Monday, July 27, 2015

The Importance of Getting Screened!

As promised here is a snippet from my chapter in StrongFigure's, Total Health and Fitness Makeover, ebook. It is a great resource for wanting to start your fitness journey, get in better shape and improve your quality of life. Whether you're a beginner or a more advanced fitness enthusiast looking for guidance in the pursuance of your goals, this ebook is for you. Here is small section of the chapter:

"The purpose of a screen is identify a problem and to determine if it is suitable for one to participate in an activity.  For example, when you go to your medical doctor one of the first things they do is take your blood pressure.  They are “screening” for a problem.  If a problem exists then an intervention takes place or advanced testing is done to determine the cause for the problem.  One of the main reasons why people fail at becoming healthier and/or fitter is because they get injured.  A screen can set a “baseline of movement”.  The good news is most individuals can recover and get back on track.  Clinically speaking, as a Chiropractor and Rehabilitation Specialist, I have seen this quite often in my practice.  Individuals have been able to recover through means of treatment, corrective exercises and dynamic warm-up/movement prep strategies.  In order to figure which was best for each of these, it all started with a screen, followed by advanced testing.  With this being said, when choosing your new health and fitness journey, whether on your own, at a gym or with a personal trainer, get screened!"

Here is an example of how a screen can reveal a problem. If we look at the Functional Movement Screen for Shoulder Mobility, which tests for someone's range of motion, scapular mechanics, upper-back function, pain and more, we could see some deficiencies. We would like to see the fists closer together than pictured. One cause for this could be a lack of thoracic extension or rotation. We would want to investigate further to see if it is a mobility or stability problem. Also, we would want to make sure we don't just look at the shoulder or upper-back to make sure we don't forget the other influences on the kinetic chain.



So, do you want to get screened and reach your full potential? You're in luck, because this great service is provided by yours truly. Want more information then check out this easy-to-read infographic!
If you need more info or want to find a local provider then check out the FMS website.

Yours in Health,

Dr. G


Sunday, July 19, 2015

Why you should be using a Foam Roller

The foam roller is one of the most widely used tools for the means of self-care/maintenance. Heck, it may have even been recommended by your healthcare professional, coach or trainer to use one to help reduce pain or improve your flexibility.  There are many benefits and uses for improving your health by using a foam roller.  So to simplify things, let's take a page out of David Letterman's playbook and do a Top Ten List.  Here they are in no particular order.

Top Ten Reasons You Should Be Using a Foam Roller:

1.) Can reduce pain
2.) Can help with recovery
3.) Can be used to improve posture
4.) Can improve mobility and flexibility
5.) Breaks up Scar Tissue
6.) Can increase your performance
7.) Can help prevent injury
8.) Can reduce stress
9.) Portable
10.) Can also serve as a piece of exercise equipment

Not sure how to foam roll and need some guidance, check out this video by Eric Cressey, of Cressey Performance. **Use caution while trying these techniques out, especially when using a lacrosse ball as seen in the video**


If you want even more guidance on foam rolling, check out StrongFigure's new e-book, Total Health and Fitness Makeover. I recommend it as a great resource for much more than foam rolling. It is packed with information on nutrition, recovery and self-care/maintenance strategies. I had the opportunity to write a section in the book titled, Getting Screened, Dynamic Warm-up/Movement Prep & Corrective Exercises OH MY!
Stay tuned for a snippet from my portion later this week. The book goes on sale today and will only be sold from July 20-27 at a low price of $30.  That's 25% off!  Purchase it and you won't be disappointed.


If you need some guidance on how to properly foam roll or need any other tips/advice, please contact me. Definitely, if you have pain, schedule with me for an evaluation.

Remember, "Get Pain Free with Dr. G!"

P.S. Stay tuned for my next post with the snippet from Total Health and Fitness Makeover