Clear vision relies on seamless communication between the vestibular organ (in your inner ear) and your eyes. This allows your eyes to almost instantaneously adapt to changes to your head and body position. This is called your vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) and problems with this reflex are a common cause of dizziness and motion sickness. In...
Clear vision relies on seamless communication between the vestibular organ (in your inner ear) and your eyes. This allows your eyes to almost instantaneously adapt to changes to your head and body position. This is called your vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) and problems with this reflex are a common cause of dizziness and motion sickness. In...
Many of us suffer from some degree of motion sickness. This can be triggered by large motions such as sitting in the back seat of a car while zipping around a windy Colorado mountain road, or can be triggered by more subtle things like moving through a grocery store or checking your phone while walking....
You could be forgiven if you felt exercise should involve accessories such as vision altering goggles, balance boards, color coded objects, and other unstable surfaces after watching national sports highlight shows playing videos of professional athletes going through their pre season training. It seemed to be the theme of the year for one professional athlete...
Performing traditional strength training movements with an added component of instability has long been know to change the recruitment of muscles. The unstable nature of the exercise enhances position sense (proprioception), balance, and joint stabilization during each repetition. Previous research recommends using stable surfaces and exercises when the goal is optimal strength and power development. ...
The back squat is one of the most efficient and effective exercises for lower quarter strength development. This exercise can be performed with dumbbells, barbell, or a slosh tube. Slosh tubes are a recent addition to resistance training equipment made up of a PVC pipe filled up to 1/4 to 1/2 with either water or...
Injuries to our spinal and extremity joints can impact a variety of structures including muscle, ligament, and nervous system receptors. The sensors or proprioceptors are critical in providing real time feedback to our spinal cord and brain on the positions of our limbs. This feedback system is disrupted by injury leading to slower information processing...
Ankle sprains remain one of the most common orthopedic injuries seen in both physician and Physical Therapy offices. The majority of these injuries occur when the foot and ankle roll inward under the shin. Previously, a program of P.R.I.C.E. (protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation) was prescribed but new research has shown this strategy may...
In our previous posts, we have described the limitations of orthotics to correct lower leg alignment and treat foot and leg conditions compared to Physical Therapy exercises. In addition, long term orthotic users often show atrophy of the foot’s core muscles which leads to further weakness and dysfunction. Instead of orthotics, an active approach...
My approach to treating ankle sprains has changed dramatically since I began working with athletes in the late 1990s. The PRICE (protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation) approach has been replaced with a clinically superior movement approach designed to reduce pain and facilitate a return to an exercise program. The PRICE approach was effective to...