The post Return to Climbing Postpartum: How Physical Therapy can Help You Overcome Challenges with Confidencep: A Guide for Every Climber appeared first on Physio Room.

The post Crafting Your Ideal Warm-Up: A Guide for Every Climber appeared first on Physio Room.

As winter approaches and gym climbing gains popularity, the risk of climbing-related injuries unfortunately tends to increase. With the colder months discouraging outdoor climbing, it becomes tempting to spend a significant amount of time climbing at the gym. Below is the best rock climbing warm-up with some valuable tips to minimize the risks of injury.

5 tips to stay healthy and climbing injury free

1. Perform proper climbing warm-up with 100 moves (50 on each hand) to properly increase internal temperature, bring blood flow to your fingers and prep your tissues for climbing.

2. Practice different climbing styles throughout the month to variate the demands on your body and decrease chances of overuse.

3. Quality > Quantity: Keep your climbing sessions less than 2 hours. When you notice your form/technique is diminishing it is a good cue to end your session for the day.

4. Take Breaks! Allow your body to recover between climbing sessions by taking days off.

5. Listen to your body, if you are having pain or discomfort that is limiting you when climbing, seek out a Physical Therapist who specializes in treating Climbers.

Best climbing warm up

3 Climbing Warm-up exercises off the wall to prime your fingers and shoulders

        1. Open Hand on Finger Board: 10 sec on, 10 sec off for 1 minute (x2) (1 min rest in between)

         2. Shoulder External Rotation: 2×12

         3. Shoulder Internal Rotation: 2×12

We’ve all heard it before: ‘I have a pulley injury.’ Whether it’s your friend, a friend of a friend, a fellow climber you met at the crag, or maybe even yourself. We’ve seen climbers taping up their ring finger, middle finger, and sometimes every finger! We might know someone who canceled their gym membership all because they couldn’t find relief from their persistent pulley injury…Read more here.

It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway.  The “best warm-up” is one specific to you.  Everyone has their own default patterns and compensations, and a good warm will highlight those areas in need so that you can perform your best.

If you need some guidance with a persistent injury you are experiencing as you start spending more time in the gym….schedule an appointment here.

Climb on!!

Dr. Juliana Merighi, PT, DPT

Dr. Juliana Merighi, PT, DPT

If you would like to reach out to Dr. Juliana:

Email: juliana@physioroomco.com

Instagram: @julimeri22

Attend her yoga class at Movement.

The post Winter is Coming: Try this Warm-up for Rock Climbers appeared first on Physio Room.

Have you ever wondered about the intricate workings of your muscles during pull-ups and other exercises? Perhaps you’ve noticed that moving in one direction of a particular exercise feels easier compared to moving in the opposite direction. These differences in perceived effort can, in part, be attributed to the three types of muscle contractions: concentric, eccentric, and isometric. Understanding these contractions sheds light on why certain movements pose more challenges than others. Let’s take a closer look at the pull-up exercise and the specific muscle contractions involved to prevent shoulder pain.

To perform a pull-up, start by placing your hands in an open grip around an overhead bar with your elbows fully extended underneath it. Then, pull your body up until your chin is above the bar. Finally, lower yourself back down to the starting position. Several muscles come into play during a pull-up, but the main groups involved are the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, and biceps brachii. The latissimus dorsi plays a significant role in the pulling motion, the trapezius assists with scapular elevation and shoulder stabilization, and the biceps brachii aids in elbow flexion. We often observe this pulling motion in climbing, particularly when pulling towards a challenging hold.

Breaking Down Concentric, Eccentric, and Isometric Muscle Contractions

1. Concentric:

During a concentric contraction, tension builds up in the muscle as its fibers shorten. This generated tension, if sufficient, enables you to move objects or your own body against the force of gravity. In the context of a pull-up, the concentric phase occurs when you lift your chin above the bar. Let’s use the Latissimus Dorsi (lats) as an example. The lats originate in the thoracic and lumbar vertebral region, and inserting on the humerus. As you pull yourself up, the insertion point on the humerus moves closer to the origin on the thoracic/lumbar vertebrae, causing the muscle to shorten.

2. Eccentric:

During an eccentric contraction, tension is generated in the muscle as its fibers lengthen. This type of contraction occurs when an object or your body is being lowered, resisting the force of gravity. In the case of a pull-up, the eccentric phase occurs when you are gradually lowering your chin beneath the bar. As you lower yourself back to the starting point of a pull up, the insertion point of the lats on the humerus moves away from its origin, causing the muscle to lengthen. Interestingly, a significant portion of the force generated during eccentric contractions is attributed to the passive tension within the muscle fibers. A protein called titin, present at the end of each muscle fiber, is activated during eccentric muscle contractions, making the muscle fiber stronger and up to 50% more efficient. This heightened efficiency of tension explains, in part, why we perceive the eccentric portion of the pull-up to be relatively easier compared to the concentric phase. An eccentric contraction is also beneficial for rehabilitative purposes in that it enhances the mechanical properties of a tendon resulting in a stronger tendon.

3. Isometric:

During an isometric contraction, tension is generated in the muscle without any movement occurring in its fibers. In this type of contraction, an object or your body remains stationary in space, and there is no active shortening or lengthening of the muscle. In the context of a pull-up, if you were to select a specific point within the range of motion and hold yourself in that position without any further movement, an isometric muscle contraction is taking place. During this isometric contraction, the origin and insertion points of the lats neither move closer nor further apart.

We observe all three types of muscle contractions in climbing:

Concentrically when pulling through on a hard boulder move, eccentrically during a controlled lower to a good resting stance/position or controlled offloading of an engaged position into a more relaxed one, and isometrically to lock off one arm while the other is clipping a bolt. It is important to incorporate all three types into your training or gym routine to develop well-rounded strength and optimize your climbing performance

Schedule an appointment to come in today and learn how to utilize all of these muscle contractions to strengthen the pulling muscles and incorporate it into your rehabilitation and climbing training.

If you would like to reach out to Dr. Juliana Merighi:

Email: juliana@physioroomco.com

Instagram: @julimeri22

Attend her yoga class at Movement.

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Your environment, including the people who you surround yourself with, is the clearest indicator of who you are and who you are becoming. I was thinking about this quote one Sunday as I was prepping my lunches for the upcoming week. It makes my mornings really easy for me each day of the work week. I just reach in the fridge, grab my stuff, throw it in my lunch bag and hit the road without having to do a lot of preparation on a daily basis.. because my environment is stronger than my willpower.

Is what you’re doing in your daily life serving you towards accomplishing the goals you have set for yourself? Are you setting yourself up for success? That’s one of the things we talk about with clients all the time in our office at Physio Room; setting themselves up for success!

So let’s take food prep for example. If you’re prepping your food in advance, you’re taking the guesswork out of what your meals are going to be throughout the week and you are much more likely to stick to whatever your dietary plan is for that week. That’s because the decisions are already made for you. Like, “oh, yes, I’m eating this for lunch every single day because I prepped it.”

Now, I have a little bit of variety built into mine. I sort of altered some of the ingredients and the spices in some of my meals so that they don’t taste exactly the same and to prevent me from getting bored. But a lot of the decision making is gone for me. So now the likelihood that I’m going to stop at a fast food place or on the way home because I’m hungry is virtually eliminated.

It’s virtually zero. Because unless I go through the food significantly faster than I planned on, I already know what I’m going to eat for the week. So I’m not going to get what we call “decision fatigue”. And I’m sure you’ve all been there. Say you’re at a party or something and you go into that party hungry and there’s a bunch of really good food, healthy foods, vegetables, fruits, proteins, and things to choose from.

But then there’s that dessert table sitting there too, and you’re hanging out at the party. You nibble on some fruit and nibble on some vegetables, and you’re making really good decisions early on. But how hard is it to keep that up? The decision fatigue starts to set in and the more decisions you have to make, the harder it is to continue to make the really, really good, healthy decisions over and over and over again.

If you can set your environment up so that those decisions aren’t really there, you’re going to be so much better off.

Here’s another example with people who exercise on a regular basis. Part of their lifestyle is that the people who are the most consistent with their exercise routines are the ones who work out in the morning. Now, you might say, “Andrew, my lifestyle and my responsibilities don’t accommodate me working out in the morning. I would have to wake up at 04:00 a.m. in order to do that.”

And that might be very well true.

I’m just saying what the statistics show and it’s that the people who are the most consistent with their workouts and not missing them are the ones who work out in the morning. Well, one of the reasons is.. it doesn’t allow to hit the fan throughout the day that derails your plans to go work out. Say, for example, I’m planning to work out after work. I get up, get dressed, go to work, have a normal day, and then I drive home. I’m planning to get home, change clothes, and then go do my workout.

But right when I get home, the phone rings and it’s something that I have to take care of right at that moment. It’s a semi emergency. Maybe it’s not a real significant emergency (like someone’s health or anything like that) but something very pressing distracts you from what your plan originally was. So say that takes you an hour to take care of that issue from that phone call. What’s the likelihood that you’re still going to change into your workout clothes and get your workout in that you had planned on?

Maybe, maybe not! But now, your environment is making it challenging for you to prioritize your workout and you will need to rely much more on your willpower.

Remember, your environment is stronger than your willpower every single time.

Your willpower is like a muscle and eventually it’s going to fatigue and you want to be able to fall back on your environment when you need to.

If you’re looking for some guidance, our team at Physio Room can definitely help you. We are more than healthcare providers. We’re your support system! We’re here to make your life better and set you up for success. Contact us anytime. 

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Shoulder pain can be debilitating. It can keep you from doing the things that you love like working out, golfing, cycling, crossfit, the list goes on and on. The pain can be challenging to manage. You may find yourself asking: Should I ice it? Can I move it? How did this happen? When will the pain go away? These are some of the most common questions that come up when we have an injury. Shoulders are no exception to the injury bug.

The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body. More movement – or range of motion – comes from the shoulder joint than any other spot in our bodies. Due to the amount of movement that the shoulder has it can be more prone to injuries than other areas of our body. Some of the most common ways to injure the shoulder include overhead sports, overhead lifting, and poor body mechanics. What can we do to avoid these injuries?

In order to prevent the onset of shoulder injuries we need to take a multi-faceted approach. Our bodies must move well. Think of our muscles as working as a system. Each part of the system must function well in order for the whole thing to be successful. If one or multiple parts are not moving well, then inevitably we will see a decrease in the system’s performance. The system must be strong as well. If one part is working much harder than the rest, it will more likely fail first. A system that is strong, and moves well – is mobile – must also be stable. When one of these components fails, we may begin to experience pain.

When one of the pieces of the shoulder system is not working well it is advantageous to address these issues quickly. Below you will find a few different mobility drills that aid in improving the quality of your shoulder movement. Please feel free to watch the videos below.

For more information about the shoulder Physio Room will be hosting a workshop on Shoulder Pain on Tuesday November 19, at 7pm, located at : 8925 S Ridgeline Blvd #102, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129.

Click here for details and to sign up: https://signup.physioroomco.com/shoulderseminar

Shoulder Mobility for Overhead Movements

Super Front Rack

Shoulder Openers with Resistance Band

Pec Opener with Resistance Band

The post Are You Living With Shoulder Pain…? appeared first on Physio Room.

Golf is an intricate sport and your swing is the most important piece of the puzzle. Ensuring you are making the most of your swing will not only improve your game but also help protect your body as you play.

So, how can we make improvements cost-free and on your own time? The proper warmups can help along with a couple of quick mobility drills. Check out these instructional videos – try them out and let us know if you notice a difference!

Pre-Game Warmup

Prayer Stretch

Pelvis Mobility

Thoracic Mobility

The post Want To Improve Your Golf Swing? Tips and Tricks… appeared first on Physio Room.

Of course, there are many treatments we can provide for you here in the clinic that will ease, help correct and begin to heal your aching knees. Dry Needling, soft tissue mobilization, deep tissue laser session and corrective exercise are all tools in our tool box our doctors can use to get you the relief you are after.

There are several things you can be doing on your own, however, that will offer you relief without having to come in and see us. Dr. Chris will walk us through several postures, tips on safe and proper form, stretches and exercise that will keep you and your knees moving forward, pain-free.

Dead Lifting and Squat

Glute Activation

Glute Activation Cont’d

Ice Skaters

Activation Drill

Hip Extension

Reverse Hyper Extension

Lower Body Foam Rolling

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However, no matter the age, body type, sport or motivation, there is one thing that all athletes have in common; they all want to feel good and succeed. It is in this light that sports physical therapist and performance based PT has received a considerable amount of attention in recent years. Much of this awareness has developed over the past decade, due to an increased participation by individuals in recreational activities, the government’s role in encouraging physical fitness and an increase in the publicity given to professional athletes and their injuries. Most importantly, performance, recovery, and physical therapy clinics have been developing at a considerable pace, because Physio Room is keeping athletes at the top of their game through pain relief, accelerated recovery and performance enhancement.

Physio Room is keeping abreast of the latest advances in the field, most recently with the use of deep tissue laser therapy, a technique that has been shown to benefit non-professional and elite athletes alike.

The basic science behind deep tissue laser therapy is compelling. Cells absorb the light and undergo significant positive changes. Studies have shown that impaired cells have a stronger response than healthy cells. So, the light seems to produce the most benefit where it is most needed.

Lasers work by impacting cellular function. Damaged cells will absorb and become energized by photonic energy; this has been well documented with over 2,000 clinical studies stretching back 30 years. Stimulated cells increase adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, and dramatically reduce inflammation, pain and swelling. This modality may be considered a “healing” process, as it quickly corrects compromised cellular function, allowing the body to heal itself.

Physio Room prepares our athletes for the challenges ahead and keeps them healthy on multiple levels and with the addition of deep tissue laser therapy, sports chiropractors can also offer a variety of patients a new tool for reducing pain and accelerating their recovery to get them back on the field more quickly.

Conditions which have shown significant improvements using this form of therapy without the use of drugs or surgery include, but are not limited to, medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow), lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), patellar tendinitis, muscle strains (quadriceps, hamstrings, forearm, shoulder, oblique), joint sprains (ankle and knee mainly), carpal tunnel
syndrome, neck pain and low back pain. Whether your patient is a professional, college, high school or amateur athlete, they may benefit from laser therapy, getting individuals back into their game, whatever it may be, at the “speed of light.”

FREE DEEP TISSUE LASER SESSION WITH ANY INITIAL EVALUATION IF YOU MENTION THIS POST!

CALL 720-316-9974 TO SCHEDULE TODAY!

The post Deep Tissue Laser: Relief for Lifestyle Related Pain and Dysfunction appeared first on Physio Room.

Today we are in the clinic talking about overuse injuries. What is an overuse injury? This usually occurs when we do too MUCH, too SOON. What happens, then, is we create a micro-trauma state within the muscles being used. In other words, you are breaking down that muscle tissue more than what your body may be used to.

Let’s look at an example of this. It’s spring, it’s getting nice out and you may want to get out there and swing that golf club a little more than you had been over the winter months. Maybe you get out there and end up hitting 100+ balls when your body is accustomed to hitting no more than 60. This can start to create that micro-trauma state, causing your muscles to become aggravated and inflamed.

What we would like to see you do in this circumstance is to back off (but not stop!) that activity a little bit. Let’s bring it back down to what your body is more accustomed to and keep your increases smaller with a little bit more time in between.

Even more beneficial in treating this overuse is a Deep Tissue Laser Treatment, offered here in the Physio Room clinic. The laser will increase your cellular energy level through increased ATP (adenosine triphosphate) production. Additionally it reduces the inflammation you are experiencing and this is key to getting back to what we want to be doing more quickly.

If you think you may be suffering from an overuse injury, we want to hear from you. Comment “overuse” on this post and let us help! And, as always, if you have learned something, SHARE!

The post Overuse Injury appeared first on Physio Room.

Text Neck and Computer Neck occur when our head is being pushed too far forward as we spend lengths of time gazing down toward our computer screens or looking down into our phones. We typically see this problem start to arise at the office while we are sitting at a work station. Then, as the day goes on, our bodies become more fatigued and therefore our posture becomes more and more forward, father and farther out of alignment. By the end of the day, and especially by the end of the week, you may find you are experiencing an increase in pain in the back of the neck and, soon, all the surrounding areas can begin to ache.

I am going to show you two quick things you can do that will help you with this at home or at the office.

First, let’s do some chin tucks. You will want to use your hand to push your chin back, almost like you are trying to give yourself a double chin. Let go. Repeat.

Doing several of these chin tucks will help build up the muscles in your neck and remind your body where your chin is naturally meant to rest. This will help address the fatigue happening over the course of your day or your week.

Second, we would like to see you doing some isometric exercises. This also aids in strengthening the muscles in your neck. Bring your hand to your forehead and push your head forward, pressing into your hand. Hold for about 5 seconds. Next, bring your hand to the left side of your head, push against your hand for another 5 seconds. Repeat this with your hand on the right side and, finally, repeat with your hand on the back of your head.

I hope you find these tips helpful! If you find yourself with either Text Neck or Computer neck and want to learn more, tag us in our post with any questions. We would love to help you out.

The post Text Neck / Computer Neck appeared first on Physio Room.

Hi, everyone! Dr. Chris Robl here with Physio Room and we have my wife, Courtney, and our youngest, Zachary, in the clinic today to talk to you a little bit about what Mom Shoulder (or Mom Posture) is and ways to treat this and prevent it from coming back.

Mom shoulder basically happens when we’re repetitively holding a baby or nursing a baby and your shoulders get ‘stuck’ in a forward or rounded posture. As your shoulder is constantly being rounded forward your rotator cuff then becomes stretched out. This leads to shoulder instability and we find that you will then start incorporating your upper trap for stability instead. In turn, we start seeing the persistent neck and shoulder pain, stiffness and strain.

So, let’s talk about a couple of drills to help you get out of this Mom Shoulder posture. You want to take a band in the hand of whichever side your irritation is on. You will want your elbow bent at 90 degrees and down to your side, shoulder blade down and set. We then want you to rotate our hand (holding the band) in an outward motion – you will go from elbow in, hand facing forward to elbow in, hand facing out from your side. You want to continue this motion until you start to get a nice little burn in the back side of your shoulder. Let’s go 3 sets of 10 reps to start and work our way up to 30 reps.

In addition to that strengthening exercise, we also want to be thinking about stretching these tight muscles out of their ‘stuck’ posture. Again, starting on the side that feels more irritated, begin by holding your arm long and straight down to your side, pulling those shoulder blades down into your back so that we’re not resting in this forward position. Use your remaining hand to slowly pull your head away from your shoulder. By doing this we are going to get a nice gentle stretch through the trap and the neck, relieving any pain and tightness caused by your Mom Posture.

If you have any questions about what we have talked about today please give us a call and, as always, if you have learned anything from today’s video, please like and share. We appreciate the support, thank you very much for everything you do for us here at Physio Room. Have a great day!

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