Guidelines for physical activity? It’s for more than just your muscles ...
Jill Alban Jill Alban

Guidelines for physical activity? It’s for more than just your muscles ...

With so much information out there regarding physical activity, it is easy to become overwhelmed and tricky to know what the right thing is to do.

At the end of the day, doing any physical activity is better than nothing, but if you’re taking the time to be active, why not understand what it takes to make a positive impact on your health?

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Exercise and Manual Therapy to Manage Headaches
Alyson Freitag Alyson Freitag

Exercise and Manual Therapy to Manage Headaches

There is some evidence that migraine headaches will respond positively to regular exercise, including both aerobic exercise and resistance exercise. Other types of headache, including tension type headaches and cervicogenic headaches, are more likely to respond positively to manual therapy.

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Strength Training Has Many Forms
Alyson Freitag Alyson Freitag

Strength Training Has Many Forms

As a physical therapist, I have the opportunity to work with a variety of individuals with unique rehabilitation goals. Elite athletes, post-operative individuals, and patients dealing with the consequences of multiple medical issues or ageing enter the doors of Sapphire Physical Therapy every day. Physical therapists are movement specialists. Following a comprehensive evaluation and working diagnosis, each patient works with a physical therapist to create a strength training program to achieve their goals. The challenge and reward of physical therapy is creating the correct type of strength training program and documenting its effectiveness over time.

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Insights from a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist -              Part 1: Incontinence
Alyson Freitag Alyson Freitag

Insights from a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist - Part 1: Incontinence

Throughout a series of posts, I’ll discuss a variety of kinds of pelvic floor dysfunction, their symptoms, and provide insight into how physical therapy can help manage these issues.

One of the most common types of pelvic floor dysfunction I treat is urinary incontinence, which is divided into 4 types:

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Snowboarding Prehab
Alyson Freitag Alyson Freitag

Snowboarding Prehab

Every season in Montana has its outdoor recreation to look forward to and for me and many others, winter means snowboarding. When I first learned to snowboard as an adult, I spent the weekend catching edges and came to work with such a sore neck; I could barely lift my head off the plinth to demonstrate exercises. Snowboarding can be a violent sport with a steep learning curve, but once an athlete gets the hang of it, it is an awesome way to move our bodies and enjoy time with friends in the beautiful Montana winters.

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What is VO₂ Max and Why It Matters
Alyson Freitag Alyson Freitag

What is VO₂ Max and Why It Matters

VO₂ Max is a common performance measure thrown around the health and fitness world and is often used to gauge an individual’s peak fitness level. Because it can be used as a performance measure for athletes, it is sometimes misunderstood as being important only to those looking to improve their athletic endeavors. While this is true, it is also an important marker of health for everyone, as one’s peak fitness applies to everyday life. In this article, we will discuss VO₂ Max, what it is, and why it matters for your fitness, health, and goals.

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Is The Squatty Potty The Magic Answer for Constipation?
Alyson Freitag Alyson Freitag

Is The Squatty Potty The Magic Answer for Constipation?

It’s true - position during defecation can affect the ease and effectiveness of the process in a positive way. The Squatty Potty, or any stool which increases hip flexion (the closer your knees are to your chest), helps for a few reasons -

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Trail Etiquette Public Service Announcement: Pooping on the Run
Jill Alban Jill Alban

Trail Etiquette Public Service Announcement: Pooping on the Run

In the past, I have written articles on the topic of trail etiquette. Previous articles discussed the importance of yielding to upcoming foot and bicycle traffic, yielding to horses, and staying on designated trails. A disgusting and disturbing trail issue has been brought to my attention by multiple individuals. Apparently, some members of the Missoula running (and likely hiking, cycling) community have decided it is appropriate to poop on public and private land without packing the poop out.

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What’s Normal When I Urinate?
Jill Alban Jill Alban

What’s Normal When I Urinate?

Leaking when you cough, sneeze, or jump is not normal. Neither is having to urinate EVERY time you go to the grocery store or dribbling a little when you stand up after urinating. Despite what the people around you are telling you, these things are COMMON, but not normal.

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