Riverside Physical Therapy

Riverside Physical Therapy IRG Physical & Hand Therapy is the Northwest's premier physical and hand therapy group. We want to make it easy for patients to get the care they need.

We have locations throughout the Puget Sound, so you'll never have to travel far to receive exceptional service. Nestled in a northern Idaho valley sits a small community packed with big adventure. Orofino, Idaho has year-round recreational activities that attract families and thrill seekers alike. At Riverside Physical Therapy, we strive to achieve results quickly with virtually every condition or injury. We offer a full range of specialized services to cover a majority of patient conditions. We offer early morning and evening appointments to accommodate a variety of schedules, and we accept most insurance plans, including Medicare and Worker's Compensation.

02/25/2026

Workout:
30-Minute EMOM (6 Rounds)
• Jumping Jacks
• Wall Sits
• Lunge Stance Hold
• Lateral Lunges
• Flutter Kicks

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Why EMOM workouts are so effective:

EMOM stands for Every Minute On the Minute. You perform the assigned movement at the start of each minute, and whatever time you have left in that minute becomes your rest. When the next minute starts, you move to the next exercise.

Here’s why EMOM training is great:

• Built-in structure – The clock keeps you accountable and focused.
• Improves conditioning – You’re working against time, which challenges both muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness.
• Teaches pacing – Go too hard early and you’ll feel it later. It encourages controlled, efficient movement.
• Progressive overload made simple – You can increase reps, resistance, or intensity while keeping the format the same.
• Time efficient – 30 minutes is focused, intentional work without wasted time.

EMOMs are a great way to blend strength, stability, and cardio in one session while keeping intensity high and rest structured.

02/23/2026

Workout:
3 Rounds:
• 15 Hammer Curls
• 15 Overhead Press
• 15 Elbow Plank Rock Backs
• 15 Forward Raises

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Why we want our core and arms strong:

Strong arms aren’t just for aesthetics — they improve your ability to push, pull, carry, lift, and stabilize in everyday life. From picking up groceries to getting off the floor, upper body strength matters.

Your core is the foundation. It transfers force between your lower and upper body, protects your spine, improves posture, and enhances balance. A strong core also reduces compensations that can lead to shoulder, neck, or low back discomfort.

When your core and arms work together, you:
• Improve shoulder stability
• Increase lifting efficiency
• Protect your spine
• Build better overall movement patterns
• Support long-term joint health

Strong, stable, and functional — that’s the goal. 💪

We will be open normal hours and days this week! You may see a new doggy face in the clinic this week! Everyone meet Gus...
02/23/2026

We will be open normal hours and days this week! You may see a new doggy face in the clinic this week! Everyone meet Gus🐶🫶

02/17/2026

Thoracic mobility (movement through the mid-upper spine) is important because it directly affects how well you move, breathe, and distribute force through your body—especially in daily life, sports, and lifting.

Here’s why it matters 👇

1. Better Shoulder & Neck Function

The thoracic spine and shoulders are closely linked. Limited thoracic extension or rotation often leads to:
• Shoulder impingement
• Rotator cuff irritation
• Neck stiffness or headaches

If the thoracic spine doesn’t move, the shoulder and neck are forced to overcompensate, increasing injury risk.

2. Improved Posture (Without “Forcing” It)

Adequate thoracic extension allows you to sit and stand upright naturally, rather than constantly cueing “sit up straight.”
Good thoracic mobility helps counter:
• Desk posture
• Phone use
• Long driving hours

3. More Efficient Breathing

The rib cage attaches to the thoracic spine. When the thoracic spine is stiff:
• Rib expansion is limited
• Breathing becomes shallow
• The neck and accessory muscles work overtime

Better thoracic mobility = better rib motion = more efficient diaphragmatic breathing.

4. Power & Rotation for Sports

Many sports depend on thoracic rotation:
• Golf
• Tennis
• Baseball
• Running and throwing

If rotation is limited, force leaks occur and stress shifts to the lumbar spine or shoulders instead.

5. Lower Back Protection

The thoracic spine is designed for rotation; the lumbar spine is not.
When thoracic mobility is limited, the low back often moves more than it should—leading to:
• Overuse
• Strain
• Chronic pain

6. Better Overhead Movement

For squats, presses, pull-ups, or daily overhead tasks:
• Thoracic extension allows the arms to raise fully
• Reduces arching through the low back
• Improves overall movement quality

02/16/2026

We are closed today and will be open tomorrow Tuesday 17th at 12pm!!

Last day at conference and my brain is 🔥 in the best way.

Here’s what we dove into:

• Your body makes its own opioids. With chronic pain, those natural pain-relieving channels don’t fire the way they should.
• A 6-mile run can stimulate endorphins comparable to ~10mg of morphine. Movement is powerful medicine.
• The nervous system is a predictor. Sometimes it predicts pain even when the movement itself isn’t actually dangerous.
• Chronic pain isn’t just about the painful body part. Knee pain? Work the hip. Work the spine. Work the system.
• Dermatomes matter — asking a patient where they feel touch (R vs L, back vs knee vs foot) tells us how the nervous system is mapping the body.
• Chronic pain requires cognitive homework, not just exercises.
– What 3 reasons do you think your alarm system is sensitive?
– Can you explain the “alarm system” story to your spouse?
• Living in pain all day is exhausting. Fatigue is real — the nervous system is always “on.”
• Loss of lumbar spine motion? The hip is forced to pick up the slack. Regional interdependence always shows up.
• With an anterior hip approach, the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve can be affected — numbness rates are high. Anatomy matters.

Biggest takeaway: we don’t just treat tissues. We treat nervous systems, beliefs, behaviors, and movement patterns.

Pain science + movement science = better outcomes.

02/14/2026

What did we learn today you might ask! Here are some bullet points✅🤷🏼

• To activate the quad → distract the brain with an upper extremity movement
• Hop testing is key with ACL rehab
• Inflammation = increased nervous system activity
• Too many C-fibers firing → you “lose the gate” and pain ramps up
• With chronic pain, the brain can disown that body part and stop using it
• The brain literally forgets how to use that area efficiently
• Wrist pain can drive elbow pain → which can then drive shoulder pain (regional interdependence)
• Push intensity in our older patients: 90–95% max HR for 2–4 minutes for 19 minutes 3 x week
• Think time under tension instead of just counting reps
• Use functional tests: step test or 6-minute walk test

02/12/2026

🧠 Why Forward & Lateral Step-Ups Are So Effective (The Research)

1. They Closely Mimic Daily & Sport Movements

Step-ups are a closed-chain exercise, meaning the foot is fixed on the surface—similar to stairs, curbs, and sport landings.
Research shows closed-chain exercises improve functional strength and joint stability better than many open-chain movements.

Why it matters:
✔ Transfers directly to daily activities
✔ Improves movement efficiency and confidence

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2. High Activation of Key Lower Extremity Muscles

EMG studies show step-ups strongly activate:
• Gluteus maximus & medius
• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings

Lateral step-ups, in particular, significantly engage the glute medius, a muscle critical for pelvic and knee control.

Why it matters:
✔ Helps reduce knee valgus (inward collapse)
✔ Supports injury prevention (ACL, patellofemoral pain)

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3. Improves Single-Leg Strength & Balance

Both forward and lateral step-ups challenge the body in a single-leg stance, requiring neuromuscular control, balance, and coordination.

Research shows single-leg training:
• Improves proprioception
• Enhances lower extremity symmetry
• Reduces fall risk and re-injury rates

Why it matters:
✔ Better stability
✔ Stronger, more resilient legs

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4. Joint-Friendly Strength Building

Compared to squats or jumping, step-ups:
• Allow adjustable height and load
• Reduce excessive joint stress
• Are easily progressed or regressed

This makes them ideal for rehab, post-op, and return-to-sport phases.

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5. Forward vs. Lateral Step-Ups
• Forward step-ups: Emphasize quads and glute max → great for stair climbing & knee strength
• Lateral step-ups: Emphasize hip abductors & frontal-plane control → crucial for cutting, running, and injury prevention

02/09/2026

🔥 Core + glute stability circuit 🔥
5 rounds focused on hip extension strength, deep core control, and total body stability. This combo builds a strong foundation for better movement, injury prevention, and everyday performance. Slow, controlled reps for max benefit.

5 rounds:
-15 standing hip extension
-15 quadruped hip extension
-15 dead bugs
-15 bird dogs

📅 Next 2 Weeks Schedule Update:✅ Mon Feb 9 & Tues Feb 10: OPEN normal hours 7:30 am - 4:30 pm ❌ Wed Feb 11 – Fri Feb 13:...
02/06/2026

📅 Next 2 Weeks Schedule Update:

✅ Mon Feb 9 & Tues Feb 10: OPEN normal hours 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
❌ Wed Feb 11 – Fri Feb 13: CLOSED

➡️ Next Week: February 17th - 20th
🕛 Tues Feb 17: 12pm – 4pm
🕢 Wed Feb 18: 7:30am – 4:30pm
🕢 Thurs Feb 19: 7:30am – 4:30pm
🕖 Fri Feb 20: 7am – 11am

Please plan accordingly and reach out if you need to get on the schedule! 💪208.476.7105

02/02/2026

🔥 Lower body burner! 🔥
5 rounds to build strength, stability, and serious posterior chain power. Split squats for control, RDLs for hamstrings + glutes, half-kneeling hip raises for hip stability, and calf raises to finish strong. Quality reps > rushing. Your legs will thank you later 💪

5 rounds:
-10 split squats 1/2 to 1 full rep
-15 RDL’s
-15 half kneeling hip raises
-20 calf raises

*Sorry for the increase in speed of my voice in the video it has to meet a time requirement and the only way is to speed it up🤪

02/01/2026

Exercise can look different for everyone, this is how we spend our Saturday! ⛷️ Benefits of skiing for exercise

1. Full-body strength
Skiing engages the lower body heavily (quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves) while the core and upper body stabilize and assist with balance and pole use. The constant changes in terrain require your muscles to work dynamically, which builds real-world strength.

2. Core stability & postural control
You’re constantly fighting gravity and rotation, which fires deep core muscles (especially transverse abdominis and obliques). This helps improve spinal stability and posture — similar to what we aim for in PT rehab and functional training.

3. Balance & proprioception
Skiing challenges your nervous system to react quickly to changing surfaces, speeds, and slopes. This improves joint awareness and neuromuscular control, which translates directly to injury prevention and fall risk reduction as we age.

4. Cardiovascular endurance
Even though it doesn’t feel like “steady-state cardio,” skiing keeps your heart rate elevated through repeated runs, altitude exposure, and active recovery between lifts. It’s a great interval-style workout.

Address

150 126th Street
Orofino, ID
83544

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 7:30am - 2:30pm

Telephone

+12084767105

Website

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