By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS Ever feel your chest collapsing forward in the bottom of a front squat? I put together a quick self-exam so you can test your ankles, hips, thoracic spine, wrists, elbows, and shoulders to find what’s holding you back. Even better, I’ve added simple treatment ideas for each area so...
By: Ian Nay, PT, DPT, OCS Increasing the ability to move through a full range of motion in the thoracic spine is extremely important for many types of people that we treat at MEND including overhead athletes, CrossFitters/weightlifters, climbers, cyclists, golfers, and those who spend a good amount of time on the computer. The thoracic...
By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS The Ironic Reality of Injury As a physical therapist, I help people move better, recover from injuries, and return to doing what they love. But despite my knowledge and training, I’ve dealt with a long history of injuries myself. It’s a humbling reminder: no one is immune to the...
By: Ian Nay, PT, DPT, OCS I have been a recreational and competitive CrossFit athlete for 5 years now. One of the primary unfounded claims about CrossFit that I hear way too commonly is that it is an injury waiting to happen. I have heard many physical therapists and orthopedic surgeons say things such as...
By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS In the world of fitness and health, one often-overlooked measure of vitality is grip strength. While it might not seem like the most glamorous indicator, research shows that grip strength is a powerful predictor of overall health, particularly cardiovascular health and frailty. This is especially significant for women, including...
By Dr. Ian Nay, PT DPT OCS Getting a barbell into a proper overhead position for movements such as the snatch and overhead squat can be difficult for many athletes; I know I personally struggled with this early on in my CrossFit career. The techniques described here are some of the best and proven methods...
By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS), often referred to as “runner’s knee,” can be a frustrating and limiting condition for CrossFit enthusiasts. This common knee pain, caused by issues with the alignment or function of the kneecap, can flare up during squats, box jumps, running or even step ups. But the...
As a CrossFit Athlete, skier, runner, pickle-baller, or anyone in between, warming up is crucial to reduce the risk of injury and improve performance. There is a significant body of scientific research supporting the importance of task specificity and muscle activation during warm-up exercises to reduce injury and increase performance. Below we outline some considerations...
This guest blog was written by our good friends at CrossFit Sanitas. When we think about what it takes to stay healthy and strong, many of us visualize all the work we do in class to lift, pull, push, roll, or otherwise move our own weight and/or the weight in front of us. It’s easy...
The rotator cuff is an essential group of muscles that stabilize the shoulder during overhead movements such as the strict press, jerk, snatch, and handstand push-up. These muscles are commonly injured by CrossFit athletes and weakness of the rotator cuff can lead to multiple shoulder pathologies such as, rotator cuff tendinopathy, impingement (subacromial pain syndrome),...