I came across a video discussing some of the contributing facts in PFP, which was really interesting. The video can be found here. One of the key factors suggested was VMO activation along with quadricep strength.
Worth a watch if you're interested.
There's also a blog by the presenter of the talk here.
Friday, 29 November 2013
Friday, 15 November 2013
Anterolateral knee ligament
In case you've missed the anatomy news of the week, if not the year at the very least, researchers have apparently discovered a ligament in the knee that was described in 19th century but not noted since then.Strange to think that a ligament like this could go unnoticed for so long, what with all the technology we've developed over the years and the number of dissections that must have taken place in the intervening years. What is interesting is whether there is a relationship between ACL damage for example and this ligament. One wonders what role it plays in stabilising the knee. Perhaps it works with the LCL given it's proximity, but we shall have to wait and see what the experts discover.
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
More on hip mobility and low back pain
I came across another interesting article about low back pain and hip mobility the other day. It came in an email about tennis coaching rather than a therapy newsletter. Written by Dr Josh Renkens, DC, MAT, ART, the article was titled "Is Your Limited Hip Mobility Causing Your Low Back Pain". Because it came in an email, there was no publication source, so I can't give you a reference to find it for yourself.
Anyway, he suggests that lack of internal (medial) hip rotation is a contributory factor in low back pain experienced by golfers and tennis players. Actually he refers to an imbalance in hip rotation rather than limited rotation in one direction. He says:
Another interesting point he makes was that:
The obvious thing might be to assume that the limited medial rotation come from tight lateral rotators, and that can certainly be true. But don't ignore the possibility that it might be that the medial rotators are not engaging properly. I've certainly seen that with at least one recent client where medial rotation wasn't restricted, it just didn't happen readily.
Anyway, he suggests that lack of internal (medial) hip rotation is a contributory factor in low back pain experienced by golfers and tennis players. Actually he refers to an imbalance in hip rotation rather than limited rotation in one direction. He says:
In one study, 48% of subjects with low back pain (LBP) had increased lateral rotation and a deficit in medial rotation of the hip (Ellison, JB).
Another interesting point he makes was that:
Researchers found that a statistically significant correlation was observed between a history of LBP and decreased lead hip internal rotation (Vad, Journal of Sports Medicine).
The obvious thing might be to assume that the limited medial rotation come from tight lateral rotators, and that can certainly be true. But don't ignore the possibility that it might be that the medial rotators are not engaging properly. I've certainly seen that with at least one recent client where medial rotation wasn't restricted, it just didn't happen readily.
Friday, 18 October 2013
Functional Movement Screening: The LTA Protocols
If you've read Gray Cook's books you will know all about FMS, you may even use it in your assessments of clients. There is a growing interest in FMS across a number of sports and I recently discovered a resource specifically aimed at tennis. Sadly you only seem to be able to access the screening document from the coaches area of the LTA website, but the booklets (there are two of them) are quite helpful.
The first booklet uses seven screening tests, the second has a more comprehensive series of ten tests, although not all are instantly recognisable as FMS tests. They are, however, useful measurements to make.
The booklets set out the tests but don't tell you how to interpret the results or what to do next. Understandable really, given that these are not manuals for therapists. However, they are interesting from the perspective of applying the principles of functional movement to sport specific situations.
The LTA's stated goal in both booklets focuses on elite young players and injury prevention. But there's an application too for these tests to anyone working with recreational athletes too.
If you want to have a look at these booklets, find yourself a friendly tennis coach who might get them for you, or maybe even the LTA has a print copy you could get hod of. I can't see anywhere on the website where you can order printed versions, but I'm guessing they are out there somewhere.
I've got Gray Cook's other book Movement: Functional Movement Systems: Screening, Assessment, Corrective Strategies on my Kindle, but I haven't read too much of it as yet.
The first booklet uses seven screening tests, the second has a more comprehensive series of ten tests, although not all are instantly recognisable as FMS tests. They are, however, useful measurements to make.
The booklets set out the tests but don't tell you how to interpret the results or what to do next. Understandable really, given that these are not manuals for therapists. However, they are interesting from the perspective of applying the principles of functional movement to sport specific situations.
The LTA's stated goal in both booklets focuses on elite young players and injury prevention. But there's an application too for these tests to anyone working with recreational athletes too.
If you want to have a look at these booklets, find yourself a friendly tennis coach who might get them for you, or maybe even the LTA has a print copy you could get hod of. I can't see anywhere on the website where you can order printed versions, but I'm guessing they are out there somewhere.
I've got Gray Cook's other book Movement: Functional Movement Systems: Screening, Assessment, Corrective Strategies on my Kindle, but I haven't read too much of it as yet.
Monday, 16 September 2013
Ankle mobility
Came across this video via James Dunne's blog, Kinetic Revolution.
As someone who knows only too well the issues of limited ankle mobility, I'm going to give this a try when I go out to play tennis today!
If you've never really stretched your calf muscles or mobilised your ankle, or if you've suffered an injury either recently or in the past, then you will want to progress gently with this, as you would with any new exercise.
As someone who knows only too well the issues of limited ankle mobility, I'm going to give this a try when I go out to play tennis today!
If you've never really stretched your calf muscles or mobilised your ankle, or if you've suffered an injury either recently or in the past, then you will want to progress gently with this, as you would with any new exercise.
Event work
So the last couple of weekends have been busy with a couple of events. On Sunday 8th September I was at the London to Brighton bike ride doing post event massage for riders. I was working with World Cancer Research Fund. A friend works for the charity and I helped out last year. This year I was the principle therapist and treated most of the riders who came for a massage.
On the 15th I was at the Royal Hospital Chelsea for the "Beating Blood Cancer" bike ride. Bit of a cycling theme developing! Working with Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, a team of 9 therapist worked in rather muddy conditions to provide post event treatment to about 150 cyclist over 6 hours.
The conditions weren't great, but the team did a fantastic job and no one moaned about the mud and the way the ground moved every time to shifted position!
Today's tasks include cleaning the couch and getting the dirt of my shoes!
On the 15th I was at the Royal Hospital Chelsea for the "Beating Blood Cancer" bike ride. Bit of a cycling theme developing! Working with Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, a team of 9 therapist worked in rather muddy conditions to provide post event treatment to about 150 cyclist over 6 hours.
The conditions weren't great, but the team did a fantastic job and no one moaned about the mud and the way the ground moved every time to shifted position!
Today's tasks include cleaning the couch and getting the dirt of my shoes!
Tuesday, 27 August 2013
Tensegrity and massage at Optimum Sports Performance
You may or may not have come across the principle of tensegrity, but I'm guessing that if you are involved in any sort of soft tissue treatment you will have discovered that sometimes the area that presents with pain or problems is not always the area that you need to treat.
Sometimes therapists are guilty of making these relationships sound way too mystical as if there's some sort of secret knowledge that reveals the true root of the problem. A more straightforward understanding simply points out that the soft tissues are are dynamic structure that works under load and tension. Tightness in ove muscle or group is bound to have an impact on other tissues and structures with which it has a connection. Tensegrity is just one way of describing these relationships.
Anyway, there are a couple of interesting articles about some recent studies that explore these principles at Optimum Sports Performance. Part 1 is here and part 2 is here.
Sometimes therapists are guilty of making these relationships sound way too mystical as if there's some sort of secret knowledge that reveals the true root of the problem. A more straightforward understanding simply points out that the soft tissues are are dynamic structure that works under load and tension. Tightness in ove muscle or group is bound to have an impact on other tissues and structures with which it has a connection. Tensegrity is just one way of describing these relationships.
Anyway, there are a couple of interesting articles about some recent studies that explore these principles at Optimum Sports Performance. Part 1 is here and part 2 is here.
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