This is a simple test yet so many people fail it when we assess them. SINGLE LIMB STANCE. This tells us a lot about how you stand and move. Do you see a pattern here? Hips forward & chest back😕
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I can guarantee that most of you know this ‘posture’ or ‘habit’ you see here is not ideal. But WHY?
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Because you’re not generating tension in the appropriate areas & are ‘hanging’ on your spine & hips instead of using appropriate bracing strategies. 👆
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What if …… you could LEARN HOW to do that without even thinking about it (#habit) – just think of the ripple effects that could have when you WALK (single limb stance 85% of the time😲) or RUN (single limb stance 100% of the time!😲) #movehealchange
I was experiencing pain in my elbow that was limiting my exercise routine. My initial physical therapist was treating it in a vacuum as an elbow only issue.
Lauren was a second opinion and as part of her initial assessment, instantly determined that it wasn’t an elbow issue, rather an issue with my overall core and the surrounding support structure. Once she helped me build up strength within those supporting areas (back, shoulders, core, etc), the elbow issue was resolved.
At the end of it all, she triggered a different way of thinking for me. A mindset in the context of exercise and total body health, which has continued several years later with zero elbow pain/limitations.
I also appreciated Lauren’s flexibility in scheduling, as my work schedule is not the easiest to work around and Lauren made the calendaring process easy.
It doesn’t get more fundamental than the hinge… here are 4 variations that are great for teaching and training the hip hinge
1️⃣ PVC pipe hip hinge cuing neutral spine position
2️⃣ Banded pull through which adds resistance but encourages reaching the hips back and angling the torso down
3️⃣ Single leg hinge or RDL with PVC in the opposite arm as the standing leg to help with balance and also a counter reach forward as the non weight bearing leg reaches back
4️⃣ Single leg RDL with a long foam roller or short PVC as pictured to increase core engagement and tension through the system
#movehealchange
When performing a lunge movement, what are the focus points? Why are you actually doing a lunge? The benefit is multinodal here. First and foremost, we need to understand that the weight-bearing hip has to be ‘centrated,’ or simply put, it needs to be well centered in the socket. This requires that you properly hinge at the hip and NOT the lumbar spine. It also requires that you generate proper tension in the hamstrings as well as the glutes and hip rotators. This should all be happening while your hip, knee and ankle are all in-line with each other. Watch the video for details!
We have the BEST patients! Even though Olivia is going through ACL rehabilitation, she still found time to wish Dimitry happy Birthday!
Thanks for the early birthday surprise pistachios. She just gets me!
“He needs to stretch his hamstrings” -every doctor who has seen this client touch his toes.
Guess what ⁉️ At a glance you can see where they might come to this conclusion (picture on the left ⬅️) but…everyone knows what happens when you make assumptions!
This is not a magical before and after in one session, but the result from assessing, reassessing & assessing some more…AKA putting in the time. His straight leg raise was good – a test that indicates this is not an issue with hamstring flexibility.
The key 🔑 for this client was improving his strategy—working on control of his spine, pelvis, and hips💪 Stretching his hamstrings would have been an easy intervention to choose (likely ineffective), but we don’t do easy…we do thorough. 👊 #movehealchange
Over the past 2 years I struggled with a herniated disc in my cervical region. During this time, I have seen multiple doctors and physical therapists. After my recent surgery, my doctor did refer me to Dimity due to problems I was still having and my active lifestyle. With little to no expectation based on prior PT experiences, I did make an appointment.
What I experienced was nothing I have experienced in the past. It was a comprehensive approach to healing. Not just treating the symptom, but treating the underlying imbalances within my body.
During my 4 sessions, we identified the underlying issues, strengthened my imbalances, and most importantly I learned how to maintain this state.
The results have been drastic and obvious and it has been an incredible experience.
I will never go back to a traditional physical therapist after meeting Dimitry.
Remember these beauties 👣 from about 1 mo. ago? She was the client with the Right over-supinated foot and 30+yr. history of Right groin pain who was told she needed orthotics for her ‘flat feet?’
This observation was NOT the main focus, but I decided to keep an out to see if this would change.
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3 sessions later & working on her hip movement, thorax, breathing patterns during dynamic motion & BAM! 💥
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R Foot looks real pretty now!🌟 No orthotics needed folks! 🙌 But lots of work near those hips 🍑yielded some pretty interesting results down the kinetic chain!
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Oh . . . .& that 30+yr. history of groin pain? Well … that’s now history as well!! Poof 💨
Using band walks for glute activation 🍑? The lower left picture shows our client trying to engage hip muscles with the band but struggling to align the knee over the ankle—an indication that those glutes just don’t want to do their job!
When verbal cues and tactile cues 👉 just don’t do the trick, consider that the muscles don’t know what it feels like to engage. A quick set of isometric holds in sidelying (top picture) allowed her to successfully “find and feel” her glutes 💪 and 1 minute later executed a much more productive band walk, shown bottom right 🙌.
This simple change relieved her plantar fascia pain ✅ #magic
Go see Lauren! I was very close to having knee surgery when a friend recommended I go see Lauren first. Thankfully I did and a month or so later, I was pain free! And still am two years later. I’ve been back for some other minor issues (shoulder/heel) which she has also remedied. She clearly communicates what you need to do after every appointment – including videos to show proper movement. She is truly amazing! Thank you Lauren!