Becoming Balanced: Recent Episodes
Michelle
Our aim is to combine our love for all things pilates with our knowledge of overall health and wellness, injury prevention, and rehabilitation as physical therapists. We hope to bring you useful information related to common discussions and topics we come across with our clients and patients.
Today we continue the conversation started last episode regarding low back disc injury. This time we're discussing disc herniation! Learn some about what a herniated disc really means, activities that increase pressure build up and pain in the low back, and what to do after injury has occurred.
References:
Magee, David J. Orthopedic Physical Assessment. 6th. Elsevier Saunders, 2014.
Today we’re talking about Bulging Discs. What is a bulging disc? Why do they occur? What does it feel like? What should I do if I think I might have one? These are all questions that are answered on today's episode!
Do you or someone you know have slow reaction times, difficulty with balance, feel “clumsy”, or are suffering from an injury? You likely are also dealing with impaired proprioception and may not fully realize it! Learn more about what this really means and what you can do to help in this week's episode.
What are your typical sleeping habits? Do you know much about how important sleep is for your body, mind, and daily life? What about pain? Did you know that sleeping habits can directly affects your pain levels?
Listen to this episode to help you to not only appreciate sleep more, but to inspire you to make some lifestyle changes that will bring out a better version of yourself, just by getting more quality sleep!
References:
Finan PH, Goodin BR, Smith MT. The association of sleep and pain: an update and a path forward. J Pain. 2013 Dec;14(12):1539-52. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2013.08.007. PMID: 24290442; PMCID: PMC4046588.
Gooley JJ, Chamberlain K, Smith KA, Khalsa SB, Rajaratnam SM, Van Reen E, Zeitzer JM, Czeisler CA, Lockley SW. Exposure to room light before bedtime suppresses melatonin onset and shortens melatonin duration in humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Mar;96(3):E463-72. doi: 10.1210/jc.2010-2098. Epub 2010 Dec 30. PMID: 21193540; PMCID: PMC3047226.
What is the IT band and how does it relate to my knee pain?
Why is it often blamed for pain?
Why does social media and some healthcare providers encourage spending lots of time using a foam roller to release it?
Today we'll discuss the anatomy of the IT band. We then review why it is commonly thrown into discussions with friends, coworkers, or healthcare providers as to why your knee hurts. We conclude with discussing how hip, core, and glute strengthening is most important to heal your knee pain, instead of focusing all efforts on stretching or lying on a foam roller every night.
Being "double jointed" often implies that a person has a condition called Hypermobility. But what does that mean? In this episode we will discuss how being super flexible is actually a joint condition that can lead to injuries. However, with knowledge of the right type of exercises designed to stabilize, it is an easy condition to manage.
We then discuss how mat and reformer pilates is one of the best forms of exercise to manage joint hypermobility.
Have you ever thought "I'd really like to do pilates more, but it just doesn't burn enough calories." This is a common myth that we are going to debunk on today's episode.
Your body's response during and after exercise is so much more than just a number on a calorie tracker! Today we dive into why it is beneficial to engage in a weekly low to moderate intensity strength and stability pilates program to improve your metabolism, ramp up energy levels, boost your mental health, and create balance for your body.
In this episode, Michelle discusses what dry needling is and how it's different from acupuncture. She then dives into more specifics regarding how dry needling helps your specific injury. Finally, she discusses how one on one therapy sessions include dry needling, followed by pilates movement tailored to each patient's specific injury, are quite beneficial for trigger point release and overall healing.
Additional Information:
Butts, Raymond, and James Dunning. “Peripheral and Spinal Mechanisms of Pain and Dry Needling Mediated Analgesia: A Clinical Resource Guide for Health Care Professionals.” International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, vol. 04, no. 02, 2016, https://doi.org/10.4172/2329-9096.1000327.
In this first episode, Michelle and Bridget introduce themselves and discuss their backgrounds as physical therapists and how they established interest then careers in Pilates Based Physical Therapy. Bridget gives us insight as to why she left the more typical outpatient physical therapy world to start Balanced Physical Therapy & Dance Wellness in Charlotte, NC. Michelle and Bridget also discuss the background of pilates, particularly Joseph Pilates' story. They discuss how his childhood, ingenuity, and creativity formed the backbone of pilates, and how his creations are not only inspiring in fitness but also utilized in the rehab community.
If you’d like to hear more about Balanced Physical therapy or private pilates services, please visit our website at balancedptclt.com to schedule and follow us on instagram @balanceddancept