Surfing

Musculoskeletal

What is the most common injury in surfing?

Surfing Surprise: Lacerations, not sprains, top injury

What is the most common injury in surfing? Well, I think you'd be surprised to know that it's not a sprained back or a sprained knee or ankle or even a shoulder. It's actually lacerations. We get cut a lot in surfing. If it's not the reef bottom or rock bottom, then it may be your fins or the edge of your board or even sometimes, unfortunately, the nose. So cuts and lacerations is the most common injury in surfing.

The most common injury in surfing is lacerations caused by the reef bottom, fins, board edge and even the nose.

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The most common injury in surfing is not what you might expect. It's not a sprained back, knee, ankle, or shoulder. Surprisingly, the most common injury is lacerations. In surfing, we often get cuts from various sources. It could be from the reef or rocks on the ocean floor, the fins of our surfboard, the edge of the board itself, or unfortunately, even the nose of the board. Cuts and lacerations are the most frequently encountered injuries in the world of surfing.

Tim, you’ve seen athletes from so many different sports. Any common behaviors that stand out between them all?

The Surprising Common Behaviors Among Athletes: Insights from Tim

Hey Pat, thanks for your question, which is since I've seen so many athletes from so many different professional sports. Are there any common behaviors that stand out between them and dancers and emphatic? Yes, no matter what sport and athlete comes from, we tend to have similar problems with regards to areas that lack movement. And those areas that lack movement, also inhibit normal range of motion and therefore, put stress on joints muscles. And So, the common area is that these athletes tend to share with others. NBA NFL MLB PGA, WSL, doesn't really matter. These athletes all have similar balances in the front of the ankle. So their inability to bring their toes towards their knees and flex forward on that ankle. That's called plantar flexion, and then the inability to have full range of motion of the hips that's crucial because those hip muscles are so big. Big and so important to support our knees and our backs and allow for proper movement set in such movements is like they hinge squat, Etc. So those two areas are critical and then the rib cage and the thoracic spine. So your middle back and the ribs that are attached to it. Most athletes have limited Motion in those areas and that inhibits the ability to move. Normally, and therefore, you're going to put stress on the joints and that's when those athletes tend to break. So it's relatively predict. We have these imbalances and the imbalances disconnect the brain from the nervous system to the muscle. We have all kinds of injury problems. So that's my story today.

Athletes from various sports share common behavior in terms of movement, with areas that lack movement inhibiting normal range of motion and therefore putting stress on joints and muscles. The two most common areas are the front of the ankle (plantar flexion) and the hips, as well as the rib cage and thoracic spine. These imbalances disconnect the brain from the nervous system to the muscle, leading to injury problems.

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Having observed athletes from various professional sports, I've noticed some common behaviors among them. Regardless of the sport, many athletes tend to struggle with areas of limited movement, which can hinder their range of motion and place stress on their joints and muscles.

One common area of concern is the front of the ankle, where athletes often have difficulty flexing their toes towards their knees (plantar flexion). This limitation can impact their ability to move properly and perform certain movements.

Another critical area is the hips, as athletes frequently experience restricted range of motion in this region. Since the hip muscles play a significant role in supporting the knees and back and facilitating movements like squats and hinges, limited hip mobility can lead to stress on the joints and increase the risk of injury.

Additionally, many athletes exhibit limited motion in the rib cage and thoracic spine (middle back). This lack of mobility can affect overall movement patterns and contribute to joint stress.

These imbalances in movement can disrupt the connection between the brain, nervous system, and muscles, leading to a higher likelihood of injuries.

In summary, athletes across different sports often share similar challenges related to limited ankle and hip mobility, as well as restricted motion in the rib cage and thoracic spine. Addressing these imbalances is crucial for optimizing performance and reducing the risk of injuries.

Do you recommend any training for poor posture?

Improve Posture: Focus on Alignment, Strengthen Back, and Open Up

Hi, Michael question is, do I recommend any training for poor posture? And the answer is absolutely. And it's a kind of a 24/7 bubble of posture that I recommend, that means being really conscious of what you're doing every day in every position that you're in. Also posture has a whole bunch to do with movement to. So, as you move, you also want to be aligned. So that's a different part of Consciousness, but I love to Posture work with breath work because they seem to go hand-in-hand and they feed each other. We tend to really work over work. The front of our bodies, we call them the mirror muscles because that's what you see when you look in the mirror. And so we tend to focus on those muscles, but they already get too much work. Anyways, so we need to open the overused muscles and then tone the muscles that don't get you. So the muscles in the back of our body and I'm speaking in very general terms here are usually weakest and predictable. Mmm. So work on, strengthening your back from the back of your heels to all the way to the back of your neck and then opening up and stretching the inside of your body as well as. And that means like inner legs Etc. Underneath the arms, your lats, your rib cage. That's critical. The three most important places to keep loose the front of your ankle. So flexing forward at the ankles, your hips. You want to be moving those hips. In all different directions and then your upper chest. Like, excuse me, your upper back your thoracic spine and your rib cage, critical to function. Alright. I hope that helps a little bit. There's plenty more to talk about. So if you've got more questions, let's ask.

I recommend a 24/7 awareness of your posture, as well as engaging in activities that strengthen the muscles in the back, open up overused muscles, and stretch the inner body. Additionally, focus on flexing the ankles, moving the hips in different directions, and keeping the upper back and rib cage loose.

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Absolutely, I do recommend training for poor posture. It's important to develop a 24/7 awareness of your posture, being conscious of your positioning throughout the day. Posture is not just about static alignment but also about movement. Therefore, it's beneficial to incorporate breath work into posture training, as they complement each other.

Typically, we tend to overwork the front muscles of our bodies, known as the mirror muscles. To address poor posture, we need to focus on opening up the overused muscles and strengthening the weaker muscles in the back of our bodies. This includes the muscles from the back of the heels to the back of the neck. Additionally, it's crucial to stretch and open up the inside of the body, such as the inner legs, underneath the arms, lats, and rib cage.

There are three key areas to keep loose: the front of the ankles, hips (moving them in different directions), and the upper back and thoracic spine. These areas are critical for proper function.

I hope this provides some helpful insights. If you have more questions, feel free to ask!

What other types of training do surfers do beside surf on a weekly basis?

Surfers' Secret Training: Beyond the Waves

Dr. Brian Cunningham. Thanks for the question. What other types of training do surfers? Do besides surf on a weekly basis? Well, back when I started working with Surfers. It was just surfing. That's all they did. They paddled maybe they swam body served excetera. So they just stayed in the water to do their training. Unfortunately, with the Advent of higher-level Maneuvers and more size and the waves more power in the waves, and obviously a plethora. Injuries Surfers. Now have their own coaches, their own trainers. Certainly on the professional level on the world. Surf tour, almost, everybody has a team around them. One of the things that we promote though is kind of an order of training. We don't get them into strict training right away. We're really interested in in five things. So, first alignment, their posture second, teaching them how to diaphragmatic libri. So breath is so important, obviously. Not only for just performance as an athlete but for long hold Downs. When we're surfing in big waves and you get held down for a long time. Breath work is certainly critical, not only for survival, but just for confidence being out in those conditions. Thirdly, it's Mobility. We look at having mobile hips, mobile ankles, mobile, thoracic spine, and ribcage. Those are areas of critical Mobility so that it protects their ankles knees, low backs. Next shoulders, so that's critical as well. And then we look for stability. Then that's connecting the subsystems. We connect the muscle to the nervous system to the brain. That's critical. That's what creates stability or what we call Dynamic support of the joint. So you have to have your nervous system keyed into your muscular system, so that you can react in good time and having muscles that are balanced versus muscles that are imbalanced, is critical. So, So if we have someone that's got a classical anterior chain imbalance meaning that they're very strong in front of their body, very weak in the back of their body. Not only do they lose coordination strength endurance, but they also increase their chances of being injured, and slowly, and much slower recovery. So once they get stable, then we can get into a strengthening program, but we're very methodical about adding load.

Surfers have their own coaches and trainers. A focus is put on alignment, breathing, mobility, and stability. Once these are established, surfers can then start a strengthening program.

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Surfers engage in various types of training besides surfing on a weekly basis. In the past, surfers primarily focused on surfing itself, spending time in the water paddling, swimming, and body surfing. However, as surfing has evolved with more advanced maneuvers, larger waves, and increased risk of injuries, surfers now have their own coaches and trainers.

When it comes to training surfers, there is a specific order of focus. First, alignment and posture are addressed to ensure proper body positioning. Next, surfers are taught diaphragmatic breathing, which is crucial for performance and survival during long hold-downs in big waves.

Mobility is another key aspect of training, with a focus on maintaining mobile hips, ankles, thoracic spine, and ribcage. This helps protect against injuries in areas like the ankles, knees, low back, and shoulders. Stability is then emphasized, connecting the muscular and nervous systems to create dynamic support for the joints. Balanced muscles and coordination are essential for injury prevention and efficient recovery.

Once stability is achieved, surfers can progress to a strengthening program. However, the training approach is methodical and cautious when it comes to adding load to avoid imbalances and promote optimal performance and recovery.

What are the keys to having great posture?

Stand tall: keys to great posture - attitude, movement, alignment

What are the keys to having great posture? Well, obviously it's always having the attitude of Standing Tall really important that the back of your head. The back of your skull is the tallest part of your body and what that does is it helps us to think about elongating our spine and every situation another great key to having great posture. Is not sitting or sitting as minimally as possible, sitting is ruinous, to The Human Condition. We were built to move, not sit. Even when we're standing at your new standing desk. You must move. You must go back and forth on your feet to create what we call the physiological pump and that means enhancing circulation through the body. The other thing is alignment, you know, looking at your body in the mirror, maybe, when it's time for Shower or bath get in front of that mirror and looking to check the height of your shoulders. The chest, the hips, do the Knees line up, our the kneecaps lining up and pointing in the same direction what this talks about is awareness, body awareness is really very very important because when we're sitting at a computer for hours on end, we desensitized to our body positions and our body is a thing of adaptation. It loves to adapt to any scenario. So, even working in this position all day long, your body will try and adapt to that. How it adapts to it, is making good posture, almost impossible, because your muscles will stiffen up and shortened to adapt to this new position. So Mobility is key. The most important joints to keep your mobility in our, the ankle, the hips, and the middle back and ribs. If you keep those areas mobile, it's much much easier to maintain and attain great posture.

The keys to great posture are standing tall with the back of the head as the tallest part of the body, not sitting or sitting minimally, alignment, body awareness, and keeping joints such as the ankle, hips, and middle back and ribs mobile.

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The keys to having great posture are maintaining the attitude of Standing Tall and elongating the spine. Avoid excessive sitting, as it is detrimental to our overall well-being. Even when using a standing desk, it's important to incorporate movement by shifting weight and creating a physiological pump to enhance circulation.

Alignment is another crucial aspect. Use a mirror to check the height of your shoulders, chest, hips, and the alignment of your knees and kneecaps. Body awareness plays a significant role because prolonged sitting can desensitize us to our body positions. Our bodies adapt to the positions we frequently assume, making good posture challenging. Therefore, mobility is essential.

Focus on keeping the ankle, hip, and middle back and ribs mobile. By maintaining mobility in these areas, it becomes easier to attain and sustain great posture.

The Oura Ring and Apple Watch: Essential Training Tools

Oh yeah, okay, what watch do I use to train? Well, I like the Oura Ring actually the most. I'm always experimenting with these devices because I want to get the most information. I'm curious about how my fitness is going and how my sleep's doing and am I getting enough hydration, etc. So I use a lot of different devices to try and get that information because I haven't been able to find everything on one, especially including hydration. I use a scale that gives me a readout based on electrical impedance. It'll let me know what my hydration level is and that's been really helpful too. But I've used Apple Watch, I've used Fitbit, I've used Tozoo and all of them seem to give me pretty good information. But if I was to select two right off the top, I'd say the Oura Ring and Apple Watch are probably my two best devices I use to train.

I like to use the Oura Ring and the Apple Watch to track my fitness, sleep, and hydration levels.

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To train, I prefer using the Oura Ring. I'm constantly experimenting with different devices to gather information about my fitness, sleep, and hydration levels. While no single device provides all the information I need, the Oura Ring has been particularly helpful. Additionally, I have used the Apple Watch, Fitbit, and Tozoo, all of which have provided me with valuable insights. If I had to choose my top two devices for training purposes, it would be the Oura Ring and Apple Watch.

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Dr. Tim Brown is a renowned sports medicine expert and innovator with utility patents, 35 years of experience, and first-hand knowledge of injury-related frustrations. He revolutionized the field in the 1980s with his SPRT (Specific Proprioceptive Response Technique) approach and is now Medical Director for the World Surf League and Sports Medicine and Performance Consultant for Hurley and RedBull. His IntelliSkin technology helps athletes improve performance and recover from injury. His mantra, "Take care of your temple," emphasizes the importance of caring for one's body.

Neither AnyQuestion nor its Experts provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment or otherwise provide professional healthcare services.