Elevate Physical Theraphy & Fitness

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April 2018

How Technology Can Make You a Better Runner

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This ultra runner came to Elevate with knee pain that had him fully side-lined, plus hamstring pain he’d had for years.  He had BIG goals of fixing it all in time to run the world famous 100 mile Leadville Ultra. He worked with Co-Founder Dr. Meredith Soelberg PT, DPT, MBA, in our Running and Movement Lab .  High-speed cameras, research-grade Simi Aktysis software, and an in-depth knowledge of running biomechanics allowed her to critically analyze his running and re-train his movement.  She was able to dissect his running one frame at a time, uncover the flawed mechanics, provide the visual feedback and movement education (and the critical strength and mobility training too). He’s now back to 60+ miles / week,  20+ mile trail runs, and going strong!  LOOK OUT LEADVILLE!  HE’S COMIN’ FOR YOU! “Without the technology and analysis,” Dr. Soelberg points out, “we’re really in the dark about what’s faulty and contributing to the pain from a movement perspective.  The therapist’s naked eye cannot see the flaws.  And the runner cannot see what changes to make, or if they’re successfully making a recommended change.  Employing video gait analysis plus strength and range of motion assessments gives us the complete picture of the root cause(s) of the pain, and what, very specifically, to do about it.” The secret is out.  People come from hours away to do this in-depth analysis at Elevate!

Gait Analysis: The Serious Runner’s Salvation

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A Tool to Precisely Spot Stride Problems and Stop Joint Pain and Injury People who lace up their running shoes and pound the pavement have a roughly 50% chance of sustaining an injury that interrupts their training. Among marathon runners, studies have placed the injury incidence rate significantly higher, in some cases as high as 90%. It isn’t running itself that’s doing the damage, a growing number of physicians, physical therapists and exercise scientists say. It’s the way people run. Too many runners stride too far out in front of their bodies, or land with their legs at awkward angles. Anne-Michelle Barrett, a personal trainer and triathlon coach who lives in Sausalito, Calif., suffered a stress fracture in her left shin in 2010, then one in her right shin at the beginning of 2013. She says she wasn’t overtraining. She rested and wore an orthopedic boot for six weeks in 2010 and four weeks in 2013. “I coach running, personal training and triathlon, and even I was still struggling,” says Ms. Barrett, 37. Desperate to figure out what was causing the injuries, she signed up for a gait analysis at New York City’s Hospital for Special Surgery with Michael Silverman, a physical therapist and the coordinator at the hospital’s Tisch Performance Center. Mr. Silverman’s initial examination revealed Ms. Barrett had hyper-mobile hips, which can produce an unstable stride. Then Mr. Silverman had Ms. Barrett perform a series of leg squats. He also watched as she stepped slowly off a platform. During each motion her knees bent inward as her legs moved forward. Next, Mr. Silverman filmed Ms. Barrett running on a treadmill from several angles. When he slowed down the video and measured the angles of her legs during her stride, the likely source of the pain became obvious—big strides and landing on the inside half of her feet. This article originally appeared on the Wall Street Journal: September 22, 2014 https://www.wsj.com/articles/gait-analysis-the-serious-runners-salvation-1411428069

Concussions 101: Part 2 – Types of Concussions

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Concussion Types Not all concussions are alike! If someone sustains a concussion, what symptoms might we expect? Headaches, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, drowsiness, and dizziness are among the most common symptoms that may occur. However, not everyone will experience these symptoms at the same intensity, for the same amount of time, or even at all! The more we learn about concussions, the more we have identified that each person (and presentation!) is different and should be treated as such. Even though each case may have similar signs and symptoms, each person may respond differently to a concussion and the cause of those symptoms can vary between people. For instance, a headache is the most common symptom experienced after a concussion, but a headache can be caused by altered metabolic activity within the brain, impaired visual function, injury to the muscles and joints of the neck, fatigue, anxiety, etc. Luckily, due to increased research investigating concussions, we are more versed in concussions now than we have ever been before.   It is now clear that concussions are not a “one size fits all” diagnosis. Clinical research has identified multiple subtypes of concussions with different causes, presentations, and treatment options.   Concussion Subtypes The most common concussion subtypes managed in an outpatient physical therapy clinic include physiologic, vestibular, ocular, and cervical concussions. Physiologic concussion symptoms are the result of altered metabolic activity and energy demands on the brain and worsen with physical exertion Vestibular concussion symptoms originate from vestibular (inner ear) dysfunction and can cause dizziness and impaired balance Ocular concussion symptoms result in visual dysfunction that can cause blurry vision, double vision, and difficulty tracking objects Cervical concussion symptoms originate from structures of the neck including the muscles, joints, and ligaments and can cause neck pain and headaches Other concussion subtypes include post-traumatic migraine, cognitive/fatigue, and anxiety/mood, each of which is best managed with the help of other medical professionals. Post-traumatic migraine concussion symptoms include headaches, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound Cognitive/fatigue concussion symptoms include fatigue, headache with cognitive demands, and difficulty sleeping Anxiety/mood concussion symptoms include anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and depressed feelings However, it is common that multiple subtypes present at the same time for a given individual, which is called a mixed concussion presentation. Therefore, it is recommended that a thorough clinical examination is performed to develop an individualized treatment program for the specific presenting conditions. Remember, every person is different, and every concussion is different!