THE BENEFITS OF STRETCHING
Stretching will improve flexibility - which means you are less apt to become injured
Will prepare muscles for a workout - "a tight muscle is an inefficient muscle"
Help recovery after a workout - flushes waste product and lactic acid from the muscle which will make you less sore
Improved Biomechanics - range of motion will improve in joints which will improve efficiency
Tissue Adaptation - will promote strength and growth of tendons around your joints to make you less injury prone
HAMSTRING STRAIN & ISCHIOGLUTEAL BURSITIS
Our Physical Therapist have seen numerous people who have experienced persistent pain in the back of the thigh, especially with sitting in the car or on hard or soft surfaces and thought it was an isolated hamstring injury or sciatic pain coming from the back.
The hamstring group consists of three large muscles that extend in the back of the thigh from the pelvis at the “sit bones” (called the ischium) to the top of lower leg bone (tibia) below the knee. These “two joint” muscles are very active in running, biking (less so in swimming). A hamstring strain is a tear of some of the muscle fibers and can occur as a sudden “pull” during one specific event (traumatic) or more commonly is a result of accumulated “micro trauma” (overuse stress). Both occurrences are attributable to a biomechanical imbalance and require precise location and treatment of the strain and accurate biomechanical analysis to track down the cause of the injury.
Often times hamstring injuries are associated with an inflammation of a fluid filled sack (bursa) that lies between the sit bone (ischium) and the large gluteus maximus muscle of the buttocks. Known as Ischiogluteal Bursitis this condition is characterized by pain and tightness radiating down the back of the leg, especially when sitting in the car or on hard or soft surfaces. This condition can be persistent and cause continued re-injury of the hamstring from the chronic tightness it produces.
SYMPTOMS: The symptoms of a hamstring strain and/or Ischiogluteal Bursitis are similar and include…
“Popping” or “snapping” sensation as the muscle tears
Pain and tenderness in the back of the thigh during or after workouts
Pain and weakness when contracting the hamstring
Loss of flexibility when stretching
Pain when stretching hamstrings
Bruising on back of thigh (in traumatic strains)
Gradual onset of pain following intense workout
Pain which is aggravated by long periods of sitting
CAUSES: All causes are biomechanical and may be exacerbated by…
Overuse – caused by an work/rest ratio that does not allow for adequate recovery
Leg length discrepancy when one leg is longer than the other
Tight muscles about the pelvis and thighs, including the gluteal muscles, hamstrings, hip flexor and quadriceps
Muscle weakness including pelvic stabilizers, hamstrings, gluteals and low back muscles
Improper Running Mechanics
Improper Bike Fit
Unscientific Training Programs Design
Scan Tissue from previous hamstring injuries
TREATMENT:
Rest from all painful activities
Cross training if it produces no pain
Accurate diagnosis of location and extent of injury as well as biomechanical analysis to discover the cause and prevent re-injury
Precision cross fiber massage to breakup scar tissue which makes the muscle unable to contract in that area resulting in weakness, pain and frequent re-injury
Physical Therapy modalities including ultrasound, electric stimulation and icing to fight inflammation and swelling
Re-strengthen the muscle rendered weak by scar tissue and weakness
Avoid stretching the injured muscle before scar tissue is resolved as the scar tightens with aggressive stretching
Stretch all associated musculature and specifically those muscles related to the biomechanical cause of the injury
Use downtime to work on other problem areas to make you better than you were before!
SHIN SPLINTS
Shin Splints: We have all had them at some point. Whether we were running with bad form, old shoes, or on a hard surface for the first time in a while, this injury can sideline an athlete for some time. Learn what to do to avoid this injury.
Check your shoes!!! Maybe you need to invest in new running shoes and throw away the old ones. If you are running a lot of miles it is a good idea to rotate pairs of shoes. This will improve the life of the shoe and how it needs to support you.
Stretch the calf muscles three times daily and before and after any activity
Ice the painful area three times per day for twenty minutes
Reduce mileage to HALF of your current volume and stop all hills and speed work
Do not wait. This injury can lead to stress factures in your tibia bones, which will keep you off your feet for a much longer time. Do not let this happen to you! This is a serious injury and must be treated to have a successful season.
If you try these tips out and still have shin splints please give us a call and schedule your complimentary injury evaluation.
Correct leg length discrepancies to fix ITBS
IT Band Syndrome (ITBS) stands for Iliotibial Band Syndrome and is characterized by:
Often times extreme pain on the outside of the knee (most common) or pain at the outside of the pelvis or hip
Pain with running or biking usually not both
Pain worse walking or running down (most common) or up hills or stairs
Pain with squatting and repetitive knee pending exercises
CAUSES:
Structural or functional leg length inequalities (short or long leg syndrome)
Improper bike fit/positioning
Inadequate control of excessive foot pronation from poor shoe choices or faulty running mechanics
Tight muscles in lower extremity and pelvis
TREATMENT:
Accurate evaluation by a licensed and qualified health care professional trained to assess all physical signs of limb length inequalities i.e. bunions, calluses, alignment issues (including foot pronation), landmark comparisons, flexibility and strength testing
Correction of leg length differences with exercise and manual therapy (functional discrepancies) or support of short limb (structural discrepancies)
Correct improper running mechanics and poor running shoe choices
Improve bike positioning and correct for limb length discrepancies
If you have pain in the same place for two workouts in a row or over the course of a week or two consider yourself injured. For EVERY DAY YOU TRAIN IN PAIN IT WILL TAKE TWO TO GET BETTER!
WATER POWER WORKOUT
“There is more to do in the water than just swim,” Ron Berry, PT, Forster Physical Therapy
“The pool is the new gym” as declared in a Los Angeles Times headline recently.
Vertical water exercise provides workouts for strength, core stability, endurance and the most elusive of all fitness components for the triathlete: POWER. And its time efficient.
THE BENEFITS OF VERTICLE WATER EXERCISE
Water offers six times the resistance of air
Water provides resistance when pushing and pulling. In the same movement you work two sets of muscles. As opposed to the typical land exercise where the bicep raises and lowers the weight, in the pool the bicep curls the arm but the triceps straightens it back out. You save time.
Moving your limbs through the water with paddles and cuffs on your wrists and ankles provides additional resistance to strengthen the extremities while challenging the core to stabilize the body to maintain position and balance.
Water running very closely simulates land running without the joint pounding. The water’s resistance strengthens the hip flexors very efficiently which are difficult to train safely on land.
Water allows you to work harder on land because the pressure exerted on your submerged body parts enhances blood flow back to the heart. This allows you’re to work your muscles harder as the waste products are more quickly removed.
WATER PLYOMETRICS
Athletes need extended aerobic training but run the risk of losing the “snap” in their legs. The quick muscle contractions needed to power over a hill or catch a competitor who pulls ahead is lost with all the over distance training. Power is the missing ingredient in the typical athlete training program but can be accomplished safely and efficiently in the water.
Plyometric workouts for power training involve a quick stretch of a muscle immediately preceding a muscular contraction. In this way the contraction is further enhanced over that which can be achieved when starting the jump in a crouched position.
Bounding and box jumps typically done on land are dangerous and often lead to injury in endurance athletes because the landing is so violent. In water the explosive jumping is met with more resistance and therefore stimulates an even greater muscle contraction while the water cushions the joints on landing.
To learn more about the benefits of water for training and rehabilitation contact forsterpt@aol.com or call (310)656-8600.
