Physical Performance
The human body can perform so many marvellous feats: balance on a high wire, do triple somersaults in the air, stunts on a cantering horse, run marathons, ski downhill at breakneck speed. These are just some of the things that humans have been able to achieve with their physical performance which are made up of bones, joined by ligaments, moved by muscles, controlled by the brain. The brain programs the body’s musculoskeletal system to move in a strategic way to bring about complex, coordinated movement.
When a race car is well-built and maintained, it can perform to its maximum potential. Likewise, a human body, with the right build, training, diet and motivations, can win races, competitions, and tournaments. Elite athletes perform at high levels, and it is to their advantage when body alignment and movement is as close to ideal as possible.
Recreational athletes can also perform optimally when they have the right alignment, movement patterns and training methods. Physiotherapists not only treat injuries and pain, but also perform screening for injury prevention, and can enhance physical performance for anyone who wants to perform at their best.
Fundamental screening tests include analysis of alignment, strength, flexibility, core muscle strength, balance, coordination, and sport specific movement. By putting a person through the screening tests including analyzing the movement required, we can identify weak links, risk of injury and make adjustments for better performance.
Standing alignment is a fundamental starting position and should be optimized for movement. If there are faulty shifts in the body in standing, then they are going to transfer into the movement. Shifts and compressions can occur anywhere in the body, commonly in the neck, spine, ribs, pelvis, hips and feet. The shifts are caused by muscle imbalances, tissue tightness and scar tissue from previous injuries and poor posture. At Physio For Life, we correct these shifts using manual hands-on techniques that balance out the tensions acting on the whole body, to achieve as optimal a posture and alignment as possible.
Examples of clients interested in performance enhancement are a hockey player who desires to be more agile, a runner who would like to run a marathon, a kayaker who wants more efficient strokes, a pregnant woman who is preparing for birth, a senior who wants to walk and hike freely without limitations.
At Physio For Life, we have clients with no particular pain or symptom, but come in simply because they want better posture, and to perform a particular sport or activity without injuring themselves. An example is a client who had just started figure skating and felt that her ankles were unstable because her knees kept falling inwards as she skated. She wanted to be able to skate on an outside edge with stability and confidence. Physiotherapy assessment revealed she had a misaligned pelvis and reduced core muscle strength. When the pelvis was aligned and weak muscles activated, her single-leg balance improved, and this translated into a better skating technique.
Knowing something about the particular sport or activity such as the physical demands, key movements and proper technique is helpful as seen in the following examples:
A golf pro had just had hip replacement surgery and was coming to Physio for Life for post-surgical rehabilitation. Toward the end of his rehabilitation when it was safe to return to golf, his golf swing was analyzed. The non-neutral postures (too much trunk side and back bending, excessive lateral hip and pelvic shifts) he was forcing his body through would put stress on the replaced hip and was probably the cause of the osteoarthritis in the first place. Recommendations were made for a more neutral spine during the swing which avoided excessive trunk side/ back bending and lateral pelvic shifting but mostly spinal rotation. This felt good to him and with practice, he would incorporate the suggestion to be able to play golf safely well into his senior years.
Another example involves a patient who absolutely loved playing a special Chinese drum. She was getting pain in her wrists and shoulders from hours of playing. A comparison between the video of a professional musician playing the drum and the way she was doing it revealed that her arm movements were in the wrong plane. She did not have the right technique, and this was putting a strain on her wrists and shoulders. When the movement was corrected, her playing of the instrument had better flow and most importantly, she had much reduced pain.
It is extremely important for the physiotherapist to be aware of the athlete’s past injuries, and whether they have been fully rehabilitated. Compensating for past injuries reduces the effectiveness of performance and increases the risk of injury. Workers in manual labour such as movers, those working in warehouses and on construction sites tend to develop tight hip and arm muscle. Those who have had an injury are often reliant on braces. Many nurses, caregivers and care staff are living with old injuries from handling and lifting clients. These put them at greater risk of re-injury and sick days off work. They tend to develop knots in muscles of the neck, shoulders, arms, hips and thighs from exertion. Regular stretches and massage can go a long way in relieving the tension, reducing pain and preventing future injury.
You only have one body to work with. If you want it to last a long time, without it giving out on you, and desire to live life to the full even into well into old age, consider Physio for Life’s performance enhancement program. Whether you want to move well in everyday tasks, play an instrument, improve sports performance, exercise correctly in the gym or just stay healthy into old age, this program is for you!
Contact Physio For Life today to schedule your appointment with our physiotherapist team!