Thrive Physical Therapy in Richmond

Physical Therapy and Fast Pain Relief

Movement is critical to health!

All tissues in the body including the nervous system rely on movement for health.

The most common causes of mortality, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s, are reduced by a multiple of five through regular exercise.

Active fit people not only live an average of 8 to 10 years longer, but they are healthier and maintain their physical function and independence later in life (Attia P 2023).

If you want to feel good, remain healthy, and be around for a while to enjoy it, then maintaining your fitness is a necessary requirement.

Regular exercise is critical, but science is showing there is more to it than just moving.

There is an ever-growing body of research showing injuries and diminished physical capability have more to do with the nervous system than muscles and joints.

That is not to say individual components such as mobility, strength, etc. aren’t an important part of the equation, but the key is how well it works together in creating quality movement.

To give a computer metaphor it’s not the integrity of hardware but how well the “Software” is working which makes the difference.

What you do now will determine what you can and will do later.

Movement skills are developed from the inside out and easier to more complex.

The area of focus depends on what you have to do on a basis as well as what you want to be able to do now and in the future.

Asking yourself what work and family life requires, as well as what you enjoy regarding recreation as you get older. If you want to be able to hike and garden then starting now to develop the skills is required.

This is not commonly well understood nor is it a strength of most exercise methods. In fact, most fitness programs address it only indirectly.

Learning to “Move Well” is critical to staying healthy and feeling good over the long haul.

to your health & success

your Thrive Team

PS. Do You have Pain, Stiffness, or Fatigue at work?

Let Us Help!

If you are struggling with pain, stiffness, or just not feeling your best at work and are tired of it take action!

We have helped thousands of people suffering with Spine issues restore their health.

Assisting our clients to take control of their health and get back to activities they love is the focus of our Fit to Thrive and Transformation Academy Programs.

Here is the Process:

  1. Schedule an appointment for consultation
  2. We give you a customized Thrive Success Action Plan
  3. We work together to help you reach your health and wellness goals

Call to schedule and appointment today!

Does Your Fitness Program Measure Up?

 

So How Do You Know  If Your Exercise Program is a Good One?

How do you know if it’s taking you the RIGHT Direction of If Your are Headed Down a Path Towards an INJURY?

Great Question to Consider Before ANYTHING Negative Happens!

Or to be ENCOURAGED to Continue 🙂

Here is a Framework to answer exactly that question. I get that, answer that question commonly.

Here is a link to the video. Check it Out Here:

To be able to assess your own program so that you can determine, if you are doing the right thing for you or not!

So, what are the Signs and Symptoms of exercise programs that is poorly constructed?

Here are the Categories:

  • Feeling of Stiffness
  • Lasting Joint Pain & Soreness
  • Recurrent Injuries.
  • “Kickback”
  • Lack of “Ease of Movement”
  • Physical Capabilities

The first one is a bit subjective.

Do you just feel like you’re mobile when you try to move around, when you reach, do you feel like it’s effortless,

When you get up and down out of a chair, squat deeply and get up and down from the floor.

Does that feel like it’s easy?

The basic tenant is for anything that you do in life requires a certain degree of mobility.

And as time passes, we all tend to get more stiff and less mobile.

So your exercise program really needs to address mobility in a major way. Particularly in the hips, ankles, upper extremities, and the spine.

Second.

And this one is somewhat obvious and that is an absence of lasting joint pain and soreness.

Muscle soreness and exertional effort is common and even necessary because that’s a sign of muscular overload, which is how we get stronger.

But we should never have pain, particularly sharp pain, when doing an exercise or if lasts longer than it should in our shoulders, elbows, knees, our joints, and tendenous attachments.

That’s not necessarily normal. And if it does happen, it should be very mild and transient.

But if it starts to escalate over time, that’s not a good sign. And that is not what we want to happen. don’t want that.

This is usually a sign of either the wrong selection of exercises,

Or it can be the right choice of exercises with poor technique.

Or the exercise can be well chosen and done with good technique, but with too much intensity such as excessive load or for too many repetitions or done for too long.

Or with excessive speed or poor control

There are a lot of variables in between in terms of whether or not something is working for you or not.

But the basic gist of it that muscle soreness is normal!

Symptoms that are severe, escalate, or get worse over time are not ideal,

And not what you want!

Next is recurrent injuries. And this one, again, also somewhat sounds obvious in that when you start an exercise program it shouldn’t cause injury or leave you feeling beaten up!

It is not unusual for a transient warm up period being necessary to work through but your shoulders or knees shouldn’t start hurting because you started a program.

And lastly and perhaps most important are what you are able to do in normal life.

Sitting during the day at work, lifting things up, carrying things, walking, participating in the sport or recreational activity that you love to do…

You should be able to do those things, without getting hurt!

You should be able to do things confidently, but also without getting too much kickback!

Meaning you should be able to do them, without being uncomfortable.

You shouldn’t get pain or symptoms that night, the next day, or that week!

Mild soreness, if you haven’t been doing is absolutely normal.

But excessive residual kick back where you pay for it or that escalate is not what you want.

Your exercise program regime, should be directed at developing a solid foundation mobility, strength, core stability, and improving balance!

These basic tenants should be improving as well as what you are physical capable of doing.

To be able to be more active without kickback and residual symptoms

Versus trying to participate and getting injured in the process.

Exercise program should add to what you are able to do and how you feel.

The exercise program absolutely should not add to a problem and you should better and be more capable from doing it.

Next is a lack of “Ease of Movement”.

This one again is a bit subjective!

If you were to get out of my chair. walk to the door, and push it open.

Does this feel effortless and easy to do?

Can you sit on the floor unsupported for a period of time?

Would you be able play on the floor with your kids, which requires a fair amount of hip mobility and trunk strength.

You should be able to do all of the movement fairly easily.

If your body is working efficiently, movement and physical activities will be enjoyable and fun.

These area’s of the Framework are what a well-constructed exercise programs will provide.

Ultimately it should help you to move better.

To have a really good “Movement IQ” we like to call it is very important!

And then last but not least is Physical Capability

You should have certain Physical Capabilities.

This is an area that has been shown by research to equate to longer and healthier life!

In a rather large study, people who had the ability to get up and down off the floor without use of their hands.

Those who could do it live longer and also had an average of 8-10 years greater “Health Spans”.

Meaning they were healthier and had great functional capabilities than subjects who could do it.

Getting up and down from the floor takes a fair degree of mobility and hip and trunk strength.

This test is a good measure of physical function, can you do it?

Can you stand on your one foot for a period of time while you’re brushing your teeth?

Can you get our and ride a bike, play softball, hike?

Whatever the activities are that you love to do, can you do them without paying for it?

Are they enjoyable? Do they feel good?

Are you able to do it without having kickback?

Being Physically active should feel good!

It should be enjoyable and your exercise program should help you to be able to do them.

Your Fitness routine should contribute to the ability to move confidently and do what you love.

Also to increase your energy level and to feel your best is what it’s all about!

To be able to and want to do more!

That is what it all comes down to!

That is the most important thing that your exercise program should provide for you.

It shouldn’t beat you up over time and contribute to the problem.

We should get more physically capable, to feel better, and move more easily

These are the keys to a great Exercise Program!

The question I would ask everyone is to run Your Exercise Program through this Framework.

Does it provide the key elements of fitness?

Are you moving better and able to do what you love without an issues?

Do you feel great?

f you want to improve your Health and Physical Capabilities in 2023 we can help you get there ?

If an Injury is Your Concern:

Thrive Physical Therapy

If Fitness is Your Concern:

The Fit to Thrive program

is designed to help people prevent injuries and to provide the foundation needed to feel their best and maintain their health long-term.

Winter Program Starts on 2/27/23 Sign Up NOW!

If Healthy Habits & the Bigger Picture is Your Concern:

The Transformation Academy is designed to help you build the “Systems & Habits” to be balanced & healthy long-term

THRIVE PT is a specialized manually based orthopedic, spine, and sports physical therapy practice that provides individualized care to its patients. All of our therapists have specialty training, advanced certifications in orthopedic manual therapy, and extensive post graduate course work, and are highly qualified to help you reach your therapy goals. Our methods include hands-on corrective treatment, movement training, dry needling, and therapeutic exercise provided exclusively by your therapist. Our objective is to teach you how to move efficiently and painlessly and to educate you on how to stay healthy. We can help you achieve your goals to lead a healthy, active life--in a word, THRIVE!

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