Injury

Encore Rehab Representatives attend Andrews Institute’s “Injuries in Football Conference”

Three people from Encore Rehabilitation, Inc. pose for photo in front of movie screen displaying Andrews Institute Injuries in Football Conference

Encore Rehabilitation was represented well at the Andrews Institute’s “Injuries in Football Conference  held at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.  Pictured here are
Physical Therapist Jordan Dow, Clinical Director  at Andalusia Health Physical Therapy;  Athletic Trainer Bo Shirey from Encore Rehabilitation-Cullman;  and Physical Therapist Nan Maio, Clinical Director at Encore Rehabilitation-Ozark, AL.

 

Encore Rehabilitation’s team of Therapists and Athletic Trainers work hard to stay up to date on the latest in rehabilitation and sports medicine practices so they can deliver the highest quality of care to our patients and athletes. At Encore, we LOVE to see you move!

encorerehab.com

Encore Sports Medicine is proud to be the Official Provider of Athletic Training Services for the Alabama High School Athletic Association

Want to learn more about our Encore Sports Medicine Program?
Visit our website at encorerehab.com or call Gary Barfield, Director of Business Development and Sports Medicine at 404-933-4336.

Continuing Education Opportunity for Athletic Trainers, Strength and Conditioning Coaches, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, and Ortho Technicians- July 13-15, 2018 at Orange Beach. Click here for Encore Sports Medicine Symposium information.

Instant Replay for Alabama High School Football starting Fall 2018

Chinese Medical Professionals Tour Encore Rehabilitation Facilities – Part 3

 

9 Things You Should Know About Pain

1. Pain is output from the brain. While we used to believe that pain originated within the tissues of our body, we now understand that pain does not exist until the brain determines it does. The brain uses a virtual “road map” to direct an output of pain to tissues that it suspects may be in danger. This process acts as a means of communication between the brain and the tissues of the body, to serve as a defense against possible injury or disease.

2. The degree of injury does not always equal the degree of pain. Research has demonstrated that we all experience pain in individual ways. While some of us experience major injuries with little pain, others experience minor injuries with a lot of pain (think of a paper cut).

3. Despite what diagnostic imaging (MRIs, x-rays, CT scans) shows us, the finding may not be the cause of your pain. A study performed on individuals 60 years or older who had no symptoms of low back pain found that 36% had a herniated disc, 21% had spinal stenosis, and more than 90% had a degenerated or bulging disc, upon diagnostic imaging.

4. Psychological factors, such as depression and anxiety, can make your pain worse. Pain can be influenced by many different factors, such as psychological conditions. A recent study in the Journal of Pain showed that psychological variables that existed prior to a total knee replacement were related to a patient’s experience of long-term pain following the operation.

5. Your social environment may influence your perception of pain. Many patients state their pain increases when they are at work or in a stressful situation. Pain messages can be generated when an individual is in an environment or situation that the brain interprets as unsafe. It is a fundamental form of self-protection.

6. Understanding pain through education may reduce your need for care. A large study conducted with military personnel demonstrated that those who were given a 45-minute educational session about pain sought care for low back pain less than their counterparts.

7. Our brains can be tricked into developing pain in prosthetic limbs. Studies have shown that our brains can be tricked into developing a “referred” sensation in a limb that has been amputated, causing a feeling of pain that seems to come from the prosthetic limb – or from the “phantom” limb. The sensation is generated by the association of the brain’s perception of what the body is from birth (whole and complete) and what it currently is (post-amputation).

8. The ability to determine left from right may be altered when you experience pain. Networks within the brain that assist you in determining left from right can be affected when you experience severe pain. If you have been experiencing pain, and have noticed your sense of direction is a bit off, it may be because a “roadmap” within the brain that details a path to each part of the body may be a bit “smudged.” (This is a term we use to describe a part of the brain’s virtual roadmap that isn’t clear. Imagine spilling ink onto part of a roadmap and then trying to use that map to get to your destination.)

9. There is no way of knowing whether you have a high tolerance for pain or not. Science has yet to determine whether we all experience pain in the same way. While some people claim to have a “high tolerance” for pain, there is no accurate way to measure or compare pain tolerance among individuals. While some tools exist to measure how much force you can resist before experiencing pain, it can’t be determined what your pain “feels like.”

Read more about Pain and Chronic Pain Syndromes.

The American Physical Therapy Association launched a national campaign to raise awareness about the risks of opioids and the safe alternative of physical therapy for long-term pain management. Learn more at our #ChoosePT page.

Author: Joseph Brence, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT, COMT, DAC

**Article found at: http://www.moveforwardpt.com/Resources/Detail/9-things-you-should-know-about-pain

“Overtraining and Injury in Youth Athletics”

By Marc Bernier, MPT CSCS

 The environment of youth athletics has undergone a major transformation over the past several years, most notably in the manner in which kids train for their respective sports.  Unfortunately, the changes that have occurred are not always necessarily for the better, as the injury rates in youth athletics are increasing, as are the severity of injuries.

One potential cause for these increasing injury rates that has been identified by medical professionals is overtraining.  There are many factors that can play into overtraining; however, there are 2 components that are particularly concerning:

  1. “Specialization” in a single sport during the early childhood years.
  2. Failure to provide adequate recovery from the physical stress of the sport season.

In all actuality, these two factors are actually closely intertwined.  In today’s competitive climate of youth athletics, many kids are pushed towards dedicating themselves exclusively to one sport at a young age, with the thought being that the more training they get in that specific sport, the more they will excel (this thought actually goes against the recommendations of the top sports performance enhancement specialists who promote the idea of youth athletes being encouraged to compete in multiple sports until their freshman or sophomore year in high school, at which time specialization is more appropriate).  As a result, sports such as soccer become a year long endeavor, in which kids are playing the same sport for 10-11 months of the year (it may take slightly different forms, such as outdoor, indoor, etc).  Unfortunately, this is a faulty approach for two reasons:

1. By participating in the same sport throughout the year, the same repetitive physical stresses are placed on the relatively fragile growth plates and soft tissue structures (muscles, tendons, ligaments), resulting in overuse injuries.

2. Participation in a single sport can limit the overall athletic development of kids.  All sports have unique skills and movements that require the development and utilization of different muscle groups, and in vastly different ways.  This is especially true for the core and trunk muscles; participation in “upper extremity” sports such as baseball, tennis and basketball will train the core in a much different manner than “lower extremity” sports such as soccer.  It has been theorized that playing in multiple sports may actually increase kids’ overall athleticism and make them “better” athletes.

Simply put, we do not provide our kids enough time to rest, nor allow their joints enough time to recover from the physical stresses their bodies endure during a season (not to mention the fact that kids today typically train harder and more frequently than current adults did in their childhood).  Recovery time is absolutely essential for athletic growth; without it, the structures of the body are continually broken down, inhibiting strength and endurance potential, and ultimately athletic potential.

In an ideal scenario, children should have a two week period after the season is completed of minimal activity.  After that has passed, participation in a different sport is acceptable, as that sport will not have the same physical stresses, and will be less traumatic to the joints of kids.  If a child does not participate in another sport, some form of cross training can be performed to maintain baseline fitness levels.  Some recommended activities would include: cardio workouts on stationary bikes, stairsteppers or elliptical machines; swimming; pick up basketball; or simple jogging.

Kids should be encouraged to take a break from sports, and having a free weekend every once in a while is a good thing!

  • **Marc Bernier is the Clinical Director of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation for Encore Rehab at the Inverness Clinic and Spain Park High School.  Marc has served as an international sports medicine consultant specializing in the field of rehabilitation and conditioning for European based professional soccer clubs, and is a national lecturer on the management of youth sports injuries.  He can be contacted for any questions at mbernier@encorerehab.com.