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Aventura

Dr. Adams
In Aventura, Chiropractic, Hallandale, Hollywood

Unlocking the Healing Power of Foam Rolling in Hollywood, Florida

Sports Chiropractor

Foam rolling is a simple yet incredibly effective self-care technique that can bring relief to many Hollywood, Florida residents dealing with muscular discomfort and tension. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, a desk-bound professional, or someone seeking pain relief, foam rolling can offer you a wealth of benefits. In this blog, we’ll explore the advantages of foam rolling and how this practice can be particularly beneficial for the active community in sunny Hollywood, Florida.

The Healing Benefits of Foam Rolling

  • Relief for Active Lifestyles in Hollywood, Florida:
    • For the active Hollywood resident, the sunshine and beautiful beaches of Florida beckon for outdoor activities. But physical activities often come with muscle soreness and tightness. Foam rolling is a fantastic way to alleviate post-exercise muscle tension, allowing you to make the most of your active lifestyle.
  • Pain Reduction and Prevention
    • Foam rolling can help reduce chronic pain associated with conditions like lower back pain, IT band syndrome, and plantar fasciitis. It’s also an excellent preventive measure to avoid injuries before they occur.
  • Enhanced Flexibility and Range of Motion:
    • Improved flexibility and mobility are essential for enjoying outdoor sports and activities in Hollywood, such as surfing or beach volleyball. Foam rolling can help break up muscle adhesions, resulting in greater range of motion and fewer movement restrictions.
  • Stress Reduction:
    • Hollywood, Florida, offers a vibrant and active lifestyle, but it can also be demanding. Foam rolling can provide a therapeutic, stress-reducing effect, calming the nervous system and promoting relaxation.
  • Quick Recovery:
    • After a day at Hollywood Beach or a rigorous workout at a local gym, foam rolling can accelerate muscle recovery. It enhances blood circulation, delivering essential nutrients to tired muscles, while simultaneously removing waste products.

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Dr. Adams
In Aventura, Chiropractic, Hallandale Beach, Sports Performance, Uncategorized

10 Facts You Should Know Before your First Chiropractic Adjustment

Chiropractic Adjustment

1. What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?

A chiropractic adjustment is a high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust that is performed on spinal or extremity joints that pushes the joint space slightly behind its normal range of motion. The procedure is usually performed hands-on but is also occasionally performed with a tool or a specialized drop table.

2. What Kind of Training do Chiropractors Go through before Adjusting Patients?

Chiropractic School consists of over 4000 hours of training in clinical diagnosis, anatomy, physiology, physical therapy, nutrition, and manual therapy. Chiropractic students spend hundreds of hours in the classroom practicing chiropractor adjustments and many students spend an additional 500-1000 hours perfecting techniques to deliver safe and effective adjustments.

3. Are Chiropractic Adjustments Safe?

Chiropractic Adjustments, when performed by a trained professional are extremely safe but like any manual procedure, there are risks of injury if the chiropractor does not perform their due diligence prior to performing an adjustment. At Miami Spine and Performance, we make sure to always perform a very thorough health history and examination prior to adjusting any patient in our office.

4. Who can perform Adjustments/Manipulation?

Currently, manipulation procedures are performed by chiropractic physicians, osteopaths, and occasionally physical therapists with advanced training. During school, chiropractors are trained in located joint fixations through palpation of the spine and trained in how to manually remove these fixations with adjustments. At this time massage therapists, acupuncturists, personal trainers, and coaches are not licensed to perform manipulations.

5. How do I know if I’m a good candidate for an adjustment?

Some of the conditions that chiropractic adjustments can help with include neck pain, back pain, disc herniations, joint stiffness, headaches, and sciatica. If you are working at a desk throughout the day, a fitness enthusiast, or an athlete, you could most likely benefit from regular chiropractic adjustments!

6. What is the “Cracking” Sound?

Contrary to popular belief, the popping noise that typically accompanies a chiropractic adjustment is not the sounds of “bones moving” but rather small air pockets releasing pressure from the joints. Some adjustments produce more noise than others and this is not necessarily an indication of an effective adjustment

7. Do I need X-rays before an adjustment?

Most of the time we do not require X-rays for patients before they are adjusted. We use motion palpation and functional examination in order to find areas that need chiropractic adjustments. We typically only refer out for X-rays if we suspect a fracture or bone disease.

8. Do Adjustments Hurt?

Chiropractic adjustments are a manual therapy procedure performed by trained doctors in order to improve the joint range of motion and decrease pain. Most joints in the body can benefit from chiropractic adjustments including but not limited to the spinal column, joints of the foot, Sternocalvicular joint, ribs, wrist, and hip capsule.

9. Can I find relief without a Chiropractic Adjustment?

Of Course! While chiropractic adjustments are valuable tools for helping our patients find relief, we often use manual therapy, corrective exercise, and a number of other modalities in the clinic as an adjunct to chiropractic adjustments. Many conditions such as muscle strain/sprains benefit more from manual therapy and rehabilitation than chiropractic adjustments. We are no than happy to use our other tools if you are not comfortable being adjusted.

10. What is the first visit with a chiropractor like?

We cannot speak to any other offices, but at Miami Spine and Performance your first visit always starts with a 60 minutes exam and consultation with your physician, after which the doctor will explain your diagnosis and the best course of action for treatment. Typically on the first visit, after your diagnosis, you will receive your first chiropractic adjustment!

 

If you are interested in booking a chiropractic appointment with one of our doctors, please click the “Schedule Appointment Now” button below!

 

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Dr. Adams
In Aventura, Chiropractic, Hallandale, Sports Performance

How to prepare your Body for Combat Sports

martial arts

Have a Purpose for Each Session

Combat Sports are tough and physical, and while it may be tempting to push yourself to the limit on every session, in the long run, this approach will hinder your ability to excel in the long term.boxing

Periodizing both the content and intensity of the session are important when structuring a week of training. For example, performing hard sparring 6 days a week will certainly result in overtraining and likely injury as well. A more appropriate approach may be to have 2 light/technical sessions during the week, 2 moderate/conditioning sessions, and 2 hard/sparring sessions. Splitting the week up this way will allow you to spend certain periods of the week on technical proficiency and others practicing the sport in a live situation.

Additionally, working on different aspects of your sport throughout the week will help prevent overuse and allow for higher intensity in each session. If, for example, a kickboxer works only on throwing hooks throughout the week, the shoulders, elbows, and wrists may take the excessive strain. Alternatively, making some days more boxing heavy and other days more kick heavy can spread the weekly volume throughout the body.

 

Incorporate Strength Training

Because combat sports competitions are generally centered around weight classes, there has been a bit of a stigma against weight training for combat sports athletes for fear of excessive weight gain or slowing down an athlete. What these athletes don’t consider, however, is that strength training does not necessarily equate to weight gain and can significantly improve an athlete’s durability.

When an athlete is competing in a sport that does involve weight classes, it is pertinent that he or she fills out that weight class with lean muscle tissue as much as possible. Even if you are comfortable at your current body weight, strength training (particularly in a lower rep range) can allow you to become stronger without gaining any size.

Additionally, strength training plays a critical role in injury prevention. Putting external load on your body in the form of resistance training improves the strength of your muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments while also enhancing joint durability. By regularly exposing your soft tissues to load, you reduce the likelihood of these tissues becoming strained or torn.

 

weight training

Prioritize Sleep

Most individuals are aware that proper sleep quality and quantity are important for the body to recover physically and mentally but for combat athletes, sleep is non-negotiable. Combat sports are both very physically taxing as well as psychologically. Getting onto a jiu-jitsu mat, into a boxing ring, or into an octagon requires a high level of mental toughness as well as psychological prowess.

Because the stakes are so high in combat sports, it is extremely important that an individual take advantage of proper sleep to ensure that they are mentally sharp during every practice. In the world of combat sports, a mental lapse can mean the difference between getting punching in the face, strangled, or getting away safely.

Sleep will also aid in the muscular and nervous system to recover from hard bouts of training. Not only is tough, contact training hard on the body but also on the nervous system. Being in a combative situation usually leads to an increased sympathetic response from the nervous system (think fight or flight). This heightened state of awareness needs to offset with long bouts of parasympathetic activity (rest and digest), which can be provided by high-quality sleep.

 

Ensure Proper Nutrition and HydrationNutrition

One of the best ways to keep the body healthy and free from unwanted inflammation is to make good nutritional choices. Eating lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats will ensure that your body has the proper fuel that it needs for every training session.

Caloric intake is also a critical piece of the nutrition equation when it comes to combat athletes with a high volume of training. While some, select individuals feel better keeping carbohydrate intake to a minimum, this macronutrient is responsible for providing your body with usable energy to be burned during training and daily activities. Carbohydrates are best consumed before and after training and both fuel the workout and allow you to recover from training.

Combat sports athletes are notorious for long training sessions and multiple sessions per day. This means that not only are their bodies losing a lot of water but electrolytes as well. If an athlete is training for more than 90 minutes per day, it is imperative that he or she include electrolytes in their re-hydration beverage to ensure that not only water but minerals are properly replenished.

 

Listen to your body

As an athlete or even an avid-hobbyist, it is sometimes too easy to ignore your body and “train through pain”. This approach, unfortunately, leads to a number of nagging injuries as well as a significantly increased likelihood of serious injury that can take you out of training for months. If you are experiencing consistent or worsening pain in an area of your body, it is always better to have the area checked out by a professional, rather than waiting until it is too late.

 

If you are a combat sports participant looking for a sports-centered chiropractic physician to help keep you healthy, please reach out to our office, we’d love to help you!

 

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754-231-8338

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Dr. Adams
In Aventura, Chiropractic, Hallandale Beach, Physical Therapy

6 Ways to Keep your Shoulder Healthy and Functional

Shoulder Health Physical Therapy

1. Move Through a Full Range of Motion DAILY

Joints love to move. Moving your joint through its full range of motion on a regular basis helps maintain joint mobility and allows for adequate nutrition and blood flow to be supplied to the joint. The shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in the body with a variety of muscular, ligamentous, and capsular attachments, making it even more important that each motion (ex. flexion, adduction, internal rotation) is performed on a daily basis.

For some daily Shoulder Motion to Practice for Mobility Click Here

 

2. Pull More than you Push

Resistance training is an excellent way to keep your shoulders strong and healthy. Performing Pushing Exercises for the chest and deltoid, Pulling Exercises for the upper back and lats as well as shoulder exercises for the lateral/posterior deltoid and rotator cuff are integral for long term shoulder health and function.

In order to weight train appropriately without over-taxing your shoulder joint, you should be performing 2-2.5 times as many pulling exercises (pull-ups, rows) as pushing exercises (bench press, pushups).

For more specific exercises to strengthen the shoulder safely see our “Upper Body Training” Playlist on our Youtube channel Here.

 

3. Train your Shoulder Mobility

Many of you train to become stronger, faster, lose body fat, etc. But do you train for mobility? Mobility is a physical capacity just like strength and speed are, it must be trained deliberately on a regular basis to see a noticeable improvement.

Performing the Shoulder CARs variation seen above is a great starting point but there are also a number of ways to improve range of motion and motor control long term without excessive stretching and soft tissue therapy.

At our clinic, we use a system called Functional Range Conditioning in order to work with patients to improve usable mobility long-term.

 

4. Show your Shoulder Blades Some Love

We cannot have a conversation about shoulder health without talking about the shoulder blades. The Shoulder Blade (Scapula) is intimately connected to the shoulder both structurally and functionally. If the shoulder blades do not move properly and the muscles connecting the shoulder to the shoulder blade are not engaged, the shoulder will never be able to express its full range of motion.

The Scapula, Humerus, and Cervical Spine (Neck) work together to allow for clean and efficient movement of the upper extremity. When working on shoulder health… Keep your Scapula strong and mobile!

 

5. Strengthen the Small Stabilizers of the Shoulder

“The Rotator Cuff” has gained a lot of attention over the years as it is an area that is frequently injured and deconditioned. The Rotator Cuff is a group of muscles made up of the Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor, and Subscapularis. The role of the “Rotator Cuff” is not only to rotate the shoulder but also to stabilize the shoulder during motion and should be trained in both functions. 

Additionally, the muscles of the rotator cuff often become tight and overworked in individuals involved in powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, boxing, tennis, golf, and baseball. For these types of issues, we often use manual therapy techniques such as Active Release Technique to resolve the tightness and poor tissue quality of these muscles.

 

6. Develop Adequate Thoracic (Upper Back) Mobility

The era of technology and long work hours has caused many of our upper backs to become immobile and excessively rounded (flexed). Regular Motion of the thoracic spine into extension and rotation is critical for upper body and shoulder health. Here are a few variations on training Upper Back Extension and Upper Back Rotation.

The shoulder is most comfortable moving with a neutral or extended upper back, so be sure to get your upper back adjusted regularly to keep a strong posture when moving the shoulder!

Be sure to follow our “Shoulder Series” to gain valuable insight on shoulder health! We will be sharing practice tips to improve in each of these areas on our Instagram.

These are general guidelines that may not apply to you. If you are experiencing any shoulder pain we recommend that you are assessed by a health care professional.

If you or someone that you know is currently dealing with shoulder pain and would like an evaluation and customized treatment plan, please reach out! We’d love to help you.

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Dr. Adams
In Aventura, Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Sports Performance

Grapplers Guide to Injury Prevention: Closed Guard

Jiu Jitsu Closed Guard

The Closed Guard

The Guard is arguably the most fundamental position in Brazilian jiu-jitsu during which you, the guard player, are on the ground and your opponent is above you looking to pass your guard. Though there are many variations of the guard, the position can be fundamentally broken into two parts: closed guard and open guard.

The Closed guard is a position in which your legs are wrapped around the hips or torso of your partner. From this position you, as the guard, player are likely looking to perform a sweep and gain top position, or submit your opponent from the bottom. 

First, we are going to look at the major sweeps from the closed guard and what physical capacities are necessary to perform these sweeps effectively and safely. The specific technique of the sweep will not be address in this article because every professor teaches their variation, but generally, there are enough commonalities amongst how these sweeps are taught for us to analyze the biomechanics.

Second, we will analyze some of the common submissions from closed guard and talk through the proper execution of these submissions from a biomechanical standpoint.

For each major sweep and submission from closed guard covered below, there will also be a video covering a specific exercise that can be used to improve the quality of execution of these fundamental jiu-jitsu movements.

 

The Scissor Sweep: 

The Scissor sweep is one of the first taught sweeps in a beginners jiu-jitsu class. This sweep involves opening the guard and kicking your opponent with the top leg while chopping with the bottom leg. This “scissoring” action coupled with proper upper body grips will force your opponent to one side with no base. 

While this sweep is basic in its execution and does not require as much mobility as other sweeps, it doesn’t require the ability to quickly shift your hips from square to your opponent into a position where your hips are perpendicular. If you do not have appropriate coordination between your core and hips as well as dexterity, you could potentially excessively rotate through your lower back during this sweep.

 

The Pendulum Sweep:

The Pendulum Sweep is another fundamental sweep in Jiu-Jitsu. Relative to the Scissor Sweep, the pendulum sweep has more set up and mobility requirements. While there are several ways to execute a pendulum sweep, the general premise is that you take away your opponent’s base-arm on the side of the sweep and use the momentum up a full-body pendulum to knock your opponent in that direction.

While the sweep itself involves a scissoring motion similar to the scissor sweep, the momentum behind a pendulum sweep coming from your mobility in your hamstrings and adductors as well as your ability to contract these muscles from end range.

Below is an end-range training variation we use with outpatients to improve hamstring and adductor output for grappling as well as striking motions.

 

The Hip Sweep:

The Hip Sweep is another common sweep variation taught in beginners jiu-jitsu classes. This sweep does require rotation of the thoracic spine in addition to the bracing and hip dexterity requirements of other closed guard sweeps.

During this sweep, you will first look to bring your opponent’s hands down to the mat and then will post on your same-side elbow or hand while turning your torso and hips over your opponent, ideally ending in mount. Proper stability of the arm, shoulder blade, and spine is required to execute this sweep efficiently and safely. Having a stable upper body foundation allows you to build the base for your hips to finish the sweep.

Below we will look at a DNS 10-month transition that can be used to train the mechanics of this position and develop the proper body mechanics for a technical and well-executed hip bump sweep.

 

In addition to sweeping the top opponent, closed guard players are also generally looking for an opportunity to submit the opponent inside of their guard from the bottom. Again, there are several variations in how these submissions are taught, but we will use the common principles of these submissions to break down the mechanics.

 

The Armbar:

The Armbar from guard is one of the most fundamental jiu-jitsu submissions and is generally taught early in the beginner’s curriculum. As with other jiu-jitsu submissions, the specifics of the execution will likely vary from school to school depending on the preference of the professor but the fundamentals of the armbar and generally consistent across techniques. 

The traditional armbar from guard requires holding onto your opponent’s arm followed by a shift of the hips to the opposite side followed by a clamp made by your legs on your opponent’s torso and neck. From this “finishing position”, the bar is extended over the crease of the hip/groin for the submission.

One of the most unique characteristics of the mechanics of the armbar is the briding of the hips into the arm combined with the clamp. Performing this movement safely and effectively requires control of the lower abs and the ability to properly activate the posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings) without overextending the lower back. Below is a drill we use to practice proper lower ab activity with glute and hamstring activation.

 

The Triangle:Jiu Jitsu Triangle

The triangle is another fundamental jiu-jitsu submission that has several unique biomechanical and anthropometric (leg length, etc) requirements to be effective. The requirements to execute a triangle from guard are similar to those of the armbar. The technique involves bridging the hips up and locking your legs around the neck and one arm of your opponent. This position is where the leg length and hip dexterity become important.

The finishing of the Triangle choke itself requires pulling one leg horizontally across the back of your partner and locking the opposite knee around the shin. This requires a high degree of hip external rotation to properly execute this submission without excessive strain on your hip and back or a failed submission.

 

The Cross-Collar Choke:

The cross-collar choke is generally the first submission that is taught in a fundamentals jiu-jitsu GI class. This choke involves gripping the two collars of your opponent with opposite arms and ulnar deviating your wrist, to the pinky side. Generally, when individuals have difficulty with ulnar deviation, they will compensate by trying to complete the choke with the arms and likely fail or over-exerting the upper body. Below is a demonstration of controlled articular rotation for the wrist that we use to improve wrist mobility for grappling and other sports.

 

If you are a jiu-jitsu athlete currently dealing with an injury or would like guidance on how to stay injury-free and have longevity in the sport, book a consultation with us below!

 

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754-231-8338

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Dr. Adams
In Aventura, Chiropractic, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood

5 Ways to Optimize your Workstation for Productivity

Workstation ergonomics

Most individuals spend more time at their desks or workstation than they do at home. The workstation should be a place that you are able to be productive and comfortable but unfortunately, for many, the workstation is a place associated with stress, discomfort and often times, pain in the neck and back. 

Below we are going to give you 5 practical tips in order to optimize your workstation so that your body feels great at the end of the workday and you don’t need to be distracted by neck and back pain during your workday.

 

 

1. Ensure the Brightness and Text size on your screen are appropriate

 

This first pointer for workstation ergonomics is one that is often overlooked when an individual is looking to make their workspace neck and back-friendly. The reason that improper brightness and text size can affect neck and back pain is that if you cannot read your screen you will be more inclined to lean forwards towards your computer, resulting in excessive protrusion of the chin, upper back flexion, and lower back flexion.

 

 

2. Place your Desk and Chair at a height that allows you to sit upright 

 

Often times, individuals will neglect the importance of chair and desk height for ergonomic safety and health. Ideally, you want to have your chair at a height that allows you to have two feet on the floor and allow your forearms to rest on your desk.

If your desk is too high, you will be required to have your arms higher and ultimately this will lead to tension in the neck as well as an increased likelihood of carpal tunnel syndrome. Conversely, If the desk is too low, you may be more likely to lean forward or flex your spine excessively to reach the level of the screen.

 

 

3. Have lumbar support on your chair to maintain your natural spinal curvature

 

Contrary to popular belief, your spine is not meant to be “straight”. Your spine has three distinct curves and is shaped more like the letter “S”. When individuals sit for an extended period of time, they are likely to round their lower back. Naturally, the lower back is meant to hold a slight arch, meaning that sitting oftentimes reverses its intended curvature. 

Over time, when this flexed position of the lower back is held for an extended period of time, you are likely to experience lower back discomfort. We often recommend to our patients to use a Mckenzie Lumbar Roll or purchase a chair that allows them to maintain a normal lumbar curvature.

 

 

4. Take breaks regularly to move your hip and hips through a full range of motion

 

Microbreaks are an area of workplace ergonomics that most individuals partake in by necessity. After sitting for hours working on a project, it is natural to walk to get up, stretch, and walk around. Though walking around the office for a few minutes is a great start, we want you to be even more specific with your microbreaks. We recommended getting up for 5 minutes from your desk every hour or two.

While sitting at work, generally, the joints of the spine, as well as your hip and shoulders, are in a flexed position. Standing and walking, however, are positions considered to be relatively neutral. We know that joints love to be moved in all directions regularly, so what we want to do during our microbreaks is not only stand and walk but actively extend our joints. Here are some examples of extension based movements that can be performed during your breaks at work!

 

5. Practice Proper  and Controlled Respiration through your abdomen

 

Proper respiration is one of the most significantly overlooked aspects of posture, ergonomics, and even physical activity. When individuals become stressed at work, their posture breaks down and they begin slightly hyperventilating (taking quick breaths). 

Taking these short, choppy breaths forces you to use your shoulder elevator and neck musculature to assist in the breathing process. This causes a buildup for tension in the upper back and neck and puts small degrees of compression through your spine.

By focusing on expanding your abdomen while breathing, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth, you will be able to decompress your spine, protect your lower back and inhibition the muscles of the neck that commonly contribute to pain and tightness.

For more details on how to breathe properly and begin to train for respiration, please see the video below.

Dr. Adams
In Aventura, Chiropractic, Hallandale Beach, Physical Therapy, Sports Performance, Uncategorized

Breaking Down Weightlifting Movements: The Snatch

Athlete Performing a Snatch

The Olympic Snatch is one of the most complicated and effective weightlifting movements that is frequently used in sports performance, CrossFit, and barbell sport.

The Snatch itself involves Lifted a barbell from the ground to the overhead position in one motion. Traditionally, the snatch is caught deep in a squat position requiring a significant amount of upper-body stability and lower body mobility.

Part of what makes the snatch such a unique lift is that any small deviation from proper technique and mechanics can result in a missed lift. For other major lifts in the super total such as the deadlift, Clean and Jerk, and Squat, small deviations can be compensated for by strength and grit. This is why the Snatch is called by some “the most athletic movement in Olympic Sport”

 

The snatch itself is typically broken down into three primary phases; the first pull, the second pull, and the catch. 

 

The First Pull:

During the first pull, the barbell is lifted off of the ground up to the crease of the hip. Within the first pull, the knees are pulled back to make room the barbell around the knees and then return forwards as the bar is brought towards the crease of the hip.

The physical demands of this position include primarily proper thoracic (upper/middle back) extension, foot stability, and the ability to appropriately load the hamstrings. 

While there is much debate as to the appropriate torso height for the liftoff phase of the snatch, most coaches will agree that a rounded upper back is an efficient position to pull from, which means that some level of thoracic extension, without composing the neck or lower back is ideal.

Additionally, the ability to stabilize the arch of the foot is critical for the liftoff phase as the foot is to be in full contact with the ground and any deviation away from the balanced position can result in a missed lift or injury, particularly when the weight increases relatively to your max. Most lifters also use an Olympic weightlifting shoe designed to improve dorsiflexion capacity of the ankle, though at times at the expense of a properly centered foot and stabilized arch.

The initial lift of the bar during the snatching from the ground up to the top of the knee requires a proper hip hinge during which the hamstrings and posterior chain are adequately loaded to produce maximal force and reduced the compressive load on the spine while lifting the bar. Likewise, the bar is taught to be kept very close to the body to reduce strain place on the lower back during the lift.

 

The Second Pull:

Once the bar has reached the top of the thigh or hip crease, the second pull is initiated in which the body uses triple extension (hip, knee, ankle) to propel the bar vertically. Once the bar has reached the maximal height, the lifter descends into the catch position to receive the barbell.

Athletes vary in at which point they initiate the second pull. Some athletes chose to extend just before the bar reaches the crease or the hip but the majority of weightlifting coaches teach the lifter to be patient during the first pull and explosively triple-extend once the bar reaches the hips in the snatch. An early second pull can result in an inefficient bar bath and potentially a leak of potential vertical force to propel the bar upwards.

Important characteristics for the second pull are more related to training athletic qualities and synchronizing extension of the hip, knee, and ankle. From a mobility and motor control standpoint, however, the ability to properly extend the hip while stabilizing the spine is arguably the most important physical characteristic for executing an efficient and safe second pull.

Hip Extension is not only an important motion for the snatch, but also a variety of fitness movements including the deadlift, running, bridging, and lunging. Often individuals possess very little hip extension and use their lumbar spine (lower back) to extend during a lift or athletic movement. When we can effectively address pure hip extension, through manual therapy and specific exercises, we can expand your force capacity as well as significantly reduce the likelihood of a lower back injury.

 

The Catch:

After the lifting drops under the barbell following the second pull, the catch position requires the lifter to have two feet planted on the floor and the arms locked out overhead. Once the lifter catches in a stable position and stands up to the standing position.

The “catch” phase of the lift is by far the most physically demanding in that it requires a tremendous ability to sit into a deep squat with an upright posture and lock the arms out overhead. The squat itself has numerous prerequisites that we will cover in a later installment of this series, but the difference during this lift is that the squat is required with a barbell locked out overhead. A traditional powerlifting squat has very little upper body mobility requirements beyond enough shoulder rotation to hold the bar. The front squat does require a relatively upright torso as well as upper body extensibility for the front-rack. However, neither of these compare to the demands of the overhead squat.

To catch the barbell in a stable enough position to stand up and maintain a successful lift, the shoulder complex must have a tremendous degree of overhead stability coupled with adequate upper back extension to take the strain off of the shoulder joint itself. 

Additionally, a physical capacity that is not talked about frequency is the ability of the wrist to radially deviate (bend towards the thumb side). Generally, at higher levels of Olympic weightlifting, lifters will grip very wide on the bar to both meet the hip crease during the second pull and reduce the overhead mobility requirement during the catch. Because the wrist is a small and complex joint, we mustn’t place the wrist in a vulnerable position during the snatch.

 

Common Injuries Seen in the Snatch

If you are a Crossfitter, Olympic weightlifter, or other athlete and would like a joint-by-joint injury risk assessment as well as therapy to correct these findings, please reach out to us at 754-231-8338, we would love to help you!

Dr. Adams
In Aventura, Chiropractic, Hallandale Beach, Sports Performance

10 Push-ups Progressions for Strength, Size, and Stability

Push ups

The Push-up is one of the most battle-tested exercises to develop your chest, shoulders, triceps, and your abdominals. There is a reason that everyone from Elementary Physical Education Teachers to NFL strength and conditioning coaches uses this exercise – it’s a fundamental movement that has unlimited regressions and progressions, making it usable for anyone.

At its core, the pushup is a very simple exercise, but making slight variations to ensure proper muscle activation and technique turns this simple exercise into a challenging full-body exercise. Doing simple down-and-up push-ups in just the beginning of the endless variations and progressions of this exercise. 

Working through a proper progression on an exercise is very important for getting the most benefit from the exercise and protecting your joints from unnecessary injury. Unfortunately, due to poor technique and rapid progression, individuals frequently experience shoulder pain and wrist pain when performing pushups.

Before beginning any exercise program be sure that you have the pre-requisite joint range of motion to perform the exercise. In the case of the pushup, it’s important you have adequate shoulder extension and wrist extension in order to perform the exercise safely and properly. If you are experiencing pain during a push-up, see a qualified professional to give you an assessment to help you correct the issue!

We recommend working through these progressions slowly and once you are able to perform variation for repetitions and multiple sets with flawless technique, try the next variation!

Isometric Holds

    • Brace your abdomen
    • Be sure your entire hand is in contact with the floor and rotating slightly outwards
    • Maintain a slight Chin-tuck

Eccentric Pushups

    • Start in the same position as the isometric push-up
    • Slowly lower yourself down for 5-8 seconds without losing your brace of chin tuck
    • Once you have lowered yourself all the way down, restart at the top

Incline Pushups

    • Find a surface that is elevated and allows for a comfortable position of the wrist
    • Lower yourself to the surface over the course of 3 seconds with good form
    • Think “Push the surface away” as your press-up

1.5 Rep Pushups

    • Start by performing one full eccentric pushup to the ground
    • Instead of pressing all the way up, press yourself up until your elbow are roughly 90 degrees
    • Return down to the ground under control and press yourself back up to the top

Pushups with Shoulder Tap

    • Perform a Full Repetition of a push-up with good form
    • At the top of each repetition, lift one hand up and touch the opposite shoulder
    • When you lift the hand off the surface, maintain the integrity of the rest of the body

Single leg Pushups

    • From the starting position, lift one leg off of the ground
    • Keep the leg lifted as your perform full pushups
    • Do not arch the back or shift your hips when the leg lifts

Elbow to Knee Pushups

    • Start by performing one full pushup with good technique
    • Once you reach the top of the pushup, lift one arm and the opposite leg up off of the ground
    • Touch the lifted elbow to the lifted knee, without excessively moving your spine

Push-up to Sit out

  • Start by performing a full pushup with good technique
  • At the top of the push-up, lift one and one leg off of the table
  • Turn your body and lift the one leg up towards the ceiling with maintaining contact of the opposite limbs

Plyo Pushup

    • Perform a full eccentric pushup with good technique and a short pause at the bottom
    • From the bottom of the pushup, push explosively through your hands and attempt to lift slightly off the ground at the end of the repetitions
    • Catch yourself in the pushup position with a slight elbow bend and reset for the next repetitions

Clapping Push-ups

    • Perform a controlled eccentric pushup until your chest touches the floor
    • Once the chest touches, push explosively through the ground and clap you hands together while in the air
    • Land with “soft elbows” as to not put too much strain on the wrist and reset the position for the next repetition

Dr. Adams
In Aventura, Chiropractic, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood

Does your posture really matter?

Lower Back pain poor posture

Let’s talk POSTURE! 

From a very young age, we are reminded of the importance of good posture. Patients often talk about how their parents, grandparents, teachers, etc always told them to “sit up straight” or “stop slouching”. When we think about how many hours a day we spend looking at screens with our heads tilted forward and/or our back rounded over, it would make sense why people who care about us would give us this advice. We may be watching TV, reading a book, or doing the dishes and notice that our posture isn’t the best. We are reminded of our “bad posture” by our own bodies alerting us of the discomfort it’s feeling. 

What is Posture?

Posture involves a sustained position of the body for prolonged periods of time. This position may be held while standing, sitting or lying down. Being in sustained positions is not harmful. However, the accumulation of sustained positions over an extended period of time may inevitably cause discomfort in some individuals. Especially those who have preexisting musculoskeletal pain. 

What causes poor posture?

Poor posture can be due to a number of reasons such as obesity, pregnancy, stress, and muscle fatigue. Contrary to popular belief, poor posture is not caused by a weakness in core strength. Dr. Yoav Suprun, faculty with the Mckenzie Institute USA, debunks this common myth. He states that core strength does not hold someone in an upright position. In other words, the muscle development around the abdomen and low back will not help you achieve perfect posture. Instead, Dr. Suprun proposes that we learn how to sit, stand, lie down properly to avoid mechanical stresses especially when this stress is contributing to neck and low back pain that radiates down the arm or leg.  

How can posture affect you?

Long term poor posture can lead to various health problems that can contribute to conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica, neck pain, thoracic outlet syndrome, breathing problems, and more. It is important to address postural stresses for the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal pain. 

Good posture can:

  • Decrease stress on the joints that support the spine
  • Maintain correct alignment of bones and joints
  • Reduce stress on ligaments, minimizing the risk of injury
  • Prevent muscle strain, overuse, and pain

How can we maintain the correct posture?

The first step is body awareness! It is important to pay attention to your posture as you sit, stand or lie down. Keeping your spine in a neutral position can help decrease the discomfort of postural stress. Using back support when sitting and bringing screens to eye level can drastically reduce discomfort in the low back and neck. Taking short breaks to stand, walk, or stretch when sitting for prolonged periods of time can also help decrease pain. Slouch – Over Correct is a simple exercise to perform to help train your body to recognize proper posture. Sit slumped in your chair and round your back, then slowly raise up and over-arch your lower back. Do this about 10 times every few hours to improve seated posture and decrease back pain.

It is also important to monitor our posture during sleep. Be sure to find an ergonomically friendly pillow and mattress to support your sleeping postures at night. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to posture. Be sure to find the pillow, mattress, back support, exercise, and/or stretching routine that works for YOU.

If you are experiencing numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in your arm, hand, leg, and/or foot in certain postural positions, it is possible that you may be experiencing Sciatica or Carpal Tunnel like symptoms. With this particular presentation, it is important that you receive a proper movement assessment by your healthcare practitioner. Night pain that is constant and is unchanged by position may be a more serious health presentation and it important to seek medical attention as soon as possible.

How can Chiropractic Care help?

Your chiropractor can help you to maintain and correct your posture through chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue therapies, exercises and recommendations on proper positions during different activities. At Miami Spine + Performance we take a thorough look at your body’s biomechanics to address the root cause of your postural imbalances as well as teach you strategies to stay pain-free. It is our mission to build resiliency in your body and equip you with the tools necessary to prevent future episodes.

If you or someone you know is currently dealing with a postural pain and looking for permanent relief, we are here to help! Please click the link below to book an appointment.

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754-231-8338

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Dr. Adams
In Aventura, Chiropractic, Sports Performance

5 ways to avoid injuries in your Crossfit gym

Crossfit Athlete Aventura, FL

Over the last ten years, CrossFit and functional group exercise have exploded onto the fitness scene, particularly in South Florida. It is difficult to drive more than one block through Hallandale Beach or Aventura without seeing a CrossFit box, boot camp, or other group fitness gym setting.

Not only do individuals enjoy the high-intensity nature of the classes themselves, but also the challenge of learning and applying new movements in the gym.

Performing challenging movements at high speed or intensity can be an excellent way to get into great shape but can also put you at risk for a sports injury if you are not taking the right steps in and out of the gym to keep yourself healthy.

In the steps below, we are going to walk you through 5 ways to make sure you stay healthy in the gym but also improving your fitness and maximizing your performance on a regular basis!

 

1. Find the “hardest thing you can do well”

Every individual that has stepped foot in a CrossFit or functional fitness gym for the first time looks around and may feel intimidated by the individuals around them performing movements they’ve never seen, with weights they’ve never touched at speeds they don’t think possible.

Prior to joining a CrossFit box, most individuals have not performed a single barbell snatch, let alone. 30 snatches at 135 pounds consecutively for time.

To start your CrossFit journey, the first principle you must become comfortable with for long-term success is the concept of “scaling” or modifying a workout in a way that meets your current fitness, strength, and skill level.

CrossFit workouts were originally written to be standardized so that one individual could measure his or her success against other competitors across the country. Over time, however, to accommodate individuals of skill levels and different backgrounds, the concept of “scaling” was introduced to keep members safe while still providing them with the appropriate fitness stimulus.

When it comes to making significant gains in fitness over the long term, injury prevention and incremental fitness gains are key. Find the hardest movements and workouts that you can complete with sound technique and train them with intensity regularly.

 

2. Be sure that your body is prepared for the task

Taking on a new workout regimen can be challenging and intimidating but ultimately very rewarding.

The human body is an incredible organism capable of tremendous physical capacity, and that capacity should be challenged regularly. It is critical that before partaking in new forms of exercise, you take the time to be sure that your body is ready to handle the demands you are about the place on it.

Every new task you ask your body to perform in the gym requires a certain level of physical capacity for the execution of the movement to be safe and efficient. Often, individuals will jump into a new exercise regimen early in the year only to stop in the first month due to injury or overtraining.

Before partaking in a new physical exercise regiment, get a thorough assessment from a movement educated physician or sports-based chiropractor that can help identify deficiencies early and give you strategies to prevent injury as you embark on your fitness journey.

Even if you don’t feel any pain at the moment, getting a “movement-based” physical exam from a sports-based chiropractor and checking to make sure that all of your joints are moving adequately can pay huge dividends in the long run of injury prevention and help set a path of success for you during your journey towards health and fitness.

 

3. Train to improve your joints capacity

When most individuals think about training physical capacity, the phrases that generally come to mind are “endurance,” “strength,” “skill,” etc. Most individuals neglect to actually take time to train the capacity of their joints.

For example, to perform a technical and efficient snatch, you must have adequate ankle dorsiflexion, hip flexion, and thoracic extension, shoulder flexion, and wrist extension.

Often athletes use the movement itself to train capacity, i.e., snatching to improve mobility. This is a misconception in how the body adapts.

First, the proper environment in your body must be established via the joint range of motion and proper muscle activation, and the exercise (in this case, the barbell snatch) is simply the expression of that physical capacity.

Not only does improving the physical capacity of the joints decrease the chance of shoulder injuries, disc herniations, and other sports injuries but also allows you to efficiently train the capacity of your skill and fitness.

If, for example, you do not have the necessary prerequisites in upper body mobility to perform a proper handstand, you will struggle immensely with performed handstand pushups for repetition and for time.

How do you go about preparing your joints for exercise?

It all starts with a thorough assessment! Miami Spine and Performance is one of the few chiropractic clinics in Hallandale Beach trained in Functional Range Conditioning (FRC), which is a system that uses a specific joint assessment to design a corrective exercise system specifically tailored to your body.

If you are interested in receiving a full-body joint-by-joint assessment and an individualized corrective program, click below!

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4. Use diet and hydration to gain an edge

 Injury prevention is not a one-dimensional process; there are several factors even unrelated to the physical capacity that can improve your body’s ability to adapt to exercise safely. Two of which are hydration and nutrition.

 

Hydration

It is no secret that South Florida can be very humid during certain times of the year, which can put you at risk for dehydration even if you aren’t visibly sweating.

Because our muscles are nearly 70% made up of water and most of our body’s metabolic processes require adequate hydration, if you are not keeping up with regular water consumption, as well as electrolytes, you may be putting yourself at risk for dehydration, cramping or predispose yourself to a muscle strain during activity.

Nutrition

In addition to hydration, nutrition can play a crucial role in how your body recovers and adapts to training. There are a lot of excellent resources for general nutritional recommendations as far as good sources of proteins, vegetables, fruits, and fats to help your body perform optimally.

If you are looking to take your training to the next level, we highly recommend you see a physician specializing in nutrition that can create a custom-tailored program based on your medical history, training schedule, and blood chemistry. At Miami Spine and Performance, we offer Functional Medicine and nutritional consultations for athletes and individuals looking to optimize their health and improve performance for the gym

 

5. Take time to deload regularly

The last factor in managing your training load, staying injury-free, and performing at a high level is taking regular deloads in training to allow your body to recover.

Every 6-8 weeks, it is recommended you take one week to reduce the intensity and volume of exercise by at least 50% and take advantage of recovery modalities in your community. One of the most beneficial ways to recover properly during hard training and your deload is to regularly visit your Hallandale beach chiropractor at Miami Spine and Performance.

Some examples of recovery modalities utilized at our practice:

  • Chiropractic adjustments
  • Active Release Technique
  • Fascial Stretch Therapy
  • Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue
  • Normatec Compression
  • Compex Recovery System
  • Dry Needling

Blending chiropractic manipulation with manual therapy and specific rehabilitation exercises can help decompress your joints from hard training, restore your muscles to proper function, and address any nagging injuries you may be experiencing. If you are just starting your fitness journey or are looking to stay injury-free during your training please give us a call or book online for a comprehensive assessment

If you are currently participating in crossfit workouts and are currently injuried or would like to prevent future injuries and optimize performance, please give us a call or book online below!

Call Us

754-231-8338

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Dr. Adams
In Aventura, Chiropractic, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood

Top 5 Things you need to know about Chiropractic in Hollywood, FL

Hallandale Beach Chiropractor

 

1. Chiropractors are physicians

Though Chiropractors are traditionally thought of as “Spine adjusters”, we are much more than that. To become a chiropractic physician, we attend 4 years of undergraduate pre-medical schooling followed by 4 years of Chiropractic school which includes hundreds of hours in the physical exam, diagnosis, nutrition, and chiropractic manipulation. physical therapy and spend at least one year in a clinical internship treating patients. 

Our license gives us the full scope of practice of a medical doctor without the ability to prescribe medications and perform surgeries. This means that we do not require a referral and are trained to diagnose musculoskeletal and internal conditions using clinical history, physical exam, blood labs, and imaging if necessary. Because we take a “conservative first” approach, we are an excellent first option when you are considering seeking medical care or consultation.

 

2. Chiropractic Adjustments are just one tool in the toolbox

The chiropractic profession was founded on the premise that a disruption in spinal alignment can lead to excessive strain on the nervous system resulting in disease and dysfunction. One of the most powerful tools we have in conservative manual medicine today is chiropractic adjustment, as we can use a hands-on approach to restoring proper movement of the spine and ultimately high functionality of our nervous system.

While the adjustment is an excellent tool and treats a wide variety of musculoskeletal conditions, utilizing manual soft tissue work to ease muscular tension and physical therapy to improve movement quality leads to exceptional clinical outcomes and long-term relief.

 

3. Chiropractors take a holistic approach to your health

As conservative healthcare physicians, we pride ourselves on spending significant time with you as the patient, listening to your concerns, and establishing clear goals for us to accomplish together during your course of care. The initial consultation will typically last an hour because we will discuss your full health history and make sure that we understand not only what is not working well in your body but also what is working great. Our philosophy is that because your body is a closed system, we cannot neglect the whole picture to treat one area.

For example, if you are experiencing lower back pain, we may also ask about nutrition, sleep, stress, and what you do for a living. This not only gives us context for your treatment but also allows us to explore and utilize all avenues of care to make sure that we get you to 100% as quickly as possible. Improving lifestyle factors like these will not only potentially help you with your pain but also create an environment for health to prevent future occurrences. 

 

4. Chiropractors are extensively trained in hands-on care

One of the unique differentiating factors of seeing a chiropractic physician is that generally, a large portion of our treatment is hands-on. Taking a hands-on approach allows us to even better understand your condition by assessing joint motion and muscular tension, which is an important piece of our clinician assessment. Though a neurological, orthopedic and functional movement examination are an important part of telling the story of your condition, hands-on palpation will allow us as the clinician to interpret messages from your body in the form of muscular tension and joint restriction.

In treatment, we utilize a hands-on approach in several ways including chiropractic adjustments, active release technique, instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy, dry needling, and therapeutic cupping. The specific manual therapy tool that we use is always dependent on the findings of each case as well as patient preference. We want to make sure you are not only feeling better but also happy with your care.

 

5. Chiropractors can treat more than just joint and muscle pain

Most individuals consider chiropractors to be primarily specializing in musculoskeletal disorders (joint, muscle and nerve pain) but chiropractors are also trained extensively in acupuncture, nutrition, and functional medicine. Some chiropractors chose to specialize in Sports Chiropractic while others spend hundreds of hours in the training of internal disorders such as digestive issues, nutritional deficiencies, allergies, and hormone imbalances.

If you are dealing with any of the conditions listed previously, a chiropractor may be a great first option for resolving these issues. For Functional Medicine conditions, we take the same holistic approach we do with every patient but our visit will be more focused on your symptoms and lab work to find conservative solutions involving nutritional intervention, therapeutic supplementation, lifestyle recommendations as well as hands-on care or acupuncture as part of the treatment plan.

If you are currently dealing with musculoskeletal pain or would like to inquire about our functional medicine and acupuncture treatments, please give us a call or schedule below with one of our physicians. We are here to help and guide you through your health journey.

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Miami Spine and Performance

3325 Hollywood Boulevard. Suite 204-A.

Hollywood, FL. 33021.

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