July 19, 2005

7 responses to Rewarding visit to the back clinic

  1. Scott Says:
    July 19th, 2005 at 11:47 am

    I wonder how much (if any) of the neural mobilisation routine should be done by injury-free lifters. That said, they’re few and far between :)

  2. Mċns Says:
    July 20th, 2005 at 4:04 pm

    “…He had me stand up and I could suddenly easily touch the floor with my arms… ”
    Really? The arms? Not just the hands? That’s amazing dude!!! :)

  3. john mcdonald Says:
    July 31st, 2005 at 12:33 pm

    I have to find out more about this neural mobilization stuff ‘cause I know my flexibility is poor.
    Glad to see you otherwise got a clean bill of health.

  4. Kris Says:
    August 10th, 2005 at 8:04 pm

    Ich bin zurück as in I am back!

    I’d presume that the neural mobilisation would be useful as a preventive measure for injury-free lifters to ensure that the nerves are sliding along optimally. There is little hands-on information available on the net on how to perform mobilisation, but the classic slump stretch can be found in the video referenced above (at 2:10), i.e. sitting down with extended legs, slumping forward by pressing the chin to the chest and alternately bending and extending the legs. The more brutal version I am doing now involves keeping the legs extended and jerking deeper and deeper by pulling from the head.

    John, the lowdown on neural mobilisation is found in David Butler’s books The Sensitive Nervous System and Mobilisation of the Nervous System. Both of the filthy expensive hardcover variety, but I guess I will have to do some wallet stretching at some point… That said, neural mobilisation is very different from ordinary flexibility work. Although jammed nerves can inhibit range of motion, I’d suggest looking into Soviet stretching doctrine for muscle flexibility. Either grab Kurz’s Stretching Scientifically or anything by Pavel Tsatsouline. That stuff works and quickly too. As a professed stretching heretic, I haven’t done much of that stuff lately myself though.

  5. Alberto Caraballo Says:
    August 13th, 2005 at 9:17 pm

    I am reading Core Performance by Mark Verstegen. This may be what you and John are looking for, too. Lots of stuff for core work, small muscle activation, prehab and rehab, and elasticity. I’m starting to learn some of the stretches, and my son is really likng the core work for the abs (he’s at that age where he notices girls!!!).
    Welcome back, Kris! Man, what a vacation, eh!!!

  6. Kris Says:
    August 13th, 2005 at 10:34 pm

    That should be a good one. I once considered buying it at Amazon, but ended up clicking home Jemmett’s Spinal Stabilization instead. A good book that gave me such classics as the walkout pike. Core training is really what the back clinic had me do for rehab during the past year or so, but I could definitively learn some more. If you give it thumbs up, I shall put it on my wishlist. Still, I would be surprised to learn that it covers any form of neural mobilization. If it does, I’ll order it at once. :-)

    What a vacation indeed! Got a lot to say about that soon as I begin the backblogging process. It was bliss not to have a computer around, but on the flip side I haven’t really been able to follow any fellow blogs including yours. Now that I have my back covered in that regard, I feel safe to ask whether you had a good summer vacation too? Hopefully you got to spend at least as much time with your family as I did with Rufus. :-)

  7. Alberto Caraballo Says:
    August 14th, 2005 at 12:07 am

    I don’t know about neural mobilization, the book has a chapter called Movement Prep which is designed not only as active stretching but also to work and activate smaller muscles that aren’t normally turned on. On the Elite FTS site, Dave Tate writes about how this book got him his mobility back after many injuries. After reading it for myself, I could see why.
    My vacation is nowhere near as long as yours but it has been relaxing. I’m done testing lifts I will use for my next cycle, now I will do drills to get in shape and start doing the exercises in this book to learn them all. Feels good to not lift for now. My son’s basketball clinic was the best $70 bucks I ever spent, he has improved quite a bit. Next week, my wife is on vacation and we will go to a few places, and I want to do a mini cruise.

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