Positively Balanced Athletic Therapy

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How Athletic Therapy & Rehabilitation Work Hand-in-Hand with Chiropractic Care

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At Positively Balanced, we believe in a holistic approach to healing—one that doesn’t just treat symptoms but gets to the root of the issue. That’s why athletic therapy & rehabilitation and chiropractic care go hand in hand. Whether you’re an elite athlete, a weekend warrior, or recovering from an injury, integrating both disciplines leads to faster recovery, better movement, and long-term health.

We’re excited to welcome a highly skilled chiropractor to our team who brings extensive experience in sports medicine, acupuncture, and soft tissue therapy. This addition aligns perfectly with our holistic approach to care, allowing us to offer even more comprehensive treatment options for our athletes and patients. With her expertise, we can further enhance recovery, optimize performance, and provide personalized, integrative care tailored to your specific needs. Starting in February, she will be available to see patients—helping you move better, feel stronger, and achieve your health and performance goals with a well-rounded, evidence-based approach. Stay tuned for booking details and get ready to experience the next level of athletic therapy and rehabilitation at Positively Balanced!

When you work with a chiropractor who understands the holistic philosophy we value at Positively Balanced, you experience a full-spectrum approach that enhances your results. Here’s how:

Schedule to learn more about how positively balanced can help you

1. Optimizing Joint & Spinal Alignment for Stronger Movement Patterns

A misaligned spine or joint dysfunction doesn’t just cause pain—it affects how your entire body moves. Our chiropractic care ensures that your spine, hips, and other joints are aligned and functioning optimally, reducing stress on muscles and ligaments. When combined with athletic therapy and rehab exercises, you build proper movement mechanics, preventing re-injury and optimizing performance.

2. Enhancing Recovery by Reducing Inflammation & Improving Circulation

Chiropractic adjustments don’t just help with alignment—they also stimulate the nervous system, improve blood flow, and reduce inflammation. This means faster healing after an injury, a hard workout, or even chronic pain conditions. By integrating chiropractic care with your rehab plan, we accelerate the body’s natural healing process, helping you get back to what you love—stronger and pain-free.

3. Improving Neuromuscular Communication for Greater Stability & Coordination

Every movement starts in the nervous system. If there’s interference (caused by misalignment, tension, or injury), your muscles don’t function at their full potential. Our chiropractic care works to restore proper brain-body communication, enhancing muscle activation, balance, and overall coordination—crucial for both injury prevention and athletic performance.

4. Treating the Whole Person, Not Just the Injury

At Positively Balanced, we don’t just focus on symptom relief—we take a holistic view of your health. Our chiropractic approach integrates:
✔ Mind-body awareness to address stress-related tension
✔ Functional movement strategies to prevent compensation injuries
✔ Lifestyle recommendations to support long-term wellness

By combining chiropractic care with athletic therapy, we create a comprehensive plan that treats the underlying cause of your pain and dysfunction, ensuring sustainable, long-lasting results.

Why Choose Positively Balanced?

When you choose our holistic Athletic Rehab team, you’re not just getting a quick fix—you’re investing in a proactive, results-driven approach to health and performance. Whether you’re recovering from an injury, optimizing your athletic potential, or simply wanting to move and feel better, we’re here to help.

Ready to take your recovery and performance to the next level? Book an appointment with our team at Positively Balanced today!

How Athletic Trainers Help You Stay Active and Injury-Free

athletic therapy, Physical Health

How Athletic Trainers Help You Stay Active and Injury-Free

Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, a weekend runner, or someone who just loves staying active, one thing is for sure: injuries can slow you down. That’s where athletic trainers come in. They’re your secret weapon for moving better, staying strong, and avoiding injuries. Let’s break it down.

1. Move Better, Feel Better

Athletic trainers are like movement detectives. They watch how you move—whether it’s how you run, lift weights, or even sit at a desk—and pinpoint what’s holding you back.

  • Got tight shoulders or weak glutes? They’ll find it.
  • Struggling with balance or flexibility? They’ve got exercises for that.

Using methods like Vladimir Janda’s Crossed Syndromes, trainers help fix imbalances in your muscles to improve posture and movement. Tools like Gray Cook’s Functional Movement Screen (FMS) give them a clear picture of what needs work.

2. Prevent Injuries Before They Happen

Did you know most injuries don’t just “happen”? They often start with small issues that build over time. Athletic trainers:

  • Spot those little red flags—like a weak knee or a tight hip—that could lead to a bigger problem.
  • Teach you exercises to strengthen problem areas and prevent injuries like sprains, strains, or overuse issues.

Think of it like regular maintenance for your body—kind of like tuning up a car.

3. Boost Your Body Awareness

Ever twist your ankle or trip and wonder how it happened? That’s where body awareness, or proprioception, comes in. Athletic trainers:

  • Help you improve your body’s sense of balance and position so you’re less likely to stumble.
  • Teach you to listen to your body’s signals—like muscle fatigue or tightness—so you can adjust before it leads to an injury.

It’s like learning to read your body’s “check engine” light.

Get ahead of the problem

4. Stay Active for Life

Your fitness goals don’t end after a few workouts—they’re about the long game. Trainers focus on:

  • Keeping you active, whether you’re lifting weights in your 30s or hiking in your 60s.
  • Building functional fitness so you can tackle everyday tasks (like lifting groceries or playing with your kids) with ease.

With their help, you’ll not only avoid injuries but also build a body that can keep up with life’s demands.

5. Why You Should See an Athletic Trainer

Still not sure if you need an athletic trainer? Here are a few reasons to consider it:

  • You Don’t Need to Be an Athlete: Athletic trainers work with anyone who wants to move better and stay injury-free, not just pros.
  • Injuries Don’t Wait: Even if you feel fine now, small tweaks to your form or fitness plan can save you big trouble later.
  • Personalized Care: Trainers create plans tailored to your body and goals. No cookie-cutter solutions here!

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Your health, performance, and quality of life deserve more than guesswork. At Positively Balanced Athletic Therapy, we’re here to help you move better, feel stronger, and unlock your full potential. Whether you’re looking to prevent injuries, optimize your movement, or simply feel more confident in your body, our team is ready to guide you every step of the way.

Schedule your intro call with Positively Balanced today, and let’s create a personalized plan to level up your health, performance, and life. Don’t wait—your best self is just one call away!

Final Thoughts

Taking care of your body today means you can enjoy an active, pain-free life tomorrow. Athletic trainers are here to help you move better, avoid injuries, and feel stronger than ever. Whether you’re chasing a marathon goal or just want to keep up with the kids, they’re the partner you didn’t know you needed.

Share this with a friend who’s ready to take their fitness to the next level!

SCHEDULE WITH CASSANDRA TODAY

Find out more about your concerns in this call, where Cassandra takes some time with you to discuss your concerns and come up with a plan of action for you to see the results you want.

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Peri/Postmenopausal Women’s Health Getaway

Mental Health, Physical Health, Sexual Health

Come GETAWAY with other women and improve your health!

It is time to GETAWAY and give yourself some love. We need some time. Some time to relax and REGAIN our ability to understand our bodies unlike any other…. Let’s get into the details…

RSVP NowLearn More

 About THE Getaways

Weekend Getaways are just that, a chance to GETAWAY and give yourself a few than a few moments of peace care, and love. Day Getaways are just that, a DAY away. For you. To learn about you, as a woman. To renew. To revive. To restore.

AND GETAWAY….

View Past Events

Peri/Postmenopausal

Fall Getaway Schedule

Sept 9th-11th, 2022

Friday:

4pm Arrival

5:30pm Meet N Great (Food and community)

Saturday

7am Hike n Stretch

8am Breakfast

9am Workshop 1

10:30am Bone Strengthening Workout

Noon Lunch

1pm Workshop 2

2pm Barre and Balance Workout

3pm-5pm free time

5:30pm Dinner

Sunday

7am Hike N Stretch

8am Breakfast

8:30am Menopause and Movement

9am Restorative Yoga

11pm Check out

Speakers

Meet Our Speakers

Cassandra McCoy

Women’s Health AT CEO, Head Woman at Positively Balanced LLC

Dr Corey Babb

OB/GYN

Sexual Health & more

Want to Speak a Future Getaway?

— Get details

Lisa Bracken

Ayurvedic Medicine and Yoga Therapy

Become a sponsor

— Get Details

Where It’s At

Greater Tulsa Area (Exact location coming In May)

Tulsa, OK

This Event is limited to 8 women!

Getaway is $500 – includes all meals, speakers, gifts and more!

ACL Tears in Active Females

Physical Health

The ACL has become a problem….

Or rather, the increased rate of injuries has!

Did you know that females are more likely to injure their ACLs compared to males?

ITS TRUE. It’s common to see this injury post puberty in adolescent females, active midlife women and reinjury of the knee is probable as well if not managed correctly.

There are many reasons for this, let’s break these down over the next few days AND discuss prevention and solutions for this common problem!

Why are females more likely to tear an ACL?

Alright so let’s breakdown a few of the WHYS behind my statement yesterday that FEMALES ARE MOST LIKELY TO TEAR AN ACL THAN MALES.

Pelvis structure: As women, we have a wider hip set than men, creating a greater Q angle at the knees. What this means is that women are more likely to experience things like the knees going inward and lack of control within this motion. It happens naturally and shouldn’t be feared….instead UTILIZED.

Puberty: When girls hit puberty, we start to see a shift in body shape. We also see a disconnect being body and mind during this time as their body changes and the mind tries to adapt with it. This disconnect can cause girls to experience instability, change in landing mechanics and more. This opens them up to injury. Again, this time shouldn’t be feared, instead harnessed and capitalized on!

Menstrual cycle: A naturally cycling female will experience ups and downs in their hormones throughout their cycle. There will be times where she is more positioned to work on technical aspects versus power versus strength. Again, let’s utilize this in order to optimize performance and put overwriting and injury.

So what do we do to PREVENT a potential injury. Now, everyday life happens; however, there are a few key considerations we can implement to help. I covered all of this in my recent Instagram live, so have a listen.

A post shared by Cassandra McCoy MAT, LAT, ATC (@womenshealthathletictrainer)

Want to get stronger? Learn how to lift smarter, safer and effectively? Join the waitlist for the next round of the Positively Strong Program! This 3 month program is only hosted a few times a year to ensure the woman who sign up get exclusive attention. Fill out this form to be the FIRST to recieve an email when pre-registrstion opens!

Healthy White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

Physical Health

During the holidays sometimes you just need a few sweet yet healthier options on hand. These cookies are one of my go-tos for family and friends. They are even kid approved! 

This version is my take on a cookie my mom used to make. She made more of a heavy, dark molasses cookie, whereas I prefer a lighter cookie with the maple flare! Here it is just in time for Thanksgiving!

Enjoy.

Recipe:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees

 Mix all the dry ingredients together:

2 cups Whole wheat Pastry Flour (if you prefer Gluten Free, sub for a another alternative flour)

2 cups Almond flour (or any other flour)

2 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Baking Flour

½ cup Ground up flaxseed

½ cup Monkfruit powdered sweetener

¾ bag of Lily’s white chocolate chips

1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

3/4tsp Nutmeg

3/4tsp Cloves

(Or sub all 3 spices for 1 tbl of your favorite pumpkin spice mix)

Mix all of the wet ingredients together:

1 Can of pumpkin puree (2 ¾ cup if you make it yourself)

¼ cup Coconut oil (softened)

3 Eggs

½ cup Almond (or regular) milk

¼ cup Grade A maple syrup

(If you like a sweet cookie, use ¼ cup honey or other fav sweetener for that added kick)

Fold the wet ingredients gently into dry until mixed well.

Use a cookie scoop or spoon and lay out cookies on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until desired cookie consistency. I am a fan of a soft, almost done cookie, so I cook for 12 minutes…. but that’s just me! 

Melt the rest of the chocolate in a small bowl and drizzle it on top of cooled cookies.

Let me know what you think and happy Fall!

Dry Needling: What is it, Who it can help you, Why you should consider it, and What happens during a session

Physical Health

Dry needling is a unique recovery technique used by many osteo/rehab professionals around the world. If you have never heard of it, or aren’t familiar with the technique, let’s break down what dry needling is, what it does, and why YOU should try it out!

What is it?

Dry needling, also referred to as a myofascial needling, is a technique used to treat pain and soreness in the soft tissues of the body. Practitioners use a very thin “Dry” needle, no fluid or medications involved, to stimulate the body’s healing processes within the targeted tissue. Think of it kind of like a spotlight, shining on the issues in the tissues so the body can get to work.

Its well known older brother, acupuncture, is a bit different from dry needling in several ways. Dry needling is based more on western methods, myofascial tissue and Western scientific research versus acupuncture is based on an Eastern Traditional technique. Acupuncture can help with allergies, headaches, disorders and more, whereas dry needling focuses more on soft tissue pathology.

So why should you consider dry needling as a treatment option for recovering from injury or sport?

Let’s break down a few highlights:

It is a minimally invasive treatment

It is not a steroid, NSAID or other medication that can have side effects

It is a great addition to physical therapy techniques such as cupping, IASTM etc

It helps to speed up the process of getting off pain medications

Most see improvement in pain after first 2 treatments

Average appointments needed ranges from 4 to 6

Who can benefit from dry needling?

Someone suffering from:

Muscle tightness,

Pulled muscles, ankle sprains, chronic upper back/shoulder tension,

Muscle fatigue,

Muscle, tendon or ligament injury

Chronic pain

What should you expect to happen during a dry needling session? 

Once your practitioner determines dry needling would help you, the areas that he or she tends to dry needle will be prepped and cleaned. Remember, this might be at the site of injury or a point else that affects that is connected to the area!

Dry needling uses tiny needles, the same used in acupuncture treatments, that go deep into the tissues. Your provider might leave them in for a few moments or up to 15 minutes depending on the goal or style used.

                         After the tissue has released, or the practitioner is done with the needle, he or she will draw it out and place the used needle in a biohazard container to be safely discarded.

If you have any questions or comments, please seek out your local rehabilitation professional such as a licensed athletic trainer, physical therapist or osteo doctor. Also, contact Positively Balanced and Cassandra McCoy MAT, LAT, ATC, RYT if you are local to Skiatook, OK for this great therapy. Book sessions here or send questions to our email at info@positivelybalancedllc.com.

*This is not medical advice and purely for educational use, please see your provider to determine this is method is right for you.

About Cassandra:

Hi friend. I’m Cassandra. I’m an athletic trainer who is trained in soft tissue techniques for injury and prevention and treatment based in Tulsa and Skiatook, Oklahoma. I hold a Bachelors degree in Health Education and Exercise Science and a Masters degree in Athletic Training. I help people overcome injury and pain, so they can continue the workouts and fitness classes they enjoy. 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, you are not your diagnosis, pain, or injury and there is always a way to get back to what you love. 

Some of the things that I can help you with include 

Safely pursuing fitness classes while addressing post-pregnancy related issues diastasis, prolapse, or incontinence.

Creating personalized post-rehab or injury prevention programs, so you can troubleshoot hip, knee, low back, or shoulder pain while continuing the activities that you enjoy.

Reducing joint pain and discomfort through specialized manual therapy techniques, including cupping, rock tape, and instrument assisted massage.

Assessing your form and offering feedback, so you can squat, lunge, and deadlift without pain.

When I’m not working with clients, I can be found playing with my son and husband outside, gardening, cooking, and teaching movement classes. To connect with me visit my website positivelybalancedllc.com or say hello on Instagram @womenshealthathletictrainer.

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