Finding the "WHY"

Welcome to Active Sports and Spine and Happy New Year! May this year be filled with many accomplished goals and lots of happiness!

While I was going through school and learning new techniques in seminars, I realized the importance of having solid diagnostic skills. Without the most educated diagnosis and not finding the “WHY” we are treating this patient, health practitioners are treating patients blindly.  Finding improper body movements needs a keen eye in order to provide the best care possible.

Which overhead squat do you want?

When a patient enters my clinic with a complaint, I have one main goal in mind. Find the “WHY” and reason this person is coming to see me today. In combination of asking questions, performing orthopedic tests, and watching for movement errors, I want to find out if this is a PHYSICAL vs CHEMICAL problem and/or a MOBILTY vs STABILITY problem.  Joints are designed to move in a specific way and are made to be more of a stable joint or more of a mobile joint.  Physical therapist, Gray Cook, does a great job describing the alternating joint-by-joint approach. For example, if my thoracic spine doesn’t have enough mobility during a throwing motion or an overhead squat, my body will crank more on my low back joints and/or shoulders to create the throwing and overhead squat “shape.” My motion is compromised and puts extra stress on the joints then in return creates more wear and tear onto the joints.  You MUST have proper mobility and stability to prevent overuse injuries and to keep you on the field as long as possible. I know too many minor league baseball players with high major league potential that had to stop playing due to shoulder labral tears and lumbar spinous process fractures.

Could this prevent a career-ending injury? For sure.

Could this inhibit performance? For sure.

Are these important issues to address? For sure. 

Make sure to find a health practitioner you can trust and see on a regular basis. Lets promote proper movement and reduce the risk of serious injuries while improving your performance. 

References: Gray Cook, McKenzie Institute