Running: Interview with a Physical Therapist

Are you a person who loves to run?  Are you someone who wishes you could go farther with out pain?  Are you sick of injury after injury each running season?

We interviewed Josh Rolfes DPT of OSR Physical Therapy this week to learn more about running and advice to avoid injury.

What is the most common injury you work with in runners?
Patellofemoral Pain otherwise known as Knee pain

What is some advice you would give to runners?
Start slow and progress gradually.  Stretch your calves.  Become educated and make a plan when it comes to distances and goals.  When you are starting to run it is never a bad idea to have a gait analysis to know what to work on before you experience pain.


What is your personal favorite running shoe?
Brooks Pureflow2

What is your favorite distance to run?
6 miles

What are some good resources you have used for runners?
TC Running in Eden Prairie 
MDRA
Team in training

At OSR Physical Therapy we offer Dartfish Running Analysis, an AlterG treadmill and an educated staff on the sport of running.  Call us today at 952-873-7400 to schedule your free 15 minute run in the AlterG treadmill.

Basketball playoffs

As High School Basketball seasons are coming to an end players are getting fatigued.  With that fatigue they run even a greater risk for injury as sections and state are getting closer.


Here are some links to check out to stay safe as the season ends:

OSR Previous Post on Basketball workouts

Exercises to minimize knee injuries from the American Physical Therapy Association

John Hopkins University injury statistics

National Athletic Trainers' Association Article on March Madness


Good luck to all the teams finishing up their seasons this week!

Winter Sports

We have talked a lot on here about the traditional winter sports, basketball, wrestling, skiing and hockey.  But what about all the other winter sports there are?  We do work with a number of athletes that are snowboarders, ice skaters and those who just like to go sledding.

Here are some tips to keep safe this winter in outdoor winter sports.

Stay Warm: Wear layers and make sure to protect your fingers, head and face.  Goggles are also great to protect your eyes.  Wear moisture absorbing fabric close to your skin and outer layers that can be easily removed if you get too warm.

Watch the sun: Wear an SPF 15 sunscreen or greater in the winter.  Yes, we are farther away from the sun but the bright white snow reflects the sun back to your face all day.  Don't forget to protect your lips as well from the sun.

Sledding: Sledding is a great and cheap way to pass the time in the winter.  It can also be a great workout.  Make sure to use a sturdy sled with handles and one that can be easily steered and stopped.  Make sure to sit up in the sled and wear boots to protect your feet.  Another thing to always do before you start sledding is to checkout the hill for big bumps, trees, rocks and other sledders.  It is also a good idea to wear a helmet to protect your head.

Skating: Always wear proper sized skates and skate on approved ice.  If your skating on a lake, pond or river make sure it is completely frozen over and there is no standing water.  Watch out for others around you and don't chew gum or candy while skating.  You never know when you might fall and choke on it.  Also if your going to play hockey wear protective equipment and check out our previous post on hockey safety.

Skiing and Snowboarding: Again it is important to wear appropriate equipment that fits well.  Here is another post we shared around skiing.  Make sure to always wear a helmet and goggles.  Knee and elbow pads are not a bad idea as well if you are learning.  Taking a few lessons is not a bad idea either to make sure you have proper technique and know how to fall.

Enjoy the snow this winter season!

Wrestling Season is going strong

It is the time of year that screams a lot of winter sports.  With winter sports comes Wrestling season.  In Minnesota we love our wresting and at OSR we want to keep our wrestlers safe and wrestling.





Here are some wrestling tips and tricks from Certified Athletic Trainer Andrew at OSR Eden Prairie:

Shoulder Injuries are a big problem. To help keep your shoulders healthy:
-Stretch your chest muscles and even more specific your pec major and pec minor
-Strengthen your low traps, rhomboids, and rotator cuff complex

Neck injuries are also common:
-Neck strengthening - you could use a towel to perform your own manual resistance
-Neck stretches - work on a big range of motion

If you are concerned about a wrestling injury make sure to consult with a medical professional.  At OSR we offer free injury consultations and if appropriate can give you more individualized advice on your injury.

Cutting weight is also a big deal with wrestling.  Here are some more tips on "weight" with wrestling:
-Maintain a constant weight.
-Do not have huge fluctuations in weight due to weight ins.
-Have proper nutrition, hydration, and exercises year round.
-Do not binge after meets.
-Eat well with nutritious foods, rehydrate.
-High school wrestlers should not be on a "diet" out of season.
-Keep in mind High School wrestlers are still growing and need food.  

If you are looking for more info regarding wrestling season check out these helpful links:
themat.com
http://www.ncaa.com/sports/wrestling/d1


NATA position statement on safe weight loss:
http://natajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.4085/1062-6050-46.3.322

Thanks for your help Andrew and good luck to all the wrestlers out there this season!

Keeping Athletes Safe

Are you a middle school, high school or collegiate athlete?  If so you have a lot of pressures throughout the day.  School work, conditioning, practice, games, travel and more.

A big pressure we are hoping to minimize at OSR is injury.  Injuries are inevitable, they are going to happen.  We hope they become less through prevention, recognition and appropriate treatment post injury.

Here is a good clip on Athletic Trainers and their role with sports:
http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=he_mid#/video/health/2012/10/09/hm-hs-athlete-safety.cnn

Another great resource to check out is the Youth Sports Safety Alliance:
http://www.youthsportssafetyalliance.org/InTheNews.htm

At OSR we always offer free 15 minute injury consultations with one of our Certified Athletic Trainers in hope to look at your injury before it gets worse.  We will also offer our advice on treatment inside and out of OSR.

To schedule your free 15 minute injury consult contact us today and good luck in your season!
Chanhassen: 952-448-9081
Eden Prairie: 952-873-7400

ACL Injury Prevention

Winter sports are in full swing and unfortunately with that comes injuries and tired athletes.  A common theme I am hearing my teenage athletes talk about is ACL injuries.  Each sport will pose different risks to our bodies, including things like ACL tears.

Here is some advice we have on prevention of ACL injuries and tears this winter season.  There will always be situations in sports that could not have been prevented but it is always good to try some prevention first!

Most ACL injuries occur in sports that require sudden changes in direction while moving.  It is very common for the injuries to occur while an athlete has planted then twisted without any contact.  They can also tear during a hard tackle, improper landing from a jump or chasing something without good form.

Female ACL injuries are nearly three times more likely than male ACL injuries.  Researchers believe this is because of anatomy, hormone levels, fatigue, hip flexibility and mobility.

Things to do that can aid in lower leg strength and help minimize ACL injuries:

• Work on balance
• Make sure you are conditioned for your sport
• Work on jumping with proper landing techniques and a lot of knee control
• Make time for agility exercises in your warm up
• Leg exercises like bridges, squats and lunges

How to order your exercises during a workout program for ACL Prevention

1. Warm Up
2. Plyometics
3. Agility
4. Strengthen
5. Stretch
6. Cool down

Here are some other resources for you, if you want to learn more about ACL injuries:
http://www.moveforwardpt.com/resources/detail.aspx?cid=e01ef695-7434-4076-9b19-8b9057f6aa91
http://www.apta.org/Media/Releases/Consumer/2008/9/25/
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/injuryprevention/a/ACL_prevention.htm
http://orthopedics.about.com/od/aclinjury/f/prevent.htm

If you are interested in knowing your risk for an ACL tear or learning specific exercises for you contact us at OSR!

Hockey Season is back

Although the NHL season has been in lockout, kids to adults have been playing their hearts out this winter.  Now it seems as if the wait is over which is the inspiration to this post.

What dose it take to train like a pro?  How can I lessen my chance for injury?  How can I maximize my season?

Here are some tips to train this hockey season and beyond:

1. Train explosively
• It is a great way to train your cardio and power
• You can use medicines balls or your body weight
• Focus on good form when you are training explosiveness
2. Train your core
• Focus on core, back and shoulder strength
• Work on core range of motion, that slap shot requires it
3. Work on leg strength to increase skating speed
• Running stairs, lunges, sprints and jumping will help with your endurance and speed on your skates
4. Take time to rest
• Hockey season is grueling, take some time to let your body repair itself
• Cross train with other sports and movements to lessen overuse injuries
• Drink a lot of water, with all the equipment you have to wear hockey players sweat a lot
5. Have fun
• Remember why you started to play and play for those reasons
• Take some time to play outdoor pick up games

Good luck this season and Go Wild!