Lauren Keel, a Chandler physical therapy assistant, is here to give her expertise on corrective exercise and how it can help you:
As a physical therapist assistant, I work in conjunction with a physical therapist. We watch the way our patients move, assess them, and try to correct abnormalities to decrease pain and increase function. I had the opportunity to take the National Academy of Sports Medicine’s Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES) course, which is geared towards preventative exercise.
Our patients vary from children to geriatrics and they all have one common goal— to get back to doing what they love. Sometimes that is in the form of a sport such as soccer or golf, but often, it’s as simple as being able pick up their grandchildren once again.
As Corrective Exercise Specialist, we first conduct an assessment, which screens out more serious conditions. The CES looks at the way you move during exercises, such as a squat with your arms overhead, single leg squats, pushup form, rowing form, etc.
Once that is complete, the CES begins a thorough history review. We look at patient’s past injuries, medications, job, lifestyle, etc. From there, a CES will look at their posture. This alone can reveal a lot about an individual and their habits. To examine dynamic posture, we may opt to have the patient walk in the room or on a treadmill. When we test the response to exercises, we focus on the lower extremity exercises and upper extremity exercises, which reveal how well one moves and whether they’re compensating to complete the movement. Afterward, a CES may further examine one’s motion and test their strength.
Once a thorough evaluation is completed, a CES assesses the abnormalities they see and puts together exercises to correct them. After patients follow a comprehensive 4-6 week exercise routine, we re-assess them to see if the exercises have helped correct the movement issue.
A Corrective Exercise Specialist is vital to the healing process. If we can prevent injuries from occurring, then patients won’t be away from their favorite sport or activity as long. Athletes can spend less time away from games due to an injury, and it may even give them an edge when competing.
Preventative exercises are important to prevent injuries and make athletes more efficient. Assessing the underlying issue and implementing the right corrective exercises will help to alleviate pain and improve function. Moreover, these exercises can save a lot of time and money wasted on an injury that may have been prevented all together.
The main focus for me is keeping patients healthy, efficient and active without time spent away from sports or activities.
If you are interested in a CES evaluation or want to learn more about our Chandler physical therapy experts, request an appointment today! To learn more about AZ physical therapy at Foothills Sports Medicine Physical Therapy, check out the Foothills blog.
Preventative Exercises To Avoid Injury
