Winter Conditioning Helps Prevent Falls on the Slopes

Last year we saw a large number of ACL reconstructions during the winter ski season at our physical therapy clinic. I blame this on two factors. For one, we experienced early and persistent firm conditions that caused people to ski fast, lose control, and land hard. Secondly, people didn’t participate in a pre-season conditioning program and were therefore unprepared for these conditions and the normal demands of skiing. We’ve heard common suggestions for avoiding injury, like taking a break at midday so you are rested for your afternoon turns and eating a good lunch so you have fuel for your muscles to burn. Drink water during the day to stay hydrated and keep muscles pliable. Stretch out and take warm-up runs to get your muscles loosened up. And, of course, always SKI UNDER CONTROL.

One of the best things you can do is engage in specific forms of pre-season conditioning to prepare your muscles for the unique demands of skiing and snowboarding. This will help you stay under control in any conditions and prevent early fatigue. Here are three suggestions for exercises to help hone your strength, balance, and agility.

1. Strength in skiing prepares you to last the entire day. Focus primarily on building quadriceps strength, but also make time for the hamstrings and hip musculature. To gain strength you need to overload your muscle until it reaches fatigue. I like doing held squats on top of a BOSU ball. You can also use a foam roller as a substitute. Start by holding for 30 seconds and then build up your time from there. As you progress, try doing it with your eyes closed. Do 3-5 repetitions.

2. Balance involves your body’s ability to recognize where it is in space and how it maintains its center of gravity over its base of support. Balance will help you maintain control of your edge while making turns. A good exercise for this is a single-leg forward bend while reaching across your body, as if to pick something up off the floor. Do 3 sets of 10 and attempt to maximize your distance and improve control.

3. Agility is another component of a conditioning program that is very important. This is the ability to change position or direction quickly while maintaining control. A good exercise for this is lateral jumps over a line. Go back and forth, working on quick transitions and quiet, controlled landings. This will save you in the trees and from varying conditions on the run. Do for 30 seconds, 3 sets.

In the fall we get excited about winter, in winter we try not to fall. Start exercising now!

By: Eric Coughlin PT, MSPT, Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist, Therapeutic Associates Bend Physical Therapy

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Stockings Are Not Just For Grandma Anymore

It seems that compression garments are a hot topic these days. You will see people wearing them at athletic events, while traveling by plane and around town. However it can be confusing to determine what is the best stocking for a particular purpose. Hopefully this brief description can help you in your search for healthier and more energetic legs! When looking for compression, first one needs to determine which stockings will best suit their specific needs. Is the need for stockings from a prescription? Do they require Medical Grade Compression? Or are they simply being used as a travel, athletic or recovery sock? Below is a brief outline of different grades of the Juzo stockings we carry and which stockings would be the best fit for each category. Basically they fall into two categories.

Support Level Compression:

10-20mmHg

Support level compression is most commonly used to treat aching/fatigued legs, mild ankle and foot edema, mild varicosities, prophylaxis during pregnancy and post sclerotherapy/vein procedures. Another very popular use is for travel and/or recovery. Support stockings increase blood flow in the lower leg, thus being the ideal choice for frequent travelers and athletes. New in this category is the Silver sole sock. This sock is the ideal Sport Stocking. In the knee high configuration it offers 12-16mmHg support, which will help keep blood flowing through the lower limbs. Also, this stocking was carefully designed to include an X-Static blended silver sole. Silver has great anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties that will not only keep your feet comfortable but also combat odors created by extended high intensity activities.

Medical Grade Compression:

20-30mmHg and 30-40mmHg

Medical grade compression is prescribed by a physician or therapist to combat several symptoms such as aching legs, mild venous insufficiency, prophylaxis during pregnancy, moderate varicosities, hereditary tendency toward varicose veins, sclerotherapy/vein, Lymphedema, burn scar management, hypertrophic scar treatment, DVT prophylaxis, superficial thrombophlebitis. 30-40mmHg is commonly used with chronic venous insufficiency, severe varicosities, post surgical and post traumatic edema. When dealing with heavy edema, such as that found with Lymphedema, the heavier knit of the Juzo Dynamic will offer more containment. All of our medical grade compression stockings come in knee high and thigh high versions.

Juzo also offers a wide range of custom fit garments that can be manufactured in a variety of fabrics (Soft, Dynamic, Expert and Strong) for patients requiring stockings not available off-the-shelf. If you are looking at compression for athletics, recovery, travel or a medical condition please stop by. We probably have the appropriate compression garment for you.