Performance care acts to improve an athlete’s overall success in his or her chosen sport.

Difficult training regimes that include repetitive motions (swimming, running, cycling), heavy sets of weight training, and balancing work and life all place a great deal of stress on an athlete’s body. With improper recovery from each workout an excess of inflammation can result. The body responds to this by haphazardly laying down collagen cross-fibres to try and temporarily support the area. These collagen fibres laid down like a cobweb turn into scar tissue if not dealt with conscientiously. This creates a shortened and weak structure that has a higher probability of tearing or becoming injured.

This scar tissue:
·         Restricts motion.
·         Reduces circulation.
·         Inhibits nerve function.
·         Causes ongoing friction and pressure.
·         Results in the production of yet more cross fibres and adhesions

To have the highest performance possible it is very important to reduce these unwanted problems. The best possible way is to keep constant adherence to a stretching and active recovery regime to prevent any build-up of excess tension. Setting up a routine of foam rolling, yoga and massage therapy is a good way keep tissues relaxed, not to mention seeing your soft-tissue specialized chiropractor! In addition, nutrition is a factor to consider using selective eating choices to reduce inflammation with the Anti-Inflammatory Diet.

When minor irritations do occur it is important to keep on top of the problems and deal with the area right away. If the injury is nagging long than a few days, then seeking a physical medicine professional is strongly suggested. The gold standard in soft tissue injury management is utilizing Active Release Technique (A.R.T.®). It is a systematic approach to decrease scar tissue adhesions and can help improve performance in any sport.

How can A.R.T. improve my sports performance?
Even though physical training factors can be modified the bio-mechanical restrictions that have been created with an injury are seldom addressed. These lead to future injuries and inhibits the athlete from reaching his or her full performance potential.

Equally important, different athletes may present with identical pain patterns, but each athlete may have completely different structures that are impaired or injured.

Before treatment takes place, an extremely specific physical examination must be conducted, which results in a diagnosis. It is important to look past the initial point of pain to identify other structures that are involved in the kinetic chain.

Effective treatment of any soft tissue injury (ligaments, muscles, blood vessels, fascia and nerves), requires an alteration in tissue structure to break up the restrictive cross-fiber adhesions and to restore normal function to the affected soft tissue areas. 
When executed properly, this process:
·         Substantially decreases healing time.
·         Treats the root cause of the injury.
·         Improves athletic performance.

With any medical condition, it is important to control the inflammatory process that slows down healing. Often after an injury the body reacts by producing inflammatory products that are to (over) compensate for the stress. It may be an acute accident with a sprained ankle or it may be a chronic whole body condition like arthritis. By eating fresh healthy food it is a essential way to help your body reduce the excess inflammation and will accelerate healing.


1.       Vegetables should make up the bulk of your diet. Variety is really the spice of life, particularly when it comes to fruit and vegetables. Aim for at least 10 different types of vegetables/Day with half being cooked and half being raw. Try to plan your meals ahead of time and ideally use fresh or frozen products, no deep fried or salted products.

 Artichokes - Avocado - Peppers - Broccoli - Beets - Carrots - Cauliflower - Cucumber  -  Corn - Eggplant - Radish - Spinach - Turnip - Tomatoes - Squash - Snow Peas - String Beans -     Zucchini               


2.       Fruits are also very beneficial to keeping essential nutrients to accelerate healing but they are higher in fructose (sugar) content and can spike an insulin response when eaten in excess.  A moderate amount each day (4-5) will help keep the healing process going.

        Apple - Apricot - Banana -  Blackberries - Blueberries -  Cantaloupe - Cherries               Coconut - Figs - Grapes - Kiwi - Orange - Mango - Nectarine - Papaya - Peach - Pear - Pineapple - Plum - Raspberries - Strawberries - Tangerines - Watermelon                                                     


3.       Nuts and Seeds are essential sources of minerals, healthy fats, and protein. These are all important elements to fight inflammation. Keeping a bag or container of them at your work or easy to access at home they are the perfect snacking foods when you are hungry.  It is best to eat them raw.

        Almonds - Cashews  - Filberts - Flax Seeds - Macadamias -  Pecan - Pistachios -  Sesame Seeds - Walnuts - Peanuts - Pumpkin seeds


4.       Meat & Fish is best to eat wild or free range organically-grown animals.

        Lamb - Buffalo - Beef (grass fed) - Venison -  Elk -  Turkey - Salmon (wild) - Sardines - Trout - Halibut - Mackerel 


If you have any questions or comments please don't hesitate to get in touch with Dr. Derek Vinge at Fit Chiropractic in Courtenay, BC. Phone number 250-871-3674

Treating Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

The Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) is often considered one of the most complex joints in the body. It is just in front of the ears, where the lower jaw hinges. To find the TMJ joint place your fingers just in front of your ears and open your mouth. The temporomandibular joint is quite unique from other joints in your body; the TMJ joint is a complex joint that works like a hinge yet it also slides forward and back.

If this joint and its accompanying soft-tissues are restricted or unbalanced, it can cause conditions such as headaches, earaches, facial pain, vision problems, eye pain, teeth problems, balance issues, tinnitus, throat and neck pain, dizziness, and a host of other symptoms. Most of the complaints that arise from TMD (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder) are located in the muscles that surround the joint. In less severe cases of TMD the only symptom may be a clicking or popping sound. These are usually caused by the muscles tightening up to protect the overused joint. Habits such as chewing gum, clenching or grinding teeth, or biting nails can lead to more problems. This condition usually starts out as a minor annoyance can become a major dysfunction.

Over a period of time, repetitive motion creates tension, friction, and micro tears in the muscle tissue that surrounds the jaw. These micro tears create inflammation and the formation of scar tissue (adhesions). This weakens the surrounding musculature, creates muscle imbalances, and effects neuromuscular and vascular function.

Do you have TMJ?

TMJ symptoms vary, but you may want to be examined by a professional if you show many of the following symptoms:

·         Clicking and popping of the jaw when you open your mouth
·         Pain in the TMJ area when opening and closing the mouth
·         Pain when yawning or chewing
·         Headaches or earaches
·         Pain in the jaw upon waking up
·         Jaws that get stuck or locked

What you can do to reduce TMJ symptoms:

There are several relaxation exercises that you can do to reduce TMJ disorder symptoms and with treatment to prevent the recurrence of TMJ pain. Try some of these tips:


Do:

·         Keep your lips together, but your teeth apart when not talking or eating.
·         When eating try not to open wider than two fingers’ width.
·         Massage the area gently, first with your mouth closed, then with your mouth open.
·         Perform relaxation exercises for the jaw

Don’t:

·         Don’t clench your jaws. Try to keep them relaxed throughout the day.
·         Try not to chew gum.
·         Avoid sleeping on your stomach since this can misalign your jaw.

Here are 3 great glute stretches which can help improve flexibility, relieve back, hip and knee pain and prevent injuries. The glutes are very powerful and strong muscles and often times they overpower the weak and "paper thin" low back muscles. By releasing those tight glute muscles you can take the tension off your low back. Also, IT Band tension may be caused by tight attachment muscles (Glute Max and TFL)

You only need to do 1 or 2 of these glute stretches - pick whichever you prefer. To be most effective you need to: Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat it 3 times.

 All the pictures show the right glute muscles being stretched.


1) Pretzel Stretch

Starting Position: Lie flat on your back and bend both knees. Cross one leg over the other so your lower leg is on the opposite knee. Grab the other leg with both hands by putting your hands around the thigh.

Action: Bring both knees towards your chest and gently pull the uncrossed leg towards you until you feel a stretch in your buttock. Hold for 30 secs

Repetition: Repeat 3 times, 2x daily, or before and after exercise

2) Twisting Buttock Stretch

Starting Position: Sit on the floor with one straight and the other leg bent and crossed over.

Action: Turn your body towards the bent knee side until you feel a stretch in your buttocks. Hold for 30 secs

Repetition: Repeat 3 times, 2x daily, or before and after exercise

Progression: 1) Bend one knee and cross it over the other leg so your foot is by the other knee. Repeat the stretch.
2) Stretch the glutes further by anchoring your elbow round the bent knee and pulling the knee further over to the opposite side

3) Figure 4 Stretch

Starting Position: Sit in a chair and cross 1 leg so that the foot is resting on the other knee as shown.

Action: Gently lean forward until a stretch is felt in the buttock of the crossed leg. Pull the knee closer to the body. Hold for 30 seconds.

Repetition: Repeat 3 times, 2x daily, or before and after exercise

Progression: 
1) Gently push down on your knee to increase the glutes stretch
2) Progress further by leaning towards the foot resting on your knee ie away from the side you are stretching

Spring is here! Just the other day, I was able to see my first lily bud sprouting in a neighbor's garden.  This was a prompt to me that I need to start my own garden preparations. An important reminder for myself and everybody else entering the "garden season" is that there are an increased number of injuries when starting up again for the season. The heavy lifting of fresh sand or mulch, twisting to pick those far reaching weeds, and hunching for extended periods of time can all contribute to the straining and spraining of our tissues. 

Luckily, a few simple "pre-season" exercises can help prevent weeks of aches and pains.  Most importantly, increasing core stability will improve our abilities to maintain bending postures for prolonged periods of time.  Recent research recommends that building the endurance of core abdominal and lower back muscles is more important than actually “strengthening” the low back.  Keeping correct posture with strong abdominal muscles will prevent injury down the road and enable you to garden at all ages. 

 If you would like some more information on these exercises and to have your own personal biomechanics (walking, bending, lifting, kneeling) properly assessed, please come see me. Or, stop by The LEWIS CENTRE for a FREE core-strengthening class every Tuesday & Thursdays @ 1:15-1:45pm. (April 1- June 5th, 2014).