Introducing Chanhassen Physical Therapist Steffon Swenson

We are excited to introduce you to one of our newest team members, Steffon Swenson! 

 

"I’m extremely excited to join the staff at OSR- Chanhassen! I recently graduated from the University of Minnesota Program in Physical Therapy. I also completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota. 

I grew up playing soccer all around the United States and was fortunate enough to have multiple opportunities to play abroad while attending IMG Academy in FL. Unfortunately, I had a trio of major injuries in high school and had to hang up my cleats before college. These injuries ultimately led me to this awesome career as a physical therapist and also got me into coaching soccer. 

 I plan to be very active in the Chan-Chaska soccer community as I get settled into the clinic. My professional interests include all orthopedic and sports injuries. I very much look forward to working with people of all ages recover and improve."

Patellofemoral Pain

"The front of my knees hurt when I sit, when I go up stairs, when I do squats" . . . does this sound like you or someone you know? This is a very common symptom that Physical Therapists at OSR assess and treat. Many times this is due to patellofemoral syndrome or kneecap tracking problems.

 

This affects kids, teens, and adults. It is not uncommon to see someone who has had this complaint for many years, although treating it when it first becomes a problem leads to a much faster resolution.

Check out this WebMD article, which explains the basics of this condition. Physical Therapists perform an assessment and then progress exercises in supervised therapy over several weeks to ensure that you reach your goals in a safe and effective manner.

Patellofemoral pain, ACL tears, back pain, pronation distortion and more

Knee pain, Achilles pain, torn ACLs, back pain . . .the list goes on and on! Many times these injuries increase in the summer, and sometimes this is due to changing footwear from more supportive arches to flip flops.

However, the solution often isn't just in the shoes. Many people also have pronation distortion syndrome, which can contribute to pain and injury. The good news is that it can be improved with exercises!

Check out this National Academy of Sports Medicine article for lots of assessments and exercises to help with your injury prevention workouts!

New clinic opens this week!

OSR opens the doors to it's Minnetonka clinic this week! You will find it right across from the Minnetonka High School. For scheduling or questions call 952-512-2400.  You can schedule with our Minnetonka Physical Therapists, Rusty Wallman and Matt Gannot, as well as their Athletic Training care team!

Athletic Training Job Opening

OSR Physical Therapy has a new opening for an Athletic Trainer. Athletic Trainers at OSR work in a clinic setting in direct patient care, as well as performing outreach. If you are interested, please send your résumé to Nate Tellers at nate.tellers@osrpt.com.

Baseball injuries part 3

Welcome to the final article in our baseball series for the month of June!

If you missed part 1 or part 2, follow the hyperlinks to find out what we previously posted!

The third common throwing injury is a condition called scapular dyskinesis. This occurs when the shoulder blade is not moving fluidly with the arm. Without our shoulder blade moving, we can reach just above shoulder height. The movement of the arm and shoulder blade together is what allows us to reach above our head. If this ‘rhythm’ is not in sync, it can cause defects in a thrower’s mechanics and also cause impingement in the joint as a thrower tries to force them into the correct arm slot.

 

Finally, the most preventable throwing injury is caused by overuse. Often pitchers get themselves in trouble when they fail to rest in between starts. By throwing with fatigued muscles a player is at risk of decreased shoulder stabilization which can cause injury to both their shoulder and elbow. It is imperative that a pitcher fully recovers before making the subsequent start.If you notice a loss of speed or distance, this is a sign of fatigue. 

Baseball season is enjoyable for players, coaches, parents and fans. By keeping the shoulder and elbow strong and pain free that enjoyment will last the whole summer. Have questions? Leave us a post!

Baseball injuries part 2

Here is part 2 of 3 regarding Baseball injuries:

Elbow injuries also get a lot of attention. Most people have heard of the dreaded Tommy John procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament is reconstructed. This procedure commonly sidelines a player for a full year if not longer. When the stress of the throwing motion is not able to be absorbed by the shoulder joint, the next stop for this stress is the elbow. Most often a throwers elbow pain has been caused by one of 2 things. Either he or she has weakness in his or her rotator cuff or they may have mechanic issues which can stress the elbow in unneeded ways.

Please follow this link to see our most recent rotator cuff and shoulder stabilizer strengthening article on injury prevention.