Approximately 25,000 people sprain their ankel each day.  The acute ankle injury is the most common sports injury encoutnered today and is responsible for up to 30% of sports related injuries in young athletes.  Left untreated, a sprained ankel can lead to chronic ankle instability, high reoccurrence rate, and secondary complications due to prolonged ankle pain.  Careful diagnosis with adequate immobilization and early treatment of an akle sprain is imperative.

Physical Therapy treatment involves swelling control, pain free RPM and then strengthening stabilizing muscles.  Restoring “proprioception” in the ankle joint will help reduce the risk of re-injury.  Proprioception is the ability of the muscles surrounding a joint to respond to abnormal positions and situations.  For example, when standing on an uneven surface like grass the ankle adjusts to the surface to prevent fall and injuries.  After an injury, proprioception, like strength and flexibility, is impaired and requires rehabilitation.  To ensure complete healing of an ankle sprain and decease the chance of recurrence be sure to have the sprain properly treated by your physician and Physical Therapist at FreeMotion Physical Therapy.

Surfing is gaining in popularity in beautiful South Orange County. Living close to the beach with easy access to great surf breaks makes it easy to indulge in this exciting sport. However, it is important to realize the risks involved in surfing.

A couple of years ago my husband and I were on a 7 day surf vacation when he felt a dull ache and constant popping in his shoulder. Upon examining his shoulder, I found the humeral head was sitting anterior in the glenohumeral joint. Posterior joint mobilization relocated the humeral head and relieved the pain and popping; allowing him to surf 3x/day for the remainder of the vacation.

Due to the overhead shoulder flexion motion that is used for paddling a surfboard, the shoulder is susceptible to injury. It is crucial to keep the muscles of the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizing muscles strong and the chest muscles flexible to maintain healthy surf shoulders. Approximately 45% of a surfers time is spent paddling. Unlike swimming where the power is generated primarily from shoulder to opposite hip (body rotation), surfers rely solely on the upper back and shoulders to propel them because the surfboard they are lying on restricts rotational movement. Often, it is the non-dominant shoulder which is more susceptible to injury because it is not as strong, yet has to work just as hard as the dominant shoulder with paddling. Paddling to catch a wave puts a high demand on the shoulder and scapular stabilizing muscles so be sure you keep these muscles strong to avoid injury. Stop by FreeMotion PT for a complimentary Healthy Surfer’s shoulder regimen. Happy Surfing!