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 Have you recently experienced an injury such as an ankle sprain, shoulder injury, or low back strain? Oftentimes, athletes will head to urgent care after a musculoskeletal injury to get care, only to be told “rest, ice, elevate, and take ibuprofen - it’ll get better in a few weeks” and are shown the door. While instructions like “R.I.C.E.” (rest, ice, compression, elevation) can be helpful short-term, they don’t get you back to functional activities or competitive sports.
Here are steps you can take following an injury to get you back to activity:
If you have recently suffered an injury, have yet to return to the level you performed at before an injury, or would like to level-up your performance and optimize your movement, click HERE to schedule a 1:1 visit with a Doctor of Physical Therapy to get back to your favorite activities! Thanks for reading! Dr. Chrissy, PT, DPT
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 Are you an avid runner who has achy knees after going for a run? Unfortunately, this seems to be a common complaint we hear from athletes and throughout the running community. Are you ready to get rid of your knee pain for good? Follow these steps for relief! 1. Level up your cross-training! How often are you doing other forms of exercise, such as swimming, resistance training, or yoga? One of the best ways to combat aching or overuse injuries is to move in other ways. Our bodies and muscles are made to move in all directions, and with running we move repetitively and in the same pattern. Running is also a high-impact exercise, which can be harder on our joints. Mix up your exercise by incorporating other activities such as cycling, swimming, resistance training, or yoga at least twice per week. 2. Add in single-leg strengthening If you think about it, running is just a series of single-leg hops! In general, we recommend that ALL athletes include at least one single-sided exercise per workout, and runners need even more as they spend so much time on one leg. During your next leg workout, try adding in some lunges, pistol squats, or single-leg bridges! 3. Make sure you are getting adequate rest This goes for both “rest days” and sleeping! Most adults should aim for at least 7 hours of sleep per night, but some people do require more to feel fully rested! As for rest days - you should be taking at least one day per week off of running. Try incorporating other types of exercise and active recovery such as yoga and mobility work during your rest day! Try implementing these tips during your training, and send these tips to your running buddies! If you continue to have knee pain while running, click HERE to schedule a 1:1 visit with YOUR Doctor of Physical Therapy to get you back to CRUSHING your runs! Thanks for reading! :) Dr. Chrissy, PT, DPT  In recent months, a trend emerged on social media showing adults attempting to skip. Some adults came out victorious, with a skipping pattern that would make their younger selves proud. However, most adults quickly came to the realization that they could no longer skip with ease as they did during their childhood. Why is it that things that were so easy as children, such as skipping and hopscotch, are no longer easy as adults?
When we were children, we often spent several hours per day playing and doing different types of physical activities. In school, we had P.E. (physical education) and recess time to play games and sports with others. A large portion of us would also go to a sports practice of some sort after school, or would go home and hop on the bicycle or shoot hoops with other neighborhood kids. Each day was filled with different types of physical activity, which challenged our creativity, coordination, mobility, strength, and balance. As adults, we don’t spend nearly as much time doing activities like we did as kids. Most of us don’t challenge our bodies and brains with new activities such as trying a new sport or learning a new trick. We often get into an exercise routine that is repetitive and doesn’t challenge us as much as our childhood activities did. When was the last time you tried a new sport, agility drill, or balance exercise? I challenge you, today, to add in just a few minutes of a new activity or something that you haven’t done in years. Try skipping, hopping, dancing, or getting outside, and remember to have fun doing it! If you notice that you have difficulty while trying to balance, or maybe your coordination isn’t where you’d like it to be, reach out to us HERE to schedule a visit! Thanks for reading! Dr. Chrissy, PT, DPT Low Back Pain Solutions in 5 Steps
Low back pain is the most common type of pain we deal with as humans. So there's a good chance you either are dealing with low back pain, or have dealt with low back pain. If you have not dealt with low back pain, go buy yourself a lottery ticket. Below are five steps to prevent and help recover from low back pain. You're welcome: 1. Go for a dang walk. Gentle movement is one of THE BEST things you can do to calm the back quickly. Standing is less workload on the back than sitting. Walking is less workload on the back than standing. Especially if you have a sedentary job or a long commute, gentle movement like walking is one of the best things you can do, especially early on. 2. Sleep! Most adults should aim for at least 7 hours of good quality uninterrupted sleep per night. Keep the room as dark as possible– you should not be able to see your hand at night. Keep the room cool, about 65 to 68°F. White noise, like a fan, can be helpful. No screen time an hour before bed. 3. Hydrate. Aim for at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day. If you are 150 lbs, this is just shy of 2.5 liters. Keep in mind this is to maintain equilibrium. If it is super hot or you are exercising a lot, drink more water than this. 4. Manage stress. What brings you joy? Do you do at least a little bit of this every day? If you know it is a particularly stressful time– if you are short-staffed at work or are the caregiver for a loved one, maybe don't try to PR this week in the gym. 5. Nutrition Eat yo’ veggies, lean protein, healthy fats, and healthy carbs. Eat the rainbow; there should be lots of color on your plate. Your muscles need protein to fuel and recover. Your brain needs fats like olive oil and avocado. Fats also help hormone regulation and control inflammation. Healthy carbs are vital to fuel performance, especially during competition or race day. Implement the above, and share with a friend or loved one who has a back. These are simple, yet very impactful ways to: optimize your health, prevent low back pain, and also recover from low back pain more quickly. If low back pain is still limiting your squats, running, or lifting your little one, click HERE and we can chat to help get you back to CRUSHING your goals pain-free and for the long-term! Thanks for reading, Dr. Arlianne, PT, DPT |
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