This article is my latest continuation of the ACL 101 series. ReVITALize Rehab Club is designed to simplify the medical jargon so every member can be empowered in their own care. Social media and medical information in the internet are notorious for giving snippets of fitness and medical care and I want to bridge that gap so every member can get in the heads of the medical and fitness professionals to make the best decisions for themselves.
Recent studies showed that 60% of ACL rehab make a full recovery, less than 60% return to sport, and more than 50% develop knee osteoarthritis by middle age. My goal is to inform our club members on how to not fall into this category of less optimal outcome. Most studies are happy to demonstrate above average statistical significant, but if one desires to bulletproof their knee, one needs to get the upper hand in short and long term care.
Read “ACL 101: the Breakdown of How Not to Break Down (The What?!)” and “ACL 101: How to Be the Last One Standing (After Surgery)” in which I wrote about how to test your ACL, the shift in ACL care, risk factors, and what to expect after the early phase of ACL surgery. Having an ACL tear is not all doom and gloom. Did you know that research has categorized ACL patients into 3 groups. The three groups are: “copers” without brace, “copers” with brace, and “non-copers” needing surgery. The name of the game with the first two groups is to teach the whole body (notice I did not say knee) to find a different strategy to move efficiently with a weakened ACL. I will take this idea a step further and will teach you how to bulletproof your knee to not be another statistic of having meniscus or total knee replacement surgery in the future.
Common Pitfalls During ACL Care (To Cope Well or After ACL Surgery)
1. De-emphasizing the basics. (more…)
This article is a continuation of “How To Turn Your Spleen Into A Yogi! (Part 1)” where I discussed tips on helping your spleen be happy and healthy. A healthy spleen is dependent on what and how we eat. A happy spleen is dependent on our emotions and how we process and filters our information.
Keeping it simple is the name of the game when learning how to juggle (or I think it is since I cannot juggle yet ?). I believe practice and consistency will help anyone develop a skill. Juggling is no different. In juggling there are multiple things to think about and execute so things don’t fall flat to the ground. Coordination is the key. Every movement needs to be in a specific sequence.
The human heart in western medicine is considered a pump. The heart pumps blood out through arteries to the tissues, muscles, organs in your body, delivering oxygen and nutrients. Waste gets back to your heart through the veins. The heart pumps it out again to your lungs in exchange for more oxygenated blood that is then delivered throughout the entire body. Your heart, roughly the size of a large fist, will do this continuously without any rest. The heart is basically the hardest worker in your body without being recognized until something severe happens to it. This is a big reason a heart attack is known as a silent killer. A heart attack strikes without any noticeable symptoms or pain.
Juggling is a complicated skill requiring one to have intricate handling of various objects. One false move and the act is over. Add more objects and the tasks require more attention to detail. I have tried it and still cannot perform it. I am in awe and jealous that someone can make it look that easy. Maybe, I just need to practice it more often. This analogy is my way of explaining how the shoulder works. A common question I get is, “Can a torn shoulder (rotator cuff) muscle heal itself?” or “Can a tear get worse?” In order to appreciate the complexity of that simple question, I will explain how the shoulder unit works.
Wintergreen, mother nature’s aspirin, is commonly used for its pain relieving benefits. Its an evergreen shrub called Gaultheria procumbens that produces edible bright red berries. The leaves of the shrub has been used by many to help all sorts of pain symptoms like headache, joint pain, fever, and sore throat. You can brew the leaves or extract the oil from the leaves to get a powerful concentrated medicinal effect. The minty aroma of wintergreen is used in a wide range of products from pain relieving ointments to dental care gum and mouthwash.
What kind of Pokemon is a Sciaticasaurus? It is a fast, elusive, stubborn, “sharp,” fire or electric type creature. To catch it and be “the boss of it” requires patience and determination. In the real world a Sciaticasaurus is known as Sciatica. 