Active Spinal & Sports Care Blog

My family and I ran the Wharf to Wharf on Sunday and it was actually very fun. Except for waiting in line to use a toilet, and being late to start, once we did get going and out of the walking part, we had a great time. My wife and I shared roles in pushing our two year old in the Bob. . got kind of heavy at times, but was still OK. I noticed siginificant differences in people’s running styles. Some were definitely Chi style, forward lean, midfoot to toes, smooth and steady, and some looked like flailing fish with their feet flapping like fins in the wind. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not the best runner in the world, but these latter runners are definitely at higher risk for injury. What was most interesting was the random guy in ripped old Airwalks who looked like he just got out of bed and was running better and faster than any of us. Maybe he was barefoot trained? . Anyway, I used some rocktape to quiet my very sore calves from an interval workout I did two days earlier and it helped me a lot. I got through with about 80% less soreness. That’s enough to get you going. So, that is my wharf to wharf story. I hopefully will be signing up for Rock ‘n Roll soon.
Remember, foam roll, stretch, strength train, rest and get worked on by me once in a while! I will help you prevent injury, recover quickly and enhance your performance.

I volunteered at a tennis tournament last Saturday and made a few very keen observations. Actually, an 8 year-old could see that tennis players aren’t very good at warming up or cooling down. In fact most of the players didn’t even know what a foam roller is. So, as many of you know, tennis is very hard on your body. Tennis injuries are very common and usually are associated with overuse, fatigue, improper form and strength and imbalance issues. A lot of adults start playing tennis later on in life without adequate athletic preparation. So, what is the tennis player to do? Dynamic warm-ups and movement preparation followed by a cool-down period is essential. All of these exercises combined may take an extra 10 min or so. Not bad. . especially if you are just hanging out watching other players play while awaiting your turn. Working with a knowledgeable tennis pro is great, especially if the pro has a personal training or biomechanics background. Dynamic warm-ups may include active stretching, foam rolling, etc. Movement preparation is exactly what it sounds like: preparing for the specific movement of that sport. . e.g. forward/back, side and rotational lunges, active hip flexor stretches and shoulder openers. Cool-downs may consist of icing, yeah really, and some light 30 sec. hold passive stretches of all myofascial groups such as your forearms down to you calves. As a sports doc, I usually see tennis players with tennis elbow, shoulder dysfunction, calf/achilles and low back/neck issues. For those willing to take a few minutes a day to work on on flexibility and strength, your injury risk will dramatically decrease and so will your bill at the sports therapy office. . . think about it. For more information, please email me at drarmen@activespinal.com. Please keep in mind that everyone has different imbalances and functional deficits in addition to unique health histories. Therefore, a cookie-cutter approach to all of this is not going to work. An assessment by someone like me can really help avoid future problems and most importantly to the tennis player, it can improve your performance!

Dr Armen is a Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner and a Diplomat in Chiropractic Rehabilitation, “So what?”

The C.C.S.P. (Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner/Physician) is a post-graduate specialization. The CCSP (Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician) certification requires the doctor to attend a minimum of 100 class hours of a 120 hour postgraduate CCSP program. Following the completion of these hours, the doctor must take and successfully pass a comprehensive written examination to receive the CCSP certification. Topics include sports injury prevention, diagnosis and treatment, sports psychology principles, athletic training principles, exercise physiology, exercise and fitness concepts, rehabilitative procedures, clinical biomechanics, CPR and emergency procedures, and much more. For more information about the curriculum, please visit www.acbsp.com.

A DACRB (Diplomat of the American Chiropractic Rehabilitation Board) is an even more extensive and arduous program. There are 3 modules that consist of a minimum of one hundred 100 hours, totaling 300 hours. Each module needs to be passed successfully. Success is measured by attendance and grade. Each written exam consists of one hundred (100) items from each module. There is an oral and practical exam. The unwritten exam is a case study in which judgment is applied to performance. There is also a written requirement. This is a case study which must be accepted for publication in a peer reviewed journal.
Essentially, this program consists of over 300 hours of classroom and online training. Combined with the CCSP, Dr. Armen had spent over 3 years (2 years condensed) of part-time study to complete these certifications. There is no Chiropractor in the South County with both of these distinctions. There are approximately 20-30 Chiropractors in California who are actively certified. For more information about what it takes to be a DACRB, please visit www.acrb.org.

“So what?” Well, a lot. CCSPs and DACRBs have more education and training on the above subjects and are held to a higher standard than a general Chiropractor. It is like going to a Sports Medicine Medical Doctor vs. a Family Practice Doctor. A CCSP/DACRB is simply better equipped to prevent, diagnose and treat sports, spinal and extremity injuries and conditions. If you have a sinus condition, would you prefer going to the Family Practice Doc who sees a variety of conditions every day, or the EENT or Allergist who only sees only what you have! Obviously, you would choose the expert. That is the ultimate point. Dr. Armen is an expert in Sports Injuries and Rehabilitation. He is held to a higher standard and offers a higher standard of care.

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