Everything You Need to Know About Injury Prevention

It’s all about Symmetry, Strength and Capacity

According to the current published data available, the 3 most important ways to prevent injury or reduce injury risk with sports, recreation or working out are:

Symmetry

Symmetry refers to matching between sides. This is the #1 factor for injury risk with the validated screens available to physical therapists and studies related to determining factors that drive sports injuries. The elevated risk can be as high as 6 fold! To reduce your risk for injury or protect yourself from injury, there needs to be symmetry between all of your limbs.

• Between your right and left arm

• Between your right and left leg

• Between the right side of your body and the left side of your body.

• When in a plank, can you reach forward evenly between your right and left arms? The difference in your reach needs to be less than 4 centimeters (1.5 inches)

  • When in a standing on one leg, can you reach forward evenly between your right and then left foot? The difference in your reach needs to be less than 4 centimeters (1.5 inches)

    Strength - In your arms, legs and your core.

  • Measure the length of your foot. Multiply that number by 2. That is the target distance for you to be able to reach with both of your arms and your legs in the reach test.

  • When in a plank, can you reach forward with one hand to that target distance without moving out of the alignment of your starting position?

  • When standing on one leg, can you reach forward with the other foot to that target distance without moving out of the alignment of your starting position?

Capacity

Capacity is how long you can hold onto your strength and the integrity of your alignment (or good form) while performing a physical activity over a period of time.

• When standing on one leg, can you reach forward with one leg and then the other without leaning to one side, losing your balance, or your knee collapsing inward or turning your foot out?

• When in a plank, can you reach forward with one arm and then the other while maintaining a neutral spine, without collapsing or shifting to one side or the other?

In my next post, I will teach you 3 simple exercises you can do every day or as a warm up to your work out or recreation activity to improve in all three of the above areas to reduce your risk for injury or prevent injury.