A while ago I interviewed Vinny Crispino, the founder of the Pain Academy, and learned a lot from his approach to using corrective exercise to help people in pain. Importantly, he knows from personal experience what pain is all about, this is because he was an Olympic hopeful athlete who ended up fracturing his spine in a surf accident. His recovery was tough and after years of unsuccessful rehab, he encountered someone who taught him the importance of correct movement and mindset. 

What Is A Corrective Exercise Specialist?
A corrective exercise specialist focuses on addressing restricted movement, muscle imbalances, and painful joints by devising tailored plans to correct these issues. The intensity spectrum of corrective exercises ranges from relaxing the body to providing higher stimulus for strength and tissue integrity. By understanding where individuals are on this spectrum, specialists can provide exercises to address specific movement issues. For example, many people don’t know that they are constantly holding muscles tight, or guarding an area. Bringing awareness to this area and teaching people to ‘switch off’ those muscles is usually a great first step towards beating chronic pain. 

Why Traditional Pain Management Models Might Not Work

Vinny and I discussed how traditional pain management models, such as physiotherapy and chiropractic care, often lack adaptability and personalization. This means the ‘cookie cutter’ approach leaves many people wondering why they ‘failed rehab’ and not knowing what happens next. Usually, they are put on the conveyor belt towards surgery but this leaves people who don’t want surgery or who aren’t a candidate in limbo. In contrast, Vinne’s approach with the Pain Academy was to use an AI-powered algorithm to interact with clients based on their feedback, offering a unique and tailored experience for each individual. By adapting exercises to client feedback, the program aims to help individuals overcome pain more effectively and permanently.  This is similar in a way to how good, knowledgeable therapists work in private practice. I say private practice here because sometimes in the hospital setting, there might be a great therapist but they are bound by the ‘evidence-based protocols’ that are prescribed to them and can’t deviate from the plan, leaving them and the patient frustrated.  Whereas a therapist in private practice has the autonomy to make their own decisions based on the patient’s feedback on what is the next best step. There is a limit to this though, which is how many people can one therapist help at a time and where are they based. By using an online approach with an AI-powered decision-making process Vinny has essentially ‘cloned’ his thought process so he can help more people, in more locations, faster than he would be able to work one on one.

Importance of Mindset in Healing

Getting people to do the correct exercise is wonderful but it isn’t the whole picture. If anyone has done my scoliosis course they know I have an entire module on mindset and that with the lifestyle medicine approach mindset is key to a long, happy life. In our interview, Vinny shared his personal experience of realizing the impact of mindset on pain management and recovery. He noted that even though he was doing the ‘right exercises’ his mindset was wrong and he didn’t get better. Once he changed his mindset the same exercises began to work!  This is something we both value and try to teach our clients, but mindset can sometimes be hard to define. Personally, I like to establish a goal with my clients, what is their “why”, and what can they refer to when they lack motivation or regress?  I don’t let people get away with saying, they want to lose weight, or they want to run again. There is a reason underlying it, sometimes I have to go through 5 or 6 different layers before we find the “why” but once we have it, rehab can become laser-focused.
If you are recovering from an illness or injury and you are going through the rehab process ask yourself why you want to get better. Is it just so you can move without pain, or is there more to it?
Personally when I’m injured my thought process is something like this.
“I don’t want to feel this pain…
Because it’s stopping me from working with my clients and playing with my kids…
Which means I’m not helping people or being the best father I can be…
So I need to do my rehab for my clients, my family and me”.

That keeps me motivated!

Empowering Individuals All Over The World

With online training, we are removing geographical limitations by leveraging the internet and this is a new frontier of medicine. Both Vinny’s Pain Academy program and my programs allow people to make guided, informed decisions, and work towards long-term improvement in their health, wellness, movement patterns, and pain management.

You can listen to our podcast below and if you want to delve deeper into who Vinny might be able to help you with his online course you can check him out in the following places.

Episode 28: The Algorithm for Healing: Assess-Move-Reassess with Vinny Crispino

 

When it comes to understanding and treating concussions, the latest episode of my podcast “Your Lifestyle is Your Medicine” offers an enlightening perspective on a subject that affects millions each year.

I recently interviewed Dr. Perry Mayard, a board-certified chiropractic neurologist, in episode 36 of the podcast. We unravel the complexities of concussions and post-concussive syndrome; his expertise emphasizes the need for a clear understanding of this mechanism for proper diagnosis and management. In this article, I want to share some of the nuggets that we discussed.

The Definition of a Concussion

A concussion is a brain injury that occurs when a force is transmitted to the body, whether it be the head or another part of the body. The brain, which sits inside the skull surrounded by cerebral spinal fluid, can experience a movement or sloshing effect when a force is transmitted to the body. This movement can lead to the stretching of high-speed connections in the brain, resulting in a concussion. It is important to note that a concussion can occur without a direct hit to the head. Force transmitted to other parts of the body can still cause a concussion. This is something to be aware of in both sports and life when you don’t directly hit your head but still have symptoms of a concussion. 

Diagnosing a Concussion

In the acute setting, such as sports-related concussions, a concussion can be diagnosed using a sports concussion assessment tool like SCAT (Sports Concussion Assessment Tool). This tool includes assessments for levels of consciousness, neck fractures, brain bleeds, visual tracking, inner ear function, balance, and cognitive function. In the chronic setting, where patients present with symptoms months or years after a concussion, a more detailed evaluation is required. Neurologists will use a host of different assessments such as;r visual tracking, balance, inner ear function, and cognitive function can help diagnose the type and severity of a concussion.

Treatment Options for Concussions and Dizziness

The treatment for concussions and dizziness varies depending on the specific symptoms and underlying causes.
Concussions have different subtypes which all present with different symptoms and need different approaches for rehabilitation. 

• Classic Concussion: This subtype involves the typical symptoms of concussion, such as headache, or migraines, dizziness, confusion, memory problems, and sensitivity to light and noise. 
• Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS): PCS refers to a condition where concussion symptoms persist for weeks or months after the initial injury. Symptoms may include persistent headaches, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, irritability, sleep disturbances, and other symptoms that don’t seem related to the initial injury
• Vestibular Concussion: This subtype involves symptoms related to the vestibular system, which controls balance and spatial orientation. Symptoms may include dizziness, vertigo, imbalance, and difficulty with coordination.
• Ocular Concussion: In ocular concussion, symptoms primarily affect vision. This may include blurred vision, double vision, difficulty focusing, and sensitivity to light.
• Emotional/Behavioral Concussion: Some individuals may experience changes in mood, behavior, or emotional regulation following a concussion. Symptoms may include irritability, depression, anxiety, mood swings, and difficulty with impulse control.
• Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE): While not an immediate subtype, repeated concussions over time, especially in contact sports or high-risk occupations, can lead to the development of CTE, a progressive neurodegenerative disease associated with symptoms such as memory loss, cognitive decline, behavioral changes, and movement disorders. This is a concern with most combat and impact sports. 

Treatment approaches:

1. Vision Therapy: focuses on improving eye movement and coordination. It can help individuals with visual tracking issues, ocular motor deficits, and visual perception problems. This therapy aims to retrain the eyes and improve their ability to focus and process visual information.
2. Vestibular Rehabilitation: This is used to address issues related to the inner ear and balance. It can help individuals with dizziness, vertigo, and disequilibrium. This therapy involves exercises and techniques to improve balance, coordination, and the brain’s ability to process vestibular information.
3. Cervical Manipulation: also known as neck manipulation, focuses on addressing neck issues that may contribute to dizziness. By improving the function and mobility of the neck, this therapy can help alleviate symptoms related to cervical proprioception, which is the brain’s ability to perceive the position of the neck and head in space.
4. Other Treatment Options: for concussions and dizziness include cognitive behavioral therapy, neural feedback, and supplementation with nutrients like creatine, fish oil, and magnesium. These interventions aim to support brain function, reduce inflammation, and mitigate symptoms associated with concussions and dizziness.

I know from personal experience and from treating patients for 20 years that concussions and dizziness can have a significant impact on an individual’s well-being and daily functioning. I still think I can’t speak French because of all the rugby I used to play…that’s my excuse anyway.

It’s crucial to understand the definition of a concussion, how concussions are diagnosed, and the available treatment options. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms related to concussions or dizziness, it is essential to seek professional evaluation and appropriate treatment.

Watch the full interview below or listen to it HERE via your favorite blog service.