Health & Fitness
Your Achille's heel and your next injury
How past injury can predict a future injury and what you can do about it.
*The following is a summary and discussion of a previous blog post, to read that article and more like it, visit the White Oak Family Wellness blog
Achilles' heel, the deadly weak point of an otherwise great warrior. While the story is part of ancient Greek mythology, there is a hint of truth in this story. Research has shown that the greatest predictor of future injury is past injury (see full article for references). With this in mind, your past injury is much like Achilles' heel. While it probably won't lead to your mortal downfall, it is a weak link in your otherwise healthy chain. When you add functional asymmetries and inefficient motor control to that chain, then chances of injury skyrocket.
The reason that these past injuries are such a large predictor are simple. We usually don't take the time or make the effort to heal injuries correctly. In addition, a current injury will likely result in an inefficient compensation pattern which breeds more inefficiencies. In the meantime, your old injury has likely created a loss in mobility or stability on one side when compared to the other. This is a recipe for disaster.
Luckily, there is something you can do about it. Functional screening has become a key ingredient in rehabilitation. By assessing your functional deficits and strengths it becomes much easier to create a plan that is specific to you and what you need to do to protect yourself. There are many organizations that certify professionals to do this. TPI, FMS, SFMA to name a few. Regardless, of whether you choose this route, it is always important to get checked out by your doctor after an injury to evaluate the level of damage and necessary next step.
Questions and comments are always welcome below or feel free to email me at drgamble@whiteoakwell.com or call (630) 442-0057.
-Dr. Phillip Gamble, DC, TPI CGFI
Chiropractic Physician at White Oak Family Wellness in St. Charles
White Oak Family Wellness
405 Illinois Ave #2b
St Charles, IL 60174
(630) 442-0057
