Article featured on Healthline
If you could do one thing to improve your health, strength training should be at the top of your list. It involves using one or more muscle groups to perform a specific task, such as lifting a weight or squatting.
Due to the growing body of evidence supporting its many benefits, strength training has become a fundamental part of most exercise programs. If you’ve ever considered strength training, you may wonder how it will benefit your life.
This article shares 14 benefits of strength training.
What is strength training?
Strength training is also known as weight training, resistance training, and muscular training.
The general definition of strength training is any physical movement in which you use your body weight or equipment (e.g., dumbbells and resistance bands) to build muscle mass, strength, and endurance.
The main types of strength training include:
- Muscular hypertrophy. Also known as muscle building, this type of strength training uses moderate-to-heavy weights to stimulate muscle growth.
- Muscular endurance. This refers to your muscles’ ability to sustain exercise for a period of time. Training to increase muscular endurance usually involves high reps using light weights or body weight.
- Circuit training. During this form of full-body conditioning, you cycle through various exercises with little to no rest between them.
- Maximum muscular strength. This type of exercise involves low reps (usually 2–6) and heavy weights to improve your overall strength. It’s best reserved for experienced exercisers who have mastered their form.
- Explosive power. This training combines power and speed to improve your power output. It’s usually employed among trained athletes to improve their ability to perform explosive movements in their sport.
Most people focus on muscular endurance, circuit training, and muscular hypertrophy as part of their strength-training routine, while strength and power training are usually reserved for experienced athletes.
Depending on the type of strength training you choose to reach your goals, you can use various equipment (or none at all), such as:
- Body weight: using your own body weight and the force of gravity to perform various movements (e.g., pushups, squats, planks, pullups, and lunges)
- Free weights: equipment not bound to the floor or a machine, such as dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, or objects around the house
- Resistance bands/loop bands: rubber bands that provide resistance when stretched
- Weight machines: machines with adjustable weights or hydraulics attached to provide resistance and stress to the muscles
- Suspension equipment: consists of ropes or straps that are anchored to a sturdy point in which a person uses their body weight and gravity to perform various exercises
Regardless of the type of strength training you perform, the goal is to put your muscles under tension to allow neuromuscular adaptations and stimulate muscle growth. With regular practice, your muscles will become stronger.
SUMMARY
Strength training is any type of exercise that involves your own body weight or equipment to build muscle mass, endurance, and strength. There are many types of strength training, such as bodyweight exercises, lifting weights, or circuit training.
14 benefits of strength training backed by science
There are many benefits to strength training that can improve your health.
1. Makes you stronger
Strength training helps you become stronger.
Gaining strength allows you to perform daily tasks much easier, such as carrying heavy groceries or running around with your kids.
Furthermore, it helps improve athletic performance in sports that require speed, power, and strength, and it may even support endurance athletes by preserving lean muscle mass.
2. Burns calories efficiently
Strength training helps boost your metabolism in two ways.
First, building muscle increases your metabolic rate. Muscles are more metabolically efficient than fat mass, allowing you to burn more calories at rest.
Second, research shows that your metabolic rate is increased up to 72 hours after strength-training exercise. This means that you’re still burning additional calories hours and even days after your workout.
3. Decreases abdominal fat
Fat stored around the abdomen, especially visceral fat, is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
Multiple studies have shown the benefit of strength-training exercises for reducing abdominal and total body fat.
4. Can help you appear leaner
As you build more muscle and lose fat, you will appear leaner.
This is because muscle is more dense than fat, meaning it takes up less space on your body pound for pound. Therefore, you may lose inches off of your waist even if you don’t see a change in the number on the scale.
Also, losing body fat and building stronger and larger muscles showcases more muscle definition, creating a stronger and leaner appearance.
5. Decreases your risk of falls
Strength training lowers your risk of falls, as you’re better able to support your body.
In fact, one review including 23,407 adults over the age of 60 showed a 34% reduction in falls among those who participated in a well-rounded exercise program that included balance exercises and resistance and functional training.
Fortunately, many forms of strength training have been shown to be effective, such as tai chi, weight training, and resistance band and bodyweight exercises.
6. Lowers your risk of injury
Including strength training in your exercise routine may reduce your risk of injury.
Strength training helps improve the strength, range of motion, and mobility of your muscles, ligaments, and tendons. This can reinforce strength around major joints like your knees, hips, and ankles to provide additional protection against injury.
What’s more, strength training can help correct muscular imbalances. For example, having a stronger core, hamstrings, and glutes takes the load off of your lower back during lifting, decreasing your risk of lower-back injuries.
Finally, adult and teenage athletes that engage in strength training have a lower likelihood of injury.
In fact, one review including 7,738 athletes found strength-training programs reduced the risk of injury by 33%. It was found to lower the risk of injury in a dose-dependent manner, meaning for every 10% increase in strength-training volume, there was a 4% reduced risk of injury.
7. Improves heart health
Multiple studies have shown that regular strength-training exercise can decrease blood pressure, lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, and improve blood circulation by strengthening the heart and blood vessels.
Strength training also can help you maintain a healthy body weight and manage your blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels are a major risk factor for heart disease.
8. Helps manage your blood sugar levels
Strength training may lower your risk of developing diabetes and can help those with the condition manage it better.
Skeletal muscle helps increase insulin sensitivity. It also reduces blood sugar levels by removing glucose from the blood and sending it to muscle cells. As a result, greater muscle mass can help improve blood sugar management.
Strength training may also reduce your risk of developing diabetes. One study following 35,754 women for an average of 10 years showed a 30% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes among those who engaged in strength training compared with those who did not.
9. Promotes greater mobility and flexibility
Contrary to popular belief, strength training can make you more flexible.
Strength training increases joint range of motion (ROM), allowing for greater mobility and flexibility. Plus, those with weaker muscles tend to have lower ROM and flexibility.
In fact, a recent review comparing stretching with strength training found they were equally effective at increasing ROM.
For best results, ensure you’re completing the full ROM of an exercise — in other words, utilize your full movement potential around a joint. For example, lower yourself into a squat as far as you’re able to go without compromising your form.
10. Boosts your self-esteem
Strength training can add a major boost to your self-confidence.
It helps you overcome challenges, work toward a goal, and appreciate your body’s strength. In particular, it can increase your self-efficacy — the belief that you’re able to succeed at or perform a task — which can greatly improve your confidence.
In fact, one review of 7 studies in youth ages 10–16 years observed a significant association between strength training and high self-esteem, physical strength, and physical self-worth.
Additionally, a systematic review that studied 754 adults showed a significant link between strength training and positive body image, including body satisfaction, appearance, and social physique anxiety (the perception of judgment from others).
11. Makes your bones stronger
Strength training is crucial for bone development.
Weight-bearing exercises put temporary stress on your bones, sending a message to bone-building cells to take action and rebuild bones stronger. Having strong bones reduces your risk of osteoporosis, fractures, and falls, especially as you age.
Fortunately, you can reap the bone-strengthening benefits of strength training at any age.
12. Boosts your mood
Regular weight training may boost your mood and improve your mental health.
Multiple studies have shown that strength training may reduce anxiety and boost your mood.
Strength training confers multiple benefits to mood regulation, such as increased self-esteem and self-efficacy. What’s more, exercise promotes the release of mood-boosting endorphins, which can play a role in a positive mood.
13. Improves brain health
Those who engage in strength training may have better brain health and protection against age-related cognitive decline.
Multiple studies in older adults have pointed to significant improvements in cognitive function (e.g., processing speed, memory, and executive function) after participating in strength training, compared with those who did not participate in it.
It’s thought that resistance training has many neuroprotective effects, such as improved blood flow, reduced inflammation, and an increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is linked to memory and learning.
14. Promotes a better quality of life
Strength training may increase your quality of life, especially as you age.
Numerous studies have linked strength training to increased health-related quality of life, defined as a person’s perceived physical and mental well-being.
In fact, one review of 16 studies including adults ages 50 years and older showed a significant correlation between resistance training and better mental health, physical functioning, pain management, general health, and vitality.
What’s more, strength training may improve quality of life in those with arthritis. One review of 32 studies showed strength training significantly improved scores in pain and physical functioning.
SUMMARY
Strength training provides many benefits, such as a lower risk of chronic disease, better self-esteem, and a reduced risk of injury and falls.
The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.
Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.
Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.
If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.
Phone:
503-224-8399
Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209
Hours
Monday–Friday
COVID-19 Pandemic Highlights Need to Assess Your Risks to Prevent Falls
in COVID-19Article featured on CORA Physical Therapy
Know Your Risks Beforehand and Be Proactive to Effectively Manage Your Health Care Needs
Losing balance as we age is something that most of us accept as inevitable. Dizzy spells, reaching out to steady yourself on a countertop or second thoughts about going for a walk with the grandchildren all are understandable concerns.
We know that one in three people 65 or older fall every year is due to a lack of practice and misuse of the systems in the body that contribute to balance. What many people did not anticipate is how a global pandemic could throw our population into sedentary lifestyle, speeding up a loss of balance in the course of a year versus what may have normally happened over a period of several years.
The Impacts of Inactivity and Deconditioning
Numerous articles studying activity levels during lockdowns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic repeatedly cite a significant reduction in activity levels, an increase in sedentary lifestyles, increased anxiety and increased depression across age groups and populations. With the general decrease in activity levels and deconditioning over the last two years, it is no surprise that a survey conducted by the National Poll on Healthy Aging showed that 25% of respondents aged 50-80 had a fall between March 2020 and January 2021, and 40% of those had fallen more than once during the same time period. The good news is you are much more in control of improving your balance than you might think.
A simple fall can be devastating, causing a fractured hip, pelvis or spine. These events can result in a lowered quality of life, a visit to the hospital, or worse. If a fall can literally be a matter of life or death, it’s imperative to routinely visit the doctor and take steps on your own to ensure that you can stay active safely in your later years.
According to Jordan Cuenin, PT, DPT, clinic manager at CORA PT in Easley, South Carolina, “A fear of falling is common among individuals who have experienced a similar event. This phobia can be debilitating as it can limit one’s motivation to participate in activities, including attendance at social events. Not only is the fear of falling real, but experiencing a fall also increases your chances of falling again twofold.”
Balancing As We Age
Our ability to balance relies on the combination of information from the eyes, inner ears, joints and muscles. When all these systems are working well together, you’re well-balanced. As we age, so do the small bones in our ears, and our vision can suffer as well. Loss of appetite, reduced food intake, and decreased activity can make the joints and muscles suffer. It takes two to three weeks of inactivity or decreased activity for strength losses to become apparent. For many of us, even those who were previously active, the pandemic forced us into a sedentary lifestyle for many months. This can result in losses of strength, power, and cardiovascular health.
For the most part, the solution to balance issues is straightforward. Increasing daily movement in a gradual but challenging way is the key. Moving away from a sedentary lifestyle has immense benefits for everyone, and it’s even more important as we age.
“Keep moving. All too often, I see regular activity become less frequent as people age and retire, leading to deconditioning in all areas of health,” Cuenin reiterated.
We do not have to accept having a fall as a part of life just because we’re aging and are living through a pandemic. If you notice issues with loss of balance or perhaps light-headedness in situations where you’d normally feel in control, or if you feel unstable as you return to your prior level of activity, it’s time to schedule a visit with your doctor or a physical therapist.
Virtual and In-Person Fall Risk Screens
CORA Physical Therapy offers virtual and in-person fall risk screens. A therapist can assess your risk of falling in a matter of minutes, while being able to provide you with options on how to proceed with your care and how to reduce your risk of falls if need be. Whether you’re getting back into an active lifestyle after a long, sedentary pandemic, or whether you’re just trying to stay healthy, a personalized program can be prescribed for home use or implemented in a clinic, to target patient-specific needs. Treatment options can range from exercises to increase function of the inner ear to exercises for rebuilding strength in your legs, or specific balance activities to improve confidence and stability. If you can’t make it into a clinic, our therapists can provide telehealth visits and/or a home exercise program and safety checklist for decreasing your risk of falls within your home environment.
But what does the process look like? Is it really possible to go from feeling unsteady to regaining that confident spring in your step? Yes! If you don’t want to go through the lengthy process of having a doctor diagnose you with an issue before seeing a physical therapist, in many states you can see a physical therapist for up to 30 days without a doctor’s intervention.
Want to Achieve a Steady, Healthy Life? We Can Help.
Knowing your risks beforehand, developing a regimented exercise program and making slight modifications to your home can help prevent falls and protect you and your loved ones. Being proactive with your health is a much more cost-effective way to manage your health care needs than recovery from a fall.
The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.
Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.
Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.
If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.
Phone:
503-224-8399
Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209
Hours
Monday–Friday
8:00am – 4:30pm
6 Tips for Parents With Kids Who Have Osgood-Schlatters Disease
in Knee Injuries, Knee PainArticle featured on Orthogate
Anterior knee pain is a common complaint of young athletes participating in sports. As a teenager, most of the aches and pains disappear as fast as they show up. However, when the pain doesn’t go away it can be frustrating and scary to deal with as a parent. Osgood-Schlatters Disease (OSD) is one of the common ailments that cause pain in the front of knee particularly in teenage athletes ranging from 12-15 years old. Injuries at this age can be a challenge, as kids of that age have difficulty communicating their pain, understand their diagnoses, and can get frustrated with the missed time on the playing field.
Osgood-Schlatters also tends to linger and stay longer than any teenager would like. That’s when you decide to see a doctor. However, OSD is just common enough and not serious enough that some doctors might brush it off as unimportant. What’s a parent to do? Here’s a guide to help you and your growing teenager get through it and maintain the sanity of your household through the process.
What is Osgood-Schlatters Disease?
First, the word disease can be a little misleading. Osgood-Schlatters Disease is less of a disease and more of an overuse injury involving the patella tendon. OSD is most common during the adolescent growth spurt as the bones are maturing. The pull from repetitive movement such as jumping causes tension through the patella tendon on Tibial Tuberosity. This traction injury can cause inflammation, tenderness to the touch, and formation of a painful bony bump to form on the front of the shin.
Risk Factors for Osgood-Schlatters Disease?
The primary risk factors for Osgood-Schlatter disease are repetitive movements during a certain age range. Other risk factors include:
Top Tips for Patients To Help Recover from Osgood-Schlatter Disease
Create a Schedule
This might be the most important tip to consider. Recovering from OSD requires consistency and a schedule can help. Create a daily schedule to ice the tendon, to stretch the quadriceps, and to even perform self-massage can speed up recovery. Also, schedule some downtime to allow the knee adequate rest. Kids tend to have a really hard time understanding the importance of treating their injuries seriously. For good time management skills try writing out daily, weekly, and monthly recovery goals.
Take Active Time Off
OSD is an overuse injury from repetitive patellar tendon tension. If the young athlete continues to play and practice without adequate tendon rest it could re-injure the tendon. This can prolong the recovery timeline and cause more frustration. The tendon needs proper time to heal and this can be difficult during the middle of the season, especially for a teenager. Try to help them understand that active movement and activities such as walking and biking are good but they need to take a break from jumping, running, and sports. Figure out other ways they can be involved with the team while they heal as OSD can take up to 6-8 weeks to heal in severe cases.
Brace it
For mild cases and athletes returning to their sport, a brace may help with pain and prevent a recurrence. A brace for Osgood-Schlatters changes the location of tension from the Tibial Tubercle to the brace. The tendon is allowed to heal with less tension but yet your athlete is still able to participate. This may also stop the progression of new cases of OSD before they become severe and help them get back to sports sooner.
Emphasize Proximal Hip Strengthening
The knee is a slave to the hip and ankle. The knee joint bends forwards and backward but the rotation of the knee is controlled from the joints above and below it. One of the best ways to stabilize the knee focuses on the lateral hip muscles through exercises such as the side-lying clamshell and the single-leg deadlift. The stronger the hip gets, the more stable the knee will become and it will be able to handle more stress. These exercises also won’t aggravate OSD, so they are safe to start at any time.
Talk about Expectations
Taking 4-6 weeks off during the middle of the season may seem like an eternity for a 13-year-old but it’s important to talk about expectations and timelines. The younger teens may not understand the importance of healing now to prevent future complications. They shouldn’t be running or jumping while at school. Take time to talk to them about how they feel about missing playing time. The young athlete may be seen apprehensive about losing their starting spot in the lineup or worry that they will be forgotten by their teammates. Feeling depressed about their injury is fairly common.
Prevent it with Cross-Training
One of the best ways to prevent OSD from returning or starting in the first place is through cross-training. Specializing in one sport has been shown to increase the injury rate in young athletes. The demands of participating in different sports change the repetitive trauma to the muscle, tendons, and ligaments. By playing multiple sports over the year it promotes well-rounded muscle development, better movement quality, and needed rest between seasons. Kids need to be well-rounded athletes before they can specialize.
Conclusion:
Osgood-Schlatters can be a frustrating and scary injury to deal with as a parent. However, with a solid game plan, proper communication, and maintaining active rest, your young athlete will be back on the field in no time.
The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.
Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.
Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.
If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.
Phone:
503-224-8399
Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209
Hours
Monday–Friday
8:00am – 4:30pm
7 Rare Causes of Knee Pain
in Knee PainArticle featured on Healthgrades
Knee Pain Without Injury
Injury, ongoing stress, and aging are the most common causes of knee pain. But what if none apply? One of several rare causes of knee pain may be at work, including benign tumors, fluid buildup, infection, certain types of arthritis and even genetic mutations. Many of these causes have the exact same symptoms but require very different treatments. It’s important to work with your doctor to arrive at an accurate diagnosis so you can not only start easing symptoms, but also prevent long-term damage to your knee joint.
1. Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor (TGCT)
2. Synovial Chondromatosis
3. Chondrocalcinosis 2 (CCAL2)
4. Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis
It’s not yet known what causes pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS), and the symptoms are similar to other knee conditions. When you have PVNS, the lining of your knee joint swells and grows, and fluid builds up. Your doctor may test fluid from your knee to diagnose the condition. Symptoms can come and go, so the first step may be resting your knee and taking nonprescription pain relievers. If symptoms are severe and persist over time, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove your knee joint lining. A non-invasive procedure may be an option.
5. Adult Still’s Disease
Adult Still’s disease is a type of inflammatory arthritis that can come with distinct symptoms in addition to knee pain: rash, fever, and sore throat. Your knee joint may also feel achy, and nearby muscles may hurt. It’s not known what causes Adult Still’s disease, but some research points to infection. The condition is usually treated with one or more of these medicines: NSAIDs; steroids; methotrexate; and biologic drugs that target your body’s inflammatory response at the cellular level.
6. Septic Arthritis
Septic arthritis is a joint infection, and the most common type is Staphylococcus aureus (staph). The infection can be caused by an injury such as a cut or animal bite or it can be introduced during surgery–but it’s usually caused by an infection that has traveled from another part of your body like your urinary tract or skin. Septic arthritis is painful, and it may come with swelling, redness, warmth, or fever. Treatment usually includes draining the fluid around the knee joint and taking antibiotics.
7. Reactive Arthritis
Like septic arthritis, reactive arthritis in the knee can also be caused by an infection that has travelled from another part of your body. The most common types are sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and food poisoning. Antibiotics are usually prescribed to cure the infection. Symptoms include pain and swelling, as well as irritation of the genitals or eyes. If you have any symptoms of a rare knee condition, try to write them down and note how long they last. Bring this information to your doctor’s appointment to inform the diagnosis and help speed your time to treatment.
The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.
Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.
Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.
If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.
Phone:
503-224-8399
Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209
Hours
Monday–Friday
Tips on Managing Back Pain
in Back PainArticle featured on Brigham Health Hub
Managing back pain can be challenging, because it’s often non-specific and may be the result of many different conditions. In this post, Dr. Jason Yong, an anesthesiologist and Medical Director of the Pain Management Center at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, offers some guidance for people suffering from back pain.
Seeking Treatment
Not all back pain requires treatment from a physician. Patients with acute low back pain (lasting less than three weeks), for example, can often get sufficient relief by using over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain medications, physical therapy exercises, and temporary restrictions on lifting while the body heals itself. Generally, treatment by a physician is advised when pain is limiting a patient’s ability to walk, sit, or stand for prolonged periods of time, or if pain is greater than a 6 (on a scale from 0 to 10). Spinal surgery is usually considered for patients with intense, unrelenting pain (10 on a scale from 0 to 10), weakness, incontinence, or structural instability.
Role of Injections
Steroid injections typically provide short-term pain relief and can be combined with other forms of therapy. An injection may be provided, for example, prior to physical therapy to help a patient complete a regimen of important exercises.
Implantable Devices for Pain Management
Patients now have access to a wide range of implantable pain management devices. These include intrathecal pumps that infuse medication into the spinal fluid and use much lower doses of medications when compared with oral therapies. Spinal cord and peripheral nerve stimulators are other devices that can decrease the patient’s sensation of pain.
Importance of Multidisciplinary Care
Patients who have persistent back pain, including those considering spinal surgery, should work with a multidisciplinary team of specialists with expertise in treating back pain, because it may be caused by many conditions, including spinal stenosis, disc herniation, or instability. A multidisciplinary team is best suited to advise on the many modalities available to treat back pain, including benefits and risks associated with each approach.
The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.
Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.
Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.
If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.
Phone:
503-224-8399
Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209
Hours
Monday–Friday
Musculoskeletal Surgeries Explained
in MusculoskeletalArticle featured on MedicalNewsToday
Musculoskeletal problems can limit a person’s ability to move and function. This in turn can significantly affect their ability to work and perform day-to-day activities.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), musculoskeletal injuries and conditions are common, affecting 1.71 billion people globally. They are also the leading cause of disability worldwide.
This article discusses what musculoskeletal surgery is, who might need it, how surgeons perform it, how to prepare for it, and what possible risks it carries.
Definition
The musculoskeletal system consists of bones and soft tissues, such as muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons. These provide support and stability to the body and allow for movement.
Bones are rigid structures that make up the body’s skeleton. They provide structural support and protect vital organs. Joints are the connection point between bones, and ligaments, which are strong bands of tissue, further reinforce them. Tendons attach muscles to bones, while skeletal muscles are contractile tissues that allow the body to move and maintain its posture. Orthopedics, or orthopedic surgery, is a medical field that specializes in the care, diagnosis, and treatment of the musculoskeletal system.
Who might require musculoskeletal surgery?
Musculoskeletal surgery refers to various procedures that aim to:
A person may require musculoskeletal surgery in the following instances:
1. Trauma
Trauma from sports-related injuries and car accidents may cause fractures and dislocations that require surgery.
2. Infections
Bacteria can reach the bone through the blood or spread from a nearby infected area to the bone. This can happen after an injury or surgery and may lead to a bone infection that health experts call osteomyelitis.
Osteomyelitis can cause severe pain and permanent bone damage if left untreated.
3. Degenerative diseases
Constant wear and tear can cause structures such as joints to weaken and deteriorate over time.
Common degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system include:
OA and spondylosis may cause severe pain and damage. A doctor may recommend surgery for these conditions when nonsurgical treatments do not improve a person’s symptoms. Individuals with severe osteoporosis have very fragile bones and may need surgery to prevent fractures.
4. Overuse injuries
Overuse injuries, which health experts also call cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) or repetitive strain injuries, may occur due to:
These expose muscles and tendons to constant wear and tear and repetitive stress, causing pain and inflammation. Carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, shoulder pain, and low back pain are examples of CTDs. Carpal tunnel release surgery is the most common surgery people undergo on the wrist and hand in the United States.
According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, low back pain is the most common musculoskeletal issue and the primary cause of disability.
5. Cancer
Cancer can develop in the bone or soft tissues. Surgery is the usual treatment for musculoskeletal cancers, such as sarcoma and bone cancer. If individuals with these types of cancer do not receive treatment, they may require limb amputation. The cancer may also spread to other areas of the body.
How do they perform musculoskeletal surgery?
The type of procedure an orthopedic surgeon performs will depend on the type of injury or condition a person has.
An anesthesiologist will give a person either general or local anesthesia. During open surgery, the surgeon will make large incisions. During arthroscopic surgery, on the other hand, the incisions will be small.
Below, we list some common musculoskeletal procedures:
Soft tissue repair
Surgeons perform this procedure to repair torn ligaments and tendons. This involves replacing damaged tissues with tissues collected from other parts of the body.
For example, in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, surgeons may use the hamstring tendon or kneecap tendon to replace the torn ACL.
These surgeries are typically minimally invasive, and people undergo them as outpatients.
Other examples of this procedure include:
Open reduction
During open reduction surgeries, doctors realign fractured bones using hardware such as pins and plates. These hold the bones together and help them heal correctly.
In case of severe injuries, surgeons may use external fixators to keep the bones in place.
Learn more about bone fracture repair here.
Osteotomy
Osteotomy is a procedure that cuts and reshapes bones to realign joints or correct deformities.
Surgeons use knee osteotomy to relieve pressure on the knee joint and transfer a person’s body weight to the healthier side of the knee.
Doctors may also perform spinal osteotomy to correct spine curvature and reduce pain.
Moreover, osteotomies help correct deformities in the joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis.
Joint replacement
During joint replacement surgery, the surgeon removes damaged joints and replaces them with a ceramic, plastic, or metal prosthesis.
They will remove the damaged parts of the joints and replace them with implants. They will also include a spacer between the implants to ensure the joint moves smoothly.
Hip replacement and knee replacement surgeries are examples of this procedure.
A 2019 study found that total joint replacement improves a person’s quality of life and pain levels. This makes it a valuable treatment for people with hip and knee OA whose bodies do not respond to conservative treatment.
Joint fusion surgery
Joint fusion surgery, or arthrodesis, involves fusing two or more bones in order to:
The surgeon may remove damaged joint areas and fuse the bones using pins and plates.
Possible risks and complications
Orthopedic surgeries carry possible risks and complications. These include:
The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.
Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.
Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.
If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.
Phone:
503-224-8399
Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209
Hours
Monday–Friday
Can Electricity Relieve Your Pain?
in pain relief, TechnologyArticle featured on WebMD
Research seems to show that TENS units can relieve pain in several ways. One is at the surface, where the electrodes contact the skin. On the surface and just below it, electrical impulses balance out the nerve activity that transmit pain signals. Those pain signals travel to the spinal cord to a key spot called the dorsal horn. Using a TENS unit has been shown to alleviate the pain at that spot. Certain parts of the brain involved with processing pain also seem to respond to a TENS unit. One area in the brain is called the periaqueductal gray, where pain signals get turned down.
What types of pain can a TENS unit help treat? More acute pain, such as after surgery or a recent injury where there is active inflammation, has been shown to respond favorably to electrical stimulation. For example, a TENS unit can help reduce the pain from a swollen knee that has been newly injured. But electrical stimulation can also help treat chronic pain problems, like sore necks from too much computer use and joint problems like aching knees. Even problems like menstrual cramps, endometriosis, and diabetic neuropathy can be helped.
The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.
Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.
Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.
If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.
Phone:
503-224-8399
Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209
Hours
Monday–Friday
14 Benefits of Strength Training
in UncategorizedArticle featured on Healthline
If you could do one thing to improve your health, strength training should be at the top of your list. It involves using one or more muscle groups to perform a specific task, such as lifting a weight or squatting.
Due to the growing body of evidence supporting its many benefits, strength training has become a fundamental part of most exercise programs. If you’ve ever considered strength training, you may wonder how it will benefit your life.
This article shares 14 benefits of strength training.
What is strength training?
Strength training is also known as weight training, resistance training, and muscular training.
The general definition of strength training is any physical movement in which you use your body weight or equipment (e.g., dumbbells and resistance bands) to build muscle mass, strength, and endurance.
The main types of strength training include:
Most people focus on muscular endurance, circuit training, and muscular hypertrophy as part of their strength-training routine, while strength and power training are usually reserved for experienced athletes.
Depending on the type of strength training you choose to reach your goals, you can use various equipment (or none at all), such as:
Regardless of the type of strength training you perform, the goal is to put your muscles under tension to allow neuromuscular adaptations and stimulate muscle growth. With regular practice, your muscles will become stronger.
SUMMARY
Strength training is any type of exercise that involves your own body weight or equipment to build muscle mass, endurance, and strength. There are many types of strength training, such as bodyweight exercises, lifting weights, or circuit training.
14 benefits of strength training backed by science
There are many benefits to strength training that can improve your health.
1. Makes you stronger
Strength training helps you become stronger.
Gaining strength allows you to perform daily tasks much easier, such as carrying heavy groceries or running around with your kids.
Furthermore, it helps improve athletic performance in sports that require speed, power, and strength, and it may even support endurance athletes by preserving lean muscle mass.
2. Burns calories efficiently
Strength training helps boost your metabolism in two ways.
First, building muscle increases your metabolic rate. Muscles are more metabolically efficient than fat mass, allowing you to burn more calories at rest.
Second, research shows that your metabolic rate is increased up to 72 hours after strength-training exercise. This means that you’re still burning additional calories hours and even days after your workout.
3. Decreases abdominal fat
Fat stored around the abdomen, especially visceral fat, is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
Multiple studies have shown the benefit of strength-training exercises for reducing abdominal and total body fat.
4. Can help you appear leaner
As you build more muscle and lose fat, you will appear leaner.
This is because muscle is more dense than fat, meaning it takes up less space on your body pound for pound. Therefore, you may lose inches off of your waist even if you don’t see a change in the number on the scale.
Also, losing body fat and building stronger and larger muscles showcases more muscle definition, creating a stronger and leaner appearance.
5. Decreases your risk of falls
Strength training lowers your risk of falls, as you’re better able to support your body.
In fact, one review including 23,407 adults over the age of 60 showed a 34% reduction in falls among those who participated in a well-rounded exercise program that included balance exercises and resistance and functional training.
Fortunately, many forms of strength training have been shown to be effective, such as tai chi, weight training, and resistance band and bodyweight exercises.
6. Lowers your risk of injury
Including strength training in your exercise routine may reduce your risk of injury.
Strength training helps improve the strength, range of motion, and mobility of your muscles, ligaments, and tendons. This can reinforce strength around major joints like your knees, hips, and ankles to provide additional protection against injury.
What’s more, strength training can help correct muscular imbalances. For example, having a stronger core, hamstrings, and glutes takes the load off of your lower back during lifting, decreasing your risk of lower-back injuries.
Finally, adult and teenage athletes that engage in strength training have a lower likelihood of injury.
In fact, one review including 7,738 athletes found strength-training programs reduced the risk of injury by 33%. It was found to lower the risk of injury in a dose-dependent manner, meaning for every 10% increase in strength-training volume, there was a 4% reduced risk of injury.
7. Improves heart health
Multiple studies have shown that regular strength-training exercise can decrease blood pressure, lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, and improve blood circulation by strengthening the heart and blood vessels.
Strength training also can help you maintain a healthy body weight and manage your blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels are a major risk factor for heart disease.
8. Helps manage your blood sugar levels
Strength training may lower your risk of developing diabetes and can help those with the condition manage it better.
Skeletal muscle helps increase insulin sensitivity. It also reduces blood sugar levels by removing glucose from the blood and sending it to muscle cells. As a result, greater muscle mass can help improve blood sugar management.
Strength training may also reduce your risk of developing diabetes. One study following 35,754 women for an average of 10 years showed a 30% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes among those who engaged in strength training compared with those who did not.
9. Promotes greater mobility and flexibility
Contrary to popular belief, strength training can make you more flexible.
Strength training increases joint range of motion (ROM), allowing for greater mobility and flexibility. Plus, those with weaker muscles tend to have lower ROM and flexibility.
In fact, a recent review comparing stretching with strength training found they were equally effective at increasing ROM.
For best results, ensure you’re completing the full ROM of an exercise — in other words, utilize your full movement potential around a joint. For example, lower yourself into a squat as far as you’re able to go without compromising your form.
10. Boosts your self-esteem
Strength training can add a major boost to your self-confidence.
It helps you overcome challenges, work toward a goal, and appreciate your body’s strength. In particular, it can increase your self-efficacy — the belief that you’re able to succeed at or perform a task — which can greatly improve your confidence.
In fact, one review of 7 studies in youth ages 10–16 years observed a significant association between strength training and high self-esteem, physical strength, and physical self-worth.
Additionally, a systematic review that studied 754 adults showed a significant link between strength training and positive body image, including body satisfaction, appearance, and social physique anxiety (the perception of judgment from others).
11. Makes your bones stronger
Strength training is crucial for bone development.
Weight-bearing exercises put temporary stress on your bones, sending a message to bone-building cells to take action and rebuild bones stronger. Having strong bones reduces your risk of osteoporosis, fractures, and falls, especially as you age.
Fortunately, you can reap the bone-strengthening benefits of strength training at any age.
12. Boosts your mood
Regular weight training may boost your mood and improve your mental health.
Multiple studies have shown that strength training may reduce anxiety and boost your mood.
Strength training confers multiple benefits to mood regulation, such as increased self-esteem and self-efficacy. What’s more, exercise promotes the release of mood-boosting endorphins, which can play a role in a positive mood.
13. Improves brain health
Those who engage in strength training may have better brain health and protection against age-related cognitive decline.
Multiple studies in older adults have pointed to significant improvements in cognitive function (e.g., processing speed, memory, and executive function) after participating in strength training, compared with those who did not participate in it.
It’s thought that resistance training has many neuroprotective effects, such as improved blood flow, reduced inflammation, and an increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is linked to memory and learning.
14. Promotes a better quality of life
Strength training may increase your quality of life, especially as you age.
Numerous studies have linked strength training to increased health-related quality of life, defined as a person’s perceived physical and mental well-being.
In fact, one review of 16 studies including adults ages 50 years and older showed a significant correlation between resistance training and better mental health, physical functioning, pain management, general health, and vitality.
What’s more, strength training may improve quality of life in those with arthritis. One review of 32 studies showed strength training significantly improved scores in pain and physical functioning.
SUMMARY
Strength training provides many benefits, such as a lower risk of chronic disease, better self-esteem, and a reduced risk of injury and falls.
The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.
Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.
Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.
If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.
Phone:
503-224-8399
Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209
Hours
Monday–Friday
3 Types of Exercises to Fight Arthritis
in ArthritisArticle featured on Penn Medicine
Exercise is crucial for everyone, especially those suffering from arthritis.
“Sometimes, my patients think that the only way to relieve pain is to stop all physical activity,” said Craig Israelite, MD, orthopaedic surgeon and Co-director of the Knee Service at Penn Medicine. “Keeping active is actually very good for individuals suffering from joint pain or arthritis. Exercises that work the muscles and tendons provide stability and strength around the joint.”
You don’t need to run a marathon or lift weights for hours to increase strength, improve flexibility and reduce joint pain. There are many non-weight-bearing activities you can do to keep in shape, including:
Range-of-Motion Exercises
These exercises (also known as stretching or flexibility exercises) help to relieve stiffness and increase joint mobility. The goal is to get your joints moving in their normal range of movement. Examples include raising your arms over your head or rolling your shoulders back and forth. It is recommended that these exercises be done daily or at least every other day.
Strengthening Exercises
Strong muscles help support and protect joints. A workout program that includes weight or resistance training can help to maintain current muscle strength or increase it. These type of exercises should be done every other day, but allow an extra day in between if joints become painful or swollen. Discontinue any exercise that continues to bring on discomfort.
Aerobic or Endurance Exercises
These types of activities can improve your cardiovascular health, give you more energy and help to maintain or reduce weight. Having control of your weight reduces the pressure on affected joints. Try to include 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week.
Have additional questions about how an exercise plan could help you fight arthritis? Or, are you interested in exploring other pain management options?
The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.
Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.
Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.
If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.
Phone:
503-224-8399
Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209
Hours
Monday–Friday
How to Improve Your Stamina
in Nutrition & General HealthArticle featured on Verywell fit
If you had to choose one—and only one—component of fitness to improve, what would you choose? You’re probably thinking you’d try to improve your strength, endurance, or speed, all of which are worthwhile goals to chase.
However, there’s one less-appreciated fitness factor that actually combines multiple components of fitness into one: stamina. If you want to most bang for your fitness buck, consider working to improve stamina.
What Is Stamina?
Stamina is defined as “the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort,” according to Oxford Dictionary. What this means in practical terms is that good stamina allows you to:
The better your stamina, the more efficient you become at just about everything, mentally and physically.
Stamina vs. Endurance
People often use the words “stamina” and “endurance” interchangeably, and while the two terms are similar, they aren’t the same. Endurance is defined as “the fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way,” and there are two types of endurance related to fitness: cardiovascular and muscular.
Cardiovascular endurance refers to the ability of your heart, lungs, and blood vessels to support rhythmic exercise such as swimming, cycling, and running. Muscular endurance refers to the ability of your muscles to sustain repetitive movements under a given load, such as during weightlifting or hiking. Both types of endurance are important and both represent a component of stamina.
Stamina vs. Strength
“Strength” has lots of different definitions, but in regard to fitness, it essentially defines how much weight you can lift. People who are very strong can lift heavier weights and can also lift lighter weights for many reps. People with less strength can’t lift as much and may not be able to lift as many reps.
Strength training contributes to your stamina because it conditions your body to sustain movement under heavy loads.
Improving your strength even helps for endurance-focused exercises because the stronger your muscles, the better they can handle repetitive movements.
Stamina vs. Speed
Speed, as you probably know, refers to how fast or slow you move while walking, running, swimming, or performing other cardiovascular exercise. Genetics may influence speed more than they influence strength and endurance, although you can improve your speed with hard work just like you can improve any other part of your fitness.
Stamina mainly comprises endurance and strength, because the definition refers to your ability to sustain a given effort. The stronger you are, the more reps you’ll be able to lift with a given load. The better endurance you have, the longer you can sustain a given speed during a run. Stamina is less of a function of speed, but speed certainly still plays a role in your overall fitness.
How to Improve Your Stamina
The key concept here is to challenge yourself. If you’re trying to improve your stamina (or any aspect of your fitness) you’ll need to follow the “principle of progressive overload,” a physiological rule that explains how the body gets stronger, faster, and fitter.
To put it simply, the principle of progressive overload says that you won’t improve in any capacity if you keep doing the same workouts at the same intensity over and over again.
You must change something, be it frequency, intensity, volume, weight, distance, speed, or rest intervals.
For example, if you can barbell squat 10 reps at 100 pounds, you should next try to squat 12 reps at 100 pounds or 10 reps at 105 pounds. Small tweaks like this lead to significant improvements over time.
Here are 15 ways to change up your workout routine and induce improvements in your stamina.
1. Go for Long Walks
Here’s a simple way to improve your stamina: Simply move your body for long periods of time. Going for long walks of 30 to 60 minutes is a phenomenal way to build endurance, especially for beginners. Even advanced exercisers can enjoy the stamina-boosting effects of long-distance walking if they amp up the speed and intensity.
2. Add Running Intervals
If you don’t feel walking is enough to improve your stamina, try tossing in a few running intervals throughout your walk. Interval training is proven to be one of the best methods for improving overall fitness, at least in a time-efficient sense. Next time you head out for a walk, add a 30-second sprint every three or four minutes.
4. Increase Your Running Distance or Time
Go the distance for stamina. Since stamina is a combination of endurance, speed, and strength, challenge yourself to maintain your usual running pace for a minute longer. When you can do that, add another minute. Your stamina should continue to improve this way for a while, although everyone has limits on how far and fast they can run.
5. Run Hills and Stairs
If increasing your running distance or time doesn’t sound fun (we don’t blame you), vary the type of running instead.
If you live near hills or hiking trails, adding hill runs to your routine can make a huge difference in your stamina.
Alternatively, stairs and bleachers work, too. Running in an uphill manner challenges your lungs and legs alike.
6. Try High-Volume Weightlifting
Studies show that volume is the number-one variable in resistance training that improves fitness. Volume refers to the total load you lift in a given session, day, or week. It’s calculated by multiplying weight by reps.
For example, if you perform three sets of 10 squats at 100 pounds, find your total volume by multiplying three by 10 by 100. The total volume comes out to 3,000 pounds. In general, continually increasing your volume benefits your fitness.
7. Practice Isometric Exercises
Isometric exercise refers to any exercise during which muscles fiber, but don’t extend or contract. Planks and wall-sits are two good examples of isometric exercises. Incorporating isometric work into your fitness routine can teach your muscles to sustain a position under stress for longer periods of time.
8. Decrease Rest Intervals During Workouts
One surefire way to improve your stamina is to allow yourself less rest time (unless you’re lifting very heavy weights, in which case you should rest three to five minutes between sets for optimal strength gains).
Studies show that decreasing rest intervals while performing moderate- to high-intensity exercise increases physical performance and body composition.
Shortening your rest interval forces you to perform more work in less time, which in theory should support improvements in stamina.
9. Try Cycling
Riding a bike in any fashion—mountain biking, road biking, or indoor cycling—can improve your stamina if you push the pace (and the terrain if you’re outside).
Indoor cycling in particular is proven to increase aerobic capacity, a major contributor to stamina, as well as other health markers.
Mountain biking may be more effective at increasing muscular endurance and power due to the increased and variable resistance.
10. Swap Cycling for Rowing
If you’re already an avid cycler, you may want to add rowing to your workout rotation. Scientists have long hypothesized that rowing is a more effective workout than cycling because rowing recruits more muscle groups in a more intense fashion. Rowing seems to improve cardiovascular capacity more than cycling, so next time you have the opportunity to hop on an erg, go for it!
11. Have Dance Parties
Dancing is a phenomenal mode of exercise that will leave your lungs and muscles burning—and it’s fun! Dancing may also require you to assume new positions and challenge your range of motion, which can improve your overall fitness.
Several scientific studies have shown dancing to have significant impacts on health and fitness, from better mobility and balance to improved cardiovascular endurance. Dance as exercise may also increase adherence for some people, because the cost and transportation barriers to entry are low.
12. Play Sports
Again, destructuring your fitness routine could, if counterintuitively, improve your stamina and fitness. Most sports require complex skill sets that may be outside of your comfort zone. If you’re used to lifting weights, running, or other relatively monotonous movements, swapping one workout each week for a sports game is a great way to hone other physical skills.
For instance, a game of soccer includes sprinting, jogging, walking, cutting, kicking, dodging, and even throwing, depending on the position you play. The intermingling of these different movements provides a fun and challenging way to improve your stamina.
13. Listen to Music While Exercising
Everyone knows a good song can pump you up for your workout. Listening to music brings people joy and energy, and this remains true during exercise. Listening to upbeat music during your workout might boost your performance in a number of ways, from reducing your perception of fatigue, distracting you from the strain of your workout, and making exercise feel easier.
14. Drink Caffeine Before Exercising
If you’re looking for a one-off way to improve your stamina, consuming a bit of caffeine before your workout might help. Studies show that caffeine acts as a great pre-workout supplement, because it can increase your energy, mood, and physical capacities, although the effect seems to be more significant in men than women, and you should be careful not to become reliant on caffeine.
15. Add Meditation to Your Fitness Routine
Remember how we mentioned that the word “stamina” refers to both physical and mental pursuits? This is where that tidbit of information comes in. Adding mindfulness practices such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga to your overall wellness routine might improve your mental stamina.
If you’re used to fast-paced, engaging workouts, mindfulness practices will challenge you to push through perceived boredom and handle stress, two factors that play a role in how long you’re able to exercise at a near-maximal level. In fact, a 2016 study in the journal Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that medical students reported improved mental stamina (less stress and improved patience and wellbeing) after six weeks of yoga and meditation.
Don’t Forget to Rest and Recover
Finally, make sure you have recovery days scheduled into your workout routine. Contrary to popular belief, the actual act of exercising isn’t what improves your fitness—it’s the repair and rebuild phase that does. If you perform an intense workout every single day, your body never gets the chance to recover, thus it never has the opportunity to repair your muscles. Rest days are critical to your improvement over time.
The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.
Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.
Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.
If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.
Phone:
503-224-8399
Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209
Hours
Monday–Friday
Chronic Inflammation and Your Joints
in Arthritis, Joint PainArticle featured on Harvard Health Publishing
Why the immune system is sometimes the culprit in joint pain.
When you suffer a joint injury — maybe a banged-up knee or a twisted ankle — a little inflammation is part of the healing process. Puffy, red, tender joints may indicate that your immune system is working to remove damage and promote the growth of new tissue, a healthy kind of inflammation. But sometimes the immune system launches unhealthy, chronic inflammation in the joints, for no apparent reason. This leads to pain, stiffness, and joint damage known as inflammatory arthritis.
The attack on joints
It’s often unknown what triggers the immune system to unleash an assault on the joints, but we do know what the cells are up to once they’re in action.
“In a common type of inflammatory arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis, a variety of immune cells can be found in the lining and fluid of the joint. These cells attract other immune cells and together lead to thickening of the joint lining, new blood vessel formation, and — ultimately — joint damage,” says rheumatologist Dr. Robert Shmerling, medical editor of the Harvard Special Health Report Fighting Inflammation (/ui).
Chronic inflammation in the joints can damage cartilage, bones, tendons (which attach muscle to bones), or ligaments (which hold joints together); irritate nerves; and produce a long list of symptoms, including pain, swelling, and stiffness. The joint damage may be progressive and irreversible.
Types
There are many types of inflammatory arthritis. Common ones include these:
What about osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis, a wearing away of the smooth cartilage lining joints, has long been considered a noninflammatory form of arthritis. “But we now recognize that some inflammatory cells are present in osteoarthritis, although the inflammation is usually much less dramatic than in rheumatoid arthritis or other types of inflammatory arthritis,” Dr. Shmerling says.
The finding of mild chronic inflammation in osteoarthritis has been significant enough for researchers to begin investigating whether the condition can be treated with some of the same types of medications used to treat inflammatory arthritis.
Treatment
Many types of drugs are used to treat inflammatory arthritis. They include:
Results with drug treatment are often good. “Medications to lower uric acid can essentially eliminate gout. And the development of newer drugs for rheumatoid arthritis, including biologics and Janus kinase inhibitors, makes it possible for far more people than in the past to experience remission and protection from ongoing joint damage,” Dr. Shmerling says.
Other ways to live with arthritis
Other ways to help reduce pain and inflammation include exercising, avoiding processed foods (which promote inflammation), reducing stress, not smoking, and getting enough sleep. Wearing a splint or brace on affected joints and seeking physical therapy may also ease your pain and keep you mobile and active.
The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.
Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.
Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.
If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.
Phone:
503-224-8399
Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209
Hours
Monday–Friday