Be Better….. At Almost Anything
Performance Care is for those people who do not necessarily have a current “active” injury, but simply want their bodies to work better so they can move easier, perform better, and improve their overall joint and musculoskeletal health. Sure this applies to athletes who want to improve performance and efficiency, but Performance Care applies to non-athletes as well. The only difference is instead of working towards making you a better runner, rower, or crossfitter, the goal is to make your body better able to do the day-to-day things you need and want to do. The goal is to improve your ability to bend, lift, twist, push, pull, and walk easier, safer, and with less aches and pains.
It All Comes Down To How Well You Move
The idea of Performance Care is built around a very simple yet critically important concept….Your musculoskeletal health – and here I mean how you feel, how prone you are to injury, and how effectively you are able to perform a given sport or physical activity – all comes down to how well your body moves. The critical question is…..Does your body have the basic strength and flexibility prerequisites that are needed to safely and efficiently do what you are asking them to do on a day-to-day basis? For example, if you’re a crossfitter do your shoulders have the required mobility to reach up overhead? Or are your overloading your joints with every snatch, pull-up, or push-press? If you run do your ankles and knees move the way they need to for an uncompromised stride? Do your hamstrings and lower back joints have the basic flexibility required to properly bend forward and pick something up from the floor? Can your hip extend the way that is required to walk properly without creating excessive stress and overload at your lower back? Here’s the simple truth… If your muscles and joints don’t have the flexibility and strength “prerequisites” needed to perform a certain physical activity, you will be less able to perform that activity properly, and you will be at a significantly greater risk of injury when performing that activity. 
Are You Doing The Right Things?
While you may not know exactly what is wrong, most people are at least generally aware of certain areas of their bodies or certain movements that don’t work quite the way they should. You may not know exactly what is wrong, but you know that something’s “off”. A crossfitter may not understand that their posterior shoulder capsule is restricted or their scapula is not rotating properly, but they can feel that something isn’t right when performing exercises that require certain arm positions. Many people even try to do something to try to improve these areas. The problem is most people don’t really know what to do. Without knowing the exact cause of the problem most people apply a shotgun approach and try to perform a cluster of general stretches or exercises that caught their eye on Facebook, YouTube, or that they saw some guy doing at their gym. Of course this approach seldom works. The fact is that your body is very complicated, and to make a joint work better you must address the actual issue that is causing the problem. If you’re that crossfitter with a restricted joint capsule causing a bad shoulder, it doesn’t matter how often you roll out with a lacrosse ball or try to strengthen your rotator cuff. You will still have a shoulder problem because you haven’t addressed the joint capsule. Here’s the point.… you can’t expect YouTube or Facebook to fix your shoulder (or hip, back, knee, etc.). To make real changes, to really improve your joints and your musculoskeletal heath, to work towards being your physical best, you not only need to identify your specific issues, but you need to know the most effective ways to address those exact issues. This is where Performance Care comes in…..
Performance Care – Be Better at Almost Anything
Performance care is a treatment program specifically designed to improve performance in sport and in life… and to enhance long term musculoskeletal health. Here’s how it works… The process begins with a Performance Care Assessment. During this initial appointment (approx. 60 minutes) we will discuss your injury history, current exercise and/or training practices, and your general sport and/or physical goals. We will then conduct a comprehensive exam where we will assess the physical health and movement ability of your joints and key movement patterns. Depending on the goals of the athlete/individual this may include a generalized joint-to-joint assessment for overall health, a more detailed assessment of specific regions of concern, or a more focused sport-specific assessment. This exam provides an individualized movement blueprint which outlines which areas are functioning well, and which areas are restricted, too tight, too weak, or have poor coordination. With this movement blueprint we are then able to develop a very specific and personalized treatment plan. It allows us to not only determine which joints and movement patterns need attention, but it also allows us to prioritize which areas need to be addressed first to have the biggest impact. 
The Treatment Plan – Optimizing Performance, Mobility, and Joint Health
Manual Therapy for Better, Faster Results
You can think of Performance Care treatment as a cross between manual therapy and specialized exercise training. Following the exam we typically set up a series of in-office appointments where we utilize hands-on techniques such as Active Release Techniques (ART), Functional Range Release (FR Release), and joint manipulation/mobilization as needed. This part of care is similar to what is done with Injury Care, but instead of addressing pain and healing the goal of treatment is on improving joint and soft tissue mobility. While the exact numbers can vary depending on the goals, schedule, and resources of each individual, appointments are typically set up in blocks of 8-10 treatments. These treatments are typically scheduled weekly or bi-weekly (again, this may vary depending on the goals and resources of each individual). Please Note: This treatment may be billed under chiropractic services if you have extended health benefits.
Personalized Mobility and Strength Programming
In addition to in-office manual therapy, the other major component of Performance Care is getting each patient set-up on a customized, daily home mobility/strength program. This is not the typical, generic, “everybody gets the same exercises” kind of routine. As discussed above this shotgun approach doesn’t really work. Instead, each patient is prescribed exercises that are precisely targeted at their individual needs as determined by their movement blueprint as described above. We typically prescribe these as a daily, 15-30 minute program that can be done at home (or at the gym if you prefer). And this exercise routine is an ever-evolving routine. It has to be. Because if you’re making progress, as your body changes and improves your specific needs and priorities will also change. This means that with each visit we will not only review the home exercises, but we will be continually tweaking and progressing exercises to ensure your daily routine best matches your current needs.
Yes. You Can Keep Doing Your Other Activities
People always ask if they can continue their other activities. Can they continue to run, golf, do yoga, swim, walk the dog, go to Crossfit, and all the other things you want to do. The short answer for almost everyone is yes. To be clear, the Performance Care program, including the prescribed exercise routine, is not meant to replace other physical, recreational, or athletic training. It’s designed to make it easier and safer to continue with these activities.The goal is to fill in the gaps and provide your body with the stimulus you need to move better, perform better, and enhance long-term physical health that you are NOT GETTING with these other activities.
Take the Next Step Towards Enhanced Performance and Physical Health
Do you want to move and perform better? Do you want to be better at almost anything? Then take the next step. Contact our office to make an appointment today.
