It’s Never Too Late

By Jean McConnell, MS, PT, ATC

 Recently I have had a number of older patients who are in wonderful physical condition. In particular, I have a 91 year old female patient who impresses me each time I meet with her to assist her with a minor gait disorder she has developed. We are having much success and most of the time I am asking her how she has maintained …

“Worth Something” By Jean McConnell-Copploe, PT, MS, ATC

This August marked a milestone for me, a half century of living to be exact. I honestly never thought I would ever reach this time in my life, not necessarily because I’ve carried on with a wild lifestyle so much, but rather because of my pre-conceived notion of what turning fifty meant. You see, I grew up in a historical home tha…

What exactly is a TIA or Transient Ischemic Attack? A TIA is a transient stroke that will last for only a few minutes. It happens when ever the blood supply to any part of the brain is interrupted for a brief amount of time.  The symptoms of a TIA usually are sudden and are similar to those of a stroke however; they do not last as long. On average, the symptoms of a TIA disappear within an hour…

What exactly is the disc that lies between the bones of our back? Actually they are soft yet durable pads that lie in between the bones or vertebra that make up the spine. The human spine has six disc in the cervical or neck, twelve in the thoracic or mid-back and five in the lumbar or low back regions of the spine. Discs that lie in between the vertebra are designed as shock absorbers that ass…

After graduating from physical therapy school I was faced with a serious rehabilitation case that scared the heck out of me. I developed a very severe herniated disc of my low back at the L4-L5 level, (one disc between two bones), on the right while playing tennis. I had a drop foot, (inability to pick up my ankle as I walked), was incontinent of urine, (I peed even though I tried not to)…

Interstitial cystitis is a condition also known as painful bladder syndrome or bladder pain syndrome. Individuals with this condition experience recurring pain and discomfort of the bladder and the surrounding soft tissues of the pelvic floor.

Often times symptoms include an urgent need to urinate, frequency of urination, as well as pain of the pelvic region. Pain is aggravated with the…

Why do we ache so much in spite of our exercising and trying to eat right? The answer may be that you have a vitamin deficiency; vitamin D to be exact. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is normally absorbed in the small intestine. Vitamin D deficiency is very common. There are two types or forms of vitamin D that our bodies use to enhance our function. Vitamin D-2 (ergocalciferol) comes f…