Staying Active and Fit During Middle-Age and Beyond
Jill Alban Jill Alban

Staying Active and Fit During Middle-Age and Beyond

The key to staying active and fit during the fourth decade of life and beyond is to find activities which interest and challenge you physically and mentally. Participate in a variety of sports or activities for overall fitness. Consistency is equally important for life-long fitness and health. Make time in your day for exercise and commit to health and fitness for the long haul. Your body and mind will thank you.

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Exercise and Manual Therapy to Manage Headaches
Jill Alban Jill Alban

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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Top Exercises for Managing Ankle Injuries
Alyson Freitag Alyson Freitag

Top Exercises for Managing Ankle Injuries

Are you suffering from weak ankles? Are you always rolling or spraining your ankles? Are you battling with foot/ankle tendon injuries? Try these exercises to improve your foot and ankle strength and stability.

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Performance Benefits of Heat Acclimation for Athletes
Alyson Freitag Alyson Freitag

Performance Benefits of Heat Acclimation for Athletes

Summers in Missoula continue to get warmer & for many that means setting the alarm earlier for their workouts. However, research shows that heat training can be very beneficial in preparation for races & overall exercise performance. Perhaps hitting snooze & moving your exercise plans to a warmer time of day, isn’t such a bad idea! Learn more about what heat training is, its benefits, & how to get started below.

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Understanding & Addressing IT Band Pain
Alyson Freitag Alyson Freitag

Understanding & Addressing IT Band Pain

Whether you enjoy biking, camping, hiking, or trail running, summer is the best time of year to live in Big Sky country and enjoy the outdoors. Here at Sapphire PT, we work with a lot of patients who have running-related pains and one of the most common is the IT band.

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Calf Raises, Criterion for Norm
Alyson Freitag Alyson Freitag

Calf Raises, Criterion for Norm

Manual muscle testing has been a standard clinical measure used to assess muscle forces since the early 1900s by Lovett and Wright.1,2 Originally developed in response to polio’s impact on muscular strength in children, this grading system has since been cultivated to allow physical therapists the ability to subjectively assess and grade muscular strength for the sole purpose of identifying areas of weakness and limb asymmetries in all ages.1 Research has also produced functional standards to help assess strength without needing a doctorate degree. One of the quickest and easiest tests to perform is the single leg calf raise.

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