BASIC PRINCIPLES

1. Maintain the normal curves of your spine with  static or dynamic activities
2. Ask for help or assistance when appropriate
3. Push rather than pull
4. Move as often as possible – avoid static positions for extended periods of time
5. Minimize time spent sitting – Get up and move around every 15-30 minutes

Sit with your thighs parallel to the ground. Sitting is not relaxing, it is work

1. Do not lift and twist at the same time. Pivot your feet, don’t twist your back

Maintain a wide and stable base of support when lifting

1. Keep items close to your body when lifting and carrying objects

Let your legs do the work – not the back

Never lift with straight legs

Don’t reach over furniture to open or close windows

Don’t lift heavy objects from car trunks

Don’t lift from a bending forward position

Squat directly in front of the object you plan to lift, keeping it close to your body

1. Lift objects with your legs, not with your back
2. Core strength is essential – keep your stomach muscles tight when lifting an object or transferring from one position to another

Trigger point dry needling (dry needling) is a new modality that is becoming used more frequently in the physical therapy world, but what is it exactly? Dry needling is a technique that is used by doctors, physical therapists and some chiropractors. The objective is to find a painful myofascial trigger point (or “knot”) in the taut band of muscle, and release the trigger point using an acupuncture-like needle. The response we are looking for is a local muscle twitch response to help “reset” the muscle cell to function properly once again.

Many times, if you are experiencing low back pain, your doctor might refer you to physical therapy for “core strengthening.” There’s been some research into core stabilization in relation to back pain and by understanding the core and how it works, it will bring light to the importance of your core and how it directly affects your spine.

At Spectrum Rehab and our sports performance division, Max Performance, we require all new athletes to participate in a “sports screen” prior to coming in for training. Many parents and kids want to know why they need to do this and why they can’t start training until after they have one.