Musculoskeletal

Chiropractic

What uncommon or controversial fitness practice do you believe are highly effective?

Cutting-Edge Fitness Practices: BFR Cuffs, Brain Tap, PEMF Pad

Hey Andrew, this doctor for khun, always think about controversial Fitness practices. Just simply being something that's new or there's very little research on it. So if we're talking about Cutting Edge sports injuries, that typically hangs heavily in some of that domain because we did do tend to take on and be early adopters. But for me, it's always something that has to have a basic principle or concept that makes physiological or Consent. So, a couple of things that I do from a fitness standpoint, that's rather new. If, you know new in the healthcare world has been around for 30 years. However, new in terms of what people are doing today is very recent, particularly in Endurance Sports. However, a lot of Nikes, top athletes are using this, and, as well, as many of the top sprinters in the world. One texting me right now. There we go. And so this is what one of them, it's a bfr cuff. You put it on your upper arm and you can put it onto your, get it there, the your leg, and you pump it up to a little bit of pressure and what it does. Is it restricts, blood flow coming out from your extremities reduces oxygen, so it puts you into a metabolic crisis. Your body has to respond to it. Just like your you go through when you do a really hard workout. So the different with a cut difference with the cuffs on, is that you're able to do a really hard metabolic workout without having a lot of break down and tearing of muscle tissue. So, you can recover quickly. And that's an advantage, obviously, for getting metabolic recovery without having a lot of joint load muscle, strain, and allows you to kind of work your system a little bit harder and faster. The other thing it does is freakishly increases your growth hormone anywhere from 3 to 30 times. Normal levels for your period of time and increases vascular, endothelial growth factor in a couple of other things that are really positive when it comes down to getting better. Another thing that I tend to do from a recovery standpoint. Is utilize a system called brain tap. And there's the LED goggles that you can put on and they have LEDs that come through the ears as well, and you have by urinal beeps. And if you choose, you can have hypnotic speaking that goes through the headphones as well and it puts your brain into either Alpha Beta Delta 0, through Theta, brain waves, depending upon if you get want to get up. Regulated and alert. So let's say you want to get up regulated for competitions. You want to be alert, or if you want to be down regulated because you have a ton of anxiety and or you just need to sleep and get a recovery in and so it's really effective. You do. It's like doing medication meditation on steroids really is kind of effective that way. Next thing I do. This is not what I'm talking about, but it's a similar thing. This is a p EMF pad out. On a full-body mat. And what that does is circulates your hemoglobin around your body AIDS in your recovery process. It also AIDS in those brain wave patterns as well and allows you to recover without as much cardiac output. So, it's kind of like, to me, it's like taking a big nap. So when you lay down for a few minutes and it really magnifies the amount of recovery that you have, but they're kind of fun stuff. I Like I'm a lot more productive with it. In terms of, I can get a lot more done in terms of my workout in a short period of time as well as after workouts. I can recover a lot faster to get back out there. Hope that's helpful.

I use BFR cuffs, BrainTap and PEMF pads to help with recovery and performance. They reduce muscle strain, increase growth hormone levels, regulate brain wave patterns, and help with circulation.

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Uncommon or controversial fitness practices that I find highly effective include the use of BFR (Blood Flow Restriction) cuffs, the BrainTap system, and PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) pads.

BFR cuffs are used by top athletes in both endurance sports and sprinting. By restricting blood flow and reducing oxygen supply, they create a metabolic crisis that stimulates the body's response without causing excessive muscle breakdown or strain. This allows for quicker recovery and the ability to push the body harder during workouts. BFR cuffs also significantly increase growth hormone levels and promote vascular and endothelial growth factors.

The BrainTap system utilizes LED goggles and audio cues to guide the brain into specific brainwave patterns, such as Alpha, Beta, Delta, or Theta. This can help regulate and optimize brain function, whether for increased alertness during competitions or relaxation and sleep for recovery. It provides a powerful meditation-like experience.

PEMF pads, such as full-body mats, circulate hemoglobin throughout the body, aiding in the recovery process. They also contribute to brainwave regulation and promote overall recovery with reduced cardiac output. Using PEMF pads can enhance recovery and provide a deep sense of relaxation.

These practices have personally helped me become more productive during workouts and recover faster afterward. They allow me to achieve more in a shorter period of time and get back to training sooner.

Please note that while these practices have shown effectiveness, it's important to consult with a healthcare professional before incorporating them into your fitness routine.

Do you recommend using a massage gun before or after working out?

Massage Gun: Best Used After Your Workout!

Hey Millie, this is dr. Fork. Mm. Great question about use massage gun before or after workout in general, research is all over the place in terms of the effectiveness of massage before competition. There are some studies that might suggest that it could be detrimental. I would tend to think that ideally you'd to use massage gun afterwards. However, often times research doesn't ask the important question, which is, you know, they use it as a blanket application. However, you might want to look at it as targeting, your massage on just those areas that are tight. There are a couple of studies that show some good positive outcomes and increasing tissue length. And so I'd probably lean on that. So typical areas that you'd want to use it on. Would be your hip. Flexors your to tensor fascia, Lata your calf and possibly your chest, especially as a cyclist or a swimmer. Those areas tend to get tightened down a little bit. I hope that's helpful. Thanks for asking any question.

Research is mixed on the effectiveness of using a massage gun before or after a workout. However, it is generally suggested to use the massage gun after a workout and to target areas such as your hip flexors, tensor fascia lata, calf, and chest.

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Using a massage gun before or after working out is a great question. Research on the effectiveness of massage before competition is varied, with some studies suggesting it could be detrimental. Ideally, it is recommended to use a massage gun after your workout.

However, it's important to note that research often doesn't consider targeted application. Instead of using the massage gun on your entire body, you can focus on specific areas that feel tight or tense. Some studies have shown positive outcomes in increasing tissue length.

Typical areas to target with a massage gun include the hip flexors, tensor fascia latae, calf muscles, and possibly the chest, especially for cyclists or swimmers who may experience tightness in those areas.

Ultimately, it's important to listen to your body and use the massage gun in a way that feels beneficial and helps alleviate any tightness or discomfort.

Drinking Diet Coke: A Bad Choice for Your Health

Sam, this Dr. Fokam. Sorry about the background music. I happen to be at Universal Studios. My view of Diet Coke is that it's definitely bad for you. I'd rather have people drink original Coke, which uses cane sugar, instead of corn syrup or aspartame as an option if you want to have Coke. The main reason is that aspartame has been reported to cross the blood brain barrier. And there are a number of negative side effects with that. Also some studies have shown that it doesn't really reduce your satiety. In other words, people tend to eat more and gain more weight drinking a diet soft drink. So they'll crave more sweets, crave more carbohydrates as a result. There has been some reports of increased seizures, neuropathies into the extremities, as well as headaches. So that's why I kind of try to avoid that. Hope you're well.

Dr. Fokam thinks Diet Coke is bad for you and advises people to drink original Coke (with cane sugar) instead, as aspartame has been reported to cross the blood brain barrier and can cause negative side effects such as increased seizures, neuropathies, headaches, and an increased craving for sweets and carbohydrates.

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In my view, Diet Coke is not a healthy choice. I would recommend opting for regular Coke with cane sugar instead of corn syrup or aspartame. Aspartame, the sweetener used in Diet Coke, has been reported to cross the blood-brain barrier, leading to potential negative side effects. Studies have also shown that diet soft drinks do not reduce satiety, causing people to eat more and gain weight. Additionally, there have been reports of increased seizures, neuropathies, and headaches associated with consuming aspartame. Considering these factors, I personally try to avoid Diet Coke.

How often should BFR (blood flow restriction) training be done, and are there any risks associated with doing it?

BFR Training: Daily Use, Low Risks & Surprising Benefits

And this is a great question. And this doctor, Ted for come and I just wanted to respond to back about bfr or Blood, Flow, Restriction, Training. I guess, first thing does describe, what is it? And so be if our training uses and incorporates bands such as this happens to be a be strong band, and this band gets wrapped around your arms or your legs or all four extremities, Which is my Reference. I like to work on a systemic effect. I think that's really the best bang for your buck on this and it's very time efficient. So, be a farc training can be done on a daily basis. Or if you're in Rehabilitation, it can be done multiple times during the day. The beautiful thing about bfr, trainees because you're reducing your load. In other words, if you're lifting, and you'd normally lift with 100 pounds, you're now going to be thing with anywhere from 20 to 40 pounds. So if you have an injury, it's less compression on your joint. Less sheer on the ligaments and less load on your muscle, 10 injunctions which with exercise, your actually tearing muscle tissue down in this. Reduces the amount of tearing. So, what you're really doing is, you're creating a metabolic and hormonal effect in your Sky, rocketing up your growth hormone. So growth hormone, depending upon the That easy read will go anywhere from a three or five time, increase to a 30 time, increase over a period, over a short period of time. So it's not sustained. Probably wouldn't want to have that sustained but you do want to have a bump up after you have exercised to accelerate your accelerate your recovery, several other factors will increase as well. And so you can use bfr training to either reduce body weight. You can use Use it to aid in recovery from an injury as well as to increase muscle mass. In terms of triathlon. We use. He usually use it as plopping it on at the end of a workout and doing drills, say and track and field, distance, runners or marathons. We'd have you doing a skips be skits karaokes, maybe just general skipping to get to fatigue and then some light arm exercises if you're doing something that's more power oriented. Then we're going to have you do this as part of your strength training program and be more aggressive. So you might be then doing deadlifts. Good morning, exercises squats, classic strength and performance exercises, straw ordinarily safe because you're reducing your load. So your Technique knowledge. When you're lifting heavy it your get a little bit more laxity. So if you're doing something and you're not in, You don't have a spotter or a quality coach to help you out. This gives you a little bit more. Grace of are also. The nice thing about this is when you travel, you can get a serious strength training workout in your hotel room, because all you have to do is carry around this little bag. I'll be getting in my training workout, here in a little bit, just finishing up at the meeting of the joint commission and Sports Medicine, Science here, in Louisville. But again, risk involved with this is going to be very low. There have been two incidences of blood clot that. I'm aware from research and the risks are higher. If you use a rigid cuff, bfr band, adverse to one that has a little bit of flexibility to it. Also, if you use a narrow band, there seems to be a little bit more risk. Other risk come into the same thing of doing really, really, intense workout. Such as Rhabdomyolysis, but pretty rare. So, I hope that answers the question and feel free to ask me anything else on this subject. As you can see, it's up-and-coming. I

Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFR training) is a form of exercise that uses bands to restrict the blood flow in the arms and legs. This reduces the amount of load on the muscles and joints, which helps with recovery from injury as well as increasing muscle mass. BFR training can be used for body weight loss and strength and performance exercises, making it great for travel, since you don't need any equipment. It is safe, but there are risks such as blood clots and rhabdomyolysis if done too intensely.

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BFR (blood flow restriction) training can be done on a daily basis or multiple times a day if you're in rehabilitation. It involves using bands wrapped around your arms or legs to reduce the load during exercise, which can be beneficial for reducing joint compression, ligament stress, and muscle tearing. BFR training creates a metabolic and hormonal effect, increasing growth hormone levels and aiding in recovery. It can be used for weight reduction, injury recovery, and muscle mass increase.

In terms of safety, BFR training is generally safe because it reduces the load on your body. However, it's important to maintain proper technique and have a spotter or coach when lifting heavy weights. Travelers can benefit from BFR training as it allows for a portable strength training workout. The risk of blood clots is low, especially when using flexible cuffs and wider bands. Intense workouts may carry a slight risk of conditions like rhabdomyolysis, but these are rare.

Overall, BFR training is an emerging field with potential benefits, and the risks associated with it are generally low. Feel free to ask any further questions on this topic.

Is it better to run in the same shoes until they wear out or alternate between a few pairs? 

Running: Rotate Shoes for Optimal Performance & Injury Prevention

Melanie, absolutely essential question. This is Dr. Falk. I'm just getting back to you on your question on how you should rotate your shoes. I'm just out getting ready to jump on a plane, getting my workout in beforehand. But the only way I think I can describe this is to use a visual diagram. And so I'm going to hopefully be able to prop this up here. There we go. So if you use one shoe, you can see the graph races up and down. And what happens at this low point, that's when you're about ready to rotate your shoes out and change them and that's when you're most likely to get injured. So you have the least amount of control and the least amount of shock absorption protection, which is the function of your shoe. So you're better off to find some element of rotation in it. And see if I can put this up without the wind blowing away. There we go. So then we look into if we have two shoes, well, where the average of your control and protection in the shoe is much higher from that baseline of when the shoe is dead. And so that's usually when you're going to get injured or take longer to recover from your training of runs. Your legs will just feel pretty much pounded and overloaded, joints will get sore. So you want to make sure that you at least have two shoes in rotation so that you have your overall average load onto your extremity is kind of in that medium level, not dead, but not brand new. When you bring a new shoe into your rotation always make sure that your trying it out first on some easy to moderate runs to make sure it works well for you before you fully commit to the shoe and invest all your hard training into it only to find out that you get injured again. Always rotate your old shoes off to what I'd call your shakeout runs, your easier runs. They're runs that have lower load and volume on them. Ideally, I'm going to see people go into a situation where they're rotating through three shoes. That's where your average amount of wear and load onto your body is going to be absorbed by your footwear. You're going to have a greater degree of protection. Again, you want to make sure that you avoid that big oscillation where you're really spiking up and then dropping back down over a period of time to low protection. So usually what happens is kind of when that load drops down and you're using one shoe, that's at the peak of your season when you really want to be performing at your best and now you're wearing a shoe that performs at its worst. So get several shoes, rotate them. Keep track of your time and mileage. Again, if you're looking at certain types of shoes, they may not have a full complement of time or longevity. So if you're going to err, err on the side of replacing them sooner than later. Take care.

Always rotate your shoes to avoid injury and extend the life of your shoes. Try to have at least two pairs so you can switch them out regularly, and if possible, three pairs will give you the best protection. Make sure to break in new shoes before committing to them fully and save old ones for shakeout runs with lower load and volume.

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It is better to alternate between a few pairs of running shoes rather than running in the same shoes until they wear out completely. Dr. Falk explains that using one shoe until it is worn out increases the risk of injury because the shoe loses its shock absorption and protection capabilities. When the shoe is at its lowest point of performance, injuries are more likely to occur.

On the other hand, if you have two shoes in rotation, the average level of control and protection is higher, reducing the risk of injury and allowing for better recovery from training runs. Dr. Falk recommends having at least two shoes in rotation to maintain a medium level of load on your extremities.

When introducing a new shoe into your rotation, it's important to test it out on easy to moderate runs first to ensure it works well for you. Old shoes can be used for easier runs or shakeout runs with lower load and volume.

Ideally, Dr. Falk suggests rotating through three pairs of shoes to absorb the average wear and load on your body. This helps avoid extreme spikes and drops in protection. Keeping track of time and mileage is important, and if a shoe shows signs of wear or lacks longevity, it's better to replace it sooner rather than later.

In summary, rotating between multiple pairs of running shoes helps maintain better protection and reduces the risk of injury.

What are your top three favorite abdominal exercises for Diastasis Recti closure? 


Top 3 Ab Exercises for Diastasis Recti: Expert Tips

Hey Laura, this is Ted for coming. Thanks for the question on diastasis. Recti common condition where you get separation of the Linea Alba. Separating, the dongle fall fashion between the rectus abdominis, common postpartum pregnancy. You'll see frequently and Men, especially guys have put on an equal amount of baby weight. As a mother and wrap Levine never lose and so, very common with a do a curl up, like, you're going to just do. Take a deep breath in for me. There you go. The belly should leave followed by the And and so that's not occurring. Then you need to work on recalibrating where you take a deep breath in push-up with the hand. Around the belly good. Nice job ahead and push out of this. My hands on both sides. So you're pushing this way. Good make that nice and tight. So when you're doing that you want to try to not let that herniation pushed out. So if it is pushing up just go ahead and take your fingers. Push it back. In while you're doing these exercises. And so same thing, when you're doing some exercise, I want you to do is going to be a curl up and for you. What I want you to do is to, you've got it. So you just curling up and if you get separation, just push it back down in and then push the wreck Guy naked on those together. So you're holding it together while you're doing this exercise and kind of just sticking your fingers. So kind of feel like you're sticking your finger goes right into the deep part of your belly. And you're going to do that with a lot of these exercises. It's obviously hard to do that when you're doing a plank. So you can have left the doing these exercise either in the city standing or a Supine position. Like this. If you have a partner, you can do that into a blanket, have them stabilized and pushing, hope that while you doing exercises. Well, one of the other exercise I want to do is just doing legs and you hold them 9090 position just like, And again, you might fold the creation back into position during this. And what here I like to have you hold for 10 seconds, repeat 10 times. You might have a chair here where you can lift the legs up off the chair. And then I'm just going to have your legs down for two seconds and repeat again. The next one. We're going to have the one leg on the chair. And then this Lake can lower down slowly and lift back up. And do that. Obviously on the same side over here and all the time, while you're doing that, you want to keep that spine in neutral Theory, not arching that back or keeping it flat to the ground. So those are three exercises and new us for three, but I want to make sure that you cut the previous exercise and last when we talk about core wraps all the way around the body has a talk with in a bottle, it last but not Angle, I want you to Envision that you're going to the bathroom since you're in Florida, now and up Colorado here in Colorado. Don't want you to Envision that. You're going to the bathroom in the woods and you see a bear. So you gotta pinch that off until I want you envision. That you have to eat a pinch off a poop or fish up in Shakopee in alternate battle between front and back pelvic floor and hold for again, ten seconds repeat. Times till now that your Florida is going to be an alligator. Imagine alligator coming out by the way, they Sprint pretty quick.

Diastasis recti is a common condition where you get separation of the Linea Alba. It is common with postpartum pregnancy and also men who have put on an equal amount of baby weight. To help, do exercises such as curl ups, pushing out with your hands, legs held at 9090 for 10 seconds, then lower them for two seconds and repeat, and one leg on a chair and slowly lift up and down. While doing these exercises, make sure to keep the spine in neutral and use visualization techniques such as imagining you are going to the bathroom in the woods and seeing a bear and having to pinch it off or imagining an alligator coming out and having to sprint.

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Hey Laura, thanks for asking about abdominal exercises for Diastasis Recti closure. Diastasis Recti is a common condition where the Linea Alba, the connective tissue between the rectus abdominis muscles, separates, often occurring postpartum or with weight gain. Here are three exercises that can help:

1. Diaphragmatic Breathing: Take a deep breath in, allowing the belly to rise, followed by the chest. Exhale and draw the belly button in towards the spine, engaging the deep core muscles. This helps recalibrate the abdominal muscles.

2. Supine Curl-Up: Lie on your back with knees bent. Curl up, lifting your head and shoulders off the ground while keeping the separation pushed down. You can use your fingers to gently push the separation back in place while performing the exercise.

3. 90/90 Leg Lifts: Lie on your back with knees bent at a 90-degree angle, feet resting on a chair. Lift one leg up while keeping the separation pushed down. Lower the leg back down slowly and repeat. Switch sides and repeat the exercise.

Remember to maintain a neutral spine position during these exercises, avoiding excessive arching or flattening of the back. You can also consider using a core wrap or engaging the pelvic floor muscles by imagining pinching off urine or envisioning encounters with bears or alligators (depending on your location!).

These exercises can be done in a standing or supine position, and if available, you can have a partner stabilize the separation while you perform the exercises. It's important to listen to your body and consult with a healthcare professional for personalized guidance.

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Dr. Forcum is the team chiropractor for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. He was selected as a member of the medical staff for Team U.S.A. during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. He also served on the medical staff at the 2015 USA Track and Field World Championships Training Camp and 2007 Rio de Janeiro US Pan American Games.

Neither AnyQuestion nor its Experts provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment or otherwise provide professional healthcare services.

Dr. Ted Forcum