Brian Schiff’s Blog

I came across some very good reads on Twitter last week week that I wanted to pass along. The first is a blog post by Rich Willy, a PT, professor and researcher who specializes in running and running related injuries. If you or any of your friends have suffered from nagging IT Band pain, this is a must read. In this post, he discusses proper treatment strategies:

Treating ITB Syndrome

The second pearl involves long toss and force on the elbow. Ever wonder how advising a pitcher to reduce his throwing intensity actually impacts velocity and torque on the elbow? It seems that decreasing effort level by 25% and 50% does not equate to the same reduction in actual velocity with a study using the motus sleeve. Read more below:

Baseball Pitchers’ Long Toss Perceived Effort & Actual Velocity

Finally, there has been much discussion about return to sport assessment after ACL reconstruction. Lately, many have begun to question how effective hop testing really is when it cones to determining readiness to return to sport. I use several assessments (one of which is hop testing), but I also feel psychological readiness is crucial.

This article sheds light on the connection between proper single limb landing mechanics and psychological readiness.

Association of Psychological Readiness for RTS after ACLR and Hip and Knee Landing Mechanics

Bridging is a fundamental exercise to promote hamstring and glute strength. In addition to hip strength, I look for opportunities to enhance anti-rotation/pelvic stability with many bridging progressions due to the weakness and asymmetries I see in my clinic. It will also facilitate hip dissociation.

The stability ball provides an element of instability that can further challenge hip and pillar stability. This exercise is big bang for your buck exercise that can be used in rehab and training circles. Check out the video below that is part of my ‘Functionally Fit’ column for PFP Magazine.

Click here to read the entire column.

One of the biggest challenges for clients overcoming knee injuries and surgery is regaining their quadriceps strength and fighting atrophy. This is increasingly so for my clientele on crutches for any extended period of time. It is paramount to use modalities early on in the rehab process such as electrical stimulation and blood flow restriction training to combat atrophy and loss of strength.

Once appropriate, I always move to single limb training to eliminate imbalance and asymmetry. While pistol squats are one of the most effective single leg quadriceps exercises, not all clients can perform this movement. So, in many cases I opt to use a single leg box squat (see video below).

For more information on specific progressions and regressions, click here to read my entire online column. Keep in mind that you should never force through any painful range of motion as this likely indicates excessive strain on the patellofemoral joint.

In the majority of patients I see with knee pain or knee dysfunction, I uncover gluteal weakness and poor proximal muscular stability. This can cascade into overpronation, vagus collapse, poor balance, and any number of kinetic chain issues. While this may  not be a big deal for sedentary individuals, it becomes a very big deal for athletes and those performing repetitive loading.

When searching for the best exercises to selectively strengthen the gluteal muscles, it is always wise to see what science has to say. More is not always better. I am all for efficiency and finding the most effective exercises in activating the glute over the tensor fascia lata (TFL). In this post, I am sharing a good exercise to do just that. Prior research has indicated that sidestepping and clamshells are very effective in doing just this. Click here to read a prior post on this.

The video below will walk you through his to do the running man exercise.

Click here to read my PFP column on this exercise.

Improving proximal hip stability and reducing frontal plane collapse is critical for protecting the knee. Poor frontal plane control often contributes to anterior knee pain, IT band syndrome, shin splints, plantar fasciitis and other injuries. This exercise is an advance progression of the standing pallof press, and it is very effective for enhancing single leg strength as well as hip/core stability.

Click here to read my full column on this exercise in PFP Magazine.