Health and Performance Made Ridiculously Simple
Movement Debrief Episode 98 is in the books. Below is a copy of the video for your viewing pleasure, and audio if you can’t stand looking at me. Here is the set list: What does rib external and internal rotation look like? How do I approach improving shoulder mechanics? Any current training considerations for shoulder issues? Why do medical providers often educate in a manner that induces fear-avoidance and fragility? How, as movement professionals, can we deal with these issues?
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Perhaps one of the biggest struggles we can run into in working with people in pain is getting our clients feeling safe when returning to movement. The reality of the matter is that the chances of a person in pain experiencing some symptoms as he or she returns to activity is real and part of the process. How can we get our people to trust the process? To be comfortable being uncomfortable? I think Aline Thompson, a physical therapist I trust out of Denver, has the answer. In today’s post, she outlines how changing the belief frame someone approaches pain with can have profound impacts on returning to life. Without further adieu, here is what she has to say: Is there a Difference Between Pain and Discomfort? There’s a difference and it matters. More often than not the question goes more like this: “Tell me about your pain…” After which you get a pause, with a look of contemplation. When this happens I wonder; what are they thinking? Should that silence be filled with a follow up question? “…. Or is it discomfort?” When I ask folks whether there is a difference between pain and discomfort everyone says yes. When I ask how they differ these are the answers: “Pain is discouraging, Discomfort is just frustrating” – “Discomfort is annoying but you can ignore it. Pain interferes with your brain and thought processes. You can’t do a complex math problem easily when you’re in pain” – “Pain can hinder progress
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Movement Debrief Episode 72 is in the books. Below is a copy of the video for your viewing pleasure, and audio if you can’t stand looking at me. Here is the set list: Does sitting slouch = extended? Why do people appear flexed when they sit? What is going on when someone sits slouched? How should I work with someone who has a hypermobility syndrome? What is Ehlers Danlos? Are isometrics a worthy starting place? What about unstable surface training? What is fear-avoidance? How do I go about using education to reduce fear avoidance? What other tactics do I use to mitigate fear avoidance?
Read MoreThis is a chapter 5 summary of “Multidisciplinary Approaches to Breathing Pattern Disorders” by Leon Chaitow. The second edition will be coming out this December, and you can preorder it by clicking on the link or the photo below. Intro This chapter is dedicated to showing the connection between the body and consciousness; how our psyche is influenced by breathing and vice versa. This chapter was easily my favorite out of the entire book. Breathing Strategies Optimal breathing involves moderate abdominal expansion, some intercostal involvement, and minimal involvement of accessory muscles. Conversely, chest breathing is dominated by accessory muscle use. These two breathing styles are merely end points on a continuum rather than discrete categories. In terms of which strategy is used, chest breathing is often the preferred route for consciously mediated intentional breathing; whereas abdominal breathing is the main route for relaxed, automatic breathing. One reason you would want to override automatic breathing is to prepare for sudden action. At the onset of exercise, ventilation immediately jumps. This change occurs via three phases, with the first phase occurring independent of exercise load. This phase is a conscious exercise preparatory action. The other increases occur as exercise demands increase. When we are in an emergency situation, these breathing phases change. Prior to the initial pre-action deep breath comes a breath holding phase, which helps increase sensory organ stability. These preparatory breathing changes are great for imminent danger or action, but problematic when threats are non-physical and in the future. While
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