At Corvallis Sport and Spine Physical Therapy and Albany Sport and Spine, our names means more than it may seem at first glance. We believe that “Sport” and “Spine” are foundational to every person’s enjoyment of life and their ability to maximize their movement capabilities and overall quality of life. For us, these words extend well beyond their superficial meanings.
When most people think of the word “sport”, they think of a game involving a ball, puck, or at least some running with a winner and probably a few losers. Well that may be one kind of sport, but the dictionary defines sport as, “to play in a happy and lively way”(1). That’s exactly how we define “sport” at CSSPT. Everyone has a sport. Whether it’s kicking the soccer ball around, running, or just enjoying walking and gardening, here at CSSPT we view everyone as an athlete. Every athlete has their own sport, their own activity in which they “play in a happy and lively way”. Our goal is to help people move and feel better so that they can live, work, and play again in their sport – whatever that may be.
One of the main ways we help patients get back to their sport is by treating the spine. The spine is defined as, “a row of connected bones down the middle of the back”. To most people, this definition sounds just right. To us, this definition does the term, “spine”, very little justice. At CSSPT, we view the spine as the keystone to the human body. Just as a keystone can give an archway its strength and stability, the spine can be the link to the human body allowing it to move how it’s intended with decreased risk for injury. A keystone has to be the perfect size and shape for the archway to be architecturally sound. The spine also has to have the appropriate mobility and strength for the rest of the human body to be mechanically and functionally sound.
So if your wrist or ankle hurts and you seek treatment at Corvallis Sport and Spine, you can bet we’ll be taking a look at your spine. The reason those extremities may hurt could be a result of poor posture or movement from abnormal spine mechanics! It could also be referral from the nerves coming from your spine, but that’s a topic for a different day. We won’t just give you stretches for your back and not treat where it hurts, but we will probably address some issues at your spine that are contributing to the pain in your extremities.
So there it is. The Physical Therapists at CSSPT do much more than just treat “a row of connected bones in your back” to help you “play in a happy and lively way”. We look at you as a whole person, including your spine, in order for us to improve your mobility and strength. This approach will help you move and feel better so that you can live, work, and play again, whether that’s walking, gardening, or hitting a game winning home run!
Dane Happeney, PT, DPT, Doctor of Physical Therapy
References
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sport
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spine
