Grappling Shoulder Injury Solution
The Shoulder Injury Solution For MMA Fighters
As a fighter do you experience shoulder pain, clicking, or popping? How many times have you had difficulty sinking a submission hold or avoided throwing a certain punch? Have you tried countless therapies that only give you temporary relief? Wait no longer, the permanent solution is finally here.
The latest sports medicine reveals that a combination of Active Release Techniques® (ART®) and chiropractic care can quickly restore the power in your muscles and the smoothness in your joints.
Many professional sports teams throughout the NFL, NBA, and NHL are resolving such conditions as tendonitis, rotator cuff syndrome, and impingement syndromes within one to three treatments using ART and chiropractic techniques. Let’s take a closer look at how these therapies can help the common shoulder injury.
Muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves:
Active Release Techniques attempt to restore the optimal texture, motion, and function of the surrounding muscles, tendons, fascia, nerves, and blood vessels. This is accomplished through the removal of adhesions/scar tissue via the application of specific hands-on protocols.
As a mixed martial artist, common shoulder injuries do occur. From weight training to heavy bag striking to grappling, the muscles in the shoulder complex become strained and ligaments become sprained repeatedly.
It is this type of repetitive strain that causes the “cumulative trauma cycle” to begin. As a result of the trauma cycle, inflammation develops in the surrounding tissue, and adhesions or scar tissue begin to accumulate repairing the damaged area.
As adhesions accumulate, tissues become bound or glued together resulting in tight, less elastic, and unfortunately weaker muscles, which ultimately alter the biomechanics of shoulder function setting it up for further injury.
The trauma cycle is the principal underlying cause of the common conditions of tendonitis, bursitis, rotator cuff syndrome, and/or impingement syndrome. Through ongoing research and years of experience, Active Release Techniques are one of the most highly recommended methods of treatment for such conditions.
ART treats the cause of these conditions by restoring the optimal texture, motion, and function of related muscles, tendons, and nerves-resolving the symptoms of pain, clicking/popping, numbness/tingling, and muscle weakness.
The spine:
Treating only the muscular component of the shoulder will not completely solve your shoulder problem. The neck (cervical vertebrae) and upper back (thoracic vertebrae), along with the first two ribs, play a vital role in optimizing shoulder range of motion.
They allow for proper rotation and elevation of the arm and shoulder blade (scapula). When vertebrae or ribs are not mobile, they can further hinder a shoulder problem. The joints of the spine that cannot move are termed “subluxated.” To restore normal joint movement, the subluxated areas have to be treated.
The most highly recognized healthcare professional to treat such subluxations are chiropractors. Chiropractors are trained at diagnosing and treating conditions related to the spine. With the use of painless and controlled acts of adjusting a subluxated area, chiropractors can help restore the normal function of your spine and ribs-allowing your shoulder to function properly, helping you to slam your opponent with much more ease.
Recommended treatments:
The following outlines some basic protocols to follow for quick and effective treatment of shoulder injuries.
Active Release Technique… A certified ART provider evaluates the shoulder and treats the related soft tissues according to the set protocols.
Chiropractic… A chiropractor autodetects subluxated joints along the entire spine, especially the thoracic vertebrae and the first two ribs.
Inflammation control/Healing… This can be accomplished with the use of ice, acupuncture, or natural anti-inflammatory.
Ice is the easiest and cheapest treatment for an inflamed area. Just place the cubes in a zip lock bag and apply to the area: 20 minutes on, 40 minutes off.
Natural Anti-inflammatory… Some safe and very powerful natural anti-inflammatory include Tumeric extract, Bromelain, Picrorhiza kurroa extract, and Boswellia serrata extract. Make sure to consult with a highly qualified health professional (such as a naturopath) to suggest the correct product and dosage.
Stretching… Stretch, stretch, and stretch! This point cannot be stressed enough. You must maintain a daily stretching routine. Stretching must be done three times a day, every day. It is not good enough to stretch before and after training, you must continue to stretch daily to help restore the muscle tissue to its normal state.
Some Common Mistakes In Treating The Shoulder:
You cannot strengthen a tight muscle. Many therapists are quick to start strengthening exercises before addressing the underlying problems. This can easily compound the original problem by making the muscle tighter. Once the shoulder has been treated properly, a graduated strengthening/rehabilitation program may begin.
Is Heat Good? Though putting heat on the shoulder may make the shoulder feel better by loosening the muscles, it may also be promoting the inflammation located inside the joint. In this way, applying heat can prolong your injury time. You don’t want this, therefore use heat with caution!
Overtraining. Many mixed martial artists suffer from over-training. Use common sense and listen to your body. Do not be afraid to take the day off.
Last thought:
Start paying attention to your body, notice subtle signs in your training, start asking questions, seek experienced answers, and most importantly, don’t settle on your performance-there is always room for improvement.
