Resources

Dr. Matt Fontaine


About The Author

Only One Body Executive Summary

Ever wish you had been given an owner’s manual at birth? A book that would teach you how to properly...

Understanding Muscle Cramps

UNDERSTANDING MUSCLE CRAMPS   MUSCLE CRAMPS Most commonly occur at night and affect the legs, especially the thighs, calf muscles...

Recovery and Regeneration

Get to Know Your Body   Athletes know their bodies well.  Whether you are a runner, triathlete, CrossFit athlete, mixed...

WHY DID I GET HURT ON MY LAST REP?  RESPECTING THE PROCESS

by Dr. Matt Fontaine   A human takes an average of 2000 steps to walk one mile.  That is a...

Why you shouldn’t always stretch

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T ALWAYS STRETCH? “After an injury tissues heal, but muscles learn, they readily develop habits of guarding that...

Learn How to Exercise Safely When Injured

by Dr. Matt Fontaine   On almost a daily basis I am asked”So Doc, Can I Safely Return to Exercising...

Top 3 Must Do’s to Resolve Your Injury

The Right Approach to Treatment Implemented at the Right Time makes all the difference   The Triad above depicts the...

The Top Ten Strength Training Exercises You Should be Doing but Aren’t

EXERCISES YOU SHOULD AVOID I am often asked about this exercise or that. Is this exercise safe or is that...

How to push through when gyms are closed

How to sustain your fitness and performance conditioning when gyms are closed It sucks to have to modify workouts, whether...

COV-19 READINESS UPDATE

COVID-19 READINESS UPDATE  synopsis by Dr. Matt Fontaine   How to stay calm and be prepared As we watch cases...

COVID-19 READINESS

COVID-19 READINESS   How to stay calm and be prepared   There has been a mass of information spreading around...

Getting Started with a Yoga Practice

by Dr. Matt Fontaine Yoga> one of the secrets of High Performing Athletes and Successful Individuals Yoga is not just...

Debunking Shoulder Pain in the Overhead Athlete

One of the most common syndromes that plague athletes and fitness enthusiasts is shoulder pain.  Most commonly the pain occurs...

How to Setup Your Computer Workstation

Ease poor posture by setting up your computer properly. Computer-related posture is often a major culprit in generating neck and...

Fixing Hip & Low Back Pain in Runners

by Dr. Matt Fontaine "When it comes to running injuries, many think of foot, ankle or heel pain, shin splints...

Fixing Foot Pain

NON-INVASIVE TREATMENT  OPTIONS FOR FOOT AND HEEL PAIN By Dr. Matt Fontaine A Common Injury for Runners and Other Active...

SHRUGGING OFF SHOULDER PAIN

by Dr. Matt Fontaine This article will expand on topics we covered in our "SHRUGGING OFF SHOULDER PAIN" clinic as...

How to talk with your doctor

In the age of information, patients need to learn to leverage the readily available scores of internet articles in order...

DEVELOPING YOUR CORE

by DR MATT FONTAINE This blog details what we covered in the first session of a 4 week clinic series...

WHAT IS ACTIVE RELEASE TECHNIQUES?

by DR. MATT FONTAINE TRAIN BETTER, AND GET WHAT THE PROS GET...GET ACTIVE RELEASE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7ostsO7FMQ Active Release is a patented...

Easiest Ways to Prevent Injury & Optimize Performance with Dr. Matt Fontaine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtcBY465DNI MFL Podcast 93: Dr. Matt Fontaine on the easiest ways to prevent injury & optimize performance - YouTube Dr...

7 Tips on Improving Your Mobility with a Daily Mobility Practice

What is a mobility practice?  And why is it important for every human to have a consistent mobility practice?  You...

5 Tips for Better Sleep

by Dr. Matt Fontaine In my last post I introduced this series on the Pillars to Better Health & Fitness...

The Pillars to Better Health & Fitness and Becoming a Better Human

By Dr. Matt Fontaine Director at Potomac Physical Medicine Hit the New Year Running With the holiday season in...

Dispelling the Myths about Stroke and Manipulation

by Dr. Matt Fontaine What the research really tells us about the inherent risks of stroke with manipulation... The definitive...

Are you Self-Diagnosing?

Dr. Google & Self Diagnosis: "Googling your symptoms is the fastest way to convincing yourself you are sicker than you...

The Three Pillars to Resolve Your Muscle and Joint Pain

by Dr. Matt Fontaine "THE MOST COMMON PATTERN OF MOVEMENT DYSFUNCTION WE SEE IN RUNNERS AND ATHLETES IN GENERAL IS...

Frequently Asked Questions

What are your Office Hours?   Monday 11:00 am-6:30 pm Tuesday:  7:30 am-12:00 pm     2:00pm-6:00 pm Wednesday:  7:30 am-12:00 pm   Thursday: 7:30...

FAQ’s for the Patient

The following are some topics that frequently come up in our clinic. A quick note on over the phone consults...

Dr. Michael Leahy talks about Active Release Techniques

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1bMbN9VgBM Dr. Michael Leahy is the founder and developer of Active Release Techniques, a patented soft tissue technique that detects...

ACTIVE RELEASE TECHNIQUE…Train Better. Get what the PROS GET.

ACTIVE RELEASE TECHNIQUE Active Release Techniques® (ART) is one of the fastest growing treatment methods in sports rehab and physical...

The Story of Pain

"We have seen the pro athlete, and the weekend warrior.  And it often takes too long to recover from injury. ...

Research from Neck Pain Task Force

The Risk of Vetebrobasilar Stroke and Manipulation In a Cochrane review for mechanical neck disorders, manipulation made it into the...

Runner’s and Athlete’s Achilles Heel

A common injury for endurance athletes is "Achilles tendonitis".  Runner's and Triathletes are frequently affected.  To be fair, for most...

Does your head hurt after exercise?

By Dr. Matt Fontaine   Does your head ache after workouts? Sports related headache Headache following exertion has been documented...

Why Proper Warm Up Matters

Most of us lead hectic schedules day to day.  We often rush into workouts in the interest of saving time. ...

The Overhead Squat: The Exercise I Used to Hate

By Dr. Matt Fontaine   "If your overhead squat is full and looks really athletic, odds are that you have...

10 Ways Stress is Sabotaging Your Workout

The following is taken from an article on Mercola.com http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2014/11/07/10-ways-stress-affects-workouts.aspx?e_cid=20141107Z1_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20141107Z1&et_cid=DM59456&et_rid=720474903   1.  Stress impairs your memory.  It slows down your...

What Can We Learn from Treating Elite Athletes?

  Mobile & Stabile The Modern Laboratory of Human Movement by Dr. Matt Fontaine    “All Athletes and Weekend...

The Top 3 Things Every Runner Should Do After Every Run

Repetitive Motion Injuries (RMI, also known as RSI, CTD, CTS) have become a pandemic in sports, especially for endurance athletes...

The Keys to Dealing with Swimmer’s Shoulder

by Dr Matt Fontaine, DC With the rigorous training volume of competitive swimming, the body often suffers from accumulation of...

Why We Need to Make Mobility a Primary Focus

by Dr. Matt Fontaine How we move directly impacts the quality of our life.  The following article discusses understanding Human...

Slow Medicine Is the Medicine of The Future

University of Arizona clinical medical professor Kenneth R. Pelletier in a book examines conventional medical treatments for roughly 300 to...

Why We Need Mobility Before Stability

by Dr. Matt Fontaine "THE MOST COMMON PATTERN OF MOVEMENT DYSFUNCTION WE SEE IN RUNNERS AND ATHLETES IN GENERAL IS...

HealthCare Reform Resources

The resources below on HealthCare Reform and new legislative issues surrounding healthcare are provided by the American Chiropractic Association.  ...

Potomac Physical Medicine Now Open

March 2015-   Potomac Physical Medicine is now open and accepting new patients  to serve the Alexandria,  Arlington, and Fairfax regions of the Northern Virginia Metro...

Get Healthy Blog by the American Chiropractic Association

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has created a new Consumer Education Blog  www.gethealthyblog.org    What you will find on this blog are articles...

Parent’s Role in Prevention of Sports Injury to Head & Neck

By Dr. Matt Fontaine   If parents can learn about the inherent risks of trauma to the head and neck...

STOP ICING: New Evidence says it impedes healing.

For decades, Athletic Trainers, Physical Therapists, Orthopedists, Chiropractors and other Sports Medicine Healthcare professionals have used ice to treat acute...

The Truth About Saturated Fat

This blog is excerpted from an article by Dr. David Seaman published in the Fall 2013 issue of the Virginia...

There is no such thing as cardio

For decades many people have been on the long slow ride to nowhere.  Long hours of running on the treadmill...

Squatting to Relieve Low Back Pain

By Dr. Matt Fontaine In countries where people spend a great deal of time squatting on their heels with their...

Post Race Recovery

by Dr. Matt Fontaine Post Race Recovery: I will discuss why you need to hit the Athlete Post Race food...

Nutrition Needs During Training and Race Day Nutrition

by Dr. Matt Fontaine There are several great articles out on the web on nutrition for race day. I will...

Learn How to Box Your Own Bike

by Dr. Matt Fontaine I decided to opt in to package my own bike. Thanks to a good friend who...

Keeping Stats and Crunching the Numbers

by Dr. Matt Fontaine   What should you track and why? Triathletes love to track stats, like WATTS to measure...

Proper Nutrition During Training and Competition

by Dr. Matt Fontaine This article will detail important supplements. The following is a short but essential list of supplements:...

Dealing with Aches and Pains

by Dr. Matt Fontaine You are going to hurt, and hurt all over. What exactly does that mean? In a...

Utilize Your Strong Discipline to Your Advantage

By Dr. Matt Fontaine IM Florida It is important to know your strengths as well as your weakness.  All...

Active Release Techniques® and Chiropractic

by Dr. Matt Fontaine, CEO/ Clinic Director for Potomac Chiropractic & Sports Medicine Perfect Synergy for Diagnosing and Resolving Muscle...

Tips on Returning to Sport After Injury

Tips on dealing with migrating pain during return to activity There are some key points to keep in mind when...

Sports Performance & Prehab Products and Information

Mobility and Training Learn How to Use a Foam Roller  Release tight restricted soft tissues with the foam roller.  Watch...

Don’t Stop Running

"Adversity is preparation for greatness." ~ Andy Andrews If you are a runner and anything like the thousands of runners...

Ensuring Better Movement

The Selective Functional Movement Assessment, SFMA is the evaluation tool used by elite athletes to identify biomechanical dysfunction and increase...

Demything Low Back Pain

Dr. Stuart McGill debunks 6 common myths around Low Back Pain Myth # 1: Back injuries are rare. Myth #...

Research on Compression Wear for Recovery and Performance

So what's all the fad about? Well compression socks do help improve blood flow and imrove lymph drainage from the...

The Female Athlete Tetrad

The female athlete triad put forth by the ACSM in 1997 was defined as a triad of disordered eating, amenorrhea...

Youth Athletes and Sports Injury Concerns

The following is an article posted in the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons website www.aaos.org Youth Sports Injuries Background: Physical...

Understanding Flexion Distraction Treatment for Disc Herniation

Lumbar radicular symptoms can be caused by lumbar intervertabral disc herniations. If a disc injury is positively established through diagnostic...

Strength Training Tips for the Triathlete

I feel that picking a day a week to do some strength training would be best. Core should be done...

Get Good Quality Coaching

A coaching program is essential. Even if you use it only as a guide, it is helpful to have a...

Why it is important to establish a proper training base:

A Half Ironman (or Half Iron-distance) Triathlon consists of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, finished off...

Exercise and Pain

Strength coach Michael Boyle and Physical Therapist Gray Cook have written about the Joint by Joint Approach. There are principles...

Are Crunches and Back Extensions Breaking Your Spine?

The answer is most definitely yes. Dr. Stuart McGill, one of the World's Leading Spinal Research Experts has stated that...

The Top 10 Corrective Exercises Triathletes Should Do Everyday

As Physical Therapist Gray Cook and Strength Coach Michael Boyle have said "if it's important, do it everyday".  This is...

Triathlon: What I learned from Training, Competing and Treating Athletes

After treating literally hundreds and hundreds of triathletes, several hundred IM finishers, I decided to take the plunge and up...

Learn How to Use a Foam Roller

Regular use of the foam roller is a great way to loosen tight restricted soft tissues and is a critical...

Setting the Record Straight: Manipulation of the Neck IS Safe

THE LATEST RESEARCH ...In a recent Cochrane review for mechanical neck disorders, manipulation made it into the highest level of...

Top Three Injuries in Triathlon and Endurance Sports

What to Expect, How to Treat, and How to Prevent Runner's Knee, Achilles Tendonitis and Swimmer’s Shoulder By Matt Fontaine...

The Quest for IM 70.3

Lake Winnie A Half Ironman (or Half Iron-distance) Triathlon consists of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride...

The Quest for IM 70.3: A blog series on the journey from short distance to Half IM Triathlon

A blog series on the journey from short distance triathlon to IM 70.3 This is the first in a short...

How to Do an Ice Bath Safely

Simple Guidelines for Post Race Ice Bath How and Why it Works The ice bath is great for recovery of...

Proper Sleep Ergonomics

This article below was published in the May-June 2011 Issue of JACA and provides useful tips and know how regarding...

Common Mechanisms of Inflammation and Soft Tissue Healing

 By Dr. Matt Fontaine When soft tissues are stressed beyond their biomechanical yield strength (for example when a tendon is...

Generate More Horsepower in Your Golf Swing

To be long off the tee, you need to be able to generate power through the hips.  This requires adequate mobility...

The Keys to Understanding VO2max and LT Testing.

Much has been made of recently of VO2max and Lactate Threshold as it pertains to athletic and human performance, particularly...

Phasic and Tonic Muscle Groups

The following was put forth by Dr. Vladimir Janda, whose work in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation(PM &...

Proper Sequencing of Exercise Selection

By Dr. Matt Fontaine This is another article in the series on Secrets to Resolving Muscle and Joint Pain Syndromes. ...

Muscle Pain and Statins

Muscle Pain and Statin Drugs by Dr. Matt Fontaine Even though commercials for statins like artovastatin(Lipitor), fluvastatin(Lescol),  lovastatin(Mevacor), pravastatin(Pravachol), prosuvastatin(Crestor)...

Fascial Manipulation Key to Resolving Pain

Carol Marleigh Kline, JACA Online editor Fascial Manipulation, Part II J Amer Chiropr Assoc 2011 April;48(3):2-5 Abstract: In Part II...

New Evidence Shows Spinal Manipulation Reduces Pain and Improves Motor Control

The following is excerpted from an article in Dynamic Chiropractic by Malik Slosberg, DC, MS "A growing body of evidence indicates...

Latest Research on Risk of Stroke and Manipulation

THE LATEST RESEARCH ...In a recent Cochrane review for mechanical neck disorders, manipulation made it into the highest level of...

Do You Know the Difference Between Bulging and Herniated Disc?

Physicians need reliable terms that describe normal and pathological conditions of lumbar discs.  Terms that can be interpreted accurately, consistently...

The Secret to Resolving Muscle and Joint Pain Syndromes

By Dr. Matt Fontaine This is the first in a series of articles that will detail a new paradigm in dealing...

More than three strikes and your out

If your not familiar with orthopedic medicine and Birmingham Alabama, you likelly have heard of many famous professional athletes on ESPN...

Little Leaguer’s Elbow

The following article was written by Holly J Benjamin, MD, FACSM, FAAP and Igor Boyarsky, DO, was published on medscape...

How Pitching Leads to Changes in Little Leaguer’s Shoulder

Dr. Scott Mair and colleagues at the University of Kentucky conducted research into what throwing really does to young arms and...

Muscle Cramps

MUSCLE CRAMPS Most commonly these occur at night and affect the legs, especially the calf muscles, and the feet. ...

Weighing In On Endurance Nutrition

By Dr. Matt Fontaine Are vitamins necessary for athletes, particularly endurance athletes?  Research shows that endurance athletes endure significantly higher...

Could Inflammation Be a Major Cause of Heart Disease?

A recent article by Janet P. Wallace, Ph.D., FACSM, and Blair Johnson, M.S. published in the American College of Sports...

KinesioTaping: How it works to support movement and relieve pain

  Developed by Dr. Kenzo Kase, a chiropractic physician, kinesio tape is an elastic stretch tape that can be applied...

Not all Sugars are the Same, Your Brain Can Tell the Difference

By Dr. Matt Fontaine To combat all the negative publicity around the dangers of consuming high fructose corn syrup, advertisements...

Leon Chaitow Talks About the Explosion of Fascia Research

Chaitow's Chat  on Explosion of Fascia Research It is critical to understand that fascia is what gives our soft tissues...

New Research Links “Sports Hernias” to Hip Impingement

This new study from Hospital for Special Surgery has shown a link between patients with groin and/or lower abdominal groin...

Hiatal Hernia

by Dr. Matt Fontaine Hiatal hernia is a condition where a part of your stomach pushes up and out of...

Barefoot Running: Back to Basics

by Dr. Matt Fontaine With all the hype of late on barefoot running due largely from the popularity of the...

New Research Explains Why Manipulation is Effective.

The following comments were triggered by a recent blog by Dr. Leon Chaitow.  In it he sites some very interesting...

Advances in Strength Training

by Dr. Matt Fontaine There is so much misinformation out there concerning health and fitness, especially when it comes to...

The Pathology & Healing of Tendinosis

The Pathology & Healing of Tendinosis By Warren Hammer, MS, DC, DABCO This article was origionally published in Dynamic Chiropractic...

The Female Athlete Triad

Female Athlete Triad Author: Laura M Gottschlich, DO, Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin; Consulting...

The Keys to Dealing with Upper Cross Syndrome

By Matt Fontaine, D.C. Most people recognize that they have poor posture, or at least that they could use some improvement...

Understanding The McKenzie Method

The following two articles by Christie Downing were posted on http://www.mikereinold.com/  These two articles provide a great overview of McKenzie method...

Anatomicophysiological Aspects of Injuries to the Intervertebral Disc

The following is a synopsis of a Research Review by Dan Murphy, D.C. which was published in The American Chiropractor, Volume...

Great Article on Posture and Muscle Imbalance

 In this blog article, Craig Liebenson, DC really spells out the basics for so many of the repetitive postural issues...

The Keys to Running More Efficiently

The Top Keys of Running  Biomechanics Six time Ironman Champion Dave Scott lists several keys to proper running form.  They...

Peak 8 Exercises Effectively Increases Human Growth Hormone Production

Research and American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medicine advocates "sprint cardio" anaerobic training to stimulate your body's...

Gray Cooks New Book, Movement

Gray Cook et al. have finally released a great book detailing systems and approaches that are on the cutting edge...

A New Paradigm in Strength Training and Rehab

The Joint By Joint Approach A New Paradigm in Strength Training and Functional Rehabilitation The following is based heavily on...

Runner’s World Shares Tricks Of the Trade

Dr. Saxena told Runner’s World writer Beth Dreher, “This adhesive is popular because it speeds healing without limiting range of...

Active Release Techniques – A Personal View Part 3

How to find an ART Practitioner Kinetic Health-Calgary  is Dr. Brain Abelson's Blog.  Special thanks to him for all the...

Active Release Techniques in the NFL

Are injuries behind Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews reduced sack numbers? Green Bay Press Gazette highlights the use...

Tampa Bay: Triathlon’s Mecca on Florida’s Gulf Coast

This article was written by Pete Williams and published in Triathlon Life in 2009.  USAT View article here...

Chronic Pain and Diet. Is There a Connection?

Does normal activity lead to the release of inflammatory mediators? Is this related to chronic pain? And is there a...

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Review of current concepts in managing patellofemoral pain. Mike Reinold discusses the need for an accurate diagnosis of what...

Non Invasive Treatment for Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft Tissue Sports Injuries:  The ART of Non-Invasive Treatment The Concurrent Application of Active Release Techniques® in the Present  Paradigm...

How the body forms scar tissue with or without soft tissue injury.

Hypoxic Fibrous Adhesion Production: Chemical Pathway and Clinical Importance This article written by Dr. William Brady, an ART provider, details...

TriCore Blog!

Welcome to the TriCore Performance Blog! Putting Active People in PAIN Back in the Game. THE TRI-CORE CLINIC "WE ARE...

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