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Low Back Pain? ItÂ’s All In The Hips. |
Researchers In Kinesiology’s Running Injury Clinic Take Aim On Lower Back Pain
You’ve probably heard a lot about the importance of your core muscle group recently, and most of us tend to think about core in terms of a sculpted ‘six pack’ and a strong back. Dr Reed Ferber says most people forget that their core extends well below the belt.
“What most people don’t realize is that many of the muscles that support your lower back begin in your hips,” says Ferber, who is the Director of the Running and Walking Injury Clinic at the Faculty of Kinesiology. “When those hip muscles become weak and inflexible they create alignment issues that often result in pain in the lower back and hips.”
In other words if your back hurts, blame your weak hips.
Karen Kendall, a clinical assistant and PhD student with The Running and Walking Injury Clinic, recently won the prestigious Meredith Award from the Alberta Workers’ Compensation Board, and a $25,000 cheque to study current diagnostic models for low back pain.
“I hope to be able to help clinicians and doctors find a more objective and valid test than they are currently using,” says Kendall, “I also hope to show them the relationship between weak hips and lower back-pain and eventually recommend an optimal course of treatment that will reduce their pain.”
The Clinic has already had astonishing results. In a preliminary clinical trial, patients following a hip-strengthening program reported a significant reduction in pain with a corresponding increase in hip strength after only three weeks. Click here to download the exercise program.
“This is just preliminary data,” says Ferber, but facts don’t lie. “These findings aren’t really surprising to me since they are an extension of our clinical and research focus and support all of our previous research.”
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Dr. Reed Ferber, Director of Running Injury Clinic, looks to ‘unlock’ the secrets of common knee pain.
(University of Calgary:) Do your knees hurt? Have they been hurting for a long time? You’re not alone! Knee-pain is the most common ailment for people who exercise regularly, particularly Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS.) “Unfortunately," says Dr. Reed Ferber, "People who suffer from patellofemoral pain are usually in it for the long-haul. Many people have repeated episodes of pain for 20 years or more and the condition often leads to osteoarthritis.
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Read more... [Pursuing The Achy Knee!]
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U of C study shows weak hips to blame for most running injuries
A landmark study from the University of Calgary's new Running Injury Clinic suggests bad knees have been getting a bum rap.
While most running injuries happen in the knees and lower legs, it turns out their root cause is almost always weak hip muscles. So runners should stop blaming faulty knees for causing them so much pain as they jog and start strengthening their hips.
The surprising news came Tuesday when Reed Ferber, who runs the clinic and is a professor with the university's faculties of kinesiology and nursing, announced the results of his study, Biomechanical Approach to Rehabilitation of Lower Extremity Musculoskeletal Injuries In Runners.
"I think this is a good news study for people who are living with chronic running pain," Ferber says. "You can do something about it."
Ferber was stunned to discover that of 284 patients who visited his clinic complaining of leg pain over a period of seven months, 92 per cent had weak hip muscles.
As part of each patient's consultation, he gave them a program to improve hip strength, along with other recommendations to speed their recovery.
The results, say Ferber, were even more astonishing: 89 per cent of the patients reported a significant improvement in pain within four to six weeks. Hip-strengthening exercises helped everyone from senior citizens who take long walks to young runners who participate in races.
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Read more... [Straight From the Hip]
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New Research Helps Older Adult Walkers Stay Injury-Free |
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Media Release – Nov. 23rd, 2006
In cooperation with the University of Calgary, Mount Royal College, and the Running Injury Clinic, Dr. Reed Ferber, Director of the Running Injury Clinic, has developed a Walking Injury Evaluation specifically for older adult walkers. “For most Baby Boomers, taking a more scientific biomechanical and clinical look at how they walk can help keep these people injury free” says Dr. Ferber. “This is a very important area of research and we are proud to work in conjunction with the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary to improve health care for older adults.”
Read more…
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