Shin Splints Revisted

 

I recently  treated a patient that had a bad ,case of what turned out to be “Shin Splints“.The mom had tried everything Read more

But Coach I Really Don’t Like ….

 

 

Many kids say these words “But coach I don’t even like that event” all to often…what does a coach do when these word come out of of an athetes mouth?   Coach Dean Hebert of “The Running World According to Dean” has some pretty good advice and idead on just how to handle this all to common expression from athletes on your team

I meet with comments to the effect of “Coach, I don’t like that event” from a number of runners. I understand that too. We all have our favorite races. Some of us just prefer running long and that marathon pain is just something we seem to cope well with. Others love the feeling of power and flying through a track race - 400, 800, 1500, 3000. Others yet like the pace and effort involved with that 5k-10k distance.

As I have outlined in the past, everyone is certainly “made” for different events both mentally and physically. This is not a bad thing at all. Having race preferences is not a bad thing either. In fact, it is quite beneficial because it create focus in training. The flip side of the coin is if we become too focused on solely doing our favorite event we never develop into the best runner we can possibly be. Therefore, our strengths indeed becomes our weaknesses if that is all we focus on.

We need to take lessons from the best in the world to learn how to be the best we can be. If you follow elite marathoners you will find them often jumping into 5000s and 10000s on the track. You will find 800 specialists moving down to 400 and up to the 1500/mile. 5000 runners often drop to the mile and move to the 10000. Many of these same runners will run cross-country too which ranges from 5k to 12k.

Read the entire post here

Treatment and Prevention For The Achilles Tendon

 

Unfortunately, treatments for Achilles tendonitis and tears have not changed or improved much over the past 30 years. Depending on the severity of your tendonitis, you will be guided through the following “solutions” or “cures”. I’ll give you the treatment and my opinion and experience with it. Read more

Don’t Forget the Gluteus Medius

 

 So What is the Gluteus Medius Anyway???

Gluteus Medius syndrome is characterized by  pain in the buttocks, lateral hip,groin or the sacro iliac joint. Often times prolonged sitting can increase pain.The pain is caused by overuse and inflammation of the gluteus medius or the sciatic nerve which is right next to the muscle. Usually symptoms are elicited only during sports participation, but gradually can become part of the athletes routine. When the athletes buttocks is  palpated, he  experiences deep pain and  soreness,it  may be localized or radiated to an adjacent location in the groin area.

Athlete may also demonstrate limited range of motion in the hip area. Stretching the muscles of the hip and buttocks area is highly recommended as a first line of conservative care. along with ice. In my private practice I also include cold laser therapy, specific chiropractic adjustments, excercises to strengthen the gluteus medius and pelvic stabilizing exercises.

Who Needs a Strong Gluteus Medius?

If your youth athlete tends to experience sore or tight hips in early season as they are getting accustomed to the additional training and participation in track meets  then you may want to incorporate several of the following targeted exercises for a few weeks  to help strengthen the gluteus medius and balance out the larger hip and thigh muscles. The following exercises are simple and quick to do daily.

 The gluteals are very important stabilizing muscles, especially when walking or running. When one foot is in contact with the ground the abductors(muscles that bring the leg and hip outward) are working ‘quasi-isometrically’ to control the pelvis, preventing it from dropping down on the swing leg side. The hip abductor muscles need good strength endurance to be able to perform this movement consistently well.

Start the exercises below with 2 sets of 10 reps each side. Perform the exercises slowly, lowering for one count and raising for one count. Progress to 3 sets of 15-25 reps each side. Once the athlete is at this level he will develop good strength endurance in the hip abductors specific to their stabilizing task during running. To progress the exercise further, add ankle weights to the free leg side.

Gluteus Abduction

Gluteus Medius II

Injury Prevention, It’s A Parents Responsibilty Too

I recently wrote an article over at SportsGirlPlay about the responsibity of parents to help in injury prevention for our children.

“Catastrophic injury can usually be prevented if coaches pay attention to what is happening with a child athlete during a training session,” said Thompson. “Some kids train six or seven hours a day. Coaches need to be sure the children are getting proper rest, and also that they have proper nutrition.”  He notes that good nutrition is important in injury prevention, as it can help build and maintain healthy bones and muscles. Read the entire article at SportsGirlPlay

Until Next Time

RICE…….. Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation

Injuries can be tough to handle.Knowledge is power and the more you know about the first basic steps to aid an injury the better off your youth athlete will be. Below are the basic RICE (Rest,Ice Compress and Elevation) steps to take if your youth athlete becomes injured during a practice session or even a meet.  

Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation

 

Courtesy of the National Athletic Trainers Alliance

R = Rest

Resting an injured area is necessary to allow the body time to get the effects of the trauma under control and avoid additional stress and damage to the injured tissue. The period of rest required will vary depending on the severity of the injury (e.g. days to weeks). People who do not rest an acute (sudden or traumatic) injury can prolong the inflammation period and increase the healing time required, thereby delaying the recovery.

I = Ice

Ice applied promptly to an injury can slow down or minimize some of the inflammation. The cold causes a closing of the arterioles in the tissue, which reduces the bleeding. The local tissue metabolism slows down reducing its need for oxygen and nutrients, and the nerve impulses are slowed considerably to reduce the pain that’s felt, providing a numbing effect.

Examples of ice treatment include using an ice bag or ice bucket for 15-20 minutes or ice massage for 7-10. Heat should only be applied after you are sure that the bleeding and swelling has stopped completely; otherwise, an individual’s recovery time will be delayed.

C = Compression

Compression is an application of an Ace Bandage or similar item around the injured area. Its purpose is to help control swelling and to provide mild support.

Any wrap should be applied carefully. Too tight a bandage could constrict or interrupt vital circulation to the area.

E = Elevation

Elevation involves raising the injured area above the level of the heart as much as possible. This position promotes the lessening or elimination of swelling through the use of gravity and lymph drainage system.

To prevent injuries, athletes should:

• Be in proper physical condition.
• Warm up  before participating in any sports or exercise.
• Always wear properly fitting shoes, and replace athletic shoes as soon as the tread wears out or the heel wears down on one side.
• Nourish their muscles by eating a well-balanced diet.
• Use or wear appropriate protective equipment.
• Maintain hydration.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Avoid exercising or playing sports when tired or in pain.
• Walk and work on even surfaces.

RICE works best when it is implemented immediately from the time of injury. However, even the delayed application of the treatment (for example, the day after the injury occurred) will promote better healing than if the injury is untreated. Various studies of recovery time experienced by athletes who sustained ankle sprains suggest that RICE treatment reduces time lost to injury by over 40% , as well as contributing to a reduction in scar tissue formation.

For more information, visit www.nata.org.

Smarts Thoughts On Youth Sports

There is a wealth of sound thoughtful and useful information daily on the web. I so wish I could see it all as soon as it hits.  Here are some of the latest thoughts from some of the best and brightest in Youth Sports.

 

Mark Hyman at Youth Sports Parents

“Getting caught up in making  it to the professional leagues or Olympics is unrealistic. Children and adolescents train year-round on multiple teams of one sport often with the hope of earning a college scholarship in that sport or becoming a professional athlete, but less than 1 percent of high school athletes make it to the professional level”.

 ********************

Gary Andrew Poole wrote an article early in the summer “Go out and Play” about youth athletes and how  socio-economics can play a major role in developing champion athletes.

“10 sports immortals, nine came from incredibly humble backgrounds. This lack of self-sufficiency, which exists in many children, will have adverse consequences as they try to figure out life on their own. It will also create a sub-standard athletic nation”

“Go to any upper-class suburb and the rich kids are outfitted with top-notch equipment, receive better nutrition, and play on nicer fields. They don’t have the pressures of the electricity getting shut off. So why don’t they dominate our sporting life? Because they don’t know the pressures of getting the electricity shut off. And they don’t develop the skills through play”.

“Our over-emphasis on traveling teams, private coaching and super-involved parents is hurting our kids and their athletic future, and this over-involvement has become a characteristic of all parents - rich and poor - of this generation”.

********************

  Tim Warsinskey talks about the  “The fine line of being a student-athlete’s parent” He listed 10 great points in hisarticles here are 2 of the 10.

” Have no expectations, for your child or the coach. If you go into his or her freshman year thinking “This kid is going to be a star,” you have just set the bar too high.

Trophies won from ages 5 to 15 do not mean a thing. What he or she did on the freshman and junior varsity teams is almost as unimportant. So many kids who are young all-stars will fade away. Even among the seemingly “sure bets” as sophomores, some will lose interest, quit, peak early, become ineligible or get kicked off the team.

“Conversely, for the little ones, puberty is like a magic bean. It takes them to unexpected places. I’m 5-7. My wife is 5-foot-nothing. My son grew to be 5-10 and a better athlete than either of us ever were combined. It was an astonishing transformation, and you will be amazed at the kids who weren’t stars at early ages who stick with it and become valuable varsity performers”.

********************

Diane Rumbaugh’s article “Strong Muscles, Improved Balance: Key to Avoiding Childhood Sports Injuries”  Explains just how important strengthing of the youth athletes core muscles can help prevent injury ,improve balance and coordination for better play in the sport of your youth athletes choice.

“In the mid 1960s, many doctors thought children who participated in strength training would damage their growth plates. “That was proven not to be true,” says Zetterberg. “With the proper supervision, kids can benefit from the kind of exercises that builds strong muscles. Strong muscles do not mean larger muscles,” notes Zetterberg. “People often confuse strength training with body building. They are completely different. Until kids reach puberty they don’t have enough hormones to make sizable gains in muscle mass”.

Until Next Time

Shin Splints….Whats A Runner To Do?

 One of the most common injuries that is experienced in Track and Cross-Country is  shin splints. You really have to stop them before the start. The biggest problem is that kids won’t warm up their shins properly for the first few weeks. Once the pain happens, it is already too late. You really have to stop them before the start.

The best way to prevent shin splints is to thoroughly warm them up before you practice. Your athlete can warm them up by walking on your toes, on your heels, writing the alphabet with your toes, and even by walking barefoot in the long jump pit sand. This will help build up your shins to prevent shin splints. Make sure that you are using shoes with good cushion and that you keep running on ultra hard surfaces to a minimum.

What Are They

Shin splints is a common term used for a half a dozen lower leg problems ranging from nerve irritations to tendonitis to stress fractures.  The most common type that is experienced involves the tearing away of the muscle tissue that attaches to the front of the lower leg.  The beginner runner and the runner that resumes training after a long lay off are most susceptible to this injury.  The connective sheath attached to the muscles and bone of the lower leg become irritated, resulting in a razor-sharp pain in the lower leg along the inside of the tibia or shin bone.  Shin splints can be felt anywhere from just

 

How Are They Caused

There can be several causes for shin splints.  Only when possible causes are identified can shin splints be eliminated.

 Possible causes include:

• Tight Achilles and calf muscles.
• An inexperienced runner just beginning to run.
• Running on uneven terrain.
• A sudden increase in faster running (speed work).
• A sudden change from soft to hard running surfaces.
• Running in worn down shoes.
• Excessive uphill running.

 Poor running mechanics which include excessive forward lean, excessive weight on the ball of the foot, running with toes pointed outward, landing too far back on the heels causing the foot to flap down, and over pronation.

Treatment

In many cases one is able to continue training with a mild case of shin splints.  Time off from running may be required in severe cases.  In such cases rest and ice would be needed to decrease inflammation.  For the milder, yet painful cases, in which running can be maintained, certain treatment methods must be followed through.

Anti-inflammatory medications such as Ibupropfen should be taken one hour before starting practice.  Just before practice the affected area should be heated up.  The use of hot towels, heat pack or whirlpool for 15-20 minutes should do the trick.  This will help loosen up the area as well as providing comfort but will not solve the problem.  Discovering the cause is the first step in treating an injury.

The changing of shoe may be necessary as well.  Stretching prior to running will be beneficial.  Training on soft surfaces will help alleviate excessive pounding.  Precaution should be made to running on uneven surfaces which could result in increased foot motion, a matter you are trying to correct.  Once the workout is completed and after a good cool down, ice the affected area as soon as possible for 20 minutes.  Plastic cups filled with water and placed in the freezer as well as baggies of ice work well.  Normally, continued running, even if it is reduced, will help get rid of shin splints as running will help strengthen leg muscles.  A friction massage using the thumbs may prove to be beneficial.  Firmly rub the affected area from the bottom of the leg upward.

 

Treatment in summary:

• Anti-inflammatory medications.
• Heat treatments prior to practice.
• Tapping the arch.
• Proper shoes.
• Stretching
• Running on soft even surfaces.
• Ice treatments after practice.
• Traumeel Ointment 100 Gm Tube after practice and before bed

Prevention

The best way to deal with shin splints is to do what it takes to prevent them in the first place.  There are several preventative measures that should be practiced by every runner on every team.  Purchasing the proper shoe for your youth athletes foot is the first step in preventing shin splints. 

Until Next Time

The Basics Of Functional Movement

This will be the first in a ocassional series contribtion exclusively for TrackMom.com from Jose Nartea Jr. He has helped many youth and adult athletes maximize their performance through enhanced quality of functional movement for increased athletic performance. Enjoy !

Functional Human Movement Principles 

By: Jose A. Nartea (Jr.), ATC, CSCS, RKC

Think for a moment, how many athletes are there are in the entire world? I will answer this question a little later.

Humans have all the same physical functions. We are all created the same. Generally speaking. Some of us may need more attention than others and some of us may need a swift kick in the butt three times a week if not more. Overall, the basic foundations of Functional Human Movement for Elites as well Youth Athletes are the same. Why are these fundamentals so important to athletes?

The Jamaican ‘Lightning Bolt’ just ran a 9.69 covering 100 meters in Beijing and didn’t even break a sweat! That was insane, of course!  BUT, if the ‘Bolt’ were to break that record running backwards, I would really be in AWE!   Follow me now?

We as a ‘Human’ species, have six basic principles of “Human Movement”. Take notes if you need to. Make copies of this for your enjoyment. Read it time and time again. It will never change.

 

• 1. Dead lift
• 2. Squat
• 3. Lunge
• 4. Push
• 5. Pull
• 6. Rotate

 

Every movement on this list requires our nervous and musculoskeletal systems to work in concert together to produce efficient multi-joint movement and/or force. You will notice that none of these actions on the list require just one joint for successful operation.

As humans, we will also find running, throwing, jumping and striking the same due to our unique genetic structures (two legs, two arms and a core).  The act of forcefully producing ground-based force and stability throughout the core during exercise has long been studied and, unfortunately, over-studied through the years. 

Many athletes were and still are influenced by in my humble opinion “Western Bodybuilding” mythology when it comes to increasing athletic potential and injury resilience. Once coaches, parents and the athlete themselves start to fully embrace the concept of ‘FUNCTION over STRUCTURE’, they will realize a whole new world of movement that they have never experienced before, perhaps culminating into a championship or win of some sort. Most important, decreased injury and greater performance potential. Not only do these principles pertain to one’s sport or activity, it pertains to one’s LIFE and greatest achievements.   

Going back to the question on how many athletes in the world, if you weren’t thinking the same number as our world population, (yes everyone is a potential athlete) you definitely need a swift kick in the butt! That can be arranged. 

Stay tuned for more articles on just how your youth athletes can improve his athletic function thus performance .In the mean time feel free to e-mail me with any questions you may have. 

 

Biography:

 

Jose A. Nartea Jr., also known as Junior, is an NATABOC Certified Athletic Trainer, NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and Russian Kettle bell Challenge Certified Kettle bell Instructor. He is the owner of Neural Demand Systems (NDS Athletics) Athletic Performance Facility and provides instruction in the NDS System and Russian Kettle bell Training techniques to improve the lives and performance of athletes and physically active individuals in Lakewood, CA and the surrounding areas. Junior provides Private, Small Group and Team Instruction. He encourages males, females, youth and adults at all fitness levels to come for a Complimentary Class by appointment only. He is also available for large group seminars and workshops.

If you would like to contact me, please refer to the contact information below.            

Jose A. Nartea (Jr.), ATC, CSCS, RKC

Owner/Instructor

N. D. S. Athletics

6422 Del Amo Blvd.

Lakewood, CA 90713

Office: (562) 425-4759

Cell:  (562) 637-3962

Email: ndsathletics@gmail.com

Web: www.ndsystems.org

Info: www.russiankettlebells.com

**Sports Medicine, Strength/Conditioning, Kettlebells**

Restoration and Transition Between Seasons

This is one of my all time favorite articles by  Dr. Ransone . Every parent should not only read it but re-read it yearly.I have found this article to be one of the most helpful I have  read.

 

Restoration and the Transitional
Period Between Cross Country
and Track Season

By Jack Ransone, Ph.D.

“Restoration is a very important component of any exercise training program. Hans Selye, back in the 1950’s, outlined the stress-adaptation syndrome of which recovery was a key to adaptation and compensation. Further research of Matveyev (USSR) and Harre (GDR) in the 1970’s applied Selye’s basic research in a stable and useable training philosophy. They applied work to recovery ratios to the training of athletes and establishing training cycles where exercise and recovery were theoretically quantified. Recovery–the time between intense bouts of exercise–is as important to the development of athletic fitness as the exercise stimulus itself. Fitness is developed during the period of adaptation after the organism is stressed. The amount of time it takes for the individual to recover from exhaustive exercise depends on the condition of the individual, the intensity and volume of the training, environmental conditions and external stresses not necessarily related to the actual training program delay recovery.

  

A young athlete with sufficient rest may recover the majority of their working capacity within 48 hours. However, factors such as environmental stress, age, a stressful academic or work environment serves to lengthen recovery time.Outside influences have an affect on recovery from exercise. Negative thoughts and/or needless anxieties over upcoming competitions, the correctness of the training program, financial rewards, and the expectations of others add emotional stress to a physiologically stressful situation. The coach is instrumental in reducing anxiety by setting goals and focusing the athlete on training goals and away from extraneous unproductive thought patterns.

  

The athlete’s personal life is also a source of potential problems. Family, academic, and job-related stresses cause the release of cortisol that serve to slow recovery. Although outside stresses may never be eliminated, the athlete’s ability to cope with them can be enhanced.An unhappy family life, an impending exam, a demanding job are all stresses that lengthen recovery time, or that tax the creativity of the coach. Each athlete copes with stress in a unique way; some are calm and focused while others are highly anxious and distracted. Coping strategies and relaxation techniques are as important to proper restoration as is rest and diet.There are numerous considerations involved in selecting the amount and type of recovery necessary for optimal development.

Age of the athlete is very important. Younger athletes have greater reserves and tend to recover from stress rapidly. Even though they have greater reserves, younger athletes have a more sensitive central nervous system and intense training can cause inhibitions to develop that reduce the capacity to exert fully. According to Tudor Bompa, the author of Theory and Methodology of Training, annual training volume should not increase more than 20% from one annual period to the next annual period. This includes progression from high school to collegiate athletics. In addition, care must be taken to recognize the signs of overtraining and the subsequent effects on the musculoskeletal system.An athlete who was not fully adapted or matured, such as a freshman, is much more susceptible to the negative effects of training than the mature athlete.

Care must be taken so that those athletes with the least training experience are allowed time to adapt to any new training regime. Time to adapt means time for regeneration between training sessions. Fitness, also, plays a role in the regeneration time. An athlete who has adapted to intense training over a period of time can withstand more intense training than an athlete coming off an injury, or after a voluntary layoff. When training progresses to a very intense level, fatigue will also increase. As training volume increases, fitness remains at high levels although fatigue declines. When fatigue reaches its lowest ebb while fitness remains high, peak performances result.Psychological fatigue is marked by task aversion and apathy. It may be due to several causes, some of them physiological. The apathy can be reduced by varying the training routine such as designing new workouts, changing training partners, or changing the training time of day.

  

It is also a good idea to change training locations away from the track, such as running on trails or varying the mode of exercise by biking or swimming, until the desire to train returns.Competition is a stressor that requires restoration of its own. The more important the competition, the greater the stress levels. An athlete who competes in the state or national meet is subject to stresses not related to the competition due to the event’s perceived importance to the athlete, to the family and friends. Not only does the body have to recover from the considerable physiological stress, the psyche needs to recover from the tremendous emotional strain.The health of the athlete is vital when determining how much restoration is necessary. If the athlete is sick, especially with a fever, no training should take place. Viral infections are spread to all areas of the body more rapidly during intense training. Endurance athletes must be especially careful of upper respiratory tract infections.

  

Anemia is another affliction for which treatment must precede intense training.A period of transition in exercise training as proposed by Matveyev is essential following a long competitive season. Time away from your teammates and the daily training routine is refreshing and should serve as restoration for the upcoming season. The level of conditioning during this transitional period will not remain the same and the athlete should expect a decrease in fitness levels. This period of transition is essential to provide the full advantages of training program and the tapering period leading to the peak in the next competitive season. Research has shown that significant decreases in oxidative enzymes, along with decreases in performance times and V02 max occurs with only 15 days of no activity. Following 15 days of retraining, only V02 max returned to the previous levels. These findings suggest that for highly trained athletes, even short periods of detraining result in significant changes to physiological capacities and a longer period of retraining is necessary to regain their original conditioning.

  

Some of the effects of detraining are maintained by training at frequencies considerably less than those required during the season. Strength can be maintained by one full workout every ten to fourteen days. Cardiovascular endurance is maintained by training a minimum of three times per week.The transition period of a young athlete between cross country and track season should last approximately four weeks. The first week will involve no running with possible swimming workouts to maintain cardiovascular endurance. The second week would involve three workouts consisting of forty five minute runs for girls and one hour runs for boys. The next two weeks would include a build up in volume preparing for the upcoming season. The transition period for a collegiate or more mature athlete should last at least three weeks. The first week involves no running with the incorporation of cross training to maintain cardiovascular endurance.

The second week involves a progression of the normal training volume and the third week continues the progression to full training volume with the introduction of speedwork. This period of transition may give the athlete an opportunity to focus on areas of weakness. Cross country runners could focus on potential weaknesses of muscle strength and flexibility. With this in mind, it is important that transitional programs are designed for the individual rather than the team.”

This article was reprinted with the  permission of Dr.Jack Ransone

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