Tucson SPORT - September 2007 - (Page 24) SPORTS ZONE engage PERFORMANCE TIPS » THE HEAT OF LATE SUMMER/EARLY fall lingered during a football game in Sierra Vista my Junior Year. I was on the varsity team at Salpointe, and we had a very promising year ahead of us. I stood on the sidelines cheering on our offense when I watched our starting running back fall to the ground and grab his knee. As they carried him to the sidelines to tend to his swollen leg, I patted him on the shoulder pads and said “It will be OK. It’s a long season”. But the season as well as his career was cut short by an ACL tear. Many years later as a Physical Therapist, I know the impact that an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injury can have on an athlete. I also know the effort it takes to rehabilitate and recover from an injury of this magnitude. Our star running back that year had suffered what is referred to as the “Terrible Triad”. Not only is the ACL affected, but so are the medial meniscus (the cartilage in the knee) and the MCL (medial collateral ligament). This injury may not require a direct impact to the knee but can occur from a sudden cut and pivot on the field or turf. Following an ACL tear, the knee swells up and is very painful to the affected area. This is due to the significant amount of blood flow in this area. When the ACL ruptures, the lower portion of your leg will shift forward in your knee creating what we call a “drawer sign”. So why do ACL injuries happen? The majority of ACL injuries do not occur from an impact from someone else, but rather it happens from the athlete’s impact to the ground. When the foot hits the ground, a chain of events happen which alter the athlete’s body structure. One effective way to alter FOLLOWING AN ACL TEAR, THE kNEE SWELLS UP AND IS VERY PAINFUL TO THE AFFECTED AREA. 24 such a chain of events is through core stability training. Core stability training does not involve doing a bunch of crunches to obtain those “Hollywood Abs”. Core training at its finest involves a well designed program that focuses on the body’s proprioception and the activation of the body’s TA/IO muscular control. “TA” refers to “transverse abdominus” and “IO” refers to “internal obliques”. Together these muscles form a strong “core” that stabilizes the spine and engages a support system throughout the body. Proprioception refers to balance exercises to train the brain and the muscles to react to any and all positions that an athlete may face during activity. So how can you prevent your risk of an ACL tear? It is important for athletes to go through a screening in the off-season to assess their risk of an ACL injury. A good screening will look at four areas: posture, landing mechanics, force production/ absorption and core stability. To learn more about ACL treatment and preventative programs contact Bryan Hannley PT at 321-0204 or bryan. hannley@gmail.com TUCSON SPORT MAGAZINE | www.tucsonspor t.net http://www.tucsonsport.net
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