Differences in sport and activity place varying degrees of stress upon the joints of your arms and legs. However, although every sport generates its own forces, all sport forces follow a common cyclical pattern. That is; a preparatory force, a peak force, and a recovery force. Peak force is the “moment of truth” found in every sport, such as throwing, pushing, pulling, kicking, or striking a ball, as in tennis and baseball. Learning the motion necessary in your favorite sport for that peak force “moment of truth” helps to reduce the stress of irregular motion, and keeps those sport aches to a minimum.
What is an irregular or herky-jerky motion? A basic understanding of joint design will give us a better idea of the biomechanics of motion. During normal posture at rest, we are in the most stable position possible for our joints. Yet, most sports require movements that extend the joints of our arms and legs well away from their stable position. Asking your joints to perform outside their normal range of motion, or asking them to absorb or transmit a large force, causes unstable and painful movement. The muscles and ligaments around that joint also become strained, causing additional pain. What’s the answer to this dilemma? Simple. In the short-term, keep your joints as close to their stable position as possible during the “moment of truth”. In the long run though, training will increase your tolerance for that impact and decrease the strain as well. Taking into consideration the five variables mentioned above, including an awareness of alterations in your equipment and environment, will help to decrease joint stress. Decreased velocity, improved technique and conditioning will all help to increase your tolerance.
Our knees and elbows are the joints most susceptive to injury. They have the smallest versatility in ranges of motion. They flex and extend, and that’s it. All the other joints have a broader range of motion. The shoulder, for example, has the broadest range of motion, allowing us to use it in just about any direction. So, as far as sport ache is concerned, the knees and elbows incur the most joint pain, and the shoulders end up with the most muscular and ligamentous pain. Making sure our muscle strength and flexibility are up to par is important in helping our bodies absorb sport forces. Other factors we must all keep in mind while participating in an activity are: our age, weight, temperament, existing aches and pains, and any structural abnormalities that may already be present. Lastly, after taking all these variables into account, if your sport ache remains either acute and painful, or long-term and chronic, you would be well advised to visit a health practitioner knowledgeable in sport injury.
Utilization of these suggestions can save you endless pain and frustration. Have fun with your sport and activity, and remember – a little care now can bring about huge dividends later in increased performance, ability and enjoyment!
(Dr. Richard Hanson, chiropractor in Jamestown, New York, can be reached at (716)664-0445. Most major insurances are now being accepted.)