5 Tips on Injury Prevention, Health & Exercise

Please note that the information below is a general guideline. This is more or less an informal FYI for you on various topics. If you have had a recent injury, it is always best to visit a physician or doctor for an accurate diagnosis. This is not meant to take the place of an exam for any injury or condition.

1) One of my favorite at home tools is… not the cordless drill, but a foam roller.

The foam roller is great for breaking up tight muscle tissue (muscle knots), while at the same time pushing blood into the area. You can use it before and after runs/workouts or focus on tight, trouble areas while you watch TV. I recommend this guy to most all of my patients for two main reasons: 1) this is a device that gives you an “at home” remedy for muscle problems (preventative maintenance), and 2) it helps to promote the kind of muscle work that is done in our office, which aids in decreasing your recovery time.

Foam rollers typically come in 12”, 24” and 36” lengths. I like the 36” length because it is more stable and allows for you to turn and continue rolling without falling off or readjusting.


There are several great sites on YouTube. Any of the top 4-5 search results will provide you with the information you need to get going. If you need more instruction, or have a question, please feel free to email me or just stop by the office and I’ll be happy to clear up any questions you may have.

Need a core workout? Try standing on the foam roller. It is unstable which recruits more core muscle fiber, but be very careful. It’s pretty easy to roll off. This is a more difficult move and you need to know your limits. Please don’t try this if you are just getting started.

If you like what you are reading, please feel free to sign up for our newsletter.






2) Barefoot running has become increasingly popular.


Stores are sold out of the Vibram Five Fingers shoes as soon as they get shipments in. If you are eagerly waiting for your shoes to arrive, here’s something positive you can put that restless energy into:

Start by going barefoot around the house (no slippers, inside shoes, etc). Walk around the yard and driveway more in your bare feet.

Next try picking up marbles (or something similar) with your toes. You can also incorporate towel toe curls. Put a towel on the floor and using your toes, grab and curl (pull) the towel towards you. Do this while you watch TV or read.

For muscles of the lower leg and ankle area, use resistance bands while performing active range of motion with the foot.

Once you get those nifty new sleds (your shoes), gradually increase the amount of time and distance you walk in them. Soon you’ll be running with less chance of injury.

My concern is for those of you who have not done much in the way of strengthening the muscles in and around the foot. If you have consistently worn a shoe that stabilizes and supports the foot, then the muscles of the foot have not been called upon, for some time, to work at a higher level. Meaning, they are not as strong as they need to be to run barefoot.

If you would like more information or have question about this topic, please feel free to send me an email.



3) Stretching.


It’s a word I hear a lot from folks and it can be a rather lengthy discussion when it comes to answering various questions on the topic. I’d like to simplify it a bit and give you one example as to how you can incorporate stretching into your workout.

Before I begin, you need to know what “The Stick” is. If not, please come by the office or visit an athletic / running store as they will mostly likely also carry these in stock. This little device can help save you time and provide a great pre and post warm up and cool down.

For most of us, time is a big factor when it comes to our workouts. We juggle jobs, kids, etc and allowing 1 to 1 ½ hrs for our daily exercise is about the max. Many resources will indicate that it’s best to do a pre and post workout stretch. So, who wants to spend 15-20 minutes stretching before and 5-10 minutes stretching after exercising, when all you have is a 60-90 minute window? Consider this:

Warm up with an easy jog at 1/4 pace gradually increasing slightly to no more than 1/2 pace. How far depends on your current conditioning, but a general rule of thumb is to run until you are warm, and break a light sweat. You can jump rope if you can’t get into a gym or outside. If running outdoors, do a course that will bring you back to the house or apartment; this way you can put The Stick in your car, garage, mailbox, etc. and use it for part two. This should take you about 4-8 minutes to get warm. Approximate total = 6mins

Using “The Stick”- work the low back, gluts, legs, calves. When I say “work”, I mean – up and down is one repetition. Try to do 15-20 reps per area. Ok, when I say “area” I mean – work the hamstrings, quads, inside and outside of the legs, and front and back of the calves, etc. If an area feels particularly tight, add another 5 reps or so. Approximate total = 4mins

Next, do some focused Dynamic Stretching. This will vary depending on what type of workout you are about to engage in. For example, if you are going for a run, you can focus primarily on lower body stretches. If you are getting ready to play a pick up game of basketball you will want to spend a little more time stretching the muscles that pull your legs in and out (adductors and abductors) as well as shoulders, chest and neck. There are loads of good Dynamic Stretches on YouTube (I especially like one of the first to come up by Josh Lee). It is simply not feasible for me to get into specific detail on each specific Dynamic Stretch, but if you have questions please feel free to email me or just ask next time you are in the office. Search “Dynamic Stretching” on YouTube and while you watch, write down several of these that apply to your activity. Approximate total (not including the prep time to learn about Dynamic Stretching) = 5 minutes

Ok, have fun and enjoy your work out. Afterwards, use The Stick again over the same areas. This will help to flush out lactic acid and push blood and oxygen into the tissues. Approximate total = 3 minutes. If you want, you can also use The Stick again after you shower.

6+4+5+3=18 minutes of stretching activity, which includes a warm up run, using The Stick (gets the arm and shoulder muscles working) and Dynamic Stretching (active movements – can be like a mini workout on it’s own). It’s a much more effective way to prepare your body and mind for the upcoming physical activity.

Please keep in mind this is a very general example, but does demonstrate how to incorporate more movement and stretch specific activity into your routine. It’s information to help you move through life pain free.

If you like what you are reading, please feel free to sign up for our newsletter.





4) If you feel guilty about cheating every now and again, here’s some good news. “Three Sins” that have medicinal value:


Dark Beer (1-2/ day)
Dark Chocolate (keep it reasonable – not the whole bar!)
Red Wine (1-2/ glasses / day)

Socrates may have said it best, “It is not living that matters, but living rightly”.



5) Here is a common question I get from runners and other athletes in regards to pain; “When should I visit you for my pain?”


The question I tend to hear in my mind is, “What is bad pain vs. good pain?”
Most athletes have experienced pain. Most athletes play, run, swim, bike, etc. with or through pain at some point. The reason I mention this is because pain is not necessarily a bad thing. If you disagree, consider the following:

Have you ever had a hard workout and for the next 1-3 days had pain in the areas you worked? Most likely, yes. It is because your hard workout essentially tore muscle fiber, which is why you are sore, and the body is repairing the area with stronger muscle fiber. This is a healthy response to exercise. This type of pain is not bad.

Have you ever broken a bone or had a stress fracture? If not, then A) lucky you, and B) the pain is much different than in the above example. The area is throbbing; it can become black and blue, the pain feels deep, no matter what position you try to get to relieve it, the pain does not stop. With this pain, you more or less have a gut feeling that this is bad.

What about those who have been diagnosed with cancer? For years it is often present without causing any signs of pain, but we know cancer is life threatening serious stuff.

So, pain is not always a bad thing. One is healthy pain, the other: broken bone and bad pain. In the last example, pain may not even be present in the midst of a serious problem.

What about pain that can feel a bit like both the first and second examples? It may come and go, gets worse then better – then worse again, maybe the activity makes it better but when you stop it creeps back again. The pain can feel deep or just under the skin, in one area, or in a large area. Maybe the pain has a pattern or maybe not. When someone describes this to me I usually recommend they visit the office.

Why? Because it’s your body’s way of telling you that the problem may be more involved. When your body is coping with pain, it is almost always also compensating for a problem. Continuous compensation can lead to problems and dysfunction in other muscle groups, which leads to pain. In addition, when an athlete is working in this type of scenario, it dramatically increases the chance of injury. Most active folks don’t like being sidelined. It’s usually pretty fair to assume that they are trying to do things at home to improve the situation (Web MD anyone?). But if the things they are doing are not working, then it’s time to get another opinion and another pair of eyes to evaluate what’s going on.



If any of this sounds familiar, please give us a call to see if we can help. (704) 684-0307