Peak Performance Sports & Spine October 2019

Peak Performance Sports & Spine October 2019

YOUR MOVEMENT MONTHLY

OCTOBER 2019

WWW.PEAKPERFORMANCESPORTSANDSPINE.COM| 509-453-PEAK (7325)

ACL REHAB ADVANCES THE BENEFITS OF STROBE GLASSES

The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of the most important ligaments in the leg. When it is sprained or torn, the ACL will make it difficult for the person injured to return to the activity they were performing when the injury occurred. Often, these injuries happen when a person stops suddenly, pivots with a foot firmly planted, quickly changes direction, lands awkwardly after jumping, or is hit. ACL injuries are common for people who participate in sports or physical activity. According to the National Center of Biotechnology Information, over 200,000 ACL injuries occur throughout the nation each year. This is why ACL rehab is so essential for many physically active people. Advances of ACL Rehab The purpose of ACL rehabilitation is to return strength, range of motion, stability, neuromuscular control, and weight-bearing to the leg with the injury. The goal is to ensure the patient can return to their activity as safely as possible. Over the years, ACL rehab has undergone scientific development, progressing far past what it used to be in the 1980s.

Athletes who injured their ACL in the 1980s were encouraged to make protecting the area their top priority. Patients were advised not to move their knee for months after surgery, and they only began to actively move the knee between 9–12 months after receiving the operation. Today, the therapy is much different. Patients are immediately put through rehabilitation, which has been proven to lead to better outcomes for recovery. What Is Neuroplasticity? Through scientific and technological advancements, a new development has been discovered through ACL rehab. We’re learning that when someone injures their knee, it also changes their brain. People become more conscious of how their injured knee is moving, and the brain becomes more reliant on sight rather than instinct to move it. When athletes start relying on sight rather than instinct, it puts them at further risk of injury. This can result in neuroplastic changes. Neuroplasticity is the process in which our brains make new connections through experience. When an athlete is injured, it changes the way they think about the injured body part. How Strobe Glasses Can Help Peak Performance is on the cutting edge of this type of rehab and the technology that supports it. Through the combined efforts of our Senaptec station and strobe glasses, we create a rehabilitation process that will help

our patients overcome an ACL injury — not depending solely on their eyesight but relying on instinct. Strobe glasses are effective in this way due to the visual distraction they create for the eyes. The brain is then forced to use its sensory system rather than leaning so heavily on its visual process. Thus, the leg and knee are required to move more instinctually. Our team at Peak Performance has been using this process for the past year and a half, and we are keen to help patients who need to go through this type of rehab. If you or someone you know could benefit from this form of treatment, call the clinic today. We can get you back to the activities you enjoy.

–Greg Huefner

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HOW TO MINIMIZE AGE-INDUCING ATOMS

THE FREE RADICAL 411 If you’ve ever picked up a health magazine while waiting at the doctor’s office, then you’re probably familiar with the term “free radicals” — at least enough to know that they get a bad rap from doctors and beauticians alike. But what are they, exactly? According to Live Science, free radicals are atoms with unpaired electrons that have split off from oxygen molecules in the body and started to “scavenge” for other electrons to pair with. That wouldn’t be problematic, except that these atoms tend to damage cells, lipids, proteins, and even DNA along the way, and that destruction has serious consequences. As Live Science puts it, “Free radicals are associated with human disease, including cancer, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and many others. They also may have a link to aging, which has been defined as a gradual accumulation of free-radical damage.” Unfortunately, it’s impossible to entirely avoid free radicals and the havoc they wreak. The process that forms free radicals, called oxidative stress, can be kick-started by a variety of

different substances found in food, water, medicine, and even the air we breathe, according to the Huntington’s Outreach Project for Education at Stanford University. Unsurprisingly, these substances are things already considered unhealthy, like alcohol, exposure to X-rays, ozone, fried food, chemical pesticides, air pollutants, and tobacco smoke. That said, there is one molecule that is stable enough to stand up to and reduce free radicals: the antioxidant. According to a study published by Pharmacognosy Reviews, antioxidants can “donate an electron to a rampaging free radical and neutralize it, thus reducing its ability to damage.” Synthetic antioxidants exist but can sometimes have harmful side effects, so scientists advise protecting yourself by avoiding free radical triggers like alcohol, processed foods, and red meat, and ingesting natural antioxidants in the form of berries, stone fruits, olives, onions, garlic, and green and black teas. Herbs and spices like cinnamon, basil, turmeric, and fenugreek can ratchet up your antioxidant levels too. While it can’t guarantee immortality, the right diet can certainly help you stave off aging and disease, so why not start today?

THINKING WITH YOUR GUT THE AMAZING CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUR STOMACH AND YOUR BRAIN

While it may seem strange to think about, the human stomach is truly a thing of wonder. Most humans only acknowledge its digestive processes, but the gut plays a much more influential role in our day-to-day lives than simply breaking down food for nutrient production; it is closely connected to our emotional states, as well. Think about it. Have you ever felt butterflies before a date, intestinal pain during moments of stress, or nausea before an important presentation? Have

you ever told someone to “follow their gut” before making a big decision? These physical symptoms are not a coincidence; they are known in the scientific world as the gut-brain axis . Your gut is connected to the limbic system, the part of the brain that processes emotions. The brain sends messages to all other organs in your body, so it’s not surprising it communicates with your stomach, too. What is surprising, however, is that the connection goes both ways. Just as your brain can relay information to your gut about excitement and anxiety, your gut can have a direct impact on the way you feel. According to a recent study published by the National Library of Medicine, when a person’s microbiome — the

diverse population of good and bad bacteria living in the GI tract — becomes significantly altered or imbalanced, psychological or neurological issues can arise. In

response to these emerging findings, dietary approaches and probiotics are being explored to see how well they can modulate a person’s microbiome and address symptoms. While research is still being conducted to determine the extent of the stomach’s influence over emotional and mental states, plenty of evidence proves the connection is real. Your stomach “talks” to you all the time, and, if you didn’t have enough reasons to pay attention to the food you eat, now you have one more thing to keep in mind. If you start thinking a bit more with your gut, your health will thank you for it!

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BE ALL YOU CAN BEE AND GIVE HONEY A SECOND THOUGHT

The health benefits of raw organic honey, which include soothing sore throats, lowering cholesterol, and treating skin wounds, have been embraced by many members of the holistic health community for decades. But with the rapid decline of the bee population in recent years, humans’ use of honey has become more controversial.

According to the New York Bee Sanctuary, bees (not just honey-makers) are disappearing for several reasons, but one of the most unfortunate contributors is the honey industry. In order to mass-produce commercial honey products, many factories have resorted to industrialized beekeeping practices, which have been deemed unethical by animal activist groups because they strip hives of their honey storage, starving the bees through the winter months. This practice, along with soil contamination and a viral infection spread by mites, led to the devastating loss of 40% of all bee colonies last year. Because most bees are pollinators, they play a crucial role in helping plants reproduce. Without the bees playing their part in this natural process, approximately 30% of the world’s crops won’t flourish. Fortunately, you can help strengthen the bee population in a few ways from your own home.

questionable quality and provenance. Instead, look for raw local honey at a farmer’s market. That way, you can meet the beekeeper to determine if their honey-rendering practices are sustainable. Then, by purchasing their product, you are helping fund their hive and enrich the local bee population. You can also plant a garden full of bee-friendly plants, like honeysuckle, strawberries, sunflowers, and cosmos, to give the bees in your community more pollen sources. Additionally, if you notice dandelions growing in your garden, leave them. They are a great food source for bees, especially in early spring before other plants have started blooming. While honey has many excellent health properties, bees are far more vital to the world’s sustainability. Do your part to help their population by researching, spreading awareness, and thinking before you shop for honey.

First, try to avoid purchasing any commercialized honey products of

CHOCOLATE- DIPPED FRUIT

TAKE A BREAK!

Inspired by Food Network

This super easy and fun way to create homemade treats provides your kids with a healthier and more delicious alternative to packaged industrial candy. As a bonus, making it is an awesome Halloween activity for your family to enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package melting chocolate • Assorted dried fruit, including apricots and mangoes

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. 2. Place a large, heatproof mixing bowl on top of saucepan so that no steam can escape. Place melting chocolate in mixing bowl and double boil until melted. 3. Dip half of each piece of fruit in chocolate before transferring to a parchment- lined baking sheet to rest. 4. Let cool for 10 minutes until chocolate solidifies. 5. Place in school lunches, serve at parties, and indulge in a few for yourself.

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

1. COVER TITLE 1. PHYSICAL INJURIES THAT IMPACT THE BRAIN INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2. TIPS FOR FIGHTING FREE RADICALS LEARN ABOUT YOUR GUT-BRAIN AXIS 3. BE ALL YOU CAN BEE CHOCOLATE-DIPPED FRUIT 4. CAN YOGA IMPROVE YOUR BASKET BALL GAME? 2505 Racquet Lane Yakima, WA 98902 509-453-PEAK (7325) www.PeakPerformanceSportsandSpine.com

Can Yoga Improve Your Basketball Game? NBA PLAYERS SAY YES

We all know that ballet is the secret behind many NFL players’ footwork skills, but did you know that yoga can offer similar game upgrades to basketball players? Fitness experts agree that if you’re trying to get better at shooting hoops, then you can benefit from regular yoga sessions. According to yoga instructor Karla Tafra, there are multiple payoffs to adding stretches like Crescent Lung, Tree Pose, Bridge Pose, and Warrior 2 to your exercise arsenal. “Basketball is extremely fast-paced, with lots of jumps, twists, turns, coordination, and sprints that take a huge toll on the joints and tendons,” Tafra told BodyBuilding.com. “Keeping them flexible and strong prevents injuries and aids recovery.”

the protective powers of yoga. NBA stars like Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, and LeBron James all regularly bend themselves into pretzels to improve their game. Love integrates an hour of yoga into his workouts two or three times each week. "Yoga teaches stretching, strengthening, and breathing, and it helps you get in tune with your body. That helps in basketball, or in any sport, really,” Love’s yoga instructor, Kent Katich, told STACK. As a former basketball player himself, Katich is intimately familiar with the sport and claims that even a couple of minutes of yoga can help in a pinch. "It's not about doing an hour of yoga every day," he said. "It's about how you feel and what you need right now."

Some yoga poses are known for building strength, while others can improve flexibility, ease sore muscles, elongate the spine, and even reduce stress. Combined into an hourlong practice over weeks, months, or years, these yoga poses can make a player lighter on their feet, quicker to duck or dive, more graceful with their reach, and more relaxed. If you’re still in doubt, take it straight from All-Star LeBron James, who has broken dozens of records on the court and is considered by many to be this generation’s greatest player.

James told The Plain Dealer, “Yoga isn't just about the body; it's also about the mind, and it's a technique that has really helped me.”

According to STACK, many of today’s top players are already well aware of

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