Tag Archive for: elbow

Diagnosed with an elbow UCL Tear- Reconstruction or Internal Brace surgery?

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So, you’ve been diagnosed with a UCL tear in your elbow and your world has been turned upside down. Have no fear, many have been there before you and have done pretty well.

But now, there’s a new option for elbow surgery and you’re not sure if it’s right for you. I hope this post can help you decipher the jargon and ease your mind a bit.

Tommy John Surgery

Tommy John surgery has been around since 1974, when legendary Frank Jobe performed the 1st surgery on pro baseball pitcher, Tommy John (shocker!)

It was a pretty epic failure and required a subsequent surgery to fix some of the original issues (massive claw hand due to ulnar nerve issues). Tommy John did return after numerous surgeries to have an amazing MLB career. This set the precedent and baseball has not been the same since.

Fortunately, we have done much better overall. We have improved our surgical techniques and rehab outcomes. Nearly 80%+ of baseball players that have the reconstruction surgery can return to a pretty high level of function. By definition, they will play at the same level or higher compared to their pre-surgery level.

If you don’t believe me, then I suggest you read this article right here. I can attest that the TJ patients that I have rehabbed over the years have done very well. The road is long but most can get back to nearly 100% at around 9-12 months.

Tommy John Surgery Video

Curious to know what the reconstruction surgery looks like? My colleague Dr. Chris Ahmad (who we work with a bunch) presented on his surgery technique recently. Watch this video (as long as you’re not squeamish!) and enjoy!

UCL Docking Technique by Dr Chris Ahmad

I usually tell my patients to fast forward 12 months and we can count backwards to figure out the path that we’re going to take.

But that’s not why you are here, right?

You want to know about the internal brace surgery that has taken the TJ world by storm!

Elbow Internal Brace Surgery

This is a relatively new procedure that has been around since about 2013. My friend and colleague Dr Jeff Dugas began doing this procedure in Birmingham, AL when I was down there. I got to see the early results 1st hand and was excited but skeptical.

Baseball players were returning to their sport in 6-8 months versus the 1 year that we had seen in a full TJ surgery.

Why a quick return after surgery?

Why have them return sooner if the surgeon is not using the patient’s native tissue?

Who should get this surgery anyway?

We didn’t necessarily know, but like any other orthopaedic surgery, we had to wing it a bit. We had to figure out a protocol that was appropriate for the tissues involved.

I was there in Birmingham with another friend and colleague, physical therpaist Kevin Wilk. I helped put together the early protocols and was excited by the potentials.

The thought is that the collagen dipped tape that is re-enforcing the repaired ligament is stornger than the native ligament. Its fixation to the bone is strong. A quicker return to throwing and sport is possible, because of those reasons.

Its worked for the ankle and so why can’t it work for the elbow too?

Internal Brace Surgery Specifics

This internal brace surgery was developed by surgical company Arthrex. It’s pretty neat to see how it has taken on a whole world of uses, including in the knee and ankle. Its many uses has helped numerous athletes return back from their injuries quicker than ever.

See Tua at the University of Alabama, for examaple. He had a high ankle sprain and retuned to the field ~3 weeks after his ankle surgery. Again, surgery performed by my friends Dr Norman Waldrop and Dr Lyle Cain, of Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center. They’re studs and surgeons that i’d highly recommend!

Who benefits the most from Internal Brace surgery?

For this elbow surgery, the internal brace is most appropriate for the athlete that has a UCL sprain that is not complex. Most times, they won’t know until they’re in the surgery if the internal brace is appropriate.

If it is appropriate, then surgical consent probably happened before the surgery. The doctor won’t know if the repair is appropriate until he/she can visualize the tissue directly. A decision is made on the spot even if the MRI said something differently.

Why try the internal brace?

I basically recommend this surgery for my athletes who don’t have a lot of time.

Let’s say they sprain the ligament in the offseason, like in November of their junior year in high school, for example. If a full-blown TJ reconstruction was done, then they’d be out until at least the following November (remember my 12-month comment earlier). That would mean no junior year baseball or Summer ball. That would also mean no exposure for college recruiting!

But wait, there’s an alternative! Internal Brace repair surgery…see the video here!

…or here by Dr Jeff Dugas:

Elbow Internal Brace Procedure by Dr Jeff Dugas

In the internal brace situation, you could have the surgery in November and be back for some of your High School season and most likely for that important Summer travel season.

But remember, the ligament can’t be chewed up a lot. That decision will be made intraoperatively. Be ready to wake up from surgery with news that a full TJ reconstruction had to be done.

But for many, an internal brace repair is possible. And a quicker return may be possible too.

Should you do this surgery?

For those considering it and fit the requirements, then I’d recommend it. Just keep in mind that we really don’t have too many long term outcomes.

But for the High School or College athlete looking to play a few more years, then I’d say go for it.

For the HS or college pitcher who has aspirations of playing pro ball, then I’d recommend the full reconstruction. We just know more about the surgery and long term outcomes. it’s tried and true in every way.

That’s not to say that the internal brace procedure cannot be the gold standard surgery in a few years. That is quite possible. I really hope to update this blog post in the future and say that I was wrong.

But as of now, I would recommend the reconstruction for the pro athlete or amateur athlete looking to play pro ball. Otherwise, the internal brace procedure is a very strong option for many pitchers (or even positional players looking to get back quicker).

Summary- Who should get this surgery?

Pitchers or positional players that don’t have much time before their next season and NEED to play. But the tissue needs to be repairable and not beat up (this is the key!)

Consult your surgeon to discuss this but they won’t know until they’re in your elbow and you’re out cold from anesthesia.

Good luck…it’s a long and winding road but most do well. I’ve treated a lot of these cases and no 2 are ever the same. There’s always a glitch and a freak out period but it often works out in the end!

The Week in Research Review, etc 11-19-18

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Great ‘Week in Research Review, etc 11-19-18’ that I hope you find helpful to your practice.

I’ve always touted the importance of the subjective portion of the exam so I wanted to share a slide from a recent talk I gave to a group in Canandaigua, NY. Obviously, the squat is a fundamental movement and I wanted to give some basic positions that I use to help assess. So excited that I’ve launched a brand new Medbridge course that helps the rehab specialist better eval and treat the baseball pitcher. On my YouTube channel, I discussed my thoughts on setting the scapula with various upper and lower body exercises. And finally, my co-worker Kiefer Lammi discusses the landmine with exercise.

 

Importance of the Subjective Exam

Assessing the Squat

My New Baseball Medbridge Course

Set the Scapula with Shoulder Exercises?

6 Ways to use the Landmine by @kieferlammi

 

💥Subjective the most important aspect of the Evaluation💥

This slide, taken from this past weekend’s course in Canandaigua, NY is always a favorite of mine.

I try to keep a slide like this in all of my lectures because I have found that this portion of the examination can give the rehab specialist a huge look into what is going on with the person in front of them.

Don’t get me wrong, I still consider the biomechanical aspect of what may be causing their symptoms.

It often comes down to a tissue capacity issue but it’s up to me to determine the appropriate course of treatment.

These questions will help build confidence in your client and guide the early stages of rehab.

Do you have any specific questions that you like to ask your clients during their 1st few sessions? Remember, these questions are just not for the evaluation. You should be asking these questions periodically to gauge progress and help guide the next phases of rehab, too!

 

🔅Assessing the Squat 🔅

Squatting is a fundamental movement that all of us have to do on a daily basis.

Utilizing several different positions can help the rehab specialist better assess the squat and develop a treatment plan that enables their client the ability to improve their squat pattern.

In the above videos, I have utilized 3 different squat patterns and will outline them by the degree of difficulty.

✅The Overhead Squat- by far the most challenging version which challenges the shoulders, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, pelvis, knee and ankles.

A movement limitation at any of these joints will most likely cause the squat pattern to break down. Using overhead resistance would further challenge the system and potentially cause the squat to further breakdown.

✅Arms Crossed Chest Squat- alters the challenge by taking most of the shoulder and thoracic spine out of the equation and isolates the motions to the lumbar spine, hips, knees and ankles.

I often use this position as my fundamental motion because most people don’t have to squat with any weights over their head. This position, in my opinion, should be the most informational and utilized.

✅Counter-weight Squat

This position changes the center of mass by moving some of the weight distribution more anteriorly (front) and making the squat motion slightly easier. I use this position as a regression, for some, which allows them to squat with less stress and potential difficulty.

There are many other variations to the squat that you can make but I wanted to highlight a few of the major changes that you cause successfully. Assessing the squat is essential and can give the rehab specialist a nice picture of the function of multiple joints during a common movement.

 

My BRAND NEW course on Medbridge’s platform

…that helps the sports and ortho rehab specialist (PT, OT, ATC) better understand the anatomy and biomechanics involved in the baseball pitching motion.

Advanced Rehab for the Baseball Pitcher to Improve ROM & Strength@medbridge_education

The goal of this course was to allow the clinician to be able to evaluate and treat the baseball pitcher using evidence-based guidelines that I use on a daily basis.

Numerous research studies discuss the adaptive changes that occur with the pitching motion followed by numerous videos to help guide the treatment process.

If you’re already a Medbridge subscriber, then you have immediate access today.

If you’re not a Medbridge member, then you can use my promo code “Lenny2018” to save up to 40% off a yearly membership.

This gets you unlimited CEU’s for 1 year and potential access to their online HEP and a lot more!

Students can also get 1 year of unlimited courses (no CEU’s) by using promo code LennySTUDENT2018 and pay only $100.

Check out my other shoulder courses as well by using the Medbridge platform…along with many other great speakers!

Hope you enjoy and good luck!

 

💥Should you Set the Scapula with your Shoulder Exercise?💥

In this video excerpt from my YouTube channel, I wanted to discuss my opinion on setting the scapula during common exercises.

I think there’s an obvious role for setting the scapula during a heavier lower body lift like a deadlift.

But for a classic upper body exercise like the Full Can (Scaption Raises) or prone T (horizontal abduction), prone Y (Prone full can), etc then I definitely want the scapula to freely move along the rib cage.

I did a quick literature search and didn’t see anything obvious that helped to guide my thoughts so most of this is anecdotal. Check out the video and comment below.

Do you coach your clients to set their scapulae before a rotator cuff workout? If so, why? If not, do you think we should reconsider?

 

6 WAYS TO USE THE LANDMINE!⁣

Great post from our own @kieferlammi at @championptp on various ways to use the landmine in your client’s workout routine.

If you don’t have one, then I’d highly recommend you try to obtain one because they are highly versatile and can be used in many stages of rehab. See Kiefer’s original post below 👏🏼

_____________

6 WAYS TO USE THE LANDMINE!⁣

The landmine attachment is a super versatile tool for loading that is traditionally known for being used for angled pressing variations. While that’s probably my most programmed use for it, it also provides benefit to a ton of other movements by placing the load and direction of force at a bit of an angle, which can help to promote a particular path of movement, like sitting back more in a squat or lunge. Here are 6 of my favorite ways to use the landmine:⁣

1️⃣1-Leg RDL⁣

2️⃣Split Stance Row⁣

3️⃣Reverse Lunge⁣

4️⃣Deadlift⁣

5️⃣Squat⁣

6️⃣Russian Twist⁣⠀

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Expires Sunday, November 25th at midnight ET

If you want to learn more about how I treat ACL’s or the knee in general, then you can check out our all online knee seminar at www.onlinekneeseminar.com and let me know what you think.

We cover the anatomy, rehab prescription, ACL, meniscal injuries knee replacements and patellofemoral issues. Furthermore, the course covers both the non-operative and post-operative treatment.t

This is an awesome course if you’re interested in learning more about rehabilitating the knee joint. And if you’re a PT, there’s a good chance you can get CEU’s as well.

The Week in Research Review, etc 11-12-18

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This week in research review for 11-12-18 we focused a bit more on assessment and also dabbled in some basic treatment strategies for the back and shoulder. Check out the topics below and like them or comment on Instagram to keep the conversation going…thanks all!

 

  • A quick fix for a sore low back?
  • Knee Fat Pad Testing and Diagnosis
  • How to Assess the Elbow for a Tommy John (UCL) Sprain
  • Lumbopelvic control on shoulder and elbow kinetics in elite baseball pitchers
  • Full Can or Empty Can? – by @mikereinold

 

Looking for a quick fix for a sore low back?

I’m speaking from personal experiences when I post a few of the common exercises that have helped me tremendously in the past.

I’m not saying that this is all you have to do but I do think that new onset of low back soreness, you know that tightness that you feel on either side of your spine, can be somewhat alleviated with some foam rolling and active range of motion.

I would definitely include more focal strengthening of the core like deadbugs and bird dogs, squats, deadlifts (when they’re ready), etc.

But for the purpose of this post, I think some foam rolling and motion to the area can take the edge off of someone’s soreness and get them feeling a little better. That’s my goal for many and hopefully those small gins can add up to big gains in the long run!

Do you utilize these techniques as well? If you don’t, then I suggest that you try! They’ve helped me numerous times and continue to help me when my soreness gets a bit out of control.

Tag a friend who may want to check out this post…thanks!

Thanks @corrine_evelyn for the demos!

 

Knee Fat Pad Testing and Diagnosis

Here’s an excerpt from a previous blog post where I talked about anterior knee pain fat pad irritation. Link in bio!

Keep in mind, my differential diagnosis is all over the place at times. With knee pain you need to consider:

Meniscus (see my previous blog post)⠀

ITB

Osteochondral lesion

Patella tendonitis

Pes anserine bursitis

MPFL sprain

Hamstring strain

Plica syndrome

MCL/LCL

Tumor

Infrapatellar fat pad irritation can be functionally debilitating. I believe it presents itself pretty often in the clinic, more than most PT’s realize.

Use this test to see if it truly is a fat pad issue.

 

How to Assess the Elbow for a Tommy John (UCL) Sprain

In this excerpt from my YouTube channel, I discuss the tests that I use to help identify an elbow sprain, typically seen in the baseball players that I treat.

In the full video, I discuss:

✅Joint Palpation

✅Seated Milking Sign

✅Prone Valgus Test (maybe a new one for you!)

✅Supine end range External Rotation with Valgus Extension Overload (VEO)

I also wrote a blog post about this topic so hopefully you’ll go to my site and read a bit more about this.

If you treat baseball players of all ages, then you should know how to diagnose a UCL sprain.

 

The influence of lumbopelvic control on shoulder and elbow kinetics in elite baseball pitchers

Laudner et al JSES 2018.

This study looked at 43 asymptomatic, #NCAA Division I and professional minor league baseball pitchers. They measured the bilateral amount of anterior-posterior lumbopelvic tilt during a single-leg stance trunk stability test.

The Level Belt Pro (Perfect Practice, Columbus, OH, USA) was used to assess anterior-posterior lumbopelvic control. The LevelBelt Pro consists of an iPod–based digital level secured to a belt using hook-and-loop fasteners.

This test has been used and studied previously by Chaudhari et al (JSCR 2011) and he showed that pitchers with less lumbopelvic control produced more walks and hits per inning than those with more control.

Also, pitchers with less lumbopelvic control have been shown to have an increased likelihood of spending more days on the disabled list than those with more control (Chaudhari et al AJSM 2014).

“The results of our study show that as lumbopelvic control of the drive leg decreases, shoulder horizontal abduction torque and elbow valgus torque increase.”

Have you tried this simple test? I will say that having the ability to detect millimeters of motion is clinically difficult.

It is good to see such a simple test utilized clinically can help aid in determining the need for more core/hip exercises for our pitchers. In all, I think it’s a safe bet to incorporate these exercises in all pitchers’ programs.

 

Full Can or Empty Can?

– by @mikereinold 

Great Post by @mikereinold on which motion is BEST to isolate the supraspinatus during arm elevation. I know you can’t isolate the supraspinatus but numerous studies have (Kelly et al 1996, Reinold et al 2004) shown that the full can (or thumb up position) is better than the empty can position.

Check it out below! 👇🏼

Full Can or Empty Can? – by @mikereinold⠀⠀
-⠀⠀
🧠 WANT TO LEARN MORE FROM ME? Head to my website MikeReinold.com, link in bio.⠀⠀
-⠀⠀
I’m still surprised after all these years that I still see the empty can exercise kicking around. I analyzed these two movements many years ago in an article in JOSPT and showed that the full can exercise (thumbs up 👍) had similar EMG of the supraspinatus with lower levels of deltoid EMG, while the empty can (thumbs down 👎) had higher levels of deltoid EMG.

Why does this matter?

Well, think about it. If you are performing this exercise you probably are trying to strengthen the rotator cuff. And if you are weak and performing an exercise with more deltoid, the ratio of cuff to deltoid will be lower and you’ll have more potential for superior humeral head migration.

Plus, let’s be honest, the empty can just hurts… It’s also a provocative test, and I don’t like to use provocative tests as exercises. 😂😂😂⠀

 

The Week in Research Review, etc 11-5-18

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The Week in Research Review, etc 11-5-18 was filled with more informative and eye-opening posts! Lots of visually stimulating posts to help clarify what exactly is going on in the hip joint with PROM. Another post that shows the suction effect from an intact hip labrum… amongst other great posts.  Just some great stuff..hope you enjoy!

 

  1. Manual Forearm Resistance Drills
  2. ACL Graft Healing Times to Maturation
  3. Hip Capsule Stress with PROM External Rotation
  4. Muscle Activation Affected by Hip Thrust Variation
  5. Hip Thrust Form by Bret Contreras
  6. Hip Joint Suction Affected by labral Status

 

 

Manual Resistance Forearm Exercises

In this post, I wanted to show you guys some of the manual resistance drills we use @championptp on our shoulder and elbow clients, especially our baseball players. We love to use these drills because we can control so many variables with each athlete and tailor it for their specific needs.

We can control the speed and tempo, the direction of forces (eccentric, concentric), and the magnitude of the forces. Plus it’s a great way to interact with our clients. It’s also a great way to feel how well they’re progressing in their programs instead of just giving them dumbbells.

I have found these manual resistance drills to be very helpful with my overhead athletes and hope you give them a try on your clients soon! Let me know what you think or tag a friend below who may like to use these drills too.

In my course that I teach around the US, I try to include these concepts so you can practice and be able to utilize these drills for your clients…thanks!

 

ACL Graft Harvesting and Healing times

In this post, I wanted to show some research studies on graft healing times and why we need to respect tissue biology.

The systematic review from AJSM 2011 looked at ‘The ‘‘Ligamentization’’ Process in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.’

They essentially looked at 4 different biopsy studies on BPTB and Hamstring autograft reconstructions. They concluded that maturation of the graft, as determined by mainly vascularity and cellularity, was not complete until 12 months at the earliest. The healing time even extended to 24+ months as well.

The ligamentization endpoint is defined as the time point from which no further changes are witnessed in the remodeled grafts. The surgical procedure is quite involved, as you can see in the video that I took from @drlylecain on #YouTube.

As I’m rehabbing my clients, my decision making and post-op progressions often take into account:

✔️Healing biology

✔️Graft harvesting

✔️Graft Type

✔️Bone bruise presence (often!)

✔️Other concomitant issues (meniscus, articular cartilage).

So, respect the tissue and allow natural healing to occur before you add more exercises or are concerned that they’re not making the gains you’d expect.⠀

 

 

Hip Capsular Closure: A Biomechanical Analysis of Failure Torque

Chahla et al AJSM 2016

Interesting look at tissue failure, albeit in a cadaver graft, that should help to guide the physical therapist or ATC early in the rehab process after a hip scope.

The purpose of this study was to determine the failure torques of 1-, 2-, and 3-suture constructs for hip capsular closure to resist external rotation and extension.

The 3-suture construct withstood a significantly higher torque (91.7 Nm) than the 1-suture construct (67.4 Nm) but no significant difference was found between the 2- and 3- suture construct.

The hip external rotation degree in which the capsule failed was:

✅1-suture construct: 34 degrees

✅2-suture construct: 44.3 degrees

✅3-sutures: 30.3 degrees (yes, smaller than 2-suture construct)

I think as a #PT, we need to keep this study in mind and respect the healing tissues after a hip scope.

Love when we can get this information and put it into practice, similar to RTC repairs, ACL, etc.

Obviously, this was on a cadaver where there’s no guarding, pain or muscle contraction. We still need to know that there MAY be enough tension on the capsule to create potential issues (like tissue failure).

If you treat patients after hip scopes, then I recommend you read this cadaveric study.

 

 

Barbell Hip Thrust Variations Affect Muscle Activation

COLLAZO GARCIA et al JSCR 2018

This study looked at the EMG activity of various lower body muscles while performing the hip thrust in various positions.

Their results showed that by varying the foot position into more external rotation, you can recruit the glute max and medius more than by the traditional hip thrust.⠀ …”the activity of the gluteus maximus increases significantly reaching up to 90% MVIC with only 40% of 1RM” with this hip ER variation.

Also, ‘when the distance between the feet is increased, the activity of knee flexors increases. Therefore, this is a very recommendable option to increase hamstring: quadriceps co-activation ratio.’

I like this study because it helps guide our rehab if we’re targeting a specific muscle group a bit more because of an injury or surgery.

It’s one of my go exercises for anyone with a lower body injury, especially after an ACL reconstruction. But I do use this exercise for most of my clients rehabbing from any injury, including the upper body.

It’s a great way to recruit the gluteus maximus and medius, which we know are hugely? (is that a word?) important to help produce and dissipate forces during athletic movements.

The exercise was widely researched by @bretcontreras1 and should be a staple in your rehab programs.

Check it out and add this to your go-to exercise list…thanks!

 

Hip Thrust Form

[REPOST] and a great one from @bretcontreras1 talking hip thrust form, which is perfectly coinciding with my post earlier today on variations to the hip thrust and how they affect muscle activation. Check out his original post below…highly recommended!

Teaching optimal hip thrust form is complicated. While the occasional lifter prefers and functions better staying fairly neutral in the head, neck, and spine, the vast majority of lifters do best maintaining a forward head position, which leads to ribs down and a posterior pelvic tilt.

It’s not just the forward eye gaze; the whole head has to maintain its forward position. You’re not hinging around the bench; the body mass above the bench stays relatively put, while the body mass below the bench is where the movement occurs.

The astute science geeks out there will rightfully point out that posterior pelvic tilt is associated with some lumbar flexion, and that lumbar flexion under load can be problematic. However, lumbar flexion is only dangerous when the discs are simultaneously subjected to compressive forces. With this style of hip thrust, the glutes are driving hip extension and posterior pelvic tilt, and erector spinae activation is greatly diminished. Core activation is what creates the bulk of the compressive forces, so with the erectors more “silenced,” the discs aren’t as compressed. This makes the exercise very safe. In fact, it’s safer than the “neutral” technique because as you rep to failure or go a bit too heavy, you will inevitably arch the chest and hyperextend the spine, which can lead to lower back pain. ⁣

We have 200 members at Glute Lab hip thrusting day in and day out, and there have been zero injuries to date. Considering how heavy we go, this is astounding.⠀
⁣⠀
#gluteguy #glutelab #thethrustisamust⠀

 

Hip Joint Suction and Stability

[REPOST] From @chicagosportsdoc and a very cool look at the suction within the hip joint that contributes to its stability. As the video progresses, they have simulated a labral tear that shows how easily the joint can dislocate. Once the labrum is repaired, the suction effect is recreated, and joint stability is re-established.

That’s 2 posts this week on the hip…if you want to see some awesome posts, then follow him. He just got on Instagram but his visual posts really aid in learning the mechanics of the various joints…see below!

An impressive demonstration of the powerful hip suction seal. When the hip labrum is injured, the seal is disrupted which can potentially produce microinstability. A labral reconstruction can restore the suction seal #labrum #sportsmedicine #hip #anatomy#orthopedicsurgery #medicine

 

The Week in Research Review, etc 8-26-18

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Predictors of Pain and Functional Outcomes After the Nonoperative Treatment of Rotator Cuff Tears Jain et al OJSM 2018

Who should have RTC surgery and who may not need RTC surgery? That’s a big question but this study tries to give us a better understanding.

70 patients with rotator cuff tears were diagnosed based on the clinical impression of a sports/shoulder fellowship–trained attending physician and evidence of structural deficits on MRI (when available). In cases where an MRI scan was available, both of these conditions had to be met for a patient to be diagnosed with a rotator cuff tear. If an MRI scan was unavailable (because it was not clinically indicated; n = 14), the diagnosis was based on the clinician’s impression.

The Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) was used to determine the level of disability at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months.

✅Being married as compared with being single/divorced/widowed

✅Shorter duration of symptoms

✅Daily shoulder use at work that included light or no manual labor versus moderate or heavy manual labor

✅alcohol use of 1 to 2 times per week or more as compared with 2 to 3 times per month or less

✅Absence of fatty infiltration

✅ College level of education or higher

✅ Partial-thickness tear versus full-thickness tear

Interesting results, especially the alcohol use and being married (kinda surprising but intriguing). Does this help you to guide your future patients if they ask about RTC repair surgery? Tag a friend or colleague who may benefit from this information…thanks!

 

 

Playing video games for more than 3 hours a day is associated with shoulder and elbow pain in elite young male baseball players. Sekiguchi et al JSES 2018

[HOT OFF THE PRESS] in Sept 2018 issue showing the potential effects of playing video games on injury rates in youth baseball players.
200 Japanese ‘elite level’ male baseball players ages 9-12 years old were included in the analysis.

Playing video games for ≥3 hours/day was significantly associated with an elbow or shoulder pain vs. spending <1 hour/day playing video games.

The amount of time spent watching television was not significantly associated with the prevalence of elbow or shoulder pain.

Originally saw this study on Twitter by Dan Lorenz and thought it was interesting, considering @redsox pitcher @davidprice14had a recent injury and attributed it to playing video games.

Not sure how valid the results are but I just wanted to share with my friends and get your opinions. Tag a friend or colleague that may be interested in these results…thanks!⠀

 

 

 

Shoulder Stabilization Drills

More closed chain rhythmic stabilization drills that we like to utilize at @championptp for our upper extremity patients.

A recent study in 2014 Kang et al showed “The EMG activity of the infraspinatus and the ratio of the infraspinatus to the posterior deltoid activities were significantly increased, whereas the posterior deltoid activity was significantly decreased under the CKC condition compared to the OKC condition.”

I prefer to position the patient with an open palm to make it a less stable surface on the ball. Cue them by telling them ‘don’t let me move you’ as I give manual perturbations along the forearm.

To advanced the drill, we can have them perform it with their eyes closed or in a single-legged stance position with their push-off leg on the ground (if they are a pitcher).

You can also advance them in a time-based manner by extending the duration of the exercise to focus on more of the endurance aspect of the rotator cuff.

This is a great drill for those patients with hyperlaxity that need a relatively stable position to perform their exercises in a relatively pain-free fashion.

Do you utilize these drills or know someone that may benefit from them? tag them below so we can discuss them further…thanks!

Credit to @shift_movementscience for the ER wall stabilization drill that he showed us recently. We always performed them IR Wall Stab drill but a quick 180-degree shift and we got a great posterior RTC exercise!⠀

 

 

Lachmans Test for an ACL Tear

Video showing an obviously positive Lachman’s test in a recent @NFLpreseason game.

Check out the anterior translation of the tibia on the femur while the knee is flexed to about 25 degrees.

This is the best way to diagnose an ACL injury and should be the 1st ACL test that you do in your clinical exam.

Remember to rule out the PCL or you may get a false positive if you see excessive anterior translation because the tibia is sitting too far posteriorly.

According to Benjaminse et al 2006, The Lachman test is the most valid test to determine ACL tears, showing a pooled sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 94%. There are numerous other studies that conclude this as well.

They even discuss the pivot shift as a test to consider but I think the Lachman’s test will be the most valid overall.

Do you agree? What do you think? Tag a friend or colleague who may benefit from this post…thanks!

 

 

Shoulder Drills

[REPOST] from @tony.comellatalking bodyweight drills that you can use as a warm up or even as part of a shoulder rehab program. Take a look below and applaud these movements by Tony! 👏🏼⠀
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BODYWEIGHT SHOULDER DRILLS⠀
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🙋🏻‍♂️The shoulder can get overly complex, but the goal of this post is to keep it simple. There are a ton of exercises we can perform, utilizing a variety of equipment (bands, weights, barbells, cable, etc), but here are a few drills I like to perform using only bodyweight:

1️⃣ Prone swimmers. This drill can be deceivingly challenging, as we fight against gravity to keep our arms above the ground. Try and keep your arms as high above the ground as you can and elbows straight (think about reaching fingertips away from you). If you have trouble on the ground you can do this on a bench, or if this is too easy, hold some light weights <5lbs. No need to go too heavy here, as your ability to move a lot of weight won’t impress anybody.

2️⃣ Downdog toe tap. We get the shoulder into full flexion overhead (working on serratus) and some thoracic spine movement too. AdAn additionalonus is showing some love to the posterior chain (hamstrings, calves).

3️⃣ Bear roll. You can’t work on overall shoulder health and not include thoracic spine drills. This beautiful dance move targets the thoracic spine and closed chain shoulder stability at the same time.

😎These are 3 great bodyweight exercises to mix into your warm-up or exercise routine for overall shoulder health. Which one is your favorite?

 

The Week in Research Review, etc 8-5-18

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The Week in Research Review, etc 8-5-18 we discuss a wide variety of topics including:

  • Long-term disability if weak during adolescence
  • Using heat during rehabilitation
  • OKC vs CKC exercises after an ACL
  • Live look at an Achilles rupture (with sound too!)
  • A fun look at the different types of PT’s
  • Congrats to all of the newly licensed PT’s!

Muscular weakness in adolescence is associated with disability 30 years later: a population-based cohort study of 1.2 million Swedish men. Henriksson et al BJSM June 2018.

Conclusion: There was a strong association between muscular weakness and disability. A combination of muscular weakness and low aerobic fitness was an especially important risk factor for disability. This adds weight to call for muscular strength and fitness-enhancing exercise for adolescents in all BMI categories.

This study out of Sweden looked at the associations of muscular strength in adolescence with later disability pension.

A total of 1 212 503 adolescent males aged 16–19 years, recruited from the Swedish military conscription register between 1969 and 1994.

Moral of the story: exercise as an adolescent may help to reduce issues later in life, including the potential for disability.

Taking it 1 step further… why is physical education being cut out of school requirements when studies like this show the potential negative effects of inactivity?!

Turning Up the Heat: An Evaluation of the Evidence for Heating to Promote Exercise Recovery, Muscle Rehabilitation, and Adaptation McGorm et al Sports Medicine June 2018.

Key Points: Animal and human trials have shown that various forms of heating can be used in conjunction with exercise or stress to enhance recovery, adaptation and limit muscle atrophy.

Heating muscle activates protective mechanisms, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, and stimulates genes and proteins involved in muscle hypertrophy.

Further studies highlighting the differences between various heating modalities will help inform athletes and coaches on the best heating practices for specific situations.

This article has a ton of great information that I highly recommend any PT, strength coach, athletic trainer or massage therapist.

It is a review of the literature and there are still many questions to be answered so, as always, take with a grain of salt.

I am a fan of heating before treatment…I do it daily with 99% of the clients that I see and they love it…so that says something.

What do you think? Do you like to heat your clients up before treatment or before a workout? Tag a friend that may benefit from this post! Thanks, guys!

The Effect of Open- Versus Closed-Kinetic-Chain Exercises on Anterior Tibial Laxity, Strength, and Function Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Perriman et al JOSPT July 2018 Level 1a

FINDINGS: There was no significant difference in anterior tibial laxity, strength, patient-reported function, or physical function with the early or late introduction of open-kinetic-chain exercises in those who have had anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, when compared to closed-kinetic-chain exercises, at all follow-up time points.

They wanted to determine whether OKC quadriceps exercises result in differences in anterior laxity, when compared to CKC exercises, at any time point following ACLr.

Also, they wanted to determine whether there are differences in strength, function, quality of life, and adverse events with OKC quadriceps exercises when compared to CKC exercises at any time point.

Overall, calculated effect sizes showed a slight increased laxity in the OKC groups, particularly for the hamstrings graft. The⠀
pooled difference was not statistically significant (P>.05)

When considering all graft types, there was low- to moderate-quality evidence from 3 studies suggesting that there were no between-group differences in laxity at any time point when OKC exercises were introduced earlier than 6 weeks post ACLR, compared to CKC exercises.

There seemed to be a trend that showed early OKC knee extension was safer after a PTG than a hamstring autograft but protocols varied so data was inconsistent.

Of interest to me, they said “The early introduction of OKC quadriceps exercises did not appear to offer additional significant benefits in function and strength for the average patient post ACLR; therefore, this early introduction is questionable, especially in patients with a hamstring graft.

From Twitter’s @IrineuLoturco showing the moment this athlete ruptured their achilles tendon. Pretty impressive and you can see the eccentric loading of the tendon that caused the rupture. See his original post below…

A very impressive recording of the exact moment when an elite sprinter had an acute and complete rupture of the Achilles tendon. Pay attention to the “boom”.

[REPOST] If there was an ESPY for a post by a PT then @theperformancedoc would definitely get it for these videos! Great job and keep pumping out great content. Give him a follow if you haven’t already!

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💥Different Types of Physical Therapists In the Real World💥 SWIPE 👉🏽 (Turn on 🔊) Sometimes we have trouble “turning it off” when we are outside of the clinic. Which one are you?! Tag, Comment, & Share with a Physical Therapist‼️
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#ThePerformanceDoc #RehabWithTheDoc
#TeamMovement

Congrats to all of the newly licensed PT’s out there…Welcome to the profession!

My advice to you:

Stay humble and put the patient first, always

Keep learning and try to avoid complacency

The road will seem rough but it does get a little easier. Get experience…as much as you can. Each interaction with a patient is a snapshot to help guide your future interactions.

Put yourself in their shoes… give them the best experience as you would expect to receive if you were sitting on the plinth being asked questions.

Follow people on social media that help you to learn and keep an open mind. Don’t get pulled into 1 system. Take a little from each and package it nicely.

The research is often biased. Opinions come and go. Stay somewhere in the middle…remember the bell curve, always!

Each “system” has huge overlap despite their ‘trademarked’ proprietary information…they all involve motion and strengthening. That’s the key to PT- keep people moving and keep them stronger…or at least keep them positive and hopeful.

I recently wrote a blog post discussing the evolution of a PT. Take a look…the link is in my bio on Instagram.

These words are the basis of my practice. Take what you think is important and apply it to your practice. Good luck, now work on your dives!

A great week of content that I hope you found valuable and willing to share with your friends and colleagues! Thanks for reading!