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13 Jul

Posted at 16:37h in Foot/ankle

Limited ankle dorsiflexion has been associated with a whole host of lower extremity injuries including plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, calf strains, shin splints, patellofemoral pain, IT band syndrome, and even ACL injuries. Additionally, limited ankle mobility manifests itself as a functional limitation in every day tasks such as walking, negotiating stairs, and even in athletic endeavors such as achieving proper squat depth or cutting. While the problems associated with limited ankle mobility are well known, the solutions on how to increase ankle dorsiflexion are not. Who else has spent hours and hours stretching without any increase in ankle dorsiflexion range of motion? In this article, we're going to cover everything you need to know about ankle mobility. From defining what ankle mobility is, why you need it, how to assess it, and most importantly, how to improve it! Hang on tight for the best ankle mobility exercises to improve ankle dorsiflexion that you can do from the comforts of your home to decrease your risk of lower extremity injury, improve your functional abilities, and enhance your athletic performance!

06 Jul

Posted at 06:42h in Foot/ankle

The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon of the body for a good reason, it takes much of the load when we are running, ย jumping, or even walking! This tendon connects the calf muscles to the heel assisting with force transmission and acts like a spring when you push your foot off the floor. Achilles Tendinopathy is when the Achilles tendon is irritated or painful. ย The majority of individuals that suffer from Achilles Tendinopathy are active individuals, from the weekend warrior to the high-level athlete. Achilles Tendinopathy seems to be as high as 7-30% in runners, 2.1-5.1% in soccer players, and 12.5% in rock climbersยน. This article will show you an evidence-based approach to how to rehab achilles tendinopathy.

01 Jul

Posted at 07:35h in Education

The time has come! Youโ€™re ready to get back into the gym and fine-tune your program. Whether it was an access issue, an injury, or you simply slacked off, you need to re-establish your baseline strength to make SMARTย goals. Before you decide to crush your entire body with One-Rep-Max (1RM) strength testing that keeps you out of the gym for a few days and struggling to get out of bed, letโ€™s consider the alternative options you have! In this article, youโ€™ll learn how to perform rep max strength testing guidelines, and which type of strength testing assessment is best suited to help you meet your fitness goals.

24 Jun

Posted at 03:00h in Knee

After surgery, understanding how to improve knee flexion is absolutely critical. While weโ€™ve discussed the importance of regaining knee extension extensively HERE, restoring knee flexion is a close runner up for your rehab goals after surgery. Restoring knee flexion is often not comfortable (as can be for any motion after surgery!), but with dedication and consistent time spent working on your mobility, we are confident you can get there! In this article, weโ€™re going to cover some of our favorite exercises to improve knee flexion after surgery!

17 Jun

Posted at 07:00h in Hip

Do your hips feel tight? Do you want to learn how to improve the mobility of your hips? The hip is one of the most active and mobile joints in the human body. Whether you perform activities such as walking, ambulating stairs, deadlifts, or playing sports, having adequate hip mobility is important to all! Hip mobility limitations have been associated with issues both upstream (at the low back) and downstream (at the knee). This article will educate you on exercises for tight hips and how to perform them correctly! Weโ€™ve also included a FREE program so you can begin performing prehab exercises today!

10 Jun

Posted at 06:00h in Education

Playing in numerous sports throughout my life it seemed the response to injury was pretty much the same, put some ice on it, and RICE (Rest, ICE, Compression, Elevation). However, it felt like there was no real rhyme or reason to this decision, that's just what coaches said to do! For the past three years, I've had the opportunity to provide sideline coverage as a sports physical therapist ranging from youth up to professional sports. Part of this job description is carrying an ice chest from the parking lot to the fields/stadium that typically seem to be uphill and miles away. During this walk, including multiple breaks (the ice chest gets heavy!), I've asked the following: why do we rest, ice, compress, and elevate after injury? Where did this originate? Is this still best practice? In this article, you'll learn the truth about icing injuries and why we need to step away from RICE and move towards PEACE & LOVE.

03 Jun

Posted at 06:00h in Education

When an individual sustains an injury, one of the first questions asked is, โ€œHow long will it take until I am back to normal?โ€ When an unexpected event such as an injury disrupts our quality of life, naturally we want to return to our full functional capacity as soon as possible. The difficult part of injuries is that there are certain components of them we are unable to control, such as our age, the type of tissue that was injured, the blood supply to a specific tissue, and the extent of damage that was done. However, what we can control is enhancing our understanding of tissue healing, and how to optimize healing times by avoiding factors that could slow the normal healing process. In this article, we will discuss what body tissue is, the normal phases of tissue healing, why various tissues heal differently, and what you need to know about tissue healing after an injury!

27 May

Posted at 06:00h in Hip

FAI (Femoroacetabular Impingement) Syndrome is a condition in which the hip structure has been altered, either genetically, or more commonly through physical stresses.ย  When someone is diagnosed with FAI, they will present with a CAM Impingement (thickening on the femoral neck), a PINCER impingement (deepening of the hip socket), or a combination of both IN CONJUNCTION with pain/symptoms. It is not uncommon for labral tears to be present with FAI Syndrome as well. This article will focus on exercises for FAI syndrome that individuals can use to manage their associated hip pain!

20 May

Posted at 06:00h in Education

Most climbers know better than to just jump on their project cold. However, a lack of knowledge and guidance may lead novice climbers to miss out on a proper rock climbing injury prevention warm-up! A thorough warm-up increases blood flow, muscle flexibility, and body control. In this article, youโ€™ll gain access to the best rock climbing injury prevention warm-up from the climbing doctor himself and further understand how to prevent rock climbing injury!

13 May

Posted at 06:00h in Low Back, Mid Back

The deadlift is one of the best exercises for both the power and strength athlete as well as the recovering patient in rehab. Not only can the lift be progressively overloaded for a proper training/rehab stimulus, but most importantly, it gives individuals the confidence that they CAN in fact lift heavy objects off the floor and combats the notion that "the back is inherently fragile". I mean, if the back was so fragile could it withstand the forces from a world-record 501kg (1104.5lbs) deadlift set by Hafpor Julius Bjornsson, better known as "The Mountain" from the Game of Thrones!? Yes, we are all not built like a strongman, but that doesn't mean that our inherent anatomy precludes us from picking up heavy objects off the floor aka deadlifting. Every individual can and should be able to bend over and pick up an object off the floor. Think about how many times you have helped move furniture, open a garage door, or help a buddy lift an object. Failing to warm up properly before deadlifting is the biggest mistake one can make in the gym, especially when lifting heavier loads. In this article, we're going to go over deadlift warmup essentials to make sure you are prepared and ready to lift some furniture with a friend or hit a new PR in the gym!