Every article, by topic.
All 64 guides on one page, newest first within each section. Back to the latest posts
For patients
Exercise guides, stretches, and what the numbers on your plan mean.
- Warming up before your home exercises: what five minutes does, and what to do
What a short warm-up changes in muscles, joints and nerves, what trials say about injury risk, and a two to five minute routine to use before rehab exercises.
- Thoracic extension over a foam roller: upper back mobility, how to do it, and who should be careful
How thoracic extension over a foam roller frees a stiff upper back, why that matters for neck and shoulder pain, the right setup and reps, and who should ask first.
- Terminal knee extension with a band: why the last 20 degrees matter
How to do a standing terminal knee extension with a band, why the last degrees of straightening matter after ACL surgery or a knee replacement, and how to progress.
- Eccentric wrist extension for tennis elbow: why slow lowering helps and how to dose it
Why tennis elbow responds to slow eccentric loading, how to do the Tyler twist with a rubber bar or the dumbbell version, and how often to do it.
- Sciatic nerve glides for leg pain: what they do and how to do the seated version
How a sciatic nerve glide differs from a hamstring stretch, why therapists start with sliders, what reviews say, and how to do the seated slump glide safely.
- Prone Y and T raises: training the lower and middle trapezius
Prone Y and T raises target the lower and middle trapezius, which rotate the shoulder blade upward. What EMG studies show, how to set up, and how to progress.
- Pelvic tilts for low back pain: what the exercise teaches, how to do it lying down, and when to move on
How to do a posterior pelvic tilt lying down after a back flare-up or in pregnancy, what it trains, what guidelines say about early movement, and when to progress.
- Lateral band walks: the standing hip exercise that comes after the floor work
Why monster walks follow floor exercises, what EMG studies say about band position at the knees, ankles or feet, the trailing-foot mistake, and how to progress.
- The figure-four stretch for the piriformis and deep hip rotators
How to do the figure-four stretch lying down or in a chair, how long to hold it, what the piriformis actually does, and when buttock pain needs assessment first.
- Wall push-ups and scapular push-ups for shoulder stability
Why wall push-ups come early in shoulder rehab, what the serratus anterior does, how to add the plus, keep elbows near 45 degrees, and progress to the floor.
- Reverse lunges vs forward lunges: why stepping back is kinder to sore knees
Why the reverse lunge loads the kneecap less than the forward lunge, which muscles it works, how to keep the front knee tracking well, and how to progress.
- Quad sets after knee surgery: the first exercise and how to tell it is working
Why quad sets are the first exercise after knee surgery, how to do one, hold and rep guidance from hospital protocols, the towel variation, and common mistakes.
- Plank benefits and progressions: core endurance, how long to hold, and the mistakes that hurt your back
What a plank really trains, how long to hold it, knee and incline regressions, long-lever and side plank progressions, and the form errors that load the lower back.
- Pendulum exercises for a stiff or painful shoulder: what they do and how to do them
How Codman's pendulum exercises help after rotator cuff surgery and in frozen shoulder, what EMG studies show about cuff effort, and the mistake to avoid.
- Mini squats for knee osteoarthritis: how deep to go and how to progress
Why therapists start knee osteoarthritis rehab with a shallow squat, what research says about depth and kneecap load, the muscles worked, and how to progress.
- Learning the hip hinge: the movement behind lifting, deadlifts and bending
Learn the hip hinge with the dowel drill, which muscles it trains, what research says about lifting technique and back pain, and how to progress to a kettlebell.
- Chin tucks for neck pain and forward head posture
How chin tucks retrain the deep neck flexors, why those muscles switch off with neck pain, how to do the nod lying and sitting, hold times, and common mistakes.
- Cat-cow for a stiff back: what it does, how to do it, and when it belongs in a plan
Cat-cow is a gentle spinal mobility movement for morning stiffness and warm-ups. How to breathe with it, how many reps, and who should keep the range small.
- Sets, reps and rest: how your therapist chooses your exercise dose
What sets, reps, rest and load mean on a physical therapy plan, how each number maps to a goal, and how to tell your therapist when it feels too easy or too hard.
- Side-lying hip abduction: the gluteus medius exercise that keeps your knees and hips honest
What EMG studies say about side leg raises for the gluteus medius, why the muscle matters for knee and hip pain, the pelvis-roll mistake, and how to progress.
- Hamstring stretches: benefits, how long to hold, and the safest positions for a sore back
How long to hold a hamstring stretch, why lying on your back with a strap is kinder to a sore back than a toe touch, and what the research does and does not show.
- Ankle mobility exercises after a sprain: ankle alphabet, knee to wall, and why early movement beats rest
Why early movement beats rest after a lateral ankle sprain, how to do the ankle alphabet and knee-to-wall dorsiflexion work, and what to expect week by week.
- Banded shoulder external rotation: the rotator cuff exercise in nearly every rehab plan
Why banded shoulder external rotation is in almost every rotator cuff program: muscles worked, EMG evidence on position, the towel cue, band choice, and progression.
- Straight leg raises: waking up the quad after a knee injury or surgery
Why therapists prescribe straight leg raises early after knee surgery, which muscles work, how to spot a quad lag, and how to progress with ankle weights.
- Heel slides after knee surgery: restoring knee range of motion
How heel slides restore knee bend after knee replacement or ACL surgery, the flexion targets rehab protocols set by week, towel and wall variations, and swelling.
- Step-ups for knee and hip strength: benefits, muscles worked, step height, and form
What step-ups do for knee and hip strength: muscles worked, how high the step should be, keeping the knee over the foot, forward vs lateral, and how to progress.
- Wall sit benefits: muscles worked, how long to hold, and mistakes to avoid
Why physical therapists use wall sits for knee rehab and quad strength, what the research says, how to set your knee angle and hold time, and how to progress.
- How to rate pain on a 0 to 10 scale so the numbers mean something
Pain scores only help if you rate the same thing the same way each time. What the anchors mean, which moment to rate, and how big a change actually counts.
- Why your physio added cardio to a rehab plan
Walking or cycling turned up in your rehab plan next to the strength work. What aerobic exercise does for pain and recovery, and how much is enough.
- Messaging your physio between sessions: what is worth sending
Which questions and symptoms belong in a message to your physiotherapist between appointments, what to leave for a call, and how to write a message they can act on.
- Isometric holds vs repetitions: why your plan has both
Why some rehab exercises are timed holds and others are counted reps, what the evidence says each one does, and how to do both well at home.
- Sit to Stand With Armrests for an Easier Start
Find out how arm support can make sit to stand practice more manageable, how to choose a stable chair, and what to ask before progressing.
- Standing Hip Flexor Stretch Without Kneeling
Learn a supported standing hip flexor stretch, where you should feel it, and what to discuss with your therapist if kneeling is uncomfortable.
- Static vs dynamic stretching: what goes before, what goes after
What research says about static vs dynamic stretching: why dynamic moves fit warm-ups, how long to hold static stretches, and what the injury evidence shows.
- Rounded shoulders: stretch the front, strengthen the back
The exercises for rounded shoulders that research supports: doorway chest stretches, band pull-aparts, external rotations, and Y raises, with form cues.
- Hip Flexor Stretches for Tight Hips
Learn the kneeling hip flexor stretch, how to avoid arching your back, and where to find a standing alternative if kneeling is uncomfortable.
- Walking a line: how simple balance drills reduce fall risk
Four simple balance exercises for seniors: heel-to-toe walk, backward tandem, figure eights, and single-leg stance, with safety setup and progression tips.
- Sit to Stand Exercise Benefits and Technique
Understand the sit to stand exercise, learn a controlled chair rise, and find an easier option using armrests when you need more support.
- Calf raises and heel drops: the underrated engine of walking
Calf raise benefits explained: the muscles worked, straight vs bent knee, the eccentric heel drop story in Achilles rehab, and how to progress safely.
- Four gentle lower back stretches for stiff mornings, and why movement helps
Gentle lower back stretches for stiff mornings: knee-to-chest, cat-camel, windshield wipers, and the open book, plus hold times and red flags to know.
- Bird dogs and dead bugs: core work that respects your lower back
Why clinicians favor bird dog, dead bug, and planks as core exercises for lower back pain: neutral spine, endurance over strength, and form cues that matter.
- Clamshell Exercise Benefits and Common Mistakes
Learn what the clamshell exercise involves, why pelvic control matters, and which questions to ask before adding resistance to your exercise plan.
- Glute Bridge Benefits and Muscles Worked
Explore glute bridge technique, muscles worked, common form mistakes and progression questions to discuss with your physical therapist.
- Why your rehab exercises keep getting harder, and who decides when
Why rehab exercises get harder over time: the tissue science, the criteria therapists use to progress you, and why self-advancing your program backfires.
- How to get more out of your next physical therapy appointment
Simple preparation that makes therapy visits count: tracking between visits, bringing specifics, asking better questions, and leaving with a clear plan.
- Why your therapist asks about pain before and after exercise
Pain check-ins aren't a formality. Before-and-after pain reports shape how your therapist progresses, holds, or modifies your exercise program.
- Setting up your space for a guided exercise session at home
Camera placement, lighting, clothing, and safety tips for camera-guided home exercise sessions that track your movement accurately.
- Seven realistic ways to stick to your prescribed exercise plan
Practical strategies for staying consistent with a home exercise program when motivation dips: habits, environment, and feedback.
- What is a home exercise program, and why did my therapist prescribe one?
A simple guide to home exercise programs (HEPs): what they are, why therapists prescribe them, and how to get the most out of yours.
For therapists
Dosing, progression, adherence, and remote therapeutic monitoring.
- Prescribing load with RPE and reps in reserve: a practical way to set intensity for home exercise programs
How therapists set home exercise intensity with RPE and reps in reserve instead of percent of 1RM: the scale, where estimates go wrong, and how to progress load.
- Eccentric exercise for tendon pain: why slow lowering is prescribed and how to dose it
How the Alfredson protocol, decline squats and heavy slow resistance compare for Achilles and patellar tendinopathy, how to dose by pain, and how to check the dose.
- Progressing a home exercise program: tempo, range, frequency and load
How therapists progress a home exercise program by adjusting tempo, range of motion, frequency and load, what the evidence says, and why one change at a time works.
- Writing home exercise instructions patients actually remember
Patients forget 40 to 80 percent of what they hear in clinic. What recall research says about written, pictorial, and specific instructions that stick.
- No-shows in physiotherapy: what predicts them and what reminders actually do
Three in four physio patients miss a visit. What predicts a missed appointment, what Cochrane says about text reminders, and what else helps.
- Telehealth vs in-person physiotherapy: what the trials show, and when to use each
The PEAK trial and recent meta-analyses on video physiotherapy, where in-person visits still earn their place, and how to design a hybrid pathway that uses both.
- Choosing an RTM platform: what to ask before you commit
A practical guide to evaluating RTM platforms: the FDA device question, the 2026 code changes, objective data, review workflow, and pricing models.
- Why home exercise adherence is hard, and what actually helps
The real barriers behind unfinished home exercise programs: uncertainty, invisible progress, friction, and silence between visits.
- What home session data changes about the next appointment
How therapists use between-visit session results, from adherence to pain trends, to make in-clinic time count for more.
- Remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM): what the Medicare codes actually cover
The 2026 RTM CPT codes explained for rehab clinics: 2-to-15-day supply codes, 10-minute management, FDA device requirements, and therapist billing basics.
Product
How camera-guided sessions, scoring and privacy work in practice.
- Why your exercise list resets every day
Yesterday's completed exercises show as not started again this morning. Nothing was lost. Here is why daily completion expires and what the research on habits says.
- What a form quality score actually measures, and what it doesn't
A 0 to 100 form score looks precise. What the software compares your movement to, what pulls a score down that isn't your fault, and how to read the trend.
- Range of motion from a phone camera: how accurate is it, really?
What validation studies say about measuring joint range of motion with a single phone camera, which joints it handles well, and how to make home readings useful.
- On-device AI: why your exercise video doesn't have to go anywhere
What on-device AI means in a camera-guided exercise app: real-time feedback physics, privacy by architecture, and what actually leaves your browser.
- Camera privacy in exercise apps: the questions worth asking
A practical privacy checklist for camera-based health and exercise apps, covering permissions, data use, and transparency, with KineTrue's answers.