Campus Motion Health Lab Blog

Sleep 101 Continued: Understanding Circadian Rhythms & Hormones

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 05:20:10 GMT

The Biological Clock Within Us

Circadian rhythms are the 24-hour cycles that regulate our biology. These rhythms help organize our physiological processes in response to light and dark. Whether you're a LinkedIn professional or a marathon runner, understanding and aligning with these natural cycles can make a world of difference to your productivity and health.

The Central Master Clock: The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

At the heart of our circadian rhythms is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), located in the hypothalamus. This central clock coordinates with peripheral clocks in each of our cells and specific organs, such as:

Lung clock

Kidney clock

Heart clock

Skin clock

These clocks are synchronized by light-dark signals transmitted through our eyes to ensure our body functions in harmony.

The Role of Circadian Rhythms

Circadian rhythms are natural, internal processes that regulate the sleep-wake cycle and repeat roughly every 24 hours.

They influence a myriad of bodily functions, including:

Hormone release

Eating habits

Digestion

Body temperature

Sleep patterns

Disrupting these rhythms can lead to poor sleep quality, which impacts both physical and mental health.

The Impact on Your Life

Sleep Quality

Consistent disruption can lead to insomnia, poor sleep quality, and other sleep disorders. Quality sleep is essential for recovery, cognitive function, and overall health.

Physical Health

Misaligned circadian rhythms can contribute to chronic health issues such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and weakened immune function.

Mental Health

Poor sleep quality can negatively impact mental health, leading to issues such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline.

Cortisol: The Natural Alarm Clock

Cortisol helps us free up stored energy overnight. Here’s how it works:

Evening: Cortisol levels decrease slightly.

Early Morning: Levels increase a few hours before we wake up.

Awakening: Cortisol peaks, providing the boost needed to get out of bed.

The cortisol awakening response is crucial for that early morning energy. Waking up unexpectedly early, before cortisol rises, can leave us feeling especially groggy.

Melatonin: The Sleep Hormone

Melatonin increases sleep drive at night and keeps us asleep throughout. Its production is dependent on darkness and follows this cycle:

Evening: Melatonin production increases.

Midnight: Peaks at about midnight.

Morning: Falls to its lowest level until the evening.

Photoreceptors in our retinas play a key role by transmitting light signals to the SCN, affecting melatonin levels.

Final Thoughts

Understanding your circadian rhythms and hormones like cortisol and melatonin can significantly improve your sleep quality, physical health, and mental well-being. For professionals, getting aligned with these natural cycles is not just a health matter; it’s a productivity booster. Embrace your biological clock, and watch your performance soar!

About Campus Motion Health Lab

Campus Motion is a cutting edge biohacking health optimization lab and wellness center utilizing the latest technological solutions to enhance the health of corporate and community populations. We focus on optimization of these aspects of health: Sleep Health, Brain Health, Movement Health, Metabolic Health, and Recovery Health and are located in the Cypress suburb of Houston, TX. We also provide consultation services to organizations, teams, and schools across the country. Reach out to us if you are interested in improving the overall health of your organization or team!

Sleep 101 Continued: Understanding Brainwaves Throughout the Night

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 05:20:05 GMT

The Intricate Dance of Brainwaves: From Wakefulness to Dreamland

Sleep: it's an essential yet often elusive part of our daily routine.

For professionals, understanding the nuances of sleep can enhance productivity, mental well-being, and overall health.

Let's take a journey through the different stages of sleep and the brainwaves that accompany them.

Awake: The Realm of Beta Waves

When you first go to bed, you likely start by:

-Climbing into bed

-Getting comfortable

-Turning out the lights

At this early stage, you're still awake, and your brain is busy producing beta waves. High levels of beta waves have been linked to insomnia, making it difficult for some people to fall or stay asleep.

Deep Relaxation: Embracing Alpha Waves

Once the lights are off and you're sinking into your soft, cushiony nest with a happy sigh, your brain activity shifts. Your breathing slows, and you become hyper-aware of your surroundings. Although you're not fully asleep, you're in a state of deep relaxation, characterized by alpha waves.

Daydreaming and mental imagery can increase alpha wave activity.

Snapping out of a relaxed state when someone calls your attention decreases alpha wave activity.

As you edge closer to sleep, alpha waves begin to disappear.

Deep Sleep: The World of Delta Waves

As you drift further into the depths of sleep, your brain transitions to delta waves, reminiscent of slow, rolling surf waves. This stage, known as "slow-wave sleep" (SWS), is marked by:

-Slow, measured, and synchronized neural activity

-A clear visual signature in EEG readings

Delta waves signify a deep, restorative sleep, crucial for physical and mental recovery.

Dreaming: The Theater of Theta Waves

Once you're soundly asleep, your brain switches things up, guiding you through a spectrum of imaginative, and sometimes bizarre, dreamscapes. Theta waves dominate this stage of sleep, especially during dreaming.

Theta waves are also present in lighter stages of sleep.

The amount of theta waves can influence how well you remember your dreams or nightmares.

Harnessing the Power of Sleep

Understanding the intricate dance of brainwaves during sleep can empower professionals to optimize their rest and, by extension, their waking productivity. By recognizing the stages of sleep and the brainwaves involved, you can take proactive steps to improve your sleep hygiene and overall well-being.

About Campus Motion Health Lab

Sleep 101: Understanding Stages & Cycles

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 05:19:55 GMT

In a world driven by deadlines and digital devices, sleep often takes a backseat for many professionals. Yet, understanding the intricate dance of sleep stages and cycles can be a game-changer for enhancing productivity and emotional well-being.

The Enigma of Sleep Stages

The journey into the world of slumber begins with Non-REM (NREM) sleep, which is divided into distinct stages:

N1: The Gateway to Sleep

This stage is an extremely light sleep, lasting just 1 to 7 minutes. It’s the kind of sleep where if someone wakes you, you might insist, "Hey, I was watching that!"

The transition into sleep is a gradual dimming of consciousness, much like a building superintendent turning off multiple switches.

N2: The Steadfast Guardian

Lasting about 10 to 25 minutes, N2 is marked by relaxation and memory consolidation. During this stage, your heart rate slows, and body temperature drops.

N3: The Deep Restorer

Known as slow-wave sleep (SWS), N3 is where your body undergoes profound restoration. Muscle tone decreases, and

tissue growth and repair occur, making it the most restful part of sleep.

REM Sleep: The Dream Weaver

This stage is characterized by vivid dreams and the iconic rapid eye movements. REM sleep accounts for 20% to 25% of total sleep and is crucial for emotional processing and memory consolidation.

The Rhythms of the Sleep Cycle

A typical sleep cycle is a fascinating interplay of stages, beginning with N1 and progressing through N2 and N3, before culminating in REM sleep. Each cycle lasts between 70 to 120 minutes, repeating several times a night.

Early Night Cycles : Dominated by N3 deep sleep, essential for physical recovery.

Later Cycles: Marked by longer periods of REM sleep, vital for emotional and mental rejuvenation.

A balanced sleep cycle is essential for waking up refreshed and ready to tackle the challenges of the day. Deep sleep rejuvenates the body, while REM sleep sharpens the mind.

By recognizing the importance of each sleep stage and cycle, professionals can harness the power of sleep to elevate both their personal and professional lives.

About Campus Motion Health Lab

PEMF Therapy Benefits and Influence on Health Explained

Sat, 24 Aug 2024 01:46:38 GMT

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy has gained significant attention in recent years as a holistic approach to health and wellness. This innovative therapy utilizes electromagnetic fields to promote healing, reduce pain, and enhance overall well-being. In this blog post, we will explore what PEMF therapy is, how it works, its benefits, and the conditions it may help treat.

Understanding PEMF Therapy

PEMF therapy involves the use of low-frequency electromagnetic waves that are pulsed at specific intervals. These waves penetrate the body’s tissues and cells, stimulating biological processes that can lead to improved health outcomes. The therapy is non-invasive and painless, making it an appealing option for those seeking alternative treatments.

The concept of using electromagnetic fields for healing dates back to the early 20th century. However, advancements in technology have made PEMF therapy more accessible and effective than ever before. Today, devices ranging from portable units to large mats are available for both clinical and home use.

How Does PEMF Therapy Work?

At its core, PEMF therapy works by influencing the electrical activity of cells in the body. Every cell has a natural electric charge that can be disrupted by various factors such as stress, injury, or illness. When these charges become imbalanced, cellular function can decline.

PEMF therapy helps restore this balance by delivering pulsed electromagnetic fields that stimulate cellular repair processes. The therapy enhances circulation and oxygenation in tissues while promoting detoxification. Additionally, it encourages the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is essential for energy transfer within cells.

Mechanisms of Action

Cellular Communication : PEMF therapy enhances intercellular communication by facilitating ion exchange across cell membranes.
Inflammation Reduction : The electromagnetic pulses can decrease inflammation by modulating inflammatory cytokines.
Pain Relief : By improving blood flow and reducing inflammation, PEMF therapy can alleviate pain associated with various conditions.
Tissue Repair : The stimulation provided by PEMF encourages tissue regeneration and repair processes.

Benefits of PEMF Therapy

PEMF therapy offers a wide range of potential benefits that make it an attractive option for individuals seeking alternative or complementary treatments:

1 . Pain Management

One of the most well-documented uses of PEMF therapy is pain relief. Studies have shown that it can effectively reduce chronic pain conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, and lower back pain without the side effects often associated with pharmaceutical medications.

2. Enhanced Recovery

Athletes frequently utilize PEMF therapy to speed up recovery after intense workouts or injuries. By promoting better circulation and reducing muscle soreness, athletes can return to their training regimens more quickly.

3. Improved Sleep Quality

Many users report improved sleep quality after undergoing PEMF sessions. The relaxation response triggered by the treatment may help regulate sleep patterns and reduce insomnia symptoms.

4. Stress Reduction

PEMF therapy has been shown to lower stress levels by promoting relaxation and enhancing mood through increased serotonin production.

5. Support for Bone Healing

Research suggests that PEMF may aid in bone healing following fractures or surgeries by stimulating osteoblast activity (bone-forming cells).

Conditions Treated with PEMF Therapy

While research on PEMF therapy is still ongoing, many practitioners have found success using it for various conditions:

Chronic Pain : Conditions like arthritis or neuropathic pain.
Injuries : Sprains, strains, fractures.
Sleep Disorders : Insomnia or restless leg syndrome.
Stress-Related Issues : Anxiety or depression.
Circulatory Problems : Poor blood flow or varicose veins.

Safety Considerations

PEMF therapy is generally considered safe when used appropriately; however, individuals with certain medical devices (like pacemakers) should consult their healthcare provider before starting treatment due to potential interference with electronic devices.

Conclusion

PEMF therapy represents a promising avenue for those seeking relief from various ailments without resorting to invasive procedures or pharmaceuticals. By harnessing the power of pulsed electromagnetic fields to promote healing at a cellular level, this innovative approach offers numerous benefits ranging from pain management to enhanced recovery times.

As research continues to unfold regarding its efficacy across different health conditions, many individuals are turning towards this holistic treatment as part of their wellness journey—making it an exciting area worth exploring further if you’re looking for alternative therapies that align with your health goals.

If you're considering trying out PEMF therapy yourself or want more information about how it could fit into your wellness routine—consulting with a healthcare professional who specializes in integrative medicine could be your next step toward better health!

Boost Your Athlete's Performance with Annual Musculoskeletal Exams

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 23:07:41 GMT

Why annual musculoskeletal exams are crucial for your athletes

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Biohack Your Body Composition

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 05:34:13 GMT

Burning fat, losing weight, and gaining muscle can feel like an overwhelming challenge. Many people have tried various ways to accomplish the above to no avail. Either they can't accomplish it at all or they can but can't maintain it long term.

What if there was a better, smarter, less publicized way to shed those stubborn pounds and inches?

Here are some examples of biohacking services that can boost your metabolism and fat burn:

Resting Metabolic Rate Testing: determine how many calories your body needs to burn fat, lose weight, and gain muscle in a healthy way.

• VO2 Max Testing: measures your oxygen uptake rate and how well your body uses oxygen during exercise. This helps us determine your body’s ideal intensity level for maximum fat burn.

• Nutritional Planning: eating the right nutrients is essential for weight loss success. Create customized nutrition plans based on your unique body composition, lifestyle, metabolism, and goals.

• Cryotherapy : use cold temperatures to improve circulation and boost your metabolism, making it easier for your body to burn fat and reach your body goals quicker.

• Red Light Therapy: a non-invasive treatment that utilizes specific wavelengths of light to stimulate fat cells and increase metabolism leading to quicker weight loss.

About Campus Motion

Campus Motion is a cutting edge biohacking performance lab and wellness center utilizing the latest technological solutions to optimize and enhance the health of corporate and sports populations. We provide physical therapy, metabolic performance testing, MSK Health Screens, nutrition plans, cryotherapy, and red light therapy services to our local community in the Cypress suburb of Houston, TX while providing consultation services to organizations, teams, and schools across the country. Reach out to us if you are interested in improving the overall physical health of your organization or team by using any of these services.

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Biohack Aging & Your Longevity

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 05:26:47 GMT

Have you ever felt like there's more you could do to actively work towards living a longer life?

Here are some examples of biohacking services that can boost your longevity:

• Breath Analysis Testing to determine your current heart, lung, brain, and metabolic function

• Individualized Nutrition Plan for optimum longevity, consuming a diet customized to your biology that is low on inflammatory and processed foods and high in the appropriate macronutrients for you are the way to go.

• VO2 Max Testing : the strongest predictor of how long and well one will live is the VO2 Max score and testing can provide valuable insights into your biological age. Strategies can then be implemented to improve this score and re-tested every 3-6 months

• Cryotherapy is a form of cold therapy that can help reduce inflammation and fight the effects of aging. Cryotherapy can also give you an energy boost which aids in feeling refreshed and younger

• Red Light Therapy can help reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and boost overall health, all of which are essential for achieving maximum longevity. Red Light Therapy has also been shown to reduce wrinkles and stretch marks via its effect on collagen and elastin while also increasing enegy via its effects on mitochondria

About Campus Motion

Biohacking: What It Is, How It Works, and Its Benefits

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 18:41:37 GMT

How does burning more calories and fat at rest than you already are sound? How does gaining more muscle with the same workouts sound? How does decreasing your stress levels and improving your sleep sound? These are all examples of "Biohacking". Read on for more information on hacking your own health to improve it!

What Is Biohacking?

Biohacking involves employing methods from diverse scientific fields to enhance performance, improve overall well-being, and achieve specific health goals. It's about taking control of your biology, altering your environment both inside and outside, and pushing your body to function optimally.

At the heart of biohacking lies the desire to be better, not just “okay.” Early biohacker pioneers began applying principles from computer hacking to their own biology. These pioneers laid the groundwork for the movement, emphasizing the importance of not leaving health to luck, chance, or genetics.

Biohacking encompasses a myriad of strategies, falling into several categories:

Biohacking Strategies :

Lifestyle Biohacking : Focuses on positive health choices and behaviors, incorporating elements like dietary shifts, breathwork, meditation, and exercise.

Molecular Biohacking: Involves using natural and synthetic molecules to shift one's biology, such as the consumption of supplements.
Biologics: Utilizes cellular or biological products, including stem cells or platelet-rich plasma (PRP), to enhance biology and promote regeneration.
Technology Biohacking: Incorporates devices like wearables and diagnostics, using technology to gather data for health adjustments. Technology biohacks also include the use of advanced machines like cryotherapy and red light chambers or pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) stimulators to try and stimulate more rapid physiological changes or healing.

Explore popular areas of biohacking, including:

Popular Categories :

Age Biohacking: Targeting cellular health and regeneration. Age-related biohacking examples include using techniques like red light therapy, stem cell therapy, and cryotherapy.

Energy Biohacking: Focusing on enhancing energy levels. Energy-related biohacking examples include sleep tracking devices, using light therapy, and use of meditation apps for sleep support and stress relief.

Diet and Nutrition Biohacking: Customizing diets for weight loss, metabolic efficiency, and better digestion. Diet and nutrition-related biohacking examples include the use of ketone breath analyzers and metabolism monitoring devices, continuous glucose monitors, and intermittent fasting practices
Physical Health Biohacking: Exercise itself is a biohack along with aiding physical recovery. Physical health-related biohacking examples include cryotherapy, use of heat therapy and saunas, use of smartwatches, vibration therapy, pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy, red ight therapy, and consumption of athletic supplements like creatine, amino acids, electrolytes, and caffeine
Brain Biohacking: Emphasizing the crucial role of the brain in overall health. The goal of brain biohacking is to improve brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a term often discussed in brain biohacking because this specialized protein promotes neurogenesis (the birth of new neurons) and neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to create new neural pathways). Higher levels of BDNF are associated with better overall cognitive function and memory and may offer neuroprotective effects as well. Brain-related biohacking examples include incorporating nootropics, neurofeedback therapy, brainwave entrainment, breathwork, red light therapy, and meditation.

About Campus Motion

Campus Motion is a cutting edge biohacking performance lab and wellness center utilizing the latest technological solutions to optimize and enhance the health of corporate and sports populations. We provide physical therapy, metabolic performance testing, MSK Health Screens, nutrition plans, cryotherapy, and red light therapy services to our local community in the Cypress suburb of Houston, TX while providing consultation services to organizations, teams, and schools across the country. Reach out to us if you are interested in improving your overall physical health by using any of these services.

Corrective Exercise Myths and FAQs: Unveiling the Importance of Corrective Exercise on Injury Prevention & Athletic Performance

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 05:33:26 GMT

Think corrective exercise is just for the injured? Think again!

Introduction

Corrective exercise is a technique that leverages an understanding of anatomy, biomechanics, and functional movement patterns to rectify and enhance human movement. It has gained significant attention in recent years due to its effectiveness in injury prevention and enhancing athletic performance. However, as with any emerging field, there are several myths surrounding corrective exercise. This article aims to debunk these myths and answer some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the importance of corrective exercise on injury prevention & athletic performance.

Myth 1: Corrective Exercise is Only for Injured Individuals

One common misconception is that corrective exercises are only beneficial for those recovering from injuries. While they indeed play a crucial role in rehabilitation, their benefits extend far beyond this realm.

Corrective exercises are designed to improve overall body alignment, enhance muscle balance, and promote efficient movement patterns. These aspects are vital not only for individuals recovering from injuries but also for healthy individuals who wish to prevent future injuries and improve their athletic performance.

Myth 2: Corrective Exercises are Not Suitable for Athletes

Another myth is that corrective exercises are not suitable or necessary for athletes since they're already physically fit. This couldn't be further from the truth. Even elite athletes can have muscular imbalances or inefficient movement patterns that may lead to decreased performance or increased risk of injury.

Incorporating corrective exercises into an athlete's training regimen can help identify and correct these issues before they become problematic. Thus, emphasizing the importance of corrective exercise on injury prevention & athletic performance.

Myth 3: All Corrective Exercises are the Same

The belief that all corrective exercises are the same is another widespread myth. The truth is that these exercises should be individualized based on a person's unique needs, goals, fitness level, and medical history.

A well-designed corrective exercise program considers these factors and includes exercises that target specific areas of weakness or imbalance. This personalized approach ensures maximum effectiveness and safety.

FAQs About Corrective Exercise

1. What is the Role of Corrective Exercise in Injury Prevention?

Corrective exercise plays a pivotal role in injury prevention by addressing muscular imbalances, improving postural alignment, and enhancing movement efficiency. By doing so, it reduces the strain on joints and muscles during physical activities, thereby decreasing the risk of injuries.

2. How Does Corrective Exercise Enhance Athletic Performance?

Corrective exercise can significantly enhance athletic performance by improving movement efficiency. Efficient movement allows athletes to use less energy for the same movements, leading to improved endurance and performance.

Moreover, by correcting muscular imbalances and optimizing body alignment, corrective exercise can also enhance power output and agility, further boosting athletic performance.

3. How Often Should I Do Corrective Exercises?

The frequency of corrective exercises depends on individual needs and goals. However, as a general rule of thumb, incorporating them into your regular workout routine 2-3 times a week can yield significant benefits.

4. Can I Do Corrective Exercises at Home?

Yes! Many corrective exercises require minimal equipment and can be easily done at home. However, it's crucial to learn the proper form from a qualified professional to ensure effectiveness and prevent injuries.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the importance of corrective exercise on injury prevention & athletic performance cannot be overstated. These exercises are not just for those recovering from injuries but are also invaluable tools for healthy individuals and athletes who wish to enhance their physical capabilities and safeguard against future injuries.

Remember that every individual is unique; therefore, what works for one person may not work for another. Always seek advice from a health & wellness professional when starting a new exercise regimen or making significant changes to your current one. They can help design a personalized program that aligns with your specific needs and goals while ensuring safety and effectiveness.

Contact us today and let us help you get started with corrective exercise. Our experts can give you the necessary advice and prescribe a course of action that will make a difference.

The Effect of Cryotherapy for Recovery and Other Parameters of Human Health

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 20:25:02 GMT

The Effects of Cryotherapy on Recovery and Human Health Parameters

Are you in search of alternative options to assist with your health and wellness journey? Have you considered cryotherapy as an safe effective option for overall wellness? Read on to see why.

What is Cryotherapy?

Post-exercise cooling is a widely accepted recovery modality. It is believed to improve subjective (e.g., ratings of muscle soreness) and objective (e.g., measurements of muscle swelling, maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), and functional performance) recovery characteristics. This process, widely known as cryotherapy, is a therapeutic technique that involves exposing the body to extremely low temperatures for a short period of time. It is commonly employed in the field of sports, medicine, and physiotherapy and can be done in a variety of ways, including whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) and local cryotherapy

WBC involves exposing the entire body to very low temperatures, usually around -110℃ to -140℃ between two to three minutes. During this process, the subject enters a special chamber cooled by liquid nitrogen or refrigerated cold air. Finally, local cryotherapy can be done with a device that uses carbon dioxide and targets the same -110℃ to -140℃ temps useful to directly improve symptoms from sprains, strains, inflammation, and tendinitis in various areas of the body.

How Can Cryotherapy Help Me?

Cryotherapy is widely used to relieve symptoms of various diseases, including inflammation, pain, muscle spasms, swelling, injuries, and overuse symptoms. The idea behind cryotherapy is that cold temperatures work by triggering a physiological response in the body. Specifically, it is believed to activate the body’s natural healing mechanisms and stimulate circulation, resulting in the health benefits mentioned above. Apart from its recovery-related benefits, there is also evidence that it may boost the immune system, increase energy levels and strength, and even help with weight loss.

The benefits of cryotherapy are due to a combination of physiological mechanisms that occur in response to exposure to cold temperatures. One of the main mechanisms proposed for cryotherapy is vasoconstriction. Exposure to cold temperatures causes the blood vessels in the body to constrict, reducing blood flow to the affected area. This response can help to reduce inflammation and swelling and may relieve pain. After the initial vasoconstriction, the body responds to the cold by increasing blood flow to the affected area, a process known as vasodilation. As a result, increased oxygen and nutrients help accelerate healing and recovery. Another proposed mechanism of cryotherapy is the endorphins and collagen augmented release occurring during exposure to cold temperatures. Endorphins are bodily hormones that act as natural painkillers, reducing pain and improving mood, while collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, which works by promoting tissue repair and regeneration.

Exposure to cold temperatures is also thought to activate two other critical body systems that may be implicated in the benefits of cryotherapy, the immune system, and the mitochondria. Specifically, cryotherapy may stimulate the production of white blood cells, including neutrophils, lymphocytes, and natural killer (NK) cells which play a crucial role in the immune system's response to inflammation. It may also further help modulate the body’s inflammatory response, reducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines while increasing the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Regarding mitochondrial function, some studies have shown that cryotherapy can activate and even maybe increase the amount of brown fat adipose tissue, a type of adipose tissue very rich in mitochondria. Due to its high content in mitochondria, brown fat is highly metabolically active and is involved in the regulation of energy expenditure, making it a potential target for weight loss. However, the relationship between brown fat and cryotherapy is still an active area of research with equivocal evidence. Therefore, cryotherapy should not be used as a standalone treatment for weight loss, and applying an adequate calorie deficit through a combination of diet and exercise should always be the priority.

Each of the proposed mechanisms above can lead to several benefits that cryotherapy may offer an individual who opts to undertake one of its modalities. The most solid benefits of cryotherapy are recovery-related. Specifically, it may help better cope with fatigue and delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), relieve pain, and improve recovery after exercise by reducing inflammation, increasing circulation, and promoting healing and repair. Through the attenuation of the inflammatory process, cryotherapy can also be beneficial for various chronic inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Moreover, the release of endorphins during cryotherapy can help better combat stress, thus increasing mood and energy levels during the day. The possible effect of cryotherapy on brown adipose tissue and mitochondria function can improve cellular health and increase cellular energy production, thus enhancing fat-burning efficiency and boosting metabolism. Lastly, cryotherapy may have a positive impact on athletic performance, including muscle endurance as well as explosive strength. However, research on the specific effects of cryotherapy on athletic performance is mainly related to its potential for accelerated recovery, while its effect on particular aspects of performance has yet to be distinctly established.

Summary

To sum up, cryotherapy involves exposing the body to extremely cold temperatures for a short period of time. The benefits of cryotherapy are due to a combination of physiological responses, including vasoconstriction, decreased vasodilation, increased endorphins and collagen production, increased circulation, reduced inflammation, increased mitochondrial activity, enhanced tissue repair, and improved immune function. These mechanisms work together to reduce pain and inflammation, promote healing and recovery.

Contact us today if you are interested in trying cryotherapy for stress reduction or to accelerate your recovery and improve your performance.

Understanding Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) for Nutrition & Weight Loss

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 03:28:38 GMT

Are you looking for an extra edge in your nutrition or weight loss journey? What could you accomplish if you had knowledge of how and when your body utilizes your fuel sources and how you can increase your metabolism? Read on to see how a Resting Metabolic Rate Test can help you get the data necessary to take your fitness to a new level!

Resting Metabolic Rate in Cypress, TX

When it comes to weight loss and nutrition, many factors come into play. One of these is your resting metabolic rate (RMR). But what exactly is RMR? It plays a pivotal role in determining how quickly and effectively you can shed those extra pounds.And why does it matter when you're trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy diet? In this post, we'll delve into the importance of resting metabolic rate on nutrition and weight loss.

Understanding Metabolic Rate

Your metabolic rate refers to the number of calories your body needs to perform basic functions like breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells. This is also known as your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). When at rest, the calories burned are referred to as your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR).

Your RMR accounts for about 60-75% of the total calories you burn each day. Therefore, understanding your RMR can provide valuable insights into how many calories you should consume and burn for effective weight loss. The remaining percentage comes from physical activity (exercise or non-exercise movement) and the thermic effect of food (the energy required to digest and process food). Understanding your RMR can provide valuable insights into how many calories you should consume and burn for effective weight loss.

The Role of Resting Metabolic Rate on Nutrition & Weight Loss

The relationship between your RMR and weight loss is simple: the higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you burn at rest, leading to more significant weight loss. Conversely, a lower metabolic rate means fewer calories burned at rest, making it harder to lose weight.

This explains why some people can eat a lot without gaining weight while others struggle with shedding pounds despite strict diets. It all comes down to their individual metabolic rates.

Understanding your resting metabolic rate can be a game changer when it comes to nutrition. Knowing how many calories your body needs just for basic functions can help you plan your diet more effectively.

If you consume fewer calories than your RMR requires, you may not provide enough fuel for these essential bodily functions. This could lead to fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, weakened immune system, and other health problems over time.

Factors Influencing Resting Metabolic Rate

Several factors can affect your RMR. These include age (RMR decreases with age), gender (men generally have higher RMR due to more muscle mass), genetics, body size and composition (more muscle mass increases RMR), temperature (cold weather can increase RMR as body works harder to maintain normal temperature), and nutritional status.

Consuming protein-rich foods can increase your metabolism because they require more energy for digestion compared to fats or carbohydrates. Similarly, certain types of fats like Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) found in coconut oil are known to boost metabolism.

Since losing weight typically involves creating a calorie deficit - that is consuming fewer calories than you burn - knowing your RMR helps determine how many calories you should be eating each day.

For example if your RMR is 1500 calories per day and through physical activity you burn an additional 500 calories per day then eating around 1800-2000 calories per day would create a moderate calorie deficit leading to gradual healthy weight loss without starving yourself or risking nutrient deficiencies.

Boosting Your Metabolic Rate for Weight Loss

While genetics play a significant role in determining our metabolic rate, there are ways we can boost it naturally:

1) Regular Exercise: Physical activity increases muscle mass which burns more calories than fat even when at rest.
2) Adequate Sleep: Lack of sleep disrupts hormones that regulate metabolism leading to slower metabolic rates.
3) Hydration: Drinking water boosts metabolism temporarily as our bodies use energy (calories) to heat the water up to body temperature.
4) Eating Regularly: Smaller meals spaced throughout the day keep our metabolism active as opposed to large meals which may slow it down.

Conclusion

The importance of resting metabolic rate on nutrition & weight loss cannot be understated. Understanding and optimizing it provides an effective strategy towards achieving sustainable weight loss goals while maintaining overall health.

Remember that every individual's body responds differently; what works for one person might not work for another, By knowing our bodies' caloric needs we are better equipped to make informed dietary decisions that support our health goals without compromising our wellbeing.

The ACL Tear: Risk Factors, Prevention, and Recovery

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 09:29:48 GMT

Suffering an ACL tear can be devastating as you'll be unable to compete from a period of months to a year or more. Let's examine risk factors and strategies to prevent a torn ACL as well as what recovery looks like post ACL injury.

Did you know there are between 100,000 to 200,000 ACL injuries in the US every year?

Whether you've already been diagnosed with an ACL tear, or you're waiting to see a doctor, the process can be excruciating. ACL injuries can wreak havoc on your knee, and you'll need to make sure you get the treatment you need and give yourself time to heal.

In the meantime, it's important to learn about ACL injuries so you know what to expect. Keep reading to learn all about ACL tears, including the causes and treatments that can help you get back to your life!

ACL Injury Prevention :

To better understand ACL treatments, it's important to learn about how the ACL functions and the types of ACL injuries that can occur. The two ligaments inside your knee that crisscross each other are referred to as the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). These ligaments provide support to your knee joint and hold your bones together.

When you have an ACL injury , you have either a tear or sprain to the ACL ligament. ACL knee injuries are classified into different grades depending on the severity of the injury which includes:

Grade 1

Grade 1 ACL injuries occur when your ACL is mildly stretched or sprained but is still able to adequately support your knee joint.

Grade 2

Grade 2 ACL injuries are more severe and happen when your ACL stretches so much it is partially torn. You'll notice less stability in your knee joint when you have a grade 2 injury.

Grade 3

A grade 3 tear is the most severe type of ACL injury you can have. At this level, your ACL will be torn completely in half and is no longer able to provide any stability to your knee joint.

ACL Tear Causes

A torn ACL typically happens during sports activities where you have to put repetitive stress on your knees by moving them in a specific way.

This includes:

Slowing down suddenly and changing direction
Pivoting while keeping your foot planted
Landing in an awkward way from a jump
Stopping or starting a movement suddenly
Getting a direct blow to the knee or having a collision with another person

ACL Tear Risk Factors

There are certain risk factors that put you at an increased risk for an ACL injury. Some factors are biological, considered to be non-modifiable and some are modifiable.

Non-Modifiable Risk Factors

if you're female, hormonal influences and having a wider hip structure puts you at greater risk than males.
People that participate in certain sports such as soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, and downhill skiing put themselves in a higher risk category for an ACL injury.

Modifiable Risk Factors

Poor jumping and landing mechanics for sports that involve repetitive jumping; this can be determined via video analysis.
If you're in poor physical condition, you're more likely to have trouble with certain movements and the risk for any injury is higher, including ACL injury
If you have certain weaknesses at your hip and core, it causes a lack of stability in your leg and increases the risk of an ACL tear; this can be determined via video analysis
Increased fatigue during sport increases your risk for an ACL tear
Finally, if you wear footwear that doesn't fit properly or use poorly maintained sports equipment like skis with dull edges, you're more likely to fall and injure your knee.

ACL Tear Symptoms

You're likely to initially experience a sensation of sharp pain when the injury first occurs. Other symptoms you'll start to have include:

Knee swelling within the first 24 hours
Deep aching pain that worsens with walking
Your knee feels unstable like it could give out
Difficulty straightening your knee normally
Bruising and tenderness
Your knee feels warm to the touch

These symptoms will usually worsen within 1 to 2 days after your initial injury. If you have an ACL tear, you may not be able to stand normally and have to limp to get around.

ACL Diagnosis

You'll need to see your doctor so they can assess your injuries. To begin, your doctor will perform a physical exam on your knee to check for pain, swelling, and tenderness. They'll also move your knee in different positions to check joint function and overall range of motion.

Next, you'll have imaging tests ordered to determine how severe your torn ACL is, and to look for other injuries. An x-ray may be ordered to rule out any fractures or bone injuries.

You'll also need an MRI to check the extent of your ACL injury as well as look for damage to your knee cartilage or other tendons and ligaments.

ACL Treatment

Treatment for ACL injuries requires a multi-step approach that starts at home. You'll first need to follow the R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) treatment at home by:

Resting your knee and limit your activity
Icing your knee at least every 20 minutes every two hours
Wrapping an elastic compression bandage around your knee to reduce swelling
Elevating your knee by propping it up with pillows

Physical Therapy

For ACL injuries not undergoing surgery, you'll need to start physical therapy or a sports recovery program to build strength back up in your knee. Physical therapy treatments after an ACL injury typically start within 1 to 2 weeks after your injury.

Your physical therapist will teach you exercises that you can also continue at home. You'll work on exercises that increase your range of motion and build up to resuming your normal activities.

ACL Surgery

You may need an ACL reconstruction if your ACL injury is severe and causes your knee to be unstable during your daily activities. If you're an athlete and want to continue participating in sports, your doctor will likely recommend ACL surgery.

ACL reconstruction involves your surgeon removing the damaged ligament and replacing it with a piece of tendon. Usually, this tendon comes from another part of your knee.

You'll also need to do a course of physical therapy after your surgery, which usually begins a week after your surgery is done.

ACL Injury Prevention is Key!

It's no easy task recovering from an ACL tear, and you'll have to recover one day at a time over a period of months. The best course of action is to prevent an ACL injury from happening by addressing as many of the modifiable risk factors as possible.

With that being said, why not turn to Campus Motion for your ACL Prevention needs?

We make it our mission to deliver holistic physical health and wellness services to help you recover naturally. Contact us today and start your journey towards wellness!

Strategies and Options to Improve Your Student's Athletic Performance

Mon, 29 May 2023 09:34:33 GMT

If you are looking to improve your athletic performance, there are several strategies and options available that can elevate your game.

Professional athletes were among the top five occupations for injuries. A combination of sports competitors and athletes suffer more than 2,000 injuries per 10,000 people. These injuries not only cause pain but also prevent athletes from competing or working out.

Student's Movement Assessment and Athletic Performance

Injured athletes have no other choice than to remove themselves from the sport or activity they're involved in until they've healed completely from their injury. To prevent injury and improve athletic performance, there are a few things you can do. Whether you're a professional athlete or simply want to elevate your training routine and physical health, continue reading below.

Here's everything you need to know about boosting your athletic performance in a safe and healthy way!

Prevent Athletic Injury

Before performing, it's beneficial to have confirmation that your body's ready to perform at its peak in the sport or activity of your choice. You should know what your risk of injury is at in the current moment depending on several factors.

To do this, you can take an athletic performance and injury prevention test with an E report. After conducting proper testing, you'll be given a report that'll answer all of your questions. You can also speak with an expert after receiving your results for more explanation.

Another way to prevent injury when training is to always have a trainer or a workout partner with you. There are various exercises that require a partner to spot you to be done safely. Having a workout partner by your side also provides you with someone to contact help if needed in case of an emergency.

Allow Your Body to Recover

Once you start seeing results and become dedicated to working out on a regular basis, it's sometimes difficult to take a break. You want to push yourself each and every day to reach those goals quicker. However, your body also requires a proper amount of recovery time in order to perform at its best.

Overworking your body isn't the best way to get the results you want. Failing to take breaks can actually hold you back from reaching them. For example, over-exerting yourself can lead to exercise-induced injuries, which will hold you back.

Rest days give your muscles the time they need to recover properly. To ensure your muscles rest, workout different muscle groups each day. Take rest days on the weekends or as needed in between.

It's also beneficial to look into sports recovery services. Sport-related injuries happen. Here's are some of these services.

Whole Body Cryotherapy
Local Cryotherapy
Red Light Therapy
Assisted stretching/manual treatments
Compression Therapy
Mindfulness/Brain Fitness

Keep Track of Your Performance

How can you measure your performance and why is it important to do so? If you're not keeping track of your performance, then you won't have concrete evidence if you're improving or not. There are many apps that help you keep track of your progress.

These apps can give you information about your performance level and offer insights and tips on what you need to work on. Physical health and wellness services effectively use technology and a collaborative team approach to ensure you're meeting your goals, have updates on your progress, and have an expert right at your fingertips to answer any questions you may have.

Don't Dismiss Functional Exercises

Functional exercises help your body focus on the normal movements your body does during the sport or activity you participate in. Don't dismiss functional exercises from your workout routine. You need to include this type of exercise with your isolated exercises.

Placing a focus on functional exercises helps improve your movements and even prevents injuries. What are some functional exercises you can try?

Olympic lifts
deadlifts
goblet squats
split squats

These are just a few examples to get you started. When doing these exercises, you'll engage different muscle groups at the same time.

Create an Effective Routine

To become a successful athlete or find optimal physical health, you need to stay disciplined. You can eat right and exercise for several weeks but without proper discipline and routine effectiveness, it's not uncommon for one to lose motivation. For this reason, create a routine that works well for your preferences and schedule.

You should first consider what your athletic goals are. Write down these goals and research workouts that focus on reaching those specific goals. Not all workouts offer the same type of results.

For example, do you want to build muscle, increase stamina, do both, or do something different? Once you know what your goals are, create a daily schedule. Balance all your activities and manage your time well.

Wake up at the same time each morning and go to bed at the same time each night. Prepare your meals for the day and know what type of workouts you're going to do for each day. Your routine doesn't have to be strict.

Give yourself some flexibility and build your routine around what works best for you, so you can start each day in a great mood!

Get the Proper Amount of Rest

Your body needs quality sleep each night in order to perform at its best each day. If you're not getting enough rest at night, then you may wake up feeling irritable, frustrated, and tired. This isn't how you want to start any day, especially a day full of training.

You should be getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. Start keeping track of your sleeping patterns now to determine where you fall on this scale. To ensure you get enough sleep, it's beneficial to create your own sleep schedule as well.

You want to select a time to go to sleep each night. This time doesn't need to be anything specific. It simply needs to work for you and your schedule.

Before getting into bed, there are a few things you can do to prepare your mind and body for rest. Some examples are as follows:

take a warm bath in dimmed lights
turn off all electronics 30 mins before bedtime
listen to relaxing music
Meditate or BrainTap
refrain from consuming caffeine late in the day

Once you build a healthy sleep schedule, you'll notice you feel more alert and ready to start your day each morning.

Consume the Right Foods

Your body needs the right foods in order to perform the way you want it to. You can't put low-quality foods into your body and expect to see quality results. However, there's not one type of food that's right for every athlete.

The right foods for you depend on the type of training you're participating in. If you want to build muscle, then you need to consume enough protein and calories. Boxers, weightlifters, and wrestlers should consume high-protein foods to help build those muscles.

A high-calorie diet is essential for those who participate in marathons, cycling, and swimming. The number of calories, protein, and carbohydrates you take in each day will also depend on the type of workouts you're doing that day. The best way to determine the right diet for you is to speak with a nutritionist.

Your nutritionist will create a meal preparation plan that aligns with your athletic goals.

Use Complex Carbs For Fuel

How do you currently provide your body with fuel? Simple sugars can boost your energy levels but come with disadvantages. You'll experience a temporary sugar high that ends in a sugar crash.

This is not the ideal way to fuel your body for the day, especially when participating in regular exercise. Instead, use complex carbs for fuel. Your body will only consume a certain amount of simple sugars for fuel.

Your body can absorb more complex carbohydrates than simple sugars. This leaves you with reliable energy without the crash, which is ideal for quality training. Here are some examples of complex carbs for fuel.

nuts
vegetables
brown rice
oats
wild rice
barley

These are several examples of complex carbohydrates you can consume to give you the energy you need to get through your workout and day!

Take Necessary Supplements

Even with a proper diet, it's still ideal to include necessary supplements into your daily routine. Supplements are full of vitamins, macronutrients, and minerals your body needs. For example, whey protein is ideal for pre and post-workout intake.

Taking whey protein as a pre or post-workout can help you build muscles faster and recover from your workout with ease. You can also find supplements to prevent muscle catabolism, improve metabolic rate, or boost mental awareness and energy levels. Keep in mind that taking supplements works best only when you take them with a proper diet.

Refer back to your list of goals and determine what type of supplements would work best for you.

Switch Up Your Workouts

For beginners, finding one workout routine that works well for you is something you might work on for several weeks. You're focusing on getting your form down right and going up in weights when appropriate to do so. As you begin to improve and become a professional at those specific workouts, it's not uncommon to start feeling bored with your routine.

Don't hesitate to switch up your workouts. Varying your workouts not only helps keep you interested and engaged, but it's also essential to becoming a well-rounded athlete. Don't focus only on cardio or weightlifting.

Instead, incorporate all types of workouts with a slight focus on the workouts that will help you reach your goals the fastest. You also don't want to do the same type of cardio or weightlifting workouts each time. There are so many types of workouts for each muscle group, cardio, and more!

Switch things up from time to time to try new workouts you might end up enjoying more. A good tip is to switch up your workouts every three weeks. For example, if you've been placing more focus on running on the track, then consider trying an exercise bike to keep things interesting and ensure you're targeting different parts of the body.

Focus on Proper Hydration

In order to perform at your best, you need to stay hydrated. During exercise, your body will sweat. When you sweat, you lose water from your body.

This makes you more susceptible to dehydration. When working out, you need to drink more fluids. Failing to stay hydrated can lead to some serious health issues and cause fatigue.

To prevent dehydration from happening, make sure you drink enough water from the start of your day to the finish (not only when you're working out). Know how much water you need a day and use a jug with measurements on it to help you keep track of your water intake.

Contact us today to register for our precision performance and recovery services to see how we can help you!

Cryotherapy For Stress Managment: An Overview

Fri, 26 May 2023 09:18:07 GMT

Cryotherapy for Stress Management and Reduction for Campus Motion

Are you looking for alternative methods to manage stress? Cryotherapy can help. Read on to find out how cryotherapy can help you reduce your stress levels.

The modern world is full of stressors, from work and family life to financial concerns and more. It can be difficult to find ways to effectively manage stress, but one increasingly popular option is cryotherapy. But does cryotherapy really reduce stress? Let’s take a look at the evidence.

What is Cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy is a form of therapy that involves exposing the body to extremely cold temperatures for a short period of time. This can be done through a variety of methods, including whole-body cryotherapy chambers, localized cryotherapy treatments, and even cold showers or ice baths. The goal of cryotherapy is to reduce inflammation and pain in the body while also providing mental and emotional benefits such as improved mood, increased energy levels, and reduced stress.

How Does Cryotherapy Reduce Stress?

When exposed to cold temperatures, the body responds by releasing endorphins which are hormones that act as natural painkillers and mood enhancers. Endorphins can help reduce stress levels by improving mood and reducing physical pain. Additionally, exposure to cold temperatures can help increase circulation throughout the body which can improve overall energy levels and reduce fatigue which are common symptoms of stress.

What Does the Research Say?

Research into the effects of cryotherapy on stress levels has been limited but promising so far. One study found that participants who underwent whole-body cryotherapy reported feeling less stressed after their session compared to those who did not receive any treatment at all. Additionally, another study found that participants who received localized cryotherapy treatments experienced reduced anxiety levels after their sessions compared to those who did not receive any treatment at all. While more research is needed in this area, these studies suggest that cryotherapy may indeed be an effective way to reduce stress levels in some individuals.

Conclusion
Overall, there is some evidence that suggests that cryotherapy may be an effective way to reduce stress in some individuals. While more research is needed in this area before any definitive conclusions can be made, it appears that exposing the body to cold temperatures may indeed have beneficial effects on both physical and mental health including reducing stress levels. If you are looking for ways to manage your own stress levels then it may be worth considering trying out a session of cryotherapy as part of your overall wellness routine.

Contact us today if you are interested in trying cryotherapy for stress reduction or to accelerate your recovery and improve your performance.

Assisted Stretch Therapy: What it is & Benefits Explained

Sun, 21 May 2023 22:59:30 GMT

Are you constantly feeling stiff or not as flexible as you'd like to be? Read on to learn about assisted stretch therapy and how it can help.

What is Assisted Stretch Therapy?

Assisted stretch therapy is a type of recovery service that involves the use of a therapist to help you stretch your muscles. It can be used to improve flexibility, reduce soreness and improve range of motion. Assisted stretch therapy can be used to assist with a variety of conditions, including back stiffness, neck stiffness, shoulder stiffness, and more. It is also used as part of an overall fitness program to help improve overall recovery.

Benefits of Assisted Stretch Therapy

Assisted stretch therapy has many benefits for both athletes and non-athletes alike. It can help improve flexibility and range of motion in the joints and muscles, reduce soreness associated with acute or chronic conditions, improve posture, and even reduce stress levels. Additionally, assisted stretch therapy can help performance via the body's ability to move through its full range of motion without strain or discomfort. This can be especially beneficial for athletes who need to perform at their best in order to stay competitive.

How Does Assisted Stretch Therapy Work?

Assisted stretching works by using a therapist or other trained professional to guide you through stretches that target specific areas of the body. The therapist will use their hands and other tools such as foam rollers or massage guns to apply pressure and provide assistance as you move through each stretch. This helps ensure that you are performing the stretches correctly and safely while also providing additional support if needed.

Types of Assisted Stretch Therapy

There are several different types of assisted stretching that can be used depending on your individual needs. Static stretching involves holding a stretch for an extended period of time in order to increase flexibility in the muscles being stretched. Dynamic stretching involves actively moving through a range of motion while maintaining control over each movement in order to increase mobility and strength in the joints being stretched. Myofascial release is another type of assisted stretching that uses gentle pressure on specific points along the body’s myofascial tissue (connective tissue) in order to release tension and restore balance within the body’s systems.

No matter what type of assisted stretching you choose, it is important that you work with a qualified professional who is experienced in this type of therapy so that you get the most out of your sessions and experience all the benefits it has to offer!

Ankle Sprain Treatment: Effective Physical Therapy Management

Sun, 21 May 2023 21:10:09 GMT

Have you suffered a recent ankle sprain? Read on for tips and treatment options to accelerate your recovery!

What are Ankle Sprains and Ankle Sprain Physical Therapy Treatment?

Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries, and can be caused by a variety of activities. Whether you’re playing sports, walking on uneven terrain, or simply tripping over your own feet, an ankle sprain can happen to anyone. While the healing process can take some time, understanding the factors that influence recovery time is key to getting back on your feet as soon as possible.

Understanding the Injury

The severity of an ankle sprain is determined by the degree of damage done to the ligaments that support your ankle joint. A mild sprain may cause some discomfort and swelling but will heal relatively quickly with rest and proper care. A more severe sprain may require medical attention and physical therapy in order to recover fully.

Factors that Affect Healing Time

There are several factors that can influence how long it takes for an ankle sprain to heal. The severity of the injury is one of the most important factors, as more severe sprains will take longer to heal than mild ones. Other factors include age, activity level, overall health, and how well you follow your doctor’s instructions for treatment and rehabilitation.

Treatment Options

What to Do To For The First 24 Hours to Help Heal a Sprained Ankle

Sprained ankles are one of the most common injuries that can occur. They can be painful and limit your mobility, making it difficult to perform everyday activities. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to help heal a sprained ankle in the first 24 hours. Read on to learn more about how to heal a sprained ankle quickly and effectively.

Rest and Ice

The first step in healing a sprained ankle is rest and ice. Resting your ankle will help reduce swelling and pain, while icing the area will help reduce inflammation. Localized cryotherapy to the injured ankle shows accelerated healing effects when applied in the aftermath of an acute sprain.

Compression and Elevation

Compression and elevation are also important for healing a sprained ankle quickly. Compressing the area with an elastic bandage or wrap will help reduce swelling and provide support for the injured joint. It’s important to make sure that the bandage isn’t too tight, as this can cause further damage or discomfort. Elevating your foot above your heart level will also help reduce swelling by allowing gravity to pull excess fluid away from the area.Application of compression therapy boots play an important role in reducing swelling and inflammation at this stage.

Medication

Medication can be used to manage pain and swelling associated with a sprained ankle. Over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen can be taken according to package directions for relief of pain and inflammation associated with a sprained ankle. If these medications do not provide adequate relief, you may need to consult with your doctor about prescription-strength medications or rehabilitation with a sports medicine professional.

Rehabilitation Exercises

Once the swelling has gone down and you’re able to put weight on your foot again without pain, you should begin doing rehabilitation exercises designed specifically for ankle sprains. These exercises will help strengthen the muscles around your ankle joint in order to prevent future injuries from occurring. Your physical therapist will be able to design an individualized program tailored to your needs in order for you to make a full recovery from your injury.

Conclusion

Ankle sprains can range from mild discomfort all the way up to severe injuries requiring medical attention and physical therapy in order for them to heal properly. Understanding how long it takes for an ankle sprain to heal depends on several factors including severity of injury, age, activity level, overall health, treatment options used, and rehabilitation exercises performed regularly during recovery time. With proper care and following instructions from medical professionals closely during recovery time, you should be able make a full recovery from an ankle sprain in no time!

Contact us today if you have suffered a recent ankle sprain and are looking to accelerate your recovery and improve your performance.

5 Tips For Treating Shin Splints

Sat, 20 May 2023 17:32:52 GMT

5 Tips On How To Fix Shin Splints Fast

If you're a runner, athlete, or just someone who enjoys walking or jogging, you might have experienced the painful and frustrating condition known as shin splints. Shin splints are typically caused by overuse or repetitive stress on the shinbone, and can be aggravated by flat feet, worn-out shoes, or poor running mechanics. While rest and time are usually the best remedies for shin splints, there are some things you can do to speed up the healing process and get back to your activities faster. In this blog post, we'll share some effective ways to treat shin splints, so you can get back on track as soon as possible.

1. R.I.C.E. Method

One of the most effective ways to treat shin splints is to use the R.I.C.E. method. R.I.C.E. stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation, and is a common treatment method for various types of injuries. Rest is essential to allow your body to heal and recover from the injury. Ice helps reduce inflammation and pain by constricting blood vessels in the affected area. Compression helps reduce swelling and pain by applying pressure to the injured area. Elevation helps reduce swelling by promoting the flow of blood and fluids away from the injured area.

To apply the R.I.C.E. method to your shin splints, start by resting and avoiding any activities that exacerbate your pain. Apply ice to the affected area for 15-20 minutes at a time, several times a day. Use a compression wrap or sleeve to provide gentle pressure to the area, and elevate your leg above heart level whenever possible.

2. Stretching and Strengthening Exercises

Stretching and strengthening exercises can also help you treat shin splints. Tight calf muscles, weak ankle muscles, and inflexible hips can all contribute to the development of shin splints. By addressing these issues through targeted exercises, you can alleviate pain and promote healing.

Some exercises to try include calf stretches, toe raises, ankle dorsiflexion, and hip stretches. Be sure to warm up before doing any exercises and start with low intensity and gradually increase as you progress. A sports physical therapist can help you outline a rehabilitation program.

3. Assess Your Footwear

Worn-out shoes or shoes that don't fit properly can contribute to the development of shin splints. If you're looking to treat shin splints, consider investing in a new pair of shoes that provide adequate support and cushioning for your feet.

4. Use Topical Pain Relief Products

There are many topical pain relief products that can help alleviate pain and discomfort associated with shin splints. Some popular options include pain-relieving gels, creams, and ointments that contain menthol, camphor, or lidocaine.

5. See a Sports Medicine Professional

If your shin splints persist or worsen despite these remedies, it's important to see a sports medicine professional for further evaluation and treatment. They can provide a proper diagnosis and recommend additional treatments such as physical therapy or orthotics.

Conclusion

To sum it up, while shin splints can be a frustrating and painful condition, there are several effective ways to alleviate the symptoms and speed up the healing process. By incorporating the tips outlined in this article, you can give your body the best chance to recover quickly and prevent future shin splints from occurring. Remember to listen to your body and take the necessary time to rest and recover, and with patience and persistence, you can overcome shin splints and get back to the activities you love.

Contact us today if you are struggling with shin splints and are looking to accelerate your recovery and improve your performance.

5 Tips for Creating a Successful Corporate Wellness Program

Fri, 19 May 2023 08:32:42 GMT

Here are 5 tips to get your corporate wellness program up and running.

The workplace is an important environment for promoting health and wellness. With the right corporate wellness program, employers can create a culture of health and well-being that benefits both the company and its employees. Here are 5 tips to help you create a successful corporate wellness program:

Set Clear Goals and Objectives

Before you begin designing your corporate wellness program, it’s important to set clear goals and objectives. Ask yourself what you want to achieve with your program. Do you want to reduce employee stress levels? Increase physical activity? Improve nutrition habits? Once you have identified your goals, you can start creating activities and initiatives that will help you reach them.

2. Develop a Comprehensive Plan

Creating a comprehensive plan is essential for ensuring the success of your corporate wellness program. Your plan should include details about the types of activities and initiatives that will be offered, as well as how they will be implemented. It should also include information about how success will be measured, who will be responsible for managing the program, and how it will be funded.

3. Engage Employees in the Process

Engaging employees in the process of creating your corporate wellness program is key to its success. Ask them what types of activities they would like to see included in the program, or what challenges they face when it comes to their health and wellbeing. This feedback can help inform your plan and ensure that it meets their needs. Additionally, involving employees in the planning process can help build excitement around the program before it even begins!

4. Provide Resources for Employees

Once your corporate wellness program is up and running, it’s important to provide resources for employees so they can take advantage of all that it has to offer. This could include offering educational materials on topics such as nutrition or stress management, providing access to online tools or apps that support healthy behaviors, or organizing group activities like walking clubs or yoga classes. By providing these resources, you can ensure that employees have everything they need to make positive changes in their lives.

5. Encourage Participation

Encouraging participation in your corporate wellness program is essential for its success. Make sure employees know about all of the activities available through the program by sending out regular emails or posting information on bulletin boards throughout the office. You could also consider offering incentives such as gift cards or discounts on gym memberships for those who participate regularly in activities offered through the program. These incentives can help motivate employees to take part in healthy behaviors!

Conclusion

Creating a successful corporate wellness program takes time and effort but is worth it in the long run! By setting clear goals and objectives, developing a comprehensive plan, engaging employees in the process, providing resources for them to use, and encouraging participation through incentives, you can create an effective workplace culture of health and wellbeing that benefits both employers and employees alike!

Click here to learn more or Contact us if you are interested in more information regarding corporate wellness programs. We can't wait to hear from you!

5 Factors to Consider For a Career in Sports Medicine

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 18:57:33 GMT

Interested in Sports Medicine? Here are 5 factors to consider

Are you interested in a potential career in sports medicine, but you're not sure if studying sports medicine is the right decision for you? Every day, we make decisions that can affect the rest of our lives.

It's important to weigh all your options and make an informed decision. But don't worry, we have you covered.

Here are five benefits of studying sports medicine that might help you make up your mind about whether or not studying sports medicine is something you should commit to.

Read on for the five top tips for making this decision and much more besides:

1. Understanding Sports Injuries

A sports injury is any type of injury that happens when you are playing a sport or doing an exercise. It can be a small cut or a broken bone. Injuries can happen all of a sudden, like when you twist your ankle.

Or they can develop over time, like tennis elbow. Most sports injuries are caused by either overuse or trauma. Overuse injuries happen when you put too much stress on one part of your body, like your shoulder or knee.

This type of injury usually happens gradually and is more common in young athletes whose bodies are still growing. Traumatic injuries are caused by a sudden impact or force, like a fall or collision.

They tend to be more severe than overuse injuries and might need surgery to fix the damage.

Regardless of how they occur, all sports injuries share one common goal: treatment that will allow the athlete to return to their sport as soon as possible.

There are four initial steps to take for treatment of acute sports injuries:

Rest:

This is probably the most important treatment for any type of acute injury. Rest gives your body time to heal and prevents further damage from occurring. It is important to remember that rest does not mean complete inactivity.

You should still be able to do other activities that do not put stress on the injured area, such as swimming or biking.

Ice:

Applying ice to an injured area helps to reduce swelling and pain. Apply ice for 20 minutes.

Compression:

Using an ace wrap or compression bandage can also help to reduce swelling by applying pressure to the injured area.

This will give immediate relief in most cases.

Elevation:

Keeping the injured area elevated above your heart helps to reduce swelling by draining excess fluid away from the area.

If you want to learn more about sports medicine, you should consider taking courses that focus on this topic.

With the proper knowledge, you will be able to help athletes recover from their injuries and get back out on the playing field as soon as possible.

2. Injury Prevention

Sports medicine is a field of study that focuses on preventing and treating injuries related to athletics. Students who study sports medicine have the opportunity to learn about a variety of sports medicine strategies.

These strategies can help reduce the risk of injury in athletes, such as proper technique, equipment selection, conditioning, and nutrition.

In addition, students who study sports medicine can also learn about how to best protect against potential injuries by understanding the factors that can lead to injury.

This knowledge can help keep athletes safe and healthy both on and off the playing field.

3. Rehabilitation Techniques

There are different ways to help people recover from injuries. This is called rehabilitation. Some common rehabilitation techniques are therapeutic exercise & manual therapy.

Manual Therapy can help improve blood circulation, reduce swelling, and facilitate muscle activation. Therapeutic exercise can help strengthen muscles and improve mobility/flexibility.

Each of these techniques has its benefits, and sports medicine professionals often use a combination of these techniques to help their patients recover from injuries.

4. Sports Psychology

Relaxation techniques may be used to help an athlete who experiences pre-game jitters, while a cognitive behavioral therapy approach could be used to help an athlete who is struggling with negative thoughts.

To be successful, sports psychologists must have a strong understanding of both psychology and the specific sport they are working with.

By using this knowledge to develop targeted interventions, they can help athletes overcome obstacles and perform at their best.

5. Sports Nutrition

Sports medicine is a field of study that covers a wide range of topics related to athletic performance and health. Students who study sports medicine learn about everything from injury prevention to rehabilitation and exercise science.

While the field of sports medicine is vast, one of the most important aspects of sports medicine is understanding sports nutrition. Sports nutrition is vital for athletes of all levels, from amateur to professional .

By understanding how the food an athlete eats affects their performance, sports medicine professionals can help athletes optimize their diet for peak performance.

Proper nutrition can mean the difference between winning and losing, and it can also help to prevent injuries.

For these reasons, studying sports nutrition is an essential part of becoming a sports medicine professional.

What Are the Career Prospects in Sports Medicine?

Sports medicine is a field that is growing quickly. This means there are many new opportunities to have an exciting career in sports medicine.

The demand for sports medicine professionals is increasing as the sports industry continues to grow.

After studying sports medicine, there are many different paths people can take, such as becoming a physician assistant, physical therapist, sports coach, athletic trainer, sports physician, or dietitian.

People who want to work in a specific area of sports medicine can also get more education or training in that area.

There are lots of possibilities for people who want to help athletes achieve their goals by working in the sports industry. Sports medicine is an exciting field with plenty of potential for growth and career advancement.

Can I Have a Lucrative Career in Sports Medicine?

Yes, sports medicine can be a good career. Depending on the specific role, sports medicine professionals can earn salaries ranging from $30,000 to upwards of $100,000 or more per year.

With the right experience and education in sports-related fields, sports medicine practitioners can also advance into leadership roles and make even higher salaries.

In addition to salaries, many sports-related jobs come with additional perks such as travel opportunities and access to exclusive events.

Sports medicine offers many different types of jobs for people who want to work in sports.

If you have the right knowledge and skills, you can have a successful career in sports medicine that provides both financial and other rewards.

So if you're interested in working in the world of sports, consider pursuing a career in sports medicine you might just find yourself at the top of your field.

How Long Does It Take To Qualify in Sports Medicine?

Sports medicine is a type of medicine that helps people who play sports. Doctors who want to help people with sports injuries need a medical degree and must complete a residency, which takes seven to nine years after college

Physical therapists help people with physical injuries using therapy. They need an education in physical therapy, which is typically three years after college

Athletic trainers help prevent sports injuries and give first aid if someone gets hurt during a game or practice.

They need to pass the Board of Certification exam and get state licensure, which can take around two years depending on the individual's experience.

The amount of time it takes to qualify in sports medicine varies depending on the individual's chosen career path. Some jobs might need more education and training than others.

For example, physicians must complete medical school and a residency before practicing sports medicine. Similarly, physical therapists must obtain an education in physical therapy before entering the field.

Ready to Study Sports Medicine?

If you're looking for a career in healthcare with endless possibilities, sports medicine may be the perfect field for you if you'd like to work with an interdisciplinary team sharing a common goal.

So if youre interested in learning more about what we have to offer or have any questions, dont hesitate to contact us today ! We can't wait to hear from you.

7 Benefits of Corrective Exercise After Injury

sites@tailorbrands.com — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 07:26:39 GMT

After sustaining an injury, undergoing corrective exercise treatment can help with pain management and more. Learn the benefits here.

Recent statistics show that at least 50 million Americans suffer from some sort of chronic pain. Accidents, sports injuries, and simple slips and falls can all be detrimental to your life. Corrective exercise uses anatomy, kinesiology, and a targeted approach to help you recover.

Corrective exercise after an injury has several benefits, including improving posture and circulation. Corrective exercises also help to strengthen muscles and your overall well-being as a patient.

Here's more on the seven benefits of corrective exercise after an injury.

1. Improve Posture

Government data shows that Americans spend more than 43 percent of their workday sitting. Many people are hunched over when they sit, which leads to back, neck, and shoulder problems. Injury susceptibility happens when you sit on the phone or stare at a computer screen.

However, it's not just your back and shoulders. Bad posture also affects your hip flexors and glues. Your hamstrings may also become tight.

Corrective exercises for your back will improve your poor posture. Injury exercises include pulling your shoulders back. You should also adjust your chair height and your armrests.

You can also improve your posture with corrective exercises that include proper stretching. Injury exercises may also include some weightlifting to strengthen your core muscles.

Bad posture can affect your workday. It makes you sluggish and less productive. A focused approach to finding the problem spots will help with injury susceptibility and prevention.

Moreover, bad posture can affect urine flow and heartburn. Taking care of these problems early will give you a better lease on life.

2. Better Circulation

What is corrective exercise when it comes to circulation? Corrective exercise will help improve your circulation and blood flow throughout your body. The better your blood flows, the better you will feel!

Your organs will function better when you have better circulation. It will help your ailments, including breathing and mobility. You can even use a foam roller to help get your blood moving better.

Better circulation also keeps your brain sharp and gives your complexion a great color. Good circulation throughout your body also gets rid of toxins and anything unhealthy.

Corrective exercises, such as stretching, can even help you lose weight.

3. Stronger Muscles

Stronger muscles don't necessarily mean looking like a bodybuilder. However, when your muscles become stronger, there's less likelihood of a sports injury. The longer you work your muscles, the stronger they become.

Back pain will become less frequent.

Stronger leg muscles will help you walk better and give you better balance. You'll be 'quicker on your feet and be able to react to sudden situations.

Do you enjoy 'weekend warrior' activities such as competitive races, cycling, or running? Stronger muscles can help you in all of these capacities.

4. Reduce Pain

With millions of Americans living with chronic pain, it's essential to do all you can to reduce inflammation and pain, whether in your back, knees, arms, or joints. Pain affects your daily life and affects your work and social schedule.

Change won't happen overnight, but you can improve your symptoms with corrective exercise. Finding the exact cause of pain and getting you on the right track will significantly benefit your health. You'll become more active and live a longer life.

Chronic pain also comes with medications, which can cause addiction. Imagine telling the doctor you no longer need pain medication because corrective exercise did the trick!

5. Better Endurance

A longer run , bike ride, hike, or swim are all benefits of corrective exercise. With the proper stretching and movement, you'll finish that half-marathon in a better time or hike a longer portion of your favorite trail.

You also won't become winded or tired as quickly. Imagine being able to finish a race or event and not succumb to exhaustion! And since you won't be as tired, you'll avoid a sports injury.

Better endurance also boosts your metabolism. As you work out more, you'll want to eat quality calories. You'll lose weight and feel better.

Moreover, you'll strengthen your heart. Increased blood flow and circulation make it stronger and keep you going.

6. Improved Self-Confidence, Mood, and Energy

What is corrective exercise as it relates to your self-confidence?

It's simple. When you feel better, you have better self-confidence. Feeling better means you will want to accomplish more throughout the day. You will care about dressing better and having a better appearance.

Self-confidence means you'll put some swagger in your step. People will notice during a staff meeting. You will soon catch the attention of those around you!

Better self-confidence in the workplace means you'll be able to influence people and work better in teams. You will exude leadership qualities and rise to the top faster.

People will also notice your mood. Being snippy or short with people will no longer be a primary attribute. No one likes people with negative energy, and soon, this will pass.

Corrective exercise will also boost your energy levels. You won't think twice about hopping on your exercise bike or heading to the gym.

7. Improve Your Overall Well-Being

Additionally, your overall well-being is better once corrective exercise becomes the main staple in your life. As you get used to daily exercise, it will become part of your routine.

Everything is connected. Your well-being affects your relationships, job situation, and personal life.

Making better choices in diet and exercise will happen naturally. You'll be a happier person all around.

Seven Benefits of Corrective Exercise

Seven benefits of corrective exercise include improvements to posture, circulation, and muscles. You'll reduce pain and have better endurance. Moreover, you'll improve your self-confidence, mood, energy, and overall well-being. So many things in your life will benefit from corrective exercise.

But where do you begin? Getting the right help is essential to living a fuller life.

Contact us today and let us help you get started with corrective exercise. Our experts can give you the necessary advice and prescribe a course of action that will make a difference.

Sports Medicine vs. Physical Therapy: What’s the Difference?

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 11:58:39 GMT

Sports medicine doctors focus on preventing and treating athletic injuries. Learn more about the distinction between sports medicine vs. physical therapy here.

If you're injured, you're probably wondering what the best option is for getting back to normal. The last thing you want to do is prolong the process. Are sports medicine & physical therapy the answer for you? The truth is, it all depends on which best meets your fitness needs.

Luckily, there are hundreds of thousands of options out there for whom to see to help you - whether you choose to see a physical therapist or a sports medicine doctor.

Physical therapy and sports medicine are often part of the same team, playing different roles. When it comes down to it, the athlete's needs aren't the same as an everyday patient's. Here's what you need to know about

What Is Sports Medicine?

A sports medicine doctor specializes in sports medicine which is the treatment of sports injuries, different diagnoses, prevention techniques, and rehabilitation after an injury.

A sports medicine doctor can either be a fellow, which means they have at least two years of training in sports medicine, or, they can be more experienced like an orthopedic surgeon.

When someone goes to see a sports medicine doctor, the doctor can treat them for both nonsurgical and surgical needs. So what does this entail? Here are a few things that a sports medicine doctor can treat:

ACL reconstruction surgery
Fracture repair
Meniscus repairs and tears
Rotator cuff repair
Joint replacement surgery

There are many other things that a sports medicine doctor can do. Most of the time, the doctor will specialize in treating a specific body part. For instance, one doctor may specialize in knees.

While the doctor may treat the actual injury, they may also prescribe physical therapy as part of the treatment plan. This is when a different doctor will come in to help with treatment.

Benefits of Sports Medicine for Athletes

You may be wondering why you should see a sports medicine doctor instead of going straight to a physical therapist if they are going to prescribe that anyway. It could be beneficial to see a specialist because there might be treatments to prescribe in addition to a physical therapist referral.

With that said, how else can a sports medicine doctor help you? Let's dive in.

Rehabilitation

As an athlete, the last thing you want is to not recover fully from any injury you may face. By going to see a sports medicine expert, they know how to prescribe the right treatment plan to get you back on your feet as soon as possible. It is best to follow their recommendations for full rehabilitation after injury.

Preventative Care

As an athlete, injuries are quite common. This is why making sure you have preventative care is vital.

The doctor will focus on your specific injured area to stabilize, strengthen, and protect it from future injury.

Customized Plan

One of the main reasons to see a sports medicine expert is because they can prescribe a customized plan that fits your needs. You can rest assured that you will be getting specific exercises for your unique injury. This will help with recovery.

When to See a Sports Medicine Specialist

If you sustain an injury during physical activity or a specific sport, it is best to go see a sports medicine expert rather than another specialist.

Here is a list of common sports injuries that sports medicine experts can help with:

Bone fractures
Tendinitis
Tennis elbow
Arthritis
Knee bursitis
Rotator cuff tears
Ligament tears (ACL, PCL)
Achilles tendon tear
Sprains and strains

These are common sports injuries, and there are others as well. You may experience compartment syndromes or overuse injuries like IT band syndrome. There are many ways an athlete can hurt themselves.

If you feel any of these elements apply to you, it may be time to see a specialist.

What Is Physical Therapy?

A physical therapist is a doctor that holds a DPT degree. This is a Doctor of Physical Therapy. They treat patients based on their mobility issues as well as if they get injured.

When you see a physical therapist, you are able to restore strength, function of the muscles, and flexibility of the area you work on in physical therapy.

Physical therapists can work with anyone - whether that is an 80-year-old man who plays cribbage in his free time or a 25-year-old woman who runs marathons for fun. Either way, physical therapy can benefit both.

Most physical therapy plans include strengthening exercises, stabilization exercises, mobility exercises, hands on manual work as needed. Exercises are prescribed to do at home as well. Educational guidance on the condition and what to expect in the near and long term future are staples of a physical therapist's plan of action.

Practices for Physical Therapists

When you think about going to see a physical therapist, you may think they have a separate office. However, they are often found in hospitals, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, and other types of rehabilitation centers.

The therapist can even come to your home to provide therapy services.

When to Go to Physical Therapy

So when should you go to physical therapy? Sometimes you may be referred by another healtcare provider. This often happens after surgery, a prolonged injury, or any other type of trauma.

On the other hand, you can also seek out a physical therapist for the help you need it without going to see another specialist first.

But why would you go to see a physical therapist without an injury?

Many times, a physical therapist can help get you started by giving you the right exercises that you need for strength and flexibility to prevent any injuries down the road. It is then easy to replicate these exercises at home.

Benefits of Physical Therapy

If you choose to go to physical therapy, there are many benefits that you can get from it. Whether you want to recover from an injury or prevent one, physical therapy can help. Here are a few other benefits that you may gain from going to see a physical therapist.

Increase Flexibility and Mobility

One of the ways that physical therapy can help is by utilizing strength exercises and stretching to improve how your muscles move and respond to each other.

A physical therapist will customize a therapy plan based on your own individual needs to help increase your mobility and flexibility as much as possible.

Reduce Pain

Many people will go to see a physical therapist when they are in pain. Often, as mentioned before, a sports medicine specialist will actually prescribe physical therapy to reduce the pain.

But how does physical therapy reduce pain?

The specific physical therapy techniques that are used in the practice will help improve your joints and soft tissue areas of your body in order to reduce inflammation which in turn, will reduce pain. Additionally, different massage techniques that some physical therapists will use can also reduce the pain that you may feel.

Avoid Larger Treatments

Physical therapists are sought in order to prevent you from needing larger or more invasive treatments such as surgery. Since physical therapy can help reduce inflammation, increase flexibility, and help treat injuries, you can often avoid surgery or even medication by choosing to go see a physical therapist.

Other Benefits

In addition to the benefits of the above, physical therapists can also help you manage diabetes, vascular conditions, heart and lung disease, prevent falls by improving your balance, and even help with woman's health conditions such as fibromyalgia, pelvic pain, and difficult bowel movements.

If you believe you need to see a sports medicine doctor, don't wait to call. Here at Campus Motion, we want to help you move better and feel good at all times. If you're ready to feel your best, contact us today.

What Are The Most Common Sports Injuries?

sites@tailorbrands.com — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 14:49:37 GMT

There are countless benefits of playing sports, but sometimes accidents happen. Read on for explanations of common sports injuries.

Americans love to get their head in the game: Approximately one in every four adults plays a recreational sport, and even more enjoy watching sports!

Exercise is crucial for your physical health and well-being. Many people also find emotional fulfillment and enjoyment from exercise, especially those interested in sports. Sports offer a great opportunity to engage your mind, move your body, and socialize with others.

Do you love to move your body but worry about the possibility of sports injuries? Looking for sports recovery in Cypress, TX?

Keep reading to learn more about common sports injuries and where you can find physical therapy in Cypress, TX.

Common Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries are the most common type of sports injuries. Soft tissue injuries involve the flexible tissues of the body, including muscles, ligaments, joint cushions, and blood vessels. Most people will experience a soft tissue injury at some point in their life, even if they don't engage in sports or vigorous exercise.

Not all soft tissue injuries require medical intervention, but it is still wise to seek an examination for any lasting pain. Some soft tissue injuries, like tendonitis, can cause chronic pain and limit mobility if left untreated.

Bruises, Sprains, and Strains

Many people assume that bruises, or contusions, are a fact of life for sports players. They are incredibly common injuries, but they still qualify as soft tissue injuries. Damaged blood vessels cause limited internal bleeding, resulting in a visible pool of blood under the skin.

A sprain is a twist, pull, or tear in a ligament, the connective tissue between bones. Sprains can occur when a person falls or collides with another person during sports activities. A sprain may feel like a fracture at first and can range from first to third degree.

Strains are not as severe as sprains, but they can still be very painful. A strain is a pull, twist, or tear of a muscle or tendon. Strains usually result from overuse or failure to properly warm up the muscles before exercise.

Overuse Injuries

The goal of working out at a gym is to put a strain on muscles and encourage new muscle growth . However, we often forget that exercise also puts a strain on ligaments and tendons.

People who play sports or exercise regularly are at higher risk for developing overuse injuries. Overuse injuries are not caused by a single traumatic impact but rather, by long-term strain and force applied to the body part.

Some common overuse injuries in athletes include:

Jumper's knee
Plantar fasciitis
Tendinitis
Tendinosis
Tennis elbow
IT band syndrome
Achilles Tendonitis
Shin splints

Compartment Syndromes

Muscles don't just float freely around the body, tethered by ligaments. Many muscles, along with nerves and blood vessels, are encased in a strong membrane called the fascia.

When muscles swell due to injury or overuse, they can create pressure inside the fascia, restricting nerves and blood vessels. There are two types of this condition, known as compartment syndrome. Compartment syndrome may flare up when the person is exercising but not cause much pain when at rest.

Acute compartment syndrome is the result of an identifiable traumatic injury. Bone fractures, repeated impacts, or strong impacts can cause acute compartment syndrome.

People who don't play contact sports can still develop compartment syndrome. Persistent physical stress, such as long-distance running, can cause chronic exertional compartment syndrome.

Other Serious Sports Injuries

No sports injury is fun, but some can be more serious than others. These injuries usually require medical intervention and a long healing process. In some cases, they could limit a person's ability to return to sports and exercise.

Bone Fractures

Bone fractures are certainly a risk for people who play sports, especially contact sports like football. Fractures usually result from a fall, twist, collision, or sudden pressure. Some common types of fractures that occur from sports injuries include:

Stress fractures
Compound fractures
Spiral fractures
Open fractures

Some fractures, like open fractures, may require immediate surgery. It can take months for a person to regain full confidence in their mobility after a fracture, so it's important to rehabilitate these injuries with physical therapy.

Dislocated Joints

Joint dislocations are another common risk in contact sports like football and basketball. They can also occur in sports that have a high fall risk, like rock climbing. Dislocations can happen wherever two bones meet, but they are most common in the hands, shoulders, hips, elbows, and knees.

Dislocated joints require immediate medical attention. Even after the joint is reset, the player may experience intense pain and swelling. Usually, joint dislocations won't end a professional sports player's career.

Spinal Injuries

Injuries to the vertebrae and spinal cord are rare, but you are more likely to experience these injuries if you play intense sports. The most common types of spinal cord injuries in sports include contusions and compressions. Both injury types can disrupt nerve function and affect mobility.

Luckily, not all spinal cord injuries cause paralysis. Through surgery and rehabilitation treatments, people can regain muscle strength and mobility after suffering a spinal injury. In rare cases, a person may be permanently disabled by this kind of sports injury.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Like spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries are not a common concern for athletes . However, playing intense sports can put you at a higher risk of experiencing a brain injury or concussion. Any strong impact to the head can cause a traumatic brain injury.

Several types of head and brain injuries can occur through sports. A "closed" injury occurs when the head collides with another object, but the skull does not break. Even violent shaking without skull breakage is enough to cause bruising on the brain.

"Open" head injuries, skull fractures, and skull indentations are more severe. It's possible to recover from a traumatic brain injury, but brain function may never be the same. In many cases, a traumatic brain injury can mark the end of a player's sports career.

Treatment Options for Sports Injuries

Many soft tissue injuries are preventable with proper nutrition, rest, and warming up before exercise. Nobody plans to experience a traumatic sports injury, like a dislocation, but with proper medical care and rehabilitation, athletes can typically return to the sports they love. Treatment for sports injuries may include one or all of the following:

Self-care and rest
The RICE method
Pain medications
Physical therapy
Shockwave therapy
Cryotherapy
Red light therapy
Surgery

Sports Recovery in Cypress, TX

Don't let sports injuries or chronic pain slow you down. Campus Motion is dedicated to helping you find freedom in motion again.

Click here to learn more about how our services can help you return to your athletic passions!

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The Health Benefits of Cryotherapy: What You Need to Know

Sun, 29 May 2022 08:12:36 GMT

Cryotherapy treatment is the use of low temperatures in medical treatment. Read here to learn more about its uses and benefits.

What Is Cryotherapy? What are the health benefits of Cryotherapy?

Skepticism about potential cryotherapy benefits is beginning to thaw out as more people are discovering how it can improve their health. In fact, industry revenue is expected to increase as the benefits of cryotherapy treatment become more widely accepted.

What is cryotherapy exactly, and how can cryotherapy benefit your health and well-being? Keep reading to find out.

After reviewing this guide, you can determine if cryotherapy aligns with your wellness goals for the year. Read on to learn everything you need to know about the uses of cryotherapy today!

Before we discuss the potential cryotherapy benefits you can experience with treatment, let's cover the basics. What is cryotherapy, exactly?

The word "cryotherapy" literally translates to "cold therapy." This technique involves exposing your skin to extremely cold temperatures for a few minutes.

You can choose cryotherapy treatment that focuses on a single area or your entire body.

For example, localized cryotherapy is often administered through:

Ice massages
Ice packs
Coolant sprays
Ice baths
Probes administered into tissue

You might want to consider whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) instead. This treatment option involves exposing your body to extremely cold air for a few minutes at a time. For example, you might step into an enclosed treatment chamber or lay down in an enclosure.

The chamber or pod will drop somewhere between negative 200–300°F. Remaining within the extremely cold space for two to four minutes will allow you to reap the benefits of cryotherapy treatment.

You're more likely to experience benefits if you use cryotherapy regularly. In fact, some athletes choose this treatment option cryotherapy to ease muscle pain.

Medical Uses

Cryotherapy treatment is a minimally invasive form of therapy. Some physicians recommend cryotherapy to remove damaged or diseased tissue from the body. You could develop damaged or diseased tissue due to a variety of medical conditions.

Remember, cryotherapy is minimally invasive. It doesn't require open surgery.

Most patients recover quickly from cryotherapy treatments.

Medical uses of cryotherapy include:

Skin conditions
Precancerous skin conditions and early-stage skin cancer
Retinoblastoma
Precancerous cells in the cervix
Cervical cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer
Bone cancer

However, cryotherapy is also offered as a physical therapy treatment.

The Benefits

Remember, the global cryotherapy market is experiencing growth as more people recognize the benefits of cryotherapy treatment. In fact, the market reached $3.8 billion in 2020 . It could grow by a CAGR of 10.3% between 2021 and 2028.

By 2028, the industry could reach $8.4 billion in revenue.

Consider consulting an experienced sports medicine professional to determine if certain types of cryotherapy can help benefit your goals. Otherwise, here are a few cryotherapy benefits you might experience with regular treatments.

Pain Relief

One of the main reasons people turn to cryotherapy is to ease pain symptoms.

Treatment could help ease muscle pain. It might also benefit people with joint or muscle disorders like arthritis. Routine treatments might help promote faster healing if you have an athletic injury as well.

Many doctors already recommend that patients use ice packs to relieve swollen, injured muscles. Cold temperatures can also boost your blood circulation. Your blood carries oxygen and nutrients to injured tissues to promote healing and pain relief.

Cold temperatures might also reduce the damaging effects you can experience after intense exercise sessions. You could minimize your pain symptoms for more effective recovery.

Cryotherapy treatment might also ease your pain symptoms by reducing inflammation throughout your body.

Inflammation is the body's process of fighting infection. Too much inflammation, however, can cause pain. It could also increase your risk of arthritis, dementia, depression, cancer, and diabetes.

Minimizing inflammation throughout your body could help reduce your risk of these ailments while improving your overall health.

Weight Loss

Some people also turn to cryotherapy for weight loss. Note that cryotherapy on its own won't help you lose weight. Rather being cold will encourage your body to remain warm, boosting your metabolism.

A few minutes of cold temperatures each day could increase your metabolism all day. You'll stop feeling cold as your metabolism adjusts to the frigid temperatures.

Remember, treatment can also ease the muscle pain you experience after an intense workout. If an injury is keeping you from exercising, consider cryotherapy. Then, you can get back to the gym to accomplish your weight loss and training goals.

Ease Migraine Symptoms

By cooling and numbing nerves around your neck, cryotherapy might also help ease the migraine headaches you're experiencing. The cold temperatures could cool the blood that's passing through your intracranial vessels. Your carotid arteries are near the skin's surface and therefore accessible.

However, treatment might only reduce (not eliminate) your pain.

Numb Nerve Irritation

Some athletes choose cryotherapy to numb irritated nerves in order to ease pain associated with sports injuries.

In addition to numbing nerve irritation, treatment could also help if you have pinched nerves or acute injuries.

Ease Anxiety and Depression Symptoms

If you choose whole-body cryotherapy, the super-cold temperatures could trigger a physiological hormonal response. The response can trigger the release of endorphins, noradrenaline, and adrenaline. Together, these hormones could have a beneficial effect on patients with anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders.

One study found that WBC could effectively provide a form of short-term treatment for both anxiety and depression. According to the study, cryotherapy reduced symptoms by at least 50%.

This was a far greater reduction than in patients who didn't elect to undergo cryotherapy treatment.

Reduce Arthritic Pain

Consider localized cryotherapy treatment if you're struggling with a condition like arthritis. Whole-body cryotherapy might help reduce pain symptoms in arthritis patients.

Treatment was also well-tolerated by these patients.

Beginning with cryotherapy also allowed patients to begin more aggressive physiotherapy and occupational therapy. As a result, their overall rehabilitation programs proved more effective.

May Treat Low-Risk Tumors

Localized, targeted cryotherapy is also used as a cancer treatment. For tumor patients, this form of treatment is called "cryosurgery." The procedure works by first freezing cancer cells before surrounding the cells with ice crystals.

Today, cryosurgery is used to treat some low-risk tumors, including tumors associated with prostate cancer.

However, there's no research that indicates cryotherapy can treat cancer after the disease has developed over time. A doctor might use cryotherapy to freeze cancer cells off of the skin or cervix. It's also occasionally used to remove other cancers.

Potentially Prevent Dementia and Alzheimer's

Whole-body cryotherapy might prevent Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.

It's possible that the treatment's anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects might combat inflammatory and oxidative stress that occurs in Alzheimer's patients. Treatment could also reduce mild cognitive impairment and other age-related forms of cognitive decline.

However, we still need more research to determine the effectiveness of this treatment strategy.

Treat Skin Conditions

You might want to consider cryotherapy treatment if you're worried about the state of your skin, too.

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition. Symptoms include itchy and dry skin.

Cryotherapy could help improve your blood's antioxidant levels. As a result, treatment is able to reduce inflammation, which might help treat your atopic dermatitis.

In one study , patients with eczema stopped using their eczema medications before trying cryotherapy for the first time. Many patients saw a reduction in their eczema symptoms.

What to Expect

Make sure to find a licensed, experienced provider before scheduling cryotherapy for the first time.

Most forms of treatment involve sitting in a booth or pod for three to five minutes.

You might also find providers who offer cryotherapy facials as a form of treatment. These treatments involve applying cold temperatures to the face only.

Other providers apply treatment using a wand to target injured areas, like a joint. However, you might want to find a provider that offers whole-body cryotherapy instead.

You can find cryotherapy as a treatment option at sports medicine facilities or local medspas.

You might find the cold temperatures unpleasant at first. It can take a moment before your body is able to adjust to the low temperature.

Cryotherapy is generally safe. However, pregnant women and children should avoid treatment. Patients with severely high blood pressure and heart conditions aren't ideal candidates, either.

Some side effects include tingling, irritation, redness, and numbing. Make sure to talk to your provider if you experience symptoms for over 24 hours. Side effects are almost always temporary.

Make sure you don't use cryotherapy for longer than the recommended treatment duration. If you choose whole-body cryotherapy, treatment shouldn't extend beyond four or five minutes.

Choosing an experienced, licensed provider will help you avoid side effects.

Reaching New Lows: Give Cryotherapy Treatment a Try Today

If you want to ease your muscle pain, boost your recovery times, and ease sports injury symptoms, consider cryotherapy treatment. With regular treatments, you can accomplish your fitness goals with ease. Experience these cryotherapy benefits firsthand by developing your treatment plan today.

Remember to choose a licensed, experienced provider before scheduling your first appointment.

Eager to give cryotherapy a try? We're happy to help.

Sports Injury Prevention: Techniques to Minimize Your Chance of Injury

sites@tailorbrands.com — Sun, 29 May 2022 08:10:38 GMT

Don't let an injury prevent you from participating in your favorite sport. Read about sports injury prevention and techniques to help you minimize your risk.

Did you know that there are approximately 100,000 to 200,000 ACL tears in the United States every year?

Athletes are always looking to find sports injury prevention tips that keep them on the field for longer. Sports injury prevention has become a major component of athletic teams competing at the highest level. To minimize sports injuries, athletes need to commit to many protocols like rest and hydration to keep themselves in top form when they do take the field.

In this article, we will walk you through everything you need to know about exercise to prevent sports injuries.

What Causes Sports Injuries?

Athletes place many stressful demands on their bodies, and they keep finding new ways to push themselves. But if you don't prepare well or don't follow the rules, there will be serious consequences. There are several things that can cause painful sprains and strains, and the following things often lead to accidents or overtraining.

Not Warming Up or Cooling Down

Athletes often make the mistake of not preparing enough and slowing down enough during his\her constant training. When players have to wake up early or have long training sessions, it's easy to forget to give their muscles extra care.

You might want to skip the warm-up part of your workout and go straight to the main part, but this is bad for your body. If muscle fibers are worked before they can be stretched, the direct force can cause them to tear.

Improper Or Poor Technique And Equipment

There is a reason why sports training techniques are specific and planned. If you don't do a move right and change your form, you can strain a hamstring or ligament over and over again and cause an overuse injury.

A swimmer can do the correct stroke without pulling a rotator cuff, and a runner can run straight without pulling a hamstring, if they have good form.

Damaged or new equipment, such as worn shoes or a new racket, makes a big difference. If you grab your new field hockey stick differently than your old one because it's heavier or bigger, it could put pressure on your knees.

Managing a faulty piece of equipment can take a player's attention away from interacting with other players, which can make them more likely to get hurt.

Injuries From the Past

Injury history and health problems make it more likely that a person will get hurt while playing sports. Pre-existing injuries destabilize ligaments or parts of the body that haven't fully healed, which puts athletes at risk.

Medical conditions like high blood pressure or breathing problems make competitions more dangerous for athletes with those conditions.

When traditional techniques are used on an athlete with an unusual hip alignment, overuse injuries can happen out of the blue. Scoliosis could lead to sports injuries in the back or neck, especially if the spine moves in strange ways.

Common Sports Injuries

Because sports are so physically demanding, people often get hurt while playing. Most injuries in sports happen in the joints, which take a beating from hard hits and hard work. Both pro and amateur athletes often get hurt in the following ways.

1. Sprains And Strains

Most athletes hurt themselves when they pull a muscle or sprain a ligament. These would be overuse injuries that occur when people run or jump too hard or too often.

Sprains are caused by sudden, jarring movements that put stress on joints and tear ligaments. Sprained ankles, knees, and wrists are common in sports.

2. Knee Injuries

Most knee injuries happen in soccer, which is played by 20.8% of athletes who go to the hospital. Knee problems are often caused by actions that involve turning or jumping over and over again.

Athletes often hurt their knees when they tear the meniscus or hurt the tissue between the patella and the shin bone. A common injury that often needs surgery is a tear inside the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) that connects the thigh bone to the shin bone.

3. Achilles Tendinopathy

A common sports injury is overstretching the achilles tendon, which goes all the way to the calf. This makes it hard for athletes to finish their game.

When running or making sharp turns in track, gymnastics, dance, and many other sports, the tendon breaks or tears. Damage to the Achilles tendon is more likely to happen to sprinters with foot problems and weak arches.

4. Shin Sprains

Shin splints are also called medial tibial stress syndrome, and indeed the stress on the shin bone can come back if you do the same exercises over and over. Shin splints hurt when you run or do a lot of intense dance moves. The shinbone can be affected when becoming more active or starting a new way to train.

5. Rotator Cuff Tears

The tendons and musculature around the shoulder are all part of the rotator cuff. This region gets hurt when you rotate your arm in sports like football, swimming, tennis, baseball, etc.

Because the shoulder is often used to reach up and around, injuries make it hard to reach in extension with the arm. The dull pain that comes with this injury makes it hard to do daily tasks and hard, if not impossible, to compete in sports.

6. Concussions

Concussions occur with a hard hit to the head. The impact shakes the brain, which can cause memory loss, dizziness, nausea, and blurred vision, among other things.

When an athlete gets a concussion, they usually pass out. Some concussions aren't too bad and just need rest, but others can be very bad or even kill you.

Concussions kill 30 percent of people who die from injuries. They are also called traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Concussions can also hurt the spine and nerves close to it. Contact sports, like football, often cause head injuries.

7. Spine Problems

Stress and degeneration of the spine cause back pain in athletes. If the abdominals and other parts of the core that support the spine are weak, the vertebrae can be hurt, which can damage nerves. Golf, cycling, lifting weights, and tennis are all sports that can hurt your back.

Back pain can be caused by a number of things, like degeneration of the intervertebral discs or sciatica. Sciatica is a back problem that can cause pain that shoots or tingles down the legs. Back injuries and strains can put stress on the back or squeeze the discs in the spine.

8. Tennis and Golfer's Elbow

Tennis elbow is a classic overuse injury. The tendons all around the elbow get inflamed, which sends pain up the arm. Epicondylitis is the medical term for this injury.

It can be either medial or lateral, contingent on the repetitive movements that caused it. The injury also hurts the hand and wrist, which makes it hard to grip or hold sports equipment. Apart from overuse, poor form in golf or tennis also can cause inflammation in the elbow.

Tendonitis can also be caused by twisting or overusing the forearm. The pain is caused by stress on the tissues in the elbow, which can lead to tears that can go all the way to the hand. Badminton and arm-extending track-and-field events like discus and javelin throwing can also cause epicondylitis.

Sports Injury Prevention Tips

To keep getting better and breaking records in sports, it's important to keep your body from getting hurt. To avoid getting hurt, you need to plan ahead, and talking to athletic training professionals and doctors can give you more feedback on your athletic practices. Follow these tips to keep your ligaments, muscles, joints, and bones from getting hurt or getting worse over time.

1. Make a Plan

Athletes try to push their bodies to their limits, but sometimes they go too fast, work too hard, or strain themselves too much. Make a fitness plan to keep track of your goals and progress instead of pushing your body past what is healthy. Aim for long-term goals so that you don't set yourself back with an injury.

2. Warm Up and Cool Down

Warming up is more than just a routine for athletes. It helps your body gradually go from a neutral state to the high speeds and risky moves of an athlete.

Isometric exercises are a form of physiologic warming that helps protect the muscles and makes them more flexible, which helps any activity that comes after.

Start your exercise with some light stretching and warm-up to get your muscles ready. The cooldown lets your body slowly return to a state of rest, which is good for your overall health and keeps you from getting hurt.

3. Understand Limits

Even athletes who push the boundaries of what humans can do in terms of strength and speed have limits, which is hard to admit. Pay attention to how much pain you're in, and don't overlook what your body tells you.

If you play through the pain, you might hurt yourself more than if you did stop when you first felt it. Watch out for signs that your joints are being overused and stressed. Know the difference between the normal soreness of muscle use and the pain of a possible injury.

4. Incremental Progress

Most sports injuries happen when the intensity of a workout changes. Don't make big changes to how long your training is or how fast it goes. A general principle for making progress is to increase the difficulty of your workout by 10% every week.

This is a chance for your bones and muscles to adjust and get stronger instead of being shocked by something new. If you're a runner who wants to go farther, use the 10 percent rule to add length to your jogs over several weeks until you reach the number of miles you want.

5. Diversify with Flexibility

Cross-training is the best way to develop all of your body's skills. No matter what sport you play, getting stronger, more flexible, and able to last longer will make you less likely to get hurt.

By working out regularly, you will strengthen your muscles and give your ligaments and joints more support. This will keep the body from getting too used to the same muscles by making them work harder and giving the whole body more strength.

Coaches may give their runners cross-training for their upper bodies because runners' legs take a lot of hits without making anything above their waists stronger. Resistance training and trying to stretch are both important parts of any sport's workout plan.

6. Keep Hydration First

Even though staying hydrated might not seem like a direct way to avoid sports injuries, it is an essential part of doing exercise right. Dehydration makes it hard to play sports, and players who don't drink enough water will use bad techniques and lack power. Staying hydrated prevents tiredness and stress.

Athletes have a hard time keeping enough water in their overworked bodies because they sweat all the time. Plasma volume goes down when there isn't enough water, so even on a physiological level, athletes need to drink enough water before they work out. Remember to drink enough water before, during, and after exercise.

7. Rest

In sports, getting hurt is less likely when there is time to heal . The joints, ligaments, and musculature need a breather from being moved and hit over and over again. High-impact sports should be spaced out with rest days so that muscles don't get too tired and hurt from being used all the time.

Take breaks while training, practicing, and competing as well. Healing from existing injuries may seem like far too much downtime from your sport, but it is important for your future health and development. Rest days look different for each sport and individual, and you can do light activities instead of your usual workouts.

Keeping Healthy and Safe as an Athlete

At the end of the day, there are plenty of things you can do to keep yourself safe as an athlete. Basic sports injury prevention involves adequate time for rest and hydration, as well as a commitment to flexibility and slow but sustained progress. If you can keep these principles in mind, you'll be able to avoid common sports injuries and keep yourself on the field for longer.

If you want to learn more about how to stay fit as an athlete, please check out the other articles on our blog!

7 Tips to Help You Recover From a Sports Injury

sites@tailorbrands.com — Sun, 29 May 2022 08:08:52 GMT

Recover from Sports Injury

We've compiled the top tips to help you recover from a sports injury. Read our guide for practical advice that will get you back on the sports field faster.

Every year there are more than 3.5 million sports injuries reported from athletes all across the country. These injuries can range from minor sprains and strains to full-on broken bones and torn ligaments. No matter what, a sports injury that takes an athlete out of playing (even for a short time) can be devastating.

A sports injury at some point is pretty inevitable if you're going to participate in any athletic event. But it's possible to bounce back quickly and get back to playing the game you love with the right steps.

We've put together this guide for quick sports injury recovery to help you manage the pain and push your body towards healing.

1. Stop Movement Immediately

When you first sustain an injury, depending on the severity, it can be tempting to push through and keep playing. It might be because you don't want to look weak or just because you don't want to give up playing time. But this is one of the worst things you can do for a sports injury.

Once a body part has been damaged, chances of further issues continually increase.

The best thing you can do is take yourself out of the activity and give your body all the time it needs to fully recover before returning. Rest is a crucial part of every recovery, even if all athletes hate the downtime.

2. Apply Ice to Injury

In most situations, applying ice soon after the injury is a good way to limit the damage and help jump-start the recovery process.

First of all, the addition of ice to the skin surrounding the injury can help to dull the pain. As the affected area gets colder and colder, you'll be able to manage the pain better without additional medication.

More importantly, the application of ice helps to limit the inflammation that occurs immediately following an injury. This is the body's natural response to being hurt but can cause additional problems if left unchecked. Icing the area consistently for the first few hours (a few minutes on, a few minutes off) can help calm the body for future recovery.

3. Continue Healthy Habits

Time off from your athletic activity due to an injury does not mean it's time to blow all of your healthy habits. In order to have a successful sports injury treatment, you'll need the rest of your body in the best shape it can be.

The diet you consume during this recovery period will play a crucial role in giving your body the nutrients it needs to rebuild. Think about making sure you're getting the correct vitamins and drinking enough water every day. The better you fuel your body, the better it'll come back.

4. Stay Positive

It's no secret that sports injuries are very discouraging. Especially for those high-level athletes where the sport makes up a big portion of their life. Many injured athletes struggle mentally to stay positive throughout their recovery.

But maintaining a positive mindset and a good attitude can help in rehabilitation after a sports injury.

The better you are mentally, the more you'll be able to commit to your rehab program and work through the treatment steps fully. There won't be as much slacking off and ignoring advice due to a bad attitude. And you won't give up partway through before you can really get back to your activity.

5. Follow Provider's Advice

The most effective sports injury treatment will feature a medical provider developing the recovery plan . Their knowledge and expertise of how the body works and the best recovery practices are priceless in this situation.

Going to see a doctor or physical therapist is not going to do you any good if you are going to ignore their advice. The best thing you can do is pay close attention to their suggestions and follow them exactly. Then if there are issues or slowed progress, you can report what you've been doing and the plan can be adjusted accordingly.

6. Stay Cautiously Active

While rest is obviously an important part of a sports injury recovery, it's not a good idea to become completely stagnant if at all possible. That can be especially shocking for a body that's used to a lot of movement and exercise each day.

Consider adding activities that are less strenuous and work around your injury to your daily routine.

This could be a simple, slow walk around the block, some additional arm exercises from the chair, or a low-impact workout like yoga. Finding the balance between giving your injury time to repair and also staying mobile is the key to full success.

7. Practice Safe Movement for Prevention

As you move back into participating in your sport or activity after you've recovered, it's important to practice safe movement patterns. Take a good look at what caused your injury to see if there's anything you can change or improve upon to stop it from happening again.

It's also important to continue to strengthen the area as you get better. The stronger the muscles are, the less likely there will be a re-injury of the same area.

Be cautious as you start moving again and do your best to protect yourself. But also enjoy it, you're back!

Recovery Tips for After a Sports Injury

For many athletes, being able to play their sport is a crucial part of their daily lives. Being out with a sports injury can completely disrupt those routines and affect their overall health and wellness (both physically and mentally).

It's important to take the proper step to treat sports injuries. The last thing you want is to make the problem worse and be out for even longer. Staying calm and creating a concrete plan is the best way to make sure your body has the tools it needs to repair and get better. Working with a medical professional is a great way to make sure you're on the right track.

If you're in need of help figuring out rehabilitation after a sports injury, contact us today!

Post-Injury 101: The Danger of Returning to Sports Too Soon

sites@tailorbrands.com — Tue, 24 May 2022 09:32:13 GMT

When should you hit the field again post-injury? Read this guide to understand when and the dangers of returning too soon into your recovery.

If you compete at a high level, it's likely that you will be faced with the possibility of injury. In the U.S. alone, over 30 million children and teens compete in organized sports. Of those participants, more than 3.5 million will experience injuries every year.

It's easy to push these injuries to accelerate recovery. After all, many of us feel as if our window for athleticism is a small one, and any wasted time keeps us from doing what we love.

In actuality, pushing your post-injury recovery faster than you should could result in worsening the injury. It's the worst-case scenario for serious athletes.

So, what are the common sports injuries and how do we know when they're healed enough to return? Read on for our recommendations.

Common Sports Injuries

While some injuries are dependent on the sport, there is a handful seen most often in sports medicine. These are the ten most common sports injuries, regardless of activity type.

Patellofemoral Syndrome

Patellofemoral syndrome is recognized by pain at the front of the knee, around the kneecap. This is your patella.

Also called "runner's knee," this injury is most common in athletes who are constantly running or jumping.

Shoulder Injury

Athletes who are often throwing or taking impact to their body may experience a shoulder injury. Shoulder injuries most often include:

Shoulder instability
Rotator cuff tear
Frozen shoulder
Shoulder strain

These overuse injuries should always be treated by a specialist.

Tennis or Golf Elbow

"Tennis" or "golf elbow" are two different types of epicondylitis, an inflammation of tendons that attach to the elbow. Tennis Elbow affects the outside (lateral) epicondyle. Golf Elbow affects the inside (medial) epicondyle.

With the repeated use of the elbow or forearm areas, athletes may notice pain radiating from the outside of the elbow to their forearm and wrist. Stiffness or soreness when lifting the wrist and hand is also common. Both scenarios require a great deal of rest and recovery.

Hamstring Strain

A pulled hamstring or hamstring strain occurs when the hamstring muscle is stretched too far and begins to tear.

This injury can vary from a mild experience (short recovery time) or a severe tear that requires survey and crutches for an extended amount of time.

Sciatica

Sciatica refers to extreme pain that radiates down the sciatic nerve. This nerve branches from the lower back through the hips and buttocks and down each individual leg. Usually, sciatica affects only one side of the body-- this will vary depending on the cause of the case of sciatica.

Sciatica is usually caused when an athlete's herniated disk or bone spur in the spine puts pressure on the nerve. This also may be caused by injury to the spine, disc herniation, and spinal disc degeneration.

Shin Splints

Some shin splints can be so severe that it becomes extremely painful to walk or run. They occur when an athlete's muscles, tendons, and bone tissues are overworked.

If you have recently changed your training routine or increased the intensity, you may experience shin splints. They most often occur:

After an intense running program (especially hill-running)
Doing exercise with frequent stops and starts like dancing, basketball and soccer

Rest, ice, compression, and elevation can help with shin splints. This injury requires a great deal of recovery in order to avoid a painful flare-up.

Groin Pull or Tear

A groin pull is diagnosed after one of the muscles of the inner thigh gets stretched or torn. If you're putting too much stress on your groin and thigh, a groin pull or tear is inevitable. They are most common in athletes who play sports such as:

Soccer
Football
Hockey

A thorough physical evaluation is necessary to determine the degree of severity. A groin pull will usually heal on its own with enough time and rest.

Concussion

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that impacts brain function. They're almost always caused by a hard blow to the head and are most common in sports like:

Football
Soccer
Hockey
Lacrosse
Cheerleading

As time goes on, we're learning more and more about traumatic brain injury and its impact on the rest of the body. In response to a brain injury, the body may experience symptoms such as:

Headache
Confusion
Lack of coordination
Memory loss
Nausea
Vomiting
Dizziness
Ringing ears
Fatigue

Athletes will often try to rush their healing process once their headaches and other symptoms improve; however, time away from a sport is the most

ACL Tear or Strain

An ACL injury is a tear or sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament. This ligament connects the thigh bone to the shinbone.

During an ACL injury, a loud "popping" sound or sensation may occur, and pain will increase around the knee area.

Treatment usually involves rest and physical therapy. Severe cases of an ACL injury often require surgery to replace the torn ligament.

Hip Flexor Strain

Overused hip flexors can result in a hip flexor strain diagnosis. The area around an athlete's hip becomes painful and inflamed.

This is usually an overuse injury that most often occurs in sports like dance, lifting, martial arts, track & field, bicycling, and soccer.

The Risk of Rushing Recovery

Often a simple injury can become a long-term issue that needs extensive care or surgery if the initial recovery recommendations are rushed. The more times you injure a muscle, the more likely that weak scar tissue and intrusive adhesions will develop in that area. Eventually, scar tissue might grow in the place of the original muscle tissue, which permanently alters the flexibility and strength of the injured muscle.

Rushing concussion recovery may result in permanent brain damage.

If part of your treatment plan includes surgery, you'll need to be extremely diligent with your post-op physical therapy plan and a multi-month recovery program. Athletes are extremely susceptible to re-injury after surgery, so don't skip any steps here.

At the end of the day, working with a qualified physical therapist and health provider will ensure you're taking the appropriate amount of time to allow your body to heal. Waiting too long may lead to unnecessary de-conditioning, so collaborate with your recovery team to ensure you're doing enough to stay in shape.

Post-Injury Recommendations

How will you know when it's time to return? Connect with your health care provider and discuss the following criteria:

Is your movement pain-free?
If a lower-body injury, can you bear your full weight on the injured hip, knee, or ankle without limping?
If an upper-body injury, can you make a throwing movement with good form without pain?
Is there swelling or inflammation?
Do you have a full range of motion?
Is your strength full or close to 90%?

Once you can check off all of these boxes and receive the green light from your health provide r , try not to hit the ground running at full speed (pun intended). Be mindful of your movements in the first couple of weeks back, and stop immediately if the original pain persists.

How to Support Injury Recovery

Does the image of getting back to competing seem like a far-off fantasy? Consider these aspects to support and speed up your recovery:

When speaking with yourself and medical providers, be honest about your pain and your abilities
Focus on strength building to recover and improve your performance on the field
Listen to your body and do not ignore any pain or limitations as a way to speed up the process
Take things slowly, as recovery takes time
Pay close attention to form and be mindful of how you are moving
Participate in an injury recovery program
Stay in shape while you're in recovery, but don't push beyond what is healthy— exercising 3-4 times a week is recommended, as long as they're approved exercises
Try strategies to release tension and encourage blood flow, including foam rolling, cupping, and professional massage appointments

We know that recovery can be frustrating. Talk to an expert and find ways to keep yourself healthy while you're waiting for your body to be back to 100%.

Get Back on the Field

Proper post-injury recovery is essential to getting back to doing what you love. Pushing it too quickly may result in the end of the game. Take the proper steps to heal, become stronger, and prevent nasty re-injury.

To stay ahead of the pack, work with the best sports medicine experts in the business. If you have recently recovered from an injury and want to ensure you are ready to play, against peers of the same age, gender, sport, and level of competition, it's time to do the work. Check out the Return To Sport (RTS) Program today.

Red Light Therapy: How Does It Work?

sites@tailorbrands.com — Thu, 12 May 2022 11:18:55 GMT

Red Light Therapy Sports Injuries

Have you heard of red light therapy for sports injuries and are you wondering if it might be a good idea for you? Keep reading and learn more here.

As an athlete, getting back in the game after an injury is a top priority. You want to do everything you can to ensure your body heals properly and swiftly. The biggest obstacle to treating sports injuries is pain.

When it comes to sports therapy, treating pain is as essential as healing the injured area. Athletes can't afford to neglect their conditioning for long. If they do, they have to work extra hard to get back in shape.

Red light therapy has the potential to speed up the healing process after a sports injury. By adding light therapy to your physical therapy program, you'll be off the sidelines and back in the game as soon as possible.

Red Light Therapy: Accelerate Sports Injury Recovery

Red light therapy is one of the types of therapy that can help treat damaged muscle tissue. It involves exposing affected areas of the body to low levels of red light.

Red light is similar to infrared light . Infrared light is energy that creates heat when it comes in contact with the body. The difference between infrared light and red light is that, unlike infrared light, you can see red light.

How Does Red Light Therapy Treat Pain?

Red light therapy is gaining popularity in sports therapy because of its ability to control pain, enhance blood flow, and relax muscle spasms.

When red light energy interacts with skin and muscles, it increases the flow of blood around the body. When blood flow increases, the mitochondria in the muscular cells receive more oxygen and can work better.

Healthy muscle tissue comes from muscle stem cells. So, improving how the mitochondria in these cells function enables them to form new tissue faster.

Essentially, the red light therapy process stimulates cell regeneration, which allows the body to heal more quickly.

In addition, red light therapy can reduce inflammation. Inflammation is what makes muscles feel sore. When you incorporate red light therapy into your rehabilitation, you heal quickly and experience less pain.

Red Light Therapy Studies on Athletes

Athletes who use red light therapy regularly don't just heal more quickly. They also develop long-lasting healthy muscle tissue.

Many athletes use red light therapy regularly, before and after a workout. While others use it to treat specific injuries. Athletes who use it regularly often experience less soreness.

Because red light therapy improves cell regeneration, it can reach deep into joints and muscle tissues in ways other types of therapy can't. Red light therapy does so by increasing cellular oxygenation, repair, and reproduction.

Although red light therapy remains semi-controversial, there are many studies to back up its effectiveness.

A December 2016 study performed by J Biophotonics, found that red light therapy was effective in helping university athletes return to play faster and safer. It also found no adverse effects of red light therapy.

A study published by Laser Therapy journal in March of 2016 came to similar conclusions. This study found that red light therapy, or phototherapy, significantly reduced return-to-play time in injured university athletes.

Common Injuries Red Light Therapy Treats

Most often, sports injuries fall into one of two categories. They are either acute injuries or injuries that occur from overuse.

Both types of injuries can cause severe pain. They also require athletes to rest and rehabilitate.

The longer an athlete is in pain, the slower their ability to heal. That means the athlete is losing valuable training time.

Red light therapy is an effective method for reducing pain caused by the following injuries.

Ankle Injuries

When you sprain an ankle, the first thing that usually occurs is intense swelling. Light therapy is able to reduce swelling during this initial phase. This reduction in swelling can lead to improved healing.

Knee Injuries

Some of the most common knee injuries are patellar tendonitis and meniscal tears. Red light therapy can reduce knee swelling and pain, which increases functionality. It can even help to avoid surgery, according to a 2013 study .

Achilles Tendinopathy

Achilles tendon injuries are some of the most debilitating when it comes to sports injuries. Fortunately, red light therapy can help to treat tendinopathy efficiently and effectively.

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow (also known as lateral epicondylitis) occurs when an athlete engages in any repetitive wrist or arm motion. This type of injury is very painful and significantly limits an athlete's ability.

Tennis elbow is, evidently, most common among tennis players. But it can impact other types of athletes as well.

Typically, tennis elbow requires invasive surgery. Light therapy can improve elbow and arm function while also increasing grip strength.

Additional Types of Therapy For Sports Injuries

There are many different types of therapy that benefit athletes suffering from sports injuries. Red light therapy can be done in conjunction with any of these.

The best therapy for sports injuries can be a combination of traditional physical therapy techniques and holistic physical therapy practices . Here are some other effective methods to consider.

Trigger Point Dry Needling

This technique is gaining popularity among athletes and physical therapists. Trigger point dry needling involves inserting a needing directly into the muscle tissue.

The needle focuses on the trigger points of pain in your tendons, joints, and muscles.

This technique is great for pairing with red light therapy. The needling provides concentrated pain relief while the light therapy increases cell regeneration over the whole area.

Instrumented Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization

This method uses specialized tools and compression techniques to massage the skin, muscles, and tendons. The practitioner applies the tools using a stroking technique that breaks down scar tissue and muscle restriction.

This type of pressure work would combine effectively with the benefits of red light therapy to treat sore or damaged muscles, joints and tendons.

Sports Therapy Solutions

When athletes sustain a sports injury, red light therapy is an effective method for reducing pain and the time it takes to heal. However, the best solution for sports injuries is to focus on prevention.

When you do everything you can to prevent injuries from happening, you never have to worry about needing to take time off from the thing you love to do.

For convenient access to sports therapy services wherever you are, register for a visit at Campus Motion Sports Therapy & Sports Recovery today.

How to Find the Right Athletic Recovery Center for You: A Guide

Thu, 12 May 2022 11:16:27 GMT

Are you wondering what you might need to consider when choosing the right sports therapy center for you? Learn more here.

Did you know that only approximately 50% of Americans meet physical activity requirements outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? Only one-quarter of Americans meet requirements for both aerobic and strength training guidelines.

How do you find the right athletic recovery center for you?

Suppose you fall into that latter percentage - congratulations! Whether you're working your way into that requirement or nail it each week, you may be all too familiar with sports injuries and how long sports recovery can take. Injuries can set you back from meeting goals and maintaining good health.

So, where do you turn when you have an injury or when you want to prevent future ones? Luckily, we have put together a complete guide on what to look for in a sports medicine clinic and what to expect, so keep reading for more information!

What Is Sports Medicine?

Sports medicine is a healthcare branch dedicated to preventing and treating injuries related to fitness, physical activities, and sports. While some may think of it as only for professional athletes, it is widely available to the general public. Part of the sports medicine team could include:

Physicians
Physical therapists
Athletic trainers
Nutritionists
And more

These healthcare professionals have added expertise and training in treating, preventing, and working with active individuals. You don't need to be training for a triathlon. Even weekend warriors can benefit from seeing a certified professional.

What Is Sports Physical Therapy?

Under sports medicine, you have physical therapy. They help with sports recovery programs and are trained professionals that address:

Mobility
Strength
Balance
Range of motion

Physical therapists can specialize in many fields, and those in the sports physical therapy field often have a high level of expertise regarding various musculoskeletal injuries. Some may have a background in athletic training, or you might see athletic trainers working with physical therapists to help you recover from injury.

A sports injury is any type of injury that occurs while training, prepping, or playing in various activities or athletic events. Here are some of the more common sports injuries that physical therapists treat:

Ligament tears
Muscle strains
Bursitis
Concussion
Arthritis

During a physical therapist evaluation, they will assess your strength, movement, and pain. At this point, they may discuss your level of activity and goals with you. Most patients want to return to a high level of function, so these professionals are equipped with the best knowledge and tools to help you meet your short and long term goals.

Injury Recovery Phases

There are two main types of injuries: acute and chronic. Acute are relatively easy to identify. For example, you jump up to grab a rebound in your weekly basketball game and come down on your ankle sideways.

You may feel it turn and give way underneath you, leading to sharp pain on the side of your ankle and foot - a classic ankle sprain. It may be painful to walk on, and you could start developing bruising and swelling. Immediately after an injury, it is essential that you follow the R.I.C.E. protocol , which stands for:

Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation

The goal of R.I.C.E. is to help manage the inflammation and reduce pain. Physical therapists might perform soft tissue massages, use ice compressors, or try some gentle range of motion.

Once the acute phase of injury is over, strength, balance, and coordination are the goal. You will gradually work your way up in levels of difficulty. It is crucial that during this phase, you keep in constant communication with your physical therapist or rehab professional regarding pain or discomfort since you don't want to risk reinjury and start the process over.

Lastly, you will begin the return-to-sport phase. This is the most exciting part of rehabilitation since it involves mimicking activities and movements you would typically perform.

Let's go back to the basketball player example. Following an ankle sprain, you'll eventually need to learn speed, quick turns, acceleration, and deceleration. You might also need to build your strength with jumping, balance, and coordination.

Chronic Injuries

Chronic injuries are more challenging to deal with. They include overuse injuries where they may not be a definitive cause. Tendinitis is the most obvious example, and many overhead athletes, such as tennis or baseball players, can develop it in their elbow or shoulder.

Unfortunately, chronic injuries lead to chronic pain , which affects over 25 million adults in the United States. It is a type of pain that lasts longer than three months and can impact your participation in exercise, athletic events, and even daily tasks.

One of the main treatment options for chronic pain is physical therapy. They can use interventions to help support joints, improve function, and alleviate pain.

How Long Does Injury Recovery Take?

Injury recovery primarily depends on the type and severity of the injury. Surgical interventions will often require a longer recovery period since physical therapists must follow specific surgical protocols. For example, nearly 350,000 people tear their ACL and require surgery each year.

ACL reconstruction is immediately followed by an intensive round of physical therapy that can last weeks to months. Return to sport timelines from ACLs has extended from nine months to almost two years. Why does it take so long to recover?

Ensuring proper joint mechanics
Proprioception
Adequate strength

In some studies, delaying when you return to sport following an ACL reconstruction can reduce your risk of reinjury by over 50 percent! Physical therapists play a critical role in how soon you can return. When looking for a clinic, you want professionals who help take the guesswork and potential reinjury out of the equation.

What Do Sports Medicine Professionals Use?

If you've never visited a physical therapist or sports medicine professional before, you may be curious about what they use that can help you improve strength and function. Many physical therapists use manual therapy.

They can have you perform various movements and test your muscle strength or measure your range of motion. They put your values against standard measures based on gender, age, and activity level.

This helps give them a better idea of where you stand and what you need to work on. Let's go back to the ACL injury example.

Females are almost eight times more likely to tear their ACLs than males. Why? Researchers believe that there are five main factors involved:

Genetics
Hormonal
Environmental
Biomechanics
Anatomy

Studies are showing that ACL injuries are more related to biomechanics than fatigue. Almost two-thirds of female ACL injuries during soccer happened in the first half of the match. Sports medicine specialists can help prevent these injuries through:

Addressing biomechanical deficiencies
Strength deficits
Using plyometrics
Using agility drills
Teaching landing techniques
Improving proprioception

Including sport-specific activities can make the interventions more applicable to your injury-prevention case. Your next sports medicine clinic should specialize in these common sports injuries rehabilitation.

Preventing Injuries

Wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have to worry about lengthy and tedious recovery times following an injury? Specialty prevention programs are part of a new term: prehabilitation. Physical therapists have emphasized the importance of prehabilitation regarding surgical outcomes, injury prevention, and more.

In a systemic review, researchers looked at prehabilitation and outcomes following cancer surgery. It included exercises that targeted the entire body and respiratory system.

Nutrition and psychology were also included in some of the care. Experts found that prehabilitation helped improve:

Functional capacity
Reduced hospital stay

When it comes to sports injuries, you don't want to wait for an injury to catch up with you. Campus Motion focuses on p hysical therapy and wellness services, including:

Concierge sports medicine
Athletic Performance and Injury Prevention
Sports recovery and return to sport
Wellness

During concierge sports medicine and injury prevention tests, you can find exactly where your weak points are. You can modify activities the right way that helps you reduce injury risk and improve performance. If you deal with nagging injuries that aren't enough to keep you away from playing your sport, concierge sports medicine helps you treat them effectively the first go around.

Benefits of Campus Motion Advantage

Current health systems emphasize treating severely sick or injured individuals. It often neglects those who still live active lifestyles or have minor injuries keeping them down.

Even if you end up going in, you could pay hundreds or thousands in unnecessary and expensive tests and visits. Campus Motion Advantage seeks to provide you with one on one care you deserve. Whether you have had a previous injury or not, the plan includes:

Mobile services
Bundled wellness programs
Transparent injury risks
Return to sport guidelines

Our providers are engaged and highly qualified to deliver research-based evidence for injury recovery and prevention.

Find Your Sports Recovery Clinic

Now that you know what to look for in a sports recovery and medical clinic, it's time to get to work! At Campus Motion, we have physical therapists and wellness professionals that help with prehabilitation, return to sport training and whole-body health.

The ultimate goal is to keep you active and healthy without setbacks. Whether you've had bad experiences in the past with injury recovery, we help the process go smoothly by offering mobile clinics, group packages, and individual sessions.

Check out our website to learn more about us and how to get scheduled!