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How is trail running different than road running?
How trail running is different than road running
As a Chiropractor in Vernon, I see a lot of runners. I am sure this is the same for most Vernon Chiropractors, but this is something that is often over looked. In this article, Dr Alex Hueston shares his experience transitioning form road running in his training to a trail race.
Written by Dr. Alex Hueston. Chiropractor at Young Health Management in Duncan, BC (Vancouver Island). www.younghealthmgmt.com
Hey Team!
We are back from running the Thetis Lake 20 KM Relay Race last week, on Remembrance Day. To honour those that have served for our country I felt it was appropriate to refrain from any social media. Running with Ceevacs has been a blast and running with a 4-person relay team in a distance race was a first for me. The race itself was structured with each member running a 4-5km loop around upper and lower Thetis Lake to combine for an overall 20 KM long race total. One of the cool parts of the race was that you were able to have multiple teammates run at once, which became very helpful for me without ever having run the route.
The track itself was quite challenging with a high degree of focus needed for your footing. With a lot of navigating needed with rock sections and high root areas, speed on the downhills was limited to your ability to quickly navigate the technical sections. On top of that, it was some of the heaviest rain I have been in for quite a while so definitely a type-2 fun kind of day.
Leading up to the race with my 80/20 running it had been challenging with weather and scheduling to get out and run everyday. With that I supplemented in a lot more cross-training using many concepts implemented in Ben Patrick’s ATG principles. More on that in the future!
I also ran a V02 max test on myself to get a baseline of my current level of fitness that I will go into more detail on in future posts. What I gathered from my fitness testing and cross-training was more information on how I can perform at close to a max effort which is important when you are usually running at 90%+ of your capacity in a 5 KM race. My runs gave me the confidence that my cardiovascular system was in a good position and my strength training gave me the confidence that my legs would hold up on some more extreme slope sections if they should show up in the race.
How did it go?
Looking at my data on Strava my time over my ~4 KM loop was 21:38 with an average 5:19/KM pace, 178 avg. HR (peak HR of 189!) and 178 avg. cadence.
Key Take-Aways:
Trail time and road time can not be compared over the same distance. Trail running is all about how quickly you can adapt and recover from different running conditions. Forget the consistency that can be present in road running and learn to accept and even love the variability trail running can bring.
When on trail, run by feel first, metrics second. Through this race my heart rate went as high as 189 which is close to my theoretical max of 191 and pace was anywhere between 3:00-7:30/km pace! What was consistent was that I felt like I was in control of my breath, I felt strong and that I could maintain my perceived exertion for the length of the race.
Extreme slopes means extreme changes in speed. With this track the downhills were paramount to making up time and needing to push hard on the climbs. This is where the hill training/speed work pays off.
Running with an experienced person is invaluable. When looking to perform in a scenario with a lot of unknowns a simple solution is to run with somebody who has experience with those unknowns, whether that is pacing, running approach, equipment choice, route knowledge. It makes a race as simple as trusting if you can stay with that person you are going to get a good outcome.
Big thank you for all the support from all the people who came out cheering us on, for all the volunteers that made it possible and for Ceevacs Roadrunners giving us propane fires and cover to keep us warm and dry. Lastly, a personal thanks to my teammate Rob Grant for leading the way for me and giving me the confidence to push at the finish.
If you have a pain or condition that is holding you back from engaging in activity, book an appointment, book a free discover call today: www.basecampclinic.janeapp.com
If you are looking for community weekly runs, running clinics and coaching, or even triathlon training be sure to go check out:
Bush Babes and Bros Trail Running for training
Starting Block Vernon for weekly group runs (all levels)
Be sure to keep an eye on the registration for the Thetis Lake Relay (link here) next year. I’ll see you there!
Author:
Dr. Alex Hueston is a Chiropractor in Duncan, BC at the Young Health Management clinic. www.younghealthmgmt.com
You Are Not Fragile
You are not fragile. Our bodies are designed to keep us moving forward and that is basically a super power.
Good news! Most injuries do not have to become lifelong struggles. Our bones rebuild, our cells regrow, our neurons learn new pathways. Human bodies are designed to be highly adaptable.
Our softness is sometimes purely mental. Driven by the fear of re-injury, an internal dialogue we tell ourselves plays on repeat based on our Dr. Google searches or incomplete conversations with our doctors.
Repeat after me: I am not a chocolate souffle’. You have order, structure and the ability to move forward. This is why it’s important to have a conversation with your doctor about your injury and the healing process.
We all have our dings and dents.
We are surrounded by stories of strength and adaptivity. A man jumped over the Great Wall of China on a skateboard with two broken ankles. A woman runs ultra marathons after being told she had arthritic knees and should restrict herself to walking. A man moved a 1000 pounds off the ground after a disc injury to his back years before. Ask any person who has been pregnant and given birth about adaptivity and they will no doubt have a good chuckle.
How do injuries happen?
Injuries are the body's response to overload. There are 2 types of overload: acute and chronic.
Acute load is when you take a tumble on your skis and reach out to break the fall, thus breaking your wrist. It’s a quick insult to the tissues that pushes past the threshold of structural integrity rebuilding.
Chronic load is when you spend 8 hours a day sitting like a banana in your desk chair. This is multiple insults to the tissue that will eventually cause pain because the body can’t keep up.
What does healing tissue look like?
Healing time is based on 4 main things:
Age
Degree of injury
Amount of load to tissues
Overall health of person
Younger people tend to heal faster. The degree or grade of injury may require more time to heal. For example: An athlete with a Grade 1 (ligament irritation) ankle sprain will take less time to heal than a person of similar age and lifestyle who has a Grade 3 (full ligament rupture) ankle sprain.
Ligamentous injuries like sprained ankles take as little as 6 weeks to heal. Muscular injuries like groin strains take as little as 3 weeks to heal. Bone injuries like stress fractures take approximately 6 to 12 weeks to heal. Neuromuscular injuries like disc herniations take approximately 12 weeks to heal.
But my doctor said my scoliosis will always give me back pain.
Injuries are not the only thing that can make us feel fragile. Sometimes we are told that our anatomy or structure predisposes us to further injury down the line. Many people are told that things like scoliosis, spinal alignment and osteoarthritis may make life more difficult for them down the road. This is not often the case. Structure does not dictate function. I plant my flag firmly in this ground.
One study of 230 knees on 115 pain-free adults (mean age of 44 years old) showed abnormalities (meniscus tearing, cartilage damage or bone marrow legions) in at least one knee in every patient.
It’s important to have a conversion with your doctor or chiropractor or physiotherapist about your concerns around your injury.
Things to ask your doc:
How long will it take for this injury to fully heal?
What can I do to ensure this process doesn’t take longer?
Is there any reason I should believe this may be a long term struggle for me in my activities I enjoy doing?
How do I build strength around this injury?
Bottom line: You are not merely a meat bag moving in three planes. Your injury should not make you feel fragile. We all get ego checks but it shouldn’t keep us from doing what we love. Have a conversation with your doc today about how you can feel stronger around your injuries.
Author: Dr Sam Krieg, Chiropractor and Co-Founder at Base Camp Sport and Spine in Vernon, BC.
Contact: drkrieg@basecampclinic.com
Disclaimer: This blog is intended for general informational purposes only and is not intended for the delivery of medical advice. No doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user's own risk. The content of this blog and website is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice.
References:
Horga LM, Hirschmann AC, Henckel J, Fotiadou A, Di Laura A, Torlasco C, D'Silva A, Sharma S, Moon JC, Hart AJ. Prevalence of abnormal findings in 230 knees of asymptomatic adults using 3.0 T MRI. Skeletal Radiol. 2020 Jul;49(7):1099-1107. doi: 10.1007/s00256-020-03394-z. Epub 2020 Feb 14. PMID: 32060622; PMCID: PMC7237395.
Written by: Sam Krieg DC in Vernon, British Columbia at Base Camp Sport and Spine
How do you treat a concussion?
Here is how concussions are treated by chiropractors
Think you might have a concussion? Check out Part 1 of our Concussion Series: Do I have a concussion?
This post is all about how concussions are treated.
The content in this post is intended for educational purposes only. No information in this post is to be interpreted as medical advice, recommendations, or prescription. If you think you have a concussion, are concerned about your symptoms, or have further questions, make an appointment here, give us a call here, or contact your medical provider.
Picture this…
A few days ago you went over your handlebars at the end of a day of hitting the single tracks on your bike. At first, you felt ok. Some mild neck stiffness, and maybe a mild headache. Since then though, you have been EXHAUSTED. Your neck is still stiff, but the headache is pretty much gone.
You are pretty sure you had a concussion. Should you feel better by now? Is there anything that can make you feel better?
Let’s talk about what to do if you think you have a concussion…
What this article covers:
When to start when treating a concussion
Your different treatment options
Expected recovery time
Not sure if you have a concussion? Check out Part 1 of our Concussion Series: Do I have a concussion?
When should you start treating a concussion?
your options to treat a concussion
Recovery time after a Concussion
How long does it take to recover from a Concussion?
The good news about concussions is that most people fully recover from them completely and in a relatively short amount of time. The tricky part of concussions though, is that you will typically feel better before your brain has healed, which puts you at risk of a second injury with more serious consequences. Every person who experiences a concussion recovers somewhat differently, however, there are a few rules we can use to predict recovery. (2)
Concussion symptoms usually last 7-14 days following the injury
Symptoms often get worse 24-72 hours following a concussion
Those with less severe concussion symptoms are more likely to recover quickly
Symptoms resolve before the brain has recovered
When can I get back to doing what I love?
Despite feeling better within a relatively short amount of time, returning to the activity that caused the concussion in the first place is dangerous. The brain heals slowly and takes about 30 days to recover to baseline for most concussions. (2) As long as your symptoms do not persist or return, in general, you can return to your activity at about 30 days after a concussion without increased risk or permanent or lasting damage. It is, however, recommended that you return to your activity gradually, rather than back to 100% on day one (I am looking at you single track riders).
Will I have symptoms forever?
Most people who experience a concussion fully recover with no residual injuries. If you are experiencing symptoms that last longer than 2 weeks then you need to get a thorough evaluation by someone who knows what they are doing. If you receive proper treatment then most people who have persistent symptoms still experience a full recovery. A portion of patients have persistent symptoms that do not resolve. These people can still experience significant relief with treatment.
When should I go see someone if I think I have a concussion?
So… you went over your handlebars. What now? When should you see someone if you think you have a concussion? I recommend seeing a qualified clinician as soon as possible following an injury if you think you have a concussion. Not only will this help you rule out anything more severe, it will also help you recover FASTER because early interventions with concussions are the key to fast and effective recovery. The ideal timeframe for an evaluation happens within 72 hours of injury.
If you think you have a concussion or someone you know and care about has a concussion, contact me ASAP and we can get you on the road to recovery.
NOTE: If you have severe symptoms (loss of consciousness, vomiting, sustained double vision, passing out) then you need to go to the emergency room as soon as possible.
Summary
Here is the bullet point summary:
Concussions are very common and, while they should be taken seriously, most people completely recover within a short time.
Most common symptoms include headache, neck pain, and dizziness, but anyone who has an injury involving the head and neck should get evaluated
Concussions are diagnosed by a history and a physical exam, in which the primary goal is ruling out a more serious injury
A timely exam and treatment can enhance healing and recovery. Guidance can help decrease the chance of re-injury or persistent symptoms.
Have a question about concussions? Shoot me an email: drmurdoch@basecampclinic.com
For a great video on concussions, check this video from TED: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvjK-4NXRsM
Author: Dr. Mark Murdoch, Chiropractor and Co-Founder at Base Camp Sport and Spine in Vernon, BC.
Mark Murdoch is a Doctor of Chiropractic with a Master’s Degree in Sports Medicine.
Contact: drmurdoch@basecampclinic.com
Instagram: Base.Camp.Doc
References:
Jackson, W. T., & Starling, A. J (2018) Concussion Evaluation and Management. The Medical Clinics of North America.
Vagnozzi et al., 2010.
SCAT 5
SI Joint Pain… What is it and what to do about it?
Holy smokes. This is a big one. As a Chiropractor, it is no surprise that I see a lot of lower back pain. The SI Joint (the Sacroiliac Joint) can be notoriously tricky to identify and treat. My colleague, Dr Alex Hueston, a chiropractor from Duncan, BC, wrote this great article all about SI Joint pain.
Written by Dr. Alex Hueston. Chiropractor at Young Health Management in Duncan, BC (Vancouver Island). www.younghealthmgmt.com
Sacroiliac joint pain is something I see as a chiropractor on a daily basis. It is a common condition that affects many people over the world of all ages. The sacroiliac joint is the joint between your sacrum at the base of your spine and your ilium (one of three parts of your pelvis). It connects to make up what's called the “posterior chain” and is a focal stabilizer for your body when you walk, bend or move. Unfortunately, this often results in pain for millions of people that are then not able to perform simple daily tasks without pain. In this blog post we will discuss how to identify, manage and hopefully eliminate your sacroiliac joint pain!
The pathway through this topic will be the following (so feel free to jump around!):
1. What is sacroiliac pain
2. How to identify the sacroiliac joint
3. Causes of sacroiliac pain
4. Symptoms of sacroiliac pain
5. Solutions for managing sacroiliac pain
Important Note: Before diving into the rest of this article, it's important that none of this information should be construed as medical advice and should not replace seeing an appropriate healthcare provider. If you are in severe pain please see a healthcare provider to be properly assessed, diagnosed, and treated.
Let’s get started!
What is sacroiliac joint pain?
Sacroiliac pain is essentially inflammation of the sacroiliac joint. The pain is usually over the joint but can also be felt in the low back, buttocks, or hips. The pain can be sharp or a dull ache, typically on one side but can be present on both sides or even shift from one side to the other.
How to identify the sacroiliac joint
To find the sacroiliac joint, start by putting your hands on the top of your hips. This area is called your iliac crest. With your thumbs, move around the edge of your hips toward your back until you find a small dip. This dip is called your posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS) and connects your sacrum to make up your sacroiliac joint (sacrum+ilium).
Causes of sacroiliac pain
There are a wide variety of mechanisms that can lead to sacroiliac pain but commonly they break down into one of these three categories:
Acute trauma: this is the easiest type of pain most of us to understand (i.e. this event happened and now I have pain). This could be a direct force such as a fall on your butt but could also be indirect such as picking up an object or a misstep while walking down some stairs.
Repetitive loading/Postural stress: the silent assassin! The sacroiliac joint is closely connected to movement at the hip and low back. When we are only exploring a portion of the range of motion available for longer periods of time we induce repetitive stress on the joints in an unbalanced manner. Typical examples would be:
Long periods of being seated: when sitting the hip and low back are typically in a flexed position and this puts stress on the sacroiliac joint. Though this stress is not high at any given time the low amount of stress over a long period of time can fatigue the joint to the point of injury.
Bending forward/rotating strenuous activities: Decide to chop some wood for the first time in a while? Did you pull weeds for 4 hours or shovel all that soil that’s been on your driveway for a month?
Instability: the least known about and consequently can lead to many people finding it difficult to get more than temporary relief. Joint instability/lack of stability occurs when the surrounding structures (ligament, tendons, muscles) are unable to maintain the ability of a joint in a safe and stable position. People that are susceptible to stability issues in their SI joints are:
Females pre/post-pregnancy: around pregnancy hormones are released to create laxity in the body which allows the body to move into a greater range of motion.
Highly flexible individuals: with an increased range of motion comes an increased demand to control that range of motion and if that demand is not met that joint can then move into unstable areas.
Symptoms of sacroiliac pain
There are a few ways you can identify whether your discomfort could be related to SI joint dysfunction:
Sharper pain when changing positions (rolling, twisting, bending, moving between sitting and standing)
Dull aching pain with prolonged positions (driving, standing, etc.)
Pain on palpation (touching), tenderness over specific bony landmarks like the PSIS (posterior superior iliac spine).
Pain with transition movements (rolling, sit to stand, getting out of car)
Solutions for managing sacroiliac pain
As a chiropractor I usually approach conservative care from four angles:
1) Damage Control: Healing is much easier when we mitigate aggravating factors. Simple strategies that I always recommend to start with on your own are:
Be cautious of friendly advice. Your family and friends mean well but just because a certain stretch helped them does not necessarily mean it will help you. If you are looking for help seek out a local healthcare provider.
Take micro-breaks from aggravating positions. Pain and aggravation build up over time in many cases so changing positions will mitigate stress over time. If you work at a desk, find a reason to get out of your seat and move around at least every hour
Using lumbar support pillows can be life-savers when driving and are usually dramatically more effective than cranking up the lumbar support in your truck. Click here to grab a pillow.
Using a sacroiliac belt is a temporary strategy that should only be used if aggravation activities are unavoidable but can be very effective in the short term. If you get almost instant relief it is likely there is a stability issue present. Click here to grab a belt.
Treat the Nerve: If you find that simply grabbing the skin over the joint and lifting it away from the SI joint significantly decreases or fully eliminates the pain it is possibly a sign of superficial nerve irritation of what are called the cluneal nerves. Cupping and Taping can be helpful strategies in this case. The good news is there might not be anything wrong with your SI joint!
Treat the Muscle: Your massage or stretching routine might seem like it will work, but if your pain is only temporarily relieved or even seems to get worse afterward this may be a sign that something else needs to happen. If the problem stems from a lack of stability, relaxing/stretching muscles could actually make things worse!
Treat the Joint: Mobilizations of joints including chiropractic adjustments to the SI joint, lumbar spine, and hips can reduce pressure on the joints but by itself may only be a part of the solution. Again, if there are stability issues present, more motion is not the answer.
If these strategies have not worked then, what is the missing piece?
The answer is to start establishing stability through specific exercises. We want to be masters of our movement whether we move a lot or only a little. How do we get started?
Abdominal bracing and breathing exercises 3-5 minutes at a time.
Cat-Cow mobilizations for 3-5 minutes at a time. I prefer doing it in the morning while I wait for my coffee to cool down!
These movements are designed to build awareness of movement (proprioception) from an unloaded position, where the body does not need to maintain our balance like we do when we are in an upright position.
With the two exercises above in play, we can now add additional exercises to the mix.
Click on the links above for some great videos of how to perform these exercises.
Here is an example of how you could start using them:
10-second holds at the position of highest tension
Return to starting position
Immediately go back to position of highest tension
Perform three repetitions on one side, then on the other side, then rest
The next set you will only need to perform two repetitions on each side, then one repetition on the last set.
We will dive deeper in future posts to the benefits of each of these exercises, how to progress them and how to use them to explore other movements. But for now, when doing these exercises, it is essential to challenge yourself only to the point where you can maintain the proper form for the entire exercise. Going to fatigue is not the purpose of these movements and will most likely not create long-term benefits.
Wrapping it up!
Now that you understand what sacroiliac pain is, the causes of it, and how to get started on your road to recovery, are you ready to book an appointment? If so, click here or give us a call. We’re happy to answer any questions or concerns over email at any time if needed too!
Author:
Dr. Alex Hueston is a Chiropractor in Duncan, BC at the Young Health Management clinic. www.younghealthmgmt.com
The First 5 Questions to Ask your Chiropractor
If you live in Vernon, BC or are near the North Okanagan and are looking for YOUR chiropractor than this post is for you! At Base Camp Sport and Spine, we provide the most personalized treatment possible before booking an appointment with our team. We want to make sure that you are a good fit for us and vice versa. We've put together this list of 5 questions that we think everyone should ask their local chiropractor…
Choosing a Chiropractor can be difficult. Many doctors use outdated treatment methods and are using the best treatment methods for their patients. My friend and colleague, Dr. Alex Hueston, is here to help.
Here are the FIRST 5 questions to ask when you are looking for a Chiropractor.
If you live in Vernon, BC or are near the North Okanagan and are looking for YOUR chiropractor than this post is for you! At Base Camp Sport and Spine, we provide the most personalized treatment possible before booking an appointment with our team. We want to make sure that you are a good fit for us and vice versa. Our friend, Dr. Alex Hueston, has put together this list of 5 questions that we think everyone should ask their local chiropractor as they prepare for an initial consultation:
Written by Dr. Alex Hueston. Chiropractor at Young Health Management in Duncan, BC (Vancouver Island). www.younghealthmgmt.com
1. What is the most common type of injury you see in your office on a regular basis?
2. How do you feel about different types of treatments, such as acupuncture and massage therapy?
3. What should people know before they go to see a chiropractor for the first time?
4. What is a chiropractic adjustment or manipulation?
5. What are some other ways I can keep my spine healthy while still at home (exercises, nutrition)?
*Disclaimer: Content on this blog should not be construed as medical advice.
1. What is the most common type of injury you see in your office on a regular basis?
Most people think to come see their chiropractor when they have pain near the spine, but what many don't realize is that a visit with your chiropractor can also help treat conditions related to nerves and joints in extremities (knees, ankles, feet).
Chiropractic care has also been helpful in treating conditions such as headaches, menstrual cramps, and emotional stress.
2. How do you feel about different types of treatments, such as acupuncture and massage therapy?
At our clinic we have an integrated team of practitioners trained in many different treatments, including acupuncture and massage therapy. We also incorporate forms of active care such as exercise and diet modification.
It is important to know that there are many different types of treatments for helping you stay healthy - some work better for you than others depending on what condition you're working with and how severe it is. We'll take a look at all the options together so we can find out which one is the right fit for you.
3. What should people know before they go to see a chiropractor for the first time?
The first thing people should know going into their appointment with a chiropractor is that it's often not as painful as they expect. You may feel some heat and pressure, but nothing too intense or unbearable. The goal of the treatment at your initial visit will be to find out where you're experiencing pain and what might be causing it so we can find a treatment strategy that is best for you.
The other thing to keep in mind before your appointment with a chiropractor is that they are trained experts and have experience working on people from all different backgrounds, ages, and physical abilities--so there's no need to be nervous!
4. What is a chiropractic adjustment or manipulation?
A chiropractic adjustment or manipulation is a safe, low-risk form of manual therapy that involves the application of controlled thrusts to joints, ligaments and muscle tissue.
The purpose of this treatment is usually to reduce pressure and inflammation in joints that causes pain and reduces mobility.
5. What are some other ways I can keep my spine healthy while still at home (exercises, nutrition)?
One of the most important things you can do to help keep your spine healthy is exercise. It's been shown that exercising regularly not only strengthens and promotes flexibility in the muscles surrounding your spine but also reduces stress, anxiety, depression and back pain.
Here on Vancouver Island, BC adventure is never far away. You can find beautiful trails stretching across the island, like the West Coast Trail and the lesser known Juan De Fuca Trail. Just make sure to pack a lunch and plenty of water!
In Conclusion . . .
We hope you found this post informative and that it has answered a few of your questions about the type of services we provide here at Young Health Management. If you’re interested in making an appointment with one of our mental health professionals, please don't hesitate to book online today!
*Disclaimer: Content on this blog should not be construed as medical advice.
Author:
Dr. Alex Hueston is a Chiropractor in Duncan, BC at the Young Health Management clinic. www.younghealthmgmt.com
Disclaimer: This blog is intended for general informational purposes only and is not intended for the delivery of medical advice. No doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user's own risk. The content of this blog and website is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice.
How running injuries happen