How go you work injured athletes back into training? My brother is a lacrosse player (best defenceman in BC for his age) who tore his ACL & partially tore his miniscus last summer. Is there any special way to work back into lower body training?
Drag and Wheelbarrel walk. Louie Simmons has rehabbed many knees using this protocol. I think uphill wheel barrel walk is even better.
Natey - you’ve got to give me more information than that - this is serious stuff. The rehab of an athlete is an enormous importance. I have been brought in by some of the best players in the NFL to get them back after injury and been able to do so at unbelievable rate. Give me information on range of motion of the injured knee, strength ratio’s, general flexibility and compare with other leg. I’m on this one.
In faith,
Coach Davies
I sort of knew I’d have to give up more info. Well, he had surgery back in Dec. to help it out, he hurt it last summer remember, but he’s planning on playing field in the fall. He got part of one of his hamstrings taken off & put in place of his ACL(or something). Range of motion & flexibility of the bad knee is the same as the good one, but every muscle in the bad leg is a little weaker than the good one. He’s been running lots (like an hour at a time w/1-2 short breaks) & scrimmaging , but with no hitting. The hamstring on the bad leg is probably weak because he’d complain about it before finally busting his knee.
are you telling me his rehab has consisted of jogging? There has to be more - please Natey fill me in on this.
In faith,
Coach Davies
He’s worked up to jogging over the last few months. He was laid up for about a month after the op then started working with a physiotherapist (jan-feb) on things like standing leg curls & this thing where you lie on the floor with your heels on a swiss ball, push your butt off the floor & then curl your feet in towards your butt. There was some other stuff on the swiss ball as well(what a surprise). He showed me some of the stuff he was working on & it looked mostly like knee flexion (not exclusively though, he was working his upper body as well). I don’t know if that’s because of the nature of the injury, if that’s what was weakest, or if they overlooked hip extension. He lost about 1/4 of his hamstring to use as the new ligament, but it’s mostly regenerated by now, I said before that the strength levels of both legs are almost the same. He had a checkup with the physio & the surgeon in may & the surgeon said that he should sit out this season because he’s still pretty young (17), and because he’s still growing it would take longer for it to heal than for an adult(~9mo. vs ~6mo.). The last serious workout w/the physio was on spring break. He says he’s been squatting a little, but not past parallel, the doctor told him not to.
Is that enough info?
Unless he already is we need to start him on a flexibility program and gpp program. Hey, maybe I can even talk about my lacrosse specific program - Seriously, get back to me, In faith, Coach Davies
He stretches a little, so he’s sort of on a flexibility routine. GPP sounds good(Louie Simmons mentioned you in a GoHeavy article!), I’ll tell him about it.
Natey - lets get him started on something basic (I assume his med staff have given the green light). Now I will be pleased to direct this but you’ve got to relay information to me. Deal? Lets talk his flexibility - are you sure this is being tackled. I want two 25 stretches per day - so lets make sure we’ve got a plan he can follow. Get back to me and we will start the other areas. In faith, Coach Davies
2 25 stretches/day, got it. He was stretching a little, like before & after his runs, and a bit more, but there was no real system, just what he thought needed stretching. The surgeon said that he can probably do most sports, sit out this season because it might not be 100% healed.