Hello, Pain Pals, We always hear stretching is the answer… Feeling sore? Stretch. Feeling weak? Stretch. Wake up? Stretch. But why is stretching important and what effect does it have on our bodies. I am Tara, a Physical Therapist at SportsCare PT in Gresham, OR, and today we are going to discuss what stretching does…

There is an increasing number of people discovering aerial circus arts. Men and women of all ages are now participating this acrobatic activity. Despite the growing popularity of circus training, the high demand placed on our bodies with this physical discipline means we must strive to prevent injury. An important way of preventing injury is…

What is work conditioning? Work conditioning is a work-related, intensive, goal-oriented treatment program. It is specifically designed to restore an individual’s systemic, neurological, musculoskeletal and cardiopulmonary functions through carefully selected exercises related to their specific job requirements. The purpose of our work conditioning program is to maximize a patient’s physical and functional abilities, allowing them…

Young Athletes And Physical Therapy “I want my child to do sports and make it to the pro’s someday.” How many parents dream of their child(ren) becoming the next great sports star? As nice as this sounds, it doesn’t come without repercussions. In recent years, we have noticed in physical therapy that we are treating…

It’s time to get outside and enjoy some exercise in the sun! Because of our beautiful landscape, a very popular activity in the Pacific Northwest is hiking. Within Portland and the surrounding areas there are hundreds of trails which offer a fun getaway for hikers of all skill levels. To help ensure you are safe…

As basketball season comes to an end, we leave the hardwood for the fresh cut grass of the baseball diamond. Yes, this means we get to bust open the bags of sunflower seeds. And yes, this also means we get to shout a slur of words no one really understands. But for athletic trainers, this…

We can all agree that humans are two-legged creatures. How often though, besides standing, are we actually on two legs while upright? Walking is a single leg activity.. Running is a single leg exercise.. Kicking a ball is a single leg skill.. So if you think about it, we spend a lot of our time…

Looking for a little guidance when it comes to working out? Try starting with this great full body circuit from Gresham’s Cameron Purington, ATC. Use the quick, yet effective routine as your daily exercise, or introduce it every couple of weeks to add variation and excitement. During the circuit, start by performing each exercise for…

The following video addresses the different methods used to stretch, specifically static vs dynamic. Watch Athletic Trainers Cameron Purington (Gresham SportsCare, Barlow HS) and Alex Nelson (Gresham SportsCare, Reynolds HS) as they explain the differences and share the appropriate times to use static or dynamic stretching. Take notes as they walk through a simple stretching…