Health blog
How Much “Wiggle” is in Your Joints?
Joint mobility is the amount of movement that occurs within a single joint. This is not just how high you can raise your arm or how far you can bend your knee, it also is how much or how little “wiggle” there is within a joint. This “wiggle” is known as mild, moderate, or severe, hypermobility (excessive movement) or hypomobility (limitation of movement, stiffness).
How does having too little joint mobility (hypomobility, or stiffness) affect someone?
Can an Ankle Sprain Heal Itself…
Whether we are participating in sports, running outside or just trying to step down off a curb, our ankle can twist into an abnormal position and cause swelling and pain. This is what is commonly referred to as a “rolled ankle” or ankle sprain and is one of the most common injuries that people experience. It is always a good idea to wear supportive shoes when being active and warm up prior to exercise. After exercising or walking, it is also important to stretch the calf muscles to prevent them from getting too tight.
Read full blogPreventing Sports Injuries 101
Exercise and fitness are important for all ages, and create dramatic changes in your overall health and well being. However, it is important for all levels of athletes and non-athletes to have proper warm-ups, stretches, and conditioning, in order to prevent injury. Too often, sports-related injuries occur and injury could have been easily prevented had the athlete thoroughly prepared their body for practices and games.
So what is an appropriate warm-up?
The warm-up, which typically lasts between 10-15 minutes, feeds the body.
Back Discomfort Changing Weekend Plans
Lower back discomfort and pain is very prevalent in our society and can greatly limit our ability to carry out daily tasks such as standing, walking, sitting and sleeping. The number one complaint is pain and stiffness localized to the lower back. The pain can range anywhere from a mild nagging pain to a severe pain. people suffering from this type of pain may feel very stiff, especially in the mornings and may find that they have to change positions frequently to alleviate symptoms.
Read full blogWhat’s Causing Your Hip Discomfort?
Hip problems make daily activities such as sleeping or lying in certain positions, walking, climbing stairs, standing up from a seated position, bending your leg in towards your chest (as when dressing, cutting your toe nails, or washing/drying your feet), running, squatting and standing difficult and painful. Most hip problems are the result of repetitive movements we do on a daily basis. Because this joint is necessary for weight bearing activities, it can be a source of pain among all ages. There are many hip discomfort causes.
Read full blogKinematic Changes Using Weightlifting Shoes on Barbell Back Squat
From weekend warriors to pro athletes, those of us concerned about maintaining a high fitness level rely on a strong set of core muscles to stabilize the body and allow us to perform to the best of our ability. The squat is one of the primary exercises in strengthening the core. As renowned strength coach Mark Rippetoe notes the squat is one exercise that works those core muscles.
In an effort to perform this basic exercise better, athletes look to improve form.
Read full blogOne of the Most Stable Joints in the Body…
You guessed it, the hip joint! However, that does not keep this joint and region of the body from becoming unstable, developing issues, and producing discomfort.
Unstable hip joints can lead to discomfort and weakness in the hip region and creates difficulties:
- sleeping or lying in certain positions
- standing, walking, running, and climbing stairs
- standing up from a seated position
- balancing
- bending your leg in towards your chest (such as when dressing, cutting your toe nails, or washing/drying your feet)
There are multiple structures in and around the hip joint that can produce pain in this area of the body:
- Labrum
- The ring of cartilage around the rim of the socket of the hip joint.
What Type of Stretching Should I do ‘Before’ Playing Sports?
You should know what type of stretching you should do both before and after playing sports or any other physical activity. Stretching is an important part of an athletes daily exercise routine, however, it should not be the only exercise they are doing. Most people think that when we stretch we are elongating our muscles. This is a misconception. Unless we are stretching for many hours every day consistently for at least 6 weeks, than we are not actually lengthening the muscles. It is more likely that you are changing the neural tone. You can think of neural tone as the input to the muscle from the brain to contract. When you stretch you are temporarily changing the neural input and the muscle relaxes. This means that rather than lengthening the muscle you are decreasing the input from the brain to contract the muscle which, in turn, leads to the muscle being more relaxed or loose.
Read full blogWatch Our “Back” – We don’t Want to Slip a Disc
Chances are you or someone you know will experience some degree of back pain in your lifetime. There are many factors that can cause individuals to experience back pain. When we experience back problems it can bring our weekend plans to a complete stop. Depending upon the severity of the injury, it could possibly prevent us from even walking or standing. It can also make it very difficult to sit for prolonged periods of time at our desk at work. It is always best to watch your back so you don’t slip a disc.
Read full blogPut Our Foot Down
Can you put your foot down without experiencing any pain or discomfort? We don’t typically give our feet much thought. However, when we think about it, our feet and ankles do quite a bit for us on a daily basis. They help propel us as we walk, they help us stay level when we are hiking through the rugged mountain trails or through the shifting sands on the beach; they help us press on the gas pedal as we drive; they help us rise up taller so that we can look over the crowd of taller people blocking our view at a concert.
Read full blog
