CASE STUDY TROUBLESOME KNEE

TO TRY AND OBTAIN ANY AND ALL INFORMATION FROM YOUR ATHLETES WHEN THERE IS CHANGE IN THE INTENSITY OR DURATION OF THEIR TRAINING

allowed little time for his body to adapt to the new extended forward position, hence the endurance load of the gluteus medius was compromised and the price was paid once off the bike and loaded in the run!

SUMMARY The following interventions were used for this patient: n Three soft tissue treatments. n Two sessions with an exercise physiologist. n One session with a chiropractor. n Change of bike (set new bike time trial).

Particular problems faced by this patient included: n Myofascial sling overload to running sequence particular to his hip abductors due to the increased training load, intensity and bike setup. n Combination of structural restriction, soft tissue adaption and endurance fatigue. n Gluteus medius fatigue and overload of subsidiary muscles.

It should always be an absolute priority to try and

obtain any and all information from your athletes when there is change in the intensity or duration of their training, or physical factors like their footwear, the surface they are training on, or their bike setup. Such factors can become the hidden mechanism for overuse or biomechanical injuries.

So how did this patient do in the race? He competed

without any knee pain and finished twelfth overall in the elite category, which was a remarkable achievement, particularly as this was his first attempt. A great result all round.

THE AUTHOR

Stuart Hinds is a lecturer in remedial soft tissue techniques at Victoria and RMIT Univeristy in Australia. Stuart

has been involved with elite cycling (national and international) and a range of athletes from all professional levels of sport. Stuart was part of the massage service for the International Olympic Committee at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games as well as the soft tissue services for the Australian Olympic Team in the 2004 Athens Olympic games. He is the soft tissue therapist for the Geelong Football Club and has just returned from the Beijing Olympics.

www.sportEX.net

Thomas test - Standard version (note: the video begins badly but corrects after a few seconds) - the video is credited to YouTube user akues82

IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE AN ABSOLUTE PRIORITY

online Launch the extras by clicking on the images

Modified Thomas test - with thanks to Dr Mike (You- Tube user PostRehabSpecialist) who demonstrates the use of a modified Thomas test in a rehab setting - this same test is used to test for iliopsoas tightness

The Ober test - used to assess the tightness of the iliotibial band and the tensor fascia lata - with thanks to YouTube user bigesor

9