shoulder care: justin dudley
Better conditioning shoulders for sport-specific movements What do baseball, volleyball, swimming, golf, lacrosse, football, softball, tennis and CrossFit have in common? They all require the arms to generate skilled, coordinated, and powerful directed movements. Each of these sports has very specific skill requirements that take years of repetition, training and coaching to master. However, before any of these sport specific movements of the arm can be mastered, the stability and appropriate positioning of the shoulder complex needs to be addressed. This stability and control are the foundation upon which skilled movements can be built. In a simplistic way to think about the muscles of the shoulder joint, they can be broken down into two categories: “Prime Movers” and “Stabilizers.” Prime Movers are the muscles that perform actual sport-specific movements of the arm (golf swing, swim stroke, volleyball spike, etc.) and only provide minimal stability as a secondary function. Conversely, the function of the Stabilizers, which include the rotator cuff and scapula muscles, are designed for scapula positioning and centering the ball in the shoulder socket. Their contribution to sport-specific movement is much less. Because of this, the ability to implement a few well-developed programs for scapula and rotator cuff function across many upper-extremity sports is possible. It is the skilled movements built on top of this foundation that differentiates athletes. However, it is important to realize that despite the seemingly generic approach of a program for scapula strengthening and rotator cuff function across all athletes, it is likely the most important component to injury prevention and the longevity of an athlete. Stabilizer muscles underperforming requires more attention of the Prime Movers to obtain stability. This example is all too common in overhead athletes and often results in decreased performance due to wasted energy, decreased accuracy and often times predisposes the athlete to injuries of the shoulder complex due to poor biomechanics. Crossover Symmetry is not a replacement for sport-specific training and conditioning, but rather a great adjunct to be incorporated into a training program. It was developed to address the Stabilizers and make sure the muscles are functioning at an optimal level — regardless of your sport — in order to allow your Prime Movers to master skill movements. ✪ Justin Dudley is an in-house Physical Therapist for Crossover Symmetry, based in Denver.
Support Your Local Business • Say You Found Them In SportStars™
Score Digital Content: Scan SSM With LAYAR
May 23, 2013
SportStars™
39