Sports & Orthopedic physical therapists in Oakland, California

Orthopedic & sports rehab guides

• Meniscus Tears: Symptoms, and Why Most Don't Need Surgery

  A meniscus tear is damage to the C-shaped cartilage that cushions your knee. Sudden traumatic tears in young athletes sometimes need surgery, but for the far more common degenerative tears in adults over 35, high-quality trials show structured exercise therapy matches surgery's results — without the operating room.

• Numbness and Tingling Down the Leg? Here's What It Means and What to Do

  Numbness or tingling that runs down your leg usually means a nerve in your lower back is irritated — commonly from a herniated disc (sciatica) or, in older adults, spinal stenosis. It often comes with back or leg pain. Most cases improve with movement and physical therapy over weeks to months. But numbness in the groin, loss of bladder/bowel control, or quickly worsening leg weakness is an emergency — get care right away.

• Can't Reach Behind Your Back? Here's What It Means and What to Do

  Difficulty reaching behind your back — to tuck in a shirt, hook a bra, or grab a wallet — usually signals lost shoulder rotation, most often from frozen shoulder or rotator cuff irritation. It's rarely an emergency, but frozen shoulder in particular benefits from early, well-dosed physical therapy. If the stiffness is progressing or pain is significant, get it assessed sooner rather than later.

• Pain in the Side of the Hip? Here's What It Means and What to Do

  Pain on the outer side of the hip is most often gluteal tendinopathy or bursitis — irritation of the tendons and cushion at the bony point of the hip. It typically hurts lying on that side, climbing stairs, or standing on one leg. It's not dangerous, and the proven fix is progressive gluteal strengthening plus avoiding compressive positions — not rest or repeated injections.