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flexibility

The Death of KT Tape

January 25, 2018 Daily Health Tips, UncategorizedDrCodyScharfComments Off on The Death of KT Tape

The Death of KT Tape

FINALLY KT TAPE IS BEING LAID TO REST!!

I hope you kept your receipts!!! We’ve been talking about KT tape and how dangerous/useless it is for years. KT Tape became popular after the 2012 Olympics.  Now it’s being sued for false claims!

KT Tape Lawsuit

I invite you all to read, but if you don’t have time here are some highlights from the link above:

“…”KT Health has used deceptive claims regarding the purported benefits of KT tape to charge a premium approximately ten times the price of traditional athletic tape…”

“…the athletic tape was deceptively marketed as being able to effectively treat sports-related injuries…”

The company will remove the following label claims: “it will keep you pain free,” “prevents injury” and “provides 24-hour pain relief per application.” The kinesiology tape packaging will also include a large, bold disclaimer to inform consumers that the athletic tape is “not clinically proven for all injuries.”

KT Tape is a product we have never used or recommended and will never recommend! We have written about the dangers of it on multiple occasions (feel free to click and read here and here).  Providers and patients, a like, are getting smarter.  Unfortunately there are still some providers out there more interested in financial gain than patient outcomes.

If you or someone you know is using this product, or seeing a provider that uses this product, stop it and find a provider that is focused on a real diagnosis and treatment!

At Thrive Spine and Sport we continue to pursue clinical excellence, finding your diagnosis, and providing the correct treatment path whether it is in our office or not!  We look forward to providing you and your loved ones with the highest quality conservative care possible!

Thanks for reading!

Knee Pain In Cedar Rapids

October 12, 2016 Knee PainDrCodyScharfComments Off on Knee Pain In Cedar Rapids

Are your knees bugging you?

If so, here is what you should know:
• Knee pain is estimated to affect upwards of 25% of the population
• Knee pain is most often caused by overuse
• Knee replacement surgeries are on the rise!
• You do not HAVE to live with knee pain!

Most think that as we age aches and pains are normal. Knee pain can be added to this list! As mentioned, knee pain is most often caused by overuse. There are 2 consequences of overuse in the body; adhesion and degeneration.

1. Adhesion. Adhesion is the primary result of overuse. It acts like glue on soft tissues to make joints weaker and less flexible. Adhesion is the most common, most misdiagnosed, and most mistreated condition in human body. Fixing adhesion restores range of motion, increases strength, and eliminates pain.

Adhesion
2. Degeneration. Degeneration (think arthritis) gets most of the attention. Unfortunately, adhesion precedes degeneration and ultimately leads to faster and further progress of the degeneration in the joint. If your doctor has told you have arthritis there is nearly a 100% chance you also have adhesion! Fixing adhesion will not only improve joint function but slows the progression of your degeneration!

If you can’t tell from the above, adhesion and fixing adhesion is a very, big deal! Fortunately, if you have knee pain there is a simple test you can do at home to check for it!

To start the test, stand upright. Grab your ankle and attempt to pull the heel into butt. Make sure that the thigh being tested is inline with opposite leg and has not moved in front of it. If you cannot pull the heel to your butt, or if pain is present you have failed the test. Adhesion is the most likely result. I am guessing if you have knee pain most of you out there that tried the test did not do so well! This puts you at a much higher risk for future degeneration, cartilage damage, and other major knee injuries.

The heel approximates just short of the butt. This is a failed test and you should seek help!
The heel approximates just short of the butt. This is a failed test.

The good news? We can help!

The doctors at Thrive Spine and Sport are experts at finding and fixing adhesion. We are the most experienced office in the state of Iowa to deal with this issue! By performing specific bio mechanical tests to check function and correlate your prior history and other relevant findings during the exam we can determine your level of success from our treatment.

If you or someone you know is currently suffering with knee pain, we encourage you to call our office today at 319-423-0925 or go to www.thrivespineandsport.com/appointment-request to schedule an appointment today!

Thanks for reading!

Before You Start CrossFit in Cedar Rapids, Here Is What You Need!

June 8, 2015 Daily Health TipsDrCodyScharfLeave a comment

If you are reading this, chances are you are thinking about getting into CrossFit .

Known for brutal workouts and “ideal” looking athletes, CrossFit has created a fitness revolution sweeping, quite literally, the globe. CrossFit appeals to the common person to regain functional strength and get back in shape by beating previous times, reps or weight used.

As with most fitness revolutions, CrossFit has come under some recent scrutiny. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that 73.5 percent of CrossFit participants receive an injury that limits work, activity or participation. This is an alarming number, but also a number not too surprising when the average new member just came from the couch into doing Fran (Fran is the name of CrossFit’s most popular workout).

Overuse, as with any other sport, is the number one cause of injury in CrossFit. It demands that all, not just some, of your body is moving properly. If there are any restrictions in any part of your body, this will lead to injury at some point down the road.

In order to make Cedar Rapids CrossFit, safer we must know our body is ready.

Here are the top 5 assessments to do that:

1. Ankle dorsiflexion. Ankle dorsiflexion is vital to running, jumping and squatting. If your ankle is not working properly, neither will your knee, hip and low back. Check this by standing arm’s length away from a wall. Place a ruler against the wall and foot. Drop the knee to touch the wall without the heel coming off the ground. A healthy range of motion will be around five or six inches.

2. Knee flexion. To check knee flexion, stand supported against the wall or table. Grab the ankle and try to accommodate the back of the heel to the butt, while the quad remains in line with the opposite leg. The heel should easily be able to touch without pain.

3. Hip flexion. Lie on your back. Grab just below one knee and try to bring the knee to chest. The front of the thigh should be able to be pulled flat against the chest without difficulty or pain. A lack of hip flexion alters squat motion and can lead to low back, hip and knee pain.

4. Shoulder abduction. Proper overhead motion and strength is dependent on this motion. Stand upright with arms to the side. Bring your arms up to your ears as close as you can. This should be very easy and without pain. Normal range should find the arm no further than three inches away from the ear, ideally only one inch.

5. Wrist extension. Reduced wrist extension can make front rack position painful and hard. To test, place the forearm flat on the wall with the upper arm shoulder height. Extend the wrist by using the opposite hand to pull the fingers back. The hand and fingers should be able to break 90 degrees to the wall without pain.

To fix these assessments, start a routine of stretching, foam rolling and active mobility to improve these motions. If mobility exercises fail to produce results after a week or two, there are only two options left — avoid the problem or fix the problem!

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at dr.cody@thrivespineandsport.com or call us at our office at 319-423-0925.  If you have been struggling with pain, fill out the appointment request on this page.