Articles

Training Insights & Recovery Intel.

Evidence-based articles on pain science, training through injury, and performance recovery — written by a clinician who lives the lifestyle.

Wrist Pain in Lifters and CrossFit: Front Rack, Cleans, and Push-Ups
Sports Rehab

Wrist Pain in Lifters and CrossFit: Front Rack, Cleans, and Push-Ups

Wrist pain from front squats, cleans, and push-ups is usually a load-and-position problem, not a reason to stop. Here is how to tell sore from serious and keep training while it settles.

9 min readJake Pawol, PT, DPT, OCS
Dry Needling for Shoulder Pain: Does It Actually Work?
Treatments

Dry Needling for Shoulder Pain: Does It Actually Work?

Dry needling for shoulder pain can genuinely help when your pain is muscle and trigger-point driven, but only as part of a loading plan. Here is what the research shows and how I use it.

8 min readJake Pawol, PT, DPT, OCS
Lower Back Pain After Deadlifts (and How to Keep Lifting)
Sports Rehab

Lower Back Pain After Deadlifts (and How to Keep Lifting)

Lower back pain after deadlifts is usually a load problem, not damage. Here is how I tell a strain from something serious, when you can keep training, and how I get lifters back under the bar.

9 min readJake Pawol, PT, DPT, OCS
How to Train for the Des Moines Marathon Without Getting Hurt
Injury Prevention

How to Train for the Des Moines Marathon Without Getting Hurt

Training for the Des Moines Marathon on October 18? The buildup, not race day, is where most runners get hurt. Here is the sports physical therapy playbook a Waukee PT uses to build mileage, add strength, and reach the start line healthy.

9 min readJake Pawol, PT, DPT, OCS
Lifter's Elbow: Tennis vs Golfer's Elbow, and How to Fix It
Sports Rehab

Lifter's Elbow: Tennis vs Golfer's Elbow, and How to Fix It

Grip pain on your deadlifts, pull-ups, or curls? Here is what elbow tendonitis actually is, how to tell tennis elbow from golfer's elbow, and the loading-based plan a Waukee performance PT uses to get lifters back to training.

11 min readJake Pawol, PT, DPT, OCS
Plantar Fasciitis: Why Your Heel Hurts Every Morning
Sports Rehab

Plantar Fasciitis: Why Your Heel Hurts Every Morning

Heel pain on your first steps every morning? Here is what plantar fasciitis actually is, why rest alone keeps it coming back, and the loading-based plan a Waukee performance PT uses to get runners and lifters back to training.

11 min readJake Pawol, PT, DPT, OCS
Shin Splints in Runners and Lifters: Why Rest Won't Fix It
Sports Rehab

Shin Splints in Runners and Lifters: Why Rest Won't Fix It

Shin splints won't heal with rest alone. Here's how to tell anterior shin pain from medial shin splints, why loading beats couch time, and how a Waukee performance PT gets runners and lifters back to training.

8 min readJake Pawol, PT, DPT, OCS
Bench Press Shoulder Pain: How to Train Through It
Sports Rehab

Bench Press Shoulder Pain: How to Train Through It

Bench press shoulder pain doesn't have to take you out of the gym. Here's the setup changes, pain-monitored loading rules, and strength-based rehab approach that keeps lifters pressing through it.

9 min readJake Pawol, PT, DPT, OCS
Achilles Tendon Pain Treatment for Runners and Lifters
Sports Rehab

Achilles Tendon Pain Treatment for Runners and Lifters

Achilles tendon pain won't fix itself with rest. Here's the progressive loading approach a Waukee performance PT uses to get runners and lifters back to training without stopping.

8 min readJake Pawol, PT, DPT, OCS
Hip Pain in Active Adults: How I Treat It Without Pulling You Out of the Gym
Sports Rehab

Hip Pain in Active Adults: How I Treat It Without Pulling You Out of the Gym

Hip pain in active adults usually isn't a damage problem, it's a load tolerance problem. Here's how I diagnose the real driver and get lifters, runners, and CrossFit athletes back to training without rest as the default answer.

10 min readJake Pawol, PT, DPT, OCS

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