Equilibrium Chiropratic

Martial Arts striking exercises include punching, kicking, using knees, elbows and other parts of your body.  Dr. Michael Pridham demonstrates some of his strikes in this video.  There is always room for improvement when it comes to training martial arts.  A good way to learn is by video taping yourself training and then looking for flaws in your technique.  As a chiropractic physician with a passion for both traditional and mixed martial arts (MMA) Dr. Pridham specializes on treating injuries sustained in the sport.  He is accepting new patients.

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What a great feeling!

I have often said: “In order to know how to heal you must know how to destroy.”  I doubt that I came up with it but it has always described how I feel that Martial Arts and Health and Wellness go hand in hand.

I am from the generation of the Karate Kid and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and I am proud to admit it.  Watching the UFC in the early days was the vice of choice for my friends and I.  We would grapple for hours at a time and would develop all different types of aches and pains.  Whether I was getting kicked in the head by a black belt in Tae kwon do, thrown by an experienced judoka, pummeled by a Win Chung master, or just in a very bad head lock by a street fighter friend, I have put my body through an amazing amount of trauma.

There have been times in which I have broken bones although they have not been my own.  Ribs and teeth are sometimes the first to go.  Most of my injuries have been concussions and soft tissue injuries.  From a chiropractor’s point of view it has helped me to understand the painful injuries that are a normal part of a martial artist’s life.

I had the opportunity to train at Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn’s gym tonight.  I participated in a Muy Tai Kickboxing class and a grappling and wrestling class as well.  It was a lot of fun and I learned a great deal of technique.

The style that I have practiced the longest (Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu) does not typically use mouth guards, boxing gloves, or shin guards for protection but they are very useful in this gym.

If you are a martial artist who lives with pain from trauma sustained  during training call today to see how I can help you.

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Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira‘s arm was broken last night by Frank Mir in a submission hold called a reverse ude-garami  technique (arm entaglement, a shoulder lock) or more commonly known as a Kimura.  Masahiko Kimura used the technique to defeat Hélio Gracie of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu family in 1951.  The technique focuses on hyperextension of the arm and hyperrotation of the elbow.  The extreme force placed on Nogueira’s humerus was enough to fracture it.

The athlete’s injured arm was placed in a sling as he was taken out of the octagon and to the hospital.  Ice was applied to reduce the inflammation and pain medications were prescribed.  The fracture was diagnosed by Xray (radiograph) as a distal diaphysis humerus fracture.  The humerus was then set in normal alignment and then placed in a cast.  Surgery will most likely not be indicated because of the body’s amazing capacity to heal itself.  The body will send cells known as osteoblasts (bone builders), osteoclasts (bone destroyers), and many other cells that will replace the injured tissues.

Proper nutrition consisting of amino acids and other building blocks will be required for the athlete’s arm to properly heal.  After a couple weeks another radiograph will be performed to ensure proper union is taking place.  His muscles will start to atrophy however exercising his opposite arm with reflexively keep some of the atrophy from occurring.  Physical therapy will begin and strengthening exercises and mobilization will be performed.

Dana White the owner of the UFC has the final word in whether or not Nogueira will able to continue to fight in the octagon.

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Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is the fastest growing sport in the world and in Albuquerque.  Researchers have been studying both the health advantages that come with the exercise, as well as disadvantages that come with the injuries.  Martial artists have been touted for their abilities to control various aspects of their bodies at will such as blood pressure, heart rate and even the ability to change their brain wave patterns.

Injuries associated with MMA are going to increase as the sport grows.  Injuries to muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones are common in the ring.  Another injury with much longer lasting symptoms may be overlooked at times.  Concussions are traumatic brain injuries (TBI).  There are reports that seem to show that there are less concussions associated with MMA as compared to boxing.  This can be explained by the various other ways of finishing a fight in the octagon such as arm bars, chokes and the Tap Out.

Ring side physicians need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of concussions and must be able to determine if an athlete should be allowed to continue a fight after receiving trauma to his/her head.  There are several ways of assessing the athlete between rounds and after the fights, to ensure that they are capable of continuing.

There have been imaging studies as well as autopsies performed on athletes such as football players who have sustained serious repetitive trauma to their head over the years.  Many of these studies come to the conclusion that repetitive trauma will lead to permanent damage and brain disease.  Depression, forgetfulness, tremors, loss of equilibrium, Parkinsons, and Alzheimers have all been implicated in the path of multiple concussions.  Athletes who are sustaining trauma to their head on a routine basis should be evaluated for concussions systematically and regularly.

Please call today if you would like to know more about concussion diagnosis and management.

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I have been practicing martial arts since I was ten years old.   Movies like Karate Kid made me interested in various styles of the art.  In that movie the sensei (teacher) Mr. Miyagi was an expert in Karate.  He could win any fight however he also was good at helping Daniel to heal after fights.  He would apply smelly herbal tinctures and use his intention to help fix the injuries sustained during the fights.  Mr. Miyagi was an artist in everything that he did, whether that was fixing bikes and cars, building his house, farming, and taking care of bonsai trees.  That movie helped to realize the great amount of discipline that comes with the practice of martial arts.

It was by chance that when my mother was suffering from a back injury she would schedule her chiropractic appointments the same day of my martial arts classes.  The clinic and the dojo were only a mile apart and I would watch her get adjusted.  I would go to class and learn about the different muscles and joints and the two art forms seemed to go hand in hand.  I always say that in order to be able to heal you must first know how to destroy.

Chiropractic treatments can help martial artists to recover from the injuries sustained during training and competition.  Practicing martial art styles such as Tai Chi can help patients to be flexible, to gain strength, and to move properly and avoid injury.

Now the whole world is watching mixed martial arts, it is the fastest growing sport in the world, and Albuquerque is one of the best places to train MMA in the world.   I find myself practicing in my own clinic only two miles from the place where it all started for me, my first dojo and my first chiropractic clinic.

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martial arts chiropractic, how does chiropractic help martial artists

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