Acute injuries are caused by a sudden trauma.
Examples of trauma include collisions with obstacles on the field or between players. Common acute injuries among young athletes include contusions (bruises), sprains (a partial or complete tear of a ligament), strains (a partial or complete tear of a muscle or tendon), and fractures. A twisting force to the lower leg or foot is a common cause of ankle fractures, as well as ligament injuries (sprains). Reproduced and modified with permission from The Body Almanac. © American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2003.Weekly News & Insights
Overuse Injuries
on March 14, 2019
Overuse injuries can affect muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, and growth plates. For example, overhand pitching in baseball can be associated with injuries to the elbow. Swimming is often associated with injuries to the shoulder. Gymnastics and cheerleading are two common activities associated with injuries to the wrist and elbow.
Stress fractures are another common overuse injury in young athletes. Bone is in a constant state of turnover—a process called remodeling. New bone develops and replaces older bone. If an athlete's activity is too great, the breakdown of older bone occurs rapidly, and the body cannot make new bone fast enough to replace it. As a result, the bone is weakened and stress fractures can occur—most often in the shinbone and bones of the feet.
Source: Dr. Thomas M. Mitchell DC, CCSP - Chicago Institute for Health and Wellness
Tissue Injury to the Body
on March 7, 2019In any case, injured tissues undergo physical and chemical changes that can cause inflammation, pain and diminished function for the sufferer, all in a short period of time, and can last indefinitely if not properly treated. Spinal manipulation, or chiropractic adjustment, of the affected joint and tissues, begins the process of restoring mobility, thereby alleviating pain and muscle tightness. This process permits tissues to heal naturally.
read moreThe Benefits of Kinesio® Taping
on February 28, 2019You’ve seen it used with professional football players and Olympic athletes, so what is it?
Kinesio® Taping gives strength and stability to your joints and muscles without affecting circulation and range of motion. It is also used for preventive maintenance, edema, and to treat pain.
We use Kinesio® tape to stimulate muscle spindles and Golgi tendons to promote and inhibit muscular function. I call it the Neuro-tape.
Kinesio® Taping is a technique based on the body’s own natural healing process. This Kinesio® Taping exhibits its efficiency through the activation of neurological and circulatory systems. The method stems from the science of Kinesiology (def.: the study of the principles of mechanics and anatomy in relation to human movement), hence the name “Kinesio.”
Muscles are not only responsible for body movements but also control the circulation of venous and lymph flows, body temperature, etc. Therefore, if the muscles don’t function properly, it causes a myriad of symptoms. Kinesio® Taping creates a different treatment approach for nerves, muscles, and organs.
The first documented use of Kinesio® Taping was for a patient with articular disorders. For the first 10 years, orthopedists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and other medical practitioners were the primary users of Kinesio® Taping. Kinesio® Taping was used by the Japanese Olympic volleyball team and word of its benefits quickly spread to other athletes. Today, Kinesio® Taping is used by medical practitioners and athletes around the world.
Kinesio® Tape is used for anything from headaches to foot problems and everything in between. Examples include: muscular facilitation or inhibition in pediatric patients, carpal tunnel syndrome treatment, alleviation of lower back strain/pain (subluxations, herniated discs). It’s also highly effective in treating knee conditions, shoulder conditions, hamstring, groin injury, rotator cuff injury, whiplash, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, patella tracking, pre- and post-surgical edema, ankle sprains and athletic preventative injury method, and is also used as a support method.
Conventional athletic tape was originally designed to restrict the movement of affected muscles and joints. For this purpose, several layers of tape were rolled around and/or over the afflicted area, while applying significant pressure, resulting in the obstruction of the flow of bodily fluids as an undesirable side-effect.
This is also the reason. Kinesio® athletic tape is usually applied immediately before the sports activity, and removed immediately after the activity is finished. Kinesio® Taping is NOT a supportive tape job, so the tape is highly flexible. It doesn’t prevent movement; it allows the muscles to go through their full range of motion.
It also allows the joints to bend and move, so it’s not supportive like an athletic training taping job. Kinesio® Taping is a neurologic taping technique that allows the muscles to function and over a course of one to three days, depending on how long the tape adheres, it helps train the human mind to understand what the body needs to do, and how it should be doing it.
read moreDynamic Generalized Warm-Up
on February 21, 2019Warm-up is extremely crucial. A dynamic, generalized warm up is non-sport/ activity specific. These basic exercises that loosen up the entire body, increase overall blood circulation and lymphatic drainage and increase respiration. Examples of such exercises, include but are not limited to:
- High Knee Walking
- Leg Swings Squats: Lateral and Vertical
- Lunges
- Chin Tucks with Scapular Tightening
- Calf Raises and Toe Raises
- Wall Angels
STRETCHING
Don’t cut corners. Be sure to stretch. The purpose of stretching is to literally lengthen the muscle. Chronically shortened muscles don’t have the same amount of contractile force and don’t perform as well as muscles that are lengthened and provide full range of motion to joints. Stretching is performed after the muscles have been significantly warmed-up. Stretching should be a combination of static and dynamic activities.
Stretching in general helps to minimize injury, increases joint range of motion, creates flexibility in the muscles and increases muscular performance. Remember that your body has to be properly hydrated (at least 2 liters of purified water a day) to be flexible.
SPORTS/ACTIVITY SPECIFIC WARM-UP
Don’t jump from stretching to sprinting. Warm-up in the activity you are about to perform and take the time to do it properly and thoroughly. This allows your nervous system to adjust the muscles’ firing patterns for the activity. This also allows your body to increase blood flow to the area in demand.
Cold muscles don’t perform well and must be warmed up with increased blood circulation. With increased blood flow, comes the necessary nutrients and oxygen needed for performance. Cold muscles are less pliable and at high risk of injury. To maximize prevention and performance, warm up your muscles!
read moreCheerleading –Common Injuries
on February 14, 2019Cheerleading is definitely a sport and is closely associated to many other sports. It is a strenuous physical activity that combines acrobatics and gymnastic moves, which stresses the body.
There was a sad incident that happened to a cheerleader in March, 2006. A young girl named Kristi Yamaoka, a student of Southern Illinois University, had a near-fatal fall from atop a human pyramid and sustained multiple vertebral fractures and internal damage in major organs. Fortunately, Kristi had a good recovery; it was a relief for everyone whose attention was focused on her during her treatment.
65% OF THE INJURIES SUSTAINED BY ALL FEMALE STUDENTS ARE INFLICTED DURING CHEERLEADING ACROBATICS.
Cheerleading involves potentially dangerous performances that are akin to stunts, i.e. forming multi-level human pyramids, somersaults, etc. Hence, the chances of injuring joints, bones, skin, etc. are very high, and Kristi’s incident shows that internal organs can suffer damage as well. Head, neck, vertebra, disk, and lower body injuries are all quite common in cheerleading.
HOW TO PREVENT CHEERLEADING INJURIES
For school age cheerleaders and sports players, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines to prevent cheerleading injuries. Now, coaches, school authorities, cheerleaders, and their parents, as well as youthful players must adhere to these guidelines. Below are the main preventive measures suggested by AAP.
- Cheerleaders must be provided with qualified coaches and medical staff.
- They must undergo pre-season physical and stamina building exercises conducted by qualified staff.
- Stunts and pyramids must be formed on a soft floor like foam, spring or grass.
- Pyramids must not be formed more than two floor levels, i.e. over two persons’ height.
- If any cheerleader is exposed to an injury, he or she can only be allowed back into the cheerleading activity with a clearance certificate from a medical expert.
There are specific and detailed guidelines for pyramid formations: the base supporter should stand still in direct contact with the floor, and the suspended cheerleaders should never rotate, invert or dismount from their positions carelessly. Similarly, when a cheerleader is tossed up in the air (flyer), at least four players should be attending to the flyer. The flyer is advised not to drop his/her head lower than the horizontal plane with his/her torso.
Overall, it is important to follow proper technique and focus on prevention. You must bear in mind that these and other preventative measures should never be ignored as they are meant to protect you from many negative effects. So, follow appropriate protocol and protect yourself.
read moreSoccer- Common Injuries
on February 7, 2019Historical evidence shows that a game very similar to our present day version of soccer has been played in various cultures, from China to ancient Greece, for over 3000 years. With over 3.5 billion fans worldwide, soccer is the most popular sport on the planet. This international popularity has also made soccer the fastest growing team sport in the United States. This sport provides a great aerobic workout; helps develop balance, agility, coordination, and teamwork. Soccer players of all ages must be aware of the risks for injury. Injury prevention, early detection, and proper treatment can keep kids and adults on the field for many years.
Due to the tremendous amount of running, twisting and turning on foot, injuries to the lower extremities are the most common in soccer. These injuries may be traumatic, such as a kick to the leg or a twist to the knee, or result from overuse of a muscle, tendon, or bone.
Most frequently, we see:
- Sprains and strains of the knee and ankle
- Cartilage tears and ACL (anterior cruciate ligament)
- Over-use injuries (Shin splints, patellar tendonitis and Achilles tendonitis)
- Stress fractures (occur when the bone becomes weak from overuse. It is often difficult to distinguish stress fractures from soft tissue injury.)
- Wrist sprains, wrist fractures, and shoulder dislocations (especially in the position of goalie, from reaching and falling on the ball)
- Injuries to the head, neck, and face (cuts and bruises, fractures and neck sprains from collisions with other players)
- Concussions
Tips on Preventing Soccer Injuries
- Have a pre-season physical examination and follow your doctor’s recommendations.
- Use well-fitting cleats and shin guards.
- Be aware of poor field conditions that can increase injury rates.
- Use properly sized synthetic balls — leather balls that can become waterlogged and heavy and are more dangerous, especially when heading
- Inspect and secure mobile goals that can fall on players (request fixed goals whenever possible)
- Drink plenty of fluids to replace those lost through perspiration and intense exertion (see May issue of Weekly News & Insights for more resources on proper fluid intake).
- Pay attention to environmental/weather conditions, especially in relation to excessively hot and humid weather, to help avoid heat exhaustion.
- Maintain proper fitness (including the off-season) through activities such as aerobic conditioning, strength training, and agility training.
- Avoid overuse and over-training injuries. Listen to your body and decrease training time and intensity if pain or discomfort develops.