Dr. Chad Anderson, DC
26 Akerley Blvd. B3b0k4 Dartmouth, NS, Canada

Simple movements can produce some of the best gains. When we focus on the specifics, these movements can help with deficient motor patterns. (Red arrow) Focusing on adductor squeeze and weight on the inside of the foot. Same pressure that you should feel on the trail leg during the backswing. (Green arrow) Focusing on external rotation of the shoulder and the scapula staying flat against the thoracic cage. During down swing, external rotation of the shoulder helps to avoid g...oing over the top with the golf swing. (Yellow arrow) Focusing on neutral pelvis with glute activation allows the hip joint to be open during both turns of the golf swing. These are my go to exercises when I work with athletes. Simple with high neurological demand! . . . . . . . . . . #proactivehealthandperformancecentre #golf #chiropractic #novascotia #nsga #athleticperformance #mytpi #titleistperformanceinstitute #rccssc

Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife, @jillianemcdonald! I hope you have the best day watching me, watching @themasters

Basics are the stepping stone to success! The ability to properly hip hinge is so critical in golf. This above all else, is our set up position. If we cannot get properly into a hip hinge we are already setting ourselves up for possible failure in the swing. A proper hip hinge begins with the ground by rooting our feet. Externally rotating the knee will activate the glutes. Then while keeping a neutral spine, we move the hips back, while maintaining only a slight knee bend f...or balance. To reinforce the movement, the use of a dowel on the back for feedback can help. . . . . . . . . . . #proactivehealthandperformancecentre #golf #chiropractic #novascotia #nsga #athleticperformance #mytpi #titleistperformanceinstitute #rccssc

Father/son golf trip to Cape Breton

Happy 1st Anniversary to my beautiful wife @jillianemcdonald. I still don’t know how I convinced you to marry me!

Grateful to live in such a beautiful province. . . . .... . . . . . . #novascotia #southshore See more

Third area of rotation needed in the golf swing is the shoulder! Mainly, the ability to open up and externally rotate is very important for club head path both on the backswing and downswing. When screening for shoulder mobility, we must differentiate between a mobility problem, a stability problem, or both. We do this by testing the shoulder range of motion in both standing and golf posture. ... More often than not, stability issues surface. Stability refers to the position of the scapula during shoulder rotation. The better the position, the better the rotation. For golf, good shoulder rotation is 90 degrees of external rotation or better in both standing and golf posture. Typically, lack of shoulder rotation has swing characteristics of loss of posture, flat shoulder plane and chicken winging. All of these create loss of power and inconsistencies in the golf swing. So before you assume that it’s your shoulder mobility that is lacking, try this simple test to see if stability is the real issue. . . . . . . . . . . #proactivehealthandperformancecentre #golf #chiropractic #novascotia #nsga #athleticperformance #mytpi #titleistperformanceinstitute #rccssc

Had a blast competing this weekend against some of Nova Scotia’s best at the Mid-Am! It was great to see some of the golfers that I have seen at the clinic compete. Looking forward to a few more tournaments moving forward!... . . . . . . . . . . #proactivehealthandperformancecentre #golf #chiropractic #novascotia #nsga #athleticperformance #mytpi #titleistperformanceinstitute #rccssc

What should I be doing at the gym to help with my golf game? With gyms now opening up in our lovely province of Nova Scotia, this has been a question I’ve been asked frequently. Answer: It depends on your goals! ... Before you head to the gym to try and increase that club head speed, be conscious of the fact that we are mid golf season. This means that if you are a regular golfer you may be getting out 2, 3 or more times a week and your body is undergoing a high rotational force that many times a week (not to mention the average golf round takes around 4.5 hours). That’s a lot of strain on our body! Keep that in mind when we head into the gym for our weekly routines. Personally, a large goal of mine during the golf season is making sure my body feels the best it can during the season. This will include maintaining what I gained in the off-season, working on mobility that allows me to take advantage of power and keeping the braking system (Anti-Rotation) strong. This will help injury prevention and hopefully allow me to focus on my golf game. If you need help getting started reach out! . . . . . . . . . . #proactivehealthandperformancecentre #golf #chiropractic #novascotia #nsga #athleticperformance #mytpi #titleistperformanceinstitute #rccssc

If you struggle with thoracic rotation, here is one of my favourite drills! Not only can you work on gaining range but you can also work on the dissociation between your torso and the lower body. Begin in a lunge position where the forward leg is farthest away from an immovable object with a band attached.... Take a medicine ball and squeeze it between the calf of the forward leg and the thigh of the back leg. Grab the band and while squeezing the medicine ball with your legs rotate around your lower half with control. Do 6-8 repetitions for 2-3 sets. A few reminders when it comes to thoracic rotation: Stay tall throughout the exercise! Remember, the side we are rotating, will need thoracic extension, therefore if we slouch forward it makes it tough for the spine to rotate. Make sure to breathe! If we hold our breath it fills our thoracic cage which makes it tough to rotate. As we rotate, take a relaxed breath out and you will find more range of motion. Reach out if you have any questions! . . . . . . . . . . #proactivehealthandperformancecentre #golf #chiropractic #novascotia #nsga #athleticperformance #mytpi #titleistperformanceinstitute #rccssc

Let’s move up the chain and visit the second centre of rotation for an optimal golf swing: thoracic spine/torso rotation. The inability to be able to rotate with your torso may translate to injury, most commonly in the low back which compensates for the lack of motion in the torso. The key to torso rotation is the coupled motion of the thoracic spine. When we rotate, the side that we rotate has to be able to extend and the opposite side has to be able to flex. As a whole, w...e live in a flexed thoracic position mainly due to our lifestyles and occupations. This makes it hard to extend, which makes it hard to rotate. One of the biggest problems we see is on the set-up posture. If we are in a flexed or ‘C’ posture set-up this will not allow us to extend or rotate. A neutral position will allow for both motions. So before you go into a bunch of mobility drills, just take a look at how you are setting up. . . . . . . . . . . #proactivehealthandperformancecentre #golf #chiropractic #novascotia #nsga #athleticperformance #mytpi #titleistperformanceinstitute #rccssc

Exercise of the week! Since I have been on the topic of hips lately, let’s look at an exercise that involves those joints. This is one of my favourites because not only does it emphasize good range of motion in the hip but also incorporates thoracic rotation, upper and lower body dissociation and glute activation.... Start with the feet together and step laterally into a side lunge position. Push through the floor when you step laterally and drive your butt to the wall behind you loading into that side. Lock the entire lower body down. Rotate the arms across the bent knee side as far as possible. Reverse the steps, bringing yourself back to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. Try it out and let me know how it goes! . . . . . . . . . . #proactivehealthandperformancecentre #golf #chiropractic #novascotia #nsga #athleticperformance #mytpi #titleistperformanceinstitute #rccssc

With the potential of golf on the horizon, we are starting to think about swinging those clubs again! Hopefully we have been working on our summer passion all winter but if not, get ready for some insight over the next couple weeks that will help lead us into golf season. One of the main centres of rotation in the golf swing is our hips. Being able to rotate both hip joints freely possibly helps performance and health throughout the golf season. If the hip joints lack the m...obility that is needed for YOUR golf swing, other joints will have to pick up the slack in the rotation department. One area that picks up the most slack is the low back which is not meant to rotate. The low back is meant to be a stabilizing joint, therefore it needs to be stable. When it begins to rotate more, it becomes mobile and this is where injury happens. Low back pain is the NUMBER ONE injury for golfers. Now remember your own perfect swing is unique to you. Just because you have limited hip rotation does not mean you will have low back pain. It all comes down to how you swing the club for your body’s physical characteristics. This is the best way to get the most out of your golf game. So how do you know how to get the most out of your golf swing? 1. Have a goal in mind! Everyone needs something to strive for! For most, it is to be injury free. 2. Get a physical screen. We need to see what limitations you have. 3. Get your swing analyzed. 4. Connect the physical screen to the swing. 5. Set a plan to accomplish your goal. 6. Get to work! . . . . . . . . . . #golf #proactivehealthandperformancecentre #mytpi #tpi #titleistperformanceinstitute #nsga #chiropractic #hiphealth #sportperformance #rccssc

When the USGA/RNA distance report came out, the big debate began: are we hitting the ball too far? Although, that may be true for professional golfers, it seems to be that this is not the trend for amateur golfers. I am a huge fan of statistical data. @arccosgolf has posted their stats from 26 million shots and they have found that average driving distance has not increased in the last three years with amateurs.... However, the big takeaway from this data is the relationship between driving distance and handicap. On average, lower handicap players hit the ball further. When looking at specific handicap groups, there is typically a 10 yard driving distance gap between each handicap range. So, if your goal is to lower your handicap or shoot lower scores, driving distance could be a way to improve your score (based upon statistical data). How do we gain distance? Step #1: KNOW YOUR BODY - get physically screened to understand your limitations, this is important because this can provide insight to where we can gain distance. Step #2: BUILD A TEAM - team should consist of a golf professional, fitness professional and health professional. They each have their own lane to help you with your goal. Step #3: CREATE A PLAN - this plan needs to be specific for you and not a cookie cutter approach. If you have any questions about how you can get started, reach out! . . . . . . . . . . #golf #proactiveperformance #tpi #titleistperformanceinstitute #nsga #distancereport #arccosgolf

I hear it all too much: I work out all the time but I’m not hitting the ball any further. Well, before you pick up those dumbbells and do those bicep curls that WILL NOT HELP YOUR GOLF GAME, make sure that your program is not only golf specific but specific to you! I just recently started the second phase of triphasic training involving isometrics. This is my second run through a training program that has already produced a 3mph club head speed increase! The team over at @...par4success has done a study that shows triphasic training produces a larger increase in club head speed when compared to conventional training for specific demographics. As a health practitioner, this method makes sense for me and my athletes. Going through each specific loading phase (eccentric, isometric, concentric) of main lifts in a specific manner help incrementally load the tissues in a safe way to prepare for more explosive movements later. So instead of heading into the gym for that same routine of 100 crunches and those medicine ball twists, think to yourself: is there a better way to gain speed and to prevent injury? (Also want to point out that I am rockin’ my vintage ‘Original Member’ t-shirt from @blendedathletics #OG15) . . . . . . . . . . #golf #fitness #triphasictraining #mytpi #proactiveperformance #novascotiagolfassociation

A hot topic in the golf world today is about overspeed training since gaining more distance is something typically everyone strives for. There are many ideas out there of how to train overspeed. I’d like to give a shout out to @par4success who just recently published a study that they have been performing on the topic. Yes, overspeed training is useful but only when the individual’s body can withstand the forces at that speed. If not, injury will likely occur.... Two important suggestions before you start overspeed training: 1: Make sure you go through a physical screen to highlight any limitations you may have. 2: Make sure your body has enough strength to withstand those physical forces. Here are a couple of exercises I use to prepare my body before starting overspeed training! If you want to know more on the topic and potential ways to train overspeed, feel free to reach out! . . . . . . . . . . #golf #proactiveperformance #optimization #mytpi #titleistperformanceinstitute #triphasictraining #par4success

Hey Everyone, I have a great opportunity for you before golf season starts! The Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) emphasizes the fact that there is not one way to swing a club but rather one efficient way for every golfer to swing a club.... ____ I am now offering physical screens and swing analysis where we will look at how your body moves specifically for golf and how that affects your golf swing. ____ The physical screen involves gross movement tests focusing on mobility, stability, balance and neuromuscular control. Using video and basic launch monitor data we will assess your swing in combination with your physical screen and we will determine the most efficient plan for your recovery and optimizing performance! . . . . . #golf #golfpro #swing #golfswing #golfer #tpi #pga #recovery #performance #optimization #golflife #golfscience #four #athleticperformance #novascotia #welcometotheproteam

It was my pleasure to talk to some eager golfers at @the_links_at_brunello tonight. We talked about biomechanics of the golf swing and ways to optimize it. . . . .... . . . . . . #golf #chiropractic #proactiveperformance #rccss(c) #brunellogolfcourse #tpi #titleistperformanceinstitute #titleistperformanceinstitutegolffitness See more

Hey Everyone, Check out this blog post I did for Blended Athletics. This is Part 1 of a mini-series on Overuse Injuries! ... Enjoy!

Testing out the new setup at @p.r.o.active with @mckinnonbrett - knowing his physical screen is only half of the picture - relating it to his golf swing is the other half. . . . .... . . . . . . #golf #chiropractic #sportschiropractic #tpi #titleistperformanceinstitute See more

During these cold winter months, it’s never too early to start thinking about golf season I have started my personal preparation by using a #TPI (Titleist Professional Institute) screen to determine my physical limitations so I can work on correcting them before getting on the course this spring. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about your own golf season preparation. . . .... . . . . . . . #golf #chiropractic #titleistprofessionalinstitute #tpi #sportschiropractic #proactiveperformance See more

My name is Chad Anderson and I am very excited to have recently joined the PROactive Health & Performance team in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. As a Doctor of Chiropractic, I use an evidence-based approach to treating injuries while integrating rehabilitative techniques. Specifically I look at physical limitations, biomechanical disadvantages or imbalances, that may cause injury or affect an athlete’s performance and help clear those limitations or create ways to work around them t...o continue to excel in their sport or activity. I am looking forward to serving the community that I grew up in and helping people live their best active life. #chiropractic #sportschiropractic #performance #recovery #optimization #golf #hockey See more