Sports Injuries Prevention and Rehabilitation

Headache is one of the most prevalent pain conditions present at all stages of life. It affects the majority of the global population and is among the top 10 causes of disability.  Despite this, the burden of headache has been largely underestimated, with headache disorders often dismissed as minor and undeserving of medical care.  Although athletes suffer from the same causes of headache as non-athletes, there are several key causes of headache that relate directly to exercise or to the sport itself. An additional factor to consider is that headache can impair both training and sports performance.

This online course will cover the following topics:

• Headache in sport

• Clinical application to the patient and headache

• Migraine

• Primary exercises headache

• Cervicogenic headache

• Post-traumatic headache

As with neck pain and low back pain, it is frequently difficult for the clinician to make a precise diagnosis in patients with pain in the region of the thoracic spine given the interplay between the thorax, upper limb, neck, low back, and the cardiorespiratory and visceral systems. The most common musculoskeletal problems are disorders of the thoracic imervertebral joints and the numerous rib articulations as this region of the spine contributes stability to the axial skeleton. The thorax never sleeps as, even at rest, this complex interplay of joints, ligaments and muscles moves with respiration.

This online course will cover the following topics:

• Assessment of thoracic pain

• Thoracic intervertebral joint disorders

• Costovertebral-costotransverese joint disorders

• Scheurmann's disease

• T4 syndrome

• Chest pain

• Rib trauma

• Side strain

Mechanical neck pain conditions can be troublesome for any athlete, but most can be managed well with conservative therapies. Nevertheless, neck pain is characteristically recurrent and its lifetime impact should not be underestimated. Management must aim to first address the presenting condition and resolve the acute episode of neck pain. The challenge is the second stage of treatment that aims to prevent or limit the recurrence of neck pain to improve future quality of life and sports performance. This broader aspect of effective secondary prevention should be a focus of both clinical practice and research.

In many cases in sport and exercise medicine, physical assessment is aimed at establishing a structural diagnosis to guide an effective treatment plan in the hope that someone will fully recover. The expert clinician appreciates pain as a protective output, maintains a level of vigilance for when it is necessary to take a broader approach, assesses the various contributors to the patient's pain and considers secondary factors that may act to modulate it at the peripheral and/or central levels.

This approach, which incorporates advances in pain science, will mean fewer patients are given inappropriate treatment that is missing an important element of their condition.

Not every patient who presents to the sport and exercise medicine clinician has a sports-related condition. Sport and exercise medicine has its share of conditions that must not be missed-'red flag' conditions that may appear at first to be rather benign. For example, a patient diagnosed with a minor 'calf strain' may have a deep venous thrombosis or a young basketball player with proximal anterior tibial pain who has been labelled as having Osgood-Schlatter disease may have an osteosarcoma or giant cell tumour of the proximal tibia.

In this online course we:

• outline a clinical approach that should maximise your chances of recognising a condition that is 'masquerading' as a sports-related condition

• describe some of these conditions to illustrate how they can present.

Return-to-play (RTP) decisions can be difficult and complex.  The clinician is expected to provide an opinion based on a large number of factors including the history of the injury, physical examination, type of injury, rehabilitation, type of activity, psychological state, competitive level and ability to protect the injury.

Further, these decisions do not occur in a vacuum. The athlete may receive advice from family, friends, coaches, other clinicians and, in the case of elite athletes, agents.  Because determining prognosis is difficult and frequently subjective, some disagreements regarding RTP will always occur.  Differing sociocultural and clinical perspectives of the medical doctor, coach, athlete and others lead to a high potential for conflict. Apart from being challenging and an unpleasant experience, such conflicts are believed to lead to a number of negative scenarios.

This online course outlines the - relationship between biomechanics and injury for a number of sports:  i.e. cycling, cricket, fast bowling and golf.

This online course outlines the - relationship between biomechanics and injury for a number of  sports:  i.e.. rowing, swimming and tennis.

This course should be taken with part 2 as it is one course.

Knowledge about specific physiologic characteristics, management of orthopaedic conditions, injury prevention guidelines, and information regarding non-orthopaedic concerns is imperative to all individuals involved in the healthcare of young athletes.

This course should be taken with part 1 as it is one course.

Knowledge about specific physiologic characteristics, management of orthopaedic conditions, injury prevention guidelines, and information regarding non-orthopaedic concerns is imperative to all individuals involved in the healthcare of young athletes.

Background: While static stretch (SS), proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and oscillatory physiological mobilization techniques are documented to have positive effects on a range of motion, there are no reports on the effect of dynamic oscillatory stretching (DOS), a technique that combines these three techniques, on hamstring extensibility.

Purpose: To determine whether DOS improves hamstring extensibility and stretch tolerance to a greater degree than SS in asymptomatic young participants.

Methods: Sixty participants (47 females, 13 males, mean age 22 ± 1 years, height 166 ± 6 centimeters, body mass 67.6 ± 9.7 kg) completed a passive straight leg (SLR) to establish hamstring extensibility and stretch tolerance as perceived by participants using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Participants were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups (SS or DOS) or a placebo control (20 per group). Tests were repeated immediately following and one hour after each intervention.

Results:  Immediately post-intervention, there was a significant improvement in the hamstring extensibility as measured by the SLR in both the SS and DOS groups, with the DOS group exhibiting a significantly greater increase than the SS group.  One hour post-intervention, hamstring extensibility in the DOS group remained elevated, while the SS group no longer differed from the control group. Furthermore, the stretch tolerance remained significantly elevated for the SS group, but there was no difference between the control and DOS groups.

Conclusion: DOS was more effective than SS at achieving an immediate increase in hamstring extensibility, and DOS demonstrated an increased stretch tolerance one-hour post-intervention.

There has been growing concern locally and internationally about the incidence of sport-related concussion and potential health ramifications for athletes. If managed appropriately most symptoms and signs of concussion resolve spontaneously, however complications can occur including prolonged duration of symptoms and increased susceptibility to further injury. There is also growing concern about potential long-term consequences of multiple concussions. 

This course will provide you with information regarding the timely recognition and appropriate management of sport-related concussion. It will also provide you with clear, unequivocal and reliable information to be readily accessible to all members of the community.

This Position Statement on Concussion in Sport brings together the most contemporary evidence-based information and presents it in a format that is appropriate for all stakeholders. This e-Learning course seeks to ensure that all members of the public have rapid access to information to increase their understanding of sport-related concussion and to assist in the delivery of best practice medical care.

There has been growing concern locally and internationally about the incidence of sport-related concussion and potential health ramifications for athletes. If managed appropriately most symptoms and signs of concussion resolve spontaneously, however complications can occur including prolonged duration of symptoms and increased susceptibility to further injury. There is also growing concern about potential long-term consequences of multiple concussions.  

This course will provide you with information regarding the timely recognition and appropriate management of sport-related concussion. It will also provide you with clear, unequivocal and reliable information to be readily accessible to all members of the community. 

This Position Statement on Concussion in Sport brings together the most contemporary evidence-based information and presents it in a format that is appropriate for all stakeholders. This e-Learning course seeks to ensure that all members of the public have rapid access to information to increase their understanding of sport-related concussion and to assist in the delivery of best practice medical care.

Chronic groin pain is a common problem in athletes. The multifactorial nature and the various anatomical structures that contribute to groin pain have made the condition difficult to prevent and manage. Early detection and intervention are the keys to optimal management and prevention of chronic injury. This course provides the clinician and podiatrist in particular with an understanding of the entity, focuses on the biomechanical risks associated with groin pain from a lower extremity perspective and introduces the role of podiatry as an effective adjunct to the multi-disciplinary groin management team.

Static Stretch (SS) does not appear to reduce injury risk and any effect on earlier return to sport is of marginal clinical significance.  In contrast, a graduated strength training programme appears to significantly reduce injury risk and significantly reduce the time to return to sport after injury.

Therefore, the only area in which SS might seem to offer a specific advantage is in the area of increasing flexibility.  However, there remains a lack of evidence that gains are superior to those of a strength training programme. Even if strength training is eventually confirmed as being inferior to SS at increasing flexibility, the fact that strength training improves performance, pain, disability, injury and return to sport rates mean strength training must be a mainstay of athletic development and training, in contrast to SS.

The science of sports injury prevention has grown exponentially over the past two decades. We know that interventions can prevent major knee, ankle and other injuries.

This course will help you to help your sports clients to reduce the risk of injury. You will gain a thorough understanding of how sports injuries occur. Then you will gain in-depth knowledge of the factors that can reduce the risk of injury – warm-up, stretching, taping and bracing, equipment, surfaces, training, envelope of function and the central governor model for the limit of performance and their appropriate use.                                                                         

The science of sports injury prevention has grown exponentially over the past two decades. We know that interventions can prevent major knee, ankle and other injuries. This course will help you to help your sports clients to reduce the risk of injury. You will gain a thorough understanding of how sports injuries occur. Then you will gain in-depth knowledge of the factors that can reduce the risk of injury – warm-up, stretching, taping and bracing, equipment, surfaces, training, envelope of function and the central governor model for the limit of performance and their appropriate use.

The science of sports injury prevention has grown exponentially over the past two decades. We know that interventions can prevent major knee, ankle and other injuries. This course will help you to help your sports clients to reduce the risk of injury. You will gain a thorough understanding of how sports injuries occur. Then you will gain in-depth knowledge of the factors that can reduce the risk of injury – warm-up, stretching, taping and bracing, equipment, surfaces, training, envelope of function and the central governor model for the limit of performance and their appropriate use.                                                                       

The science of sports injury prevention has grown exponentially over the past two decades. We know that interventions can prevent major knee, ankle and other injuries. This course will help you to help your sports clients to reduce the risk of injury. You will gain a thorough understanding of how sports injuries occur. Then you will gain in-depth knowledge of the factors that can reduce the risk of injury – warm-up, stretching, taping and bracing, equipment, surfaces, training, envelope of function and the central governor model for the limit of performance and their appropriate use.

Increase your success rate in treating patients with anterior knee pain.

AKP can be one of the most difficult conditions to manage. The success rate of most treatment regimens has been poor and the condition frequently recurs. 

This three-part, online course will equip you with the latest tools to deal effectively with this and other related sports injuries.

You’ll learn about assessing the knee in part one; part two will introduce you to the new integrated treatment approach; and part three deals with patellar tendinopathy.

Increase your success rate in treating patients with anterior knee pain.

AKP can be one of the most difficult conditions to manage. The success rate of most treatment regimens has been poor and the condition frequently recurs.

This three-part, online course will equip you with the latest tools to deal effectively with this and other related sports injuries.

You’ll learn about assessing the knee in part one; part two will introduce you to the new integrated treatment approach; and part three deals with patellar tendinopathy.

Increase your success rate in treating patients with anterior knee pain.

AKP can be one of the most difficult conditions to manage. The success rate of most treatment regimens has been poor and the condition frequently recurs.

This three-part, online course will equip you with the latest tools to deal effectively with this and other related sports injuries.

You’ll learn about assessing the knee in part one; part two will introduce you to the new integrated treatment approach; and part three deals with patellar tendinopathy.

As anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction has evolved to less invasive, more anatomical approaches, rehabilitation of the injured athlete has become more progressive and innovative.

This correspondence course will help you become familiar with these innovations, looking at everything from planning rehabilitation timetables to re-establishing the athlete’s confidence and self-efficacy; and preparing patients for return to play – which is, after all, what we all want to achieve.

As anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction has evolved to less invasive, more anatomical approaches, rehabilitation of the injured athlete has become more progressive and innovative.

This correspondence course will help you become familiar with these innovations, looking at everything from planning rehabilitation timetables to re-establishing the athlete’s confidence and self-efficacy; and preparing patients for return to play – which is, after all, what we all want to achieve.

What is said to be the most common sport injury?  Which of the many different sports injuries is most likely to recur?  Answer: Ankle injuries. 

Is there anything you can do to reduce the pain, improve the function and prevent recurrence of a sprained ankle – or should you just tell your patient to let the natural recovery process take its course?  This two part course provides valuable answers to these important questions.

What is said to be the most common sport injury?  Which of the many different sports injuries is most likely to recur?  Answer: Ankle injuries.

Is there anything you can do to reduce the pain, improve the function and prevent recurrence of a sprained ankle – or should you just tell your patient to let the natural recovery process take its course?  This two part course provides valuable answers to these important questions.

In recent years, there have been many advances in the assessment and treatment of shoulder pain. Part one of these on-line courses reviews:

• the functional anatomy of the shoulder complex;
• the key features of the clinical history;
• how to conduct a swift and effective physical examination;
• investigations;
• treatment of important shoulder conditions; and
• the prescription for practical shoulder rehabilitation.

Part 2 focuses on mechanism of injury, assessment and rehabilitation of the rotator cuff.

In recent years, there have been many advances in the assessment and treatment of shoulder pain. Part one of these on-line courses reviews:

• the functional anatomy of the shoulder complex;
• the key features of the clinical history;
• how to conduct a swift and effective physical examination;
• investigations;
• treatment of important shoulder conditions; and
• the prescription for practical shoulder rehabilitation.

Part 2 focuses on mechanism of injury, assessment and rehabilitation of the rotator cuff.

These courses are based on the physiology and biomechanics of the shoulder. They provide very effective rehabilitation protocols in terms of return to play. They will assist you to diagnose not only local anatomical lesions, such as rotator cuff tear or Bankart lesion, but also the biomechanical deficits that exist in the shoulder girdle and spine. 

But that’s not all. Distant disorders such as inflexibilities of hip rotation, short hamstrings, or the stiff back also often contribute to shoulder abnormalities. The course will enable you to make a complete diagnosis and to look beyond the injured tissues to tissues that may be overloaded. 

You will also learn to detect functional biomechanical deficits as well as the subclinical adaptations that sports people use to try to maintain performance.

These courses are based on the physiology and biomechanics of the shoulder. They provide very effective rehabilitation protocols in terms of return to play. They will assist you to diagnose not only local anatomical lesions, such as rotator cuff tear or Bankart lesion, but also the biomechanical deficits that exist in the shoulder girdle and spine.

But that’s not all. Distant disorders such as inflexibilities of hip rotation, short hamstrings, or the stiff back also often contribute to shoulder abnormalities. The course will enable you to make a complete diagnosis and to look beyond the injured tissues to tissues that may be overloaded.

You will also learn to detect functional biomechanical deficits as well as the subclinical adaptations that sports people use to try to maintain performance.

Until recently, the hip joint was not thought to be a significant cause of problems in the athletic population. Now, thanks to MRI, and hip arthroscopy we have been able to learn more about some of the common underlying causes of groin pain. These will be covered in part one and two of this course.

Part 3 covers the clinical assessment and treatment of labral tears, ligamentum teres tears, synovitis, chondropathy, surgical management, os acetabulare and lateral hip pain.

This on-line course includes ample photos of exercises for hip rehabilitation.

Until recently, the hip joint was not thought to be a significant cause of problems in the athletic population. Now, thanks to MRI, and hip arthroscopy we have been able to learn more about some of the common underlying causes of groin pain. These will be covered in part one and two of this course.

Part 3 covers the clinical assessment and treatment of labral tears, ligamentum teres tears, synovitis, chondropathy, surgical management, os acetabulare and lateral hip pain.

This on-line course includes ample photos of exercises for hip rehabilitation.

Until recently, the hip joint was not thought to be a significant cause of problems in the athletic population. Now, thanks to MRI, and hip arthroscopy we have been able to learn more about some of the common underlying causes of groin pain. These will be covered in part one and two of this course.

Part 3 covers the clinical assessment and treatment of labral tears, ligamentum teres tears, synovitis, chondropathy, surgical management, os acetabulare and lateral hip pain.

This on-line course includes ample photos of exercises for hip rehabilitation.

For many years the prescription of NSAIDs for all kinds of sport injuries (soft tissue injuries, tendon injuries and bone fractures) has been a staple of sports medicine. NSAIDs have well established analgesic effects, but also have proven side effects.

Despite the risks, the medical community has considered the safety/efficiency ratio satisfactory enough to accept the administration of NSAIDs.

But does this conventional wisdom still hold true?

This course looks at recent research around NSAIDs – some of which has produced surprising results. This information is important to every medical professional who frequently prescribes or recommends NSAIDs to deal with sports injuries.

This e-Learning course summarises the tendinopathy continuum and articulates the authors' clinical reasoning and hands-on experience managing Achilles tendinopathy. We outline graded loading concepts while emphasising that relying on recipes is likely to fail. We also provide a perspective on the role of central pain processing and peripheral input from nociceptive fibres in the context of tendinopathy. 

Rehabilitation should be tailored to address identified impairments (muscle bulk asymmetries, kinetic chain dysfunction, tolerance of energy storage and release in the Achilles tendon), and progressively work toward movements and activities relevant for the individual's sport or daily activities.

Gareth Devine - MSc (Wits) Med Biokinetics; BAHons (Wits) Phys Ed; Sport Science and Biokinetics (UJ); PGCE (Wits) 

The focus of the video will be to look at the correct techniques to assess the movement of the full body and determine any biomechanical issues that would be causing the anterior knee pain. It will also try help to get the participants to understand the many different factors that can lead to anterior knee pain. 

The presentation will go through a full assessment of a patient to identify the issues the patient may have. Then will discuss the different stages of rehabilitation looking at criteria-based assessment to help the patient move into the correct stages at the correct time for their rehabilitation.

There will also be discussion on how it is important to allow the patient to be educated through the process so that they can learn the ways to help themselves during the rehabilitation process.

There will also be a look at return to sport protocols and how they play a role in getting the patient back to their sport as ready and prepared as possible.

Gareth Devine - MSc (Wits) Med Biokinetics; BAHons (Wits) Phys Ed; Sport Science and Biokinetics (UJ); PGCE (Wits) 

The video will take a look at the uniqueness of the hip and how there are many factors

that can cause the hip to move and be positioned to cause problems and pain. The hip joint will be looked at and how the different structures (Bone and muscles) will affect the position of the hip and the way it will function.

The hip assessment is a very unique assessment that will look at the different range of motions, strength and function movements that affect the hip. After these have been assessed it will look at the different rehabilitation stages and how they must be moved through criteria-based assessment so that the hip will not be flared or reinjured.

Once the correct process is followed the presentation will look at practical ways that the therapist can allow the patient to exercise and move slowly back to their correct activities.

There will also be a major focus on what to avoid as to avoid reinjury or flaring of the hip.

There will be a return to sport assessment as well as return to sport drills that will allow the patient to return safely back to their sport.

Gareth Devine - MSc (Wits) Med Biokinetics; BAHons (Wits) Phys Ed; Sport Science and Biokinetics (UJ); PGCE (Wits) 

The ankle is a joint that can cause many problems when it is injured due to the amount of load that goes through the ankle all the time. The presentation will look at how it is important to assess the ankle and its range of motions so that the therapist is aware of how and what the ankle joint can do.

The initial stages of rehabilitation will focus on small intrinsic muscles that need to be worked on so that they are working in the later stages of rehabilitation. These intrinsic exercises are difficult and often take lots of concentration to get right.

Once the patient has got the fundamental movements working they will work on correct rehabilitation through different stages and allow them to progress through criteria-based assessments so they move at the correct level for their abilities.

There will be focus on a staged rehabilitation process finalized with a return to sport assessment and slow integration into their sport. 

Clare-Anne Kilroe - BSc PT

An integrated look at the various taping methods used for common sporting injuries.  These techniques will help you manage both the acute and chronic ankle, knee and shoulder conditions for protection as well as a wonderful tool to use to advance the rehabilitation of your athletes.

Joint and muscle techniques will be practically addressed and the current research presented and debated for a clearer understanding of how and when conditions will benefit most from taping as part of an integrated treatment plan.

Gareth Devine - MSc (Wits) Med Biokinetics; BAHons (Wits) Phys Ed; Sport Science and Biokinetics (UJ); PGCE (Wits) 

The hamstring video will look at:

• Assessment of hamstring
• Initial rehabilitation of hamstring
• Continued assessment of hamstring
• Isontonic strengthening of hamstring into multi joint strengthening
• Different stages of hamstring rehabilitation
• Are they ready to return to sport?