Newsletter Archive
December 22, 2009
Newsletter Archive
December 22, 2009
Do you believe the hand can improve shoulder stabilization?
In the last edition of FITNESS INSIDER we discussed the importance of stabilizing the cervical spine.
However, we forgot to mention one key reason this is so vital to improving function of the entire shoulder complex. How does neck stabilization affect the stability of the entire shoulder complex?
Irradiation.
Irradiation - what is it and how does it apply to you as a strength and conditioning specialist?
Irradiation is the repeated application of an unconditional stimulus which increases excitation of the pattern and of the surrounding muscles. In simpler terms, if you repeat a certain movement pattern, irradiation increases excitation of that pattern as well as excitation of the surrounding muscles.
Unfortunately, irradiation also works in reverse.
What does this mean to the stability of the shoulder complex and more importantly to training our clients?
Instability of the cervical spine will spread instability to the entire shoulder complex and upper extremity.
Whether it is secondary to reflexive inhibitory protection, irritation to the cervical spinal nerves creating muscular inhibition of the upper extremity, or some related neurological phenomenon, if we want to improve shoulder stability in our clients (and we want to), we must ensure neck stability.
See last edition of FITNESS INSIDER for one of the most effective ways to improve neck, shoulder, and trunk stabilization.
We can also use irradiation from the hand to permeate and IMPROVE shoulder stabilization.
The thumb and lateral portion of the hand (thenar side) in particular, are extremely important in stabilizing the shoulder complex. Where and how should the hand be placed to optimize shoulder stability?
CONCLUSION:
Improve shoulder stability by stabilizing the cervical spine. Additionally, enhance stability by ensuring optimal hand position to allow irradiation from the hands permeate and aid stability of the upper extremity.
We at Fitness Education Seminars and Fitness Insider wish you and your family and those you love a happy and safe holiday season!
Train Responsibly,
Evan Osar
Coming next edition of FITNESS INSIDER:
RAISING THE STANDARD - PART X:
3 KEYS TO DESIGNING THE OPTIMAL TRAINING PROGRAM
P.P.S. If you would like to review the previous newsletters, Click Here to Visit Archive Page Now.
P.P.P.S. Enrollment is open for CNS Certification 2010. Check out our video and see what others are saying about this unique program.
December 17, 2009
Do you know what is the most sensitive area of the spine is?
Generally, people often think about the low back - the inordinate number of injuries and costs related to its treatment. Interestingly enough, the lumbar spine and pelvis are relatively stable albeit stressed by our poor habits and conditioning.
So what is the most sensitive area of the spine?
The cervical spine.
Why do I say this?
Just consider:
Ø The thoracic spine is protected by the rib cage and some of the largest muscles in the body;
Ø The lumbar spine and sacrum are protected and supported by the largest muscles in the body (including but not limited to the gluteus maximus, lumbar erectors, and abdominals) and the most dense fascial network in the body (the thoracolumbar fascia);
Ø The cervical spine by comparison has some of the smallest muscles supporting it and doesn't have the luxury of ribs or pelvis for protection;
Ø It also holds a 10-14 pound object on top of it (the head) which supports the most sensitive structures in our body - the brain and brainstem as well as the 12 pairs of cranial nerves;
Ø The cervical spine protects 8 pairs of spinal nerves and 2 of the major arteries of the brain (anteriorly the carotid artery and posteriorly the vertebral artery);
Ø And a spinal cord injury occurring at the level of the cervical spine will affect function in the entire body possibly leading to quadruplegia, respiratory system compromise, and if significant enough, death.
So hopefully you can appreciate how important and sensitive this area of the body is. Unfortunately many of the things we do in life drive dysfunction of the cervical spine. What are the top 3 things we do that most dramatically affect its function?
1. Forward head posture:
For every 1" the head moves in front of the cervical spine, an additional weight of the head is added to the loads the cervical spine muscles now have to support. For example if your head is 1' in front of your cervical spine, your neck muscles now have to support 20-28 pounds instead of 10-14 pounds. If the head is 2" in front and now you have to support 30-42 pounds. Just think of the ramifications for your clients who more than 2" of forward head posture!!!
2. What is the most common cause of stress to the cervical spine?
It's not poor exercise choices. It's not because your client works too much on the computer. It's not even because you don't stretch enough. The most common cause of the forward head posture is poor respiratory habits. Overuse of the accessory muscles, primarily the pectoralis minor, sternocleidomastoid, and scalenes pull the cervical spine and head forward. And because respiration is a 24/7 activity, no amount of stretching or swithcing exercises or jobs will alter this pattern.
3. Poor shoulder stabilization:
Using the neck improperly as an anchor for arm movement overly stresses the cervical spine and neural structures. This dysfunctional pattern is often seen with poor scapular stabilization and improper dissociation of the glenohumeral joint.
How do we stabilize the cervical spine: Check out this video for one of the most effective ways to stabilize the neck, upper back, and shoulder with one simple exercise.
CONCLUSION:
To improve function of the entire neuromusculoskeletal system,
1. We must teach our clients how to stabilize their neck, shoulder, and upper back.
2. We must improve their ability to breathe from their diaphragm rather than over-utilizing their neck.
This approach will relieve the massive stress on the the brainstem, cervical portion of the spinal cord, and cervical spinal nerves ultimately affecting function of the upper extremity and entire nervous system.
Coming next issue of FITNESS INSIDER:
RAISING THE STANDARD - PART IX:
Using the Principle of Irradiation to Improve Shoulder Stabilization
P.P.S. If you would like to review the previous newsletters, Click Here to Visit Archive Page Now.
P.P.P.S. Enrollment is open for CNS Certification 2010. Check out our video and see what others are saying about this unique program.
December 8, 2009
"If you are not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original."
Just how many of us have shoulder problems?
It has been estimated that almost 1/3 of us are walking around with a rotator cuff tear.
Not to mention shoulder pain and injury are some of the most common causes of visits to the doctor.
Luckily, most of these tears don't require surgery and can be managed conservatively.
Here are some basics we NEED TO KNOW about the shoulder to better understand why shoulder problems occur:
Ø Out of the 4 joints in the shoulder complex, there is only one relatively small bony attachment to the axial skeleton;
Ø The articulation between the two bony attachments of the glenohumeral joint is highly irregular - the humeral head is significantly larger than its articulating surface on the glenoid fossa;
Ø The scapulo-thoracic articlution is not a true articulation (no joint capsule or ligamentous support);
Ø It is the most mobile joint in the entire body and yet is stable enough (when functioning properly) to support very heavy loads.
Unfortunately for all the marvels of the joint, the shoulder often takes a beating secondary to:
§ poor scapular stability
§ misalignment of the cervical spine and/or thorax
§ improper loading both in activities of daily living as well as exercise
In order to earn the distinction of being a specialist and earn the money you are worth, you must know exactly what exercises are most likely to lead to shoulder problems and which exercises are to the best choices to improve function of the shoulder complex. Keep reading and check out the video below for the tools you need to improve the shoulder complex.
What are some of the common exercises that can drive shoulder dysfunction that too often are performed incorrectly?
- Push-ups
- Pull-ups
- Common pushing and pulling exercises that overemphasize squeezing the shoulder blades down and back
- Common rotator cuff exercises
Is it possible that common scapular stabilization exercises such as Y's, T's and W's can actually cause rotator cuff and scapular dysfunction?
Conclusion:
The keys to improving function of the rotator cuff lie in:
- Improving alignment and stability of the spine
- Improving stability of the scapula and function of the rotator cuff
- Proper progression of functional movement patterns based upon your client's ability to control #1 and 2.
When you accomplish these goals with your client, you will be rewarded by the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping them in a way very few others can.
Additionally, they will look to you as an expert at your craft and will refer you their friends and family. You will become known as a specialist. If you want to maintain that expertise and confidence you need to empower even the most challenging clients, discover how we can help you. Find out now how you can join the next CNS Team!
Coming next edition of FITNESS INSIDER: RAISING THE STANDARD -
Part VIII: Stabilizing the Most Sensitive Area of the Spine
P.P.S. If you would like to review the previous newsletters, Click Here to Visit Archive Page Now.
P.P.P.S. Enrollment is open for CNS Certification 2010. Check out our video and see what others are saying about this unique program.
December 3, 2009
QUESTIONS, AND 'PERSPECTIVE', ABOUT THORACIC ROTATION
Question: A good friend and professional colleague of mine wrote and asked me about the last video I posted regarding thoracic rotation. He wanted to know why I had my leg propped up in the 90-90 position. That is a great question and one that I will clarify for you below.
I am writing this edition of FITNESS INSIDER, as I fly home from presenting at the Medical Fitness Association. I am leaving temperatures that were in the mid-80's and returning to Chicago where we are expecting snow this evening. Just a few weeks ago I was presenting in Miami and it was 90 and sunny. Although this will be the last time I experience warm weather until next May when I return to Florida (that sounds so far from now), I do love returning home because it provides me perspective. And most of my conversation with the health and fitness professionals at the MFA Conference today was really about that - perspective.
There is only one thing that differentiates me from you (well maybe 2 - you probably have more hair then me). There is only one thing that allows me to stand in front of audiences and share with them. And it isn't because I am smarter - because I am not. It isn't because I am a better trainer- because I am likely not. And it isn't because I went through more schooling. There is only one reason. That reason is...
PERSPECTIVE!
Perspective is what differentiates a specialist from the rest of the field. Going through 10 years of college to become a chiropractic physician, studying with some of the smartest people in the world including Pavel Kolar, Linda Joy-Lee, Diane Lee, Shirley Sahrmann, Stu McGill, Paul Hodges, and Gray Cook, working with some of the most broken down, dysfunctional clients gives me great...
PERSPECTIVE!
And you can become a specialist too - if you are willing to do what it takes to obtain and maintain PERSPECTIVE. Unfortunately in our field, too many trainers get hung up on their methods and by doing so they lose perspective.
Example: the video I just released on improving thoracic rotation. Trainers will unsubscribe from our newsletter citing reasons such as it doesn't agree with what they have been taught from their 'guru.' They don't want to hear another perspective. My buddy that asked that question on thoracic rotation has a masters degree in exercise science, is certified by MAT, RTS, Olympic lifting and continues to learn. Why? To gain better perspective. He is hooked on learning the principles, not on the methods.
To answer his question about why my leg was in the 90-90 (90° hip flexion-90° knee flexion) position, there are several reasons:
1. It helps to centrate the hip, knee and ankle joints in a functional position. This is crucial for your clients that have lost hip range of motion.
2. It helps to posteriorly rotate the pelvis and elongate the spine which is necessary for proper spinal rotation.
3. It works on contralateral stabilization based on reflexive development. In other words, it helps the stabilization of the leg that is at 90-90 and the arm that is fixated on the ground. And it utilizes the moving arm to drive spinal motion similar to the developmental patterns a child will go through as they crawl.
I hope that answers your own questions about the video and give you better perspective of some of the fundamentals of movement. We go extensively through these patterns and more in our Certified Neuromuscular Conditioning Specialist certification. If I was to sum it up in one word what you will develop as a CNS graduate, guess what that one word would be? You guessed it - PERSPECTIVE. To learn more of what you will discover and how you can better serve your clients, visit www.fitnesseducatinseminars.com we are now accepting enrollment for CNS Team #2, first Module begins May 2010.
Have a great weekend and I will speak with you next week on preventing the greatest mistake rehab and fitness professionals make when training the shoulder.
Train Responsibly,
Evan Osar
P.S. Here is that video again if you want to see it with new 'perspective.
Check out the video to see one way to improve thoracic mobility.
P.P.S. If you would like to review the previous newsletters, Click Here to Visit Archive Page Now.
P.P.P.S. Enrollment is open for CNS Certification 2010. Check out our video and see what others are saying about this unique program.
December 1, 2009
We at Fitness Education Seminars hope all our U.S. friends had a great Thanksgiving.
If you weren't in the U.S. this last Thursday enjoying turkey, stuffing, cranberries and the like we hope you still had a great day wherever you were.
As I am writing this newsletter I am sitting in the airport watching people walk by. What I am observing is many people do not have adequate thoracic mobility.
So it what does that look like? They look like they walk in "chunks".
So where does their movement come from?
In the spine, they will compensate or get movement through the thoracolumbar or lumbosacral regions. They will generally have hypermobile shoulder joints as well.
Where will these people tend to have pain?
Wherever they compensate or move the most - could be the shoulder joint, cervicothoracic, thoracolumbar, or lumbosacral region.
Remember our clients will tend to have more pain where they move too much rather than from where they move too little. Until of course the joint becomes chronically degenerated at which time they will have more pain in that area but that is a topic for another time.
Besides contributing to compensatory changes in the shoulder, neck, and low back, how does this lack of thoracic motion have such a dramatic role in your client's overall health?
By leading to inefficient respiratory patterns.
The lack of thoracic mobility does not allow for ideal diaphragmatic function and compromises the entire respiratory system leading to inefficient oxygenation of the body.
How does this effect overall health?
Inefficient oxygenation overloads the entire cardiovascular system.
Proper oxygenation and removal of waste products is your body's primary objective and supercedes every other function in the human body. So in instances of improper oxygenation and accumulation of waste products (as occurs with chronic shallow breathing as well as chronic respiratory conditions such as allergies) the body will use every means to increase respiration. It will increase respiratory rate, heart rate, and/or blood pressure in order to fulfill its needs.
In an interesting study comparing the respiratory volume (how much air - and therefore oxygen - can be take in on one breath) in patients who had previously experienced a stroke, the ones with the lowest total volumes were almost 2x as likely to have a second stroke. That is a huge finding and suggests that perhaps respiration is EVEN more important than we previously thought.
Conclusion:
LOSS of thoracic mobility = LOSS of optimal diaphragm use =
DECREASED oxygenation and stabilization
+
Overuse of accessory muscles of respiration
+
Overuse of larger trunk muscles to stabilize the trunk and spine =
Perpetuating Cycle of Chronic Dysfunction
The key to improving function?
Improve thoracic mobility.
Check out the video to see one way to improve thoracic mobility.
Coming next edition of FITNESS INSIDER: RAISING THE STANDARD - Part VII: The Biggest Mistakes Professionals Make When Training the Shoulder
Train Responsibly,
Evan Osar
www.fitnesseducationseminars.com
P.S. If you would like to review the previous newsletters, Click Here to Visit Archive Page Now.
P.P.S. Enrollment is open for CNS Certification 2010. Check out our video and see what others are saying about this unique program.
December 8, 2009
"If you are not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original." Just how many of us have shoulder problems? It has been estimated that almost 1/3 of us are walking around with a rotator cuff tear. Not to mention shoulder pain and injury are some of the most common causes of visits to the doctor. Luckily, most of these tears don't require surgery and can be managed conservatively. Here are some basics we NEED TO KNOW about the shoulder to better understand why shoulder problems occur: Ø Out of the 4 joints in the shoulder complex, there is only one relatively small bony attachment to the axial skeleton; Ø The articulation between the two bony attachments of the glenohumeral joint is highly irregular - the humeral head is significantly larger than its articulating surface on the glenoid fossa; Ø The scapulo-thoracic articlution is not a true articulation (no joint capsule or ligamentous support); Ø It is the most mobile joint in the entire body and yet is stable enough (when functioning properly) to support very heavy loads. Unfortunately for all the marvels of the joint, the shoulder often takes a beating secondary to: § poor scapular stability § misalignment of the cervical spine and/or thorax § improper loading both in activities of daily living as well as exercise In order to earn the distinction of being a specialist and earn the money you are worth, you must know exactly what exercises are most likely to lead to shoulder problems and which exercises are to the best choices to improve function of the shoulder complex. Keep reading and check out the video below for the tools you need to improve the shoulder complex. What are some of the common exercises that can drive shoulder dysfunction that too often are performed incorrectly? Is it possible that common scapular stabilization exercises such as Y's, T's and W's can actually cause rotator cuff and scapular dysfunction? Conclusion: The keys to improving function of the rotator cuff lie in: When you accomplish these goals with your client, you will be rewarded by the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping them in a way very few others can. Additionally, they will look to you as an expert at your craft and will refer you their friends and family. You will become known as a specialist. If you want to maintain that expertise and confidence you need to empower even the most challenging clients, discover how we can help you. Find out now how you can join the next CNS Team! Coming next edition of FITNESS INSIDER: RAISING THE STANDARD - Part VIII: Stabilizing the Most Sensitive Area of the Spine
P.P.P.S. Enrollment is open for CNS Certification 2010. Check out our video and see what others are saying about this unique program.
QUESTIONS, AND 'PERSPECTIVE', ABOUT THORACIC ROTATION
Question: A good friend and professional colleague of mine wrote and asked me about the last video I posted regarding thoracic rotation. He wanted to know why I had my leg propped up in the 90-90 position. That is a great question and one that I will clarify for you below.
I am writing this edition of FITNESS INSIDER, as I fly home from presenting at the Medical Fitness Association. I am leaving temperatures that were in the mid-80's and returning to Chicago where we are expecting snow this evening. Just a few weeks ago I was presenting in Miami and it was 90 and sunny. Although this will be the last time I experience warm weather until next May when I return to Florida (that sounds so far from now), I do love returning home because it provides me perspective. And most of my conversation with the health and fitness professionals at the MFA Conference today was really about that - perspective.
There is only one thing that differentiates me from you (well maybe 2 - you probably have more hair then me). There is only one thing that allows me to stand in front of audiences and share with them. And it isn't because I am smarter - because I am not. It isn't because I am a better trainer- because I am likely not. And it isn't because I went through more schooling. There is only one reason. That reason is...
PERSPECTIVE!
Perspective is what differentiates a specialist from the rest of the field. Going through 10 years of college to become a chiropractic physician, studying with some of the smartest people in the world including Pavel Kolar, Linda Joy-Lee, Diane Lee, Shirley Sahrmann, Stu McGill, Paul Hodges, and Gray Cook, working with some of the most broken down, dysfunctional clients gives me great...
PERSPECTIVE!
And you can become a specialist too - if you are willing to do what it takes to obtain and maintain PERSPECTIVE. Unfortunately in our field, too many trainers get hung up on their methods and by doing so they lose perspective.
Example: the video I just released on improving thoracic rotation. Trainers will unsubscribe from our newsletter citing reasons such as it doesn't agree with what they have been taught from their 'guru.' They don't want to hear another perspective. My buddy that asked that question on thoracic rotation has a masters degree in exercise science, is certified by MAT, RTS, Olympic lifting and continues to learn. Why? To gain better perspective. He is hooked on learning the principles, not on the methods.
To answer his question about why my leg was in the 90-90 (90° hip flexion-90° knee flexion) position, there are several reasons:
1. It helps to centrate the hip, knee and ankle joints in a functional position. This is crucial for your clients that have lost hip range of motion.
2. It helps to posteriorly rotate the pelvis and elongate the spine which is necessary for proper spinal rotation.
3. It works on contralateral stabilization based on reflexive development. In other words, it helps the stabilization of the leg that is at 90-90 and the arm that is fixated on the ground. And it utilizes the moving arm to drive spinal motion similar to the developmental patterns a child will go through as they crawl.
I hope that answers your own questions about the video and give you better perspective of some of the fundamentals of movement. We go extensively through these patterns and more in our Certified Neuromuscular Conditioning Specialist certification. If I was to sum it up in one word what you will develop as a CNS graduate, guess what that one word would be? You guessed it - PERSPECTIVE. To learn more of what you will discover and how you can better serve your clients, visit www.fitnesseducatinseminars.com we are now accepting enrollment for CNS Team #2, first Module begins May 2010.
Have a great weekend and I will speak with you next week on preventing the greatest mistake rehab and fitness professionals make when training the shoulder.
Train Responsibly,
Evan Osar
P.S. Here is that video again if you want to see it with new 'perspective.
Check out the video to see one way to improve thoracic mobility.
P.P.S. If you would like to review the previous newsletters, Click Here to Visit Archive Page Now.
P.P.P.S. Enrollment is open for CNS Certification 2010. Check out our video and see what others are saying about this unique program.
If you weren't in the U.S. this last Thursday enjoying turkey, stuffing, cranberries and the like we hope you still had a great day wherever you were.
As I am writing this newsletter I am sitting in the airport watching people walk by. What I am observing is many people do not have adequate thoracic mobility.
So it what does that look like? They look like they walk in "chunks".
So where does their movement come from?
In the spine, they will compensate or get movement through the thoracolumbar or lumbosacral regions. They will generally have hypermobile shoulder joints as well.
Where will these people tend to have pain?
Wherever they compensate or move the most - could be the shoulder joint, cervicothoracic, thoracolumbar, or lumbosacral region.
Remember our clients will tend to have more pain where they move too much rather than from where they move too little. Until of course the joint becomes chronically degenerated at which time they will have more pain in that area but that is a topic for another time.
Besides contributing to compensatory changes in the shoulder, neck, and low back, how does this lack of thoracic motion have such a dramatic role in your client's overall health?
By leading to inefficient respiratory patterns.
The lack of thoracic mobility does not allow for ideal diaphragmatic function and compromises the entire respiratory system leading to inefficient oxygenation of the body.
How does this effect overall health?
Inefficient oxygenation overloads the entire cardiovascular system.
Proper oxygenation and removal of waste products is your body's primary objective and supercedes every other function in the human body. So in instances of improper oxygenation and accumulation of waste products (as occurs with chronic shallow breathing as well as chronic respiratory conditions such as allergies) the body will use every means to increase respiration. It will increase respiratory rate, heart rate, and/or blood pressure in order to fulfill its needs.
In an interesting study comparing the respiratory volume (how much air - and therefore oxygen - can be take in on one breath) in patients who had previously experienced a stroke, the ones with the lowest total volumes were almost 2x as likely to have a second stroke. That is a huge finding and suggests that perhaps respiration is EVEN more important than we previously thought.
Conclusion:
LOSS of thoracic mobility = LOSS of optimal diaphragm use =
DECREASED oxygenation and stabilization
+
Overuse of accessory muscles of respiration
+
Overuse of larger trunk muscles to stabilize the trunk and spine =
Perpetuating Cycle of Chronic Dysfunction
The key to improving function?
Improve thoracic mobility.
Check out the video to see one way to improve thoracic mobility.
Coming next edition of FITNESS INSIDER: RAISING THE STANDARD - Part VII: The Biggest Mistakes Professionals Make When Training the Shoulder
Train Responsibly,
Evan Osar
www.fitnesseducationseminars.com
P.S. If you would like to review the previous newsletters, Click Here to Visit Archive Page Now.
P.P.S. Enrollment is open for CNS Certification 2010. Check out our video and see what others are saying about this unique program.
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