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Health through Prevention.
Healing through Knowledge.
Success through Strength.
Med Gym. LLC
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Greetings!
We hope that you learn something from this month's featured topic, ACL Injuries in Gymnastics!
Congratulations to all of you-whether JO- optional, compulsory, prep-op, Elite or NCAA- what a great season it was! NCAA folks, what a wild run it was this year! Let's stay healthy for next year, starting with KNEES!
Remember... the course is still open. In one month, you can experience the most informative and idea-stimulating day of your coaching career- all in San Jose! Plenty of people have signed up already, and the buzz is wonderful. Especially now that the summer is here, and meet stress is gone, let's learn how to keep athletes healthy! And, informational and educational downloads being posted weekly on www.medgym.net
Happy Flipping!
Gina
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ACL Injuries in Gymnastics
We all have had athletes with knee pain, and especially who have suffered ACL, PCL or meniscus injuries. Knee pain is prominent in our sport, and injuries of the knee really effect all aspects of training
- aerobic
- muscle strength
- balance
- proprioception
- running
- landings
- takeoffs
- plyometrics
- stability
- Gait
- and more.
Recently, Gina did an article for Shannon Miller Lifestyle Online (LINK). http://shannonmillerlifestyle.com/road-to-london-2012/the-abcs-of-acl-injuries-in-gymnastics
Here is a snapshot of the article....
Knee injuries can be fierce for a gymnast, and take a long time to recover.
So many great gymnasts, men and women, have been effected by knee injuries that have caused them to lose parts or all of their season, such as Shawn Johnson, who tore hers while skiing in 2008, and Jason Gatson, who has had 2 ACL surgeries and was an icon in the sport for over 10 years. And then there is Justin Spring, who tore his while vaulting at Nationals in 2007, and then went on to have a wonderful showing at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. On our way to London in 2012, we have seen many of our national team members sustain knee injuries, and fight back from them... but not without incredible amounts of hard work and multi-disciplinary treatment. Because gymnastics is a weight bearing sport, it is really hard to "stay off" of your knee. With ligament injuries in the knee (most commonly either the MCL or ACL in gymnasts), if they tear, it is a 4-6 month surgical/recovery process. There is not a large amount of information on ACL injuries specifically for gymnasts in the research and media, and even less on the return-to-sport advice-giving side. What is the ACL and what does it do?
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament is a connection between the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone). It is one of two ligaments (the other being the PCL or posterior cruciate ligament). The ACL prevents excessive or out of the normal range of motion of the knee, specifically the translation or forward slide of the tibia on the femur. Research states that women are more likely to injure theirs, and studies have looked into and cited many reason, among which are estrogen levels, wide hips or Q angle, and lower extremity muscle underdevelopment. How is the ACL especially important in gymnastics? The ACL provides stability to the knee in a very unstable environment. A gymnast needs to land in so many different ways: two footed, one footed, soft surfaces, hard surfaces, various manufacturers of equipment, trampolines, landing mats, spring floors, plyometric conditioning and more. The body, because of all of these different reaction surfaces, needs to get used to so many different situations, that Muscle Memory, or the body getting used to combinations of timing, muscle use, joint position on impact, ground reaction forces and more, can be lower because of so many situation options. As well, skills are learned when they are transitioned from lead-ups, or drills, to various matting, to actual hard surface completion. Throughout this process, "short" landings, or over-rotations, or under-rotations exist within the learning process, until the athlete perfects timing, air sense, and more. Gymnastics is unique in that.....
(Continued at Link above!)
You can also download a copy of the whole article by going to the MedGym Website (LINK)
http://medgym.net/?page_id=37
Enjoy... and hop onto Twitter (MedGymPT) to share comments or Facebook Group (MedGym), we would love to hear your thoughts, share stories, answer questions!
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SPOTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE!
Plan your Week in San Jose NOW!
ANNOUNCING
One Day Course:
Gymnastics
Sports Medicine for YOU! |
Greetings!
Reminder --- Sign Up NOW for the Course that will change the way you Coach, Run a Gym, and create your athletes!!!
Well... it is finally here! The course that everyone has been asking for... over 12 years of presenting, researching, writing, interacting, observing, learning, coaching, and more. This will be a day never to forget- Sports Medicine for Gymnastics!
If you are getting this email, you have attended a course through USA Gymnastics Congress, signed up for MedGym.net, emailed about sports medicine questions, coach in the US, maybe coached with me or are friends on Facebook or other social media. However, this is NOT a closed invitation... it is open to anyone willing to learn and expand their knowledge!
The course, as presented independently, will be the day before USA Gymnastics National Coaches Congress in San Jose, CA this June. We are doing this so that it is most convenient for everyone attending Olympic Trials already, so the trip can be educational and fun.
You can see the course outline on the www.medgym.net or click HERE for informational website. It includes:
- Biomechanics explanation of all events and major skills
- Review of anatomy
- Injury explanations, diagnosis, treatment and therapy
- Rehabilitation protocols for over 20 injuries
- Common mistakes in conditioning and strength exercises
- Theory and reasoning behind form, function, and flexibility
- Demonstrations during the course so you understand how to correct your athletes!
- FULL FOOD provided all day (breakfast and lunch and snacks as well to make the most of the day and to save your expenses!)
- Take-home binder with all information printed as well as protocols, exercises, forms and access to additional information as an attendee after the course
- Cost = $125 for course, food, take-home binder/book of the course
Click on the link below to RSVP!
Payment accepted through PayPal, Credit card through PayPal, or via Personal Check.
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We are so excited to have you at the event! The earlier you register, the sooner you can guarantee your spot. We have had great response, so hurry!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by phone, email, or visiting the www.medgym.net website
Feel free to forward to a friend, fellow gymnastics coach, owner, health care professional, or people you would like to learn about gymnastics medicine to help your team!
Sincerely, Gina Pongetti MedGym.net
medgyminfo@gmail.com OR
adagiogymnastics@hotmail.com 630-607-8907
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About:
Gina has been a gymnast, coach (Compulsory, Optional, Prep Elite, College), choreographer, Physical Therapist, biomechanics specialist, writer, researcher and clinician. Professionally, she is a Nationally renowned Physical Therapist for Performing Arts Medicine, specifically gymnastics injury prevention and treatment. She served on USA Gymnastics National Health Care Referral network for almost 10 years, now focusing on local treatment, clinics, and her family of 5! She owns and operates her own Physical Therapy company, MedGym, LLC, out of the Chicagoland area.
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