Sailing the Seas of Insurance Coverage: Deductibles, Copays and Coinsurance, Ho!
When last we left our intrepid pirate Sue, she had figured out what it meant for a service to be covered by insurance, and she understood what it meant if a provider was in or out of her network. Being a pirate, however, Sue is concerned about the bottom line. What is all this going…
Read MoreLower Than Low – Sacroiliac Joint Pain
“It’s like low back pain, but somehow it feels even lower?” If that sounds familiar to you, you may be experiencing sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain. The SIJ is one of our most important joints: it connects the upper and lower body and is a main attachment point for muscles we use constantly, such as the hip…
Read MoreThe Science of Pain
A muscle cramp, a paper cut, a bumped shin. We experience pain every day to varying degrees, but we may not have ever given thought to how it works. Like many sensations we experience, pain is a signal our body sends to our brain to keep us safe. There are receptors in every area of…
Read MoreRunning: All You Knee-d to Know
Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise in the United States, with over 60 million people participating in some way. Each year the number of running events, from 5Ks to marathons, increases due to popularity. The majority of people begin running to improve their health, but many runners have also been told that they’re…
Read MoreWhat is the Pelvic Floor?
If you feel you’ve seen more and more articles referencing the pelvic floor, you’re not imagining it – this group of muscles has been talked about recently on everything from local news stations to Buzzfeed. But you may have wondered: what exactly does the pelvic floor do? What does it look like? Why is it…
Read MoreThe Best Stretches for Cycling
Whether you do it for recreation or for transportation – or both – cycling is a low-impact exercise that can be as fun as it is beneficial. I realize that as someone who bikes a minimum of 72 miles per week, I might be biased, but the science backs me up: according to several studies,…
Read MoreReach New Heights: Understanding Rock Climbing Injuries and Treatment
If you’ve ever been inside Lakeshore Sport and Fitness at the Illinois Center in downtown Chicago, the first thing you’ll likely notice is the monumental rock climbing wall. Spanning 10 stories, this wall currently sits as the tallest indoor rock wall in North America! While humans have always been drawn to scaling heights, rock climbing…
Read MoreWorking (on Posture) From Home
With millions of Americans working from home, ergonomics and posture are more important than ever. As many of us had to set up home offices quickly, we may be starting to feel the effects of working at a table that is too low, hunching over a laptop, or sitting in a chair that is too…
Read MoreGetting to the Point: All About Dry Needling
Though it seems like the newest kid on the block when it comes to physical therapy interventions, dry needling has actually been around since the 1940s as a treatment for pain and myofascial (muscle) trigger points. It utilizes very thin solid needles inserted into symptomatic tissue, primarily skin, muscle, and connective tissue. When inserted, the…
Read MoreHSA, HRA, FSA Oh My!
As high-deductible plans become more common, people are more vigorously seeking methods of offsetting their healthcare costs. One of the most efficient ways to do this is with a tax-favored health plan, such as a health savings account (HSA), a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA), or a flexible spending arrangement (FSA). Each plan has its own…
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