Brian Schiff’s Blog

Okay, today I am going to rant just a bit about two fundamental problems in modern America with repsect to medicine.  Before I get started, let me first say this blog post is not a universal generalization or assessment of all people or all physicians.  With that said, here is the email I received from a customer today that has spurred this post:

“I’ve started on the rotator cuff muscle exercises and my right shoulder is already feeling better. The left shoulder, which has been torn for the longest, is not yet showing a noticeable improvement. Considering my doctor told me I’d have to ‘put up and shut up’ I am feeling very pleased.“

So here are the 2 problems:

1. MD’s are typically trained to prescribe pills and operate as opposed to encouraging and trusting the human mind and body to heal itself with the proper intervention
2. Too many people just blindly accept the physician’s treatment approach without considering other qualified opinions or asking “why” the MD feels that way

In the case of my client above, the MD obviously told the patient if she chose not to undergo an operation that she would continue to suffer and needed to shut up and quit complaining.  While one shoulder has yet to improve, in less than one week on my program she is already seeing positive improvement.  Hmmm.  Surgery or exercise to relieve shoulder pain.  What would you choose out of the gate?  This is a no brainer in my mind.

Now, this client has a backbone and chose to look at other options.  Thankfully, she believes there is another way.  She did not just say okay and get in line for surgery.  She is optimistic that she can use conservative means to achieve pain resolution and restore function.  Trust me when I tell you the human body is remarkably resilient.  It will generally heal on its own if we simply get out of its way.  Too often, we ignore what it tells us and just do more damage until there is no choice aside from cortisone, pain pills or surgery to allow us to return to what we need to do as soon as possible.  Perhaps we simply need to practice patience over instant gratification.

 So, I want to encourage you to critically analyze what people tell you to do when it comes to your body.  Ask this magic one word question: “Why?”  Always know the “why” behind what you do when it comes to exercise, medication, surgery, etc.  I always have a “why” for every exercise I prescribe and implement in a client’s program.  There is no room for mindless prescription in exercise or medicine.  We need to treat every person differently based on their specific injury, needs, goals, work and life demands, and past medical history. 

My intention in sharing this post is not to bash physicians.  There are lots of excellent docs who practice case by case decision making and serve as true patient advocates.  However, there are also many who need to take a step back and recognize that pills and surgery are not always the answer despite what statistics and tendencies tell us.  If you or someone you know is suffering, be sure to ask their health care professionals “why.”

Many people suffer from general low back pain and sciatica.  Do you realize most of this pain is brought on by poor posture, too much sitting (slouched) and lack of mobility in the spine.  In today’s video, I discuss this issue and show you two simple exercises to do daily to prevent disc problems as well as eliminate back aches related to daily mechanical strain.

Some of you may know the IYCA (International Youth Conditioning Association) and some of you may not.  It has been around for a few years, but is rapidly growing and aiming to revolutionize the youth fitness industry.  Founder, Brian Grasso, is pictured below addressing the crowd at the Speed Clinic I attended today.

2009 IYCA Summit

As a youth training expert myself, I was eager to see the IYCA up close and gain a better understanding about its mission, leaders and members.  I left convinced Brian Grasso is just as intelligent and passionate as he always comes across in his newlsetters.  His vision is clear and the IYCA members at the summit all seeemed committed to one goal – raising the bar and providing the BEST training possible to our youth.  No egos – just a ground army of coaches looking to learn from one another and change the way youth training is delivered.

I also came away pleased to know that people like Brian Grasso and Lee Taft approach training in much the same way I do.  What exactly do I mean by this?  Here are just a few examples:

1. High speed treadmills are not the best tools to improve speed
2. Deceleration is often overlooked and one of the most critical phases of training we must teach our young athletes to reduce injury and increase performance
3. Leading our children with passion and positive energy is a must
4. Teaching our athletes and parents the “why” behind exercise selection does matter
5. Less is really more in many cases and training should be FUN

These are just a few of the concepts that resonated with me over the weekend.  I was so impressed with the mission and leadership of the IYCA, I became a member myself.  I feel confident that this organization will help train and develop great youth fitness specialists, while making the lives of our young people better for years to come.  As a physical therapist and seasoned coach myself, I am a tough critic.  But today, I salute the IYCA and its mission.  I look forward to being a part of the organization and working with them to continue providing the very best in youth athlete training.

My video blogs will return this week as I continue to give you valuable info on shoulder training – do’s and don’ts to ensure you are training safely and effectively in the gym.  If there are certain questions you have, please let me know.

In this video, I reveal two of my favorite single leg TRX exercises. Using the anterior and lateral reach will challenge lower leg balance/stability while improving hip and thigh strength for any athletic pursuit. These progressions are excellent for ACL and other knee injury prevention and advanced rehab programs. Turn up the volume as the camera is far away to capture the video. Enjoy!

In today’s post, I am going to show you a few techniques using the TRX to build up your quadriceps strength and reduce knee pain related to arthritis. Don’t have a TRX? Watch anyway, because every exercise I show can be done at home using a simple countertop.

This will be the first of a video series on knee training progressions for the general population as well as athletes. If you have specific questions, please let me know. Normally, I use Viddler to upload my latest video, but it was acting up so today’s video comes to you by way of YouTube.