I often get asked what my favorite thing/diagnosis to treat is, favorite patient type, treatment philosophy, and the list goes on. I’ve decided to take the next month or so to highlight, as I will call it, “A Few of My Favorite PT Things.” I can almost hear Julie Andrews singing “These Are a Few of My Favorite Things” faintly in the distance!

Today, I’m going to focus on my favorite diagnosis/thing to treat. I’ve always enjoyed trying to figure out how things work and are put together whatever it may be and that carries over to my patients. I love treating biomechanical messes! What does that mean? I like the patients who just have pain, stiffness, limited motion, etc. that just comes on out of the blue. They’re like a puzzle that needs to be solved to figure out what’s causing their problems whatever they may be.

Some of the common things that can present as a “biomechanical mess” for the lower body are medial knee pain, lateral hip pain, posterior foot/ankle pain, anterior knee pain, low back/SI pain; for the upper body is anterior or lateral shoulder pain, pain between shoulder blades, and lateral elbow pain.

When patients report their problem just started without injury, the first thing I’m thinking is this may be a biomechanical problem and start asking more focused questions such as old injuries and activity level including any recent changes. On the surface, things may not seem to be related, but it’s amazing how our body will try to adapt and compensate.

During examination, I usually start at the joint or area of question and then expand out from there. I will assess the motion, strength, and mobility of the joints above and below to find sometimes non-painful problems and also just observe how the patient moves such as walking, squatting, and reaching which require multiple areas to work together.

If you are interested in learning more or about treatment options, don’t hesitate to call/text 701-318-4731 or email alison@pinnalcetherapywellness.comto learn how we can help. Don’t forget to follow on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on the happenings at Pinnacle Therapy & Wellness.