The chase for more muscle, increased speed and extended endurance is a personal journey that pushes your body to its physical limits. As the science focused on athletics is studied down to the most microscopic detail, there is more information and misinformation than ever before. There are many websites promising the “best ways to build muscle in the least amount of time,” and other ways to push yourself higher and harder. But as you train for your next competition, maintaining an awareness of your body’s limits and the pitfalls inherent in training can be your greatest asset in successful strengthening. 

Muscle building is a great case example: the entire process relies on two opposing periods: training, in which the muscles are microscopically torn, and rest, in which the muscle fibers repair and regrow stronger. If proper rest is not adhered to, your body could go into a catabolic state in which your progress actually halts and reverses. If they are not given enough time to repair before the next work out, you could just be tearing them further.

Other signs you are overdoing it include:

• Decreased motivation
• Lower self-esteem
• Depression
• Insomnia

Mood is important to success in the gym and in life. Overtraining leaves your body drained and the nervous system faltering. At our office in Fremont, we help athletes rediscover the real motives for their training, setting realistic goals that will restore them to a picture of health. For those who have pushed pass the boundary and injured themselves, chiropractic is a great tool for rehabilitating your body naturally and effectively.

If you are suffering from the side-effects of overtraining, give our office a call at (510) 656-9077.

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C. 

Muscle builders of all shapes, tones and sizes can benefit from the support and expertise we provide at Scorca Chiropractic Center.

Chiropractic’s role in the muscle-building world is best understood as an augment to the communicative capacity of the motor neurons and muscles. Muscle growth begins when motor neurons send a signal that tells a specific muscle to contract. The conduit for this signal is the spinal cord; if there is a misalignment of the spine, the signal could be lost in translation.

At our office in Fremont, we are also invested in the prevention and rehabilitation of injury sustained during athletic endeavor. The process of muscle building is cyclical: a period of stress and break down followed by rest and rebuild. During the resting period, muscle protein synthesis must be greater than protein breakdown.

We want to make sure that you are paying close attention to nutrition, hydration and proper resting techniques that boost the overall efficiency of your routine. Muscular imbalances are another hindrance to the muscle builder: they are a key contributor to injury that can be avoided if they are identified and corrected.

Muscle building is a fun activity that enhances many people’s quality of life. For people in pursuit of muscle gain, chiropractic is an indispensible adjunct to their routine. Call our office in Fremont at (510) 656-9077 to schedule an appointment today.

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C.

Tennis (or golfer’s) elbow is a non-medical term that describes tendonitis of the elbow and forearm, an injury that is not restricted to tennis players or golfers: plumbers, tinkerers and DIYers alike are also at risk. Those who have suffered from this notorious condition know that the associated pain transcends training and athletic endeavor to interfere with daily activities.

Tendonitis is inflammation of the tendons (tissue that connects muscle to bone). As it relates to sport, tendonitis of the elbow is characterized as a repetitive strain injury: when you swing a golf club or a tennis racket thousands of times, the tendons are systematically strained until they reach a breaking point. This same illustration can be applied to the bricklayer, blogger or concert flautist, whose repetitive motions have now left them with a condition that makes tendons tender and creates difficulty bending, gripping or lifting with the arm.

At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we offer a few modalities that can reverse tendonitis and get you swinging, hammering or shoveling again:

Reduce inflammation: When pain is at its peak, we use ice and massage to treat the inflammation and reduce pain.  

Correct structural deficiencies:  The muscles surrounding the elbow and forearm correspond to muscles and vertebrae of the neck and shoulders: misalignment in the cervical vertebrae could predispose you towards tendonitis of the elbow.

Increasing blood circulation with gentle massage, bringing oxygen and healing nutrients to the injured tendon

Return strength to the region with a gentle program of stretching and exercise.

If you are suffering from the daily irritation of tennis elbow, call our office in Fremont at (510) 656-9077.

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C. 

Regular chiropractic care provides you with the edge you need to get ahead of the competition. This advantage is derived from the core of chiropractic theory: that subluxation, or misalignment of the vertebrae, creates pressure on spinal nerves, consequently disrupting nerve signaling and communication between the brain and all biomechanical systems of the body. This includes the muscular, respiratory and cardiovascular systems. If these systems are hindered, athletic performance is hampered: subluxation has been shown to impact breathing, muscular development and body chemistry. If your spine is misaligned, there is a good chance you are not operating at 100%.

Muscles build best over bones that are properly aligned. If joints or vertebrae are out of alignment, the muscles will not contract and release to full potential: you could be wasting a lot of energy for not a lot of gain.

Nerves exiting the cervical spine are responsible for communication and powering of the phrenic nerve, which powers the diaphragm. Any subluxation at this level could interfere with the main muscles involved in breathing, decreasing lung capacity and functioning.

Massage is a hands-on modality that enhances muscle tone by improving blood circulation and helping the lymphatic system to more effectively dispose of waste from the body.

At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we offer treatment that keeps the body limbered and receptive to the demands of physical exercise, reducing the chance of injury when exposing it to extraneous forces. Do not let nervous system malfunction get in the way of your peak athletic performance:  give yourself the athletic edge by calling our office in Fremont today.

We can be reached at (510) 656-9077.

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C

The human body is naturally comfort seeking: it wants to sacrifice good posture for temporary pleasure, and it only wants to acquire enough muscle to perform what is asked of it. As athletes discipline their bodies and perform feats of physical activity that exceed the ordinary, they open up a new realm of fitness. Essentially, the athlete is challenging their body: breaking down muscle to rebuild stronger and introducing unfamiliar movements that require the body to bend but not break. In this sense, injury is foreseeable: even the most resistant bodies have breaking points. Having a support program dedicated to the biomechanics of an athlete is common sense. 

Chiropractic offers a three-fold approach to supporting the athlete: preventing injuries, increasing range of motion and flexibility, and, as a last resort, rehabilitating injuries.

High-impact sports subject the body to forces approximating automobile collision. The jarring nature of sports like wrestling, football and rugby often leaves tissues damaged and the spine misaligned. Regular chiropractic adjustment corrects these misalignments, quickening the speed of recovery and boosting performance.

Athletes involved in lower-impact sports sustain less blunt force, but subject their bodies to more torsion, leaving muscles of the back vulnerable to strain. Massage treatment increases blood flow to a damaged region, bringing oxygen that helps the healing process. An important goal of chiropractic is helping you achieve your full range of motion and flexibility.

Chiropractic is an effective measure for athletes involved in sports of both natures: relieving and repairing strain, improving blood flow and flexibility and lowering the risk of injury. If you want to ensure your highest level of performance, consider calling our practice at Scorca Chiropractic Center, where we can be reached at (510) 656-9077.

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C.

At Scorca Chiropractic Center we regularly treat people who are suffering from Sacroiliac Joint Syndrome. It is a common condition that causes pain, muscle spasm and inflammation. The sacroiliac (SI) joints reside on each side of the spine, just below the top of the waist: think about where back dimples usually form; this is the location of SI joints. They are wonderfully functional, forming the connection between the pelvis and the sacrum, making it primarily responsible for the transfer of force and weight between the upper body and the legs. Supporting this crucial joint is an extensive network of ligaments that add strength and stability.

The SI joints are remarkably sturdy: with cases of trauma that cause stress to the joint, the pelvis will usually break before the joint is damaged. But when damage is done, the pivotal placement and complex construction of these joints makes the pain all the more palpable. Symptoms of SI joint pain include pain in the low back that can radiate down through the buttocks and legs, pain in the pelvis and pain during movement. Excessive stress to the ligaments inflames the joints and tenses muscles. These are symptoms that respond excellently to chiropractic care.

With our treatment, we are usually able to effect improvements in pain management and maintain a level of increased comfort during your rehabilitation. Chiropractic adjustments that target the sacroiliac region aim to decrease muscle stiffness and restore the joint’s range of motion. We will help you determine whether the pain is caused by an abnormality of the joint or damage to the ligaments, and prescribe a course of action for helping you heal. Call our office in Fremont at (510) 656-9077 or e-mail us at [email protected].

Dr. Francis Scorca, D.C.