Is it a sprain or a strain?

With the start of football season right around the corner, many injuries are sure to follow. Two terms that are commonly used incorrectly by broadcasters and the media are "sprain" and "strain." These terms are often used interchangeably, but are not the same thing. When an athlete has a ligamentous injury, this is referred to as a "sprain". A "sprain" would indicate stretching or tearing of a ligament. Probably the most commonly sprained ligament among football players would be the medical collateral ligament (MCL) of the knee. When an athlete has a muscle or tendon injury, this is referred to as a "strain", which would indicate tearing or stretching of the muscle/tendon. The most common muscle strain would be the hamstrings, which is a group of three muscles located on the posterior aspect of the thigh. I'll focus on the reason why the hamstrings are so commonly strained in a later blog. So, when your watching football over the next few months, and the announcer states a player is out with a strained MCL, you will know he/she is incorrect!

Exercise is Medicine

On September 9, Mississippi State University will be hosting the president of the American College of Sports Medicine (ASCM) to promote the "Exercise is Medicine" Campaign. The day will feature speeches by the president of MSU, the mayor of Starkville, the president of ACSM, and a question and answer session featuring various health care professionals. The purpose of "Exercise is Medicine" is to encourage physicians to prescribe exercise in much the same way they would prescribe medication, and to encourage people to exercise. The benefits of exercise are numerous, too many for me to list here (Here are a few: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/benefits-of-exercise). In this country, there is a "large" problem with inactivity and obesity. There is no possible way to obtain all the benefits exercise provides by taking a pill. For many, the most difficult part of exercising is getting started. It doesn't take much, just 30 minutes of walking 4-5 days/wk will yield benefits. For more information on this program, you can visit the following websites:
http://www.exerciseismedicine.org/
http://www.health.msstate.edu/health/eim.htm

Both classes went well today. In anatomical kinesiology, we continued discussion on muscles, and talked about the length/tension relationship for a sarcomere and whole muscle. Motor Development focused on continuing to explore the theoretical backgrounds of developement.
I hope everyone has a good weekend. I'll be back Monday with a blog on muscular injuries.

8-26-09

Anatomical Kinesiology: Today we began discussing the muscular system and how skeletal muscles produce voluntary movement. Skeletal muscle and the tendons associated with it (musculotendinous unit) can be represented by Hill's muscle model. The contractile component (CC) contains the contractile proteins found in the myofibril, actin and myosin. These proteins produce active tension. The parallel elastic component (PEC) runs parallel to the contractile component and is compromised of the connective tissues surrounding the muscle (epimysium, perimysium, and endomysium). The series elastic component (SEC) is represented by the tendons and all other connective tissue in series with the contractile component. The PEC and SEC, because of their elastic properties, produce passive tension. This will be discussed in further detail on Friday.

Motor Development: Today we discussed the three major theoretical perspectives of Motor Development. The earliest perspective, the maturational perspective, argues that development is driven by genetics and an internal biological clock. It does not consider the role of the environment and considers the nervous system to be the only system responsible for development. The second theory is the information processing theory. This theory considers the brain as functioning much like a computer. The third and most recent perspective is the ecological perspective. This includes both the dynamical systems and perception-action theories. The ecological perspective considers all internal systems (skeletal, muscular, nervous, etc.), and the interaction of these systems with the environment and task as shaping development and movement. Friday's class will focus on exploring these perspectives further.

Summary From 8-24-2009

Antatomical Kinesiology: Today we finished discussing different types of bones and their function. Most bones are named for their shape and indicate their function. For example, flat bones, such as the bones of the cranium, are designed for protection. We also discussed the six different types of loading and examples of fractures caused by these different types of loading. Three point bending is my favorite type of loading, this occurs when the bone is subjected to three forces, creating tension on one side of the bone and compression on the opposite side. The classic example of three point bending is the boot top fracture. We will have a quiz on Wednesday on anatomical terminlogy as well as the skeletal system.

Motor Development: Today we finished up the first chapter on the introduction to Motor Development. While the fields of Motor Development, Motor Learning, and Motor Control are related, it is also important to understand and recognize the differences. We have also spent a lot of time discussing contstraints and how they work together to shape movement. Using Newell's model, we can identify the individual, environmental, and task constraints that all work together to influence how we move. Wednesday we will begin discussing the different theories of motor development.

Kinesiology Blog

This blog is intended to give insights into the world of Kinesiology. I'll be posting summaries from class meetings as well as updates on research and other events in the field of Kinesiology. If you are one of my students, feel free to comment on the blog and post comments or ask questions. I will do my best to answer them as quickly as possible. If you are a potential student or just a person curious about the field of Kinesiology, also feel free to post comments or questions. This blog is intended to enhance the discussion of classroom materials as well as introduce people to Kinesiology. For those not familiar with Kinesiology, it is the study of movement. I am an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology here at Mississippi State University. Feel free to check out our webpage; the link is on the righthand side of this page. We have a very diverse faculty with many different interests, including exercise physiology, exercise psychology, pedagogy, coaching, sports administration, and others areas. My background is in Biomechanics, and much of my research is focused on understanding the mechanics of injuries, such as ankle sprains.