Physical Therapy Newsletter by Canyon Sports Therapy
Wellness Expert Newsletter
• Relieve Back Pain • Exercise Essentials • Patient Results • Happy New Year • Ski Season
If you suffer from an aching back or even neck pain, weakness in your core muscles can be to blame. Do you have to sit for long periods at a computer, in the car, or are you just not that active anymore? All these positions can lead your core muscles to become weak. Even if you exercise regularly, unless you target your core muscles, you can cause an imbalance in your muscle strength, straining your back and putting you at risk for injury. A prime example of how important core muscle strength is to protect against back pain was shown in a study with 443 firefighters that were put through core strengthening routines. Over a 12 month period, those firefighters had 62% less injuries than the group who did no core strengthening exercises. When your core is strong, it means your spine is better protected against injury when you twist, lift or strain your body doing an activity.
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“Here’s What You Need To Do When Your Favorite Workouts Don’t Work Anymore! ” CORE Activation Tips 4
1. Strengthening Perform specific strengthening exercises that engage all the layers of your abdominal wall, pelvic muscles and spinal muscles. Lying on your back, place your hands on your lower abdomen. Try to activate the transverse abdominis muscles beneath your hands drawing the muscles together towards your belly button. Keep breathing while you do this and hold for 10 second counts. Repeat 10 times and do 3-4 times a day, even while you stand! 2. Balance While keeping your abdomen tight in standing, try to stand on one foot. Stand close to a wall so you can keep your hand on it. Hold for 10 seconds each foot and repeat 5 times a day. Enhancing your balance engages the nerves that control the core muscles, helping everything work together.
3. Move Avoid sitting for prolonged periods and if you have to work, then break up the day with standing for 1-2 minute periods every 30 minutes. Keep working on tightening up your abdominal muscles in sitting, standing and lying down. Walk for 15-30minutes a day, focusing on your posture and abdominal muscles. 4. After pregnancy Pregnancy severely stretches out the abdominal wall and many women can suffer from a condition called diastasis recti. Carefully strengthening your core muscles is essential for long term spinal rehabilitation after child birth. Talk to one of our physical therapists today about having a complete recovery, even years after your last pregnancy.
“ Exercise-most any type of exercise can reduce your risk of recurring low-back pain by between 25-40 percent.” - JAMA Internal Medicine, Jan 2016
PATIENT RESULTS
I ammore relaxed! “Working with Brad to improve my posture and plantar fasciitis has strengthen my back and allowed me to walk without pain. With my strong back, the correct skiing posture comes naturally. Brad’s diagnosis and treatment of plantar fasciitis has improved my balance, stability, and ability to pressure the edges of both skis. Now that the kinetic chain of feet, ankles, hips and back are working together, I am more relaxed, skiing efficiently and flowing down the mountain. I have been trying to improve my athletic ability for years, not realizing that the lack of physical therapy was hindering my performance. Thank you Canyon Sports Therapy!” - M.V.
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EASING INTO YOUR SKI SEASON
Approach any new season outdoor activity wisely. Our body responds brilliantly when subjected to progressive increasing stress. Plan to dose your activity by limiting your time as well as difficulty of the terrain you plan to take on. Begin your ski season onmore gentle terrain. Allow your body the luxury of comfortably exploring its flexibility limits
while at the same time subjecting your muscles to manageable forces. Temper for at least the first few weeks on snow your urge to take on advanced terrain. Here you are likely to ingrain defensive movement patterns which while may feel efficient are in reality static and harder on ligaments, tendons and joints. Plan to stop for the day before your skiing technique deteriorates. The top World Cup Skiers understand that their last run is what their brain learns so they are quite careful quitting long before they fatigue and their skiing deteriorates. Tactfully graduated training ensures you will stay injury free and perform at your best.
DO I NEED A PRESCRIPTION TO START PHYSICAL THERAPY?
NO, you don’t. Although we see many patients sent directly by their physician, in the state of Utah, a licensed physical therapist may begin the physical therapy process by performing a full physical therapy evaluation. We will verify benefits for you so that you can get started right away. YOU CAN START NOW CALL TODAY!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Canyon Sports Therapy wishes wish you a year full of joy, health and happiness
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Why You Need To Come Back In For A Check-Up: Think PT FIRST
• Move without pain • Bend and move freely
• Balance confidently and securely • Sit for long periods comfortably • Walk for long distances • Live an active and healthy lifestyle
TAKE CARE OF YOUR ACHES & PAINS BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!
Exercise Essentials Try this simple exercise to keep you moving...
Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.
SIDE-LYING CORE ACTIVATED LEG CIRCLES Helps strengthens core Lie on your side with bottom leg bent and top one straight. Lay hand flat on floor in front, near your chest. Tighten your lower abdominals to keep your trunk still. Point the toes of the top leg and slowly make small circles first clockwise, then counterclockwise keeping the knee straight ahead or slightly upward. Repeat 5 times alternating sides.
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One of the first actions a physical therapist does is to evaluate your core strength, flexibility and coordination. This can pinpoint the root cause of your back pain. Then with hands on therapy, the spinal joints can be freed up to move like they should and specific exercises are prescribed to restore your core strength. Find out for yourself what is truly causing your nagging back pain. After all, if you let it go on, it can get a lot worse, or even cause long-term damage such as arthritis. Call us today about your problem and discuss the right solution with one of our physical therapists. Canyon Sports Therapy Can Help Guide You To A Stronger Core!
Call Today! (801) 944-1209 Fax: (801) 274-1180
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