Varsalus (2025)

08/10/2025

Your injury isn’t sticking around because your body’s broken, it’s because you treat rehab like antibiotics.

You start feeling a little better, stop your exercises, and jump right back into full activity. But feeling better doesn’t mean you’re ready.

Pain relief happens before your tissue is fully rebuilt.
If you don’t keep loading it and progressing the strength, you’re just hitting pause on the problem, not fixing it.

Rehab is programmed for progressive loading. This loading is specific to the phase of tissue healing.

Don’t be dumb and just stick to it (and your antibiotics) until the end.

02/09/2025

Before and after one dry needling session for athlete who “jammed” their thumb at a competition Saturday. They were worried about having to take time off from training and they also work with their hands which would be difficult with all the swelling.

These photos were taken hours apart.

Sometimes we know what we’re talking about 😉

*pictures posted with permission*

06/08/2025

Cutting weight? Read this before your next water load.

You’ve probably heard the term “hyponatremia” tossed around… or maybe not. But if you’re aggressively water loading, sweating out pounds, and rehydrating with plain water you could be putting yourself at serious risk.⁠
⁠
Hyponatremia = dangerously low sodium levels in the blood.
When you drink too much water without replacing electrolytes (especially sodium), your body’s sodium concentration gets diluted. This throws off your fluid balance, impacting your brain, nerves, and muscles and in severe cases, can lead to seizures, coma, or death.
⁠
This is NOT just dehydration. The symptoms may look similar (headache, nausea, cramping, fatigue) but the treatment is completely different.
⁠
What to do:
• Add sodium/electrolyte tabs or sports drinks during & after your cut
• Avoid excessive plain water intake leading up to weigh-ins
• Rehydrate with a plan not just whatever’s on hand
• Work with someone such as an athletic trainer or registered dietitian who understands weight cutting physiology

⁠
Cutting weight doesn’t have to mean cutting corners on safety.

22/07/2025

This is Acute Compartment Syndrome and it’s a surgical emergency.

⸻

What’s happening inside the leg?
Each muscle group is wrapped in fascia a non-expandable sheath.
After blunt trauma (like a leg kick), blood and fluid can accumulate inside this compartment.

-When intracompartmental pressure rises above capillary perfusion pressure (~30-40 mmHg), blood flow drops.
-Muscle and nerve tissue become ischemic.
-If untreated, this leads to necrosis, permanent nerve damage, or even amputation.

⸻

Classic signs (the 6 Ps):
1. Pain out of proportion
2. Paresthesia (numbness, tingling)
3. Pallor
4. Pulselessness (late sign)
5. Paralysis (late sign)
6. Pressure (tense, firm compartment)

Athletic trainers aren’t just here for sprains and scrapes.
They recognize hidden red flags, understand the pathophysiology, and act fast enough to save tissue, nerves, and function.

17/07/2025

A study by Schreiber et al. had doctors analyze 62 real-life elbow dislocations caught on video (think falls in sports, gymnastics, wrestling, etc.) and matched the footage to injury patterns seen in patients.

What they found:
• 92% of injuries occurred with the elbow near full extension
• 92% involved valgus force (elbow pushed inward)
• 87% included axial load (force up through the forearm)
• 66% involved forearm supination (rotating the palm upward)

Think about it:
That’s the exact joint position created during a fully extended armbar or kimura — especially when you’re trying to twist, bridge, or escape.

These positions stretch the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), annular ligament, and joint capsule.

Once you over stretch a ligament it doesn’t return to normal. By the time you feel pain, you’re already mid-injury.

Tapping late can lead to long term instability. Especially if you don’t take care of it properly with rehab.

Save this if you coach submissions

Study: Schreiber et al., J Hand Surg Am, 2013 — PMID: 23391358

15/07/2025

Case study explained…

Stop the match and evaluate

Why?
Athlete safety is your top priority. Any athlete showing signs of acute distress chest pain, disorientation) warrants immediate evaluation.

“Wait and see” delays care.
Calling 911 isn’t wrong but you should evaluate first.

Next priorities?

Correct answer: Check pulse and vitals

Why?
In any medical emergency, assessing ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) and vital signs is essential to identify red flags like shock, arrhythmia, or hypoxia.

CPR is not indicated for a conscious, breathing individual.
Asking about food/hydration isn’t the priority.
Oxygen is helpful, but not before assessing stability.

What’s your working differential?

Best answer: Cardiac event

Why?
Chest tightness, tachycardia, hypotension, altered mental status, and cool/clammy skin are classic signs of a cardiac origin.

Other options:
• Panic attack could mimic symptoms, but vitals wouldn’t be so unstable.
• Out of shape typically doesn’t include being diaphoretic, pale, hypotensive, or most importantly, confusion
• Pneumothorax is rare without trauma or lung disease history.

Should you use an AED?

Correct answer: Only if he collapsed

Why?
AEDs are for unresponsive patients with no normal breathing and no pulse — typically during sudden cardiac arrest.
If the athlete is alert and breathing, AED use isn’t appropriate yet - but should be nearby.

⚠️ Always have an AED accessible at combat sport events. HCM can cause sudden deterioration.

If you’re ever in doubt send them out

Questions, comments, concerns? Discuss below!

09/06/2025

Why you should hire an athletic trainer for coverage over an EMT

• Athletic Trainers (ATs) are healthcare professionals trained in emergency care, injury prevention, evaluation, treatment, and rehab. ATs can differentiate between a cramp, a fracture, a muscle strain, ligament sprain, or when a referral is necessary, and how to get your athlete safely back on the mat, field, or court.

• EMTs are trained for emergency care and transport not long-term injury management.

Injury Evaluation & Differential Diagnosis
• ATs are trained to assess orthopedic and musculoskeletal injuries on-site using clinical tests and physical exam techniques.
• EMTs are not trained or licensed to diagnose or evaluate musculoskeletal conditions beyond assessing life-threatening emergencies.

Return-to-Play Decision Making
• ATs determine readiness to return to sport using clinical testing, functional movement screens, and evidence-based protocols.
• EMTs have no training or authority to make clearance decisions for athletic participation.

On-Site Emergency Management with Follow Through
• ATs can manage acute injuries (e.g., dislocations, fractures, concussions) and provide continuity of care through recovery.
• EMTs stabilize and transport but do not follow up, reassess, or manage post-acute phases.

Athletic Trainers are the only healthcare professional that is present during entire injury process from the moment an injury happens to returning 100% to sport.

19/05/2025

📣HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT! Varsalus has officially acquired Marune. A data, training, and social networking app for the martial arts community. Whether you train muy thai, jiu jitsu, taekwondo, sambo, karate etc, you can use this app!

🌟 With this announcement we are also doing a giveaway for iOS users. (We’re still working on android and will have a separate giveaway soon)

To be entered for a chance to win a gi, varsalus rashguard, and a sports medicine treatment, valued at $250, all you have to do is

Follow:
social
-Tag one friend in the comments who you think would enjoy this app
-Post your username and what martial art you train in the comments once you’ve downloaded the app and created a profile!

For an extra entry post your new profile to your story and tag both accounts!

We will pick a winner 5/26.

Some exclusions may apply.

28/04/2025

Client spotlight! is currently working with our registered dietitian Mariale. Katie is a purple belt who recently competed at IBJJF Boston Open this past weekend. Here is what she had to say about the prep.

✨ “Mariale made this the easiest and most effective weight cut I’ve ever done - she took all of the stress out of the process and helped me plan ahead so I could focus on my training and preparation without the distraction of what to eat/ when! I made weight with ease while still feeling strong and fueled day of!”

Some BTS comments Mariale had about the process.

✨ “Katie is a dream client! She put in the hard work, losing just over 6 pounds in a week and a half to make weight with ease while maintaining strength. She was also able to fuel herself during a long wait for her fight.”

Serious about your sport? Work with a dietitian who gets it. Let’s get you fueled to win 💪🏻 Reach out today!

13/03/2025

Today is Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) Day, and it’s time to give a huge shoutout to the experts! 🥊

💡 What Does an RDN Do for Combat Athletes?
✅ Optimizes Performance: Ensures proper fueling for training, competition, and recovery.
✅ Manages Weight Cuts: Helps fighters cut weight safely without compromising strength or hydration.
✅ Prevents Injuries: A well-balanced diet reduces inflammation and promotes muscle recovery.
✅ Maximizes Endurance: Dialing in macronutrients prevents early fatigue and improves stamina.
✅ Supports Overall Health: From gut health to immune function, nutrition plays a key role!

⚠️ Misinformation in weight cutting and sports nutrition is everywhere—but RDNs rely on science, not bro-science.

20/02/2025

🍎 Supplements absolutely can have a time and place, and may help those who struggle to meet their goals with traditional foods or who have needs that severely restrict their dietary patterns. However, in most healthy individuals, supplements are not necessary and should be treated on a case by case basis.

🥩Your body does not simply shut down at night - you still need calories to help fuel your systems that perform necessary functions, like digestion, breathing, and pumping blood- we just need fewer calories at rest. We also need nutrition to help repair our muscles and get ready to perform the next day, especially as athletes. The key is to make appropriate decisions and choose balanced snacks if you are hungry - try to include a source of protein too.

🍔 Low fat foods often have other additives or higher levels of sugar and salt to help with taste, and may often be more processed than their counterparts

Varsalus

08/10/2025

02/09/2025

06/08/2025

22/07/2025

17/07/2025

15/07/2025

09/06/2025

19/05/2025

28/04/2025

13/03/2025

20/02/2025

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