Understanding Injury
The better you understand a problem, the better you can deal with it. When it comes to injury there is a lot to understand as there are many types of injury that can occur but one thing is consistent among them and that is the fact that injury occurs when load/force exceeds capacity. Therefore, to reduce the risk of injury occurring we need to increase our capacities aka increase our mobility. Notice I said reduce the risk of injury because nothing and no one can completely prevent injury from occurring.
What we also need to do in order to reduce our risk of injury is train in the positions we are likely to get injured in. As my good friend and mentor Dr. Spina says “You will always regret not training in the position you got injured in.” Let me put that into context for you, do you know what the most problematic and damaging forces to the knee are? The answer is rotational forces, and do you know what the most under trained movement of the knee is? You guessed it, rotation! If you never train rotation of the knee your brain has no awareness and load absorbing capacities in that position. Without awareness and load absorbing capacities of a position you are going to get injured when you go into that position.
Not training ‘high risk’ positions is a common theme in the fitness industry and I really want that to end. After injury occurs it is also common for most therapists and trainers to suggest avoiding going into the position you were injured in and I would also like to put an end to that, as the number one injury you are likely to suffer from after injury is the same one! Let me give you an example that sums this all up. When I was Thai boxing I rolled my ankle and suffered a really bad high ankle sprain. This was in 2011 while I was in school so almost immediately after the injury occurred I took the advice of my professors and the therapists they suggested I see. What I received was a bunch of poor manual therapy, foam rolling drills, stretches, some very low level ankle exercises to do, and for me to avoid inverting my ankle at all costs as that is where my injury occurred. I listened as at the time I didn’t know any better and guess what I suffered with pain, dysfunction, fear, and every time my ankle slightly inverted it hurt. Fast forward to April 12th 2013, the day I met Dr. Spina and that all changed. After months of long hard work including fantastic manual therapy and loading the hell out of my ankles in inversion I got better. I was stronger and more confident than I was before I got injured. I was able to squat, run, jump, and Thai box again. I was able to do things many other therapists told me I might never be able to do again. Not only was I able to do it I was able to do it better than I ever could.
The age old saying that knowledge is power is absolutely true and I used this power to help numerous family/friends/clients to regain their freedom. If you’re in need of help please know that this power is here to help you to. All you have to do is take the first step.
