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Have you ever considered that your exercise routine could be hurting you? What about that “glitch” in your shoulder when you throw a ball or reach in to the back seat to grab your purse? How about the pain in your lower back that crops up at random times? Have your knees started to hurt so much that you’ve stopped bending them past thirty degrees?

These are just a few of the nagging problems that we assume are a part of being an aging athlete. As these injuries have occurred in our lives, we may have sought out treatment for them, but for the most part, we have learned to adapt our sports and activities to accommodate them. We’ve even become so used to these changes that we don’t notice them anymore. Maybe we’ll take an extra few cruisers before hitting the steeps because the knees seem to need more warming up. Doesn’t everybody tie their shoes using the “Beer Belly Tie” (one foot crossed over opposite knee resulting in the knot being on the inside of the laces instead of on the top like you learned when you were three!)?

These aren’t normal and with a few adjustments and/or additions to your exercise routines, they can be helped. Our goal is to discover effective strategies to build optimal strength and mobility while minimizing future pain and injury.

One thing to keep in mind is that some of these injuries are the result of serious injury, surgery, etc. and treatment should be pursued with the appropriate professionals.

A much higher percentage of these conditions can be helped and I would like to list a few of the more common complaints that I hear frequently. Remember, this is a general overview. There is much more involved in the full treatment of each condition. Along with each condition I have listed possible causes followed be treatments and suggested exercises.

Again, I can’t stress enough that if you think that your problem is serious, stop in and see one of our Physical Therapists.

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Acupuncture is a medical modality, originating from China, with a 5000 year old history. It is a method of inserting sterile, disposable needles into specific acupuncture points to encourage the body to promote its own natural healing ability and to improve overall bodily function. Many people have only heard about Acupuncture for pain management however, Chinese medicine is a complete and comprehensive medical system with the ability to diagnose, treat, and most importantly prevent disease. Acupuncturists are trained in Chinese Medicine as well as Western Medicine, allowing for these practitioners to work closely with Medical Doctors and within the western diagnostic system. The treatment differs in that Chinese Medicine practitioners are trained to get to the root of disease by treating with herbal formulas and natural remedies to promote the body’s own healing ability.

Chinese Medicine is known to have its origins in Ayurvedic Medicine (medicine from India). Ayurveda translates as the ‘science of life’, representing a balance of the whole body matrix of mind, body, and spirit. The idea is that an imbalance of one of these leads to disease or disorder within the system. Both of these ancient medicines look at nature as the representation of order and harmony. As we follow the cycles of nature, and act in congruence with the changing of the seasons, we can then establish a reflection of synchronicity between the body and our surrounding environment. If yin and yang (also known as The Tao), represent this state of balance, it is also important to notice that balance comes from a blending of these two opposite poles. In life, there is a continuous alternation of every phenomenon (hot vs. cold, day vs. night, happy vs. sad, etc). Since one is constantly changing into another, balance can only be achieved for a nanosecond. For example, is a glass ever half empty and half full at the same time? By the time you count the water molecules, it has already changed through condensation. Everything in life, including our bodies can thus be summarized by this theory. Balance is obtained through the additions of some elements and the reduction of other elements. This is the reason why Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are so effective.

Acupuncture came before X-rays, pharmaceuticals and machines. Our bodies are made of energy at a cellular level, in which positive and negative ions are constantly firing in order to have specific bodily functions to be regulated, such as heartbeat, metabolic rate, and digestion. The Chinese knew this long ago, as they discovered over 360 acupuncture points where small vortexes of energy existed all over the body. The points run along specific channels and these energetic channels, called meridians, are like rivers flowing through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues. An obstruction in the movement of these energy rivers is like a dam that backs up and causes stagnation. The meridians can be influenced by needling the acupuncture points since each meridian corresponds to a particular body organ. It works by unblocking the obstructions at the dams where the energy is stagnating, and reestablishes the regular flow of Qi, or energy. Acupuncture treatments can therefore help the body’s internal organs to correct imbalances in digestion, absorption, and energy production. Acupuncture is now being backed by scientific evidence, whereby needling a series of acupuncture points has proven to stimulate the nervous system. This results in the release of excitatory signals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These signals send a message to the brain to block the feeling of pain in the thalamus. Acupuncture also sends a signal to the hypothalamus to release endorphins (the happy neurotransmitters) in the brain which produces a euphoric feeling. Not only does the patient experience a release of pain, but they become very relaxed and ‘naturally high’ from the biochemical changes that are taking place.

Acupuncture has been proven to be highly effective for physical ailments such as colds, coughs, flus, diabetes, hormonal imbalances, migraines, allergies, digestive problems, etc. However, it is also highly effective for any type of psychological, emotional or spiritual imbalance. The medicine is extremely diverse in its ability to bring the body back to harmony. People who have undergone treatments have reported a sense of euphoria that has not been experienced otherwise. Aspen Club members have claimed that through the use of acupuncture, they are stronger and healthier than they have ever been. I invite you to come in and experience the amazing healing abilities of Chinese Medicine and allow yourself to relax after a long ski day/work week. This is the best ‘Rocky Mountain High’ you can get!

Deep in the heart of the 77,000 square foot facility known as The Aspen Club & Spa, there is a rehabilitation center unlike any other. If you are looking for a hospital setting, you won’t find it here. Patients can expect unique one on one hands-on attention from a team that has “seen it all” and will help return the patient stronger and more educated about their overall health and well-being than they were before. At The Aspen Club Sports Medicine Institute and Brown Chiropractic, a patient will experience a place that provides “one-stop shopping” for health needs in a serene and majestic arena.

The clinic boasts four highly trained physical therapists, a chiropractor and a variety of therapy aides and personal trainers that work as a team to bring the valley’s athletic community the extensive knowledge and physical therapy they need after an injury. In the 11-room facility, patients won’t stop at rehabilitation but instead progress with tools such as physiology, stress and aerobic performance tests, nutrition and wellness advice, as well as personal trainers and use of the Aspen Club’s fitness facility.

“There is knowledge and experience and a variety of facility and staff here,” says Bill Fabrocini, the director of Sports Performance at ACSMI. “We have seen everything; every kind of athlete, kids, stroke patients, spinal cord injuries…everything.” Fabrocini and colleague Christopher Peshek are two of the three certified orthopedic specialists in physical therapy in the Western slope. Fabrocini has treated Olympic athletes such as Casey Puckett, Gretchen Bleiler and David Robinson but attracts a wide variety of patients. Peshek specializes in orthopedics, sports and manual therapy and says he enjoys the community involvement aspect of the clinic. (Peshek is one of the coaches of the Aspen High School football team.)

Robin Severy- Pfautz and Dan Ritschard complete the physical therapy team at ACSMI. Severy-Pfautz, the athletic Aspen native, brings the female touch to patients at the clinic while Ritschard’s Spanish fluency brings him close to the vast Spanish-speaking community in the valley.

Experience aside, the facility at the Aspen Club is what makes ACSMI unique. Patients have access to all of the amenities of the health club, including the 20-yard pool, weight floor, cardio deck, and locker rooms. They can be paired with personal trainers and wellness coaches or visit the Cancer Survivor Center or the Susan G. Komen office. Walk downstairs from ACSMI and patients can have a therapeutic massage in the largest spa in Colorado. If that wasn’t enough, ACSMI recently brought chiropractor Dr. D’Arcy Brown on board.

Dr. Brown specializes in jaw work, pediatrics and pregnancy and says that being properly aligned is only one aspect of a healthy person. Dr. Brown focuses his treatment on an advanced nutrition program and “Aspen Life” which is a physical, chemical and emotional wellness program that changes habits for the whole body.

Whatever patients are “shopping” for in terms of physical therapy, chiropractic or general health, they are sure to find it at ACSMI. And they can expect to be in a better state of mind with an active role in their overall health goals when walking out the door.

Our office is pleased to provide the first disc decompression table in Aspen, and is the only table in the Roaring Fork Valley. Disc Decompression Therapy is a revolutionary non­ surgical treatment for low back pain and disc herniation. It is safe. It is comfortable. It is effective. Check out the following pages to find out if Disc Decompression Therapy is right for you.

Disc decompression works by restoring proper function to an injured disc. This is done by producing a controlled, mechanical traction on the spine using the Triton DTS Decompression Table. During the “pull” injured discs are gently stretched apart, producing a suction force inside the disc. This draws disc buldges and herniation back into the center of the disc along with oxygen, water, nutrients, and other healing substances. The end result is a strong, healthy, properly functioning disc in about 86% of the patients. Disc decompression is a lot like disc rehabilitation. Not only does decompression minimize disc bulges and herniation, but it also restores the proper nutrient supply to the disc. This allows the disc to regain its proper motion, and essentially proper nutrient supply. If the decompression is successful, the disc remains healthy even after the decompression treatment is finished. Call 925-8940 for more information or to set up an appointment.

Amanda To Oprah: Help!

Writing from Delhi, India, Challenge Aspen co-founder and Post blogger Amanda Boxtel is looking to an angel named Oprah for help in her quest for paraplegics to walk again thanks to embryonic stem cell research: “As a paraplegic, I have seen with my own eyes astounding improvements in many patients including quadriplegics who are now walking! I am compelled to share my experiences with the world. After fifteen years of being in a wheelchair and only two weeks of treatment, my toes are wiggling, my bladder is slowly beginning to function again, and hope is now a part of my vocabulary! Dr. Geeta Shroff has a dream to get her ground-breaking technology with human embryonic stem cell treatment to the world.”