Restoring your life back to normal following an injury, surgery, or a painful condition requires a thorough examination, proper diagnosis, comprehensive treatment, balanced nutrition, rest, and a specific rehabilitative exercise program.
Correcting any major muscle imbalances (see diagram) before beginning your rehabilitative exercise program is vital. Muscle imbalances prevent your joints from aligning and functioning properly. Poor joint function will disrupt your ability to move — putting you at greater risk for injury, chronic muscle pain, and joint pain.
That’s why NW Sports Rehab first looks at how your body functions as a whole before prescribing rehabilitation exercises. Movement is a coordinated effort involving your brain, spinal cord, and muscles. Our chiropractic doctors assess your movement and any muscle imbalances using the Functional Performance Exam.
The Functional Performance Exam pinpoints your body’s weak links — such as poor posture, lack of flexibility, joint dysfunction, decreased strength, endurance, stability, balance, or faulty movement patterns. Based on the examination’s findings, NW Sports Rehab designs a corrective exercise routine tailored to your exact needs. And once your body is balanced, and more stable, a total fitness program can be designed to keep you performing properly.
One of the most common muscle imbalances is called Lower Cross Syndrome which can be a major contributor or cause of ongoing lower back pain. It is often a result of too much sitting, repetitive movements, or not enough physical activity. Lower Cross Syndrome if left untreated can overstretch or tear your ligaments, trigger spinal instability, and even produce a herniated disc. This is why we run the Functional Performance Exam and other functional assessments to catch these hidden dysfunctions and correct the cause of these conditions with a thorough well rounded approach and an active care plan to correct them.
