Thoughts On:
Training, Rehabilitation, & Best Care Practices
We all have experienced sitting for long periods of time or sleeping on different beds while traveling, and we have all experienced the low back pain that comes from it. This can be frustrating especially for those who travel often. With that said we have some easy tips that can help alleviate the low back pain, we experience while traveling.
Low back issues are one of the most common causes of disability worldwide, responsible for BILLIONS of dollars spent on health care and lost time at work annually. If you have ever experienced low back pain, you know that it can not only impact your hobbies and ability to remain active, but it can make even the most common of daily activities challenging. Our goal with this series is to help you better understand the cause of your low back pain, provide real solutions to help you manage it, and show you that there are many care options out there, some you can do at home, that allow you to remain free of prescription drugs and surgery.
Back pain is not a one-size-fits-all problem, there are most commons, but your approach to care needs to be as individual as you. Without a proper and thorough assessment, it is hard to say which approach will work best for you, but through the experience of helping hundreds of people alleviate their low back pain every day, we can focus on a few of the most common causes and their proven strategies for relief.
For several weeks we have been covering patellar femoral pain syndrome (PFPS), or runner’s knee as many like to call it. However, as with many of the conditions we see, it can be found in more than just one population of people. PFPS can also be caused by other physical activities that put repeated stress on the knee. This can include squatting, jumping, climbing stairs, etc. Along with that, PFPS can occur when you have patellar malalignment, which was touched on in Part 1 of our Runner’s Knee series.
With most PFPS we see, it comes from a sudden increase of load placed on the knee. So if you have recently increased your weight at the gym, time on the Stairmaster, or taken on a new activity, if the stress level on your knees has increased you could experience “runner’s knee” even if you do not consider yourself a runner. With that said, here are a few preventative measures we can implement that could help.
After three exhilarating weeks of discussing Runner’s Knee, we have covered the anatomy, mechanism of injury, hip and ankle mobility, training modifications when injured, and self-care options. This week, we culminate with what happens when self-care is not enough, when you need to seek help, and what that looks like.
Over the last two weeks, we have discussed the ins and outs of what Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome is, the anatomy involved, how adjacent joints (hip and ankle) can lead to maltracking issues, and why runner’s are specifically susceptible to this common overuse injury. You can read Part 1 & Part 2 here.
Now it’s time to talk self-treatment and training modification. Our goal is to maintain training (load) if possible when you find Runner’s Knee settling in, but more times than not, rest and self-care is needed while also modifying our training volume and intensity until symptoms recede.
In part 1 of our runner’s knee series, we discussed the specific anatomy involved, how and why we experience pain over/in the front of the knee, and most importantly, how running, and specifically downhill running, can hasten your onset of patellofemoral pain syndrome. ->Read Part 1 Here <-
Today, in part 2, we are going to move away from the knee and look at the friendly joints above and below. As we know, and you will soon find out, the hip and the ankle are in control of the knee and more times than not, pain at the knee is caused by faulty mechanics, immobility, or strength and stability deficiencies at either or both of these joints. Read on!
If you have been running for any period of time, then you have most likely had a run in with, or are currently battling, Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS), or Runner’s Knee as is better known in the endurance community. PFPS is one of the most common causes of knee pain in runners but is also one of the most challenging conditions as the specific cause can be elusive. Furthering the challenge, Runner’s Knee itself has been used as a blanket diagnosis when runners present with any kind of knee pain, especially to clinicians unfamiliar with runners and running mechanics.
Our goal through this series is to help runners of all abilities better understand their knee pain, its cause, and how to self-treat and prevent future occurrences. Additionally, as a provider based in Utah, we are the land of abundance when it comes to downhill races. This causes a sharp increase in PFPS cases that come through our office during the fall marathon season.
The title of this post may confuse you and you may be asking, 'What has changed with stretching?' (To bypass my ramblings, scroll to the bullet points at the bottom).
That is a GREAT question! It seems that about every year or two, we change our opinion on stretching. Should we do it? Should we not do it? When? Where? How? After a while it all gets very confusing and we fall back on the ol', 'Well, if that works for you, then keep doing it' mentality.
Golfer’s low back pain can be extremely frustrating. In fact, it is the number one ailment seen amongst golfers, even at the professional level. With that said, not many realize that low back pain isn’t the cause, it is just a symptom of a deeper issue. Often, lack of mobility in other areas like our hips and middle back lead to the excessive load placed on the low back. While our low back structure and muscles are strong, they are not built for that load, and in turn, pain ensues.
Dynamic cupping and how it fits in to your sports recovery and pain relief.
Outside of a select few who actually had cupping therapy prior to 2012, most of us remember the first time we saw the little bruise circles - Michael Phelps, 2012 Olympics. Just as Kinesio taping sparked our curiosity during the prior Olympics with Volleyball megastars Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor, as soon a Michael Phelps stepped on the starting platform for his first races, questions started to pop up on every major news outlet across the world.
