My Top 5 Posts of 2014

Howdy Readers! It is that time of year again when everybody begins to look back and review the past year. 2014 was definitely a big year for myself professionally and personally. In fact, 2014 was my first full year of blogging since beginning to write back in early 2013. Some highlights of my past year include finishing my master's thesis and degree, going to the final four (NCAA Div. III) with my basketball team from Illinois Wesleyan University. Additionally, I moved between Normal, IL to Madison, WI and finally settled here in Miami, FL where I have started work on my PhD at the University of Miami. This means I have gone from being a student and clinician to full time student/research assistant. Finally, in my personal life I was lucky enough to somehow become engaged to the woman that I love.

Now that I have reviewed my personal and professional life...let's take a look and recap the 5 most popular blogs that were published on my blog this year. I only included posts that were written & published in the past year for eligibility. Cue the cheesy drum roll please!

5. Healthy Running Course Review

This post was a recap of my trip to Portland, Oregon where I attended the Healthy Running Course that was put on by Dr. Mark Cucuzzella and Jay Dicharry, MPT, SCS. I had a great time at this course and in my mind the information presented here is a MUST for people interested in running, coaching runners, or treating running injuries.

4. Please Leave Your Poor Hamstrings Alone!

This post was kind of a personal rant about what has been deemed "The Epidemic That Never Existed". If you haven't read it yet and think you might have tight hamstrings or find yourself thinking that many people might have tight hamstrings then you might want to check this post out! The sensation of a tight muscle is often no more than that...a sensation.

3. Tibial Internal Rotation Mobilization w/ The EDGE Mobility Band

This post presented a way to help increase tibial internal rotation mobility using the EDGE mobility band. I've said it once and I'll say it again that the band is not necessary and this technique can be done without it. While I have no research to back this (idea!) it does seem plausible that using the band can help with hand grip, increasing afferent input to the nervous system, and perhaps offer a superficial fascial glide at best. These three things together may help increase the efficacy of the technique.

2. Rocktape: Fascial Movement Taping Levels 1 & 2 Course Review

This post is the second course review to hit the top 5 list for the year. In this post I reviewed my time spent at Rocktape's Fascial Movement Taping course. While I haven't used any kinesiology tape in many months now because most of my time is spent in the classroom and in the lab. However, I still believe that kinesiology tape still has a role as a tool in the clinical toolbox. I hardly believe there are any true mechanical effects going on with its application and instead think it is mostly related to sensory input and/or the individual's perception(placebo potential!) of the taped area. (This could be argued because you need the mechanical stimulation to provide sensory-afferent input) I think the evil side of kinesiology tape is often the explanatory and specificity models offered by many and the fact that the research isn't strong for it at all. I do however think that there needs to be better research studies with better "questions" asked as well.

1. Are Your Shoulders Ready for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

Finally, the #1 post of the year. The fact that this post became my #1 viewed post of the year was very surprising to me. I wrote this post in honor of starting back up my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) training that had been on hold since sometime during my undergraduate degree. In this blog I proposed a simple but not necessarily all inclusive way of trying to screen a person's shoulders for the mobility needed to withstand the rigors of training BJJ. 

Specifically, I discussed how the Apley's Scratch test positions or the SFMA Shoulder Movement Patterns did a very good job of examining the motions needed for BJJ and explained how these movement patterns matched those of very common submission attempt positions. An inability to properly place your shoulders in these positions active or passively is probably a red flag considering that others will be trying to force your shoulders into these positions and beyond. This could result in increased levels of stress and strain placed on your joint and its surrounding soft tissues. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

There you have it, my top 5 posts of 2014. Later this week I will share with you all the top 5 viewed videos of 2014! I hope you all are enjoying the holiday season and I wish you all the best in the coming new year! Thank you all for reading my rambling!

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Movie Monday: The Ultimate Mobility/Stability Combo Pack Review

Howdy Readers! Today is Monday so that means it is time for another movie! This week I have a video product review for you. In this video I will be looking at the Ultimate Mobility/Stability Combo pack from The EDGE Mobility System. I am no stranger to the EDGE Mobility System but recently they started to sell their products as combo packs instead of just singular items. However, you can still buy each item individually as well!

What Does The Ultimate Mobility & Stability Combo Pack Contain?

• 1 EDGE Mobility Ball
• 1 EDGEility Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) Tool for Self-Treatment
• 2 pairs of EDGE Mobility Bands
• 2 pairs of TowEDGE Toe Spacers 
• 1 EDGE Mobility System Carrying Pouch

What Did I Think of The Combo Pack?

I had a lot to say about these products and I had to edit this video a ton to get it even close to watchable in length so I apologize for it being around ten minutes in length! I will leave most of my comments for the video but I must say that I am a fan. I think that these "combo packs" would make a great Holiday gift for grapplers, brazilian jiu jitsu players, judokas, crossfit athletes, gym rats, runners, triathletes, I could really make this list go on and on. Additionally, this would be a great gift for athletic trainers, physio/physical therapists, chiropractors, and students of all these professions.

So What Do I Do With This Stuff?

If this is one of your first thoughts after getting interested in these products from my review video then don't have any fear. I have several videos and articles on how I've used the individual pieces of the EDGE Mobility System. There are many more to be found on the creator's website, The Manual Therapist. It may be worth checking the new but cheap E-Book, An Introduction to Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization, by Ove Indergaard and I believe you can also find it on the Kindle Store.

My Previous Articles Related to EDGE Mobility System Products:

• Tibial Internal Rotation Mobilization w/ The EDGE Mobility Band

• The EDGE Mobility Band Review

• Can EDGE Mobility Bands Really Improve Mobility? Let Us Investigate.

• Case of The Week: Bilateral Plantar Fasciosis

• Bilateral Femoral Acetabular Impingement In a Collegiate Soccer Player

• Case of The Week: Persistant Postural Headache

• HEP for the HIP: Self Hip IR mobilization!

• Quick Video Update: Ankle Dorsiflexion Mobilization with Movement Variation.

• Quick Vid - An Ankle Sprain And a Loss of Mobility

• Concussion, Cervical, TMJ/TMD or a Combination Thereof?

Previous Videos Using EDGE Mobility System Products

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Movie Monday: How to Buddy Tape Your Fingers!

Good Morning Readers! I hope nobody has a case of the Mondays...Today we have our second installment of Movie Mondays. This video will share with you a common, basic, easy but often screwed up taping technique. Athletic Trainers are pretty much the experts at taping athletes and have been for over a decade now.

However, some tape jobs like this can be done by individuals themselves. Which could obviously come in handy when an athletic trainer is not present or when you participate in a sport where it is not common for athletic trainers to be present. This is a great taping technique when a person has suffered an injury such as a minor interphalangeal or metacarpophalangeal (finger) sprain and needs additional support to allow participation while the injury is still healing. This could be done with several types of tape from light stretchy stuff, to somewhat flexible elastikon to a more restrictive but cheap and common athletic/white/coaches' tape. It just depends on the amount of support you want versus the amount of movement or function you want/need.

Additionally, this could be used prophylactically in sports where the fingers are at risk for injury when isolated...I'm looking at you football linemen, rugby & judo players, brazilian jiu jitsu athletes, or grapplers of all shapes and sizes.

There are a lot of taping techniques that an athlete could apply themselves and I hope in the future I can share some more of them with all of you. However, somethings like an ankle tape job are not very feasible for an untrained person to do alone. Especially when you could save time and money by getting a decent ankle brace instead. That sort of product or scenario doesn't exist for this tape job.

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Are Your Shoulders Ready for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

I have been keeping busy down here in Miami, Florida. I am about a quarter of the way through my first semester as a PhD student and I have been kept busy with teaching my first class (Introduction to Athletic and Sport Injuries) and by being a research assistant for my adviser as well. I have also had the opportunity to keep myself busy yet physically active by taking back up a long-lost but much loved hobby of mine: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ).

BJJ took a backseat for me after training regularly during my bachelor's degree. It stayed on the back burner as I worked on my master's degree but my schedule has normalized enough to allow me to resume training. My sports medicine breadth of knowledge has grown and advanced while my BJJ was placed on hold, and because of that I feel that I have a expanded view on the biomechanics of the sport that I didn't necessarily have previously.

Specifically, I am going to touch briefly on a bit of injury prevention for anyone out there that may be into BJJ or for those of you that may treat people that participate in BJJ (actually this stuff applies to everybody not just BJJ guys). Nevertheless, this post is definitely geared more for the BJJ practitioner and not the clinicians out there...this may not even be new information for those who have visited this blog before.

While I am not somebody that you should go to for submission or any BJJ advice for that matter...I feel that I can give some good insight to help you stay on the mats. Specifically, when I was training I often saw a lot of people struggle with shoulder injuries. In fact, traumatic shoulder dislocations and subluxations were more prevalent than one might assume. Perhaps one wouldn't be surprised considering this is a sport where people enjoy catching each other in joint locks and submission-holds that work by forcibly placing one another's joints at their respective end ranges of motion. So when it comes to a sport where we are already pushing the limits with our body (within reason) then we need to ensure that we are not already at risk of damaging ourselves or our training partners.

I'm no Kenobi.

Having strong, mobile, and stable shoulders is just as important for your ability to submit as well as your ability to not get submitted. The status of your shoulders can also have repercussions up and down the kinetic chain. This is evident when a shoulder issue can manifest itself as a grip strength (I won't be touching on it in this post but proper grip strength can also play a huge role on proper shoulder stability) problem. Not to mention proper shoulder function, especially based upon the tests that I am about to show you, is entirely interdependent on proper function of the elbow joint, glenohumeral (shoulder) joint, the scapula (shoulder blade), the thoracic spine, and arguably the neck or cervical spine as well.

You can bet this guy needs some help, even if he doesn't have symptoms...yet.

So what is a quick an easy way to check for potential shoulder dysfunction? If you know me by now you know I am a fan of the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) and think its a great way for everybody to look at movement despite the fact that we may all treat movement in many different ways. So that is where these tests originate!

1) Upper Extremity Pattern #1

What does this shoulder position look like?

This test requires adequate motor control and mobility of many different segments including: Shoulder internal rotation, shoulder extension, and horizontal adduction of the shoulder. Additionally it requires elbow flexion and thoracic spine extension/rotation. Any issues found here indicate a potential stability and/or mobility problem. One must not assume that it is a mobility/flexibility issue that needs stretching or cranking on.

Looks a lot like our test above...If you can't easily put your own arm here, how do you expect it to feel when does it for you?

What is a passing test? The ability for the finger tips to reach the inferior angle of the contralateral scapula without excessive scapular winging of the moving arm, without excessive effort, no deviations in starting posture, and a symmetrical result when compared to the other side. A failing test would require a local biomechanical assessment and to break down of the components of the movement to search for the weakest link. This is a normal range of motion to be able to move through. Deficiency here can lead to increased strain, tension and shearing forces through your upper extremity and its soft tissues.

#2) Upper Extremity Pattern #2

For this test you need adequate shoulder external rotation, shoulder abduction, shoulder flexion, and elbow flexion on top of thoracic extension/rotation as well. To pass this test you must be able to reach your fingers to your contralateral scapula. Where at on the scapula? The midpoint of the spine of your scapula is our targeted destination. However, you need to look for symmetry of movement from side to side, check out how much effort is required, and if there is any deviation of posture to achieve this position. Additionally, a person is not allowed to "crawl" their hands up or down their back for either test. It has to be done with one smooth motion and without "warming" up.

This is not the same as Upper Extremity Pattern #2 but it IS the same. Get it?

If you want a quick and easy way of doing this if you are unsure of your anatomical landmarks just grab yourself a tape measure and assess the distance from your longest finger tip to the first wrist "crease" or wrinkle of your wrist just below your palm. Got that measurement? Okay well you want your hands to be within 1.5 times that measurement to be considered acceptable and don't forget to switch arms and check both ways.

So what do you do if fail these tests? That is a debate for another day but you honestly need more information. However, if you want to use a trial-and-error method then all you need to do is try something out like flopping on a foam roller, lacrosse ball, or getting a massage and seeing if there is  a difference afterwards. How will you know if there is a difference? Retest! Mobility may work may not fix this so don't assume that is what it is! It could just as easily be a motor control or stability issue. Here is a sample of what breaking down one of these tests looks like.

While these tests are far from all-inclusive or the be-all-end-all they are a great starting place to screen or assess for potential risk of injury. If you can do this it doesn't mean you won't injury your shoulder or that you are 100% good to go but if you can't I do know that you deviate from normal into abnormal. Abnormal or dysfunction in my book is the same as pathological and may lead to future injury down the road. Get to work on bullet-proofing your shoulders before it is too late and you are under the scalpel.

!!Update!!

 Some people asked for a video to help clarify a few questions that they had regarding this post and I have finally gotten the time to deliver. Here it is...

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