Ground Up Strength

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.

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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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