This piece of work is a new placement that I have just begun, where the end goal is to have produced a variety of videos that can be shared with clients who receive treatment at the commercial clinic. This resource will help them to understand how to do specific exercises that are prescribed to them.
Reflective Summary
The first video that I edited was a seated calf raise.
This exercise can be used isometrically for an achilles tendinopathy, specifically if it is in the tendon disrepair stage of the continuum (Mascaro et al., 2018).
Isometric muscle contractions have been shown to reduce pressure pain threshold in participants. Following an isometric exercise, there are changes in cortical and motor neurone recruitment which is driven by alterations at tissue level (Rio et al., 2015). As an isometric exercise reduces cortical muscle inhibition this could cause a reduction in pain. It exerts a generalised pain inhibitory response (Naugle, Fillingim & Riley, 2012). A study by Rio et al. (2015) investigated isometric exercise to see if it reduced pain in patella tendinopathy patients. They found that when the client performed 5 sets of 45 seconds at 70% maximal voluntary contraction their pain decreased. These sets, reps and contraction % could be applied to achilles tendinopathy.
Another injury that could include seated calf raises in the rehabilitation programme would be for a calf strain; gradual loading exercises for the calf muscles should be prescribed in order to aid full recovery. In contrast, continued inactivity may lead to atrophy of the healthy muscles, excessive deposition of the connective tissue within the muscles and reduced strength of the injured skeletal muscle (Baoge et al., 2012).
A seated calf raise can also be used in the management of plantar fascitis. A study by Rathleff et al. (2015) investigated the effectiveness of high load strength training in patients with plantar fascitis. This type of training consisted of unilateral heel raises which is a progression for a seated calf raise. They found that a simple progressive exercise protocol consisting of high- load strength training, results in a positive outcome as it may aid a quicker reduction in pain and improvement in function (Rathleff et al., 2015).
I was able to follow specific instructions in order to make an effective video on how to perform a seated calf raise. I was also surprised at how easy I found it, I thought it would be more of a challenge for me as I am not that knowledgeable when it comes to producing videos.
Areas for Improvement | Action Plan |
Continue to practice developing rehabilitation videos | Ensure I am utilising iMovie regularly so that I remember how to create the videos |
Ensure the key coaching points are concise and specific | Have a discussion with the other students that are working on the placement project about the possible coaching points |
Closing the Loop
I edit exercise videos regularly, to ensure I do not forget skills previously learnt on iMovie. Myself and the other placement students have discussed the coaching points for specific exercises.
References
Baoge, L., Van Den Steen, E. L. K. E., Rimbaut, S., Philips, N., Witvrouw, E., Almqvist, K. F., … & Vanden Bossche, L. C. (2012). Treatment of skeletal muscle injury: a review. International Scholarly Research Notices, 2012, 1-7.
Cook, J. L., & Purdam, C. R. (2009). Is tendon pathology a continuum? A pathology model to explain the clinical presentation of load-induced tendinopathy. British journal of sports medicine, 43(6), 409-416.
Mascaró, A., Cos, M. À., Morral, A., Roig, A., Purdam, C., & Cook, J. (2018). Load management in tendinopathy: Clinical progression for Achilles and patellar tendinopathy. Apunts. Medicina de l’Esport, 53(197), 19-27.
Naugle, K. M., Fillingim, R. B., & Riley III, J. L. (2012). A meta-analytic review of the hypoalgesic effects of exercise. The Journal of Pain, 13(12), 1139-1150.
Rathleff, M. S., Mølgaard, C. M., Fredberg, U., Kaalund, S., Andersen, K. B., Jensen, T. T., … & Olesen, J. L. (2015). High‐load strength training improves outcome in patients with plantar fasciitis: A randomized controlled trial with 12‐month follow‐up. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 25(3), e292-e300.
Rio, E., Kidgell, D., Purdam, C., Gaida, J., Moseley, G. L., Pearce, A. J., & Cook, J. (2015). Isometric exercise induces analgesia and reduces inhibition in patellar tendinopathy. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 49(19), 1277-1283.