Injury Causing Machines - #1 Seated Leg Press

Many people assume that if a machine is at the gym it is safe and good to use.  In reality there are machines that can cause serious injuries and should be tossed out to the curb.  This blog series will talk about the some of the worst exercises and machines that you should avoid at the gym. 

#1 - Seated leg press

Although you can probably load a ton of weight on this machine and look like a gym superhero this one is my #1 least favorite.  I cannot tell you how many times I have had a patient present to my office with using this machine as the reason for their lower back injury.  Let me explain why:

        1.)    It’s seated – Sitting increases pressure on the intervertebral discs of the lower (lumbar) spine.  Many people already have problems with their lumbar discs due to the overbearing anatomical loading on this area.  Placing the discs in a seated position increases the pressure on them and makes them vulnerable to injury.    

 

        2.)  Knees to chest – This also increases lumbar disc pressure and rounds the curve of the lower back which pushes the disc posterior into the spinal canal where your spinal cord and spinal nerves are…OUCH!

        3.)  Massive weight – The reason why most people love this machine is because it uses our biggest, strongest muscles the quadriceps.  This machine can strengthen these muscles but the heavy weight puts a tremendous amount of a force on the discs of the lower back.  If you want to strengthen the legs there are many variations of squats and lunges that are not as risky and will get you the same results.

Check back soon for some more injury making machines to walk past and let collect dust.

Stay Healthy My Friends,

Dr. Todd Rodman, D.C., C.C.S.P., C.S.C.S.

KinetiFix Exam #2 - Scapular Upward Rotation

KinetiFix Exam #2 – Scapular Upward Rotation

Before we go into the second self-movement test let’s briefly review the two most common CrossFit shoulder injuries:

Two Most Common CrossFit Shoulder Injuries

1.)    Impingement - Proper shoulder strength and flexibility will give you the best chance of avoiding wear and tear injuries.  The two most common injuries that we see in CrossFit athletes, weight lifters and overhead athlete’s shoulders are impingement and labrum tears.  Impingement occurs when the muscles of the shoulder that keep the arm bone (humerus) down are too weak or too tired, allowing it to move upward and rub on the roof of the shoulder.  This causes soft tissue trauma, inflammation and pinching in the shoulder.  If you feel this, it is time to stop and get it looked at by a musculoskeletal therapist.  This wear and tear can lead to more serious problems like rotator cuff tears and an arthritic shoulder. 

General Rule for all injuries:  You have to let the healing outweigh the injury.  Outpacing your body’s ability to recover and repair the tissues you have broken down through training will cause injuries.

2.)    Labrum Tears - Because the shoulder socket (glenoid fossa) is so shallow it allows for a great range of motion.  To improve the depth of the shoulder socket we have a fibrocartilaginous ring called the labrum.  The labrum adds stability to the shoulder while allowing it to keep its great mobility.  The labrum tends to get torn in weightlifters as well as other overhead sports.  Most small labrum tears can be rehabilitated but the larger ones may need surgery to correct. 

KinetiFix Exam #2 – Scapular Upward Rotation

Because CrossFit relies heavily on the health of your shoulders, I find it important to keep our self-movement exam on the shoulder for a while.  My last post had you assess your shoulder’s internal and external range of motion.  Did you have any notable findings?

*A lack in shoulder internal rotation - can be influenced by posterior shoulder musculature.

 *A lack of shoulder external rotation - can be influenced by tightness in your lats, pecs, subscapularis and anterior deltoid. 

Our next test is scapular upward rotation:

To perform this self-exam stand facing a wall with your arm overhead in 90 degrees of flexion.  

Next lift your arm off the wall.  Normal is about 135 degrees of motion without shrugging your shoulders or arching your lower back.  Scapular upward rotation is influenced by serratus anterior strength, lower trapezius strength, pectoralis major muscle length and shoulder external rotation range of motion.

By identifying suboptimal range of motion you will help yourself prevent injuries.  A decrease in scapular upward rotation may cause CrossFit athletes to compensate by hyperextending their lower backs on their overhead lifts.  Lower back hyperextension can cause serious injuries such as fractures, facet syndrome and disc herniations.  Work to improve scapular upward mobility and you can even reduce your risk for these lower back issues.

How did you do?

Please email me at DrToddRodman@aim.com if you found an inability to perform this test.  I can set you up with a specific treatment program consisting of therapies, stretching and exercises that will help to avoid injury and optimize athletic performance.

Stay Strong,

Dr. T-Rod

Sports Medicine Chiropractor, FAU Official Team Chiropractor, CrossFit level 1 coach, Director of CrossFit SE Regional Athlete Services, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

KinetiFix Self-Movement Exam #1

Around Hardcore I am known as T-Rod but many others know me as Dr. Todd Rodman, Sports Medicine Chiropractor.  I am the director of athlete services for the CrossFit SouthEast Regionals, Team Chiropractor for FAU Athletics and have been on the medical staff at Ironman competitions, the past two CrossFit Games and many other sporting events.  As well as being a Sports Chiro I am a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Level 1 CrossFit Trainer and Certified CrossFit Mobility Specialist.  I love the sport of CrossFit and learned a lot by training with Hardcore for the past 3+ years as well as providing therapy for hundreds of CrossFit athletes.  I have a deep knowledge of injuries and injury prevention and am here to help you in any way possible.  I am going to open up this forum as a way to communicate, host discussions and write about topics that may help your health and athletic performance.  If you have any topics that you would like me to cover please email me at DrToddRodman@aim.com to let me know your ideas. 

The first and most important topic that I could cover is movement.  Poor movement patterns combined with high intensity exercise provides a great risk for injury.  Improper movement otherwise known as poor biomechanics will be present before symptoms of pain occur.  The best way to avoid injuries at CrossFit or anywhere in life is to understand your movement patterns and work to correct the bad ones.  The first series of posts will cover different movement tests for you to try on your own.  I call this series of movement tests KinetiFix.  I created and trademarked the KinetiFix examination to help people identify their poor movement patterns and give them corrective strategies on how to fix them.  Kinetics is the branch of science dedicated to the study of movement.  The KinetiFix analysis is dedicated to assessing and correcting movement dysfunction. 

The first test in this series is super important because shoulder range of motion is key for all overhead movements.  I am not just talking about the more complex Olympic lifting movements but even bar work such as pull-ups rely on a good range of shoulder external rotation or movement compensations will occur.  You can think of movement compensations as our musculoskeletal systems way to complete a movement by using a suboptimal movement pathway to complete the desired task.  For example, I once closed my car door by the inside door lock.  When I did this my door lock wobbled and my inner biomechanical nerd came out to talk to me.  He said that is a classic movement compensation and by using the door lock to close the door I was able to achieve the desired task of closing the door.  However, if I was to do that a dozen more times that door lock would probably rip off because it is being used improperly.  This is similar to a muscle or joint that is being used improperly and eventually experiencing symptoms of pain after it cannot tolerate the excessive stress that is being placed on it

First movement test: Supine shoulder internal and external rotation

·        

       Lay yourself face up on a bench, bed or table with your arm hanging off and bent 90 degrees at the elbow.

·          Externally rotate your arm and you should get 90 degrees of motion (use your best judgment when measuring).  

·         Next internally rotate your arm with the elbow bent at 90 degrees and you should get 70 degrees range of motion.  To do it best have someone place a light pressure on your glenohumeral joint (ball and socket of the shoulder) so that your shoulder doesn’t cheat and slide anterior giving a false range of motion.

·         If you do not get these full ranges of motion you may be at risk of injury.  Email me with your findings and I can send you some strategies on how to improve this biomechanical deficiency.

Let’s keep it at this for now.  My next post will cover some more movement tests and what you can do to fix them if they are suboptimal. 

Dr. T-Rod