splints

Orthopedic injuries might seem more straightforward than your average undifferentiated weak-and-dizzy presentation in the emergency department. But don't be fooled! Learn some key sports medicine tips from Washington Capitals physician Landon Mueller, MD, and EMRA*Cast's Will Smith, MD.

Grant and Heavey tackle a question from listener Danny on how to avoid shin splints.   Joining in for today’s episode is Heavey’s wife and head coach at Evidence Based Athlete, Nicole.

Feel like you’re plagued by injuries?   Head to strengthandscotch.com/coaching to see if one-on-one individual coaching can help you navigate those obstacles with a structured training program built specifically for you.

Controversy this week! Kevin Fryer is pro-biteguard with his NTI's and sleep appliances. Mac goes on a mile long rant about biteguards and how much they suck. Frankly it's the most passion I've seen from Mac on a dental topic. Zach is pro-biteguard but despite efforts to make biteguards affordable, they are still a tough sell and even tougher to get people to comply with.

We discuss various types of niteguards and how we make them and implement them in our offices. Occlusion and biteguards a a divisive topic and if you want to weigh in and let us know how wrong we are, please head to the Clinical Hacks Facebook Page.

Thanks very much to Pearse for coming on the podcast and talking about some recent developments in this fascinating area of technology, where the technology is at right now and what is on the horizon for hand therapists in the next 3-5 years. 

Pearse discusses how this fast paced technology will not replace hand therapists, but will require some upskilling and training in the near future. 3D printing and computer assisted design for splinting has some unique capabilities for decreasing costs, improving outcome measures and improving patient outcomes in the private practise clinic, hospital outpatients department and in developing countries...

Credit: Original research by Pearse Fay and Amelia Zulian - Deakin University, Australia

This is a very special chat I had at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital with Hamish Anderson - AHTA president elect and AFL Hand Therapist for the Hawthorn Football Club.

Hamish gives some great advice on how to get a training position in hand therapy and outlines the differences in training in private practice and hospital positions and what to look for in a good employer. We also talk about the recent changes in the accreditation pathway to becoming an accredited hand therapist and the benefits to training as an AHT. Hamish also shares some memorable moments from working in professional sport with Hawthorn Football Club over the last 7 years and the emerging role hand therapists have in professional sport. We also talk about some recent advances in 3D printing of hand therapy splints, upper limb prosthesis and Hamish’s experience working with hand transplant patients…

We take a wild ride back to our childhoods to easily remember splints.

You can find the podcast as well as free NBCOT exam study guides and companion materials at the website, otexamprepper.com.

Although it may be recommended by your Doctor, there are several key reasons why a support, brace or splint may NOT be a sensible treatment for your Tennis Elbow after all.

Unless pain relief in the short term is a higher priority for you than healing and recovery in the long term.

This is an important question we often neglect to consider in the rush of doing something to ease the pain: Will it actually help our injury heal? - Or is it just going to help it feel better temporarily?

Yes, like so much of the "common wisdom" around Tennis and Golfer's Elbow - it's counter-intuitive!

Here in this podcast and in the comprehensive article with video linked below:

• Why Immobilization Doesn’t Help Tennis Elbow Heal
• How Braces Can Lead To Scar Tissue
• Doesn't Tennis Elbow Need Rest To Heal?
• Exceptions When You Might Wear A Support
• The "Counterforce" Brace: Best Support For Tennis And Golf

Why A Brace May Not Help Your Tennis Elbow

Shin Splints How to Prevent and Treat is something I wanted to talk about because the question just happened to come up in our Monthly Membership from Dallas. I love questions because it gives me a better idea of what you want to know, so let's talk about shin splints!

Show Notes:

The first thing you should know is if you do nothing they will absolutely get worse. You don't want them to get worse because then they'll get in the way of you reaching your health and fitness goals.

Undestanding what shin splints are - which is muscles actually tearing away from the bone, should help encourage your to do more things to prevent.

Regarding Prevention 

It's important to check your shoes and make sure they aren't too old. 90% of people wear shoes far past the time they should be replaced. This causes issue from everything to knee and ankle pain to shin splints. Replace your shoes on a regular basis especially if you're running on them.

Pay attention to surfaces you're running on - hard surfaces i.e. concrete will cause shin splints so try to run on a track, grass or even dirt.

Tape from time to time before shin splints come if possible. Find a professional to help.

Compression socks are another great way to prevent shin splints.

Always heat before activity and ice afterwards.

Strengthen - use a rubber band, walk backwards, or crunch a towel with your toes.

Show sponsors:

www.newbalancechicago.com


Other Gait Guys stuff

A. iTunes link:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gait-guys-podcast/id559864138

B. Gait Guys online /download store (National Shoe Fit Certification and more !) :

http://store.payloadz.com/results/results.aspx?m=80204

C. other web based Gait Guys lectures:

Monthly lectures at : www.onlinece.com   type in Dr. Waerlop or Dr. Allen,  ”Biomechanics”

Show notes:

On high heels and short muscles: A multiscale model for sarcomere loss in the gastrocnemius muscle
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022519314006262

The Brain Needs Oxygen
Maintained cerebral oxygenation during maximal self-paced exercise in elite Kenyan runners.
http://www.runnersworld.com/racing/the-brain-needs-oxygen
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25414248
J Appl Physiol (1985). 2014 Nov 20:jap.00909.2014. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00909.2014. [Epub ahead of print]

The texting lane in China
http://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2014/sep/15/china-mobile-phone-lane-distracted-walking-pedestrians

Dialogue on endurance training,
NeuroRehabilitation. 2006;21(1):43-50. 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16720937
Effects of dorsiflexor endurance exercises on foot drop secondary to multiple sclerosis.  Mount J1, Dacko S.

APOS Therapy
we were asked out opinion on this
http://apostherapy.com/

Foot instrinsic dialogue
Motor Control. 2014 Jul 15. [Epub ahead of print]
Quantifying the Contributions of a Flexor Digitorum Brevis Muscle on Postural Stability.
Okai LA1, Kohn AF.
 
There are many factors in adults that impair gait. It is not all biomechanical. This is part of our ongoing dialogue on the aging population and why gait impairments and falls are so prevalent.
Acta Bioeng Biomech. 2014;16(1):3-9.
Differences in gait pattern between the elderly and the young during level walking under low illumination.
Choi JS, Kang DW, Shin YH, Tack GR.

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