Watch this video to see a 13-year-old BMX'er and baseball player improve his hamstring flexibility in about 5 minutes with cupping therapy. 

Dr. Andy Tseng, Physical & Occupational Therapist, Pilates & Gyrotonic Instructor, demonstrates a quick pre-test, a quick myofascial cupping therapy session, and a re-test. 

"Oh dang" and "wow" were the comments from the young athlete after his hamstring flexibility improved significantly. 

Are you looking to improve flexibility?

Increase blood flow?

Decrease swelling?

Promote healing?

Call 512.215.4227 to get started with our physical therapist at CORE Therapy & Pilates in Westlake Hills / Austin, Texas.

What is cupping?

And then when would you not use cupping?

Cupping is a soft tissue technique that is intended to lift up the soft tissue, fascia, and muscle underneath the cup in order to create circulation under the cup. It helps to improve circulation but also if the suction is big enough it can lengthen the tissue underneath.

It helps to:

If the blood flow is increased under the area the blood usually contains a lot of healing agents. Cupping will speed up the healing process of the involved tissue.

There are conditions that I would not use cupping with. If the client is:

1. Currently in their first trimester of pregnancy
2. Have cancer going on
3. Back pain that's from a disc herniation
4. Open wound
5. Infection
6. Recent fragile scar

However, if the patient's wound or scar is stabilized over time I might actually use cutting to facilitate some scar mobility but then definitely no the acute phase of the wound.

In general cupping is a very safe procedure because the protocol is very clearly monitored.

A common myth is it will always create a lot of bruises. This is not true because there are very light techniques and then if the proper after care is done to promote the circulation usually it won't create as much of a bruising like we commonly see on TV.

Call 512.215.4227 to learn more about how you can sign up for a cupping session with one of our Doctors of Physical Therapy.

Physical therapy is a specialty that focuses on optimizing movement. 

The first thing when a client comes to see us is we will do a physical therapy evaluation and a huge part of it is we will perform movement analysis to see what specific exercises the client is complaining of pain or difficult to do. 

We will try to identify which part of the movement has deficits and also identify the underlying cause of the specific deficit.

Is it from weakness of a certain muscle? 

From tightness of another muscle or other related anatomic structures like ligaments, a tendon, or the joint.

After identifying the cause or the involved anatomic structure we then develop a very specific plan of care and exercise program or treatment programs to address those issues. The end goal is to optimize movement to help you return to the activities you used to be able to do.

Call us 512.215.4227 now to start your journey to improved health…

Why you should consider pilates if you or someone you know has scoliosis. 

Hello, my name is Andy Tseng. I'm a physical therapist, occupational therapist as well as a Pilates and Gyrotonic instructor here at CORE Therapy and Pilates.

Scoliosis is a very common condition that we've seen with a lot of our clients and usually, they will suffer from lower back pain, neck pain, shoulder problems, hip problems, and even many other conditions as a result of scoliosis because of the compromised awareness of their body movement and the awareness of their body alignment position in the space.

In this video, I'm going to talk about the benefits of Pilates exercises based on the six principles proposed by Joseph Pilates, the founder of this movement.

Now before we move on we would appreciate that if you could give us a thumb up, subscribe to our channel, and turn on the bell so that you get the most up-to-date information about physical therapy, pilates, Gyrotonic as well as any other wellness, health promotion related content that we put out.

We would also be happy to see if you have any comments, thoughts, or questions that you could leave below and we will be happy to answer any questions for you.

What are the six principles proposed by Joseph Pilates?

1. Breathing

You are required to breathe throughout the whole exercise in order to improve your movement efficiency as well as the stability to holding certain positions.

2. Centering

You are required to engage your core throughout the exercises in order to have better proximal stability at your trunk so that you can move your distal limbs more freely.

3. Concentration

You are required to concentrate on the movement throughout the pilates session, all the time.

4. Precision

Pilates choreography usually involves multiple joints throughout the body from proximal to distal to be held at a different position or to be expected to be moved into different angles or degrees at different times.

5. Flow

Pilates choreography can also be adjusted with different rhythms, speeds, or tempos for different purposes, such as endurance strength, or agility.

6. Control

You are required to control all your body parts while maintaining stability by holding to certain positions at a different speed, tempo, and rhythm throughout the whole session and for each exercise.

Pilates Workout for Scoliosis

Clients with scoliosis would benefit significantly from practicing pilates because of the huge focus on breathing which we all know that the curvature that happened in scoliosis, especially to the thoracic spine can really compromise the mobility of the ribcage and then further compromise the lung function and breathing capacity.

Moreover there will be able to get more movement experiences along the midline and maintaining symmetrical alignment of their body because of the huge focus of centering and precision in pilates choreography.

Clients with scoliosis will also be able to develop a better awareness of movement and how their body is in space by practicing pilates with the focus on concentration, control, and flow.

Since scoliosis is a condition not only affects the alignment of the spine but also compromises the client's awareness of movement their body alignment in space but also their capacity to breathe practicing pilates can be very beneficial for them to improve their general overall motor function as well as the quality of life.

Feel free to let us know what you think about this video. If you would like to learn more about pilates or scoliosis I created another video previously talking more about the six principles proposed by Joseph Pilates.

We also have other videos that are already made talking more in-depth about scoliosis and if you are interested in starting pilates today I would encourage you to go to our website www.therapyandpilates.com to look for more information or give us a call at 512-215-4227.

We are doing our best to help people in Austin and West Lake Hills to be active and fit and return to doing things they enjoy doing. 

We would love to help you as well… have a great day and see you next time.

Why would back pain stop you from playing pickleball? If you play pickleball yourself or know someone who does, watch this video to learn more.

Now before we move on we would appreciate that if you could subscribe to our channel, give us a thumb up, and also turn on the bell so that you can stay up to date on our content related to physical therapy, pilates, Gyrotonic, and wellness-related content. 

As we all know that pickleball is becoming the fastest growing sport of the entire united states. We also see that many people in Austin are starting to play pickleball and at CORE we are seeing clients coming in having injuries, especially back pain from playing pickleball with their friends. And so we are putting this video together to explain the common mechanism of why back pain could develop from playing pickleball. 

My name is Andy Tseng, I'm a Doctor of Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapist. I also teach Pilates and Gyrotonic at CORE Therapy and Pilates. We're seeing a lot of clients with different injuries throughout their body but they're mostly back pain from playing pickleball. 

A very common scene we see from clients with pickleball injuries especially back pain was related to how they move their spine and pelvis, especially in rotation. 

If you see the following video clip of me using a stick to demonstrate the swinging and hitting the ball involved in a pickleball game, you will notice that the pelvis is always required to rotate properly throughout the whole game, whichever way or pattern or strategy you are using in order to hit the ball.

But for some reason if the pelvis and the spine does not rotate as they should be that could either be from a spine problem, hip problem, muscle tightness to your lower back spine area, pelvis or even to your legs they can all be reasons why your pelvis and your spine are not rotating properly and that would hinder your performance in playing pickleball and worse getting injured. 

Additionally, it also requires the proper amount of muscle strength, endurance, and even power in order to provide the agility, especially during applicable gain, and for some reason, if we are dealing with muscle weakness or muscle imbalance our body can develop unwanted compensation patterns then that can also lead to injuries in the long run.

Sometimes some people may even have alignment issues or muscle imbalances that they are born with or developed because of their lifestyle, habits, the way they move, their posture and if not addressed these alignment issues and muscle imbalances can cause issues in the long run.

With this being said there are multiple factors that can contribute to injuries, especially back pain for anyone playing pickleball. It could either be a muscle strain issue, flexibility issue, or underlying muscle imbalance alignment issues going on.

Multiple factors can be involved but then usually there is a common scene because the movement pattern that's required in playing pickleball is very similar. But in order to identify certain issues that you may have that may affect how you play pickleball, I would definitely suggest that you see a physical therapist for a thorough movement analysis and evaluation so that we can dig deeper into the movement pattern and even identify if there are any deficits in the way you move. 

I would also suggest that you join our Facebook group specifically created for pickable players in the Austin area where we often share tips and content related to anything about pickleball. 

Again my name is Andy Tseng, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist as well as a Pilates and Gyrotonic instructor at CORE Therapy and Pilates.

If you find this video beneficial to you leave us a comment and let us know what you learned from this video and even let us know what other content or topics that you would like us to cover and things you would like to learn more about.

So this concludes the video and I hope you guys have a great day. We will see you next time.

Now that you have seen your doctor and been told you have Lumbar Spondylolisthesis … what is Lumbar Spondylolisthesis? Watch this video to learn what Lumbar Spondylolisthesis is.

Can you do me a favor and please subscribe to our youtube channel. We provide content on holistic health and wellness, physical therapy and pilates.

What is Lumbar Spondylolisthesis? By the end of this you will have a much better understanding of what Lumbar Spondylolisthesis is. 

My name is Dr Andy Tseng, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Pilates & GYROTONIC® Instructor. Watch the video to learn more about Lumbar Spondylolisthesis.

Comment below and tell me what you learned from this video.

Are you suffering from intense low back pain, maybe you are having severe pain down your leg?

You could be experiencing a Lumbar Disc Herniation?

What Causes Lumbar Herniation?

Watch this video to learn more. Can you do me a favor and please subscribe to our channel. We provide content on holistic health and wellness, physical therapy and pilates. What causes a Herniated Lumbar Disc?

By the end of this you will have a much better understanding of what causes a Lumbar Disc Herniation.

My name is Dr Andy Tseng, physical & occupational therapist and clinical pilates instructor and I’ve helped many patients with a herniated disc in the lumbar region get back to the activities they love.

Comment below and tell me what you learned from this video. Be on the lookout for the next video for our back pain awareness month at CORE.

Do you live in Austin? Call 512.215.4227 to learn more about our physical therapy, Clinical Pilates & Wellness Programs!

All right, bye now.

Hi everyone. This is Andy from CORE. Since Chinese New Year is around the corner I would like to spend a little bit of time introduce that to you guys and also wish you guys a happy new year.

So traditionally Chinese people follow the lunar calendar and usually around late January, early February time is when the Chinese new year falls into. It's a very festive time for families to gather together and catch up and share meals and then that's probably one of my favorite holidays.

If you are a CORE client that has been coming here regularly you might have been noticing some of the paintings we hang at the back studio but then you might not know what those mean. So I would like to also spend a little bit time explaining that to you guys so that you guys would have a better understanding what those are. 

So on the first one you can see huang jin wan liang... it means 10 000 pieces of gold nuggets. It's a symbol of bringing in good fortune and luck.

On the second one, you can see 招財進寶 (zhao tsai jin bao) in a combination form which means bringing in good fortune and at the bottom you can see julie tranjat fugue pinghan still means bringing peace and good fortune to you and your family.

On the third one you can see the letter fu.

Fu means good fortune. Sometimes traditionally you can see people hanging this upside down like this to get the meaning of trying to get good fortune to come to our way but at CORE we wanted to put it the way it should be, instead of upside down because we certainly want good fortune to come our way but then we also want to acknowledge the support and the good fortune we already have. 

Especially for you guys that has been consistently supporting us for the past two years. So with this being said we are very grateful for the support from all of you guys and we will be here to continuously serve you. To help you get more active, fit and return to things you enjoy.

Lastly I want to say gomshi fatsai shin and kailu... happy new year to all of you guys. Have a great day.

I am too flared up to see a physical therapist... This is a common myth we heard a lot at CORE from our clients but then the truth is we are able to modify a lot of the treatment programs so that we can relieve your symptoms, help you get better range of motion, and move pain-free. 

So if you have a problem or condition that's bothering you, the give us a call at 512.215.4227. We will book a thorough evaluation to see what's going on.

"I need to see a doctor first before coming in to see a physical therapist. "

This is a very common myth we heard from a lot of our clients before. 

But then the truth is, in the state of Texas you are able to see a physical therapist without a referral for up to 14 days thanks to direct access. 

So if you want to come in to see a physical therapist give us a call and we will get you squared away... 512.215.4227