Take a look at the latest edition of the Campus Commons Connection!
CAMPUS COMMONS
WHAT OLYMPIANS AND PHYSICAL THERAPY PATIENTS HAVE IN COMMON Both Can Accomplish Great Things With the Right Work
I’ve always been more a fan of the individual Olympic competitions rather than the team sports. During the past few Olympic games, I’ve particularly enjoyed watching the swimming competitions. Going back even further, I remember watching sprinters like Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson dominate the games and just being in awe of their sheer athleticism. In those individual events, the athlete’s success rests solely on their shoulders. They may have a coach to guide them through their exercise regimen, but at the end, they’re the only ones who push themselves to cross that finish line. They’re the ones who can ensure that they get the gold medal … or no medal at all.
I think physical therapy is a lot like those individual Olympic events. If you (the patient) are the athlete and the PT is the coach, then working to, say, regain full range of motion in your shoulder is like the event in which you’re trying to “take home the gold.” As your physical therapist, I’ll guide you through the necessary exercises, but you have to put in the work. As instrumental as physical therapy is to making sure you can recover from a surgery or find relief from chronic back pain, only working on your recovery for the two hours that you’re in the clinic won’t win you the gold. That will be dependent on how much you follow your physical therapist’s guidance when they’re not around. If that makes you wonder if you’ll ever recover, don’t worry — even though not everyone can break the world record for the 100-meter dash or the butterfly stroke, I fully believe that anyone is capable of doing what’s necessary to recover from an injury, recover from a surgery, or put an end to their chronic pain. You can achieve your goal of playing catch with your son again, just like a star athlete can achieve their goal of winning a gold medal at the Olympics. Sometimes, it might not feel like you’re making the progress that you want. That happens to Olympic athletes and physical therapy patients alike. That’s why at Campus
Commons, one of our mottos is to celebrate successes, both big and small. While some Olympians may go for the gold, others are just happy to participate, even if they come in dead last. If, after a while of doing physical therapy, you’re only able to rotate your shoulder 20% more than you could when you first came in, well, we’d still consider that a win. And, we’ll help you get to 100% in the future. “AS YOUR PHYSICAL THERAPIST, I’LL GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE NECESSARY EXERCISES, BUT YOU HAVE TO PUT IN THE WORK.” When you’re in our office for an appointment, you’ll notice that we have two 50–60-inch TVs hanging on our walls. Even though most of the time the only things playing on those TVs are home and garden shows, I bought them so that when there are major sporting events going on, I can have them on in the office all day. In short, I got them for events like the Olympics. I hope that when patients come in for an appointment, they can be inspired by the athletes they see on the screen, knowing that they, too, can accomplish their goals if they put in the work.
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Outdoor and exercise crazes come and go almost as fast as hairstyles and popular app games do. But every once in a while, a trend comes along that remains popular — think karate, which spiked in the ‘60s and again in the ‘80s, and it can still be found in almost every American city to this day. Back in 2013, one such trend arose: the stand-up paddleboard, or SUP for short. The act of standing on a floating piece of wood in a surfboard shape and paddling (or poling) yourself along likely goes back thousands of years, but the SUP craze can be traced back to one man — and he’s not even in his 60s yet! That man is famous surfer Laird Hamilton, a household name in a sport that doesn’t usually generate them. And Laird, along with the Waikiki Beachboys, showed the world a new way to hit the water in the first decade of the 21st century. Unlike other crazes, the gear was simple and the activity beginner-friendly. To start, you only need a paddle, a board, a life preserver, and of course, a place to go! It’s a new way to see the water, which only boosted its popularity. Even veteran water sports enthusiasts weren’t used to standing on the water instead of sitting in a boat! What’s ‘SUP? THE STAND-UP PADDLEBOARD CRAZE THAT NEVER WENT AWAY
But according to the industry’s own numbers, that popularity never died down. As it turns out, SUP is a good way to get around, and a lot of folks need that. Many cities, such as San Antonio, feature “paddling trails” that let SUP practitioners see the city in a new way or even commute via their board. How cool is that? If you’re looking for a new hobby this summer, it’s easy to rent a stand-up paddleboard and learn the basics. Take a class, head out into the water, and give it a shot. Who knows, you might be one of the thousands of Americans to discover a lifelong passion!
PLYOMETRIC EXERCISES Are They Right for Me?
PLYO-WHAT? Plyometric training involves a repetition of quick jumps, movements, or stretches that expand and contract certain muscles (typically the ones in your legs) at a rapid pace.
plyometrics, it’s best to break up sets of quick movements with slower recovery or cool down periods. For example, you can break up sets of squat jumps with a brisk walk or jog for a few minutes. WHO SHOULD TRY PLYOMETRICS? The high impact that plyometric exercises have on your body means that you should not do plyometrics if you’ve only recently been injured or if you suffer from chronic joint pain. Doing so could lead you to injure yourself further. With that in mind, you should only add plyometrics to your workout routine after a few months of letting your injuries heal. If you want to know how you can be fast on the field or quick on the court like you once were, talk to the PTs at Campus Commons Physical Therapy. We’ll help you determine which exercises are right for you at your recovery stage. Call us today at 916-927-1333.
The quick expansion and contraction not only increases your strength and
prepares you for reentering the world of sports but also strengthens your bones and joints, which could prevent other injuries from incapacitating you in the future. A few examples of plyometric exercises include drop bounce jumps, squat jumps, scissor jumps, step hops, single leg squat jumps, and skaters. You can find tutorials for any of these exercises online.
www.campuscommonsphysicaltherapy.com 2 Before injuring yourself and having to do physical therapy, you may have played a sport that utilizes a lot of explosive energy. Now, it might seem difficult to transition directly back from the slow and deliberate exercises you practiced at our clinic to the quick motions you need to be effective on the court, field, or wherever you play. Don’t worry, though; you can bridge the gap between physical therapy and your favorite sport with a class of exercises known as plyometrics.
APPLYING PLYOMETRICS TO YOUR EXERCISE ROUTINE
Even if you’re completely recovered and healthy, you should still have 48–72 hours between each plyometric workout. On the days you schedule
INJURY GOT YOU DOWN?
REMEMBER THAT OLYMPIANS GET INJURED, TOO
Even (and maybe especially) the greatest athletes in the world still injure themselves. That might be easy to forget when we’re (hopefully) watching the Summer Olympics later this month and every athlete seems to effortlessly perform incredible feats of strength and endurance. Many of these athletes have a story of a major injury that almost made them call it quits. However, through persistence, determination, and rehabilitation, many have gone on to accomplish their goals and enamor crowds the world over. ALANA NICHOLS 5-Time Paralympian for Wheelchair Basketball and Downhill Skiing Even after finding out she would never walk again following a ski accident, Alana Nichols still found ways to compete. In fact, after destroying her shoulder in another skiing accident on Mt. Hood in 2013, her doctors told her that she wouldn’t be able to compete in the Sochi Games. However, her PT thought differently, and with intensive dry needling, soft tissue manipulation, and active mobility stretching, she was able to compete after all. DEVIN LOGAN 2-Time Olympian, Olympic Medalist (Silver) for Freestyle Skiing Logan’s first major injury occurred in 2011, when she was training in New Zealand. She hit a jump and landed straight legged before feeling a pop throughout her body. She found out later that she had torn her ACL and
meniscus, as well as created two micro fractures in her knee. Nevertheless, she recovered and resumed her training, winning a medal in the 2014 Winter Olympics just three years later. MIKE SCHULTZ Motocross, Snowboard-cross, Banked Slalom, 1-Time Paralympian, 2-Time Olympic Medalist (1 Gold, 1 Silver) Even after losing a leg, Mike Schultz was able to compete in competitive
adaptive motocross just seven months after his injury — using a leg he built for himself, no less. Even though he wasn’t able to return to his career in pro snocross, he made the most of his recovery, fought through the hard days, and came out on top.
If your injury has you discouraged, just remember: It even happens to the Olympians. With the right help at Campus Commons PT, you can make a full recovery and get back to what you love doing. Contact us through our website or call (916) 927- 1333 to schedule an appointment.
TAKE A BREAK
Mexican Corn Salad
Inspired by JoCooks.com
Don’t let the long ingredient list scare you. This summer salad celebrates in-season veggies and herbs and comes together quickly.
INGREDIENTS
• • • • • • • •
4 cups of fresh corn, cut from 5 cobs
• • • • • • •
1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp smoked paprika Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
2 tbsp sour cream 2 tbsp mayonnaise
6 green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced 1/2 avocado, cubed
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 1/2 cup cotija or feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
DIRECTIONS
1. In a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–5 minutes or until corn starts to char. 2. Add the corn to a large bowl and let cool for 5 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients and stir together until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning. 3. The salad pairs well with grilled entrees and can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
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916-927-1333 www.campuscommonsphysicaltherapy.com
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INSIDE
THIS ISSUE
What Olympians and Physical Therapy Patients Have in Common
1 2 2 3 3 4
The Paddleboard Craze Is Here to Stay
All About Plyometric Exercises
Recovery Stories From Olympians and Paralympians
Mexican Corn Salad
Is ‘Hammocking’ a Better Way to Sleep?
B
e t t
PRESSURE POINT RELIEF A good mattress can reduce pressure on the shoulders, back, and butt, while a bad mattress can do the opposite. Some hammock advocates claim that a hammock’s more flexible surface means pressure is spread more equally across all parts of the body. However, this benefit is purely theoretical and more study is needed to confirm the hypothesis. DEEPER SLEEP According to a study from 2011 where 12 men took two 45-minute naps — one in a regular bed and one in a swinging bed — results showed the men fell asleep faster in the swinging bed and that they had a longer light sleep before they entered a deep sleep. However, because the size of this study was so small, its conclusions need more verification. Until more data emerges to confirm what so many hammock enthusiasts already claim to know, you can still rest knowing that hammocking isn’t harmful; in fact, it’s really relaxing and fun. (Theoretical) Benefits of Sleeping While Swinging
Hammocking has become a popular leisure activity within the last 5–10 years, with the global hammock market growing about 17% between 2017 and 2021. As fun as it is, though, could hammocking be more than that? Could it be a better way to sleep, not just on camping trips or in the park, but in our homes, too? The short answer is that the data is inconclusive. More studies need to be done on the health benefits of sleeping in hammocks, and the studies that do exist lack sufficient sample sizes for meaningful conclusions. With that massive caveat out of the way, however, here are a few potential benefits of sleeping in a hammock.
PROTECTION FROM BUGS This benefit really only matters if you’re
sleeping outdoors (though, in theory, sleeping in a hammock could mean a decreased risk of dust mites). If you sleep on the ground, bugs will have easier access to you. Flying insects can still bother hammockers, but a good bug net for your hammock can fix that problem.
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