled Hamstring

Essential Four Pack Runner's Exercises

The 10 Minute Warm Up to Get Runner's Race Ready

TPT Tuesday Trotters 5/9/17

The Absolute Requirements of Pain Free Running

TPT Tuesday Trotters 5/3/17

TPT Tuesday Trotters 4/25/17

The Ultimate Running Shoe to Prevent Injury for Any Runner

TPT Tuesday Trotters 4/18/17

Your Quick Screen Guide for Choosing New Running Shoes

Runners, Why is 5% the Most Important Number You Need to Know?

TPT Tuesday Trotters 4/11/17