MRI scans are often misleading. Twenty-six elite volleyball players with no symptoms of injury received an MRI on their dominant shoulder. The MRIs showed an abnormality in every athlete, even though none had symptoms that kept them from competing.

Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition that affects more than 5.7 million adults. Physical activity is essential to preventing and managing heart failure and other chronic diseases. Physical therapists help people with heart failure achieve the right amount and duration of exercise to reduce their activity-related symptoms.

For US residents, ages 65 and older, the rate of deaths related to falls steadily increased by 31% from 2007 through 2016, making falls the leading cause of injury-related deaths in this age group.

Despite being the number one cause of disability around the world, low back pain is often improperly addressed with inappropriate tests and treatments, including addictive opioids.

According to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 7% of children aged 3 to 17 has experienced a head injury. Concussions are a traumatic brain injury that can cause lasting effects on brain tissue and change the chemical balance of the brain. Concussion may cause physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms and problems, both short-term and long-term.

More than 60% of Americans who died from an opioid overdose suffered from chronic noncancer-related pain. Furthermore, it was found that they had also filled an opioid prescription (49%), and in some cases, seen a doctor, in the month before they died. Many of those who overdosed also struggled with depression or anxiety.

In the past, medical thinking with regard to concussions recommended delaying physical activity following a concussion. New research suggests that early return (within 1 week) to physical activity may actually decrease the likelihood of persistent symptoms in children and adolescents after a concussion.

Sixty-seven studies of more than 12,000 patients were evaluated. Among those studies, 40 examined patient outcomes after dose reduction, and improvement was reported in pain severity, function, and quality of life. The CDC guidelines also urge health care providers to reduce the use of opioids in favor of safe alternatives like physical therapy.

A recent systematic review concluded that arthroscopic surgery for degenerative knee disease (including arthritis and meniscal tears) did not result in lasting pain relief or improved function. Only 15% of arthroscopy patients reported a small or very small improvement in pain or function at 3 months post surgery, and those benefits were not sustained at 1 year post surgery.

The results of a recent systematic review validated the use of exercise as treatment over pharmacological interventions for cancer-related fatigue (CRF).

An analysis by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on United States (US) health care spending, revealed that low back and neck pain accounted for the third highest amount of spending at $87.6 billion.

"It appears that traumatic injury is not a main driver for continued opioid use in patients who were not taking opioids prior to their injuries."

In a small study, highly specialized youth athletes were more likely to report a history of overuse knee or hip injuries. Physical therapists encourage athletes of all ages to diversify their exercise to avoid injury.

In 2015, almost 12 million Medicare beneficiaries received at least 1 prescription of opioids (OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, fentanyl or their generic equivalents), at an estimated cost of $4.1 billion.

People with chronic low back pain might get "modest, short-term pain relief" from opioids. But when it comes to long-term treatment, evidence to support the effectiveness of opioids is "lacking."

A new analysis and review analyzes the links between exercise and a significant reduction in low back pain.

According to a new study, people who use opioids for 30 days or more in an effort to treat pain could be increasing their risk of developing depression.

Research shows that older adults can proactively prevent falls and their dangerous consequences with the help of a physical therapist.

Research suggests that improvements in physical function are possible well into older adulthood.

Among high school athletes, girls are at greater risk for overuse injuries than boys, according to a recent national study published in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Researchers found that people who were initially prescribed advanced imaging, such as MRIs, over physical therapy for management of low back pain ultimately paid more, and they were more likely to have surgery or injections or to visit an emergency room, compared to those who were first sent to physical therapists.

Simple warmup exercises might be enough to prevent one of the most common serious knee injuries suffered by youth athletes, especially females.

While physical therapists are known as hands-on, movement specialists, evidence is beginning to suggest their ability to teach can improve outcomes and reduce health care costs as well.

The benefits of walking are widely known and continually proven. A recent study found that walking 6,000 steps a day—the equivalent of 1 hour— may help improve knee arthritis and prevent disability.

A study published in the American Journal of Public Health suggests that 4 hours of walking each week can significantly reduce hip fracture risk later in life.