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.

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.

13 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
Sciatica Treatment: Stop Resting, Start Loading
Sports Rehab

Sciatica Treatment: Stop Resting, Start Loading

Sciatica won't get better with rest. Here's the four-phase loading protocol a Waukee performance PT uses to get athletes back to training, plus where dry needling fits in.

11 min readJake Pawol, PT, DPT, OCS
Runner's Knee Treatment: The Modern Fix for Patellofemoral Pain
Sports Rehab

Runner's Knee Treatment: The Modern Fix for Patellofemoral Pain

What current research says about fixing runner's knee, and how a performance PT helps you treat patellofemoral pain without giving up running.

9 min readJake Pawol, PT, DPT, OCS
Powerlifting Physical Therapy: What Barbell Athletes Need
Sports Rehab

Powerlifting Physical Therapy: What Barbell Athletes Need

Lifters need PT that speaks barbell. Learn where lifters get hurt, what evidence-based rehab looks like, and how F&F keeps athletes training through it.

9 min readJake Pawol, PT, DPT, OCS

Ready to Move Better?

Stop reading about recovery and start living it. Get a plan built for how you actually train.