I had a couple things going on when I created this video so it is a little jumbled up. I want to make sure that everyone understands that we are a strength training facility, we aren’t in business nor do we have training to fix your aches and pains, we refer to chiropractors, physical therapists and podiatrists to fix your injuries. However, the reality is that we are on the front line of health. People come in all the time and say, “I think I slept wrong, because my neck is stiff.” The point of this video was to show people three things:
1) Most importantly, you are in charge of your body. We can empower you to be a responsible owner, but you don’t have any power without information. We call ourselves Mad Dawg School of Fitness, because it is our job to give you information, in an experiential way, for you to use as you see fit.
2) We have both strategic and tactical plans for your health and fitness.
3) One manifestation of our strategic and tactical plans is how do we deal with the injuries (you will see many other examples as this series progresses). First of all, don’t try to “work through it.” If you have a physical therapist, chiropractor or other licensed health practitioner that you regularly use, go see them. If your back or neck is stiff from sleeping wrong or you had a rough soccer game or you went on a long hike or run, we can help you do a little mobilizing. The majority of the time, after a day or two of rest and mobilizing you should see some positive change. If not, we will refer you to one of our partners or tell you to go see your preferred medical practitioner.
In short, do not fool around with pain. Pain is the last part of the injury continuum to surface and the first to go away as you heal, i.e. it is just the tip of the iceberg. Just because the pain goes away, doesn’t mean you are better and ready to hit it hard. The majority of the time when you get a little tweek, there is something else “beneath” that needs to be addressed. Making sure that you are doing the movements correctly will go a long way towards making sure that you stay healthy, but sometimes life happens and that’s what this video is all about.
Reference video and audio:
A Better Upper Back Extension-izer
Episode 209/365: Free Your Ribs, Your Mind Will Follow
Episode 256/365: Global Extension Part 2
Shoulder Internal Rotation 1/3
Shoulder Internal Rotation 2/3
Gray Cook Radio: Episode Twenty-Seven (also available on iTunes.
Gray Cook Radio: Episode Twenty-Five (also available on iTunes.