Lots of people come into the clinic complaining of elbow pain. Commonly people have pain on the inside of the elbow and say it is down to overuse of the elbow after a long week or overtraining and the elbow has flared up because of it. But with pain on the inside of the elbow, it is not always down to overuse but down to misuse.
With elbow injuries, if you just look at the site of pain and blame the elbow for the cause of the problem you might be missing the root cause of the issue. This is because the muscles which are around your forearm attach onto you humerus which is the upper arm bone and this starts at the shoulder.
People spend a lot of time in a hunched over position with the arms turned inwards and therefore when you have to turn your arms out for example when you hold the bar squatting or doing barbell curls, if the movement is not coming from the shoulder then the movement has to come from the elbow. This creates stress at the elbow as it is not designed to overly rotate.
A lot of the time with elbow pain the thought process is to stretch out forearms. But this is treating the symptoms, not the cause. The root cause is often from being restricted in shoulder movement.
So, if you are having elbow pain or even if you are not you can try this quick test. Hold your hands out in front of you with your arms straight and turn your palms upwards. A lot of the time the you will see a difference from side to side with how much you can turn your palms upwards. You may also find you are compensating to get this movement from the wrists or feel stress through the elbow. If this is the case then helping your shoulder mobility will prevent pain from occurring or if you are in pain, be the resolving factor in your pain.
If you want to know more about potential causes of injuries or get your pain sorted, then contact the clinic for a full functional assessment to see where your imbalances are. To do this contact the clinic today on 0578678904, direct message us on Facebook or book now.
Yours in Health
The Lawlor Clinic: Spine & Sport, Portlaoise, Laois
Golf chiropractor Shane Lawlor discusses the ‘X-factor’ swing, favoured by players like Rory McIlroy, and the importance of strength and conditioning.
Harder, better, faster, stronger.
Professional golfers are hitting the ball further and swinging the club with more force than ever before.
Advancements in club and ball technology, along with improved strength and conditioning training, have helped players smash driving distance records, forcing designers, particularly in the United States, to lengthen their courses.
Whether the arms race is good for the sport is up for debate. Another important discussion, however, is whether it’s good for the players.
A study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine in February 2019 claimed the modern ‘X-factor’ swing – designed to increase distance – can cause back injuries.
Shane’s talk from the Irish Strength Institute 2018 Symposium
“Building Better Senior Golfers”
Discussing a number of aspects including ▪️ Common Injuries seen in Senior Golfers ▪️ Assessing & Treating the Senior Golfer ▪️ Rehab Applications including Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization, McGill Method and Functional Range Conditioning ▪️ The Importance of a Warm Up
The foot and ankle are often overlooked in golf when you consider the average round of golf will equate to about 10km of walking depending on how wayward your shots are.
One of the most important components of the foot is the big toe because of the impact it can have on your swing and walking during your round.
The right big toe is needed to load the right knee, quadriceps, and hip during the back swing and is also essential at impact through to follow through.
Signs of Big Toe Dysfunction:
Loss of Posture
Sway in golf swing
Limited follow through
Pain on walking
Hallux Rigidus:
One of the most common conditions we see in the clinic is hallux rigidus, where there is moderate to severe stiffness of the big toe. We use joint mobilisation, active release techniques (ART®) and functional integrated dry needling to improve the mobility of the joint. To help increase the joint range of motion and bring longer term results we give patients exercises based on functional range conditioning (FRC®)
Plantar fasciitis is one of those phrases that gets thrown around a lot in conversations. But do you know what it actually means? What is the plantar fascia, what causes irritation to it, and how can you prevent and treat the cause of the problem using Active Release Techniques?
What is the Plantar Fascia?
The plantar fascia is not a muscle or tendon, it is actually a connective tissue structure that supports the bottom of the foot. It runs from the heel bone to the toes and lies on top of the deeper muscles of the foot. But it is not the plantar fascia on its own that causes the problem. The fascia works in conjunction with the flexor digitorum brevis and quadratus plantae muscles, both are flexors of the toes.
What causes Plantar Fasciitis?
An irritation and inflammation to the previously mentioned tissues and muscles, to state it very basically! But what causes the irritation? Biomechanical issues in the foot and ankle, tightness or damage in muscles of the feet or calf, sudden increase in activity that is too much too soon, some even say too much sitting around (underactivity) can cause the problem.
But when you do get it, you want it to go away as fast a possible because it can be very painful!
Some common symptoms include:
Pain at the heel or anywhere along the bottom of the foot
Cramping at the bottom of the foot
Pain worse first thing in the morning
How can ART® help plantar fasciitis?
Active Release Techniques ART® is a hands on technique for helping to restore normal function to the soft tissue. So release of the plantar fascia and other contributing muscles in the foot, might be uncomfortable but the results will be noticeable within 3-4 treatments.
Along with ART®, manipulation of the joints in the foot using Chiropractic techniques can help to restore normal biomechanics to help prevent this from recurring in the future. To help speed up the healing process we commonly use Laser Therapy and you will always be given exercises and stretches to do at home.
If you think you might have plantar fasciitis, don’t keep suffering, give us a call today to see if we can help you get on the path to healing!
Yours in Health
The Lawlor Clinic | Spine & Sport, Portlaoise, Laois
FRC® is a comprehensive joint training system backed by science and research.
Whether you are experiencing joint/ muscle tightness or not, the FRC® approach will help you achieve increased mobility while also aiding to reduce inflammation and pain.
It utilises various types of exercises for example Controlled Articulated Rotations (CARs) to promote joint health, mobility and control, and Pails and Rails which uses isometric holds to strengthen the target joints.
3 main goals of FRC®
Joint Mobility
Joint Strength
Body Control
What is FRC® used for?
Mobility training
Joint health and maintenance
Joint strength
Rehabilitation
Performance enhancement
The Functional Range Conditioning concepts can be used on clients of all ages and all abilities and has proved to be highly successively with patients of the Lawlor Clinic.
If you would like to book an appointment please contact us today for a quick chat to see how we can help!
Yours in Health
The Lawlor Clinic, Portlaoise
Chiropractic & Sports Injuries | Active Release Techniques (ART®)
Left hip mobility (Lead Hip) is key to a consistent golf swing. A loss of internal rotation mobility can cause major issues with your swing and can also create compensations in other areas of the body, leading to injuries.
Poor lead hip mobility can lead to the following:
Back Pain
Knee & Ankle Issues
Swing Fault: Sway
Here’s our top 4 Hip Internal Rotation mobility drills for Golfers:
Hip Windshield Wipers
Single Leg Hip Drops
Hip Internal Rotation PIR with Tubing
Andreo Spina 90/90 Isometric Holds
Want to improve your golf game? Improve your hip internal rotation to see greater gains and more consistency in your swing! Check out our video below on some drills to help you improve.
The Lawlor Clinic specialises in Golf Injuries & Performance Therapy. Providing Sports Chiropractic to professional golfers on the PGA & European Tours since 2009.
Yours in Health
The Lawlor Clinic
Chiropractic | Active Release Techniques (ART®) | Sports Injuries
One of the most important areas for anyone who plays golf is the mid back or thoracic spine. Loss of mobility here can cause major issues with your swing and can cause compensations in other areas of the body, leading to injuries. Poor mid back mobility can contribute to:
Back pain
Neck problems
Shoulder issues
Want to improve your golf game? Improve your thoracic spine mobility to see greater gains and more consistency in your swing! Check out our video below on some drills to help you improve this area.
Get treated like the Tour Pros at the Lawlor Clinic!
#Chiropractor #Portlaoise
Chiropractic | Sports Injuries | Active Release Techniques (ART®)
If you are a follower of the golf world, you probably have heard the latest news from the world’s number 1 golfer, Rory McIlroy. It is suspected that he damaged his anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), while playing soccer. What golf fans are dying to know is, how long will it take him to come back from this? If it is confirmed to be a full rupture of the ligament, typically that takes somewhere between 8-12 weeks to recover from. But with the right treatment the process can be helped along. As Ireland’s leading golf injuries experts here are our top tips for recovery from such an injury:
Laser therapy -Why laser therapy? It helps speed recovery by stimulating the tissues to heal. We are one of the first in Ireland to have a Lite Cure Medical Class IV laser.
Rock Tape – kinesiotaping can be very beneficial for injuries, not only for decreasing swelling in the area, but providing support that does not restrict movement.
Joint mobility– we have all heard the saying, “use it or lose it”. This is especially true in the body. It has been shown that keeping joints moving after injuries actually helps them improve faster, by improving circulation in the area and maintaining range of motion.
ART® – Active Release Techniques ® can help to release tight muscles, ligaments, and joints in the area, improving range of motion and helping speed healing.
IASTM– Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilisation- helps to break down adhesions and scar tissue in the area and promotes proper healing of the injury.
Active Rehabilitation– tailored exercises can help keep the joint moving and strengthen surrounding muscles. One of the best exercises post ankle injury is balance work, to help regain proprioception in the joint.
Ice with compression- devices such as the Game Ready, can help with pain management as well as helping decrease swelling after an injury.
The ankle is such an important joint, especially for athletes. Any dysfunction here can lead to problems throughout the body, so proper treatment and rehab after injuries is vital. With the right approach it is possible to return from such an injury and get back to playing with minimal residual issues.
Contact us today to see if we can help with your recovery from injury.
Yours in Health,
The Lawlor Clinic
Chiropractic | Golf & Sports Injuries | Active Release Techniques (ART®)
Shane has worked with over 40 professional golfers on the PGA & European Tours over the past 9 years. These are his top tips for helping your post round recovery.
1. Hydration: Post round hydration is important for recovery. We recommend adding a pinch of pink himalayan crystal salts to water. Himalayan salts chemical composition is very similar to the bodies mineral which makes them easier to absorb in the gut. 2. Nutrition: A post snack or meal that includes protein is key to help speed up recovery from 18 holes. We recommend the Wyldsson ProMix Tubes (Hyperlink http://wyldsson.com/product/promix-trail-mix/) The Wyldsson products are used by number of top professionals golfers 3. Compression Socks: With the average run being around a 6 mile walk, the calf muscles are get tired. To help improve your recovery sleep with compression socks. This helps to helps reduce the chances of swelling in the lower legs and improve the blood flow to the heart. 4. Epsom Salt: Another way to replace the minerals lost during a golf round is to have a bath with epsom salts which includes magnesium and sulfate. These minerals are readily absorbed by the skin. The minerals can also help with muscle cramps and to reduce pain and inflammation. 5. Foam Roll & Stretch: To loosen out any tight muscles and joints we advised our golfers to foam roll and stretch post round for 15-20 mins. Try this foam rolling exercises on our YouTube channel.
Yours in Health
The Lawlor Clinic
Ireland’s Leading Golf Medical Experts
#Chiropractor #Portlaoise
