Research Roundup: Fatigue, Arthritis, In-Season Strength Training Week of May 30

May 30, 2016:  What CLE Sports PT is reading to give athletes #BETTER care   Should player fatigue be the focus of injury prevention strategies for international rugby sevens tournaments?  During the Rugby Sevens World Series, much more injuries seen in the second half of matches.  The proportion of injuries also increased as the tournament went on-  probably due to fatigue.   The Relationship of Foot Strike Pattern, Shoe Type, … Read More

What is Running Economy and Does Stretching Improve it?

Running economy has been called the “secret” to running faster and farther in a race.  It’s basically how efficiently your body uses oxygen.  Think of two runners in a race, neck-and-neck during the last mile.  One runner is breathing normally and the other is gasping for air.  The runner who isn’t sucking wind has the greater running economy and will likely win. … Read More

Research Roundup: Improve Your Soccer Performance With Plyometrics and Sprint Training

Ever wondered how to take your soccer skills to the next level?  Footskills and tactical training are important, but adding plyometrics and sprint training give you the explosiveness to beat a defender to the ball.  This week’s study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning  shows the effect of this training on youth soccer players.   The researchers divided young … Read More

Research Roundup: All About the Glutes

The glutes-  everyone’s favorite muscle.  Let’s be honest- there’s no song called “I like big calves and I cannot lie.”  Or “All about that neck” (no treble!).   But strong glutes don’t just look nice in jeans-  they prevent injury, improve performance, and increase running speed. Sadly, for the amount of attention we give our butts, the majority of us … Read More

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

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

Does Kinesiotape Really Work?

Kinesiology tape, kinesiotape, or just “that fancy tape the Olympic athletes use” has been a big trend in sports medicine.  But does it work?  How about for hamstring injuries?  A recent study compared the tape to traditional stretching and also to a type of stretching called PNF, or proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (Wikipedia definition or the more scholarly  one here) The PNF stretching … Read More

Movement Analysis is Essential for Rehab and Performance

A few months ago, Sports Illustrated profiled Dr. Marcus Elliott and his sports motion analysis lab at P3.  Motion analysis can screen for injuries before they happen or help to determine when an athlete is ready to return to the field.   It’s one of the most powerful tools in sports medicine today. Athletes can undergo motion analysis without the cost … Read More