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Corrective Exercise at Van Ness Chiropractic

“Corrective exercise” is a bit of a buzz word in the fitness industry these days. Perhaps you’ve heard the term used in your fitness center by personal trainers, or perhaps you’ve heard it used at Van Ness Chiropractic by Kevin Kula, our in-house “Flexibility Coach.” A tremendous number of athletes and individuals are performing high-level activities even though they are inefficient in their fundamental movements; without knowing it, these individuals are putting fitness on dysfunction.

Today, we’ll discuss corrective exercise, when it is time to begin corrective exercise, the process of implementing corrective exercise and how we incorporate it at Van Ness Chiropractic.

What is corrective exercise?

Corrective exercise focuses on identifying incorrect patterns of movement within the body, identifying what muscles are weak or strong, lengthened or shortened, and what can be done to correct those imbalances in the body.

The philosophy behind corrective exercise is that muscle imbalance leads to poor movement, while poor movement leads to injuries. Corrective exercise is an important component of an exercise program, as almost everyone has some degree of muscular imbalance, no matter the level of fitness or athletic ability.

Another way to look at corrective exercise is as a way to improve the efficiency of fundamental movement. Sometimes the body takes “shortcuts” in order to make a certain exercise or movement easier. Over time, these shortcuts cause irregularities which then cause pain. Corrective exercise improves poor movement patterns by first assessing the current movement pattern and then identifying the areas for improvement. Overall, corrective exercise seeks to:

• Improve foundational movement patterns
• Reduce deficient mobility and stability
• Increase adaptability and durability
• Prepare the body for higher intensity, as well as for higher levels of training and skill development

When to use corrective exercise

While corrective exercise is often used by athletes who are intent on developing a competitive edge and reaching higher physical fitness, corrective exercise is geared for all people. For example, a person who slipped on ice and now struggles with hip mobility might use corrective exercise to improve the body’s fundamental movement patterns. A new mom might use corrective exercise to retrain her body’s fundamental movements after her pregnancy.

How to use corrective exercise

The first and most important step of corrective exercise is to establish a baseline of movement. Before beginning any kind of corrective exercise, it is vital that the natural movement patterns are assessed and evaluated to identify deficient movement competency and verify good movement patterns. Otherwise, the corrective exercises might begin “correcting” issues that are not present and ignoring issues that are.

After screening an individual’s fundamental movements prior to beginning chiropractic and rehabilitative care or a strength and conditioning program, the Functional Movement Screen and Corrective Exercise System is used. This system attempts to pinpoint areas of deficiency (AKA “weak links”) and alleviate them by assigning exercises to correct them.

During an appointment, a patient will be taught these corrective exercises which can then be performed at home in the interim between appointments. By completing specialized corrective exercises on a regular basis, patients will notice the benefits in less time.

At the conclusion of the Functional Movement Screen and Corrective Exercise System, the individual or athlete will have greater movement efficiency, leading to improved performance and a decrease in injury potential. The components of the system include the Functional Movement Screen, Functional Range Conditioning and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization.

Corrective exercise at Van Ness Chiropractic

At Van Ness Chiropractic, we’re proud to work with Kevin Kula, who helps athletes eliminate pain, optimize their movements and bulletproof their joints so that they can train at full capacity. Kevin holds 5 CrossFit certifications, has written for the CrossFit Journal, and is a USA Weightlifting coach. Kevin is trained in Fascial Stretch Therapy, KMI Structural Integration, Neurokinetic Therapy, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization, Functional Range Conditioning, Functional Movement Systems and Fascial Movement Taping. Prior to moving back to Illinois, Kevin introduced his system of Flexibility Training, “FlexibilityRx” to 15 CrossFit gyms throughout Arizona. Today, he applies the same system as he works with clients at Van Ness Chiropractic.

Corrective exercise is a proven method for improving movement competence and reducing the risk of injury. At Van Ness Chiropractic, we help our chiropractic patients to enjoy increased flexibility, improved posture, improved or eliminated pain and an enhanced energy level—in short, an improved overall quality of life. Corrective exercise is but one of the many tactics we use to accomplish this aim. Learn more about corrective exercise at Van Ness Chiropractic here and call 847-842-8070 to schedule an appointment.