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Sports Training

3/31/2014

 
This series is devoted to injury prevention and empowerment, for people of all ages and abilities.

What are the best stretches to do?
Any movements that challenge you to re-imagine what you can do, and how you do it. How fast or slow, big or small, up or down, Left or Right, forward or backward, simple or complex. Instead of  thinking of individual muscles, which is not how your brain organizes you for action, practice variations of the movements that are required in your sport. 
For example, the hamstring muscles have a medial (inside) and lateral (outside) component, and pass over the hip and knee joints, so practicing movements that involve both joints, and multiple angles is essential. In addition, the hamstring muscles are mostly engaged while you are moving your pelvis over your feet in running or dodging, so practicing stretches of the hamstring muscles with a stationary pelvis does not closely model how you will engage them during your activity. The pelvis is the center of power, so engaging this area in combination with the lower and upper extremities is key. In addition, the eyes are engaged during all these activities, and where they go, the spine will follow. Bringing in variations of eye movements will add layers of complexity, and demand balance subtleties that more closely resemble game conditions. 
A huge bonus comes with preparing in this way. Rather than creating a false sense of 'me' doing things to  'my body,' and then trying to put yourself back together for a game situation, you are actually practicing being 'in the Zone,' all the time.

Sample: This W/E, I added a pre-game warm up for the 6th Grade Basketball team I'm working with. Moving from one base-line to the other and back, I asked them to imagine that they were ducking under a long low table, then reaching up to run their hands along a line of feathers, then dodging a huge rock to the left, then another to the right, then leaping over 2 deep puddles of water. Then doing the same while dribbling a ball. This covers moving while in a low position for defense, lengthening for jump shots, cross-overs, and the steps they take for lay ups, while engaging them in the present moment of an imagined situation, and laughter too! Fun and learning go hand in hand.

Next time: How soon after an injury can I return to my sport or activity?




Knee Replacement

3/25/2014

 
This blog series is devoted to sharing my experiences with people approaching this major and challenging surgery. 

After years of working with people after knee replacement surgery, developing a program to restore mobility without increasing pain, I finally wrote it all down and am on the verge of publishing, 'Granny Gets A New Knee and a whole lot more.' Though the title character is a woman, this gentle way of teaching improved body mechanics is as effective with men as with women, with both younger and older students. 

Why do I need to learn the exercises before surgery?
It has never made sense to me to wait until after the surgery to teach exercises to someone who is recovering from the anesthesia and surgery, experiencing pain, and under the influence of pain medication. Practicing movement lessons prior to surgery can help decrease pain and increase confidence, and allows for an immediate start to active mobilization of the knee. CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) machines are no longer routinely used in the 48-72 hours after surgery as research found no significant long term difference in mobility. I think the impulse was sound, but that ACTIVE movement, and more specifically, movement of the knee integrated into the functioning of the whole person, is extremely valuable in the first hours, days, weeks, and months after surgery.

Next time: 'What kind of exercises can I practice before the surgery?'
'Granny Gets A New Knee and a whole lot more,' will be available April 2014. 

'I limped for 10 years before I had the knee replacement.  After surgery and three months of traditional therapy, I had persistent pain.  Louise taught me how to walk again, how to carry myself.  I don't hurt any more, even after all these years. It's magic! Thanks, Louise. 
                                                                                                                                         ~ Sharon B. Traveler

    Author

    Louise Chegwidden is a Physical Therapist and Feldenkrais Teacher®

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