Blog

“I have always been an active person. It’s hard enough as it is getting old, but old and inactive is a killer”. These are the words of Ken, a patient at WPT. Ken has been a patient of ours for … Read More →

“You think I’m going to come to the lake and not try to catch a few fish?” This was the first thing I heard Lenny say when I arrived at Cross Creek Lake a few weeks ago. Lenny was unloading … Read More →

Starting over is scary; there is no doubt about it. Challenging yourself to overcome adversity and pull yourself up is no small feat, but for Melissa, it was a challenge she was ready to face. In November of 2018, Melissa … Read More →

Meet Brian, a patient at WPT who has a history with physical therapy. “Being an active person on the older side, various activities aggravated some previous injuries. I sought out PT to improve those issues.” These issues prevented Brian from … Read More →

From a devastating motorcycle crash to reclaiming his freedom to move, Chuck’s journey at WPT has been nothing short of remarkable. When a deer unexpectedly crossed his path last fall, Chuck found himself in a life-altering motorcycle accident. With seven … Read More →

We’ve all heard about Kegels and their magic for pelvic floor strength, but let’s get real – lying on your back and squeezing isn’t the whole story. Sure, Kegels have their perks, but they’re just one piece of the puzzle. … Read More →

At Wonsettler Physical Therapy, we believe in providing the best care and the latest techniques to help you achieve optimal pelvic health. Today, we’re going to break down the “Ins” and “Outs” of pelvic floor physical therapy. What’s In: Functional … Read More →

If you’ve experienced low back pain after lifting heavy objects, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there are simple yet effective techniques you can adopt to minimize the risk of such discomfort. Here are three essential tips to incorporate into your lifting … Read More →

Dealing with nagging shoulder pain can be both frustrating, but incorporating targeted exercises into your routine can make a significant difference. Check out these five exercises: 1. Scapular Stabilizers Activation: 2 sets of 10 reps: Begin by sitting or standing … Read More →

Low back pain affects many individuals, hindering their daily lives. Here is a targeted mobility routine to alleviate discomfort and enhance flexibility. Cat-Cow Stretch: Start on all fours, round your back like a cat, then transition to an arched cow … Read More →

As summer approaches, running in the heat requires special considerations to stay safe and comfortable. Here are some key tips: Hydration: Drink plenty of water throughout the day and carry water/electrolyte-enhanced drinks during your run. Route and Timing: Choose shaded … Read More →

Move over foam rolling and IASTM techniques, because ASTYM is here to revolutionize soft tissue mobilization! ASTYM stands for Augmented Soft Tissue Mobilization and it goes beyond friction techniques. By utilizing handheld instruments, ASTYM engages dysfunctional tissue, triggering a physiological … Read More →

A dead hang is a simple exercise where you hang from a pull-up bar or any other sturdy overhead structure. The dead hang has been gaining popularity in recent years, and for good reason. In this post, we’ll explore the … Read More →

Macy, one of our skilled physical therapists, has teamed up with her patient Sarah, who happens to be an English teacher, to form a reading partnership. As part of Macy’s New Year’s resolution to read more books, the two have … Read More →

Migraine aura is a neurological phenomenon that affects approximately one-third of individuals who experience migraines. Aura refers to a set of symptoms that can occur before or during a migraine headache. These symptoms are usually visual but can also affect … Read More →

Nausea is a common symptom of migraines, affecting approximately 80% of individuals who experience migraines. This sensation of queasiness or unease in the stomach can be debilitating, and often exacerbates the pain and discomfort associated with migraines. The exact cause … Read More →

While the exact cause of migraines is not fully understood, there are several factors that can trigger a migraine attack. By identifying these trigger factors, you may be able to reduce the frequency and intensity of your migraines. Here are … Read More →

Migraines are a neurological condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Migraines can cause severe pain, visual disturbances, and other symptoms that can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life. While there are various treatments available, physical therapy is an … Read More →

Jill’s story is a testament to the transformative power of physical therapy. Struggling with low back pain for most of 2022, Jill knew that PT was an option, but hesitated to try it, thinking it might be a waste of … Read More →

Stress is a common part of life, but chronic stress is not normal and leads to negative health effects. Chronic stress keeps the body in “fight or flight” mode, causing muscle soreness, fatigue, sleep disturbances, immune system issues, appetite changes, … Read More →

While on a trip to Nashville in November of 2021, Andi fell and broke her tibia and fibula.  She recalled the accident, “I remember getting up to use the bathroom and next thing I knew my foot was in the … Read More →

New Year’s resolutions are a great way to focus on health goals, but they can be difficult to stick with. That’s where an accountability partner comes in. An accountability partner is someone who will help keep you on track and … Read More →

If you’re looking to tone and strengthen your abs, you don’t need to spend hours at the gym or invest in expensive equipment. There are plenty of effective ab exercises that you can do at home with minimal space and … Read More →

As you’re setting goals and making resolutions for the new year, it’s important to take time to evaluate your current habits. Here are some tips for evaluating your current habits: Keep a journal to track your daily activities and behaviors. … Read More →

Does your low back pain prevent you from sitting in a comfortable position? Does it make standing for long periods of time difficult? How about driving long distances? If you are dealing with Low Back Pain (LBP), you’re not alone. … Read More →

In a previous blog post on WPT, Rachel Dziak PT, DPT, ATC talks about falls and ways to prevent them! This topic is more geared to if you have a fall or are a frequent faller how to get up … Read More →

As patients attending physical therapy, many of us are struggling with pain. Pain is actually a normal part of the human experience of living, however living every day with pain is NOT normal! If you are currently living every day … Read More →

As temperatures lower one topic that usually gets on the back burner is hydration. Are you drinking enough to ensure you are replacing the electrolytes and nutrients we lose when we sweat? We’ve all heard we need to stay hydrated … Read More →

If you are experiencing musculoskeletal issues, then it is pretty commonplace that you may have undergone imaging of the area you are having trouble with. Oftentimes, when patients are seen by a physician to first investigate musculoskeletal type pain they … Read More →

Have you ever discovered a cut on your hand but not remember when you bumped it? The only way you knew that you had injured your hand was by visually seeing the cut. Experiencing an injury to the issue does … Read More →

I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, what do I do? If you have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease this means you have seen your neurologist and started to develop a plan for your future. Whether you have started on medication … Read More →

What is ASTYM? You may have heard of instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) techniques or foam rolling but ASTYM is different! ASTYM stands for Augmented Soft Tissue Mobilization. This differs from foam rolling and IASTM as it utilizes handheld … Read More →

Abdominal surgeries impact the way your lumbopelvic system functions – including your low back, abdominal muscles, hips and pelvic floor. However, it is rare patients receive any post-operative treatment. Whether you’ve had a surgery a couple months ago or years … Read More →

Falls are a normal part of life. I don’t think any of us expect to go through life without a couple of bumps along the road. However, as we age these “bumps” can seem more like mountains and barriers to … Read More →

If you have been following WPT on our social media (linked below), then you know that we have been working through the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. This book has been helpful for us because it is helping us … Read More →

If you have been following us on our social media (linked below), then you know that we have been working through the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. This book has been helpful at WPT because it is helping us … Read More →

Habits are the topic of todays post. We’ve been working through a book called Atomic Habits by James Clear, which is a great read and helps clarify how to create great habits that serve you well, and break the ones … Read More →

Pilates is an exercise method that was developed by Joseph Pilates and his wife Clara in the early 1900s. According to Raels book called Pilates Anatomy “Pilates is a system of physical and mental conditioning that can enhance physical strength, … Read More →

Who can relate to this? You’ve been dealing with pain, sickness, or some health scare for some time now, and you’ve finally decided it’s past the time of hoping it will spontaneously resolve. You decide it’s time to have this … Read More →

Return to sport tests are common at WPT and taking patients through tests that are validated by evidence is really important. Today we want to talk about a few tests that we use. Lower extremity injuries typically consist of two … Read More →

Spring has sprung and this means the weather is getting warmer, which we can all agree is amazing! With warmer weather comes an uptick in outdoor sports — running being one of our favorites at WPT. So, if you find … Read More →

Over the next few weeks we want to touch on returning to sports, specifically in the lower extremities. There are a lot of different tools that we use during treatment at WPT, but for athletes that need to return to … Read More →

In our last blog we talked about fixed mindset vs growth mindset and provided insight on how to transition from a more fixed oriented mindset to a growth oriented mindset. We want to continue on this topic because, like we’ve … Read More →

Growth mindset vs fixed mindset. We covered this topic last week and we would like to keep talking about it today. If you recall from our last post, we talked about author and PHD Carol Dweck who coined the term … Read More →

Every Friday morning at WPT, the therapists come in a bit early and have an hour long meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss different ways we are going to improve our treatment, and continue to evolve as … Read More →

This step is probably the most straightforward step, as well as being quite possibly the hardest. On one hand, the hard work of figuring things out is done. It takes a lot of emotional fortitude to work through the first … Read More →

WPT presents Staying in the Game, a free injury prevention workshop for female athletes age 12-21. The goal of this workshop is to help educate female athletes on injury prevention within the lower extremity; Including the ankle, hip, and knee … Read More →

Designing a plan. This is the fourth step in Ray Dalio’s Five Step Plan for Getting What You Want. This step is crucial to the process because once we’ve identified our goals and road blocks, the next logical step is … Read More →

When you’re on the trajectory of working toward your goals, you’ll invariably come across problems that stand in the way of your getting what you want (this assumes your goals are appropriately audacious – if you’re not stretching yourself you … Read More →

Have you had a migraine? Have you had a migraine with aura, like the one in the picture? Watch this video to learn about headaches and migraines, so you can understand more deeply what’s going on and what you can … Read More →

The second step of Ray Dalio’s 5 step process for getting what you want is identify and don’t tolerate the problems that stand in the way of your achieving those goals. It can’t be said enough – this is REALLY … Read More →

In the last video we talked about the 4 most common adaptations that occur with overhead athletes. For a recap, here they are again. Excessive external rotation, decreased internal rotation, ER weakness and shoulder blade dysfunction. To see our last … Read More →

1. Have clear goals. 2. Identify and don’t tolerate the problems that stand in the way of your achieving those goals. 3. Accurately diagnose the problems to get at their root causes. 4. Design plans that will get you around … Read More →

If you’ve ever played a sport that involves significant time spent in the overhead position (baseball, basketball, swimming, tennis, volleyball, lacrosse, etc) you probably know very well that the repetition in these positions can cause issues that can lead to … Read More →

I want to introduce you to one of my very favorite books I’ve ever read. I’ve read it at least 4 times, and I regularly revisit it for pearls of wisdom on how to operate, both individually and personally. Unsurprisingly, … Read More →

We must agree to present our perspective without pulling any punches. We can’t hold back, fearful of what the other person will think or what they’ll say. We need to be honest, and we need to be assertive. BUT, we … Read More →

Ladies, we are different. We are special. We’re strong, and we’re capable. And…we have specific attributes that are unique to us. These differences extend beyond the obvious anatomical and hormonal differences. Labor, menstruation, and menopause, just to name a few. … Read More →

A mindset shift. How do I go from “I know I’m right”, to “How do I know I’m right?” How do I increase our odds of being right? How do we give ourselves the best opportunity to increase success and … Read More →

Who doesn’t want to know the answer to this one?! After all, 80% of all adults will have dealt with low back pain at some point in their life. More than 25% of people have had low back pain (LBP) … Read More →

Low back pain is the most commonly treated ailment at WPT. However, there are lots of ways to go about positively affecting someone’s back pain. Today we’re going to look at 5 common interventions that can decrease your pain, improve … Read More →

Back pain happens due to a variety of reasons — sometimes known and sometimes not. With the recent COVID pandemic, you might wonder if your back pain has something to do with this new virus. Is it a cause for … Read More →

Some folks love him, some folks hate him. No matter how you feel about Tiger, or if you don’t give a damn about him at all, no one can deny how much of a competitor he is. The guy loves … Read More →

You might go to lift an object at work when all of a sudden, pain strikes in your low back. Or you might notice your back pain come on gradually over the course of a few days. Either way, it’s … Read More →

Can chronic back pain be cured? I am not going to beat around the bush here when answering the question raised above. The resounding answer is YES! Below I am going to outline everything pertinent to explaining how we know … Read More →

At WPT, we like to get to the root cause of problems. Staying superficial in diagnosis leads to the application of band-aids, and band-aids don’t heal big wounds. Big wounds are often the source of many issues and these issues … Read More →

This is a technique that we will employ if you are struggling with plantar fasciitis pain. The purpose of this technique is to alleviate pressure on your heel which can be causing pain and/or discomfort. This is one of the … Read More →

Do you have a difficult time sitting cross-legged? Do you struggle with pain in or around your hip? Difficulty touching your toes? Feel your hamstrings are ‘tight’? If you answered yes to any of these questions, there is a good … Read More →

A lot of folks are, including some of our very own WPT Physical Therapists. BUT, the question is, is this a problem? Well, we’re here to answer that question for you! Reviewing the scientific literature, we find that in a … Read More →

As promised in our last video, this is something you can do on your own to help facilitate a normal rhythm of your scapula (shoulder blade). Oftentimes, your shoulder blade can be limited in its motion due to tight muscles, … Read More →

When folks think about what may be the reason as to why their shoulder is hurting, they aren’t likely thinking about their shoulder blade. BUT, our scapula (shoulder blade) motion is critical to having correct movement at the shoulder joint. … Read More →

Functional Dry Needling is a version of dry needling that focuses not on pain, but on movement. Evaluation and assessment of dysfunctional movement is imperative for the therapist to successfully affect movement. Treating the neuromuscular tissue that is not allowing … Read More →

What DOES a PT do? We can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard “I didn’t know you did that” from patients we’ve seen in Physical Therapy. It’s a common occurrence you’ve probably experienced. Maybe the first time you went … Read More →

As we previously stated here, our Beliefs (the “B”) influence the Consequence (the “C”) that manifests in our lives. Our reactions, our emotions, are not directly influenced by the Adversity (the “A”). Rather, our Beliefs are what’s responsible for our … Read More →

We call it myofascial decompression. Both techniques refer to the process that results in those circular bruises you’ve seen on Michael Phelps and James Harrison, amongst many other athletes. However, myofascial decompression isn’t just for athletes. The technique can be … Read More →

Who can relate? Imagine the circumstance where you run into Giant Eagle for some groceries, and after returning to the parking lot, you discover police and a tow truck surrounding your car. You come to find out that someone wasn’t … Read More →

Having a poor posture shares such a common link with neck pain, especially if you sit at a desk for a majority of the day! That rounded posture will alter the pull of the muscles that attach to the neck, … Read More →

In this video, we show you just a couple of manual therapy interventions that we can utilize to improve your neck mobility and decrease pain. However, the MOST CRITICAL component to having a successful outcome is to first properly identify … Read More →

If you have trouble getting into a deep squat, it’ll present itself in a number of ways – all problematic. Ever have any trouble getting up from a really low chair if it doesn’t have arm rests? Ever have trouble … Read More →

What does a snake do before it attacks?? That’s right – Recoil. They need to spring. Golf is a rotational sport, and it requires recoil in order to unleash good club head speed and have good impact. Think about how … Read More →

Early Extension – It’s a golf swing characteristic that 70% of amateur golfers deal with, and 99% of PGA Tour Pros don’t. Early Extension is defined as your hips moving closer to the golf ball during the backswing or downswing, … Read More →

There are SO many things that can cause neck pain and limited mobility. Sometimes you may not have pain, but your neck isn’t moving as it should. Ever notice how it’s harder than it used to be turning your head … Read More →

Does this look like a spine to you? Does it look like a spaghetti noodle? Or do you see a curve representing exponential growth? That’s what we see here at WPT. When we were creating the logo that would represent … Read More →

Golfers, if you’ve had trouble with the last couple of tests, this is a great way to get your hips moving independently from your trunk! Again, this is ESSENTIAL if you’re wanting more power and more consistency in your golf … Read More →

Ok, golfer, this is sure to get some looks. Your wife or husband may start to wonder. But, you can assure them this is the 2nd and final test to determine if you can separate your hips and your trunk! … Read More →

If you’re a golfer and you’re unable to separate your trunk from your hips, try these two exercises to improve your thoracic spine mobility. Thoracic spine mobility is the biggest culprit for not being able to separate that trunk from … Read More →

If you’re a golfer and you’re not able to separate movement between your hips and your upper trunk, you’ll be fighting a huge uphill battle to have the correct takeaway in your BACKSWING to generate sufficient power and ball speed. … Read More →

So here is my challenge to you. If you’ve been dealing with pain for a long time, set yourself a 30-day goal. Obviously, this is specific to you. I can’t tell you what your goal should be, but it needs … Read More →

If you’re going to have more control over your chronic pain, you need to become more familiar with DIMs and SIMs. This is essential because if you can increase the SIMs in your life, and at the same time decrease … Read More →

Check out the image to get a sense of what moves your “Indicator” up and down. If you have chronic pain, you know this is true. Sometimes you don’t feel too bad. You’re able to move around and do most … Read More →

The pain you’re experiencing is 1000% of the time in your brain, and REALLY relies on CONTEXT. An identical finger injury will cause more pain in a violinist than a dancer, because that type of injury is more of a … Read More →

🌞We always try to encourage our clients to make habit changes through what’s consistent with their nature. ie., if you’re a night owl and don’t typically wake up till 11, we don’t propose you get up at the crack of … Read More →

If you’re someone that’s been following our content recently you know that we’ve been covering chronic pain, and have focused heavily on helping you understand what pain is and what’s going on. This is ultra important because we know from … Read More →

When you’ve been experiencing pain for a long time, your adrenaline, muscles, GI, and other systems can be acting as though there is a lion in your house!  What’s happening is that your stress response (which is totally normal and … Read More →

YOUR bullseye is the thing(s) that your pain has affected you from doing. Low back causing you to avoid playing with the grandkids? Well, your bullseye is being able to play with your grandkids without fear of having to worry … Read More →

A physical pain in your body doesn’t just affect how you feel physically. It could be affecting your family, your job, your friendships, etc. Listen to this story (some details altered for privacy, of course!) about how pain had been … Read More →

In the last video, I equated our Nerves to an Alarm System in your house. Well, in chronic pain something’s happened to where anytime a leaf blows by in the wrong direction, the whistles begin and the sirens blare. Here’s … Read More →

Nerves Are Like an Alarm System for Your Body. Nerves always have a little bit of electricity traveling through them, which is normal and means you’re alive! Sometimes the electrical signals can go up or down, based on things like … Read More →

I’m sure you’re thinking “what the heck is that picture all about?” Well, it describes what happens in someone’s brain that is not in chronic pain, and what happens when you’ve had pain for a long time. Here’s the idea: … Read More →

In the last video, you heard me describing the crazy notion that pain can be GOOD! Though that is absolutely true and though we can all appreciate how pain can inform us and shape us in the positive, it’s much … Read More →

In the last video, you heard me describe how pain and injury are not synonymous. You can have pain without an injury, and vice versa. Well, this video describes how some pain is GOOD and can be a really positive, … Read More →

Pain and injury. They’re not synonymous! Many of our patients, and even some antiquated physical therapists out there, believe that in order to have pain you first need to have an injury. Check out the image at the beginning of … Read More →

POSTURE! 👀 3 months of social distance and staying at home has been hard for many reasons, and one of them is the pain that’s arisen due to immobility and poor posture while working on your computer or phone, slumped … Read More →

We have a lot of content coming related to our brain and emotional state’s role in how you feel physically. Suffice to say, your youth league football or softball coach may not have been far off when he or she … Read More →

What to make of Telehealth? What is it? Who should receive it, and who provides it? Here at WPT, we’ve been doing telehealth for over two months now, but we certainly do not know all of the answers to every … Read More →

What an incredibly simple idea.  Get 1% better.  But why is it so hard?   Most of us try, fail, and get discouraged.  We feel hopeless.  Like we won’t be able to make the changes necessary to feel and move … Read More →

Here we’re going to talk about the basics of Knee Osteoarthritis, some tips of how to help at home and what we can do for you at WPT! Due to our aging population, arthritis is becoming more prevalent than ever. … Read More →