Dr. Maggie and Dr. Josh have been reading, “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. We have found some great insights that we would like to share with you, our Refuge community. 

One important distinction the author made was the difference between goals and systems. A goal is a specific target that is either realized or missed, an objective that is successfully attained, or failed. Goals can help motivate you towards change, but often do not yield long-lasting results and must be replaced by another goal, like stepping stones. Once a goal is attained, there is a choice that has to be made to either continue to pursue another goal or to fall back into the automatic patterns you were in before you created your goal.

What is hypermobility?

Joint hypermobility is when your joints are more flexible and have a greater range of motion than is expected. Most children are naturally flexible and become less flexible as they grow, however in about 20% of the population hypermobility continues into adulthood.

Throughout our day to day life, we tend to develop habits and repeated patterns of movements. This repetitive motion is intensified with athletic training through added loads and stress. These repeated movements compound over time and small, initial asymmetries can add up to cause significant muscle imbalances. These imbalances in turn can create movement limitations and functional deficits related to joint stability, proprioception, and mobility.

Plantar Heel Pain

The plantar fascia is a band of tissue that runs on the bottom of your foot from your heel to your toes. Its function is to aid in stability and control of the foot with weight bearing. It assists the arch of the foot and absorbs some of the load we place on our foot when we stand or walk. 

Hip hinging is a fundamental movement pattern that helps us maintain good posture, reduces back pain, and enhances overall movement. Regularly performing hip hinges trains you for the movements of daily life, improves core and lower body strength, and promotes hip stability and mobility, which are impaired with consistent prolonged sitting. 

What is hip hinging?

Cupping is a type of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) that decompresses tissue, increases circulation and promotes healing. Cupping was documented as early as 1550 BC in Ebers Papyrus, one of the oldest medical textbooks in the world.

The thoracic spine consists of twelve vertebrae at your mid-back, running from the the top of your shoulder blades down to the bottom of your rib cage. It is the only spinal region that attaches to the ribs, and it is primarily responsible for trunk rotation. 

The thoracic spine is an area of the body that is often under-treated. Most clinicians focus on the shoulder, cervical spine, or low back, as these are the areas that typically take the hit when it comes to pain and discomfort. Here at Refuge Physiotherapy, we look for and treat the root cause. Often, the root cause of shoulder, neck and low back pain is thoracic stiffness and dysfunction.

Risk of specialization too soon

For most sports, there is no evidence that intense training and specialization before adolescence are necessary to achieve elite status. “Early specialization may enhance a skill but it does not enhance athleticism like practicing multiple sports can,” according to researcher and sports psychologist, Richard Ginsburg. Sport specialization too early increases the risks of: overuse injuries, burnout, and a decrease in overall athletic development.

The cervical spine connects the head to the body. It stabilizes our head and keeps us oriented and upright. It allows us to breathe, speak, and swallow.

Body tempering is a manual therapy technique classified as “instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)”. This specific type of IASTM involves rolling a weighted cylinder across a specific muscle group. 

Strength training is any exercise or physical movement that uses resistance through body weight or equipment (e.g., dumbbells, cables and resistance bands) to build muscle mass, strength, and endurance. 

The human body is constantly striving to be an efficient steward of energy. Aside from our brain, which uses about 20% of the body’s energy per day, the remaining 80% is carefully allocated throughout our muscles and organs.

What is neural tension?

As the nerves run through the body, they can become compressed or adherent to the fascia, bone, muscle or tendons that they pass through, creating peripheral nerve tension and compression. Neural tension can present as: numbness, tingling, pulling, tightness, or pain.

A concussion is a mild brain injury that occurs when the brain hits against the skull during a blow to the head or from a rapid neck jerk when the body is hit. Common causes of concussion are falls, impact from sports, and motor vehicle accidents. In 80-90% of concussions, there is no loss of consciousness and symptoms can be delayed, appearing several days after the initial injury.

Have you ever had a physical therapist or chiropractor crack your back? The pop decreases pressure in the joint capsule through the release of carbon dioxide and causes a stretch to the capsule allowing improved mobility and decreased pain. This treatment is known as joint manipulation. It consists of the application of a short, quick thrust to a single or multiple joints. It is also known as High Velocity Low-Amplitude Thrusts (HVLAT). This intervention is commonly used by Physical Therapists, Chiropractors and Osteopathic Physicians.

Have you experienced pain at the outside of your elbow or forearm? This pain can increase when holding an object at arm’s length, gripping, and twisting and turning motions. Oftentimes this pain is sharp with use and becomes achy and tight with rest.

Have you heard of ART? Active Release Techniques (ART) is a soft tissue technique that was developed by chiropractor Michael Leahy in 1985. ART is used to release muscle tension and relieve pain to allow improved mobility and function.

Have you ever had an MRI? Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a diagnostic tool used to help medical professionals observe the structures inside the body. An MRI uses powerful magnetic fields and radio waves to affect the hydrogen protons within the body and measure the relative water content in the body’s tissues. The brain, spinal cord, nerves, muscles, ligaments, and tendons are seen much more clearly with MRI than on regular x-rays and CT scans.