A c t i v 8 re h a b has become the primary stop for many wake boarders and tournament skiers following injury, often being carried in!! Having the facility and equipment to help aid diagnosis like diagnostic ultrasound scanning, isokinetic computerized muscle performance testing and video gait analysis enables the clinician to make an accurate diagnosis and structure an immediate rehabilitation protocol. If the injury requires an orthopedic opinion or an MRI scan, activ8rehab has close working relationships with many specialist orthopedic surgeons and scanning centres throughout the country.
Once the confirmed diagnosis has been established, progressive rehabilitation programmers and a necessary course of treatment (physiotherapy, osteopathy, sports massage or podiatry) set out to recover joint range of movement and specifically strength to support the are a of damage pre venting further and future injury. These parameters can be care fully
monitored by the isokinetic muscle performance testing unit, regularly assessing and re - evaluating the recovery enabling accurate and safe return the sporting activity.
Many diff e rent types of injuries are seen in water skiing and wakeboarding. Often they are more seve re than other sports due to the leverage of the ski and binding on the lower limb and the velocity of the accident.
Most recently the types of injury seen are : Knee, Anterior cruciate ligament ruptures, patella dislocations, Tibial plateau fracture s, Maniacal tears, patella tendinosis. Shoulder dislocations Ankle ligament ruptures, Tarsal dislocations and bone bruising Lumbar disc prolepses.
Often there is surgical intervention and the post-operative rehabilitation is then carried out to return to sporting activity.
With technology of the skis and bindings advancing skiers are now looking towards there own physical 'set-ups' more intently. The main areas are biomechanics and core stability.
Biomechanical alignment is essential in gaining optimum control of the ski or board.
A biomechanical screen and video gait analysis is performed looking for any mal-alignment issues, ie. flat feet etc. that could be corrected to improve the line of gravity through the ski and essential increase control and balance. The Podiatrist produces custom made orthotic foot beds, which are placed within the ski bindings correcting the misalignment through the ski and body. This also pre vents injuries such as plantar facilities/bruised heels, shin splints and anterior knee pain.
Core stability is very much a buss word in training. It is basically learning to engage and strengthen transverses abdominals the deepest abdominal muscle that travel ls transversely / across the abdominal area, unlike rectus abdominals which is superficial and travels vertical from the ribs down. This inner most muscle is what we term a 'stabilizer' as opposed to rectus abdominals which is a 'move'.
|