CONTENTS OCT 2009 ISSUE 22

Publisher TOR DAVIES BSc (Hons) tor@sportex.net Editor BOB BRAMAH MSMA, MCSP bob@sportex.net Art editor DEBBIE ASHER debbie@sportex.net Advertising manager TOR DAVIES tor@sportex.net +44 (0)845 652 1906 Subscriptions SANDRA GREATOREX subs@sportex.net +44 (0)845 652 1906

TECHNICAL ADVISORS Bert Appleton Steve Aspinall

MSMA BSc (BASRaT), MSc

Paula Clayton MSMA, MCSP Steven Cluney MSMA Dr Marco

Stuart Hinds Brad Hiskins Ian Jeffrey

PhD, MSc, BSc

Cardinale Dave Clark MSc, BSc (Med Hons), BPE Dip SST

BSc, Dip SST

Michael Nichol Joan Watt

BA (Hons), MSc, PGCE, CSCS BSc (BASRaT) MCSP, MSMA

Dr Greg Whyte PhD, BSc (Hons) Welcome

to the autumn issue of sportEX dynamics.

The idea that everything done by those of us is published by

Centor Publishing Ltd 88 Nelson Road Wimbledon, SW19 1HX

Tel: +44 (0)845 652 1906 Fax: +44 (0)845 652 1907 www.sportex.net

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THE SPORTEX RANGE sportEX medicine - ISSN 1471-8138. Written specifically for

professionals working in the field of soft-tissue injury and rehabilitation - personal annual subscription £54, practice subscription £94

sportEX health formerly known as healthEX specialist - ISSN 1471- 8154. For people working in the physical activity

health promotion sector, health

and fitness industry as well as in primary care and occupational health - annual subscription £54 for individuals, £94 for departments

involved in the preparation of athletes, whether as injury recovery or as part of the training process, should be evidence-based, is a laudable concept, but we shouldn’t let it smother our professions. There are doubters in the medical and allied medical professions who claim that massage and some forms of exercise have no value because of the lack of a robust evidence base. For massage, Nick Dinsdale’s article in this issue goes some way to providing a counterargument: “If massage failed to produce benefits, it is unlikely that experienced therapists would have continued its use throughout the decades”. As electrotherapy guru, physiotherapist Tim Watson states, “although we should strive for evidence-based practice, the lack of sound evidence doesn’t necessarily mean a treatment doesn’t work in practice”. Our problem is that we need to prove that what we do has benefit. We need to build up our evidence base and share that knowledge with others in our various professions. The Journal Watch section of sportEX dynamics tries to do this, but there are hundreds, possibly thousands, of publications worldwide, so if you come across a particular piece of published research that is relevant to what you do, give me a “heads up” and we will share it with everyone. In this issue’s Journal Watch, you will find a report on attitudes to female strength and conditioning coaches. It seems that some American football players have a bit of a gender bias! The question is: does this attitude occur in other sports and countries? If you are a female S&C coach, we’d love to hear about your experiences in male- dominant sports. Have fun.

Bob Bramah MSMA, MCSP bob@sportex.net

CONTENTS 4Journal watch

screening tissue injuries DISCLAIMER

While every effort has been made to ensure that all information and data in this magazine is correct and compatible with national standards generally accepted at the time of publication, this magazine and any articles published in it are intended as general guidance and information for use by healthcare professionals only, and should not be relied upon as a basis for planning individual medical care or as a substitute for specialist medical advice in each individual case. To the extent permissible by law, the publisher, editors and contributors to this magazine accept no liability to any person for any loss, injury or damage howsoever incurred (including by negligence) as a consequence, whether directly or indirectly, of the use by any person of any of the contents of the magazine.

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www.sportEX.net 3 18 Measurement of A look at some of the latest research

7Pre-season musculoskeletal 12Evidence-based massage

The head-to-toe assessment that indicates an athlete’s readiness to compete

A look at its role in the treatment of soft

patella displacement The taping alternative to ultrasound

A look at the treatment and theorised effects of DTF on soft tissue injuries

21 Deep transverse friction optimise control of movement after injury sportEX services

26 Neuromuscular re-abilitation 30 sportEX gets creative

How NR helps patients to recover and An introduction to the latest addition to

excellence sports

promoting in

HIGHLIGHTS medicine

activity health

promoting HIGHLIGHTS for