Ruck Spine and Sport

04/28/2026

Diagnostic labels may do more harm than good! Providers should be focused on function, empowering patients, and achieving goals and NOT scaring patients about their faulty anatomy.

04/21/2026

I’ve had several patients who, after prolonged layoffs were going to resume their usual run routine. This is a load management problem. I’d much rather see a graded exposure approach, slowly uncreated jog time. It’s worth the extra time to allow for soft tissue adaptation before you return to pre lay off runs. Comment”return” for a sample return to run protocol.

03/19/2026

I’ve seen a lot of this lately… patients who have been completely disempowered by health care providers, taught that their body is fragile and dysfunctional and they need to be “fixed”. My approach is 1)be honest about what they need and don’t need 2)help them reframe pain and how they think about their body 3)establish realistic expectations 4) work towards goals.

01/26/2026

11/08/2025

Not much to say about the viral videos where the chiropractor yanks on the neck with a towel or strap. Patients want to know my thoughts…. 👉🏼It’s a click bait party trick where the benefits (none I can think of) don’t outweigh the risks.

07/10/2025

This patient was riddled with chronic pain most notably sciatica. She became reliant on a chiropractor 30 minutes away who fed her the grossly outdated narrative that her pain was from misalignment and of course his magical treatment was necessary to keep her functioning. Relief was temporary at best and at worst became a total waste of time and money. She was also consulting several other health professionals. 👉🏼Our treatment….1)STOPPED her from seeing the Chiropractor 2) SLOWLY exposed her to movements she had avoided for years 3) Designed a real STRENGTH training program based on her hobbies, lifestyle, and goals 4) Built her CONFIDENCE in her ability to manage symptoms. The only harm done… the Chiropractor’s pockets.🤑

06/26/2025

The impacts of sleep deprivation are far reaching affecting immunity, recovery, athletic performance, and mental health. Also worth mentioning that studies show a direct correlation between chronic pain and sleep deprivation.

02/14/2025

Every week I hear of a PTs, chiropractors, and others feed patients’ fears by advising them to limit basic (and necessary) movements. “Don’t deadlift “, “Don’t flex your spine”, “Be careful lifting”, etc. These generalizations are unproven and counterproductive. Instead of limiting, how about we expose and reintroduce movements that those with chronic pain often avoid?

12/13/2024

A lot has changed in our understanding of pain. Oversimplified (dumbed down) pain explanations probably cause more harm than good.

11/27/2024

This patient, in his 30’s had various iterations of chronic low back pain for 10+ years…. ✔️What I DIDN’T do…crack his back (he tried that already), tell him how screwed up his spine was (he heard that before), put him on a prolonged treatment plan (BS)
✔️What I DID do… redesign his workout routine, returned him to activities he had abandoned, built up his confidence in his back as a strong, adaptable structure.

09/23/2024

Estimates are that there were over 65,000 pickleball related ER visits in 2023. The vast majority are in those over 50. Many are starting pickleball having not played a sport in years or decades! While there is no single program or exercise that can guarantee injury prevention, we can better prepare the body for the stresses and strains of the sport. This easy to follow guide will show you simple ways to improve balance and muscle:tendon strength. If you’re over 50, the work you do outside of the game may be what keeps you in the game!