Principles of Rehab and Reconditioning

RADIO NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Written by: Jonna Ocampo

Set yourself up for success or you set yourself up for failure. There is a plan and there are phases that should be followed after an injury.

Principles of rehab and reconditioning

1.       Healing tissues must never be overstressed

2.       In rehab & reconditioning, person needs to progress from one phase to the next.

3.       Need to know from your doctor or physical therapist if there are any specific activities/exercises that should be avoided in training.

4.       Need to know how long your treatment is required.

5.       Important to communicate with your doctor, physical therapist, and trainer.

In understanding injury it is important to understand the types of injury and their causes.

1.       First, Macrotrauma is a specific and sudden occurrence of injury to a tissue, or joint trauma due to a dislocation or a sublaxation caused by a partial displacement of the joints surfaces.

2.       Second, Microtrauma is an injury to the bone or tendon, due to repeated overuse. It is characterized as a bone stress fracture from a great deal of training on hard surfaces; also it is characterized as tendonitis which is inflammation of the tendon.

There are three phases of healing an injury for your tissues:

1.       The inflammation phase, which is pain, swelling, redness, and a decreased collagen synthesis.

2.       The repair phase, collagen fiber production, decreased collagen fiber organization, and now a decrease in the # of inflammatory cells. THE REPAIR PHASE OF TISSUE HEALING BEGINS AS EARLY AS 2 DAYS AFTER AN INJURY AND MAY LAST UP TO 2 MONTHS. THE PERSON SHOULD DO ISOMETRIC EXERCISES,

Examples of isometric exercises: you contract the muscle without moving the joint:

The Plank - for abdominal improvement.

1. Start out by lying flat on the floor.

2. Slowly raise the body so you are resting on your toes and forearms.

3. Keep the back flat and the abdominal muscles taut.

4. Hold the position for 10-30 seconds.

5. Repeat the exercise 2-3 times.

Isometric Shoulder Raises - for shoulder improvement.

1. Stand with the feet shoulder-width apart and the knees slightly bent.

2. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand and raise the weight out towards your side until it is at shoulder length and your arm is parallel to the ground.

3. Hold the weight in this position for 10-30 seconds.

4. Repeat the exercise 2-3 times.

Isometric Squats - for quadriceps improvement.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your back firmly against a wall.

2. Slowly slide down the wall until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

3. If necessary, move your feet away from the wall to ensure your knees do not extend past your toes.

4. Hold the position for 10-30 seconds.

5. Repeat the exercise 2-3 times.

Isometric Calf Raises - for calf improvement.

1. Stand next to a wall on one foot and touch the wall lightly for balance, if necessary, but do not allow yourself to rest against the wall.

2. Rise up onto your toes.

3. Hold the position for 10-30 seconds.

4. Switch feet and repeat the exercise for the other calf.

5. Repeat the exercise on both calves 2-3 times.

3.       ISOKEINETIC EXERCISES – are performed on machines, use equipment designed to apply maximum stress to the muscles through the whole range of movement. MACHINE RESISTANCE EQUIPMENT, for example: leg extension machine

4.       AND ALSO ISOTONIC EXERCISES – USING DIFFERENT FORMS OF RESISTANCE INCLUDING GRAVITY. Build muscle through a full range of isometric exercises. AND uses both free weights and machines.

5.      Remember, following an injury the final phase is the Remodeling of the tissues, now having proper collagen fiber alignment, and an increased tissue strength. THE REMODELING PHASE CAN LAST UP TO 2 TO 4 MONTHS FOLLOWING AN INJURY.

A Sprain happens to a ligament and is characterized as:

·         1^st degree, which is a partial tear of the ligament without any joint instability

·         2^nddegree, which is a partial tear with minor joint instability.

A Strain occurs to a muscle and are muscle fiber tears. There are 3 degrees of a strain:

·         1^st degree, partial tear and having pain with activity

·         2^nd degree, partial tear and muscle weakness, pain w/ activity.

·         3^rd degree, is a complete tear resulting in a very weak muscle.

Do not exercise an area of your body that resulted in excess accumulation of blood and fluid in the tissues surrounding the injured muscle.

Assistance exercises - use for injury prevention and rehabilitation and involve only 1 primary joint however they are less important to improving sports performance.

Examples of assistance exercises

Biceps

Triceps

Abs

Neck

Traps

Forearms

Lower back

Strengthen now to avoid an injury. It is important to practice prerehab before an injury occurs. Prerehab utilizes the same exercises phases as a rehabilitation program.

Recreate a strong foundation. It is beneficial to follow these phases of exercise progression after an injury along with clearance from your physician and physical therapist. Begin with isometric exercises, followed by isokinetic and then isotonic exercises.

Stop making excuses. Even with an injury, you can still go to the gym and workout on the body parts that are properly functioning.  Upon completion of the remodeling phase of an injury, begin to train specific muscles, surrounding the injury, in order to create more stability in the area.

Finally, keep it positive. Do not allow your mind to be overtaken by the negative. Do not lose hope and do not give in and feel helpless.  Help is here - there is a plan.