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.

Hidden Sugars?

Did you set a New Year’s Resolution this year? If so, there is a good chance your resolution may have had something to do with eating healthier. Even if you didn’t, it still might be on your mind.

Taking a Closer Look at Your Sugar Intake

It’s always a good idea to follow the guidelines and recommendations Dr. Bradford normally provides you when it comes to nutrition, but generally speaking, we talk about focusing on low-glycemic index foods that are high in nutrients. We also encourage hydration and eating anti-inflammatory foods that provide ample energy, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.

Avoiding sugar-sweetened foods and drinks is in alignment with this approach. The problem is that sometimes, processed hidden sugar can be found in foods we’re eating— like sauces or even salad dressing—and we aren’t aware of it.

When we talk about sugar, we’re referring to sucrose/table sugar, high-fructose corn syrup or even honey or fruit sugars. With our desire to find sustainable nutrition habits that we can have for the long-term, many of us want to cut down on our sugar intake—and most notably, that includes white sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages.  Just think: a 20 ounce pop has 16 teaspoons of sugar!

Yes, sugar is in nutrient-rich foods including beets and sweet potatoes, to name just two, but the area where we encourage you to cut back is when sugar has been added to foods during processing.

Keep these four facts in mind:

·      Too much sugar can mean your body is not getting the nutrients it needs. That’s because sugar contains calories that lack nutrient value;

·      When sugar is consumed in large amounts it can result in insulin resistance (1) and it can also result in craving more food;

·      Inflammation in the body occurs with elevated blood sugar levels, and that happens with overconsumption of sugar;

·      Sugar can contribute to fat gain and metabolic issues over time.

“How Do I Even Know What Sugar Is In My Food?”

The term “sugar” refers to different compounds, which is where some of the confusion can sometimes start. We recognize the following as sugars: brown sugar, raw sugar, cane sugar or confectioner’s sugar. These are more straightforward when it comes to avoiding them because those labels make it clear that they are….well, sugar!

But lately, more attention has come to other forms of sugar that are bit less obvious. Those that have received a bit more attention include sugar labeled as high fructose corn syrup or rice syrup, among other variations. But the list doesn’t stop there.

Many times, a good rule of thumb is that ingredients in your food that end in “-ose” are going to be a form of sugar.  See the list below from the Whole 9 Life’s website on more than ten other names for sugar in your food, including:

·      Dextrose

·      Disaccharide

·      Fructose

·      Glucose

·      Galactose

·      Lactose

·      Maltodextrin

·      Maltose

·      Monosaccharide

·      Polysaccharide

·      Ribose

·      Saccharose

·      Sucrose (2)

(Taken directly from Whole 9 Life.)
 
When you see these on a food label, just know that sugar has in fact been added.

Sugar is Sugar

You don’t have to cut out all (added) sugar from your diet and set yourself up to fail.

If you don’t know where to start, try to cut back on beverages with added sugar. You can also look to control any sugar cravings by eating fruit.

When you have a nutrient-dense, whole foods diet, you don’t have to constantly worry about the (added) sugars in your food. Over time, your pallet will also adjust and you won’t need food to be quite so sweet. Ask us for more information so we can help you find a diet with low-glycemic index foods (where your blood sugar levels positively respond after consuming such foods) that can help you naturally avoid many added sugars.

Sources/References

1.     http://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1743-7075-2-5 

2. http://whole9life.com/2010/06/sugar-sugar-sugar/

Top Health Reasons Why You Should Try Massage Therapy

Would it surprise you to learn that 80 percent of people have lower back pain? (Source: University of Maryland Medical Center.)

Chiropractic and physical therapy, in addition to your daily habits and self-care, are important steps to treat the cause of lower back pain that many adults have, but lower back pain can also be treated through massage therapy. The benefits of massage therapy include finding back pain relief, but there are also many more, scientifically-backed benefits of massage.

Here we unfold some of the top ways that massage can stimulate your body’s natural healing process.  

Reduces Muscle Inflammation

If you’ve been working out, you know the benefits of massage can be quicker recovery time. In general, massage also helps you reduce any “stiff” and “achy” feelings you may have after those tough workouts or just after doing any physical activity your body is not accustomed to.

Improves Flexibility and Mobility/Restrictions

Not only do athletes know it supports your body’s recovery process, but also consider how massage encourages an increase in your fresh blood and oxygen supply, and deep massage also encouraged toxins to be released from your tissue.

Massages help you “undo” chronically tight muscles and loss of flexibility. Even if you don’t consider yourself an athlete, sitting at a desk all day can tighten your back, your hip flexors, and it can also lead to a “hunched over” position that means tightness in your upper back and shoulders. Massage therapy helps you combat these mobility and flexibility issues by restoring muscle and soft tissue length to normal. In some cases, massage can be a much safer approach to increasing range of motion and flexibility than something as simple as stretching.  Many people don’t realize that over stretching damaged tissue can actually lead to further injury.

Decreases Stress Hormones & Brings On the “Relaxation Response”

Ever feel extremely relaxed after a massage? That’s one of the major reasons many people get massages regularly…

Allowing our nervous system to relax is important for our bodies to fight infections and get quality rest on an ongoing basis, among other health benefits. Too much of the stress hormone cortisol can be seen if you aren’t sleeping well, if you have backaches or headaches, or even if you seem to be catching colds more often than normal. Massage therapy gives us the ability to decrease these cortisol levels.

Relief from Headaches

Getting a massage shouldn’t be perceived as only an indulgence, like some people think—especially if you’re someone who suffers from tension or migraine headaches. In fact, researchers have found that people who have had debilitating headaches reported fewer migraines and more restful sleep after receiving massage therapy for several weeks.

Better Sleep Quality

A lack of sleep has been tied to chronic diseases and conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, and more. The good news is that research has indicated that massage can help people get better sleep to improve their health and wellness. Massage reduces your sleep disturbance; it helps you fall asleep quicker and then it helps improve your quality of sleep. In particular, getting a massage can increase your delta brain waves (linked to deep sleep) and as mentioned, it reduces your cortisol (which means more restful nights of sleep).

The Power of Touch: More Than Just Alleviating Pain

Believe it or not, a massage does more than just help you find optimal athletic performance or reduce your stress; it’s also a natural way to boost your mood. Massage allows your touch receptors to be stimulated, which in turn, encourages your body to produce higher amounts of the natural mood booster, serotonin.

Want to know the other benefits of massage?

Massage can help us improve overall respiratory function, increase our flexibility, lower blood pressure, improve the ability to deliver nutrition throughout the body, improves blood circulation and it works effectively alongside your chiropractic care. 

Give us a call today at 513.772.9065 if you’re ready to schedule a massage with one of our licensed massage therapists. It’s also a great gift idea for yourself or for a loved one this holiday season. Starting November 30 through December 31, 2015, we’re offering 60-minute massage gift certificates for only $45!