Active Reload Health and Performance

Sciatic pain can stop you in your tracks — that sharp, shooting pain that runs from your lower back down through your leg. And while it can feel overwhelming, the right exercise can make a real difference in how you feel day to day.

Sciatica is often caused by compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve — and in many cases, it's not coming from where you think. Tight piriformis muscles, weak glutes, or a stiff lumbar spine can all contribute to that nerve being irritated. That's why stretching alone rarely fixes it long term.

The exercise Liz is showing targets the root cause — not just the symptom. Done consistently and with intention, it can help relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve and reduce that radiating pain down your leg.

Save this for the next time sciatica hits — and if it keeps coming back, that's your sign to get it properly assessed.

Book your free eval — link in bio. 🔗

Thank you to everyone who came out to our free shoulder pain workshop on Tuesday! 🙌

We got together in the clinic to talk about what’s really behind shoulder pain and how to start addressing it, so you can keep training, working, and doing what you love without it holding you back.

It was great to see so many of you show up with questions, and we loved being able to give you
real answers face to face.

Missed this one? DM us to be the first to know about the next workshop.

📩 And if your shoulder has been bothering you in the meantime, send us a DM to book a free eval.

Is this a bad strict press? Yes. Does that mean this athlete is doing something wrong? Not necessarily. 👇

This is a CrossFit Games athlete p going for a true one-rep max strict press. To get that bar overhead, there are compensations through the low back and neck. That's what happens under maximal load in competition.

What matters is the difference between that and her everyday training. With lighter loads, athletes like her train with a better pelvis and rib cage position, and the bar gets overhead without all that excessive extension.

The problem starts when that compensation becomes your go-to strategy in training. When you repeatedly press overhead with excessive extension through the low back or neck, you start feeling it in the places you shouldn't. We see this a lot in CrossFit athletes and overhead lifters.

The goal is to build strength and control in that position, so that when the weight gets heavy, you have more options to borrow from than your low back and neck.

Compensation under max load can happen. Compensation as your default is where we need to
look.

📩 Want guidance on building the strength and control for good overhead technique? Send us a DM or book a free eval.

Actually, using back pain as an excuse to skip plans is a great strategy. We don't judge. 😂

But if you'd rather actually show up to the plans, send us a DM.

Hip pain? Dr. Katie has 4 exercises you need to try. 🙌

Whether it's tightness, sharp pain, or that deep ache that shows up during workouts, daily activities, or even just sitting — hip pain is one of the most common complaints we see in active adults. And one of the most mismanaged.

Most people either ignore it hoping it goes away, or they stretch it constantly without ever actually fixing the root cause. Sound familiar?

Here's what's usually driving hip pain:
▪ Weak glutes and hip stabilizers that can't support load
▪ Poor hip mobility that forces other joints to compensate
▪ Tight hip flexors from prolonged sitting
▪ Movement pattern dysfunction that puts uneven stress on the joint

Hip pain responds incredibly well to the right combination of mobility work, targeted strengthening, and progressive loading — which is exactly what Dr. Katie walks through in this video.

You don't have to live with it. You don't have to stop training. You just need the right approach 💪

If hip pain has been holding you back, book your free evaluation through the link in bio and let's find the root cause. 🔗

I think they heard “freestyle”

Your MRI says "disc bulge." Now what?
It sounds terrifying, but a bulge on your MRI doesn't automatically mean pain, and it rarely means surgery.

Between each vertebra sits a disc with a tough outer ring and a gel-like center. Together they absorb shock, spread load, and let your spine bend and rotate. Most disc injuries come from repeated bending and twisting under load, like lifting from the floor with a rounded back, a sudden twist, or hours of sitting followed by a heavy lift.

Here's what most people don't know: research on people with zero back pain finds disc bulges all the time. They show up in about 30% of pain-free 20-year-olds and over 80% of pain-free 80-year-olds. The image alone doesn't tell the whole story.

What actually guides treatment is how it's presenting. Is the pain local or running down your leg? Is there numbness or weakness? What movements make it better or worse? Most disc injuries respond well to the right rehab: calming the irritation, restoring movement, and rebuilding load tolerance. Larger herniations are often the ones that shrink on their own over time.

📞 Dealing with back pain or sciatica and don't know what's actually going on? Book a free evaluation, link in bio.

If your physical therapist has these 3 green flags, they're a keeper.

1⃣They explain WHY you're hurting, not just treat where it hurts. Understanding the actual cause matters more than just chasing the symptom.

2⃣They actually ask about your goals before building your plan. A plan built around what YOU want to get back to looks different than a generic protocol.

3⃣They push you to get stronger than before, not just back to "pain-free." Getting out of pain should be the starting point, not the finish line.

If your current care is missing one (or all) of these, it might be time for a change.

📞 Come experience the difference — book a free evaluation, link in bio.

LIMITED SPOTS.

Temporary relief and actually fixing shoulder pain are two different things. We're breaking down the real root causes — live, for free.

️ Tuesday, Oct 6, 5:30–6:30 PM

📍 Active Reload Health & Performance, 9413 Innovation Dr, Manassas, VA 20110.

DM us to reserve your spot!

Does your PT have any of these red flags? 🚩

If you’re tired of 5-minute check-ins and generic "rest" advice with no results, it’s time to level up. If you want results that last, you have to invest in them.

Ready for the Active Reload experience? DM us to book your free eval! ✨