PROSPER Performance & Physical Therapy

Throughout my competitive running career, I never started a race at the front line. It was my thing to pass people, picking them off one by one with a smile & a word of encouragement. I was comfortable (& successful) with this strategy for years. Then there came a shift. I was struggling to break my PR. My husband & I were discussing my strategy. “You belong in the front," he said, "Put yourself up there next time.” He knew. I was holding back just enough... not sticking my neck out there quite enough. But the thought of having all those people behind me... chasing ME down made me anxious. It made me uncomfortable. But, he was right. That's where I belonged. Leading the way is what I’m meant to do. It’s not comfortable. It’s often scary. I'd think of all those behind me that I can't see.. breathing down my neck. But that is where success comes! I often need that extra pressure to meet the next level of myself. Besides, someone has to do it...

 " EXPERT" IN THE FIELD I've been certified in Postural Restoration (PRI) for 11 yrs now. I was one of the first 50 clinicians to be certified IN THE WORLD. I've enjoyed watched the understanding & awareness of the science grow year after year. I've been sought out from the tri-state area (TN, AL, GA) by clients and colleagues, alike, for my expertise in the science of PRI. I mean, I know it all, right??! Ha! This is exactly what I love about the @posturalrestorationinstitute that I've been so honored to be a part of for so long. Over the past 11 yrs, the discoveries and research continued... courses that I took way-back-when have been expanded into multiple courses. The concepts are the same, but the understanding, details and applications continue to expand. I've been watching this evolve from the sidelines for several years now, but finally realized I needed to dive back in! This was increasingly evident this past weekend. What I l...

  “You’ve had a baby. You’re not SUPPOSED to be able to do the things you used to do.”  Have you or someone you know been told that one before?  One of my biggest pet peeves!  Your body does change with pregnancy and delivery - it’s such a beautiful thing the woman’s body can do!  But, you are not cursed forever once you have a baby.  There are amazing women running ultramarathons, meeting new physical achievements and living with the freedom to live an active, unlimited life AFTER pregnancy.   What must be understood is that the body is, indeed, different now.  But it is NOT incapable, used up, old news.  If you hear that narrative - leave!  It takes some more work at times, but mostly a new perspective.  Maybe you used to be able to hop out of bed and put your body through a workout first thing.   Now, it may take a little more prep work.  Motherhood is crazy - unpredictable & exhausting.  I know, I’ve been...

I got a text from my sister. She had hurt her knee doing a kick-boxing workout & was asking for advice. She sent me a picture of where the pain was, explained how it happened & what she was experiencing. Through this conversation, I was able to determine the best course of action. I gave her advice on immediate care of the knee & activity modification. In 1 wk, she was back to daily life without pain. And in just 2 wks, she gradually returned to running - painfree! WHY WAS SHE ABLE TO RECOVER SO QUICKLY? Early care, cutting-edge advice, & consistent communication. You see, the EARLY STAGE IS CRUCIAL for setting you up to heal efficiently & effectively. Getting the appropriate advice at this stage is huge! I was so glad she reached out to me immediately & didn’t look to Dr. Google, ignore it, or wait on an appointment with her doctor who would have likely prescribed meds & sent her to PT anyway. Now she was able to get quick, knowledgeable & trusted advic...

THE ROLE OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM This "epidemic" of recurring hamstring injuries is, in part, due to the under-valued role of the nervous system.  There is often too much focus on the structural "damage" and isolated limitations vs the overall dysfunction. I'm not saying that treating the damaged tissue is not important. But, in order to minimize recurrence, we must look beyond the isolated injury and seek to understand the integrated, "big picture" of the problem. IS IT ACTUAL DAMAGE OR SOMETHING ELSE? One interesting concept to understand is that the tension of our muscles are completely under the control of our nervous system.  Your brain is in constant awareness of the tension of all your muscles.  Unless you change your nervous system, you will continue to sense tightness.  As mentioned in Part 1, stretching isn't necessarily the answer to resolving tension. The relief felt by isolated muscle stretching only lasts for about 20 minutes.   ...

Ever noticed how often a hamstring injury tends to "recur" or never fully recover?  In the 2016 season, MLB saw it's highest rate of hamstring injuries since at least 1998.  A total of 53 applications of the MLB Disabled List were due to hamstring injuries last year, a rise from the average 34.5 occurrences in past years.  This does not include those injuries that did not require a trip to the DL.  Why the rise?  Why do they seem to recur?  I remember reading a quotes from a former MLB head trainer, simply stating that "hamstring injuries are tricky".  In some cases this may be true, however, I believe there is more to the story. A recent study found that pelvis stability may have a larger influence on hamstring injuries (particularly sudden injury) than a strong hamstring contraction in any single stride. Furthermore, the lumbo-pelvic region has been found to have more influence on hamstring tendon tension than muscles of the knee and ankle...

If you've ever had a child get an annual school physical, chances are, you've seen him/her bend forward to touch the toes while the doctor examines for an asymmetric "hump" in the spine.  You may even find yourself holding your breath, praying that there are no signs of "Scoliosis".    Afterall, Scoliosis is considered the most common spinal disorder in children and adolescents. Just what is scoliosis?  By definition, "a scoliosis is characterized by a side-to-side curvature of the spine >10°." The curvature is "usually combined with a rotation of the vertebrae and most often a reduced kyphosis in thoracic curves".  ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14713591 ) I'm here to tell you that a curve in the spine is completely normal... though not ideal.  We are not designed symmetrically, so expecting a 100% perfectly aligned spine is not realistic.  Once the normal variance goes beyond 10 degrees, the term "scoliosis...