JOSPT Insights

Ever wondered what a day in the life of a busy sports medicine clinic and research unit looks like? Dr Enda King combines his roles as a sports physiotherapist, strength and conditioning coach, researcher, and educator through his work with individual athletes and elite teams across a spectrum of sports and disciplines. Currently, he is the Head of Elite Performance and Development at the Aspetar Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital in Doha, Qatar. ------------------------------ RESOURCES For more on the Aspetar International Sports Medicine Conference - complete guide to thigh muscle injuries (November 2024): https://www.aspetar.com/en/professionals/our-events/complete-guide-to-thigh-muscle-injuries

Dr. Rasmus Nielsen leads a research group on running injuries at Aarhus University. He dives into the prevalence of running-related injuries and the importance of understanding training loads. The discussion includes common injuries like runner's knee, the limitations of the traditional 10% rule, and the intricacies of tracking training metrics. Nielsen emphasizes the role of proper shoe adaptation and highlights the benefits of strength training for injury prevention, urging runners to rethink their approaches for safer running.

In this engaging discussion, Andrew Mitchell, a specialist from Red Bull Leipzig in athlete rehabilitation, shares his expertise on guiding injured professional football players back to the field. He introduces a comprehensive 11-phase rehabilitation pathway that tailors recovery plans to individual needs. Andrew emphasizes the importance of flexibility in recovery strategies and accessible performance metrics. He also discusses the critical collaboration required during recovery, especially for complex injuries like ACL tears, highlighting the balance between data analysis and personal care.

A thirty-year-old woman, who plays social basketball once each week and goes to the climbing gym at least twice each week, has been diagnosed with a traumatic medial meniscus tear. The woman was told that surgery is the only way to 'fix' her knee so she can get back to basketball and climbing. But is that really what the research evidence says? Professors Jonas Thorlund and Søren Skou (University of Southern Denmark) share the key findings of their DREAM trial, and its clinical implications for managing traumatic meniscal tears. ------------------------------ RESOURCES DREAM trial report: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38319181/ STARR trial report: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35676079/ Comparing treatment strategies for traumatic and non-traumatic meniscus tears: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2024.12245 Should symptom onset guide treatment choice for meniscus tears? https://www.jospt.org/do/10.2519/jospt.blog.20240415/full/

Dr Kala Flagg of the Washington Mystics answers the classic Sports Corner questions for high-level women's basketball. She covers the demands of the sport, the most common injuries, and key things to plan for during injury rehabilitation. Considering playing style, shoe fit, and physical fitness are all in a day's work when supporting high-level women's basketball athletes to perform at their best.

Today's episode builds on last week's discussion of how changes in the way that the nervous system works after injury can compensate for impairments like joint instability, pain and muscle inhibition. Dr Meredith Chaput (University of Central Florida) extends the 5 phases of the visual-cognitive control chaos continuum, to link the ways to assess for cognitive compensations and how to progressively load the visual-cognitive system during sports injury rehabilitation. ------------------------------ RESOURCES From control to chaos - visual-cognitive progression during recovery: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2024.12443 The control-chaos continuum adapted to basketball: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2023.11981

Sports injury rehabilitation has moved well beyond simply focusing on physical function and recovery. There's various emphases on psychological responses to injury, mental readiness to return to sport, and now, the visual-cognitive components of recovery and return to sport. Today, Dr Meredith Chaput (University of Central Florida) introduces the visual-cognitive control chaos continuum as a framework for sports injury rehabilitation. Her research uses functional MRI to evaluate neuroplasticity after knee injuries, focusing on understanding how people use visual attention to compensate for motor control, and how rehabilitation may better target these compensations. ------------------------------ RESOURCES From control to chaos - visual-cognitive progression during recovery: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2024.12443 The control-chaos continuum adapted to basketball: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2023.11981

Dr. Jean-François Esculier, a physiotherapist and leader of the Research & Development team at The Running Clinic, shares his expertise on running and knee health. He debunks common myths about running causing knee damage, highlighting that recreational runners often have fewer issues than sedentary individuals. The discussion covers practical advice for those with osteoarthritis, emphasizing strength training and tailored techniques. Esculier also presents valuable educational resources designed to reshape public perceptions about running and joint health.

The relationship between musculoskeletal pain and mental distress is complex. Sometimes it can feel challenging to know where to start when supporting people to get their life back when they're struggling with chronic or persistent pain. Today, Dr Pavlos Bobos (Western University, Canada) shares his own story of recovery from serious musculoskeletal injury, and how that experience drives the work he does now as a researcher. He discusses the results of a network meta-analysis of digital interventions for managing musculoskeletal pain and depression. ------------------------------ RESOURCES Network meta-analysis of digital interventions: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2024.12216

Dr Belinda Lawford from The University of Melbourne discusses the benefits of telerehabilitation for managing chronic knee pain. Topics include patient perceptions, advantages for clinicians, embracing telehealth for osteoarthritis, equity in telehealth services, and the effectiveness of telehealth in rehabilitation practice.