Doc and Jock Podcast

Doc and Jock Podcast


The Tactical Athlete and Back Pain

April 01, 2016

Dr. Danny answers a listeners question regarding tactical athletes and pain management.

The prescription in this case is a lot easier send than done. The key, according to Dr. Danny, regarding the tactical community is getting them to buy in to the maintenance program. One of the keys is using the chain of command to your advantage. Start with small leadership groups and let your ideas roll down hill.

Start at the hip mobility and utilize distraction focusing on posterior, lateral, and anterior openers. The fact is within the tactical community strength will most likely not be the issue.

Also, spend some time teaching them how to hip hinge focusing on spine flexion vs hip flexion - the deadlift. Picking stuff up is unavoidable. That said, teaching folks to do it right may save you a lot of time in the clinic.

Lastly, Gut smashing, made popular by Jill Miller, is also key. Check out her interviews here and here. With many folks in the tactical community training and practicing a lot of sit ups for testing purposes a lot of hip flexor tightness and abdominal abnormalities and tone can arise.

The final prescription is a little counter intuitive, especially in a competitive environment like the tactical community. You may want to cut down on volume.

Also be sure to check out EP25 - Lower Back Fixes.