ANDGO Physiotherapy

12/05/2023

05/19/2023

Overhead lifting is a functional motion that, when done correctly, protects the back and spine from necessary strain while allowing us to generate power to move things much heavier than ourselves. This includes movements in the gym like barbell lifts or kettlebell swings, but swinging our kids or moving boxes down from a shelf require the same skills.

Our shoulders function as torque machines that allow us to manipulate a load to bring it toward or away from our body, this requires flexibility and strength. This system is easy to overload if unprepared by lack of training or prep work. It can also be limited by faulty mechanics like stiffness in the posterior shoulder or upper back.

The posterior shoulder provides the back stop to keep the upper arm from sliding backwards off the shoulder blade. Two of the largest muscles in this area are the latissimus dorsi (lat) and the tricep. They help extend the shoulder behind the back, so for flexion in front of the body they help maintain tension and sets the shoulder joint in place.

A limitation for most people to get the arms overhead is thoracic stiffness in the upper back. Our thorax is made of the middle segments of our spinal column and the rib cage. They provide a stable base to support the head and shoulder girdle, but due to overuse or poor posture can make it difficult to get the arms overhead.

Programming for overhead mobility needs to find a balance between stability for the upper back to support the arms, but enough flexibility to absorb a heavy load and control lifting and lowering the arms. Not being able to get the arms overhead can be a humbling experience, but spending time on mobilizing the thorax and the shoulder extensor muscles (lat and tricep) can make overhead lifting less painful and safer.

If you need more resources to help move with less pain, contact me to find out more!

05/09/2023

“UNGLUE your sticks” Calves edition.

aka “What is the deal with calves!?!”
aka “Don’t have a cow. Move your calves.”

(My daughter recently pulled her calf muscle while at her school running club…)

Did you ever notice more tightness or pain in your calves after a workout with running or jumping? Calf muscles are notorious for getting tight and being a bear to unwind. Part of this is because of their job as a stabilizer for the lower body, where they make sure our upper half can balance on top of our feet.

The other part is their job in generating power over a short period of time. Athletics requires movements to be done in a short amount of time, the more we move and in less time, the more intensity! In physics this is power (power = work over time) and can be measured in horsepower.

When we think, horsepower, think of the force generated by compressing pistons. We build up power in our lower legs the same way by compressing (contracting) our calf muscles. In athletics we call exercises that generate power plyometrics and they demand a lot out of our muscles for strength and flexibility. Plyometrics are the mechanism for running, jumping, and change of direction.

Our calves are made up of two muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) that together form the triceps surae and achilles’ tendon complex. These tissues work together to keep the soles of our feet in contact with the ground and absorb the resistance from the ground as we do things like run, jump and lift (the ground reaction force). To do this, an athlete’s calves need to handle loads up to 8 times their body weight!

We then use the lower half of the complex (the achilles’ tendon part that attaches to our heel) to move and bounce. To try this out, just perform some heel raises; hold onto something stationary and lift your heels off the ground so only the front of your foot and toes are on the ground. Notice your calves never relax once they are compressed, your achilles’ tendon is now doing all the movement and work.

So what is the big deal if our calves are tight? The primary concern is losing power and efficiency with our movement, making the body have to work harder and opening us up to injury down the road. If our calves cannot get to their full length, they can’t handle all that force we are generating. Flexibility training helps us regain that length. And they are quick to do as part of our mobility WODs. If it is too late and we are already in pain or suspect an injury to this area, schedule an appointment to assess what the problem may be.

04/27/2023

AndGo Physio is back at Spring Lake CrossFit Tonight!

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