Is the Hamstring to Quadriceps Strength Ratio Really Important?

Many strength trainees, bodybuilders, and exercisers are told that there should be a certain ratio between the strength of their hamstring and quadriceps muscles. Called the H/Q ratio and reported to be anywhere from .50 to .75 with a normative value of .60, the strength ratio of this important agonist/antagonist pairing is considered essential to the stability of the knee joint and to prevent ACL and other injuries. It is also sometimes thought to be predictive of those at risk for hamstring strain.

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Do Athletic Supporters Really Do Anything?

Quick forum thread discussion on whether the male athletic supporter serves any real purpose.

Topics Covered

• What was the original purpose of the athletic support?
• Can an athletic supporter protect you from an inguinal hernia
• Do you need a firm undergarment to protect you from a hernia?
• The athletic supporter and the 'cup' to protect the genitalia

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Turf Toe Taping: How to Tape and Protect a Sprained Big Toe

Turf toe, which is actually a sprain of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTP), is one of the most common athletic foot injuries. You may not realize how important your big toe is until you sprain it. This seemingly little sprain is a big problem and it can take you out of the game for three or more weeks. If you expect it to heel quickly you have to be able to protect the toe from the constant aggravation of walking.

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What is the Most Common Cause of Shin Splints and How Is It Treated and Prevented?

By Eric Troy, Ground Up Strength

If you ask a doctor what shin splints are you probably will not get a straight answer. That is because there are no straight answers to give. Shin splints is the generic name we use for any leg pain that is below the knee and above the ankle. The term is nondescriptive and does not refer to any one type of pain or pathophysiology. It is often called a "wastebasket" diagnosis.

Shin splints therefore should not be considered an adequate diagnosis of chronic lower leg pain as this will offer no guidance to treatment and avoidance. Basically, if your doctor tells you that you have shin splints they are basically telling you that you have shin pain, which you probably already knew!

However, there is a typical pain syndrome, called Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, that can be considered somewhat synonymous with shin splints. This syndrome causes pain that typically occurs in the lateral front of the lower leg or more to the inside of the lower leg, called the "posteromedial" region. It is most common following repetitive running and jumping activities such as running, volleyball, soccer. There are many articles that will run through all the complexities of shin pain and try to tell you the truth about shin splints by dumping data about all the many causes..but most of them are rare compared to MTSS.

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What is the difference Between Tendonitis, Tendonosis, and Tendinopathy?

The three common terms used to refer to tendon injuries or overuse injuries are extremely confusing. Much of the time, the difference between these entities is not apparent at all and they seem to be used interchangeably. Since there also exists disagreement among practitioners as to what internal changes actually constitute what condition, the layperson is left even more befuddled. Both tendonitis and tendonosis are much more common terms than tendonopathy.

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When Shouldn't Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medications Be Used in Musculoskeletal Injuries?

The first non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), aspirin, is still used to treat aches and pains. It is unique in that it has many other useful properties above and beyond its effectiveness for arthritis and related problems.

The second NSAID was a drug called phenylbutazone (Butazolidin), which was eventually removed from the market by the FDA because of a myriad of side effects, among them being aplastic anemia, and stomach ulcers. "Bute" was also a favorite at the racetracks because its pain-relieving properties allowed horses to race "through the pain."

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Deciphering the Pathogenesis of Tendinopathy: A Three-stages Process

Our understanding of the pathogenesis of "tendinopathy" is based on fragmented evidences like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. We propose a "failed healing theory" to knit these fragments together, which can explain previous observations. We also propose that albeit "overuse injury" and other insidious "micro trauma" may well be primary triggers of the process, "tendinopathy" is not an "overuse injury" per se. The typical clinical, histological and biochemical presentation relates to a localized chronic pain condition which may lead to tendon rupture, the latter attributed to mechanical weakness. Characterization of pathological "tendinotic" tissues revealed coexistence of collagenolytic injuries and an active healing process, focal hypervascularity and tissue metaplasia. These observations suggest a failed healing process as response to a triggering injury. The pathogenesis of tendinopathy can be described as a three stage process: injury, failed healing and clinical presentation. It is likely that some of these "initial injuries" heal well and we speculate that predisposing intrinsic or extrinsic factors may be involved. The injury stage involves a progressive collagenolytic tendon injury. The failed healing stage mainly refers to prolonged activation and failed resolution of the normal healing process. Finally, the matrix disturbances, increased focal vascularity and abnormal cytokine profiles contribute to the clinical presentations of chronic tendon pain or rupture. With this integrative pathogenesis theory, we can relate the known manifestations of tendinopathy and point to the "missing links". This model may guide future research on tendinopathy, until we could ultimately decipher the complete pathogenesis process and provide better treatments.

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What is Diabetic Joint Disease?

Diabetic Joint Disease is a destructive arthritis facilitated by neurological (nerve) disease. It is also known as Charcot Joint Disease. It is named for Jean-Marie Charcot a French neurologist who observed a severe pattern of joint destruction in patients with advanced syphilis. This advanced (tertiary) syphilis commonly causes absence of normal sensation; especially in the lower extremities (foot and ankle). Charcot noted this in 1868. For the last seventy years this has also been observed in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (nerve disease). This neuropathy also causes a loss of normal sensation. Feet can become totally insensate (without feeling). It’s common for these feet to have normal arterial circulation. The last predisposing factor to Diabetic Joint Disease is trauma. Trauma can be acute as an injury like a fracture or sprain; or it can be subtle like a repetitive stress injury. A person whose foot musculoskeletal structure is even slightly dysfunctional is at a much greater risk for this destructive arthritis.

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Achilles Tendon Injury

In an adult population, ruptures of the Achilles tendon can be a common injury of the foot and ankle. While they can be seen in almost all level of competitive athletes, they have been historically linked with the “weekend warrior” athlete who may be somewhat de-conditioned but exerts themselves in brief periods of time in sporting activities. Recognition and treatment of an Achilles tendon injury is very important, as neglected or unrecognized ruptures can cause many future problems with both daily activities and sports competition.

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Plica Syndrome Of The Knee: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Plica syndrome is an post-traumatic or post-inflammatory thickening, chronic inflammation (synovitis), and/or fibrosis of the synovial plicae of the knee. This means that the plica (PLI-kah) have been irritated by overuse or injury to the knee. Most commonly affecting the medial plica, the symptoms mimic those of other other knee problems such as a torn meniscus, causing patella pain, snapping, clicking, and tenderness of the joint. There may be a sense of instability in the knee and a knee-locking sensation. Bibliography item klippel not found.,Bibliography item wheeles not found.

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Adult Flat Foot

By Jonathan Blood-Smyth

Flat footedness is divided into acquired flat foot which is a condition which develops after we have attained maturity and congenital flat foot which is a common condition and often not of pathological significance. Adult flat foot has many potential causes which include dislocation and fractures, foot abnormalities, arthritic changes and neurological conditions. The commonest cause however of this foot problem is a dysfunction of one of the foot tendons, the posterior tibial muscle tendon. The methods by which the tibialis posterior tendon malfunctions are varied and ascribed to degeneration, inflammation or trauma.

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Muscle Imbalance and Chronic Strain Injuries

By Jeff P. Anliker, LMT

Injuries can occur anywhere and at anytime, but the most prevalent place of occurrence is in the workplace. The reason for such a high rate of injury is that people spend 8-18 hours a day, 5-7 days a week performing unidirectional (one-way) movement patterns, causing an imbalance in the musculoskeletal system that results in the overuse and under use of certain muscle groups. If left unchecked, these injuries can be come chronic, resulting in pain and dysfunction that can last for years.

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Trigger Finger: Is It Really All That Common?

By: Jeff P. Anliker, LMT

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the most widely recognized form of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), but Trigger Finger is catching up fast, becoming all too common among society and affecting the youth and elderly in ever-increasing numbers. If the rising numbers keep on track, Trigger Finger may be recognized along with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as having achieved epidemic proportions.

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Medial Collateral Ligament Injuries of the Knee

By Asheesh Bedi, MD

Medial collateral ligament injuries to the knee are not uncommon. Many well-recognized professional athletes, including Hines Ward, Knowshan Moreno, and Troy Polamalu, have suffered from medial collateral ligament tears after injury on the football field. These can occur alone or in combination with other ligament or cartilage injuries of the knee in athletes.

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Patellar Tendonitis: Jumper's Knee

By Asheesh Bedi, M.D.

What is the patellar tendon? What is patellar tendonitis?

Patellar tendonitis is defined by inflammation in the patellar tendon, and most commonly occurs at its origin just below the kneecap. The most common cause is overuse or repetitive injury, and it has been reported to occur in athletes of virtually every sport. However, jumping activities place particularly high strains on the tendon and the condition is therefore more common in basketball players, tennis players, volleyball players, track and field athletes, as well as soccer players. With repetitive jumping, small, often "microscopic" tearing and injury of the tendon can occur. The chronic injury and healing response results in inflammation and localized pain. Many well-known elite athletes, including Brandon Inge of the Tigers, Oliver Perez of the Mets, and tennis star Rafa Nadal have fought chronic battles with patellar tendonitis during their career. Rarely, an acute patellar tendonitis can develop in response to a single traumatic event and should raise concern regarding a partial or complete tendon rupture.

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Symptoms of Sports Hernia and Athletic Pubalgia

What is a Sports Hernia?

A sports hernia also known as athletic pubalgia, Gilmore's groin, and slap shot gut, is an uncommon, but often missed cause of groin pain in high level athletes. It is poorly understood and poorly defined in the medical community. It is also very difficult to identify based on history and physical exam of an athlete with groin pain. The name sports hernia is a misnomer as well because there is no discernable hernia (or protrusion of abdominal cavity contents) present in this condition.

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What Is Runners Knee?

By Asheesh Bedi, M.D.

Runner's knee is a term used to describe a constellation of symptoms of knee pain that is frequently encountered in running athletes. Other terms that have been used to describe this condition are "anterior knee pain", "chondromalacia patella", or "patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS)". Runner's knee involves the kneecap, quadriceps tendon, patellar tendon, and the associated soft tissues that are critical to extension of the knee. Historically, "runner's knee" was attributed to irritation and softening of the cartilage lining on the undersurface of the kneecap ("chondromalacia"). More recently, however, it has been recognized that overloading of the underlying ("subchondral") bone can be a substantial source of pain, as it has a rich nerve supply. The soft tissues and fat pad in the front knee can be causes of pain as well.

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Torn Rotator Cuff

By Asheesh Bedi, M.D.

In an adult population, rotator cuff tears are the most common cause of debilitating shoulder pain and disability, with approximately 300,000 rotator cuff surgeries performed annually in the United States. The diagnosis and management of rotator cuff disease places a significant financial burden on the U.S. economy, amounting to an annual cost of 3 billion dollars.

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Is Dr. Oz Right About Inversion Tables?

By Janelle Trempe PT, ATC

What is an Inversion Table?

Inversion tables are devices which allow the user to attach his or her feet to the base, tilt backward, and hang upside down. Most inversion tables allow you to adjust the angle of inversion thus you can hang anywhere from a 45 degree angle to being completely perpendicular to the floor.

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Meniscus Tears

The menisci are pieces of cartilage in the knee that play a vital role in athletes. They are two C-shaped structures that lie between the femur and tibia on the inside ("medial") and outside ("lateral") aspects of the knee. They predominantly consist of water and collagen fibers. Historically, the function of the menisci was unclear, and some even considered them to be vestigial remnants of embryonic tissue like the appendix. For this reason, complete excision of the meniscus ("total meniscectomy") was not infrequently performed in the setting a symptomatic meniscus tear. Unfortunately, total meniscectomy in young patients has been shown to dramatically accelerate degenerative wear in the knee. Furthermore, various critical functions of the menisci to the maintenance of knee health have been well-established. These include:

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Common Function and Disfunction Of The Knee

The knee joint is one of the major weight bearing joints, it has to cope with walking, running, bending, jumping and lifting objects. It also works in conjunction with the hip & ankle joints, assisting in static erect posture (standing). So not only does the knee joint need to offer stability & weight support, but it must also offer considerable mobility. It is no surprise then that it is one of the most commonly injured joints in the human body.

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What Causes Knee Snapping?

When you're working out, or playing your favorite sport, a snapping sensation within your knee can cause pain and frustration, and can lead to buckling or giving way, falling, and eventually, damage to the cartilage surfaces of the joint. The snap results when some structure within the joint is momentarily caught between the moving bones, tension is applied and is then suddenly released, much like plucking a guitar string.

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What is Bursitis? It's Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

Bursitis involves inflammation or irritation of the bursa of a joint. The word bursitis comes from the word bursa and "itis" which means inflammation.

A bursa is a small, synovial fluid containing sac surrounded by a membrane. These sacs act as cushions for the joints. Located in areas that are subject to friction, as when a muscle or tendon is pulling around a corner or over a bone, their purpose is to cushion and lubricate the tissues.Bibliography item acr not found.,Bibliography item jhwhite not found.

This cushioning lessens the effect of the friction to facilitate the motion between bones and tendons, bones and skin, or tendons and ligaments and thus prevent fraying and stress. When bursae become inflamed, redness and swelling within the sac results. This can cause a dull and aching or sharp and intense pain that seems to be coming from the joint itself. The pain tends to increase with movement and may be at it's worst during the night while you are trying to sleep. The pain is often mistaken for arthritis. Bibliography item frontera1 not found.,Bibliography item jhwhite not found.

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Anatomy of Torn Cartilage and Other Knee Injuries

The human knee is a very complicated joint. Two major bones come together at the knee — the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia — (shin bone). There is a third bone located at the knee — the patella (knee cap), but it does not participate in the joint between the femur and the tibia. The lower end of the femur has two side-by-side convex curved surfaces, while the upper end of the tibia has two side-by-side concave curved surfaces. The convex surfaces on the femur are obviously designed to fit into the concave surfaces on the tibia. But there are several things located in between.

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Identify If You Are At Risk for an ACL Injury

Every athlete knows someone who has suffered a serious knee injury while playing a sport. ACL injuries are keeping athletes out of their sport up to 1 year, and costs to recover from an ACL injury are estimated at $15000-$25000. As an athlete, parent, or coach you have to determine if you, your child, or your team is at risk for a serious knee injury. At last, we have determined 10 ways to discover if you are at a higher risk for an ACL knee injury.

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Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Although sometimes associated with the elderly, iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS or ITBFS, for iliotibial band friction syndrome) commonly affects the thighs and knees of runners, cyclists, hikers, and weight lifters. Squats, in particular, may cause this often acutely painful injury, providing a good case for proper form and adequate warm-ups and cool-downs.

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How to Treat Minor Burns: Basic First Aid

There are three types of burns, categorized by the degree of injury to the body's tissues. First-degree burns are burns that result in injury to the outside layer of skin only. These types of burns are commonly caused by very brief contact with hot surfaces, such as cooking pans, hot water, steam, and mild sunburn. No blistering occurs. These burns are minor and should heal within a week

First-Degree Burn Symptoms

• Redness
• Mild Swelling
• Pain
• Skin is unbroken (no blisters)

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Trigger Point Therapy

Many of the people that come to Massage Therapists and Bodyworkers are seeking someone to help them with muscular pain and chronic tension from Myofascial Trigger Points. They've heard that Trigger Point Therapy is a great way to naturally relieve their pain and restore function.

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Shin Splints - What Are Shin Splints and How to Treat Them

Shin splints are a generic term for pain on the medial (inside) aspect of the tibia (shin bone) which can have several different causes. The most common cause of shin pain is called medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) amongst health professionals and sports injury therapists.

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Three of the Most Common Heel Pain Causes

One of the most excruciating and debilitating pains that one can experience is heel pain. Heel pain can actually interfere with your activities of daily living limiting the things that you want or need to do. In fact, many people often avoid certain activities such as exercise because of the pain and end up gaining weight and becoming depressed as a result. Unfortunately, most people don't know how to treat their heel pain and end up suffering needlessly because of it. The following are the three most common causes of heel pain and what you can do to treat them.

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Retinal Detachment: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

The retina is the transparent light sensitive membrane which lines the back of the eye. When light strikes this membrane messages are sent to the brain through the optic nerve. When the retina becomes separated from it's underlying supportive tissue this is termed "retinal detachment" or a detached retina. This condition, which causes visual disturbances, was known as early as the 1700's when a pathological examination of an eye was reported by de Saint-Yves. Almost a century later the the first clinical description appeared and after that, with the invention of the opthalmoscope in 1851 retinal detachments were increasingly observed.

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Computer work and Musculoskeletal Disorders of the Neck and Upper Extremity

Musculoskeletal complaints in the neck and upper extremity and computer work are common in modern society and both show an increasing trend. Several previous reviews have indicated a possible causal relationship between computer work and musculoskeletal complaints in the neck and arm [1-9]. The epidemiological studies concerning computer use and musculoskeletal health are mainly based on subjective measures of upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms. This may give important knowledge with regard to preventing these ailments. However, when evaluating a possible causal relationship between computer work and musculoskeletal disorders, such as when handling insurance claims, it is necessary with a more objective measure of a sustained effect on the musculoskeletal system and this is the basis for the present review. In Norway this topic has a special interest at present (2010), as the government investigates the possibility to include specific musculoskeletal disorders on the list of occupational diseases that may receive compensation.

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Bed Rest is No Longer the Best Option for Back Pain

Low back pain is one of the most common reasons for consulting a physician. Despite little supporting scientific evidence, bed rest was considered the primary treatment from the late 19th century. What has changed now is how back pain is understood and managed.

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To Manipulate Or Not to Manipulate?

Manipulation is a word used in the physiotherapy community to mean a certain hands-on or manual technique applied to a joint, usually the spine. This manual technique involves a strong thrust which often leads to a "click" or "pop" sound and pain relief usually ensues.

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Trapezius Muscle: Location, Actions, and Trigger Points

The trapezius is a three part (tripartite) muscle of the upper back extending from the base of the skull all the way to the lower thoracic spine and laterally from the clavicle to the entire length of the spine of the scapula. Together the two trapezii form a diamond or kite-shaped trapezoid from which the muscle derives its name.

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Sciatica Versus Piriformis Syndrome

Sciatica and piriformis syndrome can seem quite similar, particularly in terms of symptoms, and this similarity in how they feel has caused considerable confusion for doctors and patients alike. Some individuals have stated that they are actually the same thing, but despite similarities in symptoms, the underlying causes of the two conditions are different.

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Does Computer Work Cause Carpal Tunnel? A Review of the Epidemiological Evidence

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a compression neuropathy of the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel. It is regarded as the most frequent compression neuropathy. Based on both clinical symptoms and nerve conduction tests (NCT), overall prevalences of 3.0–5.8% among women and 0.6–2.1% among men have been found in general population samples [1,2]. CTS is generally believed to be caused by increased pressure in the carpal tunnel. It has been a matter of discussion whether biomechanical factors may cause the condition. It is now widely accepted that exposure to hand-arm vibrations and exposure to a combination of repetitive hand use and the use of hand force may be causal agents [3]. In recent years, with the expanding use of computers, it has been a matter of concern if computer use could be a risk factor for the development of CTS, and if so, should the condition be recognised as an occupational disease. The issue was partly addressed in a recent review where it was concluded that the evidence did not point at any important association between keyboard and computer work and CTS [3]. The review, however, did not include a systematic search for studies on computer work and the evaluation was based on a limited number of epidemiological studies only. Furthermore, there were no considerations on possible mechanisms.

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Foot Orthoses: Customized Or Prefabricated - Which is Better?

The relative merit of customised versus prefabricated foot orthoses continues to be the subject of passionate debate among foot health professionals. Although there is currently insufficient evidence to reach definitive conclusions, a growing body of research literature suggests that prefabricated foot orthoses may produce equivalent clinical outcomes to customised foot orthoses for some conditions. Consensus guidelines for the prescription of customised foot orthoses need to be developed so that the hypothesised benefits of these devices can be thoroughly evaluated.

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Levator Scapulae Muscle: Location, Actions, and Trigger Points

The levator scapulae is a muscle located on each side of the neck, situated posteriorly¹. It is named for it's action in elevating or "lifting" the scapula and the word levator is the latin word for "to lift". This muscle is like the over-worked back-stage prop guy of the neck. Always in the shadow of the large sternocleidomastoid and hardly ever getting a moments rest.

Along with the trapezius, the levator scapulae works to shrug the shoulders by its raising of the medial margin of the scapula. If the scapula are fixed the muscles assist in cervical extension and if used alone flex the neck laterally to one side.

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Posterior Pelvic Pain In Pregnant Women: Sacroiliac Joint Pain

Posterior pelvic pain (PPP) is pain felt at or near the sacroiliac joints of your pelvis as a result of sacroiliac joint dysfunction. These are joints located at the 2 dimples of the lower back. The pain often feels deep within your lower back and can occur on one or both sides of your back. In some cases, pain radiates down to the buttock and the back of the thigh.

While pain may begin at any time during pregnancy, PPP on average begins in the 18th week of pregnancy and becomes more intense as the pregnancy progresses. The pain usually spontaneously resolves within 3 months post delivery. But in some cases it can become chronic and disabling.

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Trigger Point Release Self Treatment Cautions and Tips

General self myofascial release has become very familiar to the strength training world in recent years but targeted trigger point release is much less well-known. Although myofascial trigger points can certainly be self treated with simple massage techniques and some targeted stretching when needed, in many cases a trained professional may be a better option. This is especially true in the case of chronic recurring pain conditions as opposed to occasional acute pain problems. Trigger points can have an underlying cause, and reading a trigger point self help book, although highly recommended, is a long way from preparing us to identify and treat these underlying causes. However, when choosing to perform trigger point self therapy there are some simple and universal precautions.¹

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Masseter Muscle: Location, Actions, and Trigger Points

The masseter is a jaw muscle that gets its name from the Greek work "to chew". It is the major muscle of mastication (chewing) of the human jaw and serves primarily to elevate the mandible (lower jaw) while the deep tissues help to protrude (protract) it forward. Although we rarely think of it, the mandible is the only bone of the skull that is actually moveable. The upper jaw is fixed. There is a lot of moving for the mandible to do, therefore, and the masseter is the primary worker. Located on each side of the face in the parotid¹ region at the back of the jaw, these muscles are easily visible or palpable when you clench your jaw, as they contract strongly just in front of the lower ears.²

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Understanding Foot Pain: Nature and Mechanisms

Approximately one-quarter of the population are affected by foot pain at any given time. It is often disabling and can impair mood, behaviour, self-care ability and overall quality of life. Currently, the nature and mechanism underlying many types of foot pain is not clearly understood. Here we comprehensively review the literature on foot pain, with specific reference to its definition, prevalence, aetiology and predictors, classification, measurement and impact. We also discuss the complexities of foot pain as a sensory, emotional and psychosocial experience in the context of clinical practice, therapeutic trials and the placebo effect. A deeper understanding of foot pain is needed to identify causal pathways, classify diagnoses, quantify severity, evaluate long term implications and better target clinical intervention.

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Amplitude Of Movement, Law of Repetitive Motion, and Plyometrics

You may have heard trainers and coaches talk about movement amplitude. I often talk about amplitude as being one of those performance characteristics that determine the outcome of a training regimen and one of the factors indicating reductions or improvement in performance.

Amplitude is also part of the "law of repetitive motion" equation developed by Dr. Michael P. Leahy, who is the founder of Active Release Techniques (ART). This "law" is an equation describing the interaction between various parameters of human motion: I=NF/AR where:

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Biceps Tears from Deadlifts?

Lots of trainees ask whether they can get a torn bicep from deadlifts. Actually there are three related questions which I will introduce one after the other:

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Training to Fail Part 6: Biomechanics, Injury Prevention, and Performance

The last post about the concept of optimal strength training was more philosophical than practical. Even so, many practical ideas are derived from an underlying philosophy concerning training. However, I promised to get more technical and “sciency” in the next post so this one is about science itself being applied to strength training.

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Recreational Weight Training Makes You More Prone To Shoulder Injury?

This is an older post from the GUStrength's Blog.

I noticed a post about a study at Male Pattern Fitness that I would like to have reacted to but for some reason the comments are always closed kinda quickly at this blog so I wanted to comment on it here. I feel it may be a bit misleading.

Yes, I agree completely that most people train in a way that predisposes them to imbalances and injury. Such as the internal rotator dominance that was brought up in the post.

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Understanding Acute Ankle Sprains

Ankle ligamentous sprain injury is the most common single type of acute sport trauma [1]. Over the years, various preventive strategies have been implemented, however, a recent epidemiology revealed that ankle sprain injury still dominated in sport injury, as it accounted for 14% of all attendance in an accident and emergency department [2]. In the recent decade, the growing orthopaedic biomechanics techniques have enhanced a better understanding of injury mechanism, and the subsequent research in sports injury prevention and management [3]. This paper summarizes the current understanding in acute ankle ligementous sprain injury in sports, which facilitates the future research on ankle sprain prevention. Literature search of MEDLINE (from 1966) and PubMed (from 1950) was conducted in May 2008. The search keyword string was "ankle AND (injury OR injuries OR sprain)", which appeared in the title, abstract or keyword fields. The title and abstract of each entry was read to identify and exclude unrelated articles. Articles not written in English were also excluded. The information of the papers was summarized into the sub-topics in this article in the following paragraphs to form the current understanding on acute ankle ligamentous sprain injury in sports.

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Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: Anatomy, Risk Factors, and Rehabilitation

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) is a term for a variety of pathologies or anatomical abnormalities leading to a type of anterior knee pain [1]. Knowledge of the anatomy of the patellofemoral (PF) joint is essential to developing an understanding of the pathogenesis of PFPS. The symptom of anterior knee pain is associated with the conditions listed in Table 1. Pain may be caused by increased subcondral bone stress attributed to the stress of articulation or from cartilaginous lesions on the patella or distal femur [2-4]. Nearly 10% of all sports injury clinic visits by physically active individuals are attributed to PFPS [5], with more than 2/3 of patients being successfully treated through rehabilitation protocols [6-8].

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Understanding Normal, Injured and Healing Ligaments And Tendons

Ligaments and tendons are soft connective tissues which serve essential roles for biomechanical function of the musculoskeletal system by stabilizing and guiding the motion of diarthrodial joints. Nevertheless, these tissues are frequently injured due to repetition and overuse as well as quick cutting motions that involve acceleration and deceleration. These injuries often upset this balance between mobility and stability of the joint which causes damage to other soft tissues manifested as pain and other morbidity, such as osteoarthritis.

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Resolving Neck Pain: A Kinetic Chain Approach

Brian Abelson is the author of Release Your Pain: Resolving Repetitive Strain Injuries with Active Release Techniques®.

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Anti-inflammatory management for tendon injuries - friend or foe?

Acute and chronic tendon injuries are very common among athletes and in sedentary population. Most physicians prescribe anti-inflammatory managements to relieve the worst symptoms of swelling and pain, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids and physical therapies. However, experimental research shows that pro-inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandins may play important regulatory roles in tendon healing. Noticeably nearly all cases of chronic tendon injuries we treat as specialists have received non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by their physician, suggesting that there might be a potential interaction in some of these cases turning a mild inflammatory tendon injury into chronic tendinopathy in predisposed individuals. We are aware of the fact that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids may well have a positive effect on the pain control in the clinical situation whilst negatively affect the structural healing. It follows that a comprehensive evaluation of anti-inflammatory management for tendon injuries is needed and any such data would have profound clinical and health economic importance.

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Overuse Injuries in Female Athletes

The last three decades have witnessed a tremendous increase in female sports participation at all levels. However, increased sports participation of female athletes has also increased the incidence of sport-related injuries, which can be either acute trauma or overuse injuries. Overuse injuries may be defined as an imbalance caused by overly intensive training and inadequate recovery, which subsequently leads to a breakdown in tissue reparative mechanisms. This article will review the most frequent overuse injuries in female athletes in the context of anatomical, physiological, and psychological differences between genders.

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TMJ Or Jaw Pain: How it Happens and What You Can Do to Make the Pain in Your Jaw Go Away

Having a forward head posture puts a lot of strain on the muscles of your neck and jaw. Having a "forward head" means that your head (and often one or both shoulders, too) are in front of your body.

Where should your head be instead? Well, when you were a toddler, it was pretty much directly over your body and that's still where it should be. Due to habits, furniture, car seats, work and life, sometimes our head moves out in front of us. That causes a lot of symptoms and TMJ pain, or pain and difficulty moving your jaw, can be one of those symptoms.

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Resolving Low Back Pain: A Kinetic Chain Approach

Brian Abelson is the author of Release Your Pain: Resolving Repetitive Strain Injuries with Active Release Techniques®.

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Rolfing Introduction

Rolfing, otherwise known as Structural Integration, is named after Dr. Ida P. Rolf. Structural Integration is the outcome of her work from the 1920's all the way up to her death in 1979 although most sources say it was "created" in the 1960's.

This method of manipulation, instead of focusing on the muscles, is aimed at the fascia, which is the protective layer of connective tissue which surrounds the muscles, bones, and organs.

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ART®- Active Release Techniques

This hands on treatment is said to:

• restore optimal tissue texture, tension, and movement
• restore the strength, flexibility, relative translation, and function of the soft tissue
• release any soft-tissue restrictions or entrapped nerves, restricted circulatory structures, or lymphatic restrictions [Bibliography item abelson not found.].

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Massage Therapy and Pain - Does Therapeutic Massage Reduce Pain?

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Massage Therapy: 7 Tips to Picking a Great Massage Therapist

You've heard a lot about therapeutic massage and pain relief. Now you're thinking about finding a massage practitioner.

Or, maybe you've already had massage therapy but are not quite sure it was as effective or good as you thought it should be.

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Ignorance As A Form Of Progession- Revisited

A while back I posted a piece called "Ignorance as a form of progression", I'm posting it here (below) as well as a follow up which you may find interesting.

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Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome

Tell any long-distance runner or cyclist about your stinging pain at the side of the knee or hip, and you will get a knowing sympathetic look. ITB (Iliotibial band) friction syndrome is one of the commonest complaints amongst runners, cyclists and intense court sports.

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Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

Nerves and blood vessels travel from the neck to the upper limb through a series of three tunnels, known collectively as the thoracic outlet. (Picture 1)

The nerves and blood vessels pass through three triangular channels which make up the thoracic outlet: (A) the triangular space between the scalene muscles; (B) the costoclavicular space; and (C) a space beneath the pectoralis minor muscle.

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Plantar Fasciitis

The plantar fascia provides support when the foot rises up on the toes during walking, running, or climbing. It supports the long arch of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is caused by strain of the plantar fascia. The injured tissue causes pain at the bottom of the foot when starting to walk or when standing still for a long period of time. It is one of the most common causes of foot pain in adults [1,2].Jumping, running, or prolonged standing often causes strain on the plantar fascia. The outcome is generally good, with approximately 80 percent of people having no pain within one year. Flat feet can be a predisposing cause for plantar fasciitis as can a high arched foot (pes cavus) [2].

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Sciatica: Causes, Diagnosis, And Treatment

Sciatica is a buttock pain radiating down the back of the thigh and leg and possibly into the calf or foot. Other characteristics of sciatica include varying degrees of weakness in the leg muscles and numbness and/or tingling that radiates down the leg. These symptoms occur because of compression and/or irritation of the sciatic nerve or nerve roots which are forming the sciatic nerve. The areas in the buttock and leg affected by this compression are the areas that the sciatic nerve supplies with messages for normal function. There are many other names for sciatica including lumbosacral radicular syndrome, radiating low back pain, nerve root pain, and nerve root entrapment.

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Myofascial Trigger Points and Trigger Point Therapy

For centuries it has been afflicting man. It is intangible, mysterious and yet ubiquitous. Myofascial Trigger Points are the commonest cause of undiagnosed or misdiagnosed aches, pains and other puzzling symptoms. The daily clinical experience of thousands of physiotherapists, massage therapists and physicians verifies that most back and neck pain and headaches which are recurrent and stubborn are caused by trigger points or muscles knots.

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Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief with Kathryn Merrow and The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook

Recently, wev'e been talking a lot about the Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies. This trigger point self help book, the first of it's kind, is based on the pioneering work of Janet Travell and David G. Simons and their book of two volumes, Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual.

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Nondisruptive Muscle Strain Injury

Before I begin this little explanation I want to drop a bomb on you. The majority of injuries that occur in the weight-room are not "severe". They are relatively small and manageable strains. But they can LEAD to the severe injuries when managed improperly.

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Shoulder Injury Prevention 2

In the first part of shoulder injury prevention, I wrote about certain stretches and mobilizations necessary for the shoulder girdle to function properly and get the appropriate scapulo-glenohumeral rhythm. This means that we need to get the humerus to function properly in the glenohumeral joint to help the scapulae glide efficiently and not tilt anteriorly (up and forward).

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Shoulder Injury Prevention - Pec Minor Tightness and Stretching Video

Pectoralis minor tightness can be associated with pain between the shoulder blades which causes the rhomboids to be in a constant overworked/stretched position.

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Shoulder Injury Prevention

The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint. The head of the humerus (the bone where your biceps and triceps are) attaches into the “glenoid fossa”, which is simply a cavity for the bone to go into. This is just one aspect of this complex joint. It gets crazy.

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First Aid For Musculoskeletal Injuries

The first part will focus on the soft tissue injuries that a bodybuilder or strength athlete may incur and the important first steps one should take to ensure a speedy recovery. It will not go into specific exercise and sports injuries and is not meant as a comprehensive guide or a replacement for professional medical advice.

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