Please watch: https://www.youtube.com/embed/xBOWKP4CO4Y

Above is a short video addressing common reasons why ground and/or knee pain develops and two exercises to get to the root of the problem. Addressing muscular dysfunction through therapeutic exercise continues to prove to be the most effective and evidence-based intervention for common musculoskeletal conditions such as tendinitis, bursitis, sprain/strains, joint pain and muscle tightness.

These exercises involve minimal equipment and are easy to perform at home, in a hotel room, or at the gym. All you need is:

• Chair/bench or some form on a firm elevated surface
• Your own bodyweight

Exercises covered in this video:

1. The Adductor (Groin) Side Plank
2. The Rear-foot Elevated Split Squat (Bulgarian Split Squat)

Also covered in the video are common reasons why groin and/or knee pain may develop and why these exercises can be very effective once a patient is out of pain.

 
More related reading:

https://www.gallagherperformance.com/blog/why-therapists-should-understand-strength

https://www.gallagherperformance.com/blog/the-solution-to-long-term-improvement-of-back-pain

https://www.gallagherperformance.com/blog/advanced-training-for-elite-athletes

Pain is incredibly complex, making the treatment and management of chronic or persistent pain a unique challenge. After reading this article, the hope is that you have a better understanding of the complexities of pain and how treatment must be directed if one is truly to overcome chronic pain.

Pain has a nasty habit of getting in the way of activities that we not only enjoy, but also the mundane tasks of everyday living. It becomes of paramount importance that treatment not only decreases pain, but also that the individual is able to resume activities that are important to them with improved function and mechanics.

To begin with, let's start with an understanding of pain and the reality behind why we perceive pain.

1) Pain is in the Brain
Pain is a message from our brain that is meant to protect us.  Even though pain is meant to protect us, pain is not a reliable source of indicating the extent of an injury or even where the injury is located. The classic example here is phantom limb pain. Amputees regularly will experience this phenomenon. One may experience left leg pain, yet they do not have a left leg. If pain is purely related to damage or injury, how would one experience pain in a limb that doesn’t exist?

The reality of pain perception can be a difficult education point as this is typically a new concept for the majority of patients and one they may need some time to understand. But it’s critical as their beliefs about pain can complicate the recovery process. It’s extremely beneficial for patients to learn about pain and address fear-avoidance behaviors and other factors that will interfere with reactivation into normal movement and activities of daily living.

2) Hurt Doesn't Equal Harm
Another key component of the education process is that “hurt doesn’t equal harm”. Just because a movement or activity may “hurt” this doesn’t mean that you are doing harm to the body or damaging tissues. In fact, there is a growing body of research supporting poor correlation between pain and structural changes seen on advanced medical imaging. Just because one has degenerative joint disease, a disc bulge, or rotator cuff tear doesn’t mean they will have pain as these imaging findings are routinely found in asymptomatic individuals.

It’s important patients understand this concept because when it comes to exposure to movement through exercise, you don’t want the fear of structural damage to interfere with the ability to become more active. While not all movement will be pain free, movement isn’t causing harm. And that’s extremely powerful for patients to understand.

3) Movement is Medicine
Movement has the ability to be healing by reducing the pain response in our brain. Thus this is why movement is like medicine and why movement eventually has to take center stage in the management of chronic pain. Similar to manual therapy, graded exposure to movement through exercise will essentially teach your nervous system to “wind down” and not be as sensitive to pain. In doing so, you become more confident and reassured that you can do more without pain or the fear of a relapse in your condition.

4) The Work is Just Beginning 
Unfortunately, the pain fix isn’t an overnight solution. For chronic pain patients, often times the rehabilitation process can take months of consistent work and repeated inputs to the nervous system to make a substantial change on pain and function. Repeated inputs come in the form of manual therapy and home exercise/self management strategies. Thus patient’s must understand the importance of compliance within their home exercise program as this makes a significant difference in their outcomes.

It’s important they understand the nervous system is easily tricked. It's easy to yield immediate change, but these changes should not be confused with lasting results. This concept is illustrated with any number of assessments commonly used in chiropractic and physical therapy offices – from leg length analysis to functional screens - as well as therapeutic interventions – from manual therapy to manipulation. By performing pre and post checks, it's possible to see immediate changes within one treatment. It can be easy to impact pain and create changes in range of motion or body function that have patients leaving your office feeling great.

But no single input can create lasting change. It requires multiple inputs over a period a time to create lasting change within the nervous system. This is why exercise and training is so important. If patients are not provided with the right exercises to compliment therapy, this is why they have pain relapses. Patients must exercise and must train to make a lasting change within their body. Otherwise they will get frustrated with chronic recurrences of leaving a provider's office feeling great only to experience a return of pain symptoms. And this becomes the pain cycle many become stuck in unless a change is made.

Break the Pain Cycle
If you are dealing with chronic or persistent pain or stuck in the pain cycle, the hope is that this article gets you thinking differently about how pain should be managed for successful outcomes. It’s why the management of painful conditions, especially chronic pain, must focus on pain education, the appropriate use of manual therapy (ex: joint mobilizations/manipulation, relaxation techniques such as PIR, soft-tissue and neurodynamic mobilizations) and graded movement exposure through exercise.

More related reading:

https://gallagherperformance.com/solving-pain-influence-czech-rehabilitation-techniques/

 

Running season is fast approaching. Spring and summer have a host of events from marathons, to half marathons, to triathlons, to various course races. Many have likely already started their training. And then of course we can’t forget those who will simply take up running in hopes of shedding unwanted body weight for the summer.

Whether you are taking up running to become healthier and lose weight, to qualify for Boston, or if you have your eyes set on crossing a race off your bucket list, your routine training will either build you toward your goal or you will be bogged down with nagging injury after nagging injury.

When you consider that 65-80% of runners will sustain an injury during the running season, clearly there is something that needs addressed to help runners cut down their chances of being sidelined or having recurrent issues during their training.

If there is one thing that most people know about me is that I’m not a distance runner. I’ll make that disclaimer up front. Never been a distance or endurance athlete and never will be. I live in the power-speed world of athletics. However, as a former hockey player and strength athlete, one of favorite past times and off-season training methods was (and still is) sprints.

Between my background as a chiropractic rehabilitation specialist as well as personal and professional experience in speed development, I’ve learned a thing or two about what it takes to build a body that is resilient to the demands of running/sprinting rather than breaking down. And at Gallagher Performance we have developed a reputation for not only building speed demons, but keeping their body healthy and ready in the process.

So what gives? Why is someone like me writing an article about running?

The name of the game in athletics is physical preparation and the same can be said of distance running. Unfortunately there seems to be a misunderstanding in that one only needs to run to be successful at running. While this may be true for some, there are numerous others who simply cannot solely rely on running in order to be prepared to run. Simply just running to be ready to run is an oversimplification of arguably the most complex human movement.

If that sounds ridiculous or confusing, let me explain my logic.

Most runners will eventually encounter their fair share of aches, pains, strains and overuse injuries. Plantar fasciitis, shin splints, tendonitis, stress fractures, runner’s knee, IT band syndrome and joint pain are common to the running community. Once training demands exceed what is one physically prepared for, this is where things start to go south.
These conditions may be present for a number of reasons, including any of the following:

• Sharp increases in training volume
• Foot wear
• Gait mechanics
• Strength deficits
• Joint dysfunction or fixations
• Improper motor control of lower extremities and/or torso
• Overtraining
• Inadequate physical preparation

Our approach to working with shoulder pain or injuries is very unique in that we really don’t work around shoulder injuries when properly indicated. The majority of the time, we don’t force someone to rest for several days while inflammation quiets down. Yes, it can be necessary in rare circumstances. However, rest and traditional methods of ice and anti-inflammatory meds are often over utilized when properly prescribed movement (i.e. exercise) is probably the better bet for improved recovery. At Gallagher Performance, we have a nasty habit of getting our athletes, clients and patients to work through pain and injuries by strategically incorporating exercise with specialized approaches tailored to find “the hardest thing they do well”. We want to find what they can be successful with while not posing any undue risk. And the best part? The system works.

When it comes to the shoulder, pain and injury is most commonly associated with poor shoulder function and faulty mechanics. And when I say most commonly, it’s not a stretch to say over 50% of shoulder injuries are due to these underlying problems. If muscles are unable to fire properly to provide ideal amounts of support (stability) and motion (mobility), then injury will occur regardless of how strong or flexible one is.
I have written extensively on the subject of the “hidden cause of injury” since the root cause of the overwhelming major of musculoskeletal injury is dysfunctional movement. Most doctors and trainers do not have the training or eye to look for dysfunctional movement and no amount of rest, ice, and Advil will ever provide the solution. No amount of passive modalities, taping, cupping, mobility drills, or stretching will correct dysfunctional movement. When it comes to shoulders, the solution to reducing shoulder pain and preventing injury is all about restoring proper rhythm and mechanics of the shoulder joint. This includes all it’s associated articulations – the glenohumeral and scapulothoracic. Basically we have to improve how both the “ball and socket” joint or “shoulder joint” (as most of us know it) and “shoulder blade” function together.

When it comes to improving the function of the shoulder, we’ll take an athlete or patient and have them perform variations of rows, pulls, presses, and ground-based movements with adequate loads to reinforce ideal body mechanics and correct dysfunctional movement or stability patterns. This is done through a combination of exercises, tempos, external stimuli, and progressions to essentially re-educate the nervous system. This is why it’s called neuromuscular re-education. We must teach the nervous system to do things better and break bad habits. Yes bad habits can be very challenging to break. Most people would rather pop a pill or rest until their pain disappears rather than break bad habits because breaking bad habits sounds like hard work. Popping pills and rest are great because they are easy and effective. But those who deal with chronic recurrences may want to think about a different strategy once their patience wears thin.
For example, some lifters have such poor thoracic spine posture and scapular dyskinesis that they may need 6 months+ of rehab and corrective work. But they have no interest in that. They have no interest in stepping back a little and refocusing their training for long-term development. They prefer to band-aid symptoms while they push their training and perpetuate the pain cycle.

The funny thing is breaking bad habits isn't as hard as most people think. If you work with the right person you’d be surprised what proper coaching, cueing, and exercise can do in a relatively short period of time. The reality is most people are highly resistant to breaking bad habits because of either ego or the unwillingness to take a step backward. Typically after a number of training or therapy sessions, the individual is able to perform any and all movements without pain and with improved shoulder mechanics. For those dealing with shoulder pain, improving their mechanics through sensory-motor training enables their nervous system to be re-educated. This re-education process is the most effective form of therapy and healing available. It cannot be understated that a critical component of this process is proper coaching and cueing. This is the responsibility of the coach or therapist. As much as proper coaching and cueing can be beneficial, improper coaching and cueing can prove to be very damaging. It is my opinion that many injuries occur because the athlete or patient had previously received very poor coaching or instruction.

This is exactly why performing exercise with proper technique is proving to be the single most effective form of therapy as it promotes almost immediate healing. If someone is having pain during a movement, they are doing something wrong. Correct them into the proper movement and watch their pain disappear. The key is re-educating the nervous system so movement becomes both therapeutic and performance-enhancing to one’s body rather than promoting pain and destroying joints.  This is truth when it comes to the shoulder joint as well as any joint within the human body.

Tired of pain? Want to reach your full potential? Visit gallagherperf.wpengine.com
EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE.

More related reading:

https://gallagherperformance.com/finding-a-solution-to-your-shoulder-pain/

The problem:
It’s not uncommon for people with recurrent episodes of back pain to become fearful and to start avoiding activities in life. They begin to associate pain with the activity and that the activity is doing harm. Thus, in their minds, pain equals harm and any activity that causes pain avoided. The problem becomes that as this the list of activities grow, deconditioning sets in and begins to feed into back pain. At this point, most figure they are just “getting old” or figure they will need to “learn to live with the pain”. The reality is there is a solution to help you fight against these feeling of fear and limitation and enable you to fight dysfunction in your body.

The solution:
Research tells us that exercise should be part of your back pain solution. This isn’t true of just backs, as exercise should be part of any joint pain solution. Time and time again, more than any other intervention, exercise has demonstrated the ability to provide positive outcomes in back pain relief and reduced relapses. However, too often people use different exercises to help reduce their pain only to find that exercise makes their back feel worse. The solution isn’t just simply exercise, the solution is understanding the right exercises to do while also understanding which exercises to avoid. You need to know what exercises for sciatica and disc herniation are best to do 1st to create a good foundation of movement before progressing to more difficult exercises. Where do you go for that information? Over the past several years we have put together a clinically successful exercise progression program for our patients and clients with back pain. These exercise progressions serve as the framework for rehabilitation and also serve as the foundation for improving athletic performance. Join us for our Core Training – From Rehab to Performance workshop and learn more about what you can begin doing immediately to help reduce your back pain, feel better, and improve your performance in sport or life.

 
 


More related reading:

https://gallagherperformance.com/the-best-exercise/

Often I am asked, "What is the best exercise?" or "What is the best type of exercise?"

To answer that question, let's set the stage of what exercise really is - movement.

Teaching patients not only about chiropractic but how to move better all comes back to function and understanding how all the intricate parts of our body make up a highly complex movement system. But here are some key points to understand:

1) Function determines movement. Chiropractic and rehabilitation seek to restore proper movement function. Functional examinations determine WHY movement is painful or problematic. Utilizing the functional model of movement helps to determine who is at risk for injury, which movement patterns or body regions are dysfunctional, and what treatment or exercise strategy is needed to address those issues in combination with chiropractic/manual therapy methods.

2) Function is critical to movement and movement is critical to our health. Our bodies are designed to move. The growing list of chronic diseases and immense burden on the healthcare system associated with an overly sedentary society clearly demonstrates one conclusion – we need to move more.

3) Movement is exercise and exercise is medicine. The medicinal benefits of exercise are numerous. There is a reason why exercise and proper nutrition is being labeled as "lifestyle medicine".

For those who wish to start an exercise program, the public is told to “see your doctor” before starting an exercise program. Most patients are cleared to exercise after history and vitals are considered “normal”. Sure your organ system may be healthy enough for exercise, but nothing is mentioned about seeing a doctor to determine how well you move or how well your muscles and joints are functioning. Why wouldn’t this be considered? Why wouldn’t seeing a “movement specialist” before considering an exercise program be equally advocated?

So, in typical fashion, most of us embark on an exercise program believing we will be healthier for it. We are told to exercise and practice sound nutritional habits, but what do most of us do for exercise?  How about go to the gym, sit on a machine and pull or push weights while hunched over with lousy posture.  Or, after sitting for 40-60 hours per week, let’s go out and put staggering amounts of stress on our bodies through recreational activities like weekend skiing, Thursday night softball league, rec league hockey, golf, or basketball.

There's nothing wrong with those activity choices, yet what happens when pain or injury come into the picture? Most of blame the exercise or blame the activity when, in most cases, we should be blaming our own body.

When it comes to pain and injury, the reality is what our body is capable of performing cannot meet the demands we are placing upon it. The overall function of our body must be ready to handle a specific task or movement otherwise problems will eventually arise. Problems that may range from mild (muscular tightness/stiffness, joint aches) to more severe (pain and/or injury).

The beauty of the functional model is that those regions that have mechanical sensitivity (pain) and/or abnormal motor control can be identified and solutions are discovered. Exposing these compensations and correcting them plays a huge role in not only getting patients out of pain, but improving how their body functions.

Why is changing how our body functions so important?
While pain is why most people seek care, the reality is if we only change pain and fail to change how a patient’s body functions, we have our reason why so many patients relapse. But if we get them out of pain and improve how their body functions then we are doing what we need to do to keep the pain from returning.

Whether we need mobility (improved range of motion) or stability (motor control), that can be addressed with a proper functional examination through movement. After a functional examination, it just makes sense to reinforce functional movement patterns with specialized exercise to build a foundation of proper movement coordination, strength and skill.  Now we are beginning to get somewhere to build form, function and fitness. Now we are getting people to move better through better exercise!

Correct movement is the best exercise
Once people learn better movement, how to project their joints and what exercises they should be performing, their bodies are much healthier for it. There is less risk of injury and most will ultimately start feeling better instantly. Rather than beating their bodies up due to poor movement, movement becomes healing. Correct exercise is the answer. Correct movement is what we need to get out of pain, feel capable and feel healthy.

That’s the essence of the functional model. It’s about promoting health and healing through therapy, movement, and patient-centered education. That’s what we pride ourselves on at Gallagher Performance as our model is truly unique in the services we provide and the results we achieve.

More related reading:

https://gallagherperformance.com/prevent-re-injury-integrated-training-rehabilitation/

https://gallagherperformance.com/powerful-innovative-approach-improving-body-functions/

https://gallagherperformance.com/do-you-really-need-more-mobility/

https://gallagherperformance.com/the-truth-about-functional-exercise/

Obesity is a problem. It's a real problem.

Today, 34% of the US adult population is obese and roughly 18% of US youth aged 2-19 years are obese. It is well established that children who are obese are more likely to be obese as adults, putting them more at risk for health problems such as heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, stroke, cancer, asthma, and osteoarthritis. The burden of obesity on the healthcare system is tremendous as billions of dollars are spent annually on prescription drug, emergency room and outpatient visit healthcare costs.

The Framingham study has demonstrated data that obesity rates have gone up 2% per  year and they project that by the year 2050, 42% of the US population could be obese. And that’s the best-case scenario.

Possible Theories for Climbing Obesity Rates
There are several theories that attempt to explain obesity and it's rise to "epidemic" status. Theories can range from obesity being the result of food purposefully manufactured to be addictive, to nutrient imbalances, to environmental, psychological, and genetic factors to name a few.

There has even been research done to investigate whether obesity is “contagious” or something that we can “catch”, similar to the flu or other infectious diseases. This research was centered on studies that have demonstrated those who have social connections to obese individuals are more likely to be obese themselves.

The reality is the cause of obesity is multi-factorial and there are likely many reasons for obesity with very individual considerations. While there are many factors that will raise one’s risk for obesity, it’s important to recognize one key factor in the prevention of obesity - the body is programmed to regulate body weight.

So how can Americans - who continue to get fat even with the increased prevalence of dieting – regain control over body weight regulation?

Get Moving!
Low energy expenditure and sedentary lifestyles are the cause of body weight dysregulation. Meaning, lack of exercise or low energy expenditure is the MAJOR limiting factor in the ability to properly control body weight.
Yes, nutrition makes a difference but we see athletes who eat poorly all the time without becoming obese. Why?

Their high activity level keeps body weight regulation tighter. Nutrition is important for energy balance and is responsible for physical change. However, no amount of calorie control will help until the genetic switch is turned “on” by appropriate levels of physical activity.
But who has time for all that exercise, right?

The most recent National Human Activity Pattern Survey and American Time Use Survey have found people watch, on average, 30-35 hours of TV per week or almost 5 hours a day! This is a drastic increase from 2007, as these surveys reported American’s watched 19.5-21 hours of TV per week or almost 3 hours a day on average.

Most Americans move too little! Period.

Put a Plan into Action
Here are some steps and strategies you can use to better regulate your bodyweight, fight the battle of the bulge, and reduce your risk of obesity:

• Build muscle with properly designed strength training and conditioning program. Incorporate regular, proper progression to encourage new stimuli and promote muscular and metabolic adaptations to fuel post-workout energy expenditure.
• Increase “non-exercise” physical activity. Simply put, sit less and move more. Get out for a walk, do some yard work, or ride a bike. Pick something you enjoy that gets you up and moving.
• Stay consistent with your nutrition and eating habits. Developing unhealthy or unsustainable nutritional habits can have disastrous consequences on your body’s body weight regulation. Avoid the tendency to "hop around" with your eating habits and change them based on what some celebrity or your friend is doing. Avoid extreme diets as these come with the risk of long-term overcompensations that can be challenging to change.
• Nutritional habits must be sustainable or they will not be successful. Sustainable actions produce optimum results. Your eating habits should be developed around practical application and science, not cookie-cutter planning or gimmicks. This is where individual considerations must be made and working with a professional has tremendous value.
• Sleep 7-9 hours each night. Sleep is an incredibly powerful tool in promoting an optimal hormonal environment for proper bodyweight regulation.
• Develop strong social support networks. Surround yourself with people who are like-minded and will support your health, fitness, and wellness goals.
• Realize you are responsible for you. Despite having the best training program or the best nutritional program or the best support network possible, you are ultimately in the driver’s seat and results will not come unless you put those plans into action. Commitment to consistent, sustainable action is the key. This is not an 20-day or 12-week fix. These are habits that are meant to last a lifetime. Recognize your responsibility and commit to it.

Recently, Shannon Perrine of WTAE Channel 4 News in Pittsburgh featured a story on a patient of ours, Karla White. The focus of the story being Karla's same-day hip replacement surgery. It was a short, yet informative piece on the work of her surgeon and the rehabilitative process with special attention to the factors that played a role in a very successful outcome. If you have not seen the story, head to our Facebook page and check it out. All of our social media links are here on the website. You'll find them at the top of the page.

After the story aired yesterday, I had a number of thoughts that came to mind. Primarily these thoughts centered around how many medical professionals and the general public have a misunderstanding of the training and qualifications of chiropractors and strength & conditioning specialists. Especially as they relate to rehab, be it from injury or surgery. Many may find it unconventional and, at times, silly that one seeks out the professional help of a chiropractor or strength coach for the oversight of their rehabilitation.

Traditionally, once a patient is ready to begin post-surgical rehab, this process is guided by a physical therapist. It’s conventional thought and accepted practice.  You have surgery, then you go to physical therapy.

That said, there are post-surgical patients who will seek out a chiropractic rehabilitation specialist to manage their rehabilitation. And, depending upon the setting and patient, strength & conditioning specialists may be involved as well.

Now there may be a few thoughts running through your mind right now. Maybe thoughts such as:

“Wait….chiropractors aren’t qualified to do post-surgical rehab!”
“Why would you use a strength & conditioning specialist for a rehab patient? Those are only for athletes!”
This news story has opened up the opportunity to help educate, so let’s address these questions or concerns.

Are chiropractors qualified for post-surgical rehab?
The reality is, when patients seek a provider for their post-surgical rehab, they may choose to seek a professional who is not a physical therapist. Some may not have the flexibility to make their own decision, but for those patients are looking for the best person for the job and they will exercise their right to make that decision. Regardless of title (PT or DC), patients must be in the hands of a provider who has the professional training and expertise to handle their rehabilitation appropriately. Providers must be competent and efficient for the sake of minimizing post-surgical complications and improving outcomes.

I’ve highlighted this before in previous writings, but my residency truly provided professional training very few chiropractors ever receive. During my 3+ year residency, I managed or co-managed numerous spinal, shoulder, hand/wrist, hip, knee, and foot/ankle post-surgical rehabilitation programs. Our department at Palmer College of Chiropractic worked with local orthopedic and neuro surgeons to co-manage routine as well as highly complicated surgical cases within the Quad City area. Meaning, we saw everything from athletic injuries to total joint replacements.

I don’t stress this to simply pump my own tires, but to convey to our audience that I’m not new to post-surgical rehabilitation and there are chiropractors out there that have similar training and expertise as well. We don’t exist on the level of physical therapists nor are we claiming to be physical therapists. Physical therapists have their own unique training and skill set. The ones I know do outstanding work for their patients.

The point I’m trying to make is that it is possible for chiropractors to have a background in functional and post-surgical rehabilitation. These chiropractic rehabilitation specialists are qualified and are capable of successful post-surgical rehab outcomes.

What is the value of Strength & Conditioning during post-surgical rehab?
For all those that want to be evidence-based, exercise and strength training literally helps more musculoskeletal conditions that all other treatments. The same can be said of post-surgical rehab as it is all about regaining range of motion, strength, and functional capacity. If you have the privilege of having a knowledgeable and qualified strength & conditioning specialist in your corner, they will provide enormous value to the post-surgical recovery process.

Yes, the involvement of strength coaches may be more commonly used in the athletic world, within the collegiate, professional and international ranks. But, when available in the private sector, they add an immense advantage as the rehabilitative process is very time sensitive and it’s critically important no time is wasted. The more quickly a post-surgical patient can regain adequate strength and movement quality through gradual exposure to the functional demands of strength training, the more quickly they are able to return to their activities of daily living, job, or sport with confidence and minimal complication.

Strength coaches are experts in what almost all musculoskeletal conditions will benefit from: exercise and strength training. Keep in mind, they must have the appropriate qualifications. Not all strength coaches are created equal and those that are capable of being involved with a post-surgical patient are rare. I can't stress that enough. These professionals understand their role and the best results are seen when they work together with the rehabilitation specialist to ensure ideal outcomes for the patient.

Post-Surgical Rehab Success is All About Team
The success of the post-surgical rehab program is not solely dependent upon any one specific individual involved in the process. Successful post-surgical outcomes take on a team dynamic. In this case, the surgeon, rehabilitation specialist, strength & conditioning specialist, and patient all had critical roles.

The Surgeon
For Karla, she had a tremendous orthopedic surgeon in Dr. Julius Huebner. Due to a congenital condition and progressively worsening degenerative joint changes to the left hip, Karla underwent direct anterior approach total hip replacement in late May 2016. This surgical approach is essentially a “surgical strike” as described by Dr. Huebner in the video. His surgical procedure resulted in no damage to adjacent tissues and structures. The procedure was a precise as you can get, enabling same-day hip replacement surgery and a faster recovery.

The Rehabilitation and Strength & Conditioning Specialists
In preparation for her surgery, she worked with the team at Gallagher Performance during the months prior to her surgery to improve her post-surgical rehab outcomes. Her pre-surgery rehab program enabled Karla to remain as functional as possible during that time. Pre-surgical rehab programs are never easy and quite challenging. However, Karla is a tremendous patient who demonstrated nothing but commitment and patience, knowing that the work she did prior to surgery meant having that much less to do post-surgery.

Likewise, during the course of her post-surgical rehab program, Karla worked one-on-one with either myself or Ryan. I managed the early phases of her rehabilitation recovery, implementing manual therapy and exercise. This continued as she progressed to more strength training focus in her rehab. That's when Head Performance Coach, Ryan Gallagher, designed and implemented her strength & conditioning program.  The collaborative focus was on developing ideal movement patterns to spare her joints, thus improving the health and relative function of her legs, hips and spine. Exercise selection and progressions were based on post-surgical guidelines, tolerances, and functional capacity all while ensuring adequate strength and movement control were demonstrated.

The Patient
As for Karla, she was the ideal patient.  She was compliant and motivated throughout the entire process. Karla loves to be active and workout, which only added to her motivation. A motivated patient is so refreshing to work with for countless reasons. The rehabilitative process can be frustrating at times, with obstacles and ups-and-down marking the road. As challenging as rehab can be physically, rehab can be even more challenging mentally. To her credit, Karla was always willing to work, even when she was frustrated or progress was slow. She always worked hard and focused on the little details. It’s because of her attitude that she demonstrated and her drive to regain the quality of life she desired that she is where she is today.

Summing Up
The combined team effort was the key to the success of this post-surgical rehab story. This theme must be present to ensure a patient has the outcomes they desire. It’s a privilege to be involved, providing our services to complement the team effort required during the post-surgical process as we recognize our role in the rehabilitative process. We thank Dr. Huebner for his medical expertise, Karla for being outstanding to work with, and WTAE’s Shannon Perrine for her excellent coverage of the story.

At Gallagher Performance, our focus is on developing the resilience of our clients and patients. We are committed to utilizing cutting-edge, patient-focused progressions to help every individual we work with not only achieve but also exceed their goals. With our extensive training and knowledge in chiropractic, manual therapy, sports injuries, rehabilitation, and performance-based training, we work with all individuals who are interested in living healthy, active, and pain-free lives.

More related reading:

https://gallagherperformance.com/3-simple-steps-to-reduce-your-risk-of-sports-injuries/

It seems, inevitably, we get weekly questions wanting our insights or thoughts on some training or rehabilitation method.

Regardless of the whether its the fitness industry or physical medicine profession, methods come and go all the time. Some interventions have staying power as they provide lasting results. Some trends are just a flash in the pan. The more recent or more intriguing the trend, the more it seems to generate questions.

When it comes to rehabilitation, this can be seen in a wide range of modalities and procedures from electromuscular stimulation (EMS) to low level laser therapy, machine-based exercises to the functional approach, stretching to myofascial release techniques, and kinesiotaping to cupping.

In the fitness and training industry, there is an equal (likely greater) amount of options and trends to get hung up on. From kettlebells to TRX, Curves to Crossfit, bodybuilding methods to Olympic weightlifting, and unstable surface training to over-speed training just to name a few.

While the question, "What do you think of....," may be seem to be a simple question in nature, it's a difficult question to answer without understanding the context of it's application.

Unless the application is understood, the results one gets from a specific method is left in question.

If you severely sprain an ankle during a basketball game, sure taping and bracing will help in the early stages of healing. As healing and rehabilitation progress, manual therapy and exercise begin to take more focus. Single-leg balance and sensory-motor stimulation have demonstrated successful application in the rehabilitation of certain injuries, such as ankle sprains. But if you get on a BOSU ball or unstable surface too soon - and you re-injure your ankle - is the problem the unstable surface or just poor application?

Similarly, there are many people who take on a fitness or sports training program but end up worn down and banged up because their application of certain principles is just wrong. This may be due to joining a group exercise class or working with a trainer that provides poor advice and application of training principles. Or it could be due to an individual attempting to structure their own exercise program without proper knowledge of training method applications.

We all could benefit from someone who we can trust for sound advice who it comes to applying the principles of rehabilitation or exercise. They will be able to inform you on what methods may be best for your specific goals and your unique individual considerations. You need someone who can help guide and educate you, who is able to critically think and problem solve. This is what the best trainers, coaches, and therapists are able to do for their clients and athletes.

What we do at Gallagher Performance is exactly that. We critically think and problem solve for our clients and patients. We aim to educate them and implement the most appropriate applications for their desired goals and outcomes.

Despite this, the reality is our philosophy, our approach, or our applications may not be for everyone. We won't sacrifice long-term sustainability for temporary results. We take pride in quality over quantity. We won't focus on the latest trends or what other people are doing. We aren’t concerned with this.

Our primary concern is offering the best training and therapy to the people we work with while educating them on understanding sound application so they are able to make informed decisions. And we will always educate, even if that means people have to hear the hard truth. But hopefully in hearing the hard truth, they learn lessons that provide better guidance in the pursuit of their goals.

More related reading:

https://gallagherperformance.com/prevent-re-injury-integrated-training-rehabilitation/

https://gallagherperformance.com/powerful-innovative-approach-improving-body-functions/

https://gallagherperformance.com/the-benefits-of-performance-therapy/

Movement is essential to the function of our heart, lungs, and lymphatic system. Movement is critical to keeping our muscles, joints, cartilage, and connective tissue healthy. Movement aids in the delivery of oxygen and nutrients throughout our body and assists in removal of metabolic waste products.

These are points that the majority of us have either heard about or have come to understand about the importance of movement as it relates to our overall health.

Yet one major benefit of movement is often overlooked - the stimulation of pathways required for proper brain and body function.

Yep, that’s correct. Movement - especially of the spine - is required for proper brain function and coordination of activities such as concentration and learning, motor control, emotions, and optimizes organ and immune function.
There is a reason why you experience an increase in mental alertness after exercise or even a visit to the chiropractor. According to Roger Sperry, Nobel Prize recipient in Brain Research, movement of the spine generates 90% of the nerve stimulation used to run the brain.
The brain does not simply control the body, the brain requires constant stimulation and that stimulation comes from movement.

Movement charges your brain’s battery and enables you to think, function, and feel better.
Sound a bit too good to be true?

The work of some of the most prominent neurologists and physiologists in the world continually support the role of movement in brain and nervous system health.

The stimulation your brain receives from movement – once again, especially of your spine – is now being considered essential to optimal brain function and development. In fact, research is now showing that people who do not adequately stimulate their brain through movement have learning, memory, emotional, and behavioral deficits.
This is especially true for children because spinal joint receptor stimulation plays an integral role in the development of the child’s brain and nervous system. The effects of decreased stimulation of the brain in childhood have been linked to central motor impairment, developmental impairments, learning disabilities, and concentration problems like ADHD.

Regardless of your age, the message should be clear at this point: Movement does a body – and brain – good.
Get out and get moving.

More related reading:

https://gallagherperformance.com/tips-on-recovery-and-restoration/

https://gallagherperformance.com/does-practice-make-permanent-how-practice-rewires-your-nervous-system/

Lately it’s hard to find time to keep up with our blog. Life and business have a way of keeping you busy. Ignoring our social platforms may happen for a period of time, but we always revisit them. If there is one thing I’ve always hoped is that our blog would be informative, educational, and entertaining (at times).

The summer months bring on increased work load. Once May rolls around, we take it up a notch or two at Gallagher Performance. Summer is a grind, but it’s also a blast. We love the grind, love the process. With the volume of high school and collegiate athletes training for strength and performance, along with the patients we see ranging from acute care to rehabilitation to return to play, summer provides tremendous learning opportunities.

Reflecting back on the past several weeks, there are some friendly reminders and lessons learned or re-learn that I wanted to share:

• Power-speed athletes thrive on power-speed drills and exercises. Just because one can squat or deadlift 500+ doesn’t mean they are explosive and fast. Yes athletes need strength and for many they will need a primary focus on strength training. However, those newly acquired strength levels must also be displayed in more power-speed dominant means such as sprints, jumps, throws as they have greater specificity to athletics than anything barbell related.

• Athletes need to rapidly absorb force and rapidly generate force and do it on a level of unconscious activation. That brings me to another point of muscle activation. Muscle activation is a craze nowadays and rightly so. The overwhelming majority of the population will benefit tremendously from learning how to activate and integrate muscles such as their tibialis anterior, glutes, and scapular stabilizers to name a few. A lost art in muscle activation seems to be the use of isometrics. There is always an isometric contraction during the amortization phase of movement. Even during the most explosive movements, there is an isometric contraction. Isometrics are also awesome for reprogramming and generating a powerful mind-muscle connection, making isometrics a great tool for performance as well as rehabilitation. We have been utilizing a select few isometric drills for uprighting, motor control, and priming for improved  force/strength generation. In a relatively short period of time, they have more than demonstrated significant value.

• There is a right way to go about training and a wrong way. The right way will always be dependent on the needs of individual and their specific goals. Don't get caught up in hype, trends, and empty promises. Trust the tradition. There is magic in the basics of the barbell, free weights, sprints, jumps, and bodyweight drills. They have stood the test of time. Fads and trends come and go, the basics remain. Using these exercises is one thing, understanding how to structure them in a training plan is another animal in itself. Find a trainer/coach that understands training specificity or else you are simply wasting your time and money.

• We are problem solvers. Either as a clinician or trainer/coach, the heart of what we do is problem solving. Maybe it’s a matter of ability or effort, but clinicians or trainers either have the ability or they don’t. The ability to problem solve comes from knowledge and experience and even instinct. When it comes to effort, frankly some are just lazy and don’t care to think hard as it complicates their job. Whether it is listening to what a patient/athlete is telling you or just simply watching, you’ve got to process the source of the problem and how you’re going to solve it. When it comes to performance or rehabilitation, everything makes sense. If it is happening there is good reason for it. If we don’t understand it, it doesn’t make sense to us, but it always makes sense. Never dismiss a client or patient as not making sense. Make the effort to make a change. Change your perspective. Learn more.

• We all need a coach. No one gets through life all on their own. We all have needed mentors and coaches at some point in our life. These may have been parents, family members, close friends, teacher, professors, bosses, etc. If we pursue something of significance, chances are someone helped us along the way. We need the help of others than have more knowledge, more experience, more accomplishments. I have had a number of mentors and coaches. For everything they did for me, I hope I can pass that on to those that I work with in the role as a coach.

• Take time to get to know your clients and athletes. Show you care about them. We do more than just simply get kids bigger, stronger, or faster. We have an opportunity everyday to connect with our clients and athletes and hopefully make a positive impact. The reward goes far beyond cash flow. It’s about making a difference for the better.

The Gallagher Performance approach will improve the way your body moves and functions. 
Simple yet effective changes to improperly functioning muscles and joints will allow the body to make immediate shifts toward working as a functional unit. Thus reducing pain and enabling higher levels of strength, speed, and power with greater resilience.

The results are incredible. Time and time again, our patients and athletes quickly change from a state of pain and tension, to a state of relaxation primed for performance. This all comes back to assessment and knowledge. When we do the right thing, the body responds immediately.

The methods used at Gallagher Performance are utilized internationally by elite athletes, sports teams, and health practitioners. Not only are we able to efficiently and effectively treat injuries and enhance sports performance, our methods are also powerful tools for stress management, quickly breaking common patterns of movement dysfunction related to chronic pain. The methods have international recognition and no provider, therapist, or trainer in the Pittsburgh area has  the training and background in these methods that Gallagher Performance offers, making us truly unique. 
HOW DOES THE GP SYSTEM WORK?
Our body is designed to breathe and move. In order to breathe and move, our body finds ways to accomplish these tasks, and it’s willing to do so in efficient or inefficient ways. Our breathing and movement can develop compensation patterns or “key dysfunctions” that become the target of successful musculoskeletal treatment.

These compensation patterns cannot be ignored, as they put us at risk of poor sport performance, tension, or pain.  Our body’s ability to overcome the stress of life can result in reduced movement quality and energy levels. Measurable reductions in stability, strength, power, mobility, and stamina are often the result. Our body becomes less resilient, increasing the chance for fatigue and breakdown.

If you experience a traumatic event or injury, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Post injury, you’ll notice the slow and gradual decline in energy, function, and performance. Compensations begin to manifest in order for us to avoid pain and accomplish daily tasks. The result may range from noticeable decline in energy, to impaired function of muscles and joints, to chronic pain which long outlasts the initial injury.
It is almost inevitable nowadays for the majority of us to experience the effects that stress, injury, and/or compensation has on the human body.  And it can be simple to reverse those effects when you focus on what your body needs to regain ideal function.
The system at Gallagher Performance starts by testing how your body is currently functioning, so that changes can be clearly measured. This is accomplished through evaluating joint restriction, muscle activation and strength, and functional patterns of movement.

Once compensations are identified, we target “zones” to help activate the body to perform better. These “zones” can be a specific muscle, group of muscles, joints, or a combination.

Once we activate, we have to integrate. In order to do this, we run through the body’s movement patterns, testing and activating along the way to enable muscles and joints to regain their ideal function. Then through cueing and exercise, the brain can integrate improved patterns of movement, allowing you to move effectively and efficiently.

A body that moves better has less stress and less pain, allowing you to work at greater capacity and with greater energy.
That doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly be indestructible for the rest of your days. That would be too good to be true. After all, it you enjoy being active and testing your body’s limits, you are going to feel it. Our movement patterns need reminding and that’s why we use targeted home exercises to help the body reinforce ideal function and keep compensations from returning.

The methods and techniques used at Gallagher Performance are proven to be effective in getting people out of pain and elevating performance. We truly offer unique, powerful tools for control over your own health and performance.
More related reading:

https://gallagherperformance.com/chiropractic-rehab-dns-treatment/

https://gallagherperformance.com/tendinitis-changing-treatment-and-improving-recovery/

https://gallagherperformance.com/improved-approach-chronic-pain-management/

The majority of us will not get through life without sustaining some degree of injury. The joints of the back, shoulder, hips, knees and ankles are all very common injury sites for not just athletes, but the general fitness population as well.

Most injuries that develop over time tend to have one thing in common, a breakdown in the human movement system. Meaning it could be that you are performing specific movements with sub-optimal technique or perhaps muscle imbalances are responsible for your symptom presentation. Regardless of the reason for injury, the goal is the same; to make movement more efficient to ensure that once training or competition resumes, the chance of re-injury is minimal.

Efficiency of movement is rarely a goal achieved in therapy. Incomplete rehabilitation in athletes and the general fitness population has lead to a re-injury epidemic. The problem is rooted in either the push to return athletes to the field as quickly as possible or rushing patients through the rehabilitative process.

With the ever changing landscaped of health insurance, the overwhelming majority of athletes and patients deal with increasing out-of-pocket expenses and limited number of therapy visits. Ultimately, many patients never complete their rehabilitation process.

This may be for a number of reasons, but in most cases athletes or patients are discharged once specific objective and ADL (activities of daily living) measures are satisfied. Sure you may have minimal to no pain, full range of motion and seemingly adequate strength resorted, and basic activities are easy to perform, but this does not ensure you are ready to resume training and competition.

And this is exactly where most get stuck.

They are lead to believe they are ready to resume sport training or their exercise program, but soon after resuming they realize they aren't as ready as they thought they were.

The transitional period between rehabilitation and performance-based training is the most critical period to ensure complete rehabilitation and that the transition back into training and competition carries minimal risk of re-injury.
Sadly, due to points made previously about the state of healthcare, many personal trainers and strength coaches are finishing off the rehab process.

Why do I say sadly?

Frankly, the majority of personal trainers aren’t educated enough to be overseeing such a delicate process, yet many position themselves as psedo-therapists. I’ve lost count of how many personal trainers I’ve seen giving “massage” or performing “joint mobilization” during their training sessions. They have no training or qualifications to perform such work and ultimately the person at most risk is the individual they are working on. Word to the wise: if your personal trainer is performing such work on you and has no license to perform such work, run the other way and seek out a qualified professional.
Within the fitness industry, there has been a large growth in facilities that blend rehabilitation with prevention strategies within strength and performance based training programs. Done well and overseen by qualified professionals, this is a great way to manage what is seen both in a rehab and training setting. This process should not be handled improperly. Implementing “corrective” or therapeutic exercises strategies into a performance-based training program should be lead by qualified professional(s). There used to be a gap between the professionals in the therapy and strength & performance world. Progressively though, that gap is slowly closing as more therapists crossover into the world of strength & conditioning.

Returning from injury isn’t and shouldn’t be a quick process. It’s far better to train smarter through the process. Improving on the function of the body while adding qualities such as endurance, strength, reactivity, power, etc. will help ensure successful outcomes. It’s less about isolation and more about training systematically to re-groove movement patterns. For anyone who has suffered an injury, they all want to get back to their previous level of function while also building the confidence they will not re-injure themselves. It can and will be a detailed process that involves rest, manual therapy directed at specific joints and soft tissues, as well proper exercise progressions. And yes, this means regressing, substituting, and even just slowing down exercises until they are owned.

Once movement and exercises are owned, it opens the door to further progressions in a performance-based setting to help ensure a more complete rehabilitation resulting in reduced risk of re-injury. This has become a huge part of what we do at Gallagher Performance as we successfully help our athletes and patients resume an active, pain-free lifestyle.

More related reading:

https://gallagherperformance.com/technique_and_performance/

Back pain was believed to be a self limiting condition for the majority of individuals, meaning that the nature of back pain is that it would "run its course" and eventually pain would go away on its own.  Current research has demonstrated that this understanding of back pain is flawed; yet many clinicians still hold this belief.

In fact, 85% of people with a single episode of low back pain will likely experience future recurrences and 2-8% of those individuals will develop chronic back pain.

Chronic pain accounts for 75% of all healthcare costs related to low back pain, is second only to the common cold in missed days from work, and is the number one reason for workmen compensation claims.

Considering the burden chronic back pain places on healthcare resources, patient management appears to be an issue in need of addressing appropriately as many patients find it difficult to find effective treatment.

Low Back Treatments That Don't Help
Now many experts are questioning the model in which back pain is treated as a growing body of research suggests many common back pain ‘cures’ just don’t work. These include:

• Ultrasound
• TENS machines
• Strong opium-type painkillers, such as diamorphine
• Spinal injections
• Spinal fusion
• Disc replacement

Imagine a world where patients get the advise, education, and treatment they need. Imagine doctors who:

• Make sense of what a patients says
• Know exactly what a patient needs
• Confidently provide gold standard advice and treatment interventions

• A detailed history, orthopedic and neurologic examination, and functional based examination to create a working diagnosis.
• Functional based examination to focus on the spine, shoulders, hips and feet, as these joints and their respective functions serve as the "key joints" of the human body.
• Joint and muscle palpation to assess the quality of your joint movement, trigger points, and muscular imbalances.

1. CHIROPRACTIC MANIPULATIVE THERAPYGallagher Performance provides the latest techniques, including joint manipulation (adjusting), designed to treat musculoskeletal complaints. The purpose of joint manipulation is to release restricted joints of the body, primarily in the spine and extremities. Joint commonly become restricted as a response to poor posture, imbalanced muscle activity, and/or trauma. By releasing a restricted joint through manipulation, improvements in the quality of motion of the joint are gained that may not be possible with exercise or other interventions. Manipulation also serves to reduce pain and relax tight muscles.
2. FUNCTIONAL REHABILITATIONIn addition to providing relief through manipulative therapy and treating muscular adhesions, it can prove to be incredibly valuable to identify the source of a patient’s symptoms. The functional approach to rehabilitation includes identifying joint dysfunction, muscular imbalances, trigger points, and faulty movement patterns. These are often the hidden causes of injury. Observing how a patient moves and functions allows us to identify improper movement patterns that become contributors to pain and poor sport performance. By placing an emphasis on strategies to improve movement and function, functional rehabilitation is effective in improving qualities of endurance, strength, stability, balance, agility, coordination, and body awareness.
3. DYNAMIC NEUROMUSCULAR STABILIZATION (DNS)By applying principles and techniques rooted in the study of child development, DNS aims to improve activation and neural control of muscles and ideal movement patterns. DNS promotes the ideal postures, movements, and degree of body awareness that is essential not only to athleticism, but to also treating the underlying causes of several pain syndromes.
4. MYOFASCIAL RELEASEGallagher Performance offers a number of soft tissue approaches to treat painful or tight muscles, tendons, and ligaments. We have extensive training in identifying and treating muscular adhesions that compromise quality of motion and contribute to pain symptoms or reduced sports performance. Many overuse or repetitive use conditions respond well to treatment of soft-tissue structures, including back pain, shoulder pain, shin splints, runner’s knee (IT band syndrome), and plantar fasciitis.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzaixhJKgnQ[/embed]

Hi. I’m Dr. Sean Gallagher. Welcome to Gallagher Performance. I’d like to tell you about what we have to offer and why it might be a right fit for you to come check us out.

We offer chiropractic, functional rehabilitation, massage therapy, nutritional programs, as well as sports performance and personal training programs.

To begin with, my approach to chiropractic is different from what most have come to expect or have experienced in the past. As a chiropractor, my focus is on returning you to proper function and teaching you what you can do to keep pain from returning. Rather than spending 5 minutes with my patients, I usually spend 30 -60 minutes.

New patient evaluations are an hour long, as this allows me the opportunity to listen and understand their history as well as their desired goals and outcomes from treatment. All new patients receive a neurological and functional-based evaluation as this serves to create a working diagnosis and treatment plan recommendations.

Our functional-based evaluation and treatment plans are focused on looking at how you move so I can figure out strategies to help you move better and ultimately help you understand what could be causing your pain and what you can do to keep it from returning. The process is truly focused on you as the patient and your desired outcomes.

In addition to chiropractic adjustments or manipulations, I perform soft tissue treatments to improve the integrity and function of the muscular system. Massage therapy is offered here as well as it is extremely effective in treating painful or tight muscles and assisting in the healing process. Additional rehabilitation work focuses on improving movement qualities such as endurance, strength, stability, balance, agility, coordination, and body awareness.

When it comes to training, Gallagher Performance is all about individualizing the training process. That’s because we understand each person responds differently to training due to a multitude of factors that must be accounted for. We take time to understand your injury history, training experience, primary sport(s) played, and several other factors. Regardless of whether training occurs in a private or semi-private setting, clients are all closely coached through the entirety of their program to maximize results. This is what separates us and makes us unique from area competitors.

So if you’re looking to improve your performance, whether in sports, the achievement of your health and fitness pursuits, or you just need a tune-up to get your body feeling better, whatever the reason, come see us at Gallagher Performance. We are committed to you achieving your health and fitness goals and would love to be of service to you. Thank you.

Low back pain is not an uncommon condition among the American population. Several studies have supported data that demonstrates up to 85% of the population will experience at least one episode of low back pain during their lifetime. Low back pain is responsible for millions of dollars in healthcare costs every year.

In most cases, low back pain is relatively self-limiting condition, meaning it reduces naturally over a period of a few days. That said, it is not uncommon for many to experience severe pain. For this reason, it is important to begin treating low back pain conservatively with interventions such as chiropractic, manual therapy, therapeutic massage, and/or proper exercise prescription. All these conservative interventions have demonstrated their ability to successfully treat low back pain and its causes.

Some common back pain causes that respond well to a combination of chiropractic, manual therapy, massage, and/or exercise include:

Sprain/Strains: Injury to muscle and/or connective tissue, such as tendons or ligaments, suffered during activity, accidents, or lifting with poor form. Sprain/strains are extremely common and most range from mild to moderate (little to no tearing of tissue) and respond well to conservative treatment such as chiropractic, manual therapy, and progressive rehabilitation. Severe sprain/strains are characterized complete tears of ligaments or tendon ruptures. These may require surgical intervention.

Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction: These pelvic joints usually produce pain as a result of alter joint mechanics from lifting or straightening up from a stooped position. The pain is usually relieved with sitting or lying down. Muscular tightness in the low back and hips is common.

Facet Syndrome: Pain in the low back that is localized, sharp and provoked with either extension (arching of the low back) or a combination of extension and rotation of the spine.

Sciatica: Radiating pain into the lower extremity on the posterior thigh/calf/foot. Sciatica can be caused by central issues (disc herniations) or peripheral issues (piriformis syndrome, nerve entrapment).

Disc Herniations: Low back pain which may also radiate pain into the hips or legs. Typically worse in the morning; worse with bending forward; usually better standing than sitting. Because of the disc injury, muscle spasms are not uncommon. These muscle spasms serve to limit movement in order to protect the disc from further injury.

Piriformis Syndrome/Nerve entrapment: Radiating pain on the posterior thigh and leg caused by tightness in the piriformis muscle. This muscle is deep within the hip lays underneath the glutes. Tightness in the piriformis can create irritation by entrapping the sciatic nerve, thus creating the radiation of pain.  The sciatic nerve can be entrapped within the hamstring and calf musculature as well. Low back pain may also accompany hip pain.

Myofascial Pain Syndrome: This is a chronic form of muscle pain caused by trigger points. These trigger points are often present within muscles of the low back and hips due to any combination of joint dysfunction, postural imbalances, and/or poor stabilization/support function of the core musculature.

Spondylolishthesis: A fracture of the vertebrae resulting in pain with extension. Similar to sprain/strains, spondylolishthesis is graded in severity. Mild forms for spondylos can respond well to chiropractic manipulative therapy (CMT) and rehabilitation programs. This condition is frequent in athletic populations who perform repeated extension movements, such as gymnasts, football players, wrestlers, and weightlifters.

In many cases, several studies support that low back pain responds exceptionally well to the combination of chiropractic care, manual therapy, massage, and proper exercise instruction.  If you are suffering from low back pain, whatever the cause, consider Gallagher Performance for your evaluation and treatment. Our goal is to relieve your pain while teaching you what you can do to keep the pain from returning. Please contact us as we have every expectation that our chiropractic and rehabilitation programs will help you Experience the Difference.
 
This blog post was written by Dr. Sean Gallagher.

Gallagher Performance offers customized treatment plans. Visit our website for complete contact information. 
To schedule your appointment, call (724) 519-2833.
 
More related reading:

https://gallagherperformance.com/why-stretching-wont-solve-your-tight-muscles/

Quad City Strongman is the premier strength training gym in the QC area. From their experience and knowledge to community involvement, QC Strongman is first class all the way. Learn more about QC Strongman in this interview.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3Tq1PTzWEI[/embed]

When it comes to writing and keeping up a blog, demands of life and business can make it challenging to find time to sit down and put some good thought into something you hope your readers will either find a degree of value or connection with in reading. Sometimes the best inspiration for writing comes through simple conversation. In this case, I was having a conversation with a parent that generated some thought that got me to thinking I should sit and put my thoughts down.

Knowing some of the physical ailments I deal with on a regular basis from sports, this particular parent of one of our athletes asked me, “Would you do it all again?”

Essentially their implied question being, “Was it worth it?”

Easy answer. I said, “Yes.”

The sports of ice hockey, powerlifting, and Strongman have provided me numerous friendships, lessons, memories, and helped shaped how I approach life. I would never change that.

Keep in mind, while some injuries I sustained playing hockey were severe, what I deal with to this day is relatively minor compared to other athletes.

In fact, while I did sustain injuries during sport participation, I received just as many injuries and set backs in the weight room or in training. This is what I would have changed the most. I would want to go back to change my training habits and attitude when I was in high school and college.

In the late 90s and early 2000s, I was fully invested in training for hockey and had minimal resources. The Internet did not provided the amount of information it has today. I was using magazines or Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding to find guidance on what to do when it came to working out and lifting weights. There was truly a lack of training info out there. Similar to most kids my age, reading over the monthly Muscle and Fitness was the closest thing we had to authority on all things bigger and stronger.

There were no seminars. No YouTube tutorials. No blogs or online forums. No ebooks. These didn't exist as a reference to help young, aspiring athletes guide their understanding of training.

Books on training were just as hard to find. As a kid, I absolutely hated to read books. But I had one exception. I loved reading autobiographies on athletes I looked up to. Athletes like Jerry Rice, Herschel Walker, Jaromir Jagr, and Mario Lemieux.

At times, these athletes would discuss what types of workouts they did growing up or still performed in the offseason. I recall reading that Jerry Rice, as a kid, would run after horses to get faster. During his career as the greatest receiver in NFL history, Jerry Rice was well known for always coming into the season in phenomenal condition from brutal offseason workouts. Herschel Walker did 1,000 push-ups per day and was an absolute force on the football field. Jaromir Jagr did 1,000-2,000 bodyweight squats per day as a kid growing up in the Czech Republic and he attributed that to the speed and strength on the puck which made him the arguably the greatest European-born player in NHL history.

At 14, I remember being obsessed with what highly successful athletes did as young kids and I put it all down on paper, writing up my own workouts based on what they did. Lots of bodyweight squats, push-ups, running hills and biking for miles.

So I got to work. I biked 11 miles around my hometown on some days. Others I would run a hilly 3-mile course. And everyday I did bodyweight squats and push-ups, working up to eventually doing 2,000-2,500 squats and 400 push-ups within 75-90 minutes. Plus, my brothers and I would just go outside and play for hours. Didn’t matter what it was. We just played for fun.

I got my first weight set and bench around that same time and took on more of a bodybuilding focus thanks to Arnold and Muscle and Fitness.

The mentality was pushing yourself as hard as you can. More was better. Soreness meant you were doing something right. Complete exhaustion or puking meant you had a good conditioning workout. This was my mentality through high school and into college. I figured if it worked for some of the best athletes on the planet, it surely had to work for me.

The problem became I wasn't getting much bigger or much stronger. Sure there were initial benefits during the early years. See when you are young; if you show up, train hard and keep adding weight to the bar, it works!  It works so well that it’s what I figured I could keep doing. But what no one ever told me was it only works for so long. You eventually reach a point of diminishing returns.

At a certain point, I had to seek out the help of a sports-trainer and that was hard to find back in 2000. My brother and I were heading into 12^th grade and had a big showcase tournament coming up that summer. My dad was able to track down a guy for my brother and I to train with in preparation for that tournament. Under his guidance and direction, I was able to see improvements in size, strength, and speed that I was unable to achieve on my own.

What did he do for me that I couldn’t figure out on my own?

He knew that I needed to get more explosive, more dynamic, better conditioned for my sport. What I didn't understand is that sometimes success from things you have done in the past is the worst indicator of what should be done next.

Lesson learned.

Then I think back on my college hockey career and the years I have spent competing as a strength athlete in both powerlifting and Strongman. The muscle imbalances and movement restrictions that started to creep in because of poorly structured training programs. There were plenty more lessons I learned about intelligent training structure and program design from a number of various injuries and setbacks.

Hockey, Powerlifting, and Strongman have all influenced me somehow from a training perspective. I wouldn't change anything about participating in these sports; I would change my preparation for them.

I feel bad for kids these days. I feel they have it worse then my generation. They have been duped into thinking they will be better athletes from participating in one sport. They are being sold speed ladders, specialty camps, and mass marketing fitness trends. I grew up with out any experts, now kids today are growing up with “experts” everywhere. They are being robbed of the option of playing multiple sports by coaches who demand their involvement in one sport throughout the calendar year. They are forced into specialization too early. And when it finally is time to specialize, they have no base of athleticism or strength because those attributes have been ignored due to lack of free play. You can’t build upon a poorly established base and that is why youth sport injuries are continually on the rise. I share the opinion that this is why the fastest growing surgery is pediatric.

So to answer the question of a concerned parent, don't be concerned about the game or the sport or whatever your kid chooses. You should be concerned about the lack of free play, the lack of movement and variability, the lack of smart training. Take interest in that. I believe this to be the important part.

More related reading:

https://gallagherperformance.com/interview-with-mike-odonnell-dc-ccsp-cscs/

https://gallagherperformance.com/attitude-is-everything/

https://gallagherperformance.com/performance-training/athletic-development/

What is the purpose of the warm-up? How important is the role stretching and mobility during the warm-up process? Plenty of clinicians and trainers preach mobility, mobility, mobility. Is mobility truly the answer? We answer those questions in this short video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-mlmqBmNyg