Greetings!
It's fall, and that means it's the competition season for many young athletes. And
while it's an exciting time for a lot of our friends and clients, I'm starting to feel like
Danny Glover in the old "Lethal Weapon" movies.
"I'm too old for this."
I don't mean I'm too old to feel the excitement of the sports seasons, or to help
patients be their best, but somehow, someway, I keep finding myself in rooms full
of athletes being lectured by so-called medical experts about athletic injuries.
If there are so many experts, then why are so many young athletes still running
around with chronic, recurrent injuries?
Am I getting too old for this?
Perhaps most frustrating about the epidemic of athletic injuries in young people is
that they are not only preventable, they are predictable. I predict it when I see
some of the advice being offered by these medical experts.
Really, young athletes experience only about five common injuries, which means
the "experts" need to learn how to treat and manage just five issues.
However, doing so requires the practitioners - and patients - to acknowledge and
understand the "key link" to these problems. Here's a quick rundown:
1. Hip Pain: Extremely common in athletes who sprint.
KEY LINK: Look for a subluxated hip joint, specifically an anterior or rotated femur
head.
2. Runner's Knee: Commonly known as patellar tendinitis. The pain is usually under
and around the knee.
KEY LINK: Look to the muscles behind the knee. The muscles of the popliteus,
hamstrings and calf muscles.
3. Lower Back Pain: Pain that becomes worse with activity, most commonly in
basketball and volleyball.
KEY LINK #1: Check for a rotated sacrum. Missed by most chiropractors and
practically all physical therapists.
KEY LINK #2: Everyone talks about strengthening the core muscles. But make sure
they are the correct core muscles.
4. Shin Splints: It used to be a frustrating injury that took months to heal. Now it can
be treated or eliminated in a couple of days.
KEY LINK: Look for adhesions and scar tissue formation along the tibialis posterior
where it meets the inner part of the tibia.
5. Foot Pain: The mysterious foot pain, common in jumpers and soccer players.
KEY LINK: A fixated joint of the first toe, commonly of the first or second cuneiform
as they meet the metatarsals.
I'm certain some of those words make no sense to some readers of this fine
newsletter, but they should be entirely understandable to medical providers. If you
or a young athlete in your household struggles with one of these chronic issues,
ask this question of your doctor or therapist: "Do you think it could possibly be that
my femur head has moved?"
If the professional can't answer, or worse yet, if he or she gives you a confused
look, I suggest politely making your way to the door without causing an
unnecessary scene. And then leave quickly, never looking back.
Yours in Health,
Dr. William Booker
In This Issue:
-October is National Physical Therapy Month
-Close to the Finish Line: How to Prevent Late-Stage Marathon Training Injuries
-"Brown on the Outside, A Person on the Inside": Sneak Peak into the New Book,
Men Determined to Break Free.
-Harvard- (and Massage Therapist Veronica Yeh-)Approved Breathing Exercises
for Stress Reduction
-Video of the Month: The Downside of Mouth Breathing
October is National Physical Therapy Month
Capitol Rehab of Arlington is hosting an interactive physical
therapy program for 20 people to be held in the third week of
October.
The event is free. The information is priceless.
Please call to be placed on our guest list.
703-527-5492
Stay tuned. More details and offers to come.
Close to the Finish Line: How to
Prevent Late-Stage Marathon Training
Injuries
Marathon training is a unique adventure in its own
right. While running is good for the body, running
marathons isn't. The term "hitting the wall" in marathon running is not
supposed to be literal, but it feels like it.
Training for a marathon takes a significant toll on the body. Still, many of us
decide to push on anyway, in the hope of achieving one of life's great
achievements. Preparing for the predictable aches and pains of marathon
training will go a long way toward ensuring you have as enjoyable an
experience as possible.
Doing all this training and then coming up short would be one of the most
disappointing letdowns a runner can experience. So while Capitol Rehab of
Arlington helps athletes heal from injuries, our primary objective is to advise
and educate athletes on ways to prevent injuries.
Read more about tips to prevent marathon training-related injuries.
"Brown on the Outside, A Person on the
Inside": Sneak Peak into the New Book,
Movement is Medicine, Vol. 3: Men
Determined to Break Free
In the last few years, the United States has been marred
by violence and racial division. Tensions linger in
everyone's mind about whether we will improve
our national dialogue in the coming years, and return to
the Golden Rule to treat others how we wish to be
treated.
This means acknowledging what makes us the same, more than what makes us
different. Friend of Capitol Rehab Aaron Dread offers some of his viewpoints in a
new book, Movement is Medicine, Vol. 3: Men Determined to Break Free.
This anthology was created to show black men in a familiar light - facing similar life
challenges to every other man, whether in dealing with mental and physical health,
career obstacles, or family relationships. The stories offer a personal perspective
on our common humanity, and can help others who may experience similar
obstacles.
Purchase a copy of Movement is Medicine, Vol. 3: Men Determined to Break
Free.
Harvard- (and Massage Therapist Veronica Yeh-)Approved
Breathing Exercises for Stress Reduction
Americans work hard, play hard, and exercise hard so
it's helpful to employ at-home techniques to tide you over
until you can schedule your next massage session.
Fortunately, Harvard Medical School recently provided a
series of breathing exercises, just one to three minutes
apiece, to assist people in relaxing and mentally destressing.
All of the exercises are really simple, good techniques. You can perform them
before a stressful event or when you finally have time to yourself. The overall impact
of breathing exercises are many, but include lower blood pressure, a higher
awareness of one's physical and mental state, and reduced stress overall.
Learn these short breathing exercises for stress reduction.
Video of the Month: The Downside of Mouth Breathing
Personal Trainer Fairfax Hackley explains why you're supposed to "breathe
through your nose and eat through your mouth."
Personal Trainer Fairfax Hackley
Capitol Rehab of Arlington | 703-527-5492 |
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