Tag Archive for: sc

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Squatting with Knee Pain

So, your knee is starting to give you a little trouble when you squat. Many times, people come to us having been told they need to stop squatting and rest it, or that “squatting is bad for your knees, you should never go that low.” And don’t get me started on the “knees shouldn’t go past your toes” myth… All of this couldn’t be further from the truth! If your healthcare provider is telling you otherwise, it’s time to find someone else. A big part of getting you back to 100% is volume management. This means your recent squat volume may have been a little too much for your tissues to handle and we need to take some time to calm them down and build them back up. But in the meantime, we can still find ways to get after it in the gym!

An experienced PT will not only assess your knee and design an appropriate loading program, but evaluate your squat mechanics, make future programming recommendations, and most importantly, find a way to keep you moving! Our goal with physical therapy is not about telling you what you CAN’T do, but helping you figure out what you CAN do. Rather than telling you to stop squatting, we work with each patient to figure out a squat variation that allows them to continue moving without increasing their symptoms. This could simply be moving them toward a more hip dominant squat to decrease the demand on the knees.

An easy rule of thumb is to move across the squat continuum to variations that utilize a more vertical shin. For example, if you’re having symptoms when you front squat, try a high bar back squat. When the load moves from the front rack to the upper back, the torso angle changes and the squat becomes more hip dominant vs ankle/knee dominant. Having an issue with high bar back squats? Try a low bar variation, or try box squats. This will let you really load the hips and keep your shins more vertical. From there we can keep adjusting by increasing the height of the box, decreasing range of motion to further remove the demand on the knees. There is a variation out there that will let you keep squatting, you just have to find it!

Over time, as the specific interventions for the knee continue to progress, we can gradually work back into the variation of the squat that was causing symptoms. Your rehab should be an active process, and there is no reason you can’t keep squatting!

Have questions? Send us a message at josh@vertexpt.com

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TMJ Dysfunction Case Study

Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Case Study

14 year old male baseball player presented to Vertex with a chief complaint of left sided jaw pain that occurred after being hit on the chin by a ground ball at practice.  Additionally, he complains of his jaw “locking” and “clicking” with end range mouth opening, specifically while eating.

Clinical Exam:

Palpable Click with opening and 25mm left mandibular deviation (ipsilateral)

Apical breathing pattern

Decreased left upper cervical rotation (+ left cervical flexion rotation test)

Tenderness to palpation left masseter and left medial pterygoid with patient reported familiar pain

 

Treatment:

HVLAT directed to bilateral C1/C2 with + cavitations.

Upper and mid thoracic HVLAT

DN with electrical stimulation to left masseter, medial pterygoid, and joint capsule.

Manual TMJ distraction

Home Exercise Program:

Cervical SNAGs, cervical retraction with over-pressure applied to maxilla, postural resets, diaphragmatic breathing

Patient Education:

Postural considerations; specifically with school and smart phone use consisting of spending less time in forward head posture in order to minimize mandibular retraction.

Result:

Chief complaint of “click” and “locking” resolved within session. 25mm deviation reduced to <5mm.  Patient followed up 6 weeks later and maintained treatment effect.

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Physical Therapy for Dancers in Columbia, SC: 4 Key Exercises to Improve Strength and Technique

 

Physical Therapy for Dancers in Columbia, SC: 4 Key Exercises to Improve Strength and Technique

Whether you’re training for performance, recovering from injury, or trying to increase mobility and control, these four PT-based exercises can help you build the strength, flexibility, and stability needed to elevate your dance technique.

At Vertex PT Specialists, we treat dancers across Columbia, Cayce, Irmo, and the greater Midlands area, helping them prevent injury and improve performance through targeted physical therapy and movement-specific rehab.

1. Hip Flexor Pulses

Purpose: Improve active hip flexor strength—especially the iliopsoas—to increase leg height in front splits, développés, and battements.

How to do it:
Sit with legs extended, leaning back on your hands. Perform a posterior pelvic tilt, then lift one leg with the knee bent. Pulse the leg toward your chest using the hip flexors.
Perform 4 reps and repeat for 4–6 rounds per leg. Stretching the hamstrings beforehand may improve range of motion.

2. Side-Lying Attitude Raises

Purpose: Improve turnout and hip control in second position while strengthening the external rotators and glutes.

How to do it:
Lie on your side with both knees facing forward. Raise the top leg with the knee bent and rotate it into an attitude à la seconde position (knee facing up). With each rep, bring the leg slightly closer to your torso.
Perform 4 reps and repeat for 4–6 rounds per leg.

3. Advanced Hip Flexor Stretch

Purpose: Improve flexibility in the hip flexors and quadriceps to support better split lines and arabesques.

How to do it:
Begin in a lunge with both knees at 90 degrees. Perform a posterior pelvic tilt, then side-bend your torso toward the front leg.
Hold the stretch for 30 to 45 seconds on each side. Avoid lumbar hyperextension by focusing on pelvic position.

4. Calf Raises with Ball

Purpose: Build strength and control during plantarflexion while preventing ankle inversion—important for pointe work, jumps, and relevés.

How to do it:
Place a small ball between your ankles. Slowly raise your heels off the ground while keeping the ball squeezed between the ankles. Focus on maintaining a neutral foot position.
Perform 3 sets of 12–15 reps.

Dance Rehab and Performance Training in Columbia, SC

At Vertex PT Specialists, we understand the unique demands of ballet, modern, and competitive dance. Whether you’re managing pain, recovering from injury, or working to optimize your movement, our team can build a tailored performance program specific to your goals.

We serve dancers across Columbia, Irmo, and Cayce with expert, one-on-one physical therapy.

Ready to Get Started?

Contact us to schedule an appointment.

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