Why you really need a Crossfit Physio/Osteo
CrossFit Injuries
As Physiotherapists and Osteopaths in Cheltenham and the Bayside region of Victoria we see many patients at our clinic who are participants in Crossfit.
CrossFit is a conditioning program that continues to grow in popularity, so much so it even has an annual Crossfit Games that are broadcast through ESPN. This form of high intensity training with limited rest intervals has gained literary support as an effective form of exercise with minimal time investment and personal accounts for improvements in fitness levels. While there is no doubt Crossfit has done a lot for the world of health and fitness in getting people moving, performing compound resistance exercise with great intensity it also has the potential to cause problems. In 2011, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and Consortium for Health and Military Performance also recognised the benefits of the programs, but demonstrated concern for injury rates.
What are the problems?
A study examined 386 individuals involved in a CrossFit program for the previous 6 months and found:
75 individuals were injured and occurred most in:
Shoulder
Low Back
Knee
Gymnastic and power lifting movements were responsible for most injuries. Gymnastic movements were associated with a higher frequency of shoulder injuries and power lifting had an association with low back injuries.
Anecdotally our Physiotherapists and Osteopaths also see Crossfit participants and other gym goers around Cheltenham suffer from:
Neck strains
Rotator cuff strains
Wrist pain with certain power clean movements
Hip impingement
Patellar tracking and patellar tendinopathy
Are there any patterns?
Males more frequently injured
Injury rate decreased with increasing levels of coaching supervision
No significant difference in injury rate across age
Individuals should be aware of their risks for injury and seek coaching supervision for safe form with their exercises. It appears safe for all ages to participate in supervised CrossFit programs, but we still recommend follow up with a medical practitioner before beginning any exercise program to rule out any health concerns. Often the biggest problem is an untrained individual undertaking the complicated movements involved in Crossfit and putting their bodies through more stress than they can tolerate.
How will the Injury Rehab Centre help you?
At the Injury Rehab Centre our Physiotherapists and Osteopaths utilize tools like the Functional Movement Group’s M.A.T (Movement Assessment Tool), Slow Motion Video Analysis of the lifting form, Force Plate Technology and Strength Testing in their purpose built rehab gym to not only determine your risk of injury during a Crossfit program but also help rehab, address the cause of your pain and improve performance!
If you’re a Crossfit participant and you are looking for a Physiotherapist and Osteopath who can assess you in the gym environment you train in and bullet proof your body from Crossfit related injury contact us at the Injury Rehab Centre on 95537024 or click here to book online.
References:
Weisenthal, B.M., Beck, C.A., Maloney, M.D., DeHaven, K.E., Giordano, B.D. Injury rate and patterns among CrossFit athletes. Journal of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy, and Knee Athroplasty, 2014, 2(4): 1-7.