Continue reading “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires (Chronic Pain & Self-Management)”
Before I proceed and alienate everyone, I first want to clarify that I am not against technology and I don’t think smartphones are inherently bad. I’m not trying to pull a John Connor and convince you to rage against the machine and destroy your cell phone.
In fact, I think technology is a critical component of our culture’s development. Smartphones can be extremely helpful. Not only can they end many arguments with instant fact-checking, but they provide an endless supply of free information and the ability to connect with almost anyone in a first world country. This creates many opportunities that wouldn’t exist otherwise.
But like my mom always says, “everything is okay…in moderation.”
The problem arises when smartphones go from a tool to a behavior. Soon after this, addiction ensues. Next thing you know you’re so dependent on your cell phone that you’re looking for outlets in public places. Continue reading “The Problem with Smartphones”
This post was inspired by a discussion I had with Aaron about the StrongFirst snatch test. This test, which basically involves snatching a 24kg kettlebell 100 times within 5 minutes, is well known for it’s ability to leave even the most conditioned athletes gasping for air. Continue reading “Guest Post: Biomechanical vs. Anatomical Breathing”
I was very lucky to be mentored by Chris Johnson after PT school. I observed and worked part-time in his clinic for almost a year. I learned a tremendous amount from him and was excited to get an update on his approach during his Treadmill Analysis Workshop this past Wednesday.
Chris is the premier running expert. He doesn’t practice what he preaches, he’s a master of it (2x Kona Qualifier). He dives deep into research to stay current on the latest evidence and to improve care. And most importantly, he spends a ton of time treating and training endurance athletes.
Needless to say, he has some valuable information to share. Continue reading “Course Review: Chris Johnson Treadmill Analysis Workshop”
Our brain is quite complicated. It is constantly going through extremely complex processing to achieve many different outputs (movement, speech, vision, thoughts, emotion, pain, allostasis, etc.).
STRESS is one of the most influential factors on our brain’s ability to process efficiently. And in today’s society everyone has had it, many people live in it, and some people can never escape it.
Stress an epidemic and it will Continue reading “Problem & Solution”
I ran a secret experiment on our acupuncturist, Mila Mintsis.
But before I go into the details, Continue reading “My Secret Acupuncture Experiment”
Be sure to check out Part I for my thoughts on Crossfit and Mistake #1. Continue reading “An Open Letter to Crossfit: The 2 Mistakes (Part II)”
Part I went over stress, tissues, the nervous system, and many of the factors that are involved with recovery.
Throughout a PT session there are many opportunities to influence the patient’s health; both for the immediate and long term effects. This post will go over the 4 factors of recovery that I often try to discuss with patients before they are discharged from Physical Therapy. Continue reading “The Art of Recovery (Part 2 of 2)”
On June 1st I had the pleasure of participating in a StrongFirst Kettlebell Workshop with Phil Scarito. It was a 1-day course that went over the intricacies of the basic kettlebell movements (Deadlift, Swing, TGU, Goblet Squat, Press). The theory is that it’s better to master the fundementals than to be average at a bunch of different lifts. Plus, it’s these basic KB movements that that have the greatest impact on improving one’s physical abilities and movement patterns. Continue reading “Course Review – StrongFirst Kettlebell Workshop”
On June 9th I went to Chicago, IL to run in a half-marathon with my brother and girlfriend. Prior to this I had never ran more than 6 miles at once and had spent my time playing sports and lifting weights as opposed to endurance training. I trained for 3 months, ran the half-marathon, and learned a lot about myself and running. Continue reading “What I Learned from Running a Half-Marathon”
October is always one of my favorite times of the year. The weather gets a little cooler, the football season is in full swing, pumpkin flavored food is available, Oktoberfest beers are on tap, and most of all Halloween is right around the corner. Before the time comes for ghouls, ghosts, and demons, it is important to prepare and protect your neck. Continue reading “Protect Your Neck”
It doesn’t take a subscription to a peer-reviewed medical journal to gain knowledge and understanding in the orthopedic world. Today there is a plethora of websites and blogs with so much free information that you can practically get free continuing education online. Here’s a list of some helpful sites. I’ve tried to focus on the ones that are more focused on concepts and education instead of product placement and marketing. Let me know if there is anything I’m missing.
A common rule that has become widely accepted is the 10% rule. This is a general guideline to help prevent injuries. The rule simply states that you should not increase your duration, frequency, intensity, or load by more than 10% per week. Failing to abide by this rule can lead to maladaptive compensations, tissue overload, subsequent injuries, and a possible loss of that rug that really ties the room together. Continue reading “The Big 10 Percentowski”
Ice is good for more than just keeping your favorite cocktail cold. It can have a profound effect on preventing and healing injuries. In fact, it’s been used as a healing modality (cryotherapy) for centuries and continues to be one of the main methods for reducing pain and accelerating tissue healing.
Recently, there has been some research that states stretching prior to exercise has lead to a reduction of muscle strength. Of course when something this radical comes out it leads to all sorts of bandwagons, assumptions, and un-educated advice. While this research has helped set a trend toward dynamic warm ups, it has done a big disservice to individuals participating in activities by giving them the notion that they shouldn’t be stretching. Continue reading “The Truth About Stretching”
Assessing your static and dynamic foot type can be difficult, but it seems simple when compared to the complexity and confusion associated with selecting the right shoes for your feet. Continue reading “How To Pick Your Kicks (Part 3 of 3)”
In the last post we discussed how to assess your foot type in static positions. Knowing your static foot type gives you a good place to start, but you really want to be choosing your footwear based on the dynamic support it can provide for your athletic activities. Continue reading “How To Pick Your Kicks (Part 2 or 3)”
Shoe shopping can be a very complicated and confusing process. Choosing the proper shoe can ensure injury protection and provide proper distribution of forces. Whereas choosing the wrong shoe can lead to injuries and under performance. To add to this problem, there are many stores out there with self-proclaimed “professionals” giving out the wrong advice. Continue reading “How To Pick Your Kicks (Part 1 of 3)”
Inflexibility of the hamstring muscle is often a prominent kink in most people’s posterior kinetic chain. It’s the reason why we have to sit down to tie our shoes, can’t sit up-right with our legs straight out in front of us, and the reason why most of us would be very pathetic at martial arts. Having a tight hamstring is a major concern as it can lead to increased risk of injury, decrease athletic performance, and cause pain and symptoms both proximally and distally (low back pain, achilles pain, etc.). Continue reading “The Best Posterior Chain Stretch”
