Archive for the ‘sports injuries’ Category
Obviously, you don’t have to be a chiropractor to know that men and women are different! And, all those wonderful differences are what make the world go round, right? For example, I happen to have more female patients than male patients for the simple reason that women tend to take their health and wellness more seriously than most men do. But, of course, there’s much more that separates “Mars From Venus”! Men and women look differently, think differently, act differently, talk differently, and move differently, and they use different muscles when they move, even when they are doing what appears to be the same movement. For instance, according to a study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, when men and women kick a soccer ball, there are significant differences in knee alignment and muscle activation that occur. That right! Even a soccer ball can be manhandled or treated with a feminine touch! But, back to the study…the new data reveals that males activate certain hip and leg muscles more than females during the motion of the instep and side-foot kicks, the most common soccer kicks. And, I know from my professional experience with athletic female patients that female soccer players are more than twice as likely as males to sustain an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, which is extremely painful and usually requires extensive physical therapy, surgery, or both.
This is an important study because soccer is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States (for children as well as young adults) with approximately 20 million registered players. This number has been increasing by more then 20 percent annually, according to statistics from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). And, women are playing this sport on more competitive levels, just like the men (only differently).
Robert H. Brophy, MD, the author of the study and assistant professor of orthopedics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said that the tests he and his colleagues performed, using video cameras, retro-reflective markers and electrodes simultaneously, revealed that male players activate the hip flexors (inside the hip) in their kicking leg and the hip abductors (outside of the hip) in their supporting leg far more than females (more than twice as much, in fact). So, what causes the injury? Well, since females have less activation of the hip abductors, their hips tend to collapse into adduction (go in) during the kick. This can increase the load on the knee joint in the supporting leg and potentially put it at greater risk for injury.
So, what did the researchers conclude? “Activation of the hip abductors (in females) may help protect players against ACL injury,” said Dr. Brophy.
And, may I add that as a chiropractor, I support regular chiropractic care and a good stretching regimen, both of which can help to keep the musculoskeletel system in good alignment, keep joints mobile, and muscles limber.
With any kind of sport, injuries are not uncommon. You can frequently avoid getting injured in a certain sport by finding out what injury is apt to happen, and then do whatever it takes to avoid it. Unfortunately, sports injuries can’t always be avoided. Therefore, it’s advantageous to take conscientious care of your body to make injury less predictable, or less traumatic. Prior to beginning a sport, such as golf, the most important thing you can do is to be confident that you have a suitable fitness level. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle, keeping your joints mobile and your muscles limber, preparing your body prior to activity, using proper form and good postures while actively playing, and giving yourself plenty of cool down and relaxation time, you will probably keep your body safe from injury.
Golf injuries don’t only happen to amateurs. It has been conjectured that nearly a third of pro golfers playing concurrently are playing with injuries. Fortunately, all-round good health and fitness can decrease how many injuries you may experience and may conceivably deter them totally.
It is crucial for you to have proper body strength in the muscle areas most employed during golf. However, it’s important to make sure your spine is in proper alignment and that it has good mobility prior to setting out to build muscle strength. A proficient golf swing relies on your spine’s capacity to efficiently move in a rotational action. Back injuries are the most prevalent kind of injuries experienced by golfers. Your Sacramento chiropractor will insure that your spine is in proper alignment and that there is efficient movement of the vertebrae. Chiropractic management can go a long way in helping you to avert back injury.
Once you’re “straightened” it’s time to strengthen. Being prepared to play your game is paramount to safe, injury-free action on the green. Golf stretching and flexibility practices will warm up your muscles and make straining them less likely. Whole body range of motion (ROM) exercises will enhance flexibility, relatively fast, in all areas of the body. Additionally, elastic band conditioning can provide targeted golf range of motion advantages and can increase needed power in the shoulders, hips and deep muscles of the core. Due to the fact that elastic band training supplies the dynamic resistance that regular weight lifting does not, sports professionals, like your chiropractor, are making them a part of their golf conditioning programs.
Quite a few golfers suffer from “Golfer’s Elbow” in addition to back injuries. There is a minute difference between golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow though they are almost the same. Tennis elbow impinges the outside of the upper arm whereas golfer’s elbow affects the inner arm. Golfer’s elbow, like tennis elbow, can result from a single intense action, such as (in golf) striking the mat at the driving range or thrusting down on a hard fairway surface. Repetitive stress from smaller shocks, though, is most often the protagonist. Moreover, it can come upon those who all of a sudden begin to play too much golf. As a case in point, if individuals that usually play golf once or twice a month decide to play in a tournament, they are likely at risk for developing the injury.
Golf makes distinctive requirements on the body. Fatigue can be a challenge because the game ordinarily lasts longer than most other sports. Whenever the body is fatigued, unhealthy posture and impeded coordination frequently follow. Together, these two components can produce a variety of injuries. In addition, due to constant swinging of the golf clubs, the shoulder muscles are susceptible to injury. Just as attention should be given to make certain that your muscles are stretched and warmed up prior to starting your golf game, be sure to rest your body appropriately between games.
A surprising injury sometimes connected with golf is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. But, this injury can be caused by many games of golf played over a number of months continuously since it is a condition that comes about as a result of repetitive stress Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be a severe injury causing disability and sometimes requiring surgery. However, chiropractic management and, sometimes the use of a brace will help the condition if a health professional, such as your chiropractor, diagnoses it at an early stage.
Injuries are assumed to be inevitable part of life for many golfers. Nonetheless, a healthy, mobile spine, good preparation, proper exercise and muscle conditioning, attaining and sustaining a an appropriate fitness level, and reasonable rest and recuperation after your game is over, can make injuries a good deal less a part of your golfing experience.
Dr. Yong Kim is a chiropractor in Sacramento with over thirteen years of experience helping thousands of patients get out of pain and get their lives back. His office is located at 1707 Professional Drive, Sacramento, CA 95825. He has special training in the area of sports injuries. Dr Kim is himself an avid health enthusiast. For more information go to his website at http://www.sacramentochiropractor.org
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yong_J_Kim
The Wii is a revolutionary new games console utilizing state-of-the-art technology to enhance the game playing experience. It enables the players to really feel and experience the game using its remote controllers. However, it appears people are getting a little too carried away and accidents are happening.
It would appear that the Wii has two very good uses. You can play great games and totally immerse yourself in the action, but also clear your house of unwanted breakable items if placed in the vicinity of the game player.
The cause of all this mayhem seems to revolve around the rather loose fitting strap supplied by Nintendo, which does not appear to be up to the task of stopping the remote flying off your wrist and heading for the nearest breakable object during game play, or if you are extremely unlucky, straight into your television screen. Nintendo has recognized the problem and are delivering stronger wrist straps to outlets where people can exchange their old ones for the much stronger and safer version.
However, even with the new strap people will do the silliest things and forget themselves in the heat of the moment.
It seems the majority of problems are related to sports games. Imagine getting caught up in a really intense game of bowling. You need a strike to beat your opponent and you lunge forward with the remote giving it all you got. Unfortunately, the controller has other ideas and the strap snaps and off hurtles the controller straight into your new high definition TV. Very sad.
There are of course some counter-measures that can be applied. The launch of controller sleeves to aid with the grip would seem to be a step in the right direction. However, a sweaty sleeve is also a loose one, and after an intense bout of bowling the sleeve could easily fly off and head for all that fine china in your mothers’ best cabinet.
Baseball is also proving itself to be a very dangerous sport to play in the house as well. Imagine going for that home run, swinging the controller as hard as you can, foolishly carrying this out on a freshly polished wooden floor, the momentum spinning the player round like a mini tornado and twisting your ankle in the process. That’s just the batting, imagine the damage that can be carried out by the pitcher. Wild pitches have sent controllers heading for the nearest window, TV, lamp and practically any breakable glass object the Wii remote can home in on.
But by far the most damage is caused by tennis. People just seem to forget how tall they are in their own living rooms. Many a ceiling fan, chandelier and light fixture has fallen foul of the over-zealous serve in tennis. Even worse, some players have completely forgotten there surroundings and smacked friends a family members right on the face during backswings and smashes. Not pretty, and not the best way to make friends.
There’s no doubt that the Wii is tremendous fun, and leads to intense game play on many occasions. It’s new style of play has caught the imagination of the world leading to every single Wii made available for retail purchase over the holiday period being sold. Careful use of the Wii controller is a must if you are to avoid accidents and events like the one above from happening in your own home.
Jeffery Rush
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/nintendo-wii-accidents-and-injuries-97426.html
Massage is recorded as one of the earliest forms of physical therapy and it is known that it was used by very different cultures over 3000 years ago. It is only in the much more recent past since travel and communications have enabled different civilizations to meet that so many forms of massage have been developed. People are raving about massages and anything that goes with it. That also included sports massage. But what is sports massage?
Technically speaking, sports massage is a powerful therapeutic technique in a range of compression and stretching techniques is applied to the body’s muscle and connective tissues. It is used to great effect in the rehabilitation of all soft tissue dysfunction ranging from sport-related injury to aches and strains caused by everyday activities, such as working, lifting and gardening. Sports Massage is a special form of massage and is typically used before, during, and after athletic events. The purpose of the massage is to prepare the athlete for peak performance, to drain away fatigue, to relieve swelling, to reduce muscle tension, to promote flexibility and to prevent injuries.
Spots massage gives way to flexibility and a wide range of movement. It promotes faster recovery from injuries and assists through early detection of muscles dysfunction. Spots massage can be done before, during and after event and aids in the rehabilitation treatments. With its health benefits lots of sports players and coaches have been using this to enhance their performance and helps prevent injury.
Everyday, we exert lots of effort, sometimes even straining every inch our body to do a simple thing. Each of our movements can give damage to our muscles and tissues, although some may be just very minor ones, some can go to extreme damages. It has already been widely known that massage has its health benefits and usefulness. And with the addition of the healthy effects, one should really make massage a regular part on one’s life.
Sports massage has many benefits. In addition to FEELING GOOD, sports massage reduces the heart rate and blood pressure, increases blood circulation and lymph flow, reduces muscle tension, improves flexibility, and relieves pain. Each sport and athletic event uses muscle groups in a different way. Sports Massage can also include pre-event, post-event and maintenance techniques that promote greater athletic endurance and performance, lessen chances of injury and reduce recovery time.
Each sport and athletic event uses muscle groups in a different way. Sports massage therapists must be familiar with each muscle, the muscle groups and how they are affected by the specific movements and stresses of each sport. They also are trained in the appropriate uses of hydrotherapy and cryotherapy.
Traditional western (e.g. Swedish) massage is currently the most common approach used for conditioning programs. It is frequently supplemented by other massage therapy approaches including deep tissue, trigger point work, and acupressure. Some massage therapists have special training in sports massage and greater experience working with athletes.
Contraindications are conditions when you should not be massaged. The most common condition among athletes is that of an acute injury or inflammation. Usually the first 72 hours after an injury are the acute stage. After the swelling and pain begin to diminish, massage is indicated.
Emma Hardy
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/understanding-sports-massage-101816.html
Injuries occur in all athletic events quite frequently, certain
sports more so than others. Golf is no different than any other
sport. The severity of injuries in golf usually are not as
severe as in other sports. The scenario of a 300 lb. defensive
lineman slamming into the side of your knee tearing every
possible ligament structure in the knee will never happen in the
sport of golf. An interesting visual if you combined the sports
of football and golf onto the same playing field, but
inappropriate for this paper.
There are two types of injuries classified by professionals in
the fields of athletic training and sports medicine. The two
types of injuries are: 1) acute and 2) chronic. The above
example of the football player is classified as an acute injury.
An acute injury can be defined as the trauma in the body
occurring immediately after the injury. Refer to the football
player example above for a reminder. (For us older golfers,
remember Joe Theisman of the Redskins and Lawrence Taylor’s leg
breaking tackle? Acute injury.) Relating an acute injury to golf
is a little more difficult. Probably the easiest, and maybe most
the common, acute injury in golf, occurs while swinging and you
hit a rock or something that creates an injury to your wrist.
That would be the best example in the sport of golf of an acute
injury. Overall, acute injuries tend to be rare in golf because
contact by the body with external forces is rare.
My back is always killing me!
The second type of injury, chronic, is much more prevalent when
it comes to the sport of golf. A chronic injury is one that
occurs over time. Think of it as a “wear and tear” injury. These
are usually the result of the body breaking down over time. A
great sports example outside of golf is when you hear about a
baseball pitcher having tendonitis in the elbow. Tendonitis is
an inflammation of the elbow resulting from the stresses placed
upon it from throwing. Over time the elbow becomes tired and
eventually injured from the number of pitches thrown. If you are
a runner and, after a certain amount of time, your knees begin
to hurt, this is usually a chronic injury. When we talk about
golf, the majority of injuries are chronic. They tend to be a
direct result of the golf swing (just like the pitcher’s elbow).
Usually the chronic injuries in golf show up in the lower back.
If chronic injuries are caught soon enough in the cycle, rest
and proper treatment (i.e. massage, chiropractic care) will heal
them. But if you wait too long the body is going to “break,” and
then you will not be playing any golf for a long time. This is
where the unfortunate situation of surgery and other invasive
procedures are considered.
So a couple of questions we must ask when it comes to chronic
injuries in relation to golf are: how do they occur, and how do
we prevent them? Chronic injuries occur as a result of the body
becoming fatigued and eventually “breaking down.” The muscles,
ligaments, and tendons of your body are required to perform the
activity of swinging a golf club. Over time this activity causes
fatigue within your body. As the body continues to fatigue, or
get tired, the body gets sore. This is the first indicator of a
developing chronic injury. If you continue with the activity
you’re participating in, with soreness in the body, eventually
your body will break down. This “break down” will be in the form
of maybe a pulled muscle, muscle stiffness, tightness, or some
other type of inflammation. All of the above examples are a
result of structures in your body breaking down from fatigue and
overuse. Even if just on one swing you feel “your back go out,”
nine out of ten times it is a chronic injury, and that last
swing was the “piece of straw that broke the camel’s back.”
How to Prevent Chronic Injuries in Golf
We all know that the golf swing is a repetitive movement,
meaning the body is performing the same activity over and over
again. This creates fatigue in the body over time. And if over
time our body can’t support the number of swings we are taking,
it is eventually going to break down. There are three variables
we have when it comes to the prevention of chronic injuries in
golf. Number one is workloads. Workloads can be defined as the
number of swings that the body takes with a club over a given
period of time. That time frame can be seven days or an entire
tour season. Number two is efficiency of your mechanics. When we
say “efficiency of mechanics” we are talking about how
biomechanically correct your individual swing is. “Why is this
important?” you ask. Let me tell you. I think most of us would
agree that the tour players have very “efficient” swings; their
swings are smooth and look almost effortless. A swing like this
asks less out of the body to perform and requires less effort
from the muscles; hence fatiguing levels in the body are lower.
Some amateur swings look like they take a lot of work to
perform, and in reality they do! These types of swings ask a lot
more out of the body and fatigue it more quickly. The final
variable is what we term “golf strength.” Golf strength is a
measure of the required levels of flexibility, strength,
endurance, balance, and power to successfully support the
mechanics of the swing. Large amounts of golf strength allow the
body to support an efficient swing. Low levels of golf strength
do not provide the support needed for the swing.
Workloads, Swing Mechanics, and Golf Strength
All three of these variables work together to determine if you
are a candidate for a chronic golf injury. Golf strength is
essentially the foundation upon which your swing is built. This
variable indicates how many times you can swing a golf club with
your current mechanics before you come up injured. If you have
high levels of golf strength then regardless of how efficient of
a swing you have, you will be able to play for quite awhile
before you get sore. The flip side can also be said. If you have
low levels of golf strength, regardless of your swing mechanics,
you will come up sore in a shorter amount of time.
Secondly, let us look at swing mechanics. If you are a player
that has a very efficient swing that places very little stress
on the body, you will undoubtedly be able to play many rounds
before your body starts screaming at you. Again, if you have
poor mechanics, it is going to take its toll on your body and
your game.
Finally, we have workloads (i.e. number of swings). The number
of swings one makes must match up with levels of golf strength
and swing mechanics. The golf swing is a “stressor” of the body
and breaks it down over time. If you have an efficient swing,
each swing does less “damage” to the body. If you have a poor
swing, the body has to work harder, thus fatiguing it more
quickly. In addition to this is golf strength. If you have high
levels of golf strength, you can swing the club more (i.e.
workloads) before you get tired. Low levels of golf strength
present the situation of the body’s fatiguing more quickly. “So
what is the magic formula?” you ask. My first suggestion is
twofold: 1) work on your swing to improve the efficiency of it,
and 2) increase your levels of golf strength in order to support
your swing. For the time being, match up your swing and golf
strength levels to determine what workload levels you can get
out of your body. If you are in need of some more information on
the golf strength side of the equation, take a look at
www.bioforcegolf.com.
About the Author
Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness
instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour
regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson.
He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf
swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the
website www.bioforcegolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him
at support@bioforcegolf.com.
Sean Cochran
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/quotwhy-do-injuries-occur-in-golfquot-2699.html
Injuries occur in all athletic events quite frequently, certain
sports more so than others. Golf is no different than any other
sport. The severity of injuries in golf usually are not as
severe as in other sports. The scenario of a 300 lb. defensive
lineman slamming into the side of your knee tearing every
possible ligament structure in the knee will never happen in the
sport of golf. An interesting visual if you combined the sports
of football and golf onto the same playing field, but
inappropriate for this paper.
There are two types of injuries classified by professionals in
the fields of athletic training and sports medicine. The two
types of injuries are: 1) acute and 2) chronic. The above
example of the football player is classified as an acute injury.
An acute injury can be defined as the trauma in the body
occurring immediately after the injury. Refer to the football
player example above for a reminder. (For us older golfers,
remember Joe Theisman of the Redskins and Lawrence Taylor’s leg
breaking tackle? Acute injury.) Relating an acute injury to golf
is a little more difficult. Probably the easiest, and maybe most
the common, acute injury in golf, occurs while swinging and you
hit a rock or something that creates an injury to your wrist.
That would be the best example in the sport of golf of an acute
injury. Overall, acute injuries tend to be rare in golf because
contact by the body with external forces is rare.
My back is always killing me!
The second type of injury, chronic, is much more prevalent when
it comes to the sport of golf. A chronic injury is one that
occurs over time. Think of it as a “wear and tear” injury. These
are usually the result of the body breaking down over time. A
great sports example outside of golf is when you hear about a
baseball pitcher having tendonitis in the elbow. Tendonitis is
an inflammation of the elbow resulting from the stresses placed
upon it from throwing. Over time the elbow becomes tired and
eventually injured from the number of pitches thrown. If you are
a runner and, after a certain amount of time, your knees begin
to hurt, this is usually a chronic injury. When we talk about
golf, the majority of injuries are chronic. They tend to be a
direct result of the golf swing (just like the pitcher’s elbow).
Usually the chronic injuries in golf show up in the lower back.
If chronic injuries are caught soon enough in the cycle, rest
and proper treatment (i.e. massage, chiropractic care) will heal
them. But if you wait too long the body is going to “break,” and
then you will not be playing any golf for a long time. This is
where the unfortunate situation of surgery and other invasive
procedures are considered.
So a couple of questions we must ask when it comes to chronic
injuries in relation to golf are: how do they occur, and how do
we prevent them? Chronic injuries occur as a result of the body
becoming fatigued and eventually “breaking down.” The muscles,
ligaments, and tendons of your body are required to perform the
activity of swinging a golf club. Over time this activity causes
fatigue within your body. As the body continues to fatigue, or
get tired, the body gets sore. This is the first indicator of a
developing chronic injury. If you continue with the activity
you’re participating in, with soreness in the body, eventually
your body will break down. This “break down” will be in the form
of maybe a pulled muscle, muscle stiffness, tightness, or some
other type of inflammation. All of the above examples are a
result of structures in your body breaking down from fatigue and
overuse. Even if just on one swing you feel “your back go out,”
nine out of ten times it is a chronic injury, and that last
swing was the “piece of straw that broke the camel’s back.”
How to Prevent Chronic Injuries in Golf
We all know that the golf swing is a repetitive movement,
meaning the body is performing the same activity over and over
again. This creates fatigue in the body over time. And if over
time our body can’t support the number of swings we are taking,
it is eventually going to break down. There are three variables
we have when it comes to the prevention of chronic injuries in
golf. Number one is workloads. Workloads can be defined as the
number of swings that the body takes with a club over a given
period of time. That time frame can be seven days or an entire
tour season. Number two is efficiency of your mechanics. When we
say “efficiency of mechanics” we are talking about how
biomechanically correct your individual swing is. “Why is this
important?” you ask. Let me tell you. I think most of us would
agree that the tour players have very “efficient” swings; their
swings are smooth and look almost effortless. A swing like this
asks less out of the body to perform and requires less effort
from the muscles; hence fatiguing levels in the body are lower.
Some amateur swings look like they take a lot of work to
perform, and in reality they do! These types of swings ask a lot
more out of the body and fatigue it more quickly. The final
variable is what we term “golf strength.” Golf strength is a
measure of the required levels of flexibility, strength,
endurance, balance, and power to successfully support the
mechanics of the swing. Large amounts of golf strength allow the
body to support an efficient swing. Low levels of golf strength
do not provide the support needed for the swing.
Workloads, Swing Mechanics, and Golf Strength
All three of these variables work together to determine if you
are a candidate for a chronic golf injury. Golf strength is
essentially the foundation upon which your swing is built. This
variable indicates how many times you can swing a golf club with
your current mechanics before you come up injured. If you have
high levels of golf strength then regardless of how efficient of
a swing you have, you will be able to play for quite awhile
before you get sore. The flip side can also be said. If you have
low levels of golf strength, regardless of your swing mechanics,
you will come up sore in a shorter amount of time.
Secondly, let us look at swing mechanics. If you are a player
that has a very efficient swing that places very little stress
on the body, you will undoubtedly be able to play many rounds
before your body starts screaming at you. Again, if you have
poor mechanics, it is going to take its toll on your body and
your game.
Finally, we have workloads (i.e. number of swings). The number
of swings one makes must match up with levels of golf strength
and swing mechanics. The golf swing is a “stressor” of the body
and breaks it down over time. If you have an efficient swing,
each swing does less “damage” to the body. If you have a poor
swing, the body has to work harder, thus fatiguing it more
quickly. In addition to this is golf strength. If you have high
levels of golf strength, you can swing the club more (i.e.
workloads) before you get tired. Low levels of golf strength
present the situation of the body’s fatiguing more quickly. “So
what is the magic formula?” you ask. My first suggestion is
twofold: 1) work on your swing to improve the efficiency of it,
and 2) increase your levels of golf strength in order to support
your swing. For the time being, match up your swing and golf
strength levels to determine what workload levels you can get
out of your body
Sean Cochran
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/why-do-injuries-occur-in-golf-2702.html