Christopher Walters, PT

04/15/2024

This guy just knows how to have fun.

01/15/2024

Please be careful on social media as scammers keep trying to say that businesses or people are infringing on upon trademarked material. Interesting concept. Did they even read my posts?

12/29/2023

As a physical therapist, sometimes I hear the wildest stories.

05/31/2023

All right friends and acquaintances, I need to find a recommendation on a local Sports Nutritionist. Any recommendations?
Thanks ahead of time.

05/08/2023

When you are self filming and she thinks your decoy is another hen so she feels comfortable enough to lay down in front of your blind.

04/27/2023

Do weightlifting belts help or not?
This is a longstanding debate and even I thought differently but here is a recent article discussing just that.

Intra-Abdominal Pressure and Weightlifting Belts
Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) refers to the amount of pressure that is generated inside the abdominal cavity. This is important as increasing IAP will help to stiffen the spine and reduce spinal compressive forces. All athletes should know how to properly brace their spine to stabilize it during heavy lifting activities. For more on bracing, read “Brace Yourself, A Bigger Squat is Coming.”

A belt further increases IAP by up to 15% in the deadlift and 40% in the squat, thus allowing an athlete to better stabilize their spine during heavy lifting (PMID 2709981, 1533266).

Weightlifting Belts and Bar Speed
The increase in IAP from a weightlifting belt comes with the performance advantage of being able to increase barbell lifting speed. A 2001 study found that athletes lifting 90% of their one-rep max back squat significantly faster when wearing a weightlifting belt vs. not. “This suggests that the use of a weight belt may improve a lifter’s explosive power by increasing the speed of the movement without compromising the joint range of motion or overall lifting technique. (PMID 11710410)”

Do Weightlifting Belts Make Your Core Weak?
One of the most common misunderstandings of weightlifting belts is the idea that they might weaken your core. Research on abdominal muscle activation has shown no significant differences between lifting with a belt versus without (PMID 11932579). The belt helps you use the same muscle activation but with a stiff surface to press your muscles into to create greater intra-abdominal pressure, as discussed above.

Athletes should know how to brace with and without a lifting belt but should not worry that using it will create long-term imbalances.

Will Wearing a Belt Reduce Injury Risk?
At this time of this article being written, no research has examined if wearing a weightlifting belt reduces injury risk in lifters. One study on physical labor workers found that there were not any significant differences in injury incidence and low back injuries between workers that wore a belt versus those that did not (PMID 11105177). But an important note here is that the lifting tasks of physical laborers are very different from weightlifters, meaning these results may not hold true for fitness athletes.

Conclusion
No, weightlifting belts won’t make your core weak. Nor will they likely prevent injuries. But they will let you further stiffen your spine for heavy lifting, allowing you to move more weight and overload your leg muscles more.
More

03/27/2023

I have been there, done this and that, had surgery and had rehab. When it comes down to it, how experienced is your therapist?

For many people, hip and knee pain can be a way of life. It can pose issues when trying to enjoy leisurely walks, climb up stairs, or bend down to retrieve a dropped item. It can greatly hinder your ability to perform and enjoy daily activities. But we want you to be able to enjoy life! Contact us for relief.

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03/21/2023

Always keep moving and exercising especially as we age. We need to
maintain muscle as we as range of motion. See the link in the article below.

The majority of individuals feel that in order to stay in shape, they must devote hours each day to working out or going to the gym. This is why so many of us claim that we don’t have time to work out! Exercising and remaining physically fit, on the other hand, does not have to take hours out of your day.

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01/27/2023

As a physical therapist who treats a lot of shoulder injuries, I often see patients who want to get back to archery following an injury or surgery. I often get asked what muscles are involved. Here goes: for the arm lifting and holding the bow: The anterior deltoid, the pectoral muscles and the triceps for maintaining the extended arm position as well as the rotator cuff for stabilization.
The drawing/pulling arm: latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, middle trapezius, biceps and brachialis plus input from the rotator cuff. They have to work in unison and they have to be strong. Rotator cuff injuries seem to be the number injury as to why people stop participating in archery and lack of rehab as often the main reason that they never return to the sport.