Category: Joint Health

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Chiropractor Health Hong Kong Joint Health Office Posture Spine

Ways to Assess Posture

Assess posture in static position
Your static posture.

How to Assess Posture


 In my practice, posture is commonly assessed in 2 ways: Static and Dynamic. 

Static Posture

Static posture refers to looking at posture while the body is stationary. While the patient is standing we see how gravity is acting on the body from head to toe. Static posture can also be assessed in the seated and lying positions. 
Why would this be important? iIf you are able to maintain a neutral, effecient, body position, your body will be able to reduce the amount of force on your joints as well as decrease the energy require by your muscles. Unbalanced and unessential forces acting on the body can lead to stiff, tight or even painful joints and muscles. For long term joint health, proper posture is crucial.  
A typical look at static posture is done by checking visually.

 


 For better sitting posture, CLICK HERE. 
 

Dynamic Posture


 Dynamic posture is the alignment of your body while you are moving. It is vital that you maintain good, symmetrical body posture while performing basic movements such as bending forward, rotating at the hips, shoulders  and squatting.  

 As a Chiropractor, we look at your active and passive range of motion of your joints. This allows us to see if you are moving properly and efficiently. 

 Some Chiropractors utilize techniques such as Funtional Range Release and Conditioning to assess, treat and optimize all the joints in your body. 

 If joints do not move like they should, compensations will result in STIFFNESS in joints, TIGHTNESS in muscles and even PAIN.

 Is your spine moving like a proper spine? Is your shoulder moving like your shoulder should? 
HK, Chiropractor, Central, Posture, dynamic
FR and FRC are ways a Chiropractor can assess dynamic(movement) posture

Chiropractors also use Selective Functional Movement Assessment(SFMA) to distinguish pain and dysfunction (problems seemingly unrelated to a body complaint) and where possible, identify where exercise is indicated or contraindicated. SFMA helps the Chiropractor in musculoskeletal evaluation, diagnosis and treatment. It also allows us to choose the best possible rehabilitative and therapeutic techniques and exercises.

Dynamic, Posture, Assess, HK, Chiropractor
SFMA is way health professionals can break down and assess how you move (dynamic posture).

 

 

Have you had your posture assessed? 


What do you do to maintain good posture? What do you do to maintain your long term joint health?

 Have your Chiropractor assess and treat your body posture to help you live better.

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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.

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Chiropractor Health Hong Kong Injury prevention Joint Health Spine Sport

Chiropractors and Athletic Performance

Athletes and Chiropractors

Many high-performance, competitive athletes and their coaches have found that a Chiropractor plays a significant role in managing acute injuries, maximizing performance and preventing injuries.

– “World’s Fastest Man”, Usain Bolt, receives treatment from his chiropractor

Chiropractors are doctors that are well equipped to help sports athletes perform at their very best. Chiropractors optimize the nerve-muscle-bone system. In an effort to reduce injuries and increase performance, individual athletes and many sports teams look toward Chiropractors to design custom tailored health programs.

Chiropractors have an excellent clinical toolbox used to effectively assess and treat the athlete. Two such tools are the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) and Functional Range Release® (F.R.®).

SFMA

SFMA is designed to assess fundamental patterns of movement such as bending and squatting. The clinical assessment is done from the perspective of a movement pattern. The system identifies problems that may be seemingly unrelated to the main complaint, but contribute to overall physical health of the athlete.

Movement, Chiropractor, Hong Kong, Central
Movement Assessment

 

 

Functional Range Release® (F.R.®)

FR is an advanced system of soft-tissue treatment based in the principles of myofascial release, but with multiple improvements. This system expands on the basic tenets of myofascial-release treatments by simultaneously assessing, expanding, and strengthening the patient’s functional range of motion. F.R.® is currently being utilized in the USA’s top professional and college performance programs.

Active, Release, ART, Hong Kong, Central
– Houston Rocket’s centre, Dwight “Superman” Howard, being treated with F.R.®.
Active, Release, Hong Kong, Central
– Functional Range Release® (F.R.®) is currently being used by the above medical staffs. The list of who utilizes this system is growing every year.

 

Chiropractors and Medical Doctors

Chiropractors are also able to cooperate with the members of your existing healthcare team and coaching staff to ensure they are maximizing the athletes’ full potential.