Craig Smith

5 Treatment Options to Reduce Knee Pain without Surgery, Injections, or Drugs

Craig Smith January 30, 2023

We treat intractable knee pain on a daily basis. Our process is called the PT Solutions Treatment Hierarchy. The treatment hierarchy allows our team to support the diagnosis, reduce pain, and create a clear home plan. Building a treatment framework is a critical component of the plan and it changes based on the key sign, the structural diagnosis, and the trigger management plan. For example, a person with an anterior horn meniscus lesion, we would first normalize painful end range extension of the knee. Once passive extension is pain free, we would start to load their leg with the activity that normally hurts, providing them an exercise like terminal knee extension with the band that will keep their knee extension pain free. Finally we would dig through all of their daily activities that cause symptoms like fast walking or going downhill and stop them from doing it to allow healing.

The Dynamic Recursive Model of Long Term Development: A key principle in our strength training and physical therapy methodology

Craig Smith September 24, 2022

Why Do We Focus on Long-Term Development in Strength Training? Activity brings benefits and risks. Every step, competition, or practice is an exposure that impacts the body. The questions – how do I get better and how do I stay healthy – are part of a dynamic and constantly changing system (Figure 1). We can model that system to show how the activity, like running or playing football, impacts your next exposure. The Basics If you are a runner, you need to run. If you want to get stronger, you need to lift. If you want to be a great triathlete, you need to swim, bike, and run. If you want to shoot well during a basketball game, you have to shoot over and over. You get the picture (maybe). There are no prodigies (Ericsson 2004). Reaching your potential requires effort and time. However the very activity you participate

7 Signs Your Heel Pain Is Not Coming From Your Plantar Fascia

Craig Smith January 31, 2022

Seven Signs the Flexor Digitorum Brevis is causing your heel pain NOT the Plantar Fascia You wake up, swing your legs to the edge of the bed, and…hesitate. You know this is going to hurt. The good foot moves to the ground first – you learned from that mistake over a month ago. You brace and put down the other foot, the ungrateful one that will not get better despite the trip to the podiatrist, the injection, physical therapy, the shoe inserts, the ice bottle massage, and the stretching exercises. The foot touches down. It’s not so bad, you think ‘those stretches and night socks are helping!’ Then you step and the sharp pain feels as if the tissue from the back of the heel is ripping apart. You think to yourself, this plantar fasciitis won’t go away, as you force your leg forward and take the next step and the next

Neural Tension

Craig Smith December 5, 2020

What is going on, how do you test for it, and how can we treat it?

5 Rehab Mistakes and How to Solve Them

Craig Smith December 5, 2020

The majority of our patients have been treated somewhere else first without improvement. When we review their case, similar process mistakes happen over and over again. Lack of diagnosis (Mistake #1) or telling a patient to just stop the activity that hurts (Mistake #4) leads to more problems and eventually to a life of inactivity. Our passion as a company is to keep moving for a lifetime and the number one reason people stop or don’t even start an active lifestyle is pain and injury. Understanding these common mistakes can help you become a better consumer of rehab services and get better faster with longer-lasting results. The end result is the ability to do the day you want. The 5 rehab mistakes and their solutions The mistakes below are strategic errors: Mistake #1: Not Defining The Problem And Possible Problems Causing Pain Mistake #2: Confusing a Single Treatment as the Solution Mistake

The Principle of Progression in Strength Training

Craig Smith October 10, 2020

Milo of Croton, a wrestling, bull-carrying, 20 pounds of meat-eating, 10 liters of wine-drinking man from Greece, is the definition of progression. Most people know the story of Milo, even if they don’t know his name. Milo carried a bull around on his shoulders. Chuze and LA Fitness were not around in ancient Greece so the Greeks created their own strength training methods. Milo intuited the importance of planned, progressive training. As a boy, he picked up a young calf and carried it around on his shoulders (because, why not?). The next day, he carried the calf again, and again the next day, and the next, and continued for FOUR years. The calf grew into a massive bull; Milo grew as well (#gainz). The daily training allowed Milo to pick up a full-grown bull, a mythical feat of strength. Our point? Progressive training regimens produce benefits that are hard to

Deadlift Exercise

Craig Smith September 21, 2020

Deadlift Strength Training Basics – How to hinge Go back to strength training exercises

Dumbbell Upper Body Press

Craig Smith September 21, 2020

Strength Training Basics – DB Overhead Shoulder Press Go back to strength training exercises

Strength Training Exercises and Concepts

Craig Smith September 21, 2020

How SPC Teaches the Basics of Movement At Smith Performance Center, we believe in lifelong movement. Our goal is to keep you moving and progressing through all stages of life. Whether you are looking to increase your performance in sport or improve your quality of life, learning proper movement mechanics is crucial. We separate movements into six basic categories: Squat, Hinge, Split Legged, Upper Push, Upper Pull, and Core. Below you can see some examples of each of these exercises. By learning these basic cues, you can apply the principles to other exercises of the same category. Feel free to reach out if you have questions or comments. Hopefully, you find it helpful. Squat The Basics of Squatting Hinge How to hinge with deadlift Upper Push Upper Body Press Core Setting the Core Rehab and PT Additions Physical Therapy Exercises Partner and Self Traction Bracing,

Physical Therapy for Rotator Cuff Injuries and Pain

Craig Smith September 14, 2020

Tendonitis, Rotator Cuff Tears, and Shoulder Impingement Types of injuries leading to rotator cuff pain Once you understand the anatomy and function of the rotator cuff, you can start to see how they become injured with activity. Refer to understanding the rotator cuff for more information. Any time you use your arm, your rotator cuff works to control the motion. The muscles are placed under very high demands because of this constant usage. The rotator cuff is also placed under high demands due to the size and weight of the arm, which they are responsible for guiding. Look at the size of these muscles compared to the size of the arm- the mismatch between them is clear. Constant usage combined with high demands will increase the likelihood of injury for any muscle or tendon. Combine this with weakness, poor technique, or poor recovery, and the likelihood is even

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SPC Archives

Author: Craig Smith

5 Treatment Options to Reduce Knee Pain without Surgery, Injections, or Drugs

The Dynamic Recursive Model of Long Term Development: A key principle in our strength training and physical therapy methodology

7 Signs Your Heel Pain Is Not Coming From Your Plantar Fascia

Neural Tension

5 Rehab Mistakes and How to Solve Them

The Principle of Progression in Strength Training

Deadlift Exercise

Dumbbell Upper Body Press

Strength Training Exercises and Concepts

Physical Therapy for Rotator Cuff Injuries and Pain

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Updates from Smith Performance Center

Tissue Capacity vs. Exercise Capacity: Why Most People Miss the Mark

Triathlon Injury Rehab: How SPC Phases Prevent Setbacks

Meniscus Tears & Knee Pain: Why Rehab Needs More Than Just Cutting Out the Problem