Strength training is integral to any well thought out program for an athlete be they a runner, cyclist, footballer or rugby player. The reason for it’s inclusion is usually performance related, as in looking for it to aid improved performance through the ability to generate more force etc. There are other benefits to getting stronger and in this paper from the BJSM website it’s role as an intervention in sports injuries was examined. Continue reading “Strength training reduces sports injury rates”
Sports injury prevention: What can you do?
How can I stop myself getting injured is a question that every therapist gets asked regularly. It is unfortunately a bit like asking how long is a piece of string and the question should really be how can I reduce my chances of injuring myself.
Continue reading “Sports injury prevention: What can you do?”
Hamstring injuries: prevention and treatment – an update
This paper on the BJSM, Hamstring injuries: prevention and treatment—an update, is a must read for anyone who deals with athletes or are susceptible to hamstring tears
“Despite increased knowledge of hamstring muscle injuries, the incidence has not diminished. We now know that not all hamstring injuries are the same and that certain types of injuries require prolonged rehabilitation and return to play. The slow stretch type of injury and injuries involving the central tendon both require longer times to return to play. A number of factors have been proposed as being indicators of time taken to return to play, but the evidence for these is conflicting. Recurrence rates remain high and it is now thought that strength deficits may be an important factor. Strengthening exercise should be performed with the hamstrings in a lengthened position. There is conflicting evidence regarding the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma injection in the treatment of hamstring injuries so at this stage we cannot advise their use. Various tests have been proposed as predictors of hamstring injury and the use of the Nordboard is an interesting addition to the testing process. Prevention of these injuries is the ultimate aim and there is increasing evidence that Nordic hamstring exercises are effective in reducing the incidence. “
Rehab and conditioning studio
Injury prevention and management
This is a good article, with lots of references so you can do some further reading if you wish, on Injury prevention and management.
Two take away points were;
In summary
· SS(static stretching) does not appear to reduce injury risk and any effect on earlier return to sport is of marginal clinical significance.
· In contrast, a graduated strength training program appears to significantly reduce injury risk and significantly reduce the time to return to sport after injury.
Injury prevention and management among athletic populations
When training is your job.
Just because your job is to play a sport at the highest level it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the process, not that it’s fun all the time but then who’s job is? Here’s a video from British tennis pro Heather Watson who reach the final of the Hobart International yesterday by beating her American opponent, Alison Riske, 6-3, 7-5.
To stretch or not to stretch?
I’ve posted one or two Yan Le Meur’s infographics over on the Facebook page and would definitely recommend checking out his site and following him on Facebook they contain some great information in a very accessible format. This is one from earlier in the week.
Arm swing when we walk
We all want to move better, more fluently and smoothly. A quick take home I got from the DMS course last weekend was that most of us, I include myself here, don’t really use our arms correctly when we walk. What we are more likely to do is get what appears to be arm swing from rotation of the shoulder girdle rather than from the shoulder joint itself. Continue reading “Arm swing when we walk”
The week in review
There have been quite a few good articles and blog posts I’ve come across this week, too many to cover here but if you keep an eye on our Facebook page you can see them all there. Continue reading “The week in review”
Playground or classroom?
I came across this posted on Facebook which I thought was quite interesting. The post talks about how time spent playing is perhaps more important to a child’s brain development than time in the classroom. This is not to say that children shouldn’t be spending time learning to read and write but that there are great benefits to having young children playing as part of the learning process. A benefit of this would be that the children are encouraged to exercise more in an informal way as the playing of games etc will see them running around. Encouraging the children to play more also helps with performance in the classroom as I noted in this post. Continue reading “Playground or classroom?”