A question I get asked a lot by clients and people who suffer with back pain is a really simple one: “When do I use ice and when do I use heat?” Rightly or wrongly, 9 out of 10 of my clients tend to favor heat – a nice hot water bottle, a soak in the bath, or one of those lavender scented wheat bags to try and ease their back pain. (I think a lot of people don’t like the idea of putting cold ice on their back, unless it’s really hot outside!) As you can appreciate every health concern and injury is different. Sometimes it’s ice to cool it down, or heat to help relax it…it can be very confusing! When To Use Ice  There’s one time in particular we say to use ice and that’s when something just happened and it’s very painful, likely hot and maybe swollen. This is an ‘acute’ injury. Acute meaning it just happened. For example, an ankle sprain or pulled muscle. When it comes to your back pain, the time to use ice is if your back has suddenly ‘gone’ and you’re in a lot of pain, or you’ve overdone it and your back becomes very painful towards the end of the day. You see, your body is actually very clever. Let’s use an ankle sprain as an example… When you sprain your ankle your body will immediately try and protect itself. This is why you get swelling and it becomes very… 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

Guerilla Running does a wonderful job putting on a 4 mile Turkey Trot race on Thanksgiving morning in downtown Olympia, WA. Penrose & Associates is proud to sponsor this race and provide swag bags. Read More

At Penrose Physical Therapy some of you already know we believe in a thorough hands on approach. Depending on the situation, patient, and injury it may be an ART (Active release technique), Trigger point release, Graston, or even IASTM ( instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization). We came across this article at “Runners World” and thought it may help explain a little bit of what we do and why we do it. Read More

Penrose & Associates Physical Therapy sponsors local school races such as the Glow Run 5k as a fund raiser for Cornerstone Christian School.  It also sponsors The Friendship Run for the Westside Co-op Preschool. Jennifer Penrose has donated her time as the cross country coach and assisted with the track team at Cornerstone Christian School.  Dr. Penrose enjoys teaching youth in correct running form, dynamic warm ups, and stretching.  She wants kids to just have fun running!… Read More

Running isn’t a warm up. Running is something that you should warm up to do. There are certain things that need to be primed to run optimally, especially if you aren’t someone who does a ton of running. Read More

Recovery = the act or process of becoming healthy, a return to a normal state of health and mind and strength. Here are a few tips to keep you off the side line and out of therapy. Read More

Plantar fasciitis, also known as Runner’s Heel, is one of the most common injuries among athletes. Approximately 10 percent of runners will have plantar fasciitis in their career. They’ll join scores of other athletes and non-athletes with this painful and strange injury. Read More

Although the exact cause of side stitches is unknown, physicians will agree that the diaphragm, a sheet of muscle that extends across the bottom of the rib cage, plays an important role in breathing. Just like your leg muscles, your diaphragm can fatigue and cramp when put under too much stress. That's why side stitches tend to strike beginner runners or those stepping up pace or distance. The good news is that there are a variety of effective strategies that can help prevent this common problem. Read More

Maintaining hydration, or a normal state of body water content, is not as easy as it seems. Dehydration means slower times, which means even more minutes out in the heat. By following some of these tips and trying out some of the products mentioned, you'll be more likely to stay hydrated. Read More