BRINGING SCIENCE TO TREATMENT
We’re excited about our recent announcement to transition our subscription model to a web-based publication! This offers our readers the opportunity to access our content from any smart device. The downside of mobile reading is a phenomenon called ‘text neck’.
Paralympic skiers of the U.S. team Stephen Lawler (R) and Stephanie Jallen look at a mobile phone, 2018. REUTERS/Paul Hanna
Rest assured that the cervical spine is made to endure flexed positions for prolonged periods of time – as evidenced by the many craftsmen throughout the centuries who sat hunched over their work. The problem for the modern person, however, is that the muscles of the thoracic spine may not be conditioned for the load. Even fairly fit athletes may ignore upper back muscles in their training routines leading to thoracic dysfunction from time spent on mobile devices. Trevor Langford reviewed the tests to diagnose thoracic limitations and exercises to strengthen the thoracic musculature in a recent article.
The upper back muscles play a role not only in neck pain, but also in shoulder movements, as Chris Mallac explains in this week’s feature article on the upper trapezius. Pain and weakness in the upper traps affects the scapulohumeral rhythm, possibly limiting shoulder range and smoothness of movement. Limited scapular rotation most significantly impacts shoulder elevation in the arc of movement beyond 90°, as the scapula contributes over 50% of the motion in this range (see figure 1)1. Upper trap health, therefore, impacts overhead athletes, including swimmers and golfers.
Sometimes, neck pain isn’t coming from the neck at all, as in a case study presented by Chris Mallac. The cause of this dysfunction came from an unusual source: the pec minor. Malloc explains his detective work and offers treatment strategies for managing this unlikely culprit (see figure 2). This case study, where the subject is a physiotherapist, is a great reminder to practice what we preach while reading on the go!
in Email Newsletters, Leg injuries, Overuse injuries
A leg cramp is maddening but repeated leg pain on exertion halts an athlete’s progress and performance. Such is the case with chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS), the topic of today’s feature article. Physiotherapist Chris Mallac highlights this frustrating syndrome, including the theories about why it happens in the first place. Although several theories of etiology... MORE
in Email Newsletters, Tools and technology
The foam roller emerged on the therapeutic scene over five years ago, and has recently become one of the hottest fitness trends, making it into the ‘top 20’ in the United States for the last two years1. Touted for its effectiveness in decreasing muscle soreness and treating trigger points, health clubs even offer foam rolling... MORE
in Elbow and arm injuries, Email Newsletters, Musculoskeletal injuries, Overuse injuries
Elbow pain is usually fairly straight forward, either occurring on the medial side or the lateral side. Unfortunately, that’s where the simplicity ends. Lateral epicondylitis (LE), also known as tennis elbow, is a chronic condition that plagues racquet sport athletes, archers, and shooters. Today’s feature article, by physiotherapist Trevor Langford, explores the diagnosis and rehabilitation... MORE
in Email Newsletters, Sports psychology
Humphrey Bogart never said, “Play it again, Sam.” In fact, the line his character Rick says in the movie Casablanca is, “Play it!” This may be the best way for us to approach return to sport (RTS) with athletes: “Play it!” Often, more is made of the ‘return’ portion rather than the ‘sport.’ What I... MORE
When Sports Injury Bulletin (SIB) first began, it was a periodical that came in the post. Despite the challenges of the overseas mail system, SIB enjoyed a robust international audience. The expansion of the internet then enabled SIB to transition to an e-zine format, with each issue distributed in a PDF file via email, making... MORE
In our last newsletter we explored the anatomy of the anterolateral complex of the knee, reasons for the high rate of re-injury, and the rehab approach for conservative management. Most athletes, however, opt for surgical correction of an ACL tear. Contributor Chris Mallac highlights an alternative reconstruction method called a a Ligament Advanced Reinforcement System (LARS)... MORE
Knee pain is the most common of all sports injuries and virtually every sport has its share of knee injuries and related problems. If you or your client has played sport for any sustained period of time, the chances are you've already experienced at least one bout of knee pain. Be it a temporary, mild nuisance you've shrugged off, or a debilitating injury that forced you to seek specialist help. The good news for athletes, coaches and sports injury professionals, is that thanks to some important recent work in this area, sports scientists now know more than ever about the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of knee injuries. And now you too can share in these insights, courtesy of this special report. MORE
Understand and manage the shoulder's function, recognise how and why pathologies develop and learn the concepts behind current and best practice of shoulder injury management. MORE
Drawing from the knowledge and experience of our panel of sports scientists, physiotherapists and sports therapists we have compiled a holistic, technical and hands-on approach to understanding, treating and managing running injuries. The report covers prevention, physiology, core stability and technique, and includes case studies and illustrations throughout. It will stay with you as an invaluable reference point through your running career, and not only help you stay injury free but also increase your biomechanical efficiency for long term gains. MORE
