27 Feb 2024
Off
View Post
High Ankle Sprains Are Rare Yet Very Damaging and Every Athlete Should Be Aware of Them

High Ankle Sprains Are Rare Yet Very Damaging and Every Athlete Should Be Aware of Them

February 27, 2024 | Comments Closed | , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We should all be familiar with lateral and medial ankle sprains as we discussed them in previous blogs.  We are now going to talk about the last and least understood form of ankle sprain, also known as the dreaded ‘high ankle sprain.’  These sprains are documented as being between 11 and 17% of all ankle sprains.  They are not too common, but they are very significant.  Proper identification of this type of ankle sprain is vital.  It will need rehabilitation by a trained professional who has experience with this type of sprain.  

Luckily, the explanation and understanding of a high ankle sprain is quite easy.  A high ankle sprain is a syndesmotic sprain that occurs above the lateral ankle.  A syndesmotic sprain involves the ligaments and fascia between bones.  In this case, the tibia and fibula bones above the ankle joint are involved.  In effect, a particular trauma causes the two bones to separate from one another and the ligaments and other tissues between them tear in the process. This leads to a lot of pain and a good amount of dysfunction.

Continue Reading →

12 Feb 2024
Off
View Post
The Medial Ankle Sprain and What You Need to Know as an Athlete

The Medial Ankle Sprain and What You Need to Know as an Athlete

February 12, 2024 | Comments Closed | , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We previously discussed when we turn our ankle in…now we need to look at when we turn it the other way.

Turning the ankle out does not occur as much as when we turn the ankle in.  In fact,  data show this happens between 5-10% of the time.  We do see a lot more lateral ankle sprains, but we must be aware of medial ankle sprains and what to do with them.  Why are there more lateral ankle sprains?  Simply put, it’s a lot more unstable on the lateral side than the medial side.  On the medial side, we have more ligaments, a larger weight bearing bone, ideally a proper arch, that even if reduced, helps support the medial side.

This begs the question: If it’s so much more stable, how can it turn outward?   Generally speaking, this form of ankle sprain occurs more often when there is contact with another athlete. It also occurs when we are cutting/moving and the foot gets planted in the ground and our body goes across it.  This can flatten out the arch and create a nasty valgus (ankle in, foot turns out) stress.  This creates stress on the inside of the ankle as the body rolls over it, thus causing injury.

 

Continue Reading →

19 Jul 2023
Off
View Post
The Need for Youth Sports Information

The Need for Youth Sports Information

July 19, 2023 | Comments Closed | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

As a parent of a child involved in youth sports, you want your child to be healthy, happy, and performing at an optimal level.  Nothing is worse than uncertainty as there is no game plan to approach it.  You have questions and they need to be answered.

Your child plays a sport and gets knee or leg pain.  What do you do?  You want your child to work on strength and conditioning.  Is it safe?  Where do you go?  How much is too much?  What do you look for when selecting a personal trainer/strength coach?  Should your child play one or two sports?  Which offers a lower risk of injury?  Your child has a question about hip tightness and you don’t know who to ask. Continue Reading →

28 Jun 2023
Off
View Post
Why The Cross Crawl Pattern Is So Important

Why The Cross Crawl Pattern Is So Important

June 28, 2023 | Comments Closed | , , , , , , ,

Cross Crawl pattern as baby’s left upper extremity goes forward, so too does the right lower extremity

As DBAM starts moving into education on the topic everything youth sports, it’s important to consider our most primitive movement patterns.  This is where it all starts.

Babies start their true ability to move around by crawling.  It involves the left upper extremity moving forward while the right lower extremity also moves forward.  Then vice versa.  The cross crawl is not just a thing kids do before they get upright.  The crawling movement is an essential action to proper development of the brain.  This is why those parents who try to have their kids walk as soon as possible are, can we say, Meatheads? Continue Reading →

03 May 2023
Off
View Post
Leg Lifts Are A Bad Idea…Here’s Why!

Leg Lifts Are A Bad Idea…Here’s Why!

May 3, 2023 | Comments Closed | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leg lifts?  Really?

What are they really doing?  Many will tell you that leg lifts (any variation) are good for the abdominal region.  Why they believe this is beyond me.  I’ve never seen an anatomy chart that has shown the abdominal muscles attaching to the lesser trochanter (hip).  In fact, leg lifts are great for facilitating already facilitated musculature.  What does this mean?

Facilitated muscles are muscles that are shortened and have lost their ability to stretch.  It’s more of a neurological issue vs. the sensation of just an area feeling ‘tight.’  The last thing we want to do with these muscles is shorten them any further.  The hip flexor muscles, or the muscles that are responsible for that silly leg lift exercise, tend to be chronically facilitated.

After all, we tend to sit/drive all day and certainly, we are not going out of our way to exercise our gluteal region.  We certainly do not need to tighten the hip flexors any further.  If we are trying to target the abdominal muscles, we need better ways of doing it (likely coming soon to a blog near you). Continue Reading →

21 Apr 2023
Off
View Post
The Upright Row…Stop It Now and Save Your Shoulders!

The Upright Row…Stop It Now and Save Your Shoulders!

April 21, 2023 | Comments Closed | , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve written and taught on the topic of the exercise called the ‘Upright Row’ many times in the past.  Sadly, people are still performing this most awkward and dangerous exercise.  I guess I will try to keep reaching as many people as possible about this movement.  It is responsible for too many injuries.  This blog falls on the heels of a prior blog about ‘side deltoid raises’ and the issue of impingement.

The upright row is responsible for shoulder damage.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen injuries occur right in front of my face with people performing this exercise. Ouch!  Let’s look at the picture above and break it down!

The upright row movement is a flexion/abduction movement of the shoulder rolled in with internal rotation and a bit of retraction, all while under load. What does this do for your shoulder? Well, nothing too much on the good side and a lot on the bad side (meaning, it’s bad). This movement is notorious for impinging the supraspinatus muscle.  It just so happens that the supraspinatus is the most damaged rotator cuff muscle.  The more distal fibers lie under the acromion process. Continue Reading →