Raymond Solano, DC, CCSP

The focus of chiropractic in sports is to provide care in the conservative management, rehabilitation, and performance optimization of the neuromusculoskeletal system for athletic populations and to participate in a multi-disciplinary sports injury care environment.

Even before they are "sidelined" by a sports injury, many athletes are not functioning to their fullest potential. This is because malfunctions in the neuromusculoskeletal system causes the body to change or adapt other systems to "compensate". This compensation means that the body has to expend more energy to achieve the result it had before the malfunction. Range of motion, muscle function, coordination, and balance can all be affected. With correction, the athlete could experience improvements in these areas and, as a result, in overall performance.

Before you begin serious conditioning for a new sport, or after you suffer a sports-related injury, seek a full evaluation in the office. A check-up will discover any problems that could limit your athletic performance. Regardless of your sport, age, conditioning, or health, Chiropractic care can improve your athletic potential.

At Solano Spine & Sport Chiropractic, we have experience working with athletes from all levels.

Back pain is something we are all likely to experience at some time in our lives. Depending on the severity, you may have to miss work, a big game, or even time with your family. There is nothing more frustrating than a physical ailment preventing you from doing the things that you enjoy.

A question that I get very often is, “Why did my back go out?” From my experience working with all types of patients, your back pain can be a result of one of 2 things. Your back pain can either be a result of a “macro” trauma or a “micro” trauma.

Let me explain. A “macro” trauma is when you unexpectedly suffer a bad fall, auto accident, or sports injury to your spine. In other words, you go from a state of optimal well being to a sudden state of dis-ease. The most frustrating part is that you never expected it to happen. A “macro” trauma often time places axial compression on your spine and generates an inflammatory response. The inflammation then produces pain and loss of mobility. In severe cases, delicate nerves can become affected and loss of function to the extremities can occur. Most of the time, a patient will be able to describe what produced the “macro” trauma, which makes the treatment approach clear and favorable.

The other type of trauma is “micro”. A “micro” trauma is when structural changes take place in your spine over a longer period of time. It can be from 6 months to even 5 years before you develop any symptoms. Small changes over a period of time occur slowly, therefore you sometimes don't notice or take them seriously. Factors that can produce these “micro” traumas can be poor posture, unsupportive pillows, inappropriate foot wear, poor diet, and even smoking. These factors over time can create degenerative changes (arthritis) to your spine. These type of degenerative changes can produce a gradual onset of pain that only worsens. An effective way to confirm degenerative changes in your spine is through an x-ray. When I was interviewed in the Washington Post several years ago, I made a statement that “Good bone health comes from good overall health”. This still holds true.

A patient in the office that has suffered a “macro” trauma more than likely will know what caused his/her back to go “out”. On the other hand, the patient that presents with a gradual onset and suffered a “micro” trauma often times does not always know. A visit to our office will help you not only with a sudden onset of back pain, but assist you with lifestyle changes necessary to prevent those gradual changes from happening!

Snow-Shoveling-Tips for Injury Prevention

•Warm muscles work better. So take some time to stretch and prepare your body for activity by increasing blood flow.

•Just like with a golf club, hand placement on the shovel handle is very important! Don't put your hands (grip) close to one another. Create some distance between the hands. This will give you more leverage and make it easier to lift snow.

•Think about good posture and maintaining the natural curve of your spine.

•Address your task directly. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart to maintain balance. Try to keep the shovel close to your body. Bend at the knees-not the waist or back. Tighten your stomach muscles as you lift the snow. Lift with your legs-not your back. Do not twist your body. Dump the snow in front of you. If you need to move the snow to the side, move your feet-do not twist!

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, "If you must lift the snow, lift it properly. Squat with your legs apart, knees bent and back straight. Lift with your legs. Do not bend at the waist. Scoop small amounts of snow into the shovel and walk to where you want to dump it. Holding a shovelful of snow with your arms outstretched puts too much weight on your spine. Never remove deep snow all at once; do it in pieces. Shovel an inch or two; then take another inch off. Rest and repeat if necessary."

•Don't throw snow over your shoulder! Go forward with the snow.

•Fresh snow is lighter in weight-so clear snow as soon as it has fallen. Snow becomes dense as it compacts on the ground. Wet snow is very heavy. One shovelful can weigh 20 pounds or more!

•Pace yourself. Take frequent breaks to stretch your back and extremities.

The end of summer is approaching for many students returning back to school. Although summer time is meant to be relaxing and enjoyable, many young athletes don't do enough to keep the momentum going in regards to staying in shape. If you are an athlete returning back to school to play a Fall sport, then the info below is just for you. The following guidelines are helpful and a reminder for getting back into the game and staying injury-free.

· Warm up with light activity, progressing to moderate activity at least 5-10 minutes before exercising or participating in sports.

· Cool down and stretch after every workout. Never just walk away

from a sport or activity. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds to one minute without bouncing.

· For safe training, never increase your exercise intensity or the amount of weight lifted by a factor of more than 10 percent every two weeks.

· Train specifically for your sport. Each activity uses different muscles and patterns in the body; make sure your body is trained for your sport

· Use heart-rate guidelines in training for endurance sports.

· Give your body a break. Always take one to two days off per week to let your muscles heal and your body repair.

· Cross-train with different activities. This allows your body to repair and helps you gain strength and endurance at the same time.

· Don't use thirst as a guide to drinking. By the time you are thirsty, you are already more than 3 percent dehydrated.

From my experience as a sports medicine professional, it gives me the greatest pleasure to assist an athlete through the recovery of an injury. Sometimes though, in order to push through challenges, you must "think out of the box". This type of thinking is being used today by many sports chiropractors, physical therapists, and trainers when using Kinesio-Tape instead of standard athletic tape during the healing process of an injury.

You see, Kinesio-Tape actually offers a different paradigm altogether from the standard model. Standard athletic tape is used by definition to either restrict range of motion or apply compression. Kinesio-Tape is used to do just the opposite -- maintain range of motion and not apply compression. The idea is that continuous compression on lymphatic and venous structures prevents the return of inflammatory exudates, which hampers the recovery of the tissue and increases pain perception. For best results, the body is placed through its end range of motion and then Kinesio-Tape is applied -- to ensure that it doesn't limit the range of motion. Kinesio-Tape can be applied to reduce pain, improve muscular balance, provide tissue support, and reduce inflammation.

I have used Kinesio-Tape on ankles, knees, shoulders, hips, and spine. I endorse this method of taping and truly believe that it helps the athlete with the healing process and even during competition. For more info about Kinesio-Tape , please email me at docsolano@solanospine.com

Injuries that are received in a contact sport such as football or hockey are similar to those one might suffer in an auto accident. The biggest difference is the mechanism of injury, but the body still undergoes a forceful impact. During this impact, the bones in the spine (vertebrae) can be damaged. Though injuries to the arms and legs are often detected and dealth with, damage to or displacement of vertebrae in the neck or back may not be detected until much time has passed. In addition, contact sports are not the only ones to cause injuries. Sports such as golf and tennis, which require a twisting motion, can lead to injuries to soft tissues around the spine such as muscles, ligaments, tendons, and discs (cushion of tissue between the vertebrae). Furthermore, any sport that involves running subjects the joints, including the spinal joints, to wear and tear due to repeated jarring/compression.

When vertebrae are pushed out of their normal positions and spinal joints don't move correctly, Doctors of Chiropractic call this joint dysfunction a vertebral subluxation. Subluxation puts pressure on nearby nerves, affecting the function of the spine and therefore the entire nervous system. This can lead to problems with nearly every other tissue, organ, and system in the body.

Spinal injuries can limit motion, strength, endurance, and speed. Until the vertebrae and spinal joints are restored to normal position and motion, complete recovery from an injury is not possible. This is our focus at Solano Spine & Sport Chiropractic. In addition to treatment in the office, massage therapy and specific strength training is sometimes necessary  for complete healing to take place. This complete approach to sports injuries is what will set you apart from the rest and bring you one step closer to achieving Peak Performance as an athlete.

Everything starts from the ground up. This means that the feet are the foundation for any movement initiated further up the kinetic chain. The feet are not only the foundation, but a source of proprioception for an athlete.So why is it that the feet/ankles are not taken into consideration when evaluating a sports injury. From my experience, it is often times overlooked. For example, an athlete with excessive pronation (flat feet) can also suffer from a rotated tibia, lower sided pelvis, and even lumbar spine misalignments. (See pic below)

Symptoms from excessive pronation can include heel pain, knee pain, and lower back fatigue. Although it's important to treat these symptoms, a  thorough examination by your sports chiropractor will isolate the cause of these symptoms. A good place to start is with the feet!

So why is it that many athletes suffer from foot pain and weakness to begin with?

Great question. Unless an athlete has had a previous injury or given a valid reason to wear ankle braces or repeatedly have their feet taped, they should stay away from these if possible. You see, the foot/ankle is a very complex part of the body. By wearing stiff shoes, braces, and athletic tape we are led to believe that we are providing the upmost stability, but what we are really doing is limiting mobility and natural movement. For an athlete, mobility is priceless. By limiting mobility, the muscles of the feet/ankles become weakened over time and are more prone to injury and dysfunction. This is what can disrupt the precious kinetic chain.                                           

So how do you prevent initial foot pain and weakness in athletes?

Alan Stein (www.strongerteam.com) , DeMatha High School Basketball strength & conditioning expert said it best. "Strengthen your feet by doing many of the same things you do with shoes on! Squats, lunges, dynamic flexibility movements, and low level hops are all great to do shoeless. If you want to see several dozen exercises we use to strengthen our player’s feet and ankles, check out: http/tinyurl.com/StrongFeet ".

Can you still get help if you are an athlete with chronic dropped foot arches and ankle sprains?

Yes. The best thing to do is to gradually reduce dependency on athletic tape and braces. Start by wearing custom made semi-rigid orthotics (insoles) that can be prescribed by your sports chiropractor. In addition, make the transition from standard rigid athletic tape to a tape called Kinesio Tape. Kinesio Tape is a soft, flexible tape that allows for full muscle/joint movement while providing support. It does not lock up the ankle/foot joints.

A rule of thumb that I like to use when evaluating the athlete is "structure affects function". The source of pain is not always the cause of pain. Sports chiropractors are trained to look at the body as a whole and determine where the cause of the problem is coming from. The problem could be under your nose....

Very simple. Stretching increases blood flow to muscles that are about to be used. By increasing blood flow, you are also warming the muscles and tendons. This added warmth makes the muscles more pliable and will help prevent injury. The key is to break a sweat, whether its by jumping rope, jogging, or doing light drills that replicate the activity you are about to do.

Not a week goes by where a patient asks me "What type of mattress do you recommend?" I am solicited at least once a month from mattress manufacturers to promote their products. I have seen it all. Everything from NASA foam to air mattresses. From my experience, I have found that a firm mattress is what we all need. That's right, a firm mattress. Our spine has 3 natural curves (2 lordotic and 1 kyphotic) and the best thing to support these is a firm mattress. I know what you're thinking, "My spouse likes a firm mattress, but I don't". Then the best thing to do is to purchase a firm mattress and add a pillow top (at least 1 inch) to soften up the top layer, but maintain firm stability underneath.

FYI, Sam's Club and Costco have great mattresses at great prices....

Knowing when to apply ice or heat to an injury is not only critical for proper healing to take place, but essential in reducing the amount of recovery time after an injury. An injury caused by a forceful trauma (such as a knee sprain) or a repetitive strain (such as overuse of the back from running) will result in an inflammatory response. Inflammation isolates the injury and activates the local and systemic defense and repair processes. Inflammation is a good thing, as it is necessary forproper healing of the tissues to occur. However, inflammation is a very primitive response, and may become detrimental to the healing process if it is not managed. Too much inflammation can lead to a delay in the healing process, as well as excessive scarring, ongoing chronic pain, and improper movement patterns. The key to tissue healing is to maximize the positive effects and minimize the negative effects of inflammation, thereby creating the ideal environment for the body to heal itself. When cell membranes of tissues are damaged, prostaglandin is released into the surrounding region, causing the surrounding capillaries to swell. Prolonged inflammation will decrease nutritional flow to the injured tissues, cause scarring, and ultimately lead to dysfunctional muscle groups, improper motion patterns, prolonged dysfunction, and ongoing pain sensitivity. One way to prolong inflammation is by making the mistake of applying heat instead of ice to an immediate injury. Instead, applying ice to the injured area will cause vasoconstriction of the capillaries. Both ice and compression result in improved re-absorption of fluids and decreased pain. Elevation of the injured area will help drain fluids away from the injury. These three methods will limit the primitive responses of inflammation and create the optimum environment for tissue healing. As a general rule, ice should be applied to the injured tissue over a 20-minute period with a 1-hour rest period between applications. Studies have suggested that ice therapy combined with compression is more effective than ice therapy alone, so the ice pack should be secured with an ace bandage. During the first 6 days of the inflammatory process, non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (such as Ibuprofen) are useful in inhibiting prostaglandin formation, thereby limiting inflammation. These medications may be purchased over the counter or prescribed by your doctor if stronger doses are needed. From my experience working with athletes, understanding how to manage inflammation with ice therapy is crucial in allowing for complete healing to take place.