Did you know the average adult is sedentary for 64% of the time they are awake? All that sitting can lead to gluteal amnesia which is when your body forgets how to activate the gluteal muscles properly. Want to know if you have gluteal amnesia and learn some exercises to reverse it? Download The Glutorial below! 

Behind ankle sprains and plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis is ranked third as the most common complaint among athletes. Achilles tendon tears and ruptures are also becoming more frequent among athletes, weekend warriors and the elderly. The Achilles tendon is one of the longest tendons in the body, it attaches to the calf muscles and extends down to the heel bone, it is used for almost all physical activity. Achilles tendonitis, tears, ruptures and other Achilles-related injuries can be caused by several different factors.

• Sports-related movements: The Achilles tendon can hold almost 12.5 times an individuals body weight while running.  Jumping, running, and pivoting all put stress on your Achilles tendon. These repetitive high impact movements create overuse in the tendon, causing it to weaken.
• Muscle tightness: Not being properly warmed up increases the chance of Achilles tendon injuries. Tight calf muscles can put excess stress on the tendon.
• Pronation: Overpronation (the inward turn of the feet) when running or walking can also lead to Achilles-related injuries. Overpronation causes your arches to collapse adding stress to the Achilles tendon and surrounding muscles. 
• Change in training: Achilles tendon injuries often occur with weekend warriors because the calf muscles are too weak to support the Achilles tendon. Jumping into a high intensity activity without proper training can increase the likelihood of injury.
• Age: The elderly are often susceptible to Achilles related injuries due to reduced blood supply to the area and overall weakening of years of use. 

Here are our quick tips to reduce the chance of an Achilles tendon injury:

1. Maintain good lower extremity and calf flexibility, stretch regularly
2. Progress gradually into exercise or an activity, too much too soon could lead to injury
3. Wear the proper shoe wear (link to gait analysis blog) for your foot type especially during exercise or athletics
4. Warm up before activity and cool down after activity including post workout stretching

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment. 
Please consult your health care provider, or contact Viverant for an appointment before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. Viverant shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.

From your muscles to your immune system, marathons take a big toll on all different parts of the body.  Some studies show it take around 2 weeks for muscles to return to their normal strength and that the immune system is suppressed up to 3 days after a marathon. Often times runners neglect to take care of their body after running those 26.2 miles, but it should be a critical element of a training program. Failing to follow a post marathon recovery plan can cause performance to suffer and cause overtraining symptoms to kick in.

Keep Moving - Immediately After the Race
Immediately after a race it is important to keep moving. Your body is still in marathon mode even though your mind wants to drop to the ground. Walk around for at 10-15 minutes after the race to help transition your body to a resting state. Drink plenty of water and eat a small amount of carbohydrates and protein, this will help your blood sugar level and repair muscle tissue.

Take a break - Days 1-3
1-3 days after the race it is important to give your body a well-deserved break. Take a hot bath, go on a walk, get a light massage, give your body time to recover. Help repair damaged muscles by eating plenty of carbs and protein, also increase vitamin C intake to help boost your immune system. 

Keep it slow - 1 week
Keep workouts short and light. Incorporate low impact cross-training to increase blood circulation to help with the muscle healing process. Go on a easy effortless run to see how your body responds. If you're still hurting, continue to rest and take it slow.

Moving On - Week 2 and on
If your body feels to be almost back to normal, try easing back into your typical running frequency. However, keep the runs low effort and shorter. It usually takes 2-3 weeks to get back into training as your body recovers and returns to normal. If possible try not to schedule races sooner than 6 weeks after the marathon. 

Did you know just adding a 20-minute strength training session a couple times a week can improve speed, prevent injury and increase efficiency in runners? Often runners overlook the importance of strength training, whether you are a weekend warrior running 5ks or a seasoned marathon runner strength training is a necessary addition to your training schedule. 

Increased Speed

Contrary to popular belief, lifting and other forms of strength training will not make you bulky. By adding a couple short strength training sessions you will begin to see your running speed increase. To put it simply, the stronger your legs are the more force you can drive into the ground propelling you forward more quickly. You will begin to be able cover more distance in fewer strides increasing speed and efficiency. 

Increased Efficiency

Research shows improved efficiency after adding strength training into runner’s workouts.¹ Efficiency is the amount of energy it takes to run a certain distance, lift a specific amount of weight or do any task. The stronger your muscles are the more efficiently they work leading to less oxygen and energy stores needed to perform the task. 

Prevents Injury

The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation found that almost 70% of runners get injured each year. Shin splints, runner's knee, IT band syndrome and other injuries plague many runners due to lack of strength training. Adding strength training can help strengthen weak areas that lead to these common injuries. Focusing on strengthening the abductors, glutes and core can help prevent many common running injuries. 

If you are interested in learning about ways to incorporate strength training into your running schedule contact Viverant today to get a plan that will meet your individualized needs.

1. Kris Beattie, B. P. (2016). "The Effect of Strength Training on Performance Indicators in Distance Runners." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.

Please consult your health care provider, or contact Viverant for an appointment before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. Viverant shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.

Golf has increasingly become about the newest and coolest high technology equipment when the most important piece of equipment, the golfer’s body, is getting ignored. The body must be strong, stable and flexible to produce an efficient and powerful drive. 

Driving puts a large amount of stress on many areas of the body, especially the hips, back, knees and shoulders. Low back pain, in particular, is one of the most common ailments among both recreational and professional golfers. So why is this injury so prevalent in golfers? Lack of core strength. It is one of the biggest factors contributing to low back pain. When most people think of the core, they immediately think of the abdominals, but the core is much more than that. The major core muscles or inner unit of the core includes the transversus abdominis, pelvic floor, multifidi and diaphragm.  These muscles work together to stabilize the pelvis, lumbar spine and rib cage with all movement including golf. 

So what does increasing core strength do for your golf game? Increasing core strength develops stability in the back, helping take off the stress put on the joints during the rotational movements of a swing reducing lower back pain. A strong core also help maintain good posture throughout the golf swing, increasing accuracy and consistent contact with the ball. 

Here are 3 core exercises to improve your golf game:

Woodchopper standing or half kneeling

Complete 10-12 repetitions, 2-3 sets

1. Start with left leg forward, holding medicine ball down towards outside of left knee.
    Keep abdominals tight, belly button in line with the medicine ball
2. Stand, raising the medicine ball diagonally up and to the right. Follow the medicine   
    ball movement with your eyes.
3. Repeat now with right leg forward and medicine ball down towards outside of
    right knee.
4. Raise medicine ball diagonally up to the left. Follow the medicine ball movement with
    your eyes.

Prone plank with pelvic drivers

30 seconds in each direction, 2-3 sets

1. Get in a plank position, holding abdominals tight, shoulders above elbows. Drive
    pelvis/hips up to the ceiling and the back to neutral.
2. Repeat, in a plank position and slide pelvis/hips side to side
3. Repeat, in a plank position and slightly dip pelvis/hips right and left

Trunk Rotation on Ball

Complete 8-10 repetitions, 2-3 sets

1. Sit tall on an exercise ball with small ball or towel roll between your knees, with hands
    clasped and arms extended out in front of your chest.
2. Squeeze the ball to stabilize your pelvis.
3. Without letting your pelvis move, rotate arms/shoulders to the right.
4. Rotate to tension, hold 2 breaths and return to center. Repeat to left.
5. Can progress by holding weight or a medicine ball in your hands. 

1. Get a full body gait analysis 

Often times new runners jump right into training without thinking twice about their running stride or how their shoes may affect their marathon goals. Before heading out for long runs getting a full body gait analysis can benefit you in a number of ways. 

• Correct poor running posture. Running with correct posture will reduce the chance of future running injuries such as low back pain. 
• Avoid muscle imbalance. Running works specific muscle, often times creating muscle imbalances in other areas of the body. When giving a full body gait analysis, a physical therapist can recognize these imbalances and give recommendations.
• Pick the right gear. A full body gait analysis can identify striking patterns so a shoe recommendation customized to you can be given. Take shoe recommendations for your foot type seriously. The right shoes for your foot and quality of shoe does make a difference as those miles start adding up.

2. Make realistic goals

When it comes to your first marathon, throw finish times out the window. Your number one goal should be finishing the race, regardless of how long it takes you. Marathons take a big toll on your body, nearly every physiological system is working as hard as possible. Finishing alone is an amazing physical feat. 

3. Stick to a training and nutrition plan

Running your first marathon can seem daunting, but sticking to a training plan and fueling your body correctly can make the journey much easier. 

• It is important to not do too much too soon, find a training plan that progresses slowly and works with your schedule.
• Though you may want to spend all of your training time running, it is very important to incorporate cross training into your training schedule. Add a strength and flexibility program, this will keep you strong and flexible as you increase your miles and decrease the likelihood of injury.

To learn more about a full body gait analysis and other ways Viverant can help you on your marathon journey contact us today!

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.

Please consult your health care provider, or contact Viverant for an appointment before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. Viverant shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.

Although some concussions are easy to detect—blacking out or migraines after a blow to the head, for example—others may not be so easy to spot.

When that happens, or if there’s inadequate recovery time for a diagnosed concussion, someone could be at risk for a subsequent, similar injury. A concussion that happens soon after an initial one is called “Second Impact Syndrome,” and the effects can be serious and even life-threatening.

A concussion occurs when the brain moves inside the skull. This can occur because of a violent event like a car accident or sudden fall, but it’s also become a concern in many sports. Blows to the head such as those experienced in football, soccer, boxing, hockey, karate, and many other sports can lead to temporary brain damage. 

As the brain works to heal, a secondary concussion doesn’t just create a setback, it often worsens the damage to an alarming degree. 

Second Impact Syndrome can cause the brain to start swelling rapidly, potentially causing bleeding. Unfortunately, due to a number of risk factors, the condition has tended to disproportionately affect young athletes, especially those involved in contact sports.

The good news is that this syndrome is rare. But it highlights the dangers of ignoring the signs of an initial concussion. These can include:

• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Brain fog or confusion
• Memory loss, particularly around the time of injury
• Irritability
• Slowed reaction time
• Nausea

If you are diagnosed with a concussion, don’t be in a rush to get back to your sport or even push yourself with everyday activities. Everyone recovers from concussions at a different rate because the injury can come with varying degrees of damage.

The best route is to be evaluated by a professional and then monitored under his or her care. It's vital to track symptoms and bring in specialists if needed in order to make sure that a concussion isn't lingering long past the initial injury. 

That kind of measure is crucial for preventing Second Impact Syndrome and letting your brain heal in its own time.

Viverant now offers ImPACT testing (impacttesing.com), the ONLY FDA-cleared concussion evaluation and management tool available today. ImPACT is an invaluable tool to help those who may or have suffered a concussion receive the proper care they need to manage their recovery and prevent long-term complications as a result of a concussion.

Contact us today to learn more about ImPACT Testing, and to schedule baseline testing for you, your team, or organization.

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.

Please consult your health care provider, or contact Viverant for an appointment before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. Viverant shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.

Although a large number of concussions are related to sports and other physical activity, thinking that the injuries are exclusive to athletes is a common misperception.

There are numerous, everyday ways that you might suffer a concussion, including these examples: 

1. Falls and tumbles: You don’t need to be on a ski slope to have a fall lead to a concussion. Anytime you stumble or fall and hit your head, you could be at risk. That might be something as simple as slipping on the ice or smacking your head on an overhead beam.

2. Roller coasters: Unlike the coasters of a few decades ago, the latest innovations can whip you around like a rag doll. Because concussions involve the brain moving inside the head, this type of sudden acceleration and fast turning could cause injury, even if you haven’t hit your head on anything.

3. Being shaken: When you’re violently shaken in some way, particularly in an abuse situation, your neck won’t be strong enough to stabilize your head. That significantly increases the risk of concussion because your brain will be sliding back and forth against the inner walls of your skull. 

4. Whiplash: Often seen in car accidents and sports, whiplash is when the neck goes through an acceleration-deceleration movement very rapidly — like when someone rear ends your car and you snap forward and back. Much like the damage that happens if you’re shaken, the motion causes the brain to move inside the skull. Cue the concussion.

The good news is that most concussions are resolved within a few days to a few weeks, and require simple rest as a treatment. Some are so minor that they may take only hours to heal. 

That doesn’t mean there aren’t instances where the damage is serious, though, especially if you’re at risk for a second concussion. If you think you’ve suffered from a concussive injury, see your healthcare provider or visit the ER to be sure.

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment. 

Please consult your health care provider, or contact Viverant for an appointment before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. Viverant shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.

Although the issue has gotten more attention in the past few years, and led to some better strategies for contact sports, there are still many misconceptions out there that people need to know to stay healthy.

Although concussions can happen at any age and can cause the same symptoms for children as adults, kids can be particularly susceptible to the injury—and may even take longer to heal.

According to Cornell University, every year about half a million children visit an emergency room for traumatic brain injuries, and they’re the top cause of ER visits among teens. About 80 to 90 percent of these are concussions.

Here are some reasons concussions are different for children and teens:

• Their brains are more susceptible to injury: Because their brains are still developing, they may be more vulnerable when it comes to falls, fights, or sportsrelated injuries. That factor also makes recovery times longer than for adults.
• They may not be able to tell you the problem: Younger children, in particular, probably won’t be adept at describing “brain fog” or letting you know they have a gap in their memory of certain events.
• Symptoms may be mistaken for behavior problems: Some of the symptoms of concussion are irritability, frustration and difficulty concentrating. These are some of the same symptoms as ADHD.
• Excessive sleep is harder to detect: As any parent of a teenager knows, sleep is an essential component of their lives. But that makes it harder to spot a concussion, because that sleep may be one of the symptoms that the brain is injured.
• Symptoms may not occur right away: Similar to adults, the signs of a concussion could be delayed, sometimes by up to 72 hours. By then, whatever injury happened may be forgotten, especially if it’s minor. For example, if a child has a headache and is nauseated, it may be tied to the tumble off his bike a few days before.
• Kids and teens may not tell you about symptoms: Especially if they’re involved in sports and want to keep playing, children may not report that a fall or hit has caused a headache, dizziness, or other sign of concussion. They may try to play through it, thinking it’ll get better, even though that could worsen the damage considerably.

Whether your child plays sports or not, know the signs of a concussion and speak with a healthcare provider or visit the ER if you suspect your child may be dealing with this type of injury.

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.

Please consult your health care provider, or contact Viverant for an appointment before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. Viverant shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.