WK8 - Stretching, Taping, Lower Limb Flashcards
Define Flexibility
ROM possible around specific joint/series of articulations
Flexibility commonly proposed as risk factor for injury in athletes. True or False?
TRUE!
* reduced joint ROM/flexibility is a risk factor
Provide two examples as to why flexibility is a proposed risk factor for injury in athletes.
- Eg. baseball pitchers –> reduced GH int rot is common, associated with POS shoulder capsular pain
- Greater risk of injury in pitchers with less GH INT ROT
- Eg. in junior basketball players –> Decreased mean ankle DF – developing patellar tendinopathy in 1yr study (dominant vs non-dominant side)
There is not a vast spectrum of low to extreme levels of flexibility. True or False
FALSE
Define joint specific flexibility
- varies between and within individuals
- varies between joint pairs e.g. dominant vs non-dominant arm
Define double-jointed
Generalised Joint Hypermobility
* commonly investigated as risk factor for injury
* can be associated with injury
Relate back to Beighton Scale (0-9)
0-3 = no GJH
4-6 = hypermobilie
7-9 extremely hypermobile
Evidence of being double associated with injury.
*Significantly greater percentage of knee injuries in extremely hypermobile and hypermobile athletes compared with no GJH
*No significant difference in % of ankle injuries across flexibility groups
*Consideration of different sports (contact, non-contact), athletes (age, sex), specific injuries (ACL, MCL, patellofemoral pain)
*Hypermobility increased odds ratio (4.69) of knee joint injury in contact sport
Consider Post-Injury. What are the acute and chronic factors that cause decreased ROM?
- pain
- swelling
- inelastic, dense scarring
- joint adhesions. e.g. after arm has been in fixed position in cast for long periods
- bony lesions
- restrict joint because of big lump of bone
e.g. femoroacetabular impingement restricting INT ROT –> dysfunction and pain
—–> increased risk of ACL injuries because of overcompensation at knee
Consider Post-Injury. What are the acute and chronic factors that cause increased ROM?
- lengthened ligaments
- stretched capsules
- vertebral slips
What factors constrain ROM?
- structural
- neural/functional
- injury
What are the %’s of structural constraints to ROM?
- 47% joint capsule and ligaments
- 41% passive muscle
- 10% tendons
- 2% skin
How do neural/functional factors constrain ROM?
- alpha and gamma activation of muscle
How does injury constrain ROM?
fear of movement (kinesiophobia) relating to feeling vulnerability due to pain
What to consider regarding factors that constrain ROM?
- multifaceted aspects to injury and flexibility
- interaction of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors
- modify to increase (stretching programs) or restrict ROM (strength training)
–> To decrease/increase flexibility for function/performance is entirely dependent on their sport and training goals
What is stretching?
Ubiquitous practice in athletes and exercising individuals
Clear evidence stretching has capacity to increase joint flexibility/ROM
What is the rationale for stretching?
- improve performance
- reduce risk of injury
- facilitate rehabilitation
- can performance and injury aspects conflict
List the types of stretching.
- static
- dynamic
- active
- passive (partner)
- PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation)
- isometric
- plyometric
What has the study of lower limb soft tissue injuries and stretching found?
No difference for stretching programs on lower limb injury risk (RR 0.85, 15% risk reduction but confidence intervals 0.65-1.12, not statistically significant)
What has the study of shoulder injuries and stretching in baseball players found?
- decreased GH internal rotation is a injury risk
- Prospective study involving prevention program on incidence of shoulder and elbow injuries in 90 high school baseball pitchers
- Passive IR measured pre-season sleeper stretching, sleeper stretching & strengthening, no intervention
- Sleeper stretching after pitching significantly decreased baseball-related shoulder and elbow injuries
- Those who did not do the stretching regime, had significantly more injuries to shoulder (57% vs 25% who did)
- Current evidence allows us to conclude stretching itself does not reduce lower limb injuries in endurance type running
- Stretching reduces risk of shoulder and elbow injuries in baseball type sport movement
- In team sports, multi-component injury prevention programs show reduction in risk of lower limb injuries where these multi-component programs include proprioceptive and strength training along with stretching
- Problem with these programs is that we can’t tell which is the main factor causing the change (is it proprioception or stretching?)
What is the aim of taping and bracing?
- prevent injury/reinjury
- reduce injury severity
- rehabilitation: support and reduce pain
Provide some evidence to taping and bracing.
-Meta-analyses show taping helps prevent ankle sprains
*Previous sprain – RR 0.33
- Prevents further injury by 67%
* Uninjured – RR 0.73
- Prevents new injury by 27%
-Ankle supports help prevent ankle sprains in young male and female basketballers, football and American footballers, military paratroopers
* Odds ratio 0.40, CI doesn’t cross 1
-Ankle supports are effective in preventing minor and more severe sprain
*G1 – RR 0.37 (63% lower risk)
*G2/3 – RR 0.57 (43% decreased risk)
-Ankle supports do not increase risk of other lower limb injuries
*Taping RR 1.02 (no increased risk of getting knee/hip injuries by taping)
-Multi-component injury prevention programs
What is the evidence of taping and patellofemoral pain?
-No statistically or clinically significant difference between taping and non-taping in pain (0-10 VAS) at end of treatment
-In short term, medial taping of patellar could help with pain but long-term, no difference
what is the evidence of taping and finger fractures?
-Majority of metacarpal fractures involve fifth metacarpal with boxer’s fracture affecting metacarpal neck
-Conservative management of boxer’s fracture include casting and buddy taping
-ROM and grip strength better at early follow-up with buddy taping (better to use buddy taping if you want your grip strength back earlier); no significant difference between cast and buddy taping at final follow-up
What is the evidence of joint bracing and injury prevention?
-Joint braces (guards) for injury prevention have insufficient evidence for knee injuries
-Supportive evidence for wrist and ankle injuries
*OR 0.25 – 75% decreased risk of injury if you wear a brace/guard
What are the finding of ankle braces on injury prevention?
Rovere et al.
* Retrospective analysis
*Braces 2.56 sprains/1000 injury exposures
*Taping 4.91 sprains/1000 injury exposures
What are the potential reasons for braces to outperform taping?
Easier to use – greater adherence
ack of skin reactions
Greater consistency in application
Greater capacity to re-tighten during sport
Greater use in training/games
Convenience during tournament play
Why are the mechanisms of bracing and taping not fully understood (joint position sense)?
*Meta-analyses show ankle taping and bracing reduce risk of ankle sprains, with greatest effects in athletes with previous injuries
*Evidence-based practice consistent with using ankle taping/bracing to reduce risk of injury
How to use preventative taping for LAS according to the Sports Med Aus Guidelines?
*Shave, clean, dry ankle region, cover wounds
*Apply 2 anchors around base of calf
*-3 stirrups (medial to lateral)
*2 figure 6/8s to counteract inversion
*Lock off with 2-3 tape strips to secure
What are the taping basics (consider preparation and removal)?
- pre-taping checks
- skin preparation
- tape application
- post-taping checks
- tape removal
What to do in pre-taping checks?
*24h prior to full taping, apply small tape strip for 10-20min for skin reaction
*Reaction to adhesives (methacrylate/acrylate) may be managed with low irritant tape or pre-wrap (possibly accelerate tape loosening)
-May be better to just brace
*Check for circulatory conditions
- Diabetes
What to do for skin preparation when taping?
*Shave area at least 12h prior to taping
*Clean, dry skin (no lotions or oils)
Can use spray adhesives
*Apply padding to areas needing protection
Cover cuts and blisters
*Resting skin temperature
Before warmup/sweating
What to consider for tape application when taping?
*Select appropriate tape size (eg. 35mm rigid)
*Don’t tape from roll, use strips, don’t apply excessively tightly
*Avoid continuous taping
*Overlap strips by ½ width tape
Tape sticks to skin well
*Avoid wrinkles or gaps
Can cause chafing and blistering
Sweat/moisture can get in through gaps loosening
*Just put a piece of tape over
*Be cautious of taping over superficial tendons
Eg tibialis anterior
What to do for post-taping checks?
*Circulation/sensation
*Does tape feel too tight (pins and needles)
*Restricting intended movement
Inversion
*Actively move joint through full ROM to check desired movement limitations
Should not prevent other movements
What to do for tape removal?
*Don’t leave on for extended periods
Will be harder to get off Stickier and harder
*Use tape cutter or scissors with blunt nose
*Don’t tear against skin grain
Go with the skin (downwards)
*Pull tape back down on itself placing pressure on skin as close as possible to line of attachment with tape
What principles are considered in a holistic hamstring program?
- strength
- architectural adaptations
- ability to withstand high velocity actions observed within sporting actions
- using nordic curls?
Hamstring injuries are one of most common and debilitating injuries in many running-based sports. T or F
T!
Prevalence of hamstring injuries in professional soccer.
-In professional soccer, 57-72% of all hamstring injuries occurred during high-speed running, and in nearly all of these injuries the primary site was Biceps Femoris Long Head
which hamstring muscle is commonly injured?
biceps femoris long head at prox musculo-tendinous junction
*Bi-articular
*Strength determined by pennation angle and physiological cross-sectional area
*In pennate muscle, force from muscle fibers transmitted to tendon primarily via aponeurosis
Where does the semitendinosus and biceps femoris join together?
common tendon attached to ischial tuberosity
What is the pennation angle of the semitendinosus?
more insertion onto tendon compared to biceps
What happens when BFLH is most activated?
exceeds max. volume isometric contraction
-Amount of forces in running is more than you can manufacture by just isometrically contracting
-Relevant to eccentric capacity of muscle hamstring must be able to control large forces
-Maximum speed running or sprint acceleration
2 Large peaks in excitation, during late swing and early stance, exceeds 100% MVIC.
Late swing = 120d at hip flex, 140d knee flex
early stance = 140d hip flex, 150d knee flex
During maximum speed sprinting phase…
more ST than BFLH
Likely that BFLH activate in sprint acceleration more than ST
List characteristics of semitendinosus.
-Has long fibers that contain many sarcomeres
-Potential to contract quickly over long distances
-Nice architecture for eccentric load
-Considered more activated for controlling simultaneous knee extension and hip flexion during mid-swing phase of sprinting
-Nordic rehab – maybe helps ST work better and enhance architecture of BFLH
Why does BFLH get injured more?
maybe need balance between ST and BFLH recruitment
Characteristics of biceps femoris?
-Long proximal tendon attaching onto ischial tuberosity
-Short head has longer fascicles than the long head
*Better designed to cope with eccentric load
*ST also better designed to cope with eccentric load
*Maybe ^ is why long head is most injured in high speed running because it is not designed to cope with eccentric (swing)
-Maybe that’s why BFLH gets injured more commonly
Characteristics of sacro-tuberous ligament?
-Static restraint of SI joint
-biceps femoris part of self-bracing mechanism
*As leg moves through swing phase, allows for better structure to land on
RTP findings in BFLH?
-Substantial reduction in BFLH volume (4-5%) found in >50% of individuals with prior injury despite having returned to sport
-Architectural changes leaving people more prone to reinjury?
-Potential compensation
*Increase reflex
*Control
*Better recruitment
Effects of ischial tuberosity sitting almost sagittally over medial side of knee?
-Biomechanically well designed
-Biceps femoris on oblique angle, not as well aligned as medial side
*Potential reason for injury of lateral hamstring?
What happens to prior injury and migration of scar tissue altering mechanics of contraction, esp near site of previous injury?
-Won’t get nice contraction –> pathological contraction
^ Prior injury risk for re-injury
-Previous injury = architectural changes
What has the presence of scarring been shown to alter?
Alter vivo muscle contraction mechanics, generating localised regions of high tissue strains near site prior to injury of biceps femoris
Scar tissue adjacent to site of original injury has been observed as early as 6WKs and as late as 23months after injury
Diagnosis and management of hamstring injury?
- observation
- clutching of leg
What are other common hamstring injuries?
MED side –> semimembranosus