Tag: Treatment

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Chiropractor Injury prevention Media Photos Sport

Sports Clinic

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Dr. Mike Chivers and Dr. BenjaminBluestein

Learning from Sports Clinic experts

I was fortunate to visit Dr. Mike Chivers, Head Lead Instructor of Functional Anatomy Seminars for Functional Release and Functional Range Assessment.  @drmchivers .

“Dr. Chivers holds an Honours Bachelor of Physical Education from Brock University. He is a graduate of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) where he graduated Cum Laude and with clinical honours and a Doctor of Chiropractic. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Chiropractic Sports Sciences after finishing a two year post-graduate residency program. He has been an Assistant Professor at CMCC in the departments of Clinical Education and Orthopedics. He maintains a private practice and is also a highly sought for injury and performance consulting amongst athletes at the amateur, provincial, national and professional level. He has also written numerous articles and has published papers in peer reviewed scientific journals.” (bio from https://www.functionalanatomyseminars.com/about-us/)

 

Dr. Mike Chivers allowed me to observe and speak to him on how he adapts the Functional Anatomy Seminars Paradigm when making clinical decisions on sports injury.

I was able to observe 6 cases in the time I was in the Sports Clinic. Here are some brief descriptions of the cases below:

Case 1- hip paib, achy but less sore,  running box jumps causing pain into testicle region, cueing for cat cow was done to reduce rib flare and also practice diaphragm breathing for rib mobility.

Case 2- Ankle sprain from sports. FR done on ankle musculature

Case 3- right hip pain when walking

Case4- bilateral elbow, rotation irritation in forearms, lack of supination,  elbow weighted cars and pails to supination given to promote motion

Case 5- left knee shattered, wiring 2x and pinning, 5 procedures, 6 month post total knee replacement, patient reported dry needling after 1 session brought the lowest pain levels down since knee replacement.

Case 6- Right knee pain and irritation in older female, difficulty walking, FR to knee

 

Special thank you Dr. Chivers and Sports Performance Centres for having me.

sports-injury-chiropractor-hong-kong
Dr. Mike Chivers and Dr. BenjaminBluestein
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Chiropractor Hong Kong Joint Health Sport

Crossfit & Chiropractic

Crossfit & Chiropractic

I have patients who participate in the sport of Crossfit. Crossfit is “the SPORT of fitness”. Crossfit participants and athletes are incredibly committed, driven and hardworking individuals. Their goals are to improve time, weight and volume lifted. Crossfit athletes push themselves physically everytime. People must realize that Crossfit is a sport, just like basketball or football.

Is Crossfit Safe?

There is risk involved in any activity or SPORT. Crossfit is not exempt from this rule. Crossfit takes safety seriously and many gyms/boxes have mandatory “on-ramp” classes before participating in full workouts. Crossfit participants should be supervised by certified/qualified coaches. Anyone considering participating in Crossfit or any athletic sports should understand that there are prerequisites and risks with all movements.

What are the typical Crossfit injuries seen in a Chiropractic office?

Crossfit athletes can push themselves so much that it can lead to overuse muscle and tendon injuries, as well as spinal and extremity joint dyfunctions. Dysfunctions may or may not cause pain but over time may result in a pain and or more serious problems. I always tell and teach patients to listen to their body and not to push too hard if they are experiencing any discomfort.

In my experience, Crossfit participants typically have restricted range of motion and recurrent stiffness in the shoulders and hips. However the most serious complaints I have received in my Chiropractic office is lower back pain.

What about Crossfit makes lower back injuries so common?

Lifting exercises such as the squat and deadlift are done with high volume and weight. If these exercises are done with proper posture and technique they are great for functional core and leg strength. A proper moving spine and hips are required to perform these exercises. If an individual does not have the proper range of motion or ability prior to attempting the squat and deadlift they can become injured. For those with the ability, as athlete becomes tired, their form can be affected and eventually these exercises can cause injury.

Overhead exercises (snatch, thrusters, presses etc. ) are also performed. If a participant doesn’t have the prerequisite movement at the shoulders and mid back, compensations problems in the lower back will result. Take a look at the video below:

Do you look like this when you perform overhead activities? Time to see a Chiropractor that can determine why and how to fix it. Manual therapy and functional movement correction that Chiropractors provide are very effective at not only prevention but recovery as well.

How can Crossfit gyms/boxes and Chiropractors work together?

A Crossfit athlete’s goal is to maximize their body’s full athletic potential. Crossfit athletes are required to maintain their bodies by participating in proper training, nutrition and sleep. A Chiropractor’s goal is to optimize the patients’ body through manual treatment and advice on training, diet and treatment. Crossfit gyms can also help general chiropractic patients become more physically active in their own lives.

Our philosophies and goals go hand-in-hand. Regular treatment from a Chiropractor will allow for the maintenance and overall performance of the body. Regular Crossfit and physical activity can help people become healthier.

Chiropractors can also assess those thinking about joining Crossfit to determine if they have the prerequisite abilities.

What do the Crossfit athletes have to say?

If you don’t believe me, listen to Rich Froning Jr. Rich is the 4 x reigning and defending “Fittest Man on Earth”. He has won the Reebok Crossfit Games continuously since 2011 to 2014. He is an advocate for Chiropractic care and believes Crossfitters can benefit from seeing a Chiropractor. Rich mentions muscle stim as something he utilizes aswell. At the office, we also provide EMS stim as treatment modality for recovery as well.

Do you have questions on how Chiropractic can help you? Contact me.

 

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Chiropractor Hong Kong Spine Sport Videos

Champion has Chiropractor as part of his team

Champion Athlete and his Chiropractor

UFC lightweight champion (Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, MMA) athlete,

Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, was able to defend his title for the first time last Saturday night. Anthony was experiencing pinching in his back and buttock with kicking. “Showtime” is known for his kickboxing.
Visiting a Chiropractor allowed him some relief and improvement and allowed him to compete to his full potential. 
Do you have problems with your hip or back flexibility in your sport, activity or everyday life? Add a Chiropractor to your healthcare team and improve your health and functioning.

Congrats Champ!

 
 
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Chiropractor Hong Kong Office Pain Posture Spine

The TRUTH about proper posture

What is the best or most proper posture?

Patients, especially office workers and students, always ask me, what is the most proper posture for sitting? I will start off by stating there is no one posture that you should be holding constantly for long periods of time. The human body is made to move and humans should be changing positions semi-frequently by having microbreaks. Depending on your job and setup will dictate the frequency and duration of your microbreak position change.

How does your sitting position effect the spine?

Sitting puts more stress on the anatomy of your lumbar spine (lower back). Varying your posture will change the spinal load on the passive structures (bone, ligament, disc). The sitting position with the most spinal load occurs with a flexed lower back and forward body posture.

Tips for easier sitting

 

Try to sit on your ischial bones or “sits” bones, instead of sitting on your sacrum (lower spine). People who suffer from lower back and neck pain will benefit from this type of sitting. Sitting on your ischial bones will keep you in a more upright posture and will keep you on your cushy bottom rather than the boney part of your back. Using a lumbar roll, pillow or rolled up towel behind your back will remind you to sit upright and maintain a relaxed, neutral spine.

Sitting more upright will also reduce your forward head posture. Holding prolonged forward head posture can cause headaches and a stiff tight neck. This is a good case where treating away from the site of pain can help reduce symptoms.

What can a Chiropractor do for posture?

If you tend to hold poor postures during your daily life or have pain in your lower back, mid back or neck, go and see a chiropractor. Chiropractors can diagnose which segments are problematic before the pain begins, or decrease pain and improve functioning if a problem arises.

-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.
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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.