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HEALTH & FITNESS GIVE THE GIFT OF
HEALTH AND FITNESS THIS YEAR
by Paula Allia T ime is fast approaching and we are already
PT, DHSc, MTC, OCS amidst the holiday season. If you haven’t done
so already, it is time to reflect back through the but if that ligament is stretched hypermobility occurs.
Finding year and to see what you could have done better.
impairments It has been a very busy year at Fitness Together in
downtown Naples.Each year I reflect back upon patients
early is and clients and try to think about what could have been
extremely done differently to affect the outcome. After all, we do
helpful and all hands on physical therapy and one-on-one training.
correction I personally listen to my patients and what their needs
will put you are and try and address them each and every session.The
back on track most pertinent parts of a physical therapist’s job is to
to using your recognize signs and symptoms but to also find the cause
joints and in order to avoid reoccurrences.
muscles in an
optimal way. Clients that come into FT per request get assessed
for movement impairments. This entails various
Fitness Together movements, biomechanical and neuromuscular
335 14th Ave South assessments. Once these systems are assessed results
are reviewed and correlated with any current physical
Naples, FL 34102 issues. Some findings will correlate directly. These areas
239.263.9348 are inspected especially if a person has symptoms and a
specific program is designed…BUT…why not address
FitnessTogether.com/Naples impairments even if they are not symptomatic?
Clients that have been treated say that they wish that
they would have come in sooner to be evaluated. This is
a common remark; the thought is that they could have
addressed these issues. Actually, people should come
in for an assessment even if they are not symptomatic
because movement system impairments can be present
far before the threshold of pain is reached. These
imbalances can be corrected and major orthopedic
dysfunctions can be avoided all together. If there are
some mild symptoms it is definitely best to be proactive
in order to enhance the body to heal itself with the right
education and exercises for a specific problem. Early
findings is the missing link to the quality of the rest of
an active lifestyle.
People have imbalances in their body that go
unaddressed. Unfortunately many areas that may
be imbalanced can only be found by a trained eye.
Unidentified wear and tear over the years may
progress to the threshold limit and thus dysfunctions
become painful and symptomatic and may result in
an altered life.
We all have a combination of mobility, stability and
flexibility. Joints are designed as a structural framework
for muscular and ligamentous attachments. There are
many types of joints in the body and depending upon
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the architecture a joint motion is different. Ligaments
help to check that motion and add to the joint’s stability
Increasing joint mobility is not always a good thing and
this excessive motion may lead to an unstable joint.
Flexibility and extensibility in tissue is usually
considered to be a good thing if within a normal limits.
If either too much or little, joint structures may be at risk
for injury due to decreasing the proper biomechanical
structural support needed for normal kinesiology and
functional movement.
Stability of a joint is pertinent to good functional use
during movement. If, for example, a joint is hypermobile,
local musculature has to compensate in order to perform
activities. Many times the muscles work overtime to
stabilize a joint and this is done in the neuromuscular
system.The muscles may develop hypertrophy or tension
from their excess contribution in attempts of stabilizing.
Muscles that are overworked are sometimes
mistaken for tight muscles. Thus, a person stretches out
that muscle. It seems to alleviate the tight feeling but it
then tightens again; In actuality, some of these muscles
may be long and weak because they are called upon
to fire when they are actually stretched. Then muscles
may need to be strengthened in a shorter range and the
proper angles are key.
A vicious cycle commences and goes unrecognized
until some muscles are indeed overworked while others
are reflexively inhibited and weakened. The trained eye
can observe these movement impairments.The improper
pattern needs to be halted and a plan of execution can
get the joints and muscles firing properly in order to
correct abnormal patterns. The longer these movement
patterns are altered the more chance of developing pain.
In summary, do not wait to have your body
checked for proper movement patterns in the joints
and surrounding musculature. Finding impairments
early is extremely helpful and correction will put you
back on track to using your joints and muscles in
an optimal way. The answer is not always stretching.
Proper strength, length tension in combination with
proper rolls, slides, and glides for your joints may allow
you a better quality of life with active participation in
all life has to offer.
Give the gift of fitness to yourself and learn what we
can do for you. Maintaining your body in an optimal
way is the best present you can give yourself.
Merry Fitness to you and your body!
Life in Naples | December 2016