Tag: performance

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Chiropractor Health Media Videos

Chiropractor for Athletes

Multiple world boxing champion and UFC Women’s title challenger Holly Holm will fight the #1 Female Fighter in the World Ronda Rousey with the help of Chiropractic.

Chiropractic can benefit athletes by helping their muscles, joints and nervous system function at its best. Chiropractors help athletes decrease pain and improve recovery time from the strains of ongoing training.

Chiropractors can assess your physical health and determine the best way to optimize your body through hands on therapy,  exercise and physical therapy modalities. Chiropractors utilize a natural approach to your health and do not prescribe medications or perform surgery. A chiropractor will utilize safe, simple and effective techniques that the athlete is comfortable with. Lastly, a chiropractor will work with you and your team of coaches to help integrate their care into your training as to not interfere. Learn more about Chiropractors and Athletic Performance here.

Are you and athlete training for competition?

Are you looking to get an edge on your competition? Does your body or mind feel fatigued after training or activity?

Ask your doctor or health professional to see a Chiropractor or ask me a question directly regarding Chiropractic Care and you

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Chiropractor Hong Kong Injury prevention Media Spine Sport Videos

Athletes and Back Pain

Athletes and Back Pain

Athletes of all skill levels may suffer from back pain or stiffness at one point in their life. Typically, the spine is overlooked during a pre-game warm-up. A good spinal warm up can help improve shoulder range of motion and decrease stiffness overall in the spine. Off court spine mobility drills, in addition to a proper core strength and conditioning program, will help athletes improve back movement and reduce the chance of injury and pain. Back pain affects nearly every person at some point in their lives. Prevention of back pain is key, especially in terms of extending the playing lifespan of athletes.

Below is a video that has some good spinal mobility exercises that and help improve mobility and decrease the the likelyhood of typical back stiffness (what does stiffness mean? Click here) and back pain that athletes suffer from. It was produced with the great people at Coachbase

 

Remember, daily preventative exercises , and hands on treatment  OR reduced performance and/or back pain, YOUR CHOICE (My lawyer buddy always phrases things like that haha).

 

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Chiropractor Health Hong Kong Joint Health Pain Spine Sport

Feeling stiff? What does it mean?

I’m Stiff…

Joint stiffness is one of the most commonly reported symptoms in my practice. Many patients complain that most stiffness occurs within the neck, back, hips, knees and shoulders. Both athletes and the general public report joint stiffness impacting their lives daily. Feeling stiff is your body’s way to tell you your joints are not functioning optimally.

Something that is under emphasized is the idea of long term joint health. As a Chiropractor, I always emphasize on the importance of preventing stiffness and maintaining articular health throughout life.

Will joint stiffness, regardless of reported pain, impact the way we live?

Thakral et al. 2014 (“A stiff price to pay: does joint stiffness predict disability in an older population?”) studied whether or not reported stiffness to predict disability in an older population (>70 years old). 400 of the adults participated reported morning stiffness, with half of them reporting one area of stiffness and half with multiple areas.
The study showed that 64% of people with multisite stiffness were at greater risk for developing new or worsening mobility AND declined in physical performance.

 Mobility Program

Integrating joint mobility programs to adults at an early age to address any stiffness will help prevent further progression of joint stiffness and improve mobility throughout life.
Before attempting a mobility program, you should first find out if your joints are moving the proper way. Some individuals cannot move themselves on their own or do not know how to. Health professionals such as Chiropractors are specialists at diagnosing and treating the joints of the entire body, not just the spine. Perhaps your body requires more than exercises to maintain your health such as needling, manipulation, mobilization, or taping etc.
Chiropractors are able to assess the integrity of your joints and articulations of the body (spine, knees, ankles, shoulders etc.) and will provide advice on how to decrease joint stiffness, improve mobility and physical performance.
Do you do daily mobility exercises to prevent stiffness? What exercises do you do? Are you truly changing the structures of your body?
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ACL Chiropractor Health Hong Kong Joint Health Sport Videos

ACL Exercises for tears 2

ACL exercises for recovery and prevention


Here is part 2 of the Q and A I had with Coachbase regarding ACL tears and knee problems in sports. Part 2 discusses some knee recovery and prevention tactics. I demonstrate simple hamstring and glute strengthing exercises. As well, I review a GREAT hamstring stretch that can really help target the belly of the hamstring. (for part 1 click here)

 

 

 
ENJOY!
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Chiropractor Hong Kong Injury prevention Joint Health Sport

Is stretching safe?

Is Stretching Safe?

Many personal trainers, coaches and manual therapists give static stretching programs to their clients as a way increase range of motion, decrease pain and improve performance.
Stretching can be either beneficial or detrimental to one’s health and performance depending on when and how it is prescribed. Stretching prescriptions also differ between practitioners.

 

How do injuries occur?

Injuries that occur are most likely the result from the tissues such as muscle and tendons, inability to absorb forces required of them. Injuries most usually occur within the normal range of motion and during eccentric (lengthening a muscle under load) portion of a movement. Therefore, stretching tissues in order to increase their ability to bend or deform, will not allow them to be more resilient to injury.

 

Benefits of stretching

1) Injury prevention– Pre-exercise static stretching does not prevent injury and may actually cause injury due the decreased ability to produce force by the muscles and their absorption capability. Long term regular static stretching (>3 to 4 weeks) is beneficial and can improve force, jump height and speed.

2) Decreasing pain– stretching can have an analgesic effect by increasing pain tolerance. PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching has been shown to increase the range of motion (ROM) of both the stretched and unstretched limb. This indicates that there are effects on the brain itself.

3) Muscle Hypertrophy (muscle enlargement)- some studies have shown that there can be an increase in the muscles ability to contract (MVC), thus affecting the muscles ability to grow.

What happens during stretching?

ROM may improve in one of two ways: changing shape properties of the muscle cell AND/OR changing your stretch tolerance.

Acute, short term static stretching can have an immediate effect on ROM by changing the cell shape, but the effect is short lived and the tissues return to their normal resting length.

Long term stretching (>3 to 4 wks) allows change in ROM but no change in cell properties. Change is due to central nervous system (brain) stretch tolerance. Your brain allows for this. You are altering the stretch reflex. The stretch reflex is a safe guard mechanism at prevents over stretching. If your CNS decides you cannot control the ROM the stretch reflex is turned on and your ROM becomes limited.

To reduce potential injury during a particular activity, talk to your Chiropractor or health professional about how to expand and strengthen your ROM and reduce your change of injury.

 

-if you would like get a copy of some of the research articles used, do not hesitate to contact me 🙂 –

Disclaimer: Remember that any information on this blog should not be a substitute to your healthcare professionals examination. I have not examined you; therefore, the above should not serve as medical advice. Research is also changing constantly and some information may change at a later date due to new available science.