By: Anthony Campo
There are some common injuries that I continue to see over and over again. These injuries are so common that they are contributing heavily to healthcare costs. If we all took the responsibility to learn how to prevent some of these extremely common injuries there would be far less strain on the healthcare system.
For most individuals proper mechanics relating to mobility and stability alternate down the chain movement.
Neck – Stable
Thoracic spine/shoulders – Mobile
Lumbar spine – Stable
Hips – Mobile
Knees – Stable
Ankle – Mobile
When one of these is off it affects the joints above and below.
Common examples:
– Poor thoracic/shoulder mobility often leads to the mobility translating to the neck and low back, which can cause injury over time.
– Poor lumbar and/or knee stability leads to damaging forces on the joints in the low back and knee.
– Poor hip mobility leads to damaging forces on the joints in the low back and knee.
– Poor ankle mobility will lead to improper forces on the knees.
Once injury starts to occur, further compensation and continued weakness takes place, which can lead to increased wear and tear on the joints of the body. This is why many people end up needing joint replacements. Improper forces over years and years have destroyed the integrity of the joint. Common orthopedic issues such as arthritis are also often a result of these improper forces and wear and tear.
Tips to help correct these common problem areas:
– Train for proper mechanics at each part of the chain. Carry these mechanics over into daily life as close to 100 percent of the time as possible.
– This doesn’t mean you can’t train the reverse of these mechanics that are the common source of these injuries, however, try to recognize if you are prone to this dysfunction or are causing damage.
– Be careful of generalized training programs or group classes that by nature are one size fits all. They might involve movements that can be damaging to your specific situation.