Spring is a time of year when you definitely want to be healthy and in tip top shape, especially after a long winter. The winter’s here in the PNW can be very dark, which leads to folks staying inside more often than they regularly would. It’s great that folks are ready to spring into action (no pun intended) when the weather finally gets warmer, but you’ve got to be careful when you do. Here are 5 Reasons to visit a chiropractor before the Spring.
To get ready for Sports or an upcoming Athletic Event
Did you know that 90% of all the top world-class athletes turn to chiropractic care to help prevent injuries and boost their overall performance? It’s true! Regular chiropractic care can work wonders when it comes to boosting athletic performance and preventing injuries.
Baseball season typically starts in the Spring, as does Track & Field, Lacrosse, and Tennis, not to mention the myriad of outdoor activities we here in PNW enjoy when it’s warm like rock-climbing and hiking. All of these springtime activities combine lateral and bilateral movements which can cause severe strain to the back and other muscles if you’re not careful. Spring time is also when marathons, 5Ks, Triathlons and other sponsored group runs and events begin ramping up. If you or a young athlete that you know are planning to engage in any of the above activities, make sure to visit Summit Sports & Spine’s Bellevue chiropractic team to make sure you’re ready for the Spring! As a Bellevue Sports chiropractor, we’re proud to provide the Bellevue area with top-notch sports medicine and nutrition.
Functional Movement Screen (FMS) / Selective Functional Movement Assessment
As you likely already know, sitting for too long has been linked to increased risk for injury. Standing for too long can lead to many issues as well. Balance in sitting or standing at work is key to avoiding repetitive loads that could cause problems from work positions. Just like work, the movements we make in playing with the kids, playing sports, being active can lead to strain on muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves and joints.
The FMS is a system used to observe and identify weaknesses or asymmetries in seven fundamental movement patterns. These patterns demonstrate where an individual could develop a problem or injury, when not able to stabilize or perform the range needed in these screens. The FMS is used for a variety of individuals but primarily those without a significant complaint. Remember you do not need to be in pain to have a problem! Not every car has a warning light come on prior to having a problem.
The SFMA is for those with Pain and/or a known problem (diagnosis). This enables us to move past just knowing the cause of your symptoms but diagnose the source of your pain! It enables us to determine if it’s a stability problem or a mobility problem!
Our staff is fully trained in both of these tools and can observe the quality of your movement in these exams and utilize the information provided there to get you back to optimal ranges of motion and strength and return to doing what you love doing. Don’t let an injury sneak up on you this Spring!
Spring Break Travel is Coming up!
The Spring is a big time for travel, especially for those of us with kids that are still in school. It seems that most people in Bellevue and Seattle try to take advantage of Spring Break to head for places with warmer weather. Remember, vacation is a time for relaxation and comfort, not for pain and stress. Fortunately, both pain and stress can be managed with regular chiropractic care and adjustments.
Unfortunately, however, you’re bound to experience some level of discomfort while travelling. Whether it’s being packed into a cramped airplane, sitting in a car for hours on end, hauling luggage up and down hotel stairs, or sleeping in a totally unfamiliar bed, your relaxing vacation may leave you feeling like you need an adjustment.
You can perform proper exercises or stretches that will take this feeling away! Empowering our patients with these tools is what we enjoy the most. You need minimal to no equipment while traveling to perform these and will feel much better on your trip knowing you can do things to help yourself enjoy it pain free.
We recommend visiting the Bellevue chiropractors at Summit Sports & Spine before or after your trip, which will help you to properly kick off your spring time vacation, and to remember it in the right light afterwards.
Shake off that Seasonal Affective Disorder
You don’t want to be bummed out when the weather finally gets better, do you? SAD, the winter blues, Seasonal Affective Disorder – it goes by a lot of different names, but one thing’s for sure: with the reduced amount of sunlight in the Bellevue/Seattle area each winter, many tend to feel a little down in the dumps. It’s nothing to be ashamed about, but this tendency towards Wintertime sadness is something that you should try and be aware of and actively deal with.
Wouldn’t ya know it, subluxations of the vertebrae, especially upper cervical misalignments, have also been linked to depression? It’s true, but even more awesome is the fact that dealing with these misalignments through regular chiropractic visits is totally effective at elevating your mood and combatting depression all times of year! If you’re worried about carrying the doom and gloom of the winter months into the spring, make sure to visit the Bellevue Chiropractors at Summit to get realigned and feeling right!
If You’re Trying to Recover From an Injury
As we’ve said, Spring is a time of increased physical activity. If you’ve been recovering from an injury over the winter and you’re worried about being fit and ready for the Spring, you should pay a visit to the Bellevue chiropractic squad at Summit Sports & Spine. At Summit, we specialize in Active Release Techniques, which is a combination of movement and massage used to break down scar tissue while increasing functional muscle length.
You know those pesky knots that you get when you don’t stretch enough? That’s the result of dense scar tissue within the muscle that are produced when your body attempts to heal or isn’t moving properly. This scar tissue can restrict the mobility of muscles such that the affected muscles eventually become shorter and weaker, increasing tension on the surrounding tendons and joints. If you’re not careful and your overexert yourself, this tension can lead to serious injury.
We also specialize in functional rehabilitation and corrective exercises, which involves performing controlled movements in an area of dysfunction in order to improve strength, mobility, and coordination.
Looking to visit a bellevue chiropractor to make sure you well-aligned for the coming spring? With a full suite of chiropractic and naturopathic services that allow our patients to recover and move toward their specific goals, the team and at Summit is perfectly equipped to get you ready for Spring.
