Signs of problematic neuromuscular activity include unilateral symptoms, meaning that the problem occurs only on one side. With endurance athletes who are engaging in activities such as swimming, biking and running and who develop symptoms on one side, it’s likely not the training, but the pattern of movement. If you are running 30 miles per week, both legs are working. Until the question as to why only the right knee is hurting and not the left is answered, there can’t be a true resolution of the injury. What the doctors do in their practice is to not simply address the symptoms, but to look for the root cause. If the answer to this question can be found, then the pain can almost always be eliminated and the injury can truly be resolved.
The nervous system is too complex and the field of neuroplasticity too broad to cover in detail. The idea is that nerve cells that fire together will wire together, giving the doctors a framework to work from. An example: A distance runner suffers a slight ankle sprain that isn’t serious enough to prevent him from running, but he has altered his stride in response so that when he does run it is more comfortable. Because of the repetitive nature of running and the principle of neuroplasticity, his nerve cells are now firing in a new way, and he develops a new pattern of leg movement. His ankle heals, but the new pattern of movement persists. Another week in and he continues running, and then eventually, some months later for the first time in his running career he develops knee pain. This secondary knee problem can be attributed to overuse of muscles and joints that are being abused because of the new movement pattern. These injuries become resistant to improvement with rest, or if they do improve, are prone to recur because the underlying aberrant pattern has never been retrained. What they do with these types of cases is address the immediate issues of pain, and then work to change the firing pattern.
Logan and Hueser have earned quite a following both professionally, with more than 700,000 patient visits in the last 28 years, and personally, with running marathons, bicycling, rowing and coaching crew. They have treated athletes at all levels, from weekend warriors to participants in the U.S. Olympic trials, and incorporate innovative assessments and treatments such as implementing unweighting equipment combined with treadmill for gait analysis and a whole-body vibration platform. Conditions that frequently respond to chiropractic care are headaches, neck, back and shoulder pain, balance problems and numbness in the extremities.
For more information, call (937) 643-0893.
Marjie Gilliam is an International Sports Sciences Master certified personal trainer and fitness consultant. She owns Custom Fitness Personal Training Services. Write to her in care of the Dayton Daily News, call her at (937) 878-9018 or send e-mail to marjie@ohtrainer.com. Her Web site is at www.ohtrainer.com.
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