RESEARCH ROUNDUP: Why Proper Form matters for Strength Training and Running

This week’s pair of articles are from the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy.  The first one discusses the effect of posture on a commonly used hip strengthening exercise.  The second talks about running gait re-training which is becoming more common in rehab and prevention of running injuries.  Enjoy the new knowledge below and contact CLE Sports PT with any … Read More

Concussion Series Part 5: Do Concussions Cause Other Injuries?

I’ve been working with concussion patients for a few years now… I’ve also presented on the topic of concussions in female athletes twice nationally.  When I was prepping my first talk, I came across this article.   College athletes who suffered a non-contact ACL injury scored lower than their non-injured teammates on a test of verbal memory, processing speed, and … Read More

Concussion Series Part 4: Does Neck Strengthening Prevent Injury?

Neck strengthening programs are the Sports Medicine community’s newest weapon in combatting the concussion epidemic.  Syracuse University’s football team made news in 2012 when the program implemented a neck strengthening program in 2012, attempting to cut the number of concussions.  While many Sports Medicine Experts recommend revisions to Syracuse’s program – more on this later- it has still been considered a … Read More

The Concussion Series- Part 2: Concussions in Female Athletes

The gender gap in US sports continues…   Despite the heroics the US Women’s Soccer Team displayed at the World Cup this summer (in stark contrast to the Men’s Gold Cup loss to Jamaica a few weeks later), data continues to mount showing that female soccer players have more concussions than men and have symptoms for a longer period. Check out these staggering … Read More

How to know if an athlete has a concussion- and what to do. Part 1 of a series

Fall sports begin in a few weeks here in the CLE.  And while most of us can’t wait for the return of “Friday Night Lights,” soccer matches, and volleyball games, it’s important to remember how to keep our youth athletes safe during the excitement.  This includes recognizing injuries and finding medical care as they happen. In part 1 of this article, I’ll talk about … Read More

THE GREAT ULTRASOUND DEBATE: Does it Really Help Tendon Injuries?

In the past few years, many Sports PT’s have stopped using ultrasound due to lack of evidence that it actually works.  To be honest, I’m one of those PT’s –  the minute I hear that a patient had ultrasound done for something, I tend to roll my eyes and wish that person’s time wasn’t wasted on a more active means … Read More

Research Roundup- Success in Volleyball, Training Power in Hockey, and Return-to-Kicking Program for Soccer

Future Elite Success in Volleyball-  What does it take? A recent study  showed that tests of motor coordination (balance, jumping, lateral movement, and upper body coordination) in volleyball players were predictors of success in addition to the athlete’s height and vertical jump height.  In fact, these three tests were able to predict playing levels in volleyball players 5 years later.   … Read More

Research Roundup- Baseball Edition

Could hip strengthening help you become a better pitcher?  You bet it can!  Multiple studies (here, here, or even here) including this recent one, have shown that the hip muscles are active during baseball pitching.   The study also showed the importance of the muscles around the shoulder blade (the scapular stabilizers). The pitching motion requires total body strength-  Include hip and core strengthening in … Read More

ACL Injury Prevention- Why Proper Coaching Matters

ACL rehab and injury prevention programs focus on strengthening, plyometrics, and balance exercises.  Studies have shown this approach works, however ACL injuries are unfortunately still common and there is a high incidence of re-injury or injuring the other knee. So are we missing something in training and rehabbing these athletes?  Maybe it’s not just the muscle strength but the connection from … Read More