How to Train and Recover Like an Olympian: Kinesio Tape & Cupping

Did you watch the Olympics?

Whether it’s volleyball, gymnastics, archery, tennis or a track event, you may have seen some of the athletes with tape on various parts of their bodies. Some have it on their shoulders, some on their back, and still others have it on their feet, calves or even near their abdomen.

You might have wondered: What exactly is that tape for?

The strips of tape you see on athletes’ bodies is actually what’s called Kinesio tape, or kinesio tex tape. This kind of tape—also just called KT tape—is made up of elastic fibers, and it can be applied to the skin to help support the lymphatic, neural, muscular and fascial systems.

More than 40 years ago, a doctor created the tape to help support the work he was doing with his patients. He created a kind of tape that had the ideal amount of adhesive so that it would stay on patients’ bodies while they moved or exercised. Fast-forward to today and it is used to support alignment, for rehabilitation, for pain, and also during competition.

While it’s difficult to know why each Olympic athlete is using the kinesio tape method, you can bet that they are trying to add a bit of support to their soft tissue that may be over-worked. In other cases, it is likely they are supporting muscles that have been strained or injured at some point in their training. You can imagine just how much these athletes train year-round, so they are willing to try a variety of methods that support improved mobility, better performance, and faster recovery.

Tape that Mimics Our Skin

In many ways, the tape you see athletes using actually mimics our skin, so after applying, people can use KT tape to further support their muscles or in some cases, limit muscle movement in those areas. When combined with treatments including chiropractic, physical therapy and stretching, kinesio tape can be used for preventative measures and to provide benefit to the circulatory system and our ligaments, tendons and joints…and not just for world-class athletes!

Cupping Therapy

Besides the tape you see on athletes, you’ve also probably noticed the large, circular bruises you see on them, especially common with the swimmers. This is a cupping technique—centuries old—which is used as a functional soft tissue therapy. One simple way of thinking about is that it’s the opposite of massage, which would be a compression therapy. With cupping therapy, the suction of the cups increases blood flow and helps to release tight myofascial tissue through decompression forces. The athletes we see on TV are likely using it to also relieve tension and for optimal recovery.

Improve Your Health at Cincinnati Rehabilitation Center

Want to know more about these and other treatments that are safe and effective ways of helping the body naturally heal? Call us today at 513.772.9065.

How Nutrition Can Move You Towards a Healthier State

Maybe you have heard of anti-inflammatory dietary changes. But what exactly does it mean—and how do you take the steps to implement this lifestyle change?  

First, we’d rather avoid the word “diet” completely when it comes to nutrition. That’s because there are already so many negative connotations that come with the idea of a “diet.” Often times we think of what we have to give up, or, in other situations, we immediately start to think of a meal-to-meal, short-term approach to how we eat (1).

How to Avoid Acute & Chronic Dietary Inflammation 

Think of an anti-inflammatory approach as eating healthy, anti-inflammatory foods that support and encourage normal—and optimal—body function. This would be what Dr. David Seaman, in his book, The DeFlame Diet, calls foods that are in a “DeFlamed” state.

Dr. Seaman writes, “… we can definitely ‘DeFlame’ ourselves, which refers to creating  an anti-inflammatory state of body metabolism; a healing state. In other words, the DeFlame Diet is specifically named for the dietary and health goal of inflammation reduction,” he adds (1).

This “deflamed state” (or anti-inflammatory state) is in contrast with foods that are pro-inflammatory. These are foods that hurt our body and can promote disease.

Anti-Inflammatory vs. Pro-Inflammatory Food Choices 

Food choices that support optimal function in the body include grass-fed meat, wild game, wild caught fish, shellfish, chicken, omega-3 eggs, vegetables and leafy greens, nuts (raw or dry roasted), spices, olive oil, coconut oil, butter, cream, avocado, bacon, coffee, tea, and more. Even red wine and stout beer fall under this category. Food choices that create a pro-inflammatory state often are ones that are refined. Refined sugar, refined grains, grain flour, trans fats, and refined omega-6 seed oils (corn, safflower, sunflower, peanuts, etc.) and more fall in this category (1).

And just how often are we, in general, eating the foods that promote inflammation in the body? As much as 60 percent of all calories that the average person in America consumes come from foods that promote inflammation (1).

If we do eat refined sugar or flour, or refined omega-6 seed oils, and/or trans fats, the body responds immediately: our body will generate an immediate, low level inflammatory response. Over time, this becomes chronic. If we adopt the DeFlame Diet mindset, we can ask an important question when we are about to eat something. The question we can ask ourselves, is, “Will this food inflame my body or help to ‘DeFlame’ my body?” The answer can help us make decision that will positively impact our health (1). 

More About Inflammation 

Keeping in mind how chronic diseases are diseases of chronic inflammation, you can see just how important our long-term choices are when it comes to food. But, if you need more motivation, consider how you will age more gracefully, feel better, heal quicker and you will even respond better to your ongoing chiropractic adjustments.

Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, has been tied to cold symptoms, the flu, frequent allergies, arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, sinusitis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, hypertension, depression, diabetes, and more (1). 

Keep in mind that food isn’t the only factor that can add an inflammatory burden on our bodies. If our lifestyle has regular stress, lack of sleep, lack of exercise and eating inflammatory foods, then chronic inflammation can also develop.

Learn More About Making Choices to Reduce Inflammation

Ready to reduce diet-induced chronic inflammation? Or do you want to learn more about lifestyle changes that can help you reduce chronic inflammation?  

Talk to Dr. Bradford if you are interested in learning more about this approach, and/or the steps you can take to have a supportive environment if you are looking to implement lifestyle change. Give Cincinnati Rehabilitation Center a call today at 513.772.9065 to learn more.

Information from this article was taken from Dr. David Seaman’s book on the topic, The DeFlame Diet. DeFlame your diet, body, and mind.

Source

1.     Seaman, David R. (2016-04-02). The DeFlame Diet: DeFlame your diet, body, and mind (p. 2). Shadow Panther Press. Kindle Edition. 

Welcome to The Adjustment Bureau

The Chiropractic & Wellness Blog Of Cincinnati Rehabilitation Center

Welcome to Cincinnati Rehabilitation Center’s blog, The Adjustment Bureau!

The chiropractic and nutrition office of Dr. Patricia Bender is now transforming to the office of Dr. David Bradford, and with our transition comes the launch of our new blog. 

Partnering with You To Create a Healthier Life 

We’re glad you’ve found the Cincinnati Rehabilitation Center website. In case you didn’t already know, Cincinnati Rehabilitation Center now offers:

•    Comprehensive Exams
•    Physicals
•    Chiropractic Treatment
•    Physical Therapy
•    X-Ray Diagnostics
•    Active Therapy
•    Rehabilitation
•    Massage Therapy
•    Electric Stimulation
•    Cold Laser Therapy
•    Vibration Therapy
•    Decompression
•    Nutrition Therapy
•    Reiki

Many of our patients come to Dr. Bradford for relief from headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, low back pain, joint pain, work-related injuries, auto accident related injuries, spinal disc conditions and postural issues. Our patients come to us not just for pain relief and for physical therapy, but for sports performance and continued wellness. 

Outside of our office, we will come to your location for:

•    Posture and stress screenings
•    Chair massages at your facility
•    Nutrition Counseling
•    Lectures and seminars
•    Counseling on lifestyle issues to meet your health goals
•    Blood pressure screenings at your facility

Individual Care & Shared Decision-Making

Cincinnati Rehabilitation Center helps you improve the way your body functions so that you can experience the quality of life you want.   

Dr. Bradford is dedicated to providing patients with the time and attention you deserve from your doctor. Knowing that pain can by a symptom of more complex issues, Dr. Bradford partners with patients to focus on your individual needs, how you feel, and how you function so that he can deliver the highest quality care to you and your family. 

We partner with you to foster a sustainable lifestyle of wellness by taking your total health, and total body, into consideration. 

We take pride in providing the highest quality of care to our patients, and part of that picture includes education and providing you with resources to support positive change. Come back to our blog to find features on Chiropractic, nutrition, massage and lifestyle and wellness habits that can help you stay well. In the meantime, we’d love to connect with you on social media on Facebook and on Google+.