Posts Tagged ‘sports’

A Misguided Approach to Injury Prevention

Posted on: May 1st, 2012
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Reading through the news, this was the first time I’ve seen someone refer to an ACL tear as a “repetitive motion” injury, and I have to say I disagree.

Repetitive motion injuries are usually caused by a wearing down of a joint or overuse of one or two particular muscles over time. Tennis Elbow is a good example. The injury is not caused by one wrong swing, but rather putting repeated torque in the elbow joint after thousands of swings. ACL injuries are usually caused when an athlete does a stopping and cutting motion. The foot stays planted, the knee turns, and POP! There goes your ACL. It only takes doing it wrong one time to tear an ACL, however, with proper body mechanics you could do it all your life without ever getting hurt.

Knowing this logic, maybe you can also understand my perplexity at “experts” who recommend that adolescents play multiple sports in order to prevent injury.

If you play soccer and take up swimming, okay, I could see how that would prevent ACL injury. You would be supplementing a fast pace, high impact sport with a low impact one. Swimming has its own potential injuries but an ACL tear is highly unlikely. However, taking up something like basketball to add to your soccer regimen isn’t going to decrease the risk for injury. Both sports are fast paced and require turning and cutting. Even though you kick in one and shoot in the other, you’re still running back and forth along the court or the field.

Real injury prevention is borne out of the ability to navigate your body in space, to have proper body mechanics so deeply engrained in your muscle memory that the minute you think about changing directions your body knows how to coordinate all lower body joint movements.

Squats on the Foam Roller

Posted on: February 4th, 2012
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This exercise is NOT appropriate for beginners. Balancing on the foam roller requires a serious amount of body awareness and core strength. It’s guaranteed to humble even the fittest of athletes. Not only does it work the core, but challenges the small stabilizing muscles of the legs and hips that often do not get the attention they deserve.

Stand on the foam roller with the feet hip distance apart. The arch of the foot should be resting on the apex of the roller. First, just try getting up and holding the balance for a few breaths. If you can hold that reasonably well, try adding the squat. Reaching the arms out in front helps to counter balance the weight of your hips going back. Make sure to stick your bottom out as you squat down so you’re your knees don’t come forward of the foam roller. Remember- this is a core exercise! Contract the abdominal muscles to stabilize the body. In particular, pay attention to the obliques and lower abdominals. See if you can get 10 squats without falling off.

Arm Circles

Posted on: May 11th, 2011
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Building off last week’s exercise we will continue with arm circles. It’s best to do these exercises in a progression; start with last week’s exercise to stabilize the shoulder girdle, then add the arm circles. It will make the exercise that much more effective.

Lie on the foam roller making sure your spine is straight. Raise your arms to the ceiling, being careful not to lift the shoulders as well (why it’s good to repeat last week’s exercise). Take the arms all the way back by your ears with the palms facing up, continue circling the arms down toward your hips, eventually bringing them all the way back to the ceiling. Throughout the entire circle keep the palms facing up and think about reaching out with the arms as you pull in with the shoulders (it will help you get a better stretch). You should feel a good stretch through your chest and shoulders. Repeat 10 circles in each direction.

Just like last week, this exercise is great for either rehab or prevention. It’s good for pretty much everyone and almost every shoulder condition. Use this to prevent or treat rotator cuff injuries, frozen shoulder, impingement, bursitis, and any kind of neck, shoulder or upper-back pain. It’s also a great exercise for anyone who works a desk or computer job. It really helps to stretch the chest and shoulders so you can get those shoulders out of your ears and down the back where they belong!