Dr. Rhett Polka demonstrates how stretching effects athletic performance and the risk of injury in this five part series. “Tight hamstrings”? Dr. Rhett Polka shows why muscle tightness isn’t what it seems to be. Find out what happens when you stretch muscle, what to do instead of stretching and why MoStreBility beats flexibilty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUe5gvwAF8k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL57GFaBSOQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaojYpgpJ0o
An article written by Lenny Bernstein of the Washington Post, has several strong points when it comes to stretching. Decades of research and physiological fact support many of the points in the article:
• There’s no evidence that stretching prevents injury. In fact, it is more likely to cause one.
• Stretching won’t stave off muscle soreness.
• Stretching won’t increase, but actually decreases, performance levels.
• The merits of stretching are “not based on any science. It’s based on word of mouth. It’s spread by coaches, spread by trainers, (by) all kinds of different people who have an interest in pretending to be experts.”
• According to the National Institute on Aging, “we don’t have the kinds of controlled intervention studies that we need to make a definitive statement about the benefits of doing flexibility exercises… We’re not able to tell the elderly exactly the ways it can help them.”
• A CDC study shows “stretching was not significantly associated with a reduction in total injuries.”
• Static stretching produces microscopic muscle tears and does nothing to prevent injury. It also weakens muscle, increases injury, and limits performance according to the CDC study.
• Research indicates that warming up before exercise is more valuable than stretching.
Bernstein’s article and the “Stretching the Truth” article that I wrote over five years ago conlcude that stretching weakens muscle and causes injury, does not increase heart rate or circulation, only masks pain, and actually decreases range of motion over time.
Most top level high school, club, collegiate and professional coaches have eliminated stretching from their athletes routines with excellent results. They understand that the most flexible athletes are the most susceptible to injury. Therefore they have replaced stretching with active warm up and cool down.
Fibromyalgia.
An article titled “Fibromyalgia, Fact and Fiction” outlined several reasons why One80 PT has such good success with FMS patients.
• FMS is pain signal disorder arising from the central nervous system. Since the One80 System. treatment restores communication between nerve and muscle, our FMS patients experience immediate results.
• Both drug and physical therapies are a good combination for FMS patients according to the article. With One80’s unique manual therapy treatment, many patients decrease and even eliminate prescription drug use.
• Increased physical activity and exercise is instrumental in an FMS treatment plan. The key is to make sure the muscles are working correctly, and then prescribe the correct exercises. At One80 PT, we ensure accurate nervous and muscular system communication prior to giving the patient a personalized functional exercise program.
Take Off Your Shoes and Walk.
According to Gait & Posture, children should go barefoot as much as possible and wear flexible shoes when going barefoot isn’t possible. The research project determined that kids, average age of 8, had better gait, more functional foot mechanics, and a decreased chance of future foot problems if they wore less restrictive shoes. Data shows that rigid or corrective footwear can decrease the motion and function of the foot causing a lack of MoStreBility (Motion+Strength+Stability). This study supports One80’s belief that going barefoot as much as possible and avoiding any type of shoe insert, especially for the treatment of foot pain, is a must. If you can’t go barefoot without pain, or are already wearing inserts, call Dr. Rhett Polka today at (970) 593-9300 for a FREE consultation. Think different, live well.
No Help with Inserts.
Shoe inserts have no protective value in the prevention of overuse injuries in female basketball players according to a study from East Carolina University. The authors of the study actually found that the players who did not wear orthotics had a lower injury rate than those who did. A separate literature review published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews concluded that wearing shoe inserts does not prevent low back pain. It also found that specialized insoles were not effective in treating low back pain.
One80 PT would take it a step further and say that shoe inserts are not only unnecessary, but are harmful. Because Dr. Rhett Polka understands the importance of the Kinetic Matrix, he is able to not only address your foot problem, but also show how your feet affect the rest of your body. Take off your shoes and walk at One80.
ACL injury and the Kinetic Matrix.
Studies suggest that trunk and pelvic motion plays a significant role in non-contact ACL injury. A study of soccer players demonstrated that female athletes played in a more upright posture when compared to male athletes. This caused abnormal movements to occur at the hip and knee with cutting tasks. At One80, we evaluate and treat the entire Kinetic Chain then correct muscular imbalances in order to restore MoStreBility. This maximizes function and decreases the risk of injury. Think different, live well.
Knee pain, more than just a knee problem.
According to a study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, hip weakness is a main contributor to knee pain in female collegiate athletes. The study compared female athletes who suffered from knee pain to asymptomatic athletes of the same gender and age. The study concluded that individuals with knee pain had hip rotator and gluteal (butt) weakness. It stated that evaluation of individuals with knee pain should include assessment of hip strength. Fortunately for you, One80 Physical Therapy in Loveland always examines the entire Kinetic Matrix in order to maximize your MoStreBility! You don’t live inside the box, so we don’t think there.
