INJURY PREVENTION & PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT Participation in any sport carries a risk for injury but typically the benefits and enjoyment of participation outweighs the risks. Once an injury occurs, the risk of re-injury is significantly higher, so the primary goal should be injury prevention. Athletes, coaches and parents may easily see value in performance enhancement training, but the concept of injury prevention training is often seen as boring and perhaps even a waste of practice time. Practices may focus on execution, drills, and game play, while often overlooking development of basic body skills necessary for fundamental movement patterns. the repetitive loads and avoid extraneous or aberrant movements that lead to injuries. Many of the injuries seen in doctor’s offices and from rehabilitation professionals are easily avoided with a basic strengthening program. 4. Better balance enhances performance by conserving energy through improved body control as well as improving the ability to sustain contact better. For example, an athlete that is strong and balanced can sustain contact and stay on their feet better than an athlete that isn’t as strong or as balanced. Put another way, you’d prefer to be a brick wall rather than a house of cards on the fields of play.
2. By knowing how to cut, change direction, land, and jump more efficiently performance will be enhanced. Your child won’t have wasted movement, and due to better movement efficiency, will get from A to B faster. Essentially, they’ll be “first to the ball” compared to other kids who haven’t had this training. 3. It will make them stronger and subsequently more powerful. The fastest and most explosive athletes do two things better than anybody: they put more force into the ground and spend as little time on the ground as possible (Weyand et al, J Appl Physiol 2000, 2010; Mann, 2013) . The only way to put more force into the ground is to increase strength. That said, the only way to be more powerful and explosive is to be strong – you can’t be powerful, fast, or explosive without strength first. Strength is the foundation for all athletic performance. That’s right, strength. To run faster, cut better, jump higher, and get to the ball first – you have to be strong! Furthermore, being stronger provides the added benefit of the athlete having a better ability to dissipate forces from jumping, cutting, and running. They won’t work as hard to cover the same distances and do the same activity. This does not mean your youngster has to lift heavy weight – it means that they should be able to perform basic movements like a bodyweight squat, single leg squat, and push up with perfect form. Once they can do that, then they can add weights. Compared to kids who cannot perform these basic movements under control, yours will be at an advantage.
5. More mobility and flexibility enhances performance by maximizing your muscles innate elasticity. Think of a rubber band. The more the rubber band is pulled, the farther is goes on release. Our muscles behave similarly. A joint that moves normally and muscles that are appropriately flexible maximize our ability to move quickly and explosively.
According to Dr. Dan Lorenz, DPT, PT, LAT, CSCS, society needs to start viewing injury prevention as the means to improve performance. It would be erroneous to assume that all athletes of the same team, level, or age-group are working with the same functional foundation of total body strength, balance, flexibility and understanding of proper landing, jumping and cutting. Proficiency in these basic skills is essential for proper fundamental movement patterns which, in turn, are the basis for sport performance. He states that “many kids haven’t earned the right to [performance enhancement training] because they don’t have a basic level of strength and haven’t perfected fundamental movement patterns”. However, he believes that focusing on injury prevention will naturally enhance an athlete’s performance by addressing these fundamental movement patterns. Five Reasons Injury Prevention Training Enhances Performance 1. If you’re hurt, you’re not performing and there is no performance to enhance! Injury prevention exercises help build the strength and body control so the athlete is able to sustain
Patient Spotlight
“I have been so impressed with the office and specifically my therapist Andrew Mann. Everyone at VCSST is friendly, caring, and personable. I had Achilles Tendonitis in both tendons as well as ankle instability. I had been in pain for a year and a half and no longer able to run. Andrew worked with me on nerve, back, and ankle issues - a tough combination. His positive attitude, creative and thorough approach, reassurances, and great explanations to all of the many questions I had paid off. I am now back to running 30 minutes a day and could not be happier!!! Thank you.” - S. V. (5 Star Review via Google.com)
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