Hellen is a nurse who recently finished therapy with us for her knees and can now take stairs 2 at a time!!   Before her doctor sent her to physical therapy she didn’t think she really “needed” us.  She had accepted that knee pain and some loss of ability was her “new normal.”  You see she had a total knee replacement about a year ago and now a recent menisectomy on the other knee.   She was shocked at the improvements we made with BOTH knees!  She is able to do stairs 2 at a time and is even thinking about going back to skiing with her husband!  She was willing to share her story with you on the Penrose & Associates Physical Therapy Youtube Channel.  If you are 40+ and think knee pain is your new normal think again!  If you want to be able to do stairs and get stronger then let us help you get there.   Hellen, pictured below, attended 12 visits to complete a full plan of care that allowed her to get to that level of function!   Penrose Physical Therapy Answers: What Can I do About Knee Pain Right Now?  … Read More

Written November 2017 on Thurston talk: Dawn Hill has been battling foot pain while walking due to plantar fasciitis for almost 25 years. It started on a vacation in Scotland where she spent most of her two weeks hiking. “Every day I’d limp in, but I wouldn’t give up my hike the next day,” says Dawn, an obviously tough woman who loves being active. She came home with an unwelcome souvenir, however. Since then, Dawn has needed orthotics, but the foot pain with walking continued. Ivy is Dawn’s adorable Maltese/Cairn Terrier mix, who loves taking long, brisk walks, but chronic pain in Dawn’s foot started to shorten them. “The brisk walking got really painful,” Dawn recalls. “And, of course, you try to doctor them yourself before you go see someone. Finally, I went and saw my podiatrist because it wasn’t getting better. I couldn’t walk two blocks without the burn being unbearable.” Her doctor diagnosed her with posterior tendonitis. After trying different orthotics from the podiatrist without seeing the results she wanted, Dawn asked her doctor to refer her to Penrose & Associated Physical Therapy as she had recently met owner Jennifer Penrose and had enjoyed her. Dawn says her experience at Penrose was amazing. They started by videotaping her on a treadmill to assess how she walked and how her gait caused foot pain. Then, they fitted her for new orthotics. “My old orthotics just weren’t supporting my arch like they should,” Dawn explains. “So, not only did I… Read More

Knee pain is not always arthritis. It can be a simple tendonitis that is easily resolved with physical therapy. Read about tips for knee pain and Nancy's story here. Read More

Were you told by your doctor to increase your impact and weight lifting exercises and yet don’t do anything too strenuous or you might suffer a fracture?  Did you leave the office confused wondering what you should and shouldn’t do? We hear that story all the time.  We don’t fault the doctors; the healthcare system no longer has the ability to allow lengthy conversations about how to manage osteopenia or osteoporosis. We can help you understand what you can do to stay mobile and independent and set up a successful long term approach to this diagnosis.  The most important thing is to learn how to move without creating a fracture.   Softening of the bones in the spine are very susceptible to fracturing.   You need to learn how to bend over without bending your back!  Think of all the every day activities that bend that upper back: putting on socks and shoes, getting dressed, getting in and out of a car, emptying the dishwasher, making your bed, cleaning, cooking, and the list goes on.  You need to do those things without bending the spine especially the upper back or thoracic spine.  We can help you learn how to move correctly and safely. At Penrose Physical Therapy we want to help those age 45+ to minimize their risk for fracture and set up a successful posture program that actually will increase your height!  No, we don’t claim to cause you to grow but most of the time the rounded upper back posture, slouching, and forward… Read More

Avoid Low Back Pain with Targeted Exercises… Read More

6 Surprising Conditions Benefit from Physical Therapy  … Read More

Penrose & Associates Physical Therapy Shares Dynamic Stretching for Performance… Read More

Most of the time the ache in our neck and shoulders is from overuse of those muscles. Are you sitting up with good posture at your computer? Do you carry your bag repeatedly on one side with considerable weight in it? Do you use the "arm rests" on your chair to rest your arms and decrease the tension in your neck and shoulders? Is the monitor at the right height so you are not leaning forward or bending your neck too far down? All of those posture issues can create neck and shoulder pain. Read More

Dr. Penrose was the featured speaker at "Eye on Health" at Jubilee, an active retirement community in Lacey WA. She spoke about osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Click to read more and download her presentation and the exercise handout. Read More

Penrose Physical Therapy proudly sponsors Guerilla running club. Read More

Dr. Penrose enjoys teaching the running community how to prevent injuries with the STRONG body workshop. "Most runners lack strength in at least one muscle group, as well as in their neuromuscular pathways, the lines of communication between brain and body," says Jay Dicharry, M.P.T., the director of the REP biomechanics lab at Rebound Physical Therapy in Bend, Oregon, and author of Anatomy for Runners. Read More

Hamstring strains and injuries are among the most common acute musculoskeletal injury in the United States. Athletes who participate in track and field, soccer, and football are especially prone to these injuries given the sprinting demands of these sports. Protecting yourself from hamstring strains isn’t rocket science. Use these five exercises to prehab or rehab your hamstrings to avoid pain and injuries while also improving performance. Read More