Tactical Archives - Rita Chorba, PT

01Feb 2023 by ritapt

What the Cup! Cupping Therapy for Sports and Tactical Injuries

Lifting, Lower Body, Neck Back, Recovery, Running, Spine, Tactical, Upper Body

What the Cup! Cupping Therapy for Sports and Tactical Injuries "The octopus got me again!" Cupping therapy, also known as vacuum therapy, is a negative pressure treatment applied over the skin to treat physical pain and injuries. Cupping increases blood flow, releases old blood and scar tissue deposits, and decompresses underlying structures (up to 4 inches under the surface!) A transient pattern of purple circle marks over the treated area is a signature side effect in stressed or injured tissues where old debris has been "drawn up." Recipients appear to have been attacked by a particularly vigorous sea creature. Skin response 15 minutes after a cupping treatment in a person with neck injuries, frequent dehydration in hot climates, and prolonged helmet wear. In physical therapy and sports medicine, cupping remodels…

01Feb 2023 by ritapt

How to deadlift after back pain or injury (without hurting yourself, again)

Lifting, Neck Back, Spine, Tactical

How to deadlift after back pain or injury (without hurting yourself, again) You might have been here before: A sharp pinch, a stabbing pain, an audible "POP"… you've thrown your back out! While getting hurt can squash your entire workout routine, back pain can be incredibly disruptive to even the most thoughtfully crafted program. Regaining a restful night's sleep is usually a top priority in the immediate aftermath of a back injury. But sooner or later, you know that you'll need to make an agreement with your spine to trust loading again. And when that loading involves the deadlift, even the most experienced weightlifter may dread the conversation between brain and body. Luckily, a simple process can get you back into deadlifting with safety and confidence. If you do it…

31Jan 2023 by ritapt

Keeping Teams Up and Running – A Leader’s Guide to Effective Injury Prevention

Lifting, Recovery, Tactical

Keeping Teams Up and Running - A Leader's Guide to Effective Injury Prevention "It's not the years, honey. It's the mileage." - Indiana Jones Relatively young men and women in the military seem to sustain more injuries than their non-service peers. Ask a Marine which knee hurts, and they're likely to tell you "the worse one" rather than label right or left! There's no doubt that physical injuries like overuse take a toll on the body. But they also disrupt a leader's operational planning when a team member is sidelined due to a seemingly benign injury. Leaders, take note: overuse injuries can be reduced on a meaningful scale. Many are entirely preventable. All will require your awareness and action to mitigate the risks and keep your team up and running. This article…

25Nov 2022 by ritapt

Why Your Back Hurts After Rucking and What You Can do About It

Spine, Tactical

Why Your Back Hurts After Rucking and What You Can do About It This article was originally published February 2019. Updated November 2022. Featured in The Raider Patch: Magazine of the U.S. Marine Raider Association Rucking can be really tough on your back. All of our clients who regularly participate in rucking have experienced at least occasional back pain. Of course, some muscle soreness is to be expected; after all, carrying 90+ pounds is no easy task, even over short distances. It’s almost like carrying another person. And the fact of the matter is that your spine is only meant to bear your own weight. But some people experience pain that goes beyond the typical muscle soreness. If that sounds like you, you’ve probably wondered what causes that pain and whether…

31Dec 2021 by ritapt

Hate Stretching? Stop “Shoulding” On Yourself and Start One of These Programs Today

Lifting, Lower Body, Recovery, Running, Tactical, Upper Body

Hate Stretching? Stop "Shoulding" On Yourself and Start One of These Programs Today "I should stretch more," says at least one of my clients every week. While that statement may or may not be accurate, those choice words reveal a level of personal resistance that certainly doesn't help the cause. Perhaps you "should" stretch. Stretching helps you move better in life and in your workouts. And a regular stretching routine can reduce that "old man" feeling when you get out of bed (by a lot). But suppose you're not naturally flexible, or you have nagging aches and pains. In that case, stiff muscles and joints are likely to protest your random stretching efforts. In the same way that you might only eat veggies when trying to cut weight, stretching just…

31Dec 2021 by ritapt

Missing mobility that can help boost your pull-up workouts

Lifting, Spine, Tactical, Upper Body

Missing mobility that can help boost your pull-up workouts Upper back, or thoracic, mobility is a key maintenance issue for the overhead athlete. The thoracic spine plays a vital role in keeping the shoulders out of pain and working correctly. A loss of mobility here can cause painful compression of the rotator cuff muscles or make your lat muscles have to work overtime for pull-ups. And if repping pull-ups isn’t your thing, consider the unattractive humpback you’re likely to develop if you neglect mobility work here! Assess While plenty of videos online show ways to increase thoracic mobility, it’s important that you first determine if you have a deficit. That way, you can monitor your progress and choose effective exercises. To measure your thoracic mobility, use the Seated Rotation Test.…

20Jun 2021 by ritapt

Can you rebuild knee cartilage?

Lifting, Lower Body, Running, Tactical

Can you rebuild knee cartilage? I worked with a Marine coming off a long deployment with poor gym access. An avid lifter with all things barbell, he mentioned that he had started to develop dull, achy pain behind both kneecaps upon return to regular gym workouts. He also reported that his knee joints felt “swollen” the day after a heavy lifting session. “I had X-rays, and they said I had some arthritis, that my knees had lost some cartilage. Can we do anything about that? I miss lifting like I used to,” he said. What does cartilage do? Knee cartilage is a network of tightly packed cells and water molecules that form a thick, dense cushion over the ends of bones. Strong cartilage is firm, smooth, and slick, like the…

17May 2021 by ritapt

Are my shoes (or boots) causing blisters?

Ankle-Foot, Running, Tactical

Question: Are my shoes (or boots) causing blisters? A common cause of blisters is shoes or boots that are too tight or too loose. One of our clients is a "seasonal" runner who routinely starts training for his annual running/physical fitness test about two months out. This year, he began noticing blisters on his pinky toes. Though he ramped up his miles abruptly (going from 0 to 15 miles per week…in 2 weeks), he denied experiencing foot blisters since way back in boot camp. He had, however, bought a new pair of shoes for his upcoming physical fitness test. Answer: Check the shoe’s liner 1. Remove the liner insert from the shoe and stand on it. The size and shape of the liner should match your foot all the way around.…

24Dec 2020 by ritapt

Want to crush your New Year’s fitness resolutions? Try a past year review instead.

Lifting, Recovery, Running, Tactical

Want to crush your New Year’s fitness resolutions? Try a past year review instead. Well, it's almost that time again for New Year's resolutions. What's yours? Get stronger? Run a marathon? Look great naked? Stats on New Year's resolutions - especially those that involve fitness - are quite abysmal. According to studies, while 60 percent of us will make New Year's resolutions, only 8 percent of us will achieve them. You've probably seen it first hand: gyms that are packed on January 2 are ghost towns by March. So, if you've got a fitness resolution - or one on repeat from years past - how can you follow through and crush it this year? Inspired by a practice by entrepreneur Tim Ferriss, try a past year review first. By identifying what worked…

19May 2020 by ritapt No Comments

How to manage a twisted ankle even when you have to keep rucking: A first aid guide

Ankle-Foot, Running, Tactical

How to manage a twisted ankle even when you have to keep rucking: A first aid guide If you’ve served in the military, there’s a decent chance you’ve twisted an ankle (or two) Ever twisted an ankle when you were rucking out in the field? The standard injury advice of rest and ice are generally incompatible with that environment. Military members sustain up to five times as many ankle injuries as the general population due to the physical demands of the job.1 Combat boots and incomplete injury recovery (leading to re-injury) add to the risk profile. The problem? Just one ankle injury, such as a ligament sprain, sets a person up for more long-term issues such as instability, weakness, knee pain, or back pain. While you might not be…