Dr. Knight's Insights

Another high ankle sprain

2012-01-24T10:18:00.003-06:00

I like to blog about ankle injuries, since this is my primary research interest, and have blogged in the past about high ankle sprains. Well, another happened this weekend, this time to New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. After catching a pass in the 3rd quarter, he was tackled from behind, and the defender landed on his lower leg, forcing his ankle into hyper dorsiflexion and eversion. You can see the video here. Many times lineman suffer high ankle sprains when their lower leg gets hit from behind during a pile up, but this injury happened in the open field. Both of these players had a lot of momentum (which is the product of mass and velocity) and when Gronkowski was hit from behind, much of the defender's momentum was transferred to his lower leg, causing the hyper dorsiflexion and eversion. This mechanism of injury will stretch or possibly tear the ligaments above the ankle that help hold the tibia and fibula together. The good news for Gronkowski is that there is two weeks before the Super Bowl. The bad news is that high ankle sprains have a slow rate of healing, due to the mechanism of injury and because when he does return to practice, he will place stress on the joint. My best guess is that he will be able to play but will be limited due to the injury.

First Post of 2012

2012-01-12T10:06:00.005-06:00

I apologize for the lengthy delay between posts. I got caught up with the holidays and the end of the year and neglected my blogging duties. It was nice to have a break from work and spend some time with the family. Cameron continues to grow at a rapid pace, weighing in at 22.65 pounds and measuring at 28 inches at his 9 month appointment. He is now in the 90% for weight and 50% for height, which is remarkable considering he started out in the 5-10% for both when he was born. He has learned to clap and wave and I'm sure he will take off crawling any day now. I was able to use him as an example in my Motor Development class last semester and hope to use him again this semester in Motor Learning. He is really doing well with his fine motor skills, such as reaching and grasping, but struggling some with his gross motor skills. In addition to Motor Learning, I am teaching Anatomical Kinesiology and Sport Biomechanics this semester. I plan to continue with my ankle research and also begin a couple of new research projects as well. My goal is to blog at least once a week in 2012, which I have already failed to do since it is the second week of the year. I'll be back next week with more.

To Stretch or Not to Stretch: Part II

2011-11-17T13:31:00.004-06:00

About a year and a half ago, I did a blog post on whether or not you should stretch before or after exercise. Yesterday, an article came out in the New York Times summarizing recent research on the role of stretching in preventing injury, muscle soreness, etc. Basically what the authors summarized was that stretching does not reduce the number of injuries or muscle soreness. On the other hand, stretching does not increase the number of injuries or muscle soreness. This does not mean, however, that stretching is bad and that you should not do it. If you like to stretch before or after a workout, and it makes you feel better, then you should continue to stretch. If you do not stretch or do not want to stretch, then at this point, there is no scientific evidence available that states you are at greater risk for an injury or muscle soreness.

Dislocated Elbow

2011-10-13T15:06:00.005-05:00

The elbow, being a true hinge joint, is one of the most stable joints in the body. It is formed by the articulation of the humerus, radius, and ulna. Dislocations of the elbow are rare, however, there seems to have been a few more elbow dislocations lately. It takes a very large force to dislocate the elbow, and most dislocations occur in the posterior (backwards) direction. If you do not like to look at pictures of injuries, I would advise you not to scroll down any further. But, if you do and would like to learn, take a look at the pictures and video.

This injury occurred this summer during the NBA playoffs. Rando, the injured player, got tangled up with Wade. As he landed, he put his arm out to brace his fall, and the force from the ground caused the resulting elbow dislocation.
This injury occurred during the 2008 Bejing Olympics. The weightlifter was attempting to lift a very large amount of weight, and the force from the barbell caused the forearm to be forced posteriorly (backwards) in relation to the upper arm.

This injury occurred last week during the Oregon-California game, and was very similar to the basketball injury. The running back was being tackled and when he attempted to brace his fall, he dislocated his elbow. Once a physician reduces the dislocation, it is possible to make a fairly quick return to play (except for the weight lifter) while wearing an elbow brace to stabilize the joint. This must be treated as a serious injury, because there are many nerves and blood vessels that run behind the elbow that could be damaged by the dislocation.

Motor Milestones

2011-10-03T14:37:00.013-05:00

We have been discussing infant reflexes, spontaneous movements, and motor milestones in motor development the past few classes. Since Cameron is now 6 months, I thought I would post pictures of him achieving these milestones. I will do another post once he turns 12 months in order to show the next stage of milestones he will progress through.

Spontaneous arm and leg movements

Lifting head

Smiling

Lifting head and shoulders, rolling over

Reaching and grabbing feet

Smiling some more

Sitting with support
Reaching and grasping

Sitting with slight support

Dangerous situation

2011-09-09T08:47:00.004-05:00

If you keep up with the NFL, then you know that Peyton Manning just had his third neck surgery in the past two years. This one was more serious than the first, and involved removing the disc between two of his cervical (neck) vertebrae, which will allow the two bones to fuse together. If you look at the picture above, you can see the nerve roots coming out of the side of the spinal cord, and the herniated disc is pressing, or impinging on the nerve root. These nerve roots carry motor signals from the brain down to the muscles, telling them when to contract and relax, and they also carry sensory information, such as touch, temperature, and pain, up to the brain. When the disc impinges on the nerve root, it disrupts these signals, causing muscle weakness (because the signal has trouble getting to the muscle), pain, discomfort, etc. Peyton's first two surgeries were less invasive and attempted to increase the space for the nerve root to pass through. The first surgery allowed him to play last year, but he began having many of the above symptoms after the season concluded so he had a second surgery in May. As Peyton prepared for this season, he was still having some of these symptoms, including weakness in his triceps muscle. This muscle extends the elbow and is crucial for a quarterback attempting 40 to 50 passes a game. Cervical nerve root seven innervates the triceps, so this leads me to believe his problem was the disc between the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae. The doctors say Peyton should regain full function and be able to play football again. However, the risk of future injury is greater, and when you are dealing with the neck, it is an especially delicate situation. Peyton is only 35 years old, and hopefully has a long life ahead of him. I am not sure it is worth the risk to continue to play football if it could jeopardize his quality of life. But, that is his decision.

Motor Development

2011-08-19T14:22:00.004-05:00

One of the classes I am teaching this semester is Motor Development, and I have such an invaluable resource to use this semester. That would be Cameron, my almost five month old son. I was working on some future lectures and came across his two month ultrasound picture from a year ago (above). I've also attached a recent picture of him (below) to show just how much he has grown and developed in a year. It will be fun and interesting to watch and track his growth and development as I teach about it this semester.

Difference in Response Latency of the Peroneus Longus

2011-08-04T11:16:00.003-05:00

This month, I (along with my co-author Dr. Weimar) had an article published in the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation. The study examined the peroneus longus muscle, which is found on the outside of the lower leg and is the main muscle that can help prevent an ankle sprain when a person rolls his or her ankle. We reported that when you invert (roll) your ankle, it takes the muscle of the dominant leg longer to respond than the muscle of the nondominant leg. This increase in response time for the dominant leg could potentially lead to a greater number of ankle sprains of the dominant ankle versus the nondominant ankle. I am currently conducting a research study to investigate this further. The primary goal of my research is to understand the factors leading to ankle sprains and eventually develop protocols to help reduce the number of ankle sprains. If you want to read the whole article, you can check it out at this link. I also had to attach a four month picture of Cameron. He is continuing to grow at a rapid rate and is doing well. And yes, he is wearing an Auburn outfit because I do have two degrees from Auburn.

NATA 2011

2011-06-24T13:43:00.005-05:00

This Wednesday, I went down to New Orleans for the 2011 National Athletic Trainers Association Annual Meeting and Symposium. I presented some research on ankle sprains and was able to attend a few other sessions. Overall it was a good experience. I received some positive feedback on my research, was able to catch up with some old friends, and see what other types of research related to athletic training is being conducted. It was, however, the first night I had spent away from Cameron since he was born, and that was tough. I was sure glad to get back to Hattiesburg on Wednesday and see him!!

Mechanical Analysis of Human Movement

2011-05-13T14:20:00.004-05:00

This summer, I am teaching a new course called "Mechanical Analysis of Human Movement." It is basically a Clinical Biomechanics course designed for our students that plan on pursing a career in a health related profession or a graduate degree in exercise science. The students will learn how to apply biomechanics to evaluate movement, injury, disorders, etc. The class is taught over a three week period, and we just completed our first week. The students are doing very well and I am confident that they will be able to learn about Inverse Dynamics, which is a graduate level skill, by the end of the semester. I will provide an update on the class as well as inverse dynamics at the end of the semester. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't post an updated picture of Cameron. He is seven and a half weeks old and growing fast!! We just wish that he would sleep a little more.

Cameron Charles Knight

2011-04-04T13:23:00.004-05:00

I apologize for the lengthy delay between blog posts, but our lives have changed a lot in the past two weeks. During the early hours of March 22, Amy and I welcomed Cameron Charles Knight into the world!! He weighted 4 lbs, 15 oz. and measured at 18.25 inches. Other than being a little small, he was a perfectly healthy baby. He has been eating like a champ and we have no doubt that our little guy will soon be much bigger. Despite the lack of sleep, we have had so much fun with him these past two weeks. The picture on the bottom is from the day he was born, and the one top is from yesterday. He is already starting to change before our eyes. I am sure I will have many more posts in the future relating to Cameron and his growth and development.

Dangerous Game

2011-03-10T21:22:00.003-06:00

Baseball is a game that is played and enjoyed by many people. Unfortunately, it can also be a very dangerous game. Yesterday during a spring training game between the Braves and Cardinals, Brian McCann lined a foul ball into the Braves dugout, and it struck one of the Braves coaches, Luis Salazar, near the left eye. After he has hit in the face by the ball, Salazar fell and hit his head on the ground. Salazar was unresponsive and unconscious for several minutes, and was airlifted to a local hospital. The good news is he is alive. The bad news is he suffered several facial fractures that required multiple surgeries today, more surgery in the future, and it is still unknown if he will regain vision in his left eye. This was an unfortunate accident that likely could not have been prevented. However, most college, minor, and major league dugouts do not have netting/fencing to protect the players and coaches in the dugout. If a ball is lined into the dugout, the people in the dugout literally have a few milliseconds to react. Fortunately, this type of situation does not happen often in baseball, but when it does, the results are scary. In 2007, Juan Encarnacion was struck by a foul ball in his face while in the on deck circle, lost vision in one eye, and never played another baseball game. Hopefully Salazar will make a full recovery, and baseball will take steps to increase the safety of players, coaches, and fans.

Albert Pujols: Is He Worth It?

2011-02-21T11:15:00.002-06:00

Some of you may or may not know this, but I am a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan, and have enjoyed watching Albert Pujols play for the Cardinals over the course of the past 10 seasons. How much do I like the Cardinals and Pujols? When my wife and I adopted our dog a little over two years ago, we decided to name him Albert (we call him Albe for short). From a kinesiological and mechanical perspective, Pujols has one of the most efficient and consistent swings in baseball. From a fan's perspective, he has helped the Cardinals win a lot of baseball games over the past 10 seasons. However, his contract expires at the end of this season, and the Cardinals and Pujols failed to reach an agreement on an extension before his self-imposed deadline at the start of spring training. That means he will likely become a free agent after the 2011 season and every team can bid on him. Rumors have surfaced that Pujols is seeking a 10 year contract worth 300 million dollars, which would make him the highest paid player in baseball history. I don't know if he really asked for this type of contract, but there is no doubt it is going to take a lot of money over many years to sign Pujols. The real question that has to be answered is he worth that much money and that many years. On the surface, the answer to the question appears to be yes. When you look at the first 10 years of Pujols's career in terms of most major offensive categories (batting average, home runs, runs batted in, runs scored, etc.), he ranks in the top 3 all time. There is no doubt that he makes the Cardinals a better team and generates millions of dollars in revenue through ticket sales and merchandise sales for the Cardinals. But if you dig a little deeper, you will see that his numbers have declined slightly over the past few seasons. Also, Pujols is currently 31 years old, and most baseball players show a sharp decline in their statistics around 35-36. So, while Pujols may currently be worth $30 million a year, will he still be worth that the last 5 years of his contract? The other factor that has to be considered is his elbow. Pujols has a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, that could possibly rupture at any time, which would require Tommy John Surgery to repair and cause him to miss anywhere from 7-12 months of action. The bottom line is this: Albert Pujols is the best player in baseball, and has been for the past several years. He deserves to make a lot of money. Is he worth $300 million for 10 years? I'm not so sure about that, and I'm glad I don't have to make that decision. While I do feel the Cardinals could increase their payroll over $100 million, they are not the Yankees or Red Sox with unlimited financial flexibility. While I am a big Pujols fan, I am an even bigger Cardinals fan. I would love to see Albert finish his career in a Cardinals uniform, but not at the expense of sacrificing the Cardinals competitive chances with an extremely large contract. Hopefully both sides will be able to reach a compromise and he doesn't end up playing for the Cubs next year.

American College of Sports Medicine Southeast Chapter Regional Meeting

2011-02-11T14:48:00.003-06:00

Last week, myself and two other faculty members (Drs. Hale and Kavasis) traveled with a group of seven students to the American College of Sports Medicine Southeast Chapter Regional Meeting in Greenville, SC. The students included Nigel Collins, Katelyn Graben (graduate student), Kelly Harkins, Jenny Morton, Eddie Neal, Laura Beth Roby, and Lindsey Triplett. The students each presented research in poster format that they have worked on with us over the course of the past year. They were also able to attend other presentations based on the latest research in kinesiology and sports medicine. The students did a wonderful job with their presentations and representing Mississippi State University. The picture above is of Eddie, Lindsey, and Kelly, who represented us and performed very well at the student quiz bowl. The experience was very positive for both the students and faculty and we hope to take even more students to the conference next year.

Will Maurkice Pouncey Play?

2011-02-01T11:46:00.002-06:00

I'm sure that everyone is aware that the Super Bowl is this Sunday. One of the biggest questions entering the game is whether or not Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey will be able to play in the game. Pouncey suffered a high ankle sprain during the AFC Championship game 9 days ago against the Jets. I have previously blogged about high ankle sprains, so I won't go into a very detailed description of the injury. In Pouncey's case, he was blocking down field when a defender landed on the posterior (back) side of his lower leg, forcing it forward. This mechanism forces the ankle into hyper-dorsiflexion (imagine planting your foot on the ground, and then moving your lower leg towards the top of your foot past comfortable limits). When this occurs, the talus, which is the bone between the tibia (on the medial, or inside of the lower leg) and fibula (on the lateral, or outside of the lower leg) is pushed up between the tibia and fibula, and this causes tearing of the ligaments that hold these two bones together. Rehabilitation for a high ankle sprain typically takes 4-6 weeks, although this will vary based on the severity of the injury. I've been involved in cases in which the player was able to play a week later, and others in which it took 6-8 weeks for the athlete to return. The best treatment of a high ankle sprain is rest, but for football players during a season, this is not likely an option. I imagine Pouncey has not put any weight on his ankle since the injury occurred, and has been receiving almost around the clock treatment to help control the swelling and pain and regain range of motion. As it gets closer to game day, he will probably attempt some football type drills to see if he can tolerate the injury. In my opinion, it will be very difficult, but not impossible, for him to play Sunday. If he does play, he will be in a lot of pain and will have limited mobility. But since it is the Super Bowl, I would not rule it out.

The Jay Cutler Debate

2011-01-25T10:23:00.004-06:00

If you pay any attention to sports and the NFL, the big debate right now if over Jay Cutler and if he could have returned to play against the Packers on Sunday in the NFC Championship game after injuring his knee. During the game, very little information was given out about the severity of the injury, causing many current NFL players and those in the media to question Cutler's toughness and desire. Yesterday, a MRI revealed that Cutler had a Grade II sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) of his left knee. A while back, I blogged about MCL injuries and more specifically, Troy Polamalu's MCL sprain. With a grade II MCL sprain, there is some tearing of the fibers of the ligament, which would result in a great deal of pain and loss of stability to the medial side of the knee. Since it was Cutler's left knee, and he is right handed, it would be exposed when he is throwing the ball and susceptible to further injury. The knee was also examined by the team's athletic trainers and doctors, and they determined he did not need to play. In my professional opinion, it would be very difficult for a quarterback to play after immediately sustaining a grade II MCL sprain. Some stories have come out that Drew Brees played this season with an injured MCL. One, we do not know the severity of the injury, and two, I am sure Brees received extensive treatment during the week before Sunday and was properly taped and braced for the games. I think many people do not like Jay Cutler, and they just wanted to pile on him. I have no personal like or dislike towards Cutler, but it would be difficult for any player, especially a quarterback, to play immediately after suffering a grade II MCL sprain.

Happy New Year

2011-01-05T11:14:00.003-06:00

I hope that everyone had a great holiday season and a happy new year. Classes started back today at Mississippi State so it is time to get back into the swing of things. I'm teaching three courses this semester, one of which is a new course for me and the department. Sport Biomechanics should be a really fun and exciting class for the students to learn how to apply mechanical principles to sport performance in order to evaluate skills, improve technique, and prevent injury. I'm also teaching Anatomical Kinesiology and Motor Learning, and team teaching a research readings class with two other faculty members. It should be a busy semester but very exciting. The picture on the left is from a 4D ultrasound taken last week. My wife Amy and I are very excited for the arrival of Cameron Charles Knight (Cameron and Charles are both family names) this March. I might even be able to use him in my Motor Development class in the Fall!!

The Incredible Streak is Over

2010-12-13T19:39:00.004-06:00

Brett Favre's streak of 297 consecutive games started at quarterback in the NFL is over. To me, this is the most incredible streak in all of sports. Favre has battled through many injuries during his career, but the latest one ended the streak. During last week's game against the Buffalo Bills, Favre was hit hard and landed on the tip of his right shoulder. I recently blogged that this mechanism of injury could cause a fracture of the clavicle. Well, another injury this mechanism can cause and did cause to Favre is a sternoclavicular joint fracture. This joint is where the proximal end of the clavicle (the end closest to the center of the body) articulates with the sternum. You can see in the above picture that many ligaments help hold this joint together. Anytime you move your shoulder, the clavicle will move/rotate as well. Place your left hand on your right sternoclavicular joint, move your right shoulder up and down, and you can feel the clavicle move. Now, imagine the amount of pain you would be in as you moved your shoulder if the ligaments that held the clavicle and sternum together were injured. As a quarterback, this pain would be intensified due to the throwing motion, plus the probability of getting hit around the shoulder. It just wasn't worth the risk for Favre to play. It would have been very risky for him to get an injection near the joint to numb the joint for the game, because of the arteries, nerves, and veins that pass right behind the clavicle.

Now, for a little background on myself and how I've followed Brett Favre. Growing up in Hattiesburg and attending Southern Miss football games since before I could walk, I remember watching Brett Favre play when I was just a kid; I especially remember being at Legion Field in 1990 and watching Favre lead the Eagles to a victory over Alabama just weeks after he had a car wreck and lost a portion of his large intestine. I became a Packers fan as soon as he was traded there, and watched every game I could growing up. I eventually got to see Favre play as a professional with the Jets two years ago, and couldn't believe how close he got to the Super Bowl last year. I was five years old when Favre first started at Southern Miss, and 10 when his NFL streak began. I am just shy of 29 years old as the streak ends. I can't remember what football was like without Brett Favre. The NFL just won't be the same without him.

Clavicular fracture

2010-11-30T09:40:00.003-06:00

In anatomical kinesiology, we have been discussing the upper extremity, and a common upper extremity injury is a clavicular fracture. The clavicle, or collarbone, connects the shoulder to the sternum. The clavicle is among the most frequently fractured bones in sports. There are three main mechanisms of injury: 1) falling on an outstretched hand, in which the force from the ground is transmitted up the arm and through the clavicle 2) falling onto the tip of the shoulder, and 3) a direct impact to the clavicle. Tony Romo recently fractured his left clavicle when he was hit after throwing a pass and landed on the tip of his left clavicle (you can view the video here). During the Mississippi State-Ole Miss game Saturday night, MSU receiver Chad Bumphis fractured his clavicle after diving to catch a pass and landing on the tip of his shoulder (no video available, but you can read about it here). When I was an athletic trainer at Auburn, one of our wide receivers fractured his clavicle in much the same manner during practice. He dove to catch a pass and landed right on the tip of his shoulder. The recovery time for most clavicular fractures is approximately 6-8 weeks, although each injury and person is different. A suspected clavicular fracture has to be initially treated as a major medical emergency, because the subclavian artery and vein, in addition to the brachial plexus (a group of nerves) run right behind clavicle, and it is possible for a piece of the clavicle to disrupt the artery, vein, or nerves. Most clavicular fractures will heal on their own, but sometimes surgical fixation is required.

Power Balance: Helpful or a Gimmick

2010-11-01T16:07:00.003-05:00

Balance. Strength. Flexibility. This is the reported benefits a person gains from wearing the Power Balance bracelet. However, many people, including myself and some colleagues at Mississippi State, are very skeptical of these claims. First, how do these bracelets improve balance, strength, and flexibility? Second, when you watch the demonstrations of the tests on their website, the tests in which the athletes wear the bracelets is always performed second. This creates what is known as an order effect, in which a person performs better on a test the second time they attempt it. We had even discussed conducting scientific testing on the Power Balance bracelets. Well, it seems researchers at the University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse beat us to it. They tested 21 athletes wearing both the $30 Power Balance bracelet and a $.30 placebo plastic bracelet performing similar tests to those found on the Power Balance website. They found no difference in performance between the Power Balance trials and the plastic placebo trials (neither the participants nor researchers knew which bracelet they were wearing). They did find an order effect, in which participants did perform better during the second trial regardless of which bracelet he or she was wearing. So, what does this mean? The Power Balance bracelet does not improve balance, strength, or flexibility. Why spend $30 on a bracelet when a $.30 bracelet will give you the same results? Check out this link to view the full report from Outside the Lines.

Playing with a torn biceps tendon

2010-10-21T15:51:00.004-05:00

If you are a fan of baseball, you know that we are well into the playoffs. My Dad asked me a question the other day that I thought would make a good blog post. His question was how could Edgar Renteria, a shortstop for the San Francisco Giants, continue to play with a torn biceps tendon? This is a good question, and from media reports, it seems Renteria tore the tendon in his left biceps brachii while swinging at a pitch against the Braves last week. The biceps brachii is the large (well, large in some people) muscle located on the anterior (front) part of the upper arm. There are actually two parts to the biceps brachii, as biceps means two heads. In the picture to the left, the number 5 is pointing to the tendon that attaches the long head of the biceps brachii to the upper part of the scapula (shoulder), and the number 9 is pointing to the short head of the biceps brachii, which attaches to the lower part of the scapula. The number 4 points to the common tendon of both heads that attaches to the radius (elbow). The biceps brachii actually has 3 jobs, or functions. 1) It helps with shoulder flexion (raising your arm straight up in front of you), 2) it helps with elbow flexion (bending your elbow), and 3) it helps with supination of the proximal radiounlar joint (holding your palms up). I say it helps with these motions because there are other muscles that cause these motions as well, such as the anterior deltoid for shoulder flexion, the brachialis for elbow flexion, and supinator for supination. It is not clear from the article which biceps brachii tendon that Renteria tore, but since there are other muscles that cause the same motions as the biceps brachii, it is possible to perform without the muscle. Renteria is probably in less pain now that the tendon has completely torn than he was when it was only a partial tear.

It's a Boy!!

2010-10-15T09:22:00.002-05:00

Well, my wife is 17 weeks pregnant, and yesterday we found out that we are having a boy!! We are very excited (me especially), and the best news was that the baby is developing normally. I've attached some pictures, you can really see the development of his spine, legs, arms, and skull in these pictures. It is truly amazing that even though he is a little less than a foot in length and weighs about half a pound you can see all these body structures. We discussed prenatal development in class a few weeks ago and it is really cool to be able to see this in your own child. By this point, his brain configuration is nearly complete, his heart muscle is developed, and he has begun motor activity. The skeleton, which begins as a cartilage model, is beginning to ossify. Many other changes will occur during the next five months until we welcome him into the world.

Using Correct Terminology

2010-10-04T15:43:00.003-05:00

An issue that came up recently in class was the use of incorrect terminology to describe muscle actions and joint actions. Many times, people will say things such as "flex" your muscle, or he/she "over-extended" a muscle. When we describe motion, there are two things to look at; how the joint angle changes, and how the length of the muscle changes. To keep things simple, I will use the knee as an example. The primary motions, or joint actions, at the knee are flexion and extension. When a persons straightens his/her knee, this is called knee extension. When a person bends his/her knee, this is called knee flexion. The terms flexion and extension refer to changes in a joint angle, not changes in a muscle. Flexion and extension also occur at other joints, such as the hip, shoulder, and elbow. Now, let's examine what happens to the large muscle group located on the anterior (front) portion of the thigh. This is the quadriceps muscle group. Muscles either shorten, lengthen, or stay the same length. When you extend your knee, such as during the upward phase of a squat, the quadriceps muscle group shortens. This shortening of a muscle under tension is known as a concentric muscle action. When you flex your knee, such as during the downward phase of a squat, the quadriceps muscle group lengthens under tension. This is called an eccentric muscle action. If you were to squat down and hold your knee at a constant joint angle (90 degrees of knee flexion), the length of the quadriceps muscle group would remain constant under tension. This is known as an isometric muscle action. To summarize, terms such as flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction refer to changes in joint angles, terms such as concentric, eccentric, and isometric refer to changes in muscle length. It is correct to say a person hyper-extended his/her knee or elbow, but it is not correct to say that he/she hyper-extended a muscle.

The dangers of wooden bats

2010-09-21T16:35:00.003-05:00

There was a very scary incident during the Cubs-Marlins game this past Sunday. You can watch the video by clicking here. Tyler Colvin was the runner on third base, when Wellington Castillo hit a line drive into the left field corner. Normally on a play like this, there is no danger for the runner on third base, as he can just jog home and score easily. On this play, Wellinton's bat broke, and a piece of it hit Colvin in the chest, right under the clavicle. Colvin was watching the ball to see if it would be fair or foul, and did not see the broken bat flying towards him. The puncture wound caused by the broken bat allowed air to enter the pleural cavity, basically trapping air in the space between the lung and chest wall, causing a pneumothorax. If not treated immediately, the lung on the side of the injury will collapse, resulting in pain, difficulty breathing, and a lack of oxygen. Colvin received immediate medical attention and was transported to the hospital, and he will make a full recovery and be able to play again next season. Hopefully this incident will cause Major League Baseball to re-examine the quality of bats used by players, especially the maple bats.

Hyperextension ACL Tear

2010-09-13T15:57:00.003-05:00

I've blogged a few times in the past about ACL injuries, including Chipper Jones and Wes Welker. Both of these injuries were non-contact ACL tears. On Sunday, Leonard Weaver of the Eagles suffered a contact ACL injury when his knee was forced into hyperextension. You can watch the video here. I'll warn you, it is a pretty gruesome injury. His left foot is planted in the turf and the motion of his lower leg is stopped by the tackler as his upper left leg and body continue to move forward, forcing his knee into hyperextension and tearing the ACL. This is actually a good example of inertia (resistance to change in motion); his lower leg was stopped by the force applied from the defender, but his upper leg and upper body continued to fall forward due to their inertia (there was not a force applied to stop their motion), causing a bending moment at the knee, resulting in the hyperextension. Basically, the knee is not designed to bend in that direction, and when it does, an injury will occur. Many knee injuries in football are caused by blocking or tackling below the knee. There are some rules in place to prevent this from happening (chop blocks, clipping), but these injuries will always be a part of football.

It has began

2010-09-03T15:35:00.003-05:00

The college football season began last night. While my first Alma mater, Southern Miss, did not play well at all, this is still an exciting time of the year. After spending parts or all of the season working with football teams at Southern Miss and Auburn as an athletic trainer during the middle of the past decade, it's nice to be a fan and just watch the games. However, many people take college football way too seriously, and forget that these are 18-22 year old student athletes. They are not paid to play football like players in the NFL. In addition to the countless hours spent on the practice field, film room, and game room, they also have to take 5-7 classes a semester. They are going to make mistakes on the field, and many fans get extremely upset when this happens. It's ok to get excited when good things happen and upset when they don't, but the outcome of a football game should not affect your mood for the entire week or cause you to yell derogatory comments at the players or other fans. Enjoy the game, but when it's over, remember that it is just that, a game.

Healthy Debate

2010-08-30T15:57:00.002-05:00

In Motor Development, we are discussing how different constraints, such as individual, environmental, and task interact to influence movement and the development of movement. An interesting case to examine is that of Oscar Pistrorius. If you are not familiar with Pistrorius, he is a double leg amputee from South Africa that nearly qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He has shattered all Para-Olympic sprinting records. There was much debate, and still is, in the track world and the academic world about whether Pistorius should be allowed to compete against able bodied competitors. There are many that claim he has an unfair advantage due to the prosthetic legs, and others that claim he does not have an advantage and should be allowed to compete. This article examines both sides of the issue. Without going into too much detail, one of the arguments against Pistorius is that his prosthetic legs are less massive than the legs of able bodied competitors. One of the key determinants of running speed is stride frequency, or how fast the runner can place his or her foot on the ground, exert force, and swing the leg back through and touch the ground again. A less massive leg would require less force to accelerate than a more massive leg, which would increase stride frequency. One of the arguments for Pistorius is that the prosthetic legs put him a major disadvantage at the start of the race. As you can see in this video (Pistorius is in lane 5), he loses considerable ground at the beginning of the race because the design of his prosthetic legs cause him to stand up quickly, which results in more vertical force than horizontal force. As you can see, there are arguments on both sides of the coin. In this instance, there probably is not a right or wrong answer, but from a biomechanical and developmental perspective, it is good to debate.

My take on P90X

2010-08-23T16:45:00.003-05:00

There are many workout programs on the market today, and many of them promise results in as little as 10 minutes a day, 3 days a week. Needless to say, I am skeptical of most of these. If you watch any amount of television, then you have undoubtedly seen the infomercials for P90X. A few months ago, my wife suggested that she would like for us to try and complete the P90X program together. I did some research on it, and since I had grown tired of just going to the gym and doing the same routine 4-5 days per week, we decided to give it a try. All you need is some space, dumbbells, pull-up bar, and yoga mat. We completed the 90 day program a few weeks ago and I have started on the P90X Plus program. I'll post some information about our experiences and opinions below.

1. This is an intense program, and you have to be dedicated to finish it. It requires a little over an hour of your time 6 days per week, and some days you may just not feel like working out. But, once you start the program, or pretty much any exercise program, you will likely be motivated to complete it. That said, with P90X, it requires a lot of time and effort, but we saw very positive results, such as strength gains, flexibility improvements, and an increase in cardiovascular endurance. It is not a "gimmick" workout program.
2. The workouts target every major muscle group in your body, which is good if you are a person like me that rarely ever concentrated on his lower body at the gym.
3. You can modify the workouts. Based on your fitness level and goals, you can change the number of repetitions of an exercise you perform, the amount of weight you use, etc. This is extremely helpful for those starting at a lower fitness level or not wanting to "bulk up."
4. The Yoga and flexibility workouts were extremely beneficial for me. Before starting this program, my flexibility was terrible. I knew it was terrible and knew that I needed to spend more time performing flexibility exercises, I just wouldn't do it on my own. Well, since this was part of the program, I was forced to do it. My hamstring flexibility was awful before beginning, I could probably only reach down about halfway between my knees and foot in either a standing or sitting position. After completing the program, I can bend over and put all 5 fingers on the floor, and I can also touch the bottom of my feet in a seated position.
5. We really enjoyed the workouts, they didn't seem to last an hour and we had a lot of fun. The workouts also have good warm-up and cool down periods.

Now, let me offer a few words of caution about the program.

1. This is an intense program, so you should be in relatively good shape before beginning. If you have any questions about whether or not to start, a visit to your physician is probably a good thing.
2. Tony Horton uses the terms "muscle memory" and "muscle confusion" during the infomercials and workouts. I've already blogged about the fallacy of muscle memory, and muscle confusion also does not exist. While a positive of the program is that you perform different exercises and routines, this does not result in muscle confusion. I'll have to do a blog post on muscle confusion in the near future.
3. Depending on what your goals are, this program may not be for you. If you are looking to make larger strength gains and really bulk up, or are just looking to lose a few pounds, then I wouldn't recommend P90X.

The most important thing to remember is to find some form of exercise that you enjoy doing that incorporates strength training, flexibility, and a cardiovascular component. It doesn't have to be P90X or some other fancy exercise routine. The best thing you can do for your long term health is to start moving!!

Impressive Resume

2010-08-18T16:17:00.002-05:00

I wanted to take a few minutes to brag on a very successful coach in my family, my uncle, Larry Knight. This past Sunday, he was the manager for the East team in the Aflac All-American high school all star game, which was played at PETCO park in San Diego and broadcast nationally in High Definition. When he's not coaching in all star games, he is the head coach at Sumrall high school in south Mississippi. He has compiled a very impressive resume at Sumrall, winning 3 straight state championships, including going undefeated in 2009 and only losing one game this past season. Sumrall also set the Mississippi state record for consecutive victories this past season. Larry also won 4 state championships while coaching at Hattiesburg high school. I may be a little biased, but I think he has to be considered among the best coaches in Mississippi baseball high school history. I also have to mention that Larry's son and my cousin, Austin, is also a really good catcher for Sumrall. They have a great chance to win another championship in 2011.

Probable End of an Era

2010-08-12T15:11:00.007-05:00

I was saddened by the news today that Chipper Jones tore the ACL in his left knee and will need reconstructive surgery. Now, although I am a huge Cardinals fan, I watched many a Braves game growing up because my mother loves the Braves. I also got to see Chipper play in person several times in Atlanta when I was doing my graduate work at Auburn. He is probably one of the best switch hitters to ever play the game, and I'm sure this is not how he wanted to end his career.

I've watched the video of the injury several times and there is really not a good shot of the injury. He jumps up in the air to make the throw to first, and tears his ACL when he lands on his left leg. It appears his left knee is almost fully extended, and there is some rotation of both the upper and lower legs as well. What likely happened to his knee can be seen in the picture above. This puts a tremendous amount of stress on the ACL and can cause a tear. Hopefully the surgery will go well and he can make a full recovery.

To Stretch or Not to Stretch

2010-07-23T10:23:00.002-05:00

I apologize for the length of time between blog posts. I spent most of June traveling and have been busy with summer classes this past month. One of the places I went in June was to Philadelphia, PA, for the National Athletic Trainers Association annual meeting and symposium. I did a presentation on some of my ankle research and got to hear many presentations from leaders in our field. One of the talks was on stretching. There is debate in the scientific field and athletic community about the importance of stretching, when you should stretch, how much you should stretch, etc. The big questions are: does stretching improve or hinder performance, and what is the effect of stretching on injuries? I'll go through the questions now with my opinion and what was discussed at the conference.

1) What is the effect of stretching on performance? Most athletes do some type of stretching before practice or a game. There has been some debate in the literature about whether or not stretching right before a competition, especially one involving speed, will hinder performance. Basically, one theory is that stretching will make you slower. There is some evidence to support this, and some evidence that does not. The panel said that there is not enough evidence yet to support either theory, but that for most athletes, a dynamic stretching routine (one where the body is moving) is preferred over static (being still and holding a position) before practice or a game.

2) What is the effect of stretching on injuries? Another question is whether or not increasing flexibility will reduce or limit the potential for injuries. Again, there is not enough research to support the notion that increased flexibility will reduce the number of injuries. It has been established that you lose flexibility after an injury, and that regaining this flexibility is a key component of the rehabilitation program. It is also known that flexibility imbalances between the extremities, just like strength imbalances, may lead to injury. But, for example, there is no concrete evidence that says if you do not have this amount of hamstring flexibility, you are more prone to a hamstring strain.

So, to sum this up and give you my opinion, stretching and flexibility should be an important component of any exercise or rehabilitation routine. I think it is better to do more dynamic stretches before you exercise, practice, or compete, and static stretching should be done after a workout or if the goal is to increase range of motion. There is research to support that tight hamstrings and hip extensors can lead to low back pain, so it is essential to stretch these muscles. Until more research is conducted, the other questions cannot be answered.

Muscle Memory: Fact or Fiction?

2010-06-03T14:30:00.004-05:00

A popular term that is tossed around among sportscasters and fitness professionals is "muscle memory." The basic premises behind muscle memory is the more you practice a skill, the better you become at it because the muscle "remembers" what to do. There is no doubt that proper practice yields improvement in performance, strength, coordination, etc. However, these changes are not due to muscle memory. There is no memory structure within the muscle itself, therefore, the muscle cannot remember or forget to do things. Every single muscle fiber is connected to the nervous system by the way of a motor unit. In order for a muscle to fire or contract, a signal must be sent to the fibers from the nervous system. The "memory" part is in the nervous system, and more specifically, in the brain. If you remember the first time you attempted to hit a baseball, shoot a basketball, ride a bike, etc., you were probably clumsy, uncoordinated, and had little success. Over time, you probably saw improvement. When we perform a skill we have little to no experience with, the nervous system does not know which muscles to recruit (activate), how many muscles to recruit, how frequently to recruit the muscles, and when to turn the muscles off. As we practice the skill, the nervous system begins to learn and remember, and recruits only the muscles needed to perform the skill, and at the right frequency and intensity. The nervous system also learns to turn off muscles that are not needed to perform the skill and would hinder performance. So, the theory of muscle memory is actually a complex process that involves both the nervous system and the muscular system. But, there is no memory structure within muscle, so the term muscle memory is fiction.

Perfect Game

2010-05-12T14:06:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday, Dallas Braden, of the Oakland A's, threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays. There are many amazing feats in athletics, but to me, a baseball purist, throwing a perfect game may just top them all. There have only been 19 perfect games in the 100 year plus history of Major League Baseball. A perfect game requires a complete team effort. Twenty seven hitters are all retired without any of them reaching base. The pitcher cannot make any mistakes, such as walking a hitter, hitting a batter with a pitch, or leaving a pitch out over the middle of the plate that is likely to be crushed for a base hit. It also requires a tremendous effort on the part of the defense, to commit no errors, and likely make a great play or two to preserve the perfect game. Braden also accomplished this feat against the Rays, who at the time had the best record in baseball. A perfect truly is a rare and remarkable feat.

Just Admit It

2010-04-21T12:29:00.003-05:00

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Edinson Volquez was suspended for 50 games yesterday by Major League Baseball for violating the substance abuse policy. His excuse: he was taking fertility pills to increase he and his wife's chances of having children. Sound familiar? Manny Ramirez was suspended for roughly the same thing last year. As a baseball fan and scientist, I have three issues with these athletes and their excuses. First, if Volquez, or Ramirez were using these drugs to increase fertility, they could have requested an exemption through MLB to use the drug. Last year, MLB granted 108 such exemptions. Many times fertility drugs are cycled along with steroids in an attempt to make the body produce more testosterone. So, if these drugs were really being taken for fertility reasons, why not get an exemption. Second, there is no scientific evidence that performance enhancing drugs make you a better pitcher or better hitter. However, there is research about the many negative side effects of these drugs. Why take a drug where there is no scientific evidence that it will enhance performance, but there is evidence of the negative side effects? Third, and this is more of a baseball issue, Volquez is currently on the disabled list recovering from Tommy John surgery, and isn't projected to be back in the majors until July/August. However, MLB is allowing him to serve his 50 game suspension while on the disabled list. This does not seem very fair, allowing a player to serve a suspension when the cannot play due to injury? Hopefully this issue will be addressed in the future.

Bad Injury, Amazing Play

2010-04-07T10:56:00.002-05:00

This weekend during a college baseball game between Vanderbilt and Florida, there was an amazing play and horrific injury. Vanderbilt pitcher Corey Williams took a line drive off his right patella, but was able to find the ball and flip it to first base in time for the out. The x-ray of this patella is on the left, and you can see that it is clearly broken. He is to have surgery later this week to repair the bone. If anyone has ever broken their patella or just bruised it, they will tell you how painful it is. It is truly remarkable that he was able to gather himself and still throw the ball to first base for the out. Now, for a little information on the patella. The patella is a seasmoid bone located on the anterior (front) aspect of the knee. Anytime we flex and extend (bend) our knee, the patella moves in the femoral groove. The patella provides protection to the front of the knee, and it also increases the mechanical advantage of the quadriceps muscle. The patella is imperative to normal function of the knee. Corey is going to have a tough road ahead, but hopefully he will be able to return to pitching next season.

Corey Williams amazing play and injury

Switch Pitching

2010-03-31T09:45:00.003-05:00

Being a big baseball fan, this story really caught my attention. I was listening to the radio on the way home from work yesterday, and they were talking about Yankees minor league pitcher Pat Venditte appearing in a minor league game agains the Braves and pitching both right handed and left handed. I'm sure that most people are familiar with the concept of "switch-hitting", where a hitter can bat either left-handed or right handed depending on the pitcher. In recent years, however, the number of switch hitters in the major leagues appears to be dwindling. It is very difficult to put in the practice hours to be an expert hitter from both sides of the plate. Even more difficult than switch hitting is switch pitching. But, that is what Pat Venditte is able to do as he attempts to work his way up the major leagues with the Yankees. Venditte has a special six finger glove so he can easily switch from a right handed pitcher to a left handed pitcher between batters. According to Rick Reilly of ESPN, only 3 pitchers have appeared in a Major League game and pitched with both arms. What is remarkable to me is that he has the ability to pitch proficiently with both arms. From a Motor Learning and Biomechanics perspective, that is very difficult to do; to achieve optimal neural activation of the muscles and movement coordination pattern of his non-dominant arm. Most people I know, including myself, look rather clumsy and uncoordinated when trying to throw with their non-dominant arm. Also, in order for him to be a proficient left handed and right handed pitcher, he has to put in twice the amount of work that a normal pitcher would. That includes rotator cuff exercises for both arms, drills using both arms, warming up both arms, practicing with both arms, etc. It really is a remarkable achievement and hopefully he will be able to progress and pitch in the Major Leagues.

Article and video from mlb.com of Pat Venditte

Tommy John Surgery

2010-03-23T09:34:00.004-05:00

With spring training in full gear and opening day right around the corner, baseball injuries are starting to crop up. A common injury among pitchers is a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). This ligament is found on the medial (inside) of the elbow and is critical to stabilize the elbow during the overhand throwing motion. Most of the time it is injured over time due to the repetitive stress placed on the ligament from overhand throwing. In 1974, Tommy John, a pitcher for the Dodgers, tore the UCL in his pitching arm. Up until this point, this injury was considered to be a career ending injury, much like an ACL tear was to a football player. Tommy John was not ready to quit playing baseball, so he asked Dr. Frank Jobe to invent a procedure to repair the ligament. Dr. Jobe took a tendon from John's forearm, and used this tendon as a replacement for the UCL. The surgery was a success and John won over 170 games after the procedure, which bears his name. Today, many of the best pitchers in baseball have had Tommy John surgery, including Chris Carpenter, John Smoltz, Josh Johnson, and A.J. Burnett. The tendon that is now commonly used as a replacement for the UCL is the palmaris longus. Rehabilitation after surgery generally takes 12-18 months, and will vary depending on whether the pitcher is a starter or a reliever.

Multiple Sclerosis

2010-03-03T10:21:00.003-06:00

We are covering the nervous system in Applied Anatomy, and one of the diseases we have discussed is multiple scleroris (MS). I'm sure that most people have heard of MS or know someone that has this disease, but may not truly understand it. To really understand MS, we first have to discuss the axon. The axon is the long, cylindrical process of a neuron (nerve cell) that transmits the signal to the next neuron or muscle. Many axons are covered by a myelin sheath, which is made of lipids. The myelin sheath insulates the axon and increases nerve conduction velocity, meaning the signal travels down the axon faster with myelin. Multiple scleroris is a disease of the central nervous system (CNS). The myelination degenerates, and causes sclerosis (hardening) to occur at different places along the axon. In a way, MS is similar to atherosclerosis, in which arteries become hardened and blood flow is reduced or cut off. With MS, the nerve signal is either transmitted very slowly or not at all. MS affects both sensory neurons and motor neurons. Most people are diagnosed with MS between the ages of 20-40. The original symptoms are typically transient, unilateral blindness, or double vision. MS is diagnosed with a lumbar puncture. Because the nerve signal cannot reach the muscle, atrophy will occur (wasting away of skeletal muscle). Persons with MS will also have difficulty with fine motor movements and whole body coordination. There is no known treatment for MS, but most people can live fairly normal lives if the symptoms are managed properly. Here is an article on a former Auburn football player I worked with and his life with multiple sclerosis.

Physics of Curling

2010-02-23T10:45:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite sports to watch during the winter Olympics is curling. Curling may seem simple and boring on the surface, but it is really a complex sport with much skill and strategy involved. There are two important principles of physics that influence curling. The first principle is friction. According to Newton's third law of motion, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So, as the stone slides along the ice, it exerts a force on the ice, and the ice exerts a force back on the stone. Friction can be defined as the reaction of the ground to the forces exerted on it in the horizontal plane by the person or object (in curling, we are concerned with the stone). The friction force on the stone will act in the opposite direction in which the stone is moving, and will decrease the stones velocity, thus slowing it down. If the curlers want the stone to travel further, then they need to reduce the amount of friction. This is done by "sweeping" the ice in order to make it smoother and reduce friction. Sweeping is also done to make the stone "curl."

Another important principle of curling is collisions. One of the strategies in curling is to knock the other teams stone(s) out of the house (scoring area). This involves the collision of one or more stones. Collisions occur frequently in sports, such as hitting a baseball, tennis ball, volleyball, etc. Again, because of Newton's third law, when two objects collide, they exert equal and opposite forces on each other. The sum of the momentum of the two objects will be the same before and after the collision, therefore, there is a conservation of linear momentum. Momentum is defined as the mass of an object or system multiplied by its velocity. Most curling stones have a mass of around 20 kg. So, a stone with a mass of 20 kg and velocity of 7 m/s (meters per second) linear momentum (G) would be 140 kgm/s. When the stone that has been delivered collides with a stone in the house, a change in momentum will occur between the two stones. Because the mass of the stones will remain constant, the change in momentum will be related to the change in velocity of the two stones. Because of the conservation of linear momentum, if the stone in the house's velocity increases to 4 m/s (from 0 m/s before the collision because it was stationary) after the collision, than the stone that was delivered will have a decrease in velocity from 7 m/s to 3 m/s. Check out the video below for some good curling throws.

Top Curling throws

Southeast ACSM

2010-02-15T16:28:00.003-06:00

This past Thursday, Dr. Hale and myself traveled to Greenville, S.C., for the annual meeting of the Southeast Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine. This three day conference involved meetings and research presentations by faculty and students from across the southeast. I did an oral presentation Friday morning on lateral ankle sprains, and Dr. Hale had a couple of graduate students making presentations. Generally, ACSM is composed more of exercise physiologists than biomechanists, which was never more evident than at the student quiz bowl when they decided to skip the Anatomy category (this was not a popular move with the non exercise physiologists). However, the president of SEACSM, Dr. Grandjean, made a concerted effort to have more biomechanics presentations and tutorials at this year's meeting, and hopefully this trend will continue in the future. Regional conferences are generally more laid back than national conferences, and it is easier to network and discuss research and teaching with other professionals. As you can tell in the picture, we got about 3-4" of snow Friday evening, which was nice for me because we don't get a lot of snow in Mississippi. We plan on returning to the conference next year with a greater number of our students. We want to make Mississippi State a force at this regional meeting.

Dwight Freeny's Ankle Injury

2010-02-01T10:39:00.003-06:00

One of the big stories leading up to the Super Bowl this weekend is the status of Dwight Freeny's ankle. Freeny, a defensive end, is one of the best players in the NFL. The media is not giving a very accurate description of Freeny's injury, calling it a "lower" ankle sprain, or "basketball" ankle sprain, so I thought I would try to help out. From watching the video of the injury, Freeny jumped up in the air, and his right foot lands on the foot of Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez. This forced his ankle into excessive inversion (pointing the bottom of the foot in) and plantar flexion (pointing the bottom of the foot down). This mechanism of injury will sprain the lateral ligaments of the ankle, which include the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), the posterior talofibular ligament (PTFL), and the calcaneofibular ligament (CFL). The lateral ankle sprain is the most common type of ankle sprain, accounting for about 85% of all ankle sprains. The media is also reporting that Freeny has a Grade III ligament sprain. A grade III sprain indicates a complete rupture of the ligament or ligaments. This would cause a great deal of pain and instability of the lateral ankle, making it difficult for him to push off and change directions. It typically takes several weeks or months to return from a grade III sprain, and may require surgery. I'm sure the Colts athletic trainers and doctors will be working with Freeny around the clock so that he can play Sunday, but I would say if the reports of the extent of his injury is true, he will have a hard time getting on the field.

What is going on?

2010-01-25T13:12:00.003-06:00

I try to stay away from talking about coaching rumors and things like that, but since we have a lot of future coaches in our department, I feel like this is a topic worth discussing and learning from. The question is, what in the world is going on with Urban Meyer? On December 26, he announced that he is retiring from coaching due to "health reasons." We later learned that he had lost 20 pounds during the season, and had to be taken to the hospital after the SEC championship game due to chest pains. Most people know that college football coaches work very long hours, have poor diets, and do not get much sleep. The fact that he was stepping away due to his health and wanting to be there for his family seemed noble. But, the next day, he apparently changed his mind, deciding only to take an undefined "leave of absence" in order to take care of his health. Then, news came out this weekend that he apparently is not taking any time off. He said he tried to take a day and a half off, but that didn't work. So, the question becomes, does he really have health issues, more specifically, cardiac issues, that need addressing, or was he just tired at the end of the season and made a rash decision? I just don't understand how he can go from retiring one day because he is afraid of the consequences coaching has had and will have on his health, to now not taking any time off at all. I can only come to two conclusions based on these sequences of events. 1) His health is really not a problem, and he just overreacted initially, or 2) His ego is so big that he can't step away from coaching in order to take care of himself or his family. I just think that he owes some sort of explanation for all of this. Hopefully future coaches can learn from this situation, that they need to take care of themselves, and be honest with people, because the facts around Urban Meyer do not add up.

Incredible Streak

2010-01-21T10:43:00.002-06:00

I know that most people are aware that UConn is one of the elite program's in women's college basketball, along with Tennessee. However, I'm not sure how many people are aware of the incredible streak that this team is on. After their win over Duke on Monday, UConn has now won 57 straight games. That by itself is very impressive. Any win streak over 10 games in any sport is difficult. But 57 wins in a row is almost impossible. However, that is not the most impressive thing about the streak. UConn has won each of these 57 games by at least 10 points, indicating that no team has even come close to challenging them. They recently defeated several top 10 teams by 30 points or more. They have an impressive collection of highly skilled athletes as well as a great coach. There is little doubt that they will shatter the previous top winning streak in women's basketball of 70, also held by UConn from 2001-2003. If you have a chance to watch them play on television, then take the time to do it. This is history in the making.

Mike Leach Firing

2010-01-13T15:29:00.003-06:00

I promised to give my take on the Mike Leach firing at Texas Tech, so here it is. In case you aren't familiar with the details, one of Tech's players, Adam James, claimed that Leach locked him in a closet and made him stand for 3 hours during practice on two occasions because he had a concussion and could not practice. There is this release where Texas Tech head athletic trainer Steve Pincock stated that Leach instructed him to "lock" James in a dark place, and that he disagreed with Leach's treatment of the player. Team physician Dr. Michael Phy also stated he did not agree with this treatment. However, Leach says that he did not force James to stand in a closet, and has filed a lawsuit against Texas Tech over the firing. But other players have come out and publicly questioned Leach's handling of players. The fact of the matter is, we will never know the entire truth. As an athletic trainer, I can promise you that the protocol for handling a player with a concussion during practice is not locking them in a dark closet and having them stand for 3 hours. If Leach truly had the player do this, then he deserved to be fired. From all indications, Leach appears to be a "quirky guy", who did not exactly have the best people skills. Treating an injured player in this manner is just not acceptable. Some people may question the athletic trainer for following Leach's orders. In his defense, he was really in a tough position. The head coach is essentially your boss, and most of them make millions of dollars and have the power to fire the athletic trainer. It can be a tough relationship. As an athletic trainer, your job is to look out for the medical interests of the athletes and place their personal health above everything else. As a coach, your job and goal is to win, and sometimes these two areas collide. If this alleged abuse of an injured athlete was true, then hopefully this incident will shed light on the situation and prevent these circumstances from occurring again.

Mark McGwire Comes Clean

2010-01-11T14:48:00.002-06:00

I don't think anybody will be surprised by Mark McGwire's admission (see link below) today that he used steroids during his playing career. Almost 9 years after he retired, he finally came clean about his use of steroids, beginning in 1989. Now, as most people know, I am a huge Cardinals fan, and was a huge McGwire fan after he was traded to the Cardinals in 1997. I remember going to St. Louis for the first time in 1999 and watching McGwire launch balls during batting practice into the 3rd deck at Busch stadium with little effort. It still remains one of the most amazing sporting spectacles I have ever seen. As we have learned lately, steriod usage during this time in baseball was rampant, with confirmed use by Jose Canseco, Ken Camminiti, Andy Pettite, Alex Rodriguez, Mark McGwire, and Rafael Palmerio, just to name a few, and it is highly likely that others such as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa were also using steroids. As a baseball purist, I feel this drug use tainted the game, but so many players were using them, that it is hard to determine what to do with the statistics during this era. Although I do not condone the use of steroids, there is some good that can come out of these admissions. Hopefully McGwire will use his platform as a star athlete and current hitting coach of the Cardinals to educate young athletes on the many dangers of steroid use (see second link below) and how it is a shortcut to success. If he will continue to answer all questions about his past usage, and become a spokeperson against the use of sterioids, then I think he deserves our forgiveness and the right to continue his professional career now as a hitting coach. Hopefully others that have made this mistake will also come clean and speak out against steroids.

Mark McGwire comes clean

Dangerous effects of steroids

Keeping those New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-06T16:49:00.003-06:00

With the new year comes many resolutions to start or increase the amount of exercise. However, many people struggle to maintain these exercise habits for a month, let along the entire year. Here are some tips to keep those resolutions and get into shape.

1. Start off small. If you haven't exercised regularly for a long period of time, don't begin by trying to run 5 miles a day. Start off walking 1-2 miles, and gradually build up to alternating between to jogging and walking, and eventually jogging if this is your goal.
2. Be realistic. Again, do not start off trying to exercise 6-7 days a week. Begin by exercising 2-3 days a week, for 30-45 minutes at a time, and gradually build up to 4-5 days a week.
3. Make exercise a priority. On the days you plan to exercise, make sure it is a priority. Schedule a time during the day to go to the gym or exercise outside, and stick with this schedule.
4. Try to alternate resistance training with aerobic exercise. You do not have to become a power lifter, but mixing some light weight training 2-3 days a week in with walking/jogging, etc. will not only help build/tone muscle but will also burn more calories.
5. Realize there are many ways to exercise. You do not have to run 3-5 miles a day to enjoy the benefits of exercise. If you like to walk, walk. If you want to swim, swim. If you like to cycle, ride a bike. Get on the elliptical machine. Alternate between different modes of exercise in order to avoid burnout.
6. Have fun. If you make exercise part of your routine, and view it as a way to become healthy and relieve stress, you will be much more successful at maintaining a regular exercise routine.

Wes Welker Knee Injury

2010-01-04T11:21:00.002-06:00

If you watch the NFL or SportsCenter, you have probably heard/seen the injury to Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker yesterday. During the 1st quarter, after making a catch, Welker planted his left foot into the turf and attempted to cut to avoid a defender (see link below). When he did this, a large valgus and rotational force was applied to his knee, causing excessive stress on the medial and anterior side of his left knee, resulting in a tear of both the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). He also likley injured his medial meniscus, which along with the MCL and ACL comprises the "unhappy triad" of the knee. He will need surgery to repair the damaged ligaments and likely damaged meniscus, and the rehabiliation from this type of injury will be lengthier than a typical ACL reconstruction due to the multiple structures involved. His return for next season will depend on many factors, such as how his body responds to the surgery, potential setbacks during rehabiliation, and getting back into playing condition. Hopefully he will be able to make a complete recovery but this will defnitley increase the debate about resting players for the playoffs.

Wes Welker Injury Video

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T19:41:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year!! I'll be back next week with a blog sharing my opinion on the Mike Leach-Adam James situation from a medical/athletic training perspective after more information has been released.

Violent Sport

2009-12-07T16:06:00.003-06:00

In case you needed a reminder of just how violent a sport football is, there was a terrible injury during the Vikings-Cardinals game last night. EJ Henderson of the Vikings fractured his femur when a teammate collided with him, resulting in a compressive and torsional force greater than the strength of his femur. Football players have gotten very strong and very fast, and the combination of these two variables leads to large forces during such collisions and often leads to injury. Hopefully he will be able to make a full recovery and return to action next season.

EJ Henderson Injury

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-25T22:51:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope everybody has a great holiday and I'll be back next week with a new post.

Who is Lisfranc? What is a Lisfranc injury?

2009-11-19T13:29:00.004-06:00

An uncommon, but often misdiagnosed injury, is the Lisfranc fracture/dislocation. The Lisfranc joint, or tarsometatarsal articulation in the middle of the foot, is where the three cuneiform bones articulate with the first three metatarsals. This joint is named for Jacques Lisfranc, who was a general in Napoleon's army and performed an amputation through this joint of a soldier who fell, caught his foot in the stirrup, and developed gangreen. Lisfranc fractures account for fewer than 1% of all diagnosed fractures. It is often missed on the initial x-ray. In the everyday setting, this injury may result from a high energy car wreck or from falling from high places. In the sport of football, there have been a few prominent NFL players that have suffered this injury, including Dwight Freeny, Warrick Dunn, and this past Sunday, Ronnie Brown. If you watch the video of Brown's injury (link below), you will see that he planted his right foot, and then another player landed on his leg from behing, causing the injury. If a fracture occurs, surgery will most likely be performed, using screw fixation to repair the fracture. The rehabilitation from this injury is often lengthy, and may take up to a year.

Ronnie Brown injury

Why High Heels Are Bad!!

2009-11-13T14:56:00.003-06:00

Instead of talking about sports injuries today, I thought I would get on my soapbox and discuss why high heels are bad. I'm not saying to absolutely never wear them, but everyday for 8 hours is not a good idea. When wearing high heels, a person must adjust their posture in order to accommodate the lift of the calcaneus. This adjustment occurs in the lower back (lumbar spine) and causes anterior rotation of the pelvis, which leads to back pain. Here are some facts about different heel heights:
1) a 1.9 cm heel increases forefoot pressure by 22%
2) a 5 cm heel increases forefoot pressure by 57%
3) an 8 cm heel increases forefoot pressure by 76%
In addition to causing low back pain and foot problems, high heels can also cause bunions if they are too narrow, nerve damage under the foot, and achilles tendon contractures. What the last part means is that by wearing high heels, it may chronically shorten the achilles tendon, which will lead to limited ankle motion, altered gait, and could possibly cause the achilles tendon to rupture. So, it is best to avoid high heels or limit their use to help avoid all these problems.

Head Up!!

2009-11-06T15:09:00.005-06:00

This past weekend, an Auburn football player, Zac Etheridge, was involved in a serious injury during the Auburn-Ole Miss football game. While attempting to tackle Ole Miss running back Rodney Scott, Etheridge and teammate Antonio Coleman met head on in the above picture. It is never a good idea to attempt and tackle someone with your head down (neck flexion), because it lines up all the vertebrae in the neck and if the force is great enough, a domino effect will occur, fracturing the vertebrae and possibly leading to paralysis. After watching the video in class, one of my students pointed out that Etheridge likely wasn't trying to hit Scott with his head, but Coleman came into the play after he left his feet, and by then he couldn't change direction. After this collison, Etheridge lay motionless on the turf on top of Scott, and the Auburn medical staff did a great job stabilizing his cervical spine and placing him on the spineboard. As an athletic trainer, you always suspect a player has a spine injury when they get hit in the head. The most remarkable part of the play was Scott, who did not move until Etheridge was stabilized and moved off of him. The actions of Scott may have saved Etheridge from permanent paralysis, because any type of movement before he was stabilized could have caused a serious spinal cord injury. I am happy to report that Etheridge did not sustain any permanent damage, he has sprained ligaments in his neck and did fracture cervical vertebrae five. He will have to wear a neck brace for 3-4 months and is expected to make a full recovery. If you would like to see the video, click on the link below. It occurs around the 26 mintue mark of the video.

Zac Etheridge injury

Are you kidding me?

2009-11-06T12:34:00.002-06:00

Watch this clip. BYU-New Mexico Soccer Fight

Today in motor development, we were discussing gender typing in sports. We were discussing how soccer is now viewed as both a male and female sport, and one of the students asked me if I saw the fight during the BYU-New Mexico match last night. I had not seen it, so recognizing a great opportunity for discussion, we viewed the video in class. You have to watch this for yourself. I don't know how one person could
1) do all these things to other players and 2) get away with it. You would think by the fifth incident one of the officials would have noticed. I'm not sure which was worse, pulling the girl down by her hair, kicking the ball into another player's face, or punching a player in the face. Just an unbelievable demonstration of how NOT to play the game.

Update

2009-11-03T15:49:00.002-06:00

I found the video at http://www.secdigitalnetwork.com/default.aspx. It occurs on the very last play of the 3rd quarter. You should be able to move the video ahead to that play.

Patellar dislocations

2009-11-03T10:34:00.005-06:00

I was originally going to do a post on why people should not wear high heels, but I was watching the Tennessee-South Carolina game this past weekend and saw an injury I just had to blog about. The patella is a seasmoid bone that lies in the trochlear groove between the medial and lateral femoral condyles. It moves up and down as we flex and extend our knee, and rarely comes out of place. A non-contact patellar dislocation may occur with a violent twisting motion of the leg, while a contact disclocation occurs when some outside force knocks it out of the groove. Three Tennessee defenders were trying to tackle a South Carolina player near the sideline, when one of the Tennessee players hit the patella of his teammate and knocked it out of the trochlear groove, resulting in a patellar dislocation. The patealla was located on the lateral femoral condyle, and clearly could be seen during the telecast. I've tried to locate the video of the injury, but have not had any luck yet. A physician will relocate the patealla back into place by flexing the hip, and gently pushing the patealla medially as the knee is extended. The athlete will likely miss four to six weeks or possibly longer after this injury. Like all other dislocations, once the patella is disclocated, it is much more likely to occur again.

AC Sprain

2009-10-21T15:56:00.004-05:00

I apologize for the delay between blog posts. It's been a hectic couple of weeks. Keeping with the theme of discussing current football injuries, I thought it would be good to talk about AC sprains. The acromioclavicular joint is the articulation between the distal end of the clavicle and the acromion process of the scapula. It is a critical link in proper functioning of the shoulder complex. Anytime you move your shoulder, the clavicle moves with it. The common term for an AC sprain is a "seperated" shoulder, because of the seperation that occurs between the two bones. This can be a very painful and debiliating injury, especially for a quaterback. This injury commonly occurs from falling on an outstretched hand, or by landing direclty on the joint. In Sam Bradford's case, he landed directly on the AC joint during the BYU game, and again this past weekend against Texas. Because the AC joint is very superficial, it is not easy to protect with padding. It is even harder for a quarterback to rehabilitate from this injury because of the throwing motion. Depending on the severity of the injury, players can be out anywhere from a few days to a few months, if surgery is required to repair the ligaments.

Fun Fact: The Coracoacromial ligament actually connects to the same bone, the acromion process and coracoid process of the scaupula. Almost all ligaments connect two different bones together.
Fun Fact 2: One way to test for damage to the AC joint is to press down on the clavicle. If the clavicle "pops up" more than the non-injured side, then the person may have an AC sprain. This popping up of the clavicle is referred to as the "piano key" sign.

To play or not to play

2009-10-08T16:27:00.002-05:00

Unless you live in a cave, you have probably seen the hits that lead to Tim Tebow suffering a concussion two weeks ago against Kentucky. Tebow actually took two hits to the head on the play, the one pictured to the right, and another to the back of the head when he hit the leg of his own lineman. Tebow was knocked unconscious and spent the night in a Kentucky hospital. The raging debate this week is whether or not Tebow should play against LSU Saturday night. Many times, commentators refer to a concussion as someone having "their bell rung." Well, that does not really describe what a concussion is, and the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) discourages the use of words such as "ding" and "bell rung". According to Arnheim and Prentice, a concussion, also know as a traumatic brain injury (TBI), is defined as "a clinical syndrome characterized by immediate and transient posttraumatic impairment of neural functions-such as alterations of consciousness, disturbance of vision, loss of equillibrium, etc., due to brain stem involvement." The majority of concussions do not involve loss of consciousness, but Tebow's did. Now, Tebow will undergo numerous tests to measure his cognitive function, equillibrium, physchological function, etc., to determine if he can play. These scores will be compared to baseline scores taken before the season started. If he passes all these tests and scans of his brain come back normal, he will likely be cleared to play. I do believe the medical staff at Florida will not clear him to play unless he passes all of these tests. The next question is, should he play, even if he is cleared? While there has been some good research done on concussions, the long term affects are still unknown. It will be a tough decision, and one I am glad I don't have to make.

Motor Milestones

2009-10-02T15:09:00.002-05:00

We have been discussing recently different motor milestones and how infants progress through these milestones. For example, an infant must first be able to hold his or head up before they can crawl, and he or she must be able to stand without support before they can walk. There is an average age range that most infants reach these milestones by. We must remember, however, that these are just average ranges. I think sometimes we place too much emphasis on "Is my child normal?" We have to remember that these average ages are just that, averages. That means some children will reach these milestones faster and some slower than others. Does that mean there is something wrong with the child? Not necessarily. The average walking age is around 12 months. But, some children will begin walking as early as 9 months, and some will not walk until 15 months. The other thing to consider is that the individual constraints of the infant interact with the environment and task to influence how and when we move. So, an infant that has developed the appropriate muscular strength and is frequently placed in an environment that encourages her to walk will more than likely begin walking sooner than a child not placed in that environment.

"High" Ankle Sprains

2009-09-28T13:57:00.003-05:00

We have been discussing the ankle in class, and one of the topics has been the "high" ankle sprain. The most common type of ankle sprain is the "lateral" ankle sprain, which damages the ligaments on the outside of the ankle that connect the talus to the fibula. Most of the time when people "roll" their ankle, they sustain a "lateral" ankle sprain. While not as common, the "high", or "syndesmosis" ankle sprain, can be much more debilitating. With a "high" ankle sprain, there is damage to the ligaments of the distal tibiofibular joint, primarily the anterior inferior and posterior inferior tibiofibular ligaments, and sometimes the interosseous membrane. To sustain a high ankle sprain, the talus, through hyperdorsiflexion, is forced up between the tibia and fibula, thus separating the bones from each other. This often occurs during a pile up in football when a player lands on the back of the leg of a lineman. Recovery for a high ankle sprain is often lengthy. Every time we walk or run, the talus is forced up into the distal tibiofibular joint. In a healthy person, this is not a problem, but in a person that has damaged these ligaments, it makes recovery difficult.

Rate limiters

2009-09-22T17:25:00.004-05:00

I apologize for the length of time between posts. We have been discussing the concept of rate limiters recently in motor development. A rate limiter is an individual constraint, or system, that holds back of slows the emergence of a motor skill. One example would be a five year old trying to shoot a basketball on a ten foot goal. He or she will lack the muscular strength to shoot the ball at a goal this high. Therefore, the muscular system would be the rate limiter. We had a really good discussion in class about how a single rate limiter of one system can affect numerous systems. As we age, certain parts of our body begin to break down. A common problem is arthritis. As people develop arthritis, which affects the joints, they tend to decrease their amount of physical activity. Well, a lack of physical activity leads to a loss of bone mass, muscle mass, degeneration of the nervous system, and many other health problems. So, what starts off as one problem eventually leads to the development of several problems. It is important to determine what rate limiter may be holding a person back and attempt to correct it before more problems arise.

Uralacher's Wrist Injury

2009-09-15T16:39:00.005-05:00

If you follow the NFL, then you know that the Bears All Pro linebacker, Brian Urlacher, dislocated his "wrist" Sunday night against the Packers and will be out the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery yesterday. The term "wrist" only describes a general area of the body, and the exact bone that was dislocated was not disclosed in any of the press releases. The actual "wrist" is the articulation of the distal end of the radius with the proximal row of carpal bones (four bones). The most commonly dislocated carpal bone is the lunate, which is located almost directly beneath the middle finger. This bone helps hold the wrist together, and often times when it is dislocated, it must be put back into place with pins via surgery. This type of surgery requires a lengthy recovery. I was able to do some digging and Urlacher did, in fact, dislocate the lunate.

MCL "Sprain"

2009-09-11T16:19:00.005-05:00

I blogged a couple of weeks ago about the difference between a "sprain" and a "strain." Well, during the Steelers-Titans game last night, there was a great example of a MCL sprain. The Medial Collateral Ligament is the ligament on the inside of the knee. It helps prevent the knee from "buckling" on the inside. It is frequently injured in football and injured much more frequently than the Lateral Collateral Ligament. Typically, the ligament is damaged by a valgus force, which is a force directed in the lateral to medial direction. In the above picture, the Titans player landed on the lateral aspect of the knee of Troy Polamalu, which stretched and damaged the MCL on the medial side. Football players are hit much more frequently on the lateral or outside of the knee, which causes damage to the MCL. Polamalu is reported to be out for 3-6 weeks, which would lead me to believe it is a Grade II MCL sprain. If the ligament was completely torn, as in the top picture, he would probably be out much longer, if not the entire season. With a grade II sprain, there is some tearing of the ligament, but not a complete disruption. He will likely wear a knee brace when he returns to help protect against a repeat of this injury.

Exercise is Medicine Part II

2009-09-09T17:13:00.003-05:00

I blogged a couple of weeks ago about the "Exercise is Medicine" campaign and how the president of ACSM was coming to Mississippi State to help promote the campaign. Well, that day was today. There was a great turnout in front of the student union at the press conference and a standing room only crowd at question and answer session, which featured our own department head, Dr. Brown. Many students came out to support the event, and hopefully more people in the community, state, and nation will become more active. As professionals in the field of Health, I feel we have to set an example for others on the importance of physcial activity, and the best way to do this is to be active ourselves. It would be difficult for anyone in the field of health, kinesiolgy, etc., to stress the importance of exercise if they don't exercise themselves. Every journey begins with a "step", and hopefully this campaign will encourage more people to exercise. Check out the link below for more information on the program. I'll be back Friday with another football injury blog for the weekend.
http://www.exerciseismedicine.org/public.htm

Did he really fully "extend" to catch the ball?

2009-09-04T13:46:00.005-05:00

Since this is the opening weekend of college football, we will stick with that theme. Over the course of the season, you'll undoubtedly see many diving catches like the one above. Often times, the announcer will say that the player "fully extended" to catch the pass. Well, this just isn't true. We have been discussing joint actions in class this past week, and I'm sure all of my students could tell you why this isn't true. First, we must identify the joint where the action is taking place. To say a player "fully extended" really does not give an indication of what happened. We must specify the joint where this action, such as flexion, extension, abduction, etc., is taking place. After identifying the joint, we must then identify the proper joint action. I believe that when announcers say a player "fully extended", they are referring to the shoulder/arm. Well, in the above picture, and almost all cases where a player dives for a ball, the motion at the shoulder is not extension, but flexion. The definition of flexion is a motion that decreases the angle of a joint, or moves the segment into the fetal position. In the above picture, it is clear that the athlete's shoulders are moving into the fetal position, therefore, he has shoulder flexion. He also has elbow flexion, wrist flexion, and knee flexion, making the "fully extended" statement even more incorrect. So the next time you are watching a game or Sportscenter and see a diving catch, pay close attention to the description of the movement. It just might not be accurate.

Is it a sprain or a strain?

2009-08-31T16:46:00.003-05:00

With the start of football season right around the corner, many injuries are sure to follow. Two terms that are commonly used incorrectly by broadcasters and the media are "sprain" and "strain." These terms are often used interchangeably, but are not the same thing. When an athlete has a ligamentous injury, this is referred to as a "sprain". A "sprain" would indicate stretching or tearing of a ligament. Probably the most commonly sprained ligament among football players would be the medical collateral ligament (MCL) of the knee. When an athlete has a muscle or tendon injury, this is referred to as a "strain", which would indicate tearing or stretching of the muscle/tendon. The most common muscle strain would be the hamstrings, which is a group of three muscles located on the posterior aspect of the thigh. I'll focus on the reason why the hamstrings are so commonly strained in a later blog. So, when your watching football over the next few months, and the announcer states a player is out with a strained MCL, you will know he/she is incorrect!

Exercise is Medicine

2009-08-28T16:24:00.001-05:00

On September 9, Mississippi State University will be hosting the president of the American College of Sports Medicine (ASCM) to promote the "Exercise is Medicine" Campaign. The day will feature speeches by the president of MSU, the mayor of Starkville, the president of ACSM, and a question and answer session featuring various health care professionals. The purpose of "Exercise is Medicine" is to encourage physicians to prescribe exercise in much the same way they would prescribe medication, and to encourage people to exercise. The benefits of exercise are numerous, too many for me to list here (Here are a few: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/benefits-of-exercise). In this country, there is a "large" problem with inactivity and obesity. There is no possible way to obtain all the benefits exercise provides by taking a pill. For many, the most difficult part of exercising is getting started. It doesn't take much, just 30 minutes of walking 4-5 days/wk will yield benefits. For more information on this program, you can visit the following websites:
http://www.exerciseismedicine.org/
http://www.health.msstate.edu/health/eim.htm

Both classes went well today. In anatomical kinesiology, we continued discussion on muscles, and talked about the length/tension relationship for a sarcomere and whole muscle. Motor Development focused on continuing to explore the theoretical backgrounds of developement.
I hope everyone has a good weekend. I'll be back Monday with a blog on muscular injuries.

8-26-09

2009-08-26T15:38:00.000-05:00

Anatomical Kinesiology: Today we began discussing the muscular system and how skeletal muscles produce voluntary movement. Skeletal muscle and the tendons associated with it (musculotendinous unit) can be represented by Hill's muscle model. The contractile component (CC) contains the contractile proteins found in the myofibril, actin and myosin. These proteins produce active tension. The parallel elastic component (PEC) runs parallel to the contractile component and is compromised of the connective tissues surrounding the muscle (epimysium, perimysium, and endomysium). The series elastic component (SEC) is represented by the tendons and all other connective tissue in series with the contractile component. The PEC and SEC, because of their elastic properties, produce passive tension. This will be discussed in further detail on Friday.

Motor Development: Today we discussed the three major theoretical perspectives of Motor Development. The earliest perspective, the maturational perspective, argues that development is driven by genetics and an internal biological clock. It does not consider the role of the environment and considers the nervous system to be the only system responsible for development. The second theory is the information processing theory. This theory considers the brain as functioning much like a computer. The third and most recent perspective is the ecological perspective. This includes both the dynamical systems and perception-action theories. The ecological perspective considers all internal systems (skeletal, muscular, nervous, etc.), and the interaction of these systems with the environment and task as shaping development and movement. Friday's class will focus on exploring these perspectives further.

Summary From 8-24-2009

2009-08-24T20:13:00.000-05:00

Antatomical Kinesiology: Today we finished discussing different types of bones and their function. Most bones are named for their shape and indicate their function. For example, flat bones, such as the bones of the cranium, are designed for protection. We also discussed the six different types of loading and examples of fractures caused by these different types of loading. Three point bending is my favorite type of loading, this occurs when the bone is subjected to three forces, creating tension on one side of the bone and compression on the opposite side. The classic example of three point bending is the boot top fracture. We will have a quiz on Wednesday on anatomical terminlogy as well as the skeletal system.

Motor Development: Today we finished up the first chapter on the introduction to Motor Development. While the fields of Motor Development, Motor Learning, and Motor Control are related, it is also important to understand and recognize the differences. We have also spent a lot of time discussing contstraints and how they work together to shape movement. Using Newell's model, we can identify the individual, environmental, and task constraints that all work together to influence how we move. Wednesday we will begin discussing the different theories of motor development.

Kinesiology Blog

2009-08-24T14:40:00.000-05:00

This blog is intended to give insights into the world of Kinesiology. I'll be posting summaries from class meetings as well as updates on research and other events in the field of Kinesiology. If you are one of my students, feel free to comment on the blog and post comments or ask questions. I will do my best to answer them as quickly as possible. If you are a potential student or just a person curious about the field of Kinesiology, also feel free to post comments or questions. This blog is intended to enhance the discussion of classroom materials as well as introduce people to Kinesiology. For those not familiar with Kinesiology, it is the study of movement. I am an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology here at Mississippi State University. Feel free to check out our webpage; the link is on the righthand side of this page. We have a very diverse faculty with many different interests, including exercise physiology, exercise psychology, pedagogy, coaching, sports administration, and others areas. My background is in Biomechanics, and much of my research is focused on understanding the mechanics of injuries, such as ankle sprains.